Bulgaria Balcony Fall Death: Brit Teen Killed

A "popular and well-liked" British teenager has died after apparently plunging 10 floors from a hotel balcony while on holiday in Bulgaria.

Liam Davies, 19, was believed to have fallen more than 130ft to his death after returning to the hotel in a taxi with friends on Sunday following a night out.

They did not have enough money to pay the fare and so Mr Davies reportedly went to his 10th-floor room to get some cash, but never returned.

When his friends went to look for him they found his body on the ground below the room's balcony. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The victim, known as Shaun, was on a package holiday in the popular resort of Sunny Beach on the Black Sea coast.

Mr Davies, from Llanelli, south Wales, worked as a customer care assistant for McDonald's at the town's Trostre Retail Park.

"We are extremely saddened by the news of the death of Liam Davies, known to McDonald's friends and colleagues as Shaun," said Ann Jones, business manager of the restaurant.

"He was an extremely popular and well-liked member of the team and we are working to support our staff at this very difficult time."

Friends also paid tribute on social networking websites Facebook and Twitter.

Alison White wrote: "Still in total shock over the death of Shaun - why is it that only the good die young? It was such a privilege knowing Shaun he was one of life's kindest, funniest, most caring people."

A spokeswoman for travel firm Thomas Cook confirmed "the tragic death of Mr Liam Davies whilst on holiday in Bulgaria".

She added: "Our thoughts and sympathies are with Liam's family and friends, and our team in resort are providing their total support during this very difficult time."

A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesman said: "We can confirm a British national has died at the Sunny Beach resort, in Bulgaria.

"We are liaising with the authorities in the country and consular assