Archbishop Of Canterbury Snubs Animal Charity

The Archbishop of Canterbury has turned down an invitation to be a patron of the RSPCA.

A spokeswoman for Lambeth Palace said it was because The Most Rev Justin Welby has "reluctantly decided to restrict his patronage".

His predecessor, Dr Rowan Williams, was vice-patron of the animal charity, which was founded by an Anglican priest in 1824.

The spokeswoman said: "Since taking office in March this year, the Archbishop has received many kind invitations to patron a large variety of charities and good causes.

Dog rescued by the RSPCA

"Each invitation has been an honour, and in an ideal world he would like to accept them all.

"However, in light of the sheer volume of the requests the Archbishop receives ... he has reluctantly decided to restrict his patronage to a manageable number of organisations, based on where he feels his support could be most beneficial.

"Nevertheless, the Archbishop has enormous admiration for the RSPCA and hopes to see its work thrive long into the future."

Last year the RSPCA was heavily criticised after it spent £326,000 on legal action against a fox hunt.

Critics claimed the "staggering" expense of bringing the prosecution against the Heythrop Hunt in the Cotswolds was a waste of money donated by supporters.

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Lampard: Move 50C Qatar World Cup To England

By Kay Burley, Sky News Presenter

Any football fan would jump at the chance to chat to Frank Lampard, one of the gentlemen of the game. But where to start?

His lengthy Chelsea career, his illustrious England role, goal line technology that could have changed the course of the last World Cup?

Then there's The Special One; Wayne Rooney, or his gorgeous fiancee Christine Bleakley. Why not all of them?

I met the Chelsea and England star, now a celebrity author, in a swanky eatery owned by musician Liam Gallagher and showbiz journalist Gordon Smart.

He strolls in relaxed and smiling and makes an instant impression on the whole team.

"Ask me anything you want," he says.

We start with his Frankie's Magic Football children's novels and his work with a reading charity.

He is at pains to underline that his books shouldn't detract from other authors striving for success but does stress he has worked on his stories for many years to bring them to life.

He is more cautious when it comes to discussing his manager, Jose Mourinho, who has returned to Chelsea after years away from the club.

Kay meets comedian James Corden

Frank stops short - just - of accepting he would have left Chelsea for LA Galaxy if The Special One hadn't returned. Instead, he body swerves the question and says his focus is playing for Chelsea.

I throw in a question about Wayne Rooney. He laughs - nervously, I suggest.

He says it's up to the manager what happens - he is a player and is not privy to managerial decisions.

Another deft swerve by the veteran player.

We move on to goal line technology, the first time it's being used in the Premier League is this season.

What a difference it could have made in the World Cup when his goal against Germany was disallowed.

He says he's tried to move on from that disappointment but Hawkeye in the English League is a no-brainer.

What about future World Cups? Should the 2022 tournament go ahead in Qatar?

James Corden (L) with Frank Lampard (C) and Gordon Smart

Super Frank wonders how it could be played in 50C heat and hopes Fifa will perhaps see sense and move the cup - maybe even to England.

"Practically, to move the World Cup to the winter, I find it quite hard," he told me.

"We all moan about how many games we've got and trying to fit games in and I don't know how you can do that in the middle of one of our seasons, let alone other countries that will have to reshuffle their diaries for it.

"If you want to see a high-level World Cup of the top quality … going to different continents and playing in different conditions is part of it.

"Brazil is going to be different for us but I don't think anyone wants to see it in 50C heat.

"I don't know what the answer is and whether it's possible.

"I wish the World Cup would come to England at that stage and be done with it. We'll see. You never know."

Finally, on a personal note, I asked when he will marry his TV presenter fiancee Christine.

He won't offer a date but says it will be a quiet gathering with just family and friends.

In a surreal twist as we're packing up to leave, comedian James Corden pops into the brasserie.

He laughs and jokes with the football star along with the owner of the Red House, Gordon Smart, and all agree to pose for a quick picture which they agreed I could share with you.

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GPs Warn Patients Could Face Long Waits

The majority of GPs fear patients could face longer waiting times because they are struggling to cope with "spiralling workloads and dwindling resources".

A survey of 206 family doctors by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) found that four in five had "insufficient resources" to provide high quality patient care, while 47% admitted they had cut back on the range of services they provide.

More than four in five GPs are worried that it will become increasingly difficult to deliver continuity of care to at-risk elderly people.

The RCGP said general practice was at "breaking point" and called for an emergency package of investment like the £500m bailout given to A&E departments last week.

Clare Gerada, chairwoman of the RCGP, warned that if general practice "starts to crumble" there could be "disastrous" consequences for patients.

She told Sky News: "Around about 90% of all NHS activity is carried out in general practice for only 9% of the budget.

"GPs are what makes the NHS cost effective. A year of care by a GP is about the same as a hospital might get for one attendance in the emergency department.

"Yet what we're finding is that the investment is being put into hospitals but it's general practice that needs the help because if it folds then the rest of the NHS will be unsustainable.

"Last week the English Government announced an additional £500m for A&E departments. What we need is our fair share of funding so that GPs can do more for our patients in their communities."

Ben Dyson, director of commissioning policy and primary care at NHS England, said: "We fully recognise that demands and patterns of healthcare are changing, and that this is increasing pressure on parts of the NHS.

"That's why we have recently published a 'call to action' about the future of general practice to help stimulate new, innovative approaches to providing services and ensuring every patient gets the care they need.

"Our key aim is to enable GP practices both to provide more coordinated care for people with more complex needs and to provide more accessible and responsive service, in conjunction with partners in community and social care."

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Top Officials Get Tax On Perks Paid By State

Some of Britain's top civil servants are having part of their tax bills paid out of public funds - leaving them tens of thousands of pounds better off, it has been reported.

Government departments have been paying the taxes on perks such as official cars, first class rail travel and rent-free accommodation.

One senior Conservative MP expressed surprise at the arrangements, saying they were out of line with what could be expected in the private sector.

However, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) insisted that it was a frequently seen practice for employers to pay the tax bills on benefits for some employees.

According to the Daily Telegraph, officials who have benefited from the system include the Cabinet Secretary, Sir Jeremy Heywood, the head of NHS England, Sir David Nicholson, and the former head of the Serious Fraud Office, Phillippa Williamson.

It said that the effect of the deal was to increase the value of their pay packages by up to £30,000 a year.

The tax is due on benefits - like free travel or accommodation - which is regarded by the tax department as extra income.

Anyone who receives these benefits, which are in addition to their salary, is supposed to pay extra tax. In the case of these individuals, the government is picking up that part of the tax bill.

According to the newspaper, Sir Jeremy has the use of a chauffeur-driven Toyota Prius which, it said, had cost taxpayers £172,100 over the past two years.

The tax bill on the car for which Sir Jeremy was liable has been estimated at more than £49,000.

Sir David Nicholson is head of NHS England

Sir David Nicholson was said have received benefits worth £320,303 over the last six years, including the cost of a rented flat in London, the use of a chauffeured car and first-class train journeys.

Phillippa Williamson has been accused of claiming expenses of more than £98,000 over three years to commute between London and her home in the Lake District.

Her tax bill on that figure was about £40,000, which, the Telegraph says, was picked up by the SFO.

Richard Bacon, a Conservative member of the Commons Public Accounts Committee, expressed concern at the arrangements.

"Most taxpayers would be surprised to find that this sort of thing is tax-free. These are out of line with what one would expect from the way people in the private sector are treated," he told the Telegraph.

"Taxpayers are already paying a lot for these people, I don't think they would be expecting to dig into their pocket to pay for the tax on the benefit as well."

HMRC said it is the choice of the employer whether it wishes to pay an employee's tax bill for any benefits they receive.

"Employers may choose to pay the tax due on the benefit. If so any such payment will constitute an additional benefit - which will also be taxable on the employee.

"This is quite a common practice by employers and is a matter between employer and employee. HMRC makes sure all the tax due is paid."

It cited 20,000 cases over the last year when employers had paid the tax bill due on employees' benefits.

A spokesman for the Department of Health, which pays the tax on benefits received by Sir David Nicholson, told the Telegraph: "Benefits in kind payments are paid to recognise [senior civil servants'] need to travel to carry out their roles."

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Whipps Cross Hospital 'Unsafe And Uncaring'

An NHS trust has been issued with three formal warnings after inspectors found "unsafe" conditions including filthy maternity wards and water placed out of the reach of elderly patients.

Barts Health NHS Trust "failed to protect the safety and welfare of patients" at Whipps Cross University Hospital in Leytonstone, east London, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) said.

The trust must now make "urgent improvements", following unannounced inspections in May and June.

The hospital was failing to meet 10 of the 16 national standards for quality and safety, inspectors found.

On maternity wards, "serious shortfalls" were noted, such as blood-stained equipment, filthy curtains, staff not cleaning their hands and midwives failing to carry out proper checks on newborns.

Resuscitation equipment for babies did not have an oxygen supply and was not checked regularly, while some equipment was not sterile, inspectors found.

"We saw examples of poor care, unacceptable staff behaviour and poor infection control in maternity services," inspectors said in their report.

"In surgery, theatre processes and communication arrangements put people's safety at risk."

During just one visit, inspectors identified "serious shortfalls" in eight out of the 16 essential standards hospitals are required to meet by law.

Staff on postnatal wards were found to be "uncaring".

The report said: "We saw a woman in a blood-stained gown and bed. About 10 minutes later we saw the same woman crying in the corridor.

"The midwife on duty asked the woman 'Why are you crying?' The woman replied 'I am in pain'. 'Pain!' the midwife repeated in a sarcastic manner.

"The midwife got some medication and handed her a white pot which contained tablets without telling the woman what the tablets were.

"We observed the same midwife bringing the wrong formula milk (as it was different to what the woman had previously been feeding her baby). When asked by the woman, the midwife did not accept she had brought the wrong milk and did not offer the woman the correct alternative."

On the labour wards, the theatre sluice pipe had previously leaked onto the floor.

"We saw visible dried stains on that sluice pipe and floor," inspectors said.

Inspectors also found shortages of staff on elderly care wards, including a lack of qualified nurses.

Barts Health NHS Trust chief executive Peter Morris said: "Barts Health is committed to ensuring the safety and welfare of every one of our patients and we are extremely sorry for the failings in some of our services at Whipps Cross Hospital.

"We have taken immediate action to rectify the failures to ensure we meet standards across the hospital at all times."

Barts Health NHS Trust is already under scrutiny by chief inspector of hospitals Professor Sir Mike Richards.

It is one of 18 trusts being examined due to potential risks to patients, and is one of five on the list, announced in July, that is considered to be "high risk".

Royal College of Nursing (RCN) London regional director Bernell Bussue said: "It's deeply concerning to see these failures in relation to basic standards of infection control, hygiene, waiting times and providing adequate food and drink."

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Jobs: Claimant Count Hits Four-Year Low

The number of people claiming unemployment benefit dropped by almost double the forecast figure last month to a four year low.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said Jobseeker's Allowance claims tumbled - for the ninth consecutive month - by 29,200 in July as the labour market strengthened

There was also a favourable revision to June's number which was revised to 29,400 - the largest monthly drop since May 2010.

While the total number of people unemployed fell by 4,000 between April and June to 2.51 million, unemployment among 16 to 24-year-olds increased by 15,000 to reach 973,000, while the number of people out of work for more than two years rose by 10,000 to 474,000, the highest since 1997.

The number of people in work increased by 69,000 in the quarter to 29.78 million, the highest since records began in 1971 but the ONS said the unemployment rate held steady at 7.8%.

That statistic is now closely watched after the Bank of England's new governor Mark Carney confirmed the monetary policy committee (MPC) did not envisage raising the base rate of interest until the jobless rate dropped to 7%.

It emerged today, in minutes from the bank's last MPC meeting that one member, Martin Weale, voted against the new policy of giving forward guidance on the possible movement of interest rates.

The ONS data provided better news for household incomes as average weekly earnings growth, including bonuses, accelerated to 2.1% in the period, compared with a year earlier.

The body said it represented the fastest growth since late 2011 though it still lagged way behind inflation - standing at 2.8% in July according to figures released on Tuesday.

Giving his reaction to the job statistics Employment Minister Mark Hoban said: "With 29,000 fewer people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance compared to this time last month, and more people in work than ever before, today's figures paint a positive picture of the UK labour market.

"There are now more jobs available than at any time since the end of 2008, and more hours being worked than ever before - which shows that there are opportunities out there for people who want to work and get on in life."

But Dave Prentis, general secretary of the Unison union, was less upbeat.

He said: "Today's small drop in unemployment rates masks the damaging growth of under-employment plaguing the country and stifling economic recovery.

"A toxic combination of part-time, minimum wage, zero-hours working is spreading across the country, as decently paid, full-time opportunities become increasingly rare.

"We know that just a few months ago there were, on average, almost four people chasing every vacant job in England, Scotland and Wales. For young people desperate to get their first job, these are desperate times. Getting the work experience they need to get a start in life is hard to find."

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Cat DNA Database Helps Convict Killer

A database of cat DNA has been set up and has already helped convict a killer.

It was used to show the likelihood that cat hairs found on the dismembered torso of Hampshire man David Guy belonged to Tinker, a cat owned by main suspect David Hilder.

DNA for 152 cats has been collected by University of Leicester scientists, who now hope to publish it so it can be used in future investigations.

Dr Jon Wetton, who led the project, said: "This is the first time cat DNA has been used in a criminal trial in the UK.

"This could be a real boon for forensic science, as the 10 million cats in the UK are unwittingly tagging the clothes and furnishings in more than a quarter of households."

In July last year, eight car hairs were found on the torso of Mr Guy, who was found on a Southsea beach wrapped in a curtain.

California scientists analysed the hairs and found the mitochondrial DNA matched the suspect's cat.

The DNA type was unique among 493 randomly sampled US cats.

Doctor Wetton, working with Hampshire Police, set out to discover if it was equally rare in the UK - and, more specifically, in the area of the crime.

He looked at 23 cats from Southsea and another 129 from the rest of the country and found only three matches, confirming that the DNA type was indeed rare.

That evidence helped the prosecution get a successful conviction for manslaughter at Winchester Crown Court in July.

The samples collected form the new cat DNA database, which scientists hope can be built up over time.

Dr Wetton said: "Within each cat hair are two types of DNA, individual-specific 'nuclear DNA' detectable in the roots of some larger hairs, and 'mitochondrial DNA' which is shared by all maternally-related individuals and can be found even in the finest hair shafts.

"Animal DNA offers a way of linking people to places and items through the transfer of their pet's hairs."

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Lee Rigby Terror Videos: Woman In Court

A 21-year-old woman has appeared in court on terror charges for allegedly distributing video clips about the killing of Drummer Lee Rigby.

Rebekah Dawson, from Hackney, east London, appeared briefly at Westminster Magistrates Court.

It is alleged she made two video recordings on May 22, the day of Lee Rigby's murder in Woolwich, and distributed them "with the intention of encouraging others in the commission, preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism".

She is also accused of encouraging terrorism by publishing a statement entitled "Muslim laughs at British Soldier killing".

Dawson is jointly charged along with Royal Barnes, 22, who appeared at the same court on Monday to face terror charges linked to the footage.

The pair are due to appear at the Old Bailey on Friday.

Drummer Rigby, 25, was hacked to death in broad daylight near Woolwich barracks in southeast London on May 22.

Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale have been charged with his murder and are due to stand trial on November 18.

Drummer Rigby served in Afghanistan as a machine gunner and was attached to the regimental recruiting team when he was killed.

His murder sparked nationwide shock and revulsion and led to an outpouring of support for his family from the public.

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Gibraltar Row: Spain 'Creating A Diversion'

The Chief Minister of Gibraltar has accused the Spanish government of "banging the nationalistic drum" to divert the people's attention from the country's domestic problems.

Tensions between London and Madrid have deepened, with Downing Street announcing it was drawing up plans for legal action over the continued imposition of "politically motivated" checks at the Gibraltar border.

Fabian Picardo told Sky News that Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy was trying to make peoplelose focus on problems at home in the same way that the head of Argentina's military junta, Leopoldo Galtieri, did in 1982 in the Falkland Islands.

"What is happening in the background is that the Spanish government has been engulfed in allegations of corruption which affect Mr Rajoy himself," Mr Picardo said.

Fabian Picardo is Gibraltar's top politician

"I think what we are seeing is a little bit like what Mr Galtieri deployed in Argentina in 1982, which is an attempt to bang the nationalistic drum to make people look away from the national problems that Spain is suffering and the PM himself is labouring under."

The Chief Minister was referring to a corruption scandal that has engulfed Mr Rajoy's People Party, forcing the prime minister to deny he or his party have accepted illegal payments. 

Mr Rajoy has rejected opposition calls to step down, but Mr Picardo said a British Prime Minister facing the same allegations "wouldn't last five minutes".

"And yet in Spain Mr Rajoy remains comfortable in his post trying to create diversions like this one," he said.

Mr Picardo also called Jose Garcia-Margallo "the least diplomatic of the Spanish foreign ministers in history".

The 1713 Treaty of Utrecht gave The Rock to the British

Downing Street said it was looking at the "unprecedented step" of taking legal action after the Spanish government failed to lift the additional border checks over the weekend. The measures have caused tailbacks of several hours.

Madrid has remained defiant, saying it would not abandon what it called "legal and proportionate" checks.

Mr Picardo claimed that in a fair international court Gibraltar would win "game, set and match".

The European Commission plans to send a team of investigators to the border in the next couple of weeks to observe the controls following complaints from several MEPs and EU citizens about long waits there.

Adding to the tensions, three Royal Navy warships set sail for the Mediterranean in what defence officials stressed was a long-scheduled deployment. The vessels included the flagship HMS Bulwark, helicopter carrier HMS Illustrious and frigate HMS Montrose.

Spain insists the border checks are legitimate

The diplomatic spat between the UK and Spain was sparked by the creation of an artificial reef by the Gibraltarian authorities, which the Spanish say will destroy fishing in the area.

Madrid responded by beefing up border controls, leading to lengthy queues, and suggesting that a 50 euro (£43.30) fee could be imposed on every vehicle entering or leaving the Rock through the fenced border with Spain.

Mr Picardo said that while Spain is still "playing games" the queues aren't typically longer than one hour, and said the people of Gibraltar do not worry about the spat "because we've lived through so many".

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Rail Fares To Rise By 4.1% In January 2014

Rail users will face an increase of around 4.1% in fares in the new year after new inflation figures were revealed.

Campaigners have been protesting at 50 train stations across the country against the rise of fares compared with average earnings.

Retail price index (RPI) inflation rose by 3.1% in the year to July, down from 3.3% last month, but regulated fares - such as season tickets - will rise by an extra 1% when the new prices are announced from January.

Campaigners claim fares have risen three times faster than wages in the last six years.

The next price hike will be the sixth time in seven years that rail fares have outstripped wages, they say.

Between 2008 and next January rail fares will have jumped by 40%, compared with a 15% increase in average earnings, it is claimed.

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) warned unregulated tickets could rise by 9%, against forecasts of a 2.4% increase in average earnings next year.

It said rail privatisation was costing taxpayers £1.2bn a year despite "minimal" investment in trains and stations.

The TUC and the Action For Rail campaign group organised demonstrations at stations including Birmingham New Street, Bristol Temple Meads, Glasgow Central, Manchester Piccadilly, Newcastle Central and London's Paddington, King's Cross and Victoria.

Campaigners protested at King's Cross and other stations

Rail Maritime and Transport union leader Bob Crow said: "This latest inflation-busting hike in fares is a kick in the teeth for the British people who are condemned for another year to pay the highest prices in Europe to travel on clapped-out, overcrowded and unreliable trains while the private operators are laughing all the way to the bank."

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said nobody liked paying more for fares but the Government was investing heavily in the railways.

"Nobody likes to see rail fares go up. I don't like to see it and passengers don't like to see it," he said.

"We are massively investing in the railways, with £130m being spent here at Nottingham, £800m at Reading and £600m at Birmingham.

"Running the railways is a very expensive business."

Shadow Transport Secretary Maria Eagle told Sky News that some train companies were "fiddling" the fare cap.

"A 4.1% average increase, yes, but up to 9.1% because the current government gave back to train companies the power to increase some fares by an extra 5% on top (of RPI)," she said.

"The first thing they could and should do is put a stop to that."

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Asda Parking Space Killing: Man In Court

A man has appeared in court charged with manslaughter over the death of a 64-year-old in an alleged row over a disabled parking space.

Alan Watts, 65, appeared before magistrates and was remanded on bail following the death of Brian Holmes.

Mr Holmes, from Sandy, Bedfordshire, died from head injuries the day after the August 3 incident at the Asda supermarket in Biggleswade.

His family were at his bedside when he died.

In a statement released through police, they said: "The family are devastated by the loss of Brian in such shocking circumstances.

Mr Holmes died from a serious head injury the day after the incident

"A wife has lost her husband, best friend and carer all in one go.

"Brian was a family man who adored his grandchildren and family, and had only this week been given the all-clear following treatment for cancer.

"Brian and his wife were only just starting to make plans for the future that they only dared to dream of."

Alan Watts appeared at Bedford Magistrates' Court only to confirm his name and address and that he understood the charge.

He will next appear at Luton Crown Court on August 28 for a preliminary hearing.

Mr Watts has surrendered his passport as part of bail conditions and must also report daily to a local police station.

He is also barred from driving and must not visit the Asda store where the alleged row took place.

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Charlatans Drummer Jon Brookes Dies At Age 44

Tributes have been paid to Charlatans drummer Jon Brookes who has died, three years after being diagnosed with a brain tumour.

The band's frontman Tim Burgess wrote on Twitter: "Jon Brookes, my friend, our drummer and inspiration to so many, passed away this morning. We are torn apart. Love & thoughts to Jon's family."

Brookes, 44, was diagnosed in 2010 after he collapsed on stage during a gig in Philadelphia.

The band, who have had more than 20 top 40 hits, released their debut single, Indian Rope, in 1990.

Founder member and keyboard player Rob Collins died in a road accident in 1996.

A statement on the band's website said Brookes died on Tuesday morning.

It said: "Following a seizure on tour in Philadelphia in 2010, Jon had been receiving treatment for a brain tumour and had undergone several operations, although he had been working on new material with the band over the summer.

"He passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning with his family at his bedside."

The musician is survived by his wife and three daughters.

A further statement from the band said: "Jon was a brilliant drummer, an inspiration, a founding member of The Charlatans, part of our family and a friend to everyone in and around the band.

"Losing someone who was always so full of life is a tragedy that will be shared by so many. Our thoughts are with Debbie and all of Jon's family."

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Missing Teenager Erika Kacicova: Man Arrested

Police searching for missing teenager Erika Kacicova have arrested a 37-year-old man on suspicion of child abduction.

It comes after detectives told Sky News they "will not stop" until they find the 13-year-old girl.

Police have appealed to the teenager to contact them so they can visit her to make sure she is safe and well.

They have stressed "she is not in trouble", but have called on her to return to her "distraught" family.

Erika was last seen leaving her home in the Darnall area of Sheffield at around 4pm on Monday, August 5.

Erika's disappearance has been described as 'out of character'

Police have been conducting house-to-house inquiries there, and have expanded their search to Bradford, where the suspect was arrested.

He is being taken to Sheffield where he will be questioned by officers from South Yorkshire Police.

There have been a number of unconfirmed sightings of the youngster and police say they have some "really positive" lines of enquiry.

But they are still asking the public for any information they have about the missing child.

Detective Inspector Helen Tate told Sky News: "When we cross-reference the various sightings we've had, it gives us some really positive lines to follow up.

"I need to stress to Erika she's not in trouble. We just need to see she is safe and well.

"We're asking the public to call in with sightings, any information they have got.

"Most importantly it's about Erika picking up that phone and letting us know she is OK and allowing us to come and see her and make sure she is well and safe.

"Our investigation has not slow paced in any way. We will not stop until we actually find Erika."

Her disappearance has been described as "out of character".

Erika is described as being slim and around 4ft 11ins tall. She has long, dark-brown, straight hair and brown eyes.

She was last seen wearing blue jeans, a pink polo-style shirt and a silvery-grey coloured jacket.

A 22-year-old man from Bradford was released on police bail on Sunday after being arrested on suspicion of child abduction.

He approached police on Friday, the day officers made an urgent appeal for information about Erika's whereabouts.

:: Anyone with information about missing Erika is asked to call police on 101.

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Asda Car Park Death: Pensioner Charged

A pensioner has been charged with killing a grandfather who died following a row over a disabled space in an Asda car park.

Alan Watts, 65, will appear before magistrates charged with manslaughter following the death of 64-year-old Brian Holmes in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire.

Mr Holmes, from Sandy, Bedfordshire, died from head injuries at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge the day after the August 3 attack.

A Bedfordshire Police spokesman said: "On the direction of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), Bedfordshire Police have charged a man in relation with an incident which took place at the Asda car park in Church Street, Biggleswade, on Saturday August 3.

"Alan Watts, of Lindsell Crescent, Biggleswade, has been charged with one count of manslaughter."

The spokesman said Watts had been bailed to appear at Bedford Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.

Mr Holmes' family were at his bedside when he died the afternoon after the attack.

In a statement released through Bedfordshire Police after his death, his family said: "The family are devastated by the loss of Brian in such shocking circumstances.

"A wife has lost her husband, best friend and carer all in one go.

"Brian was a family man who adored his grandchildren and family, and had only this week been given the all-clear following treatment for cancer.

"Brian and his wife were only just starting to make plans for the future that they only dared to dream of."

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Bryant Attacks Tesco Over 'Unfair' Migrant Use

Changes To Chris Bryant's Speech

Updated: 12:36pm UK, Monday 12 August 2013

By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent

The before and after sections on Tesco and Next in Chris Bryant's immigration speech are barely recognisable.

The speech delivered by the Shadow Immigration Minister was very different from extracts released in advance at the weekend.

In the Q&A after his speech, he denied he had been nobbled or spoken personally to the two companies.

But, after the angry denials by Tesco and Next at the weekend, by Monday morning the passages had been substantially rewritten and the tone had been dramatically transformed from hostile to complimentary.

:: ON TESCO:

Before:

"Take the case of Tesco, who recently decided to move their distribution centre in Kent.

"The new centre is larger and employs more people, but the staff at original site, most of them British, were told that they could only move to the new centre if they took a cut in pay. The result? A large percentage of the staff at the new centre are from Eastern bloc.

"Then there are the recruitment agencies that specialise in recruiting staff from elsewhere in the EU."

After:

"Take Tesco. A good employer and an important source of jobs in Britain. They take on young people, operate apprenticeships and training schemes and often recruit unemployed or disabled staff through job centres.

"Yet when a distribution centre was moved to a new location existing staff said they would have lost out by transferring and the result was a higher proportion of staff from A8 countries taking up the jobs.

"Tesco are clear they have tried to recruit locally. And I hope they can provide more reassurance for their existing staff. But the fact that staff are raising concern shows how sensitive the issue has become."

Comparison:

After Tesco said they had no distribution centre in Kent, that reference has gone. So too has the allegation about the cut in pay. Instead, Tesco is "a good employer" that is clear it has "tried to recruit locally".

ON NEXT:

Before:

"Look at Next PLC, who last year brought 500 Polish workers to work in their South Elmsall warehouse for their summer sale and another 300 this summer. They were recruited in Poland and charged £50 to find them accommodation.

"The advantage to Next? They get to avoid Agency Workers Regulations which apply after a candidate has been employed for over 12 weeks, so Polish temps end up considerably cheaper than the local workforce which includes many former Next employees.

"The recruitment agency Next used, Flame, has its website http://www.flamejobs.pl entirely in Polish. It's not illegal. But is it fair? Does it inspire long-term commitment to the business?

"In mentioning this I'm not looking for special favours for anyone. I'm just looking for fairness."

After:

"Next PLC recruited extra temporary staff for their South Elmsall warehouse for the summer sale - last year and this year.

"South Elmsall is in a region with 9% unemployment and 23.8% youth unemployment.

"Yet several hundred people were recruited directly from Poland. The recruitment agency Next used, Flame, has its website http://www.flamejobs.pl entirely in Polish.

"Now of course short term contracts and work are sometimes necessary in order to satisfy seasonal spikes in demand.

"But when agencies bring such a large number of workers of a specific nationality at a time when there are one million young unemployed in Britain it is right to ask why that is happening.

"It's not illegal for agencies to target foreign workers. But is it fair for them to be so exclusive? Is it fair on migrant workers who can find themselves tied into agency accommodation deals? And is it good practice for the long term health of the economy when so many local young people need experience and training?

"Next also say they have tried to recruit locally."

Comparison:

The allegation that Next "get to avoid Agency Workers Regulations" has gone. So too has the claim that "Polish temps end up considerably cheaper than the local workforce".

Mr Bryant did, however, make new allegations in his speech against the tourism industry:

"Tourism is one of our largest industries and yet I have heard horror tales of hotel management deliberately cutting hours of young British workers and adding hours to migrant workers who do not complain about deductions from earnings that almost certainly take people below the minimum wage," he said.

But he didn't name names.

More anecdotal accusations, I suspect.

Mr Bryant obviously wanted to avoid another bruising clash with big business.

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Lee Rigby: Man Charged Over 'Terror Videos'

A 22-year-old man has been charged with terror offences after allegedly making video recordings about Drummer Lee Rigby's murder.

Royal Barnes, from Hackney, east London, is accused of creating clips about the father-of-one's death and publishing a statement entitled "Muslim laughs at British Soldier killing".

He is accused of dissemination of terrorist publications and "encouraging others into the commission, preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism".

He is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court today after being arrested on Friday along with a 21-year-old woman.

Barnes is also charged with encouraging an act of terrorism by publishing a statement that glorified the killing, and inciting terrorism overseas.

It is claimed that on June 12 he "incited another to commit an act of terrorism, wholly or partly outside the United Kingdom".

Lee Rigby, 25, was hacked to death in broad daylight near Woolwich barracks in south-east London on May 22.

Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale have been charged with his murder and are due to stand trial at the Old Bailey on November 18.

Drummer Rigby served in Afghanistan as a machine gunner and was attached to the regimental recruiting team when he was killed.

His murder sparked nationwide shock and revulsion and led to an outpouring of support for his family from the public.

More follows...

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High Street Housing Plans Come Under Fire

Store Vacancies Hit New High Level

Updated: 11:50am UK, Monday 20 May 2013

A surge in shopping centre vacancies means almost one in every eight British stores is now empty, according to a new survey.

Empty shops now account for 11.9% of retail space, after failures including Comet and Jessops knocked holes in the shopping hubs and out-of-town retail parks.

The percentage of UK shop vacancies in April worsened from 10.9% in January and was the highest rate since the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Springboard survey began in 2011.

It said high streets have been "vastly outperforming" malls and retail parks, boosted by a 5% increase in evening drinkers, diners and clubbers.

The retail sector has been battered by a wave of failures this year, with entertainment retailer HMV and camera chain Jessops both entering administration in January.

Electricals retailer Comet slumped into administration in November.

BRC director general Helen Dickinson said: "It's a major concern that the vacancy rate has reached a record high, driven by increases in almost every part of the UK, with some regions like the South West seeing a significant leap in empty shop numbers."

But rising temperatures lifted April footfall 1% on a year earlier, a marked improvement on the 5.2% fall in March, as more shoppers ventured out compared with a rainy April 2012.

Ms Dickinson added: "The unsettled weather at the start of the month seems to have created pent-up demand, which brought many of us out to shop when more spring-like weather finally made an appearance."

High street footfall was up 3.4%, the strongest performance since December 2011, but shopping centre visitors fell 3%.

Greater London was the strongest-performing region with footfall rising 4.2% and just 7.4% of its shops vacant.

Footfall in Northern Ireland slumped 6.4% in April, while its shop vacancy rate hit 18.1%. In Wales, shoppers were down 2.1%, with a vacancy rate of 17.9%.

The South West saw footfall slide 1.3% and shop vacancies hit 14%.

The UK's surging vacancy rate follows recent downbeat sales figures from the BRC, which showed retail sales slumped at the fastest rate for a year in April as the timing of Easter and a freezing start to the month offset improvements in fashion and beauty.

Like-for-like sales fell 2.2% in April from a year earlier, with the early Easter hitting food sales in particular, it said.

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Perseids Meteor Shower To Shimmer Over UK

This year's Perseids meteor shower promises up to 60 shooting stars an hour being visible in the skies over the UK.

The spectacle is expected to peak between late Monday evening and early Tuesday morning.

And the prospects for this year's showing are deemed to be particularly good, especially for stargazers in the UK, according to the Royal Astronomical Society.

The natural phenomenon - the result of the cosmic pollution created by the comet Swift-Tuttle which last passed near the Earth in 1992 - is expected to be visible to the unaided eye.

"Comet Swift-Tuttle won't be visiting our neck of the woods again until the year 2125, but every year we get this beautiful reminder as the Earth ploughs through the debris it leaves in its orbit" said Professor Alan Fitzsimmons of Queen's University Belfast.

The Perseids meteor shower in the Republic of Macedonia, August 2011

"Every meteor is a speck of comet dust vaporising as it enters our atmosphere at 36 miles per second. What a glorious way to go."

Meteors, commonly known as shooting stars, are the result of small particles entering the Earth's atmosphere at high speed.

These heat the air around them, causing the characteristic streak of light seen from the ground.

They mostly appear as fleeting flashes lasting less than a second, but the brightest ones leave behind trails of vaporised gases and glowing air molecules that may take a few seconds to fade.

The Perseids meteor shower is active each year from around mid-July to late-August, but for most of that period only a few meteors an hour will be visible.

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Labour Attacks Tesco Over Foreign Staff

Labour has ignited a row with supermarket giant Tesco by planning to attack the chain for employing foreign workers.

Shadow immigration minister Chris Bryant is due to condemn Tesco and other leading companies for being "unscrupulous" and pursuing cheap labour from Eastern Europe.

In a speech on Monday, he is expected to claim Tesco moved its distribution centre to Kent where a "large percentage" of the staff are from the eastern bloc.

The firm has already hit back, denying having a distribution centre in the county and insisting it does not actively seek to recruit abroad.

A spokesman said: "It is wrong to accuse Tesco of this. We work incredibly hard to recruit from the local area and have just recruited 350 local people to work in our Dagenham site."

The company is also understood to be writing to Labour to complain about the "unfair" slight.

Controversial: Frontbencher Chris Bryant

Mr Bryant's speech appears to be the Opposition's latest attempt to wrestle back the initiative on immigration, which is a top concern for British voters.

The party is also battling to get on the front foot after a quiet summer which has seen their poll lead slip and Ed Miliband face internal criticism for failing to set the agenda.

Mr Bryant will admit immigration can have a negative effect on labour markets, according to extracts from the draft speech reported in The Sunday Telegraph.

"The biggest complaint I have heard, from migrants and settled communities alike, is about the negative effects migration can have on the UK labour market. And I agree," he is due to say.

"It is unfair that unscrupulous employers whose only interest seems to be finding labour as cheaply as possible will recruit workers in large numbers in low-wage countries in the EU, bring them to the UK, charge the costs of their travel and their substandard accommodation against their wages and still not even meet the national minimum wage.

"That is unfair. It exploits migrant workers and it makes it impossible for settled workers with mortgages and a family to support at British prices to compete."

He will claim Tesco had recently decided to move its distribution centre in Kent but slashed pay for existing staff, penalising Britons.

"The new centre is larger and employs more people, but the staff at the original site, most of them British, were told that they could only move to the new centre if they took a cut in pay," he will say.

"The result? A large percentage of the staff at the new centre are from [the] Eastern bloc."

As well as highlighting the recruitment of hundreds of local staff, Tesco made clear that the distribution centre is in the east London borough of Barking and Dagenham and was formerly in Essex, not Kent.

Next is also criticised for allegedly seeking out Polish staff

Mr Bryant's address is also set to target high street chain Next, who he accused of printing leaflets in Polish to attract workers from the country.

Extracts from his speech say: "Look at Next Plc, who last year brought 500 Polish workers to work in their South Elmsall warehouse for their summer sale and another 300 this summer.

"They were recruited in Poland and charged £50 to find them accommodation. The advantage to Next? They get to avoid Agency Workers Regulations, which apply after a candidate has been employed for over 12 weeks, so Polish temps end up considerably cheaper than the local workforce, which includes many former Next employees."

The MP's speech will make clear that neither firm has broken the law.

A spokesman for Next told The Sunday Telegraph: "Without access to the facts, it is difficult to comment on what Mr Bryant is claiming. On the face of it, his allegations seem unlikely."

Tesco, which is the third largest retailer in the world, has 3,146 stores in the UK and employs more than 300,000 staff here.

Next has more than 500 shops across the country, employing around 54,000 people.

Tory MP for Harlow Robert Halfon attacked Labour for allowing "uncontrolled immigration" during its time in office, but also joined the row against Tesco.

On Sky News, he accused the supermarket chain of behaving "disgracefully" towards staff when it closed its distribution centre in his constituency.

"They said they were building a new Dagenham plant and the Harlow plant in my own constituency would be alongside it," he said.

"The moment the plant was built it was suddenly announced the Harlow plant would close. They then said to the British Harlow workers yes, they could have jobs in Dagenham, but it would be at lower pay after transitional costs had been taken in.

"As a result the majority of them couldn't afford to work in Dagenham and had to take redundancy. Tesco in my view behaved quite disgracefully and quite ruthlessly."

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Murder Arrest As Man Dies In Stab Attack

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a stabbing in Bristol.

The 41-year-old was held after police were called to an address in Egerton Road, in the Bishopston area of the city, amid reports a 24-year-old had been attacked.

The victim was taken to hospital on Friday evening but later died.

A police spokeswoman said: "A 41-year-old man from the local area has been arrested on suspicion of murder.

"He is being held in police custody."

Forensics officers were still at the scene of the attack on Sunday morning.

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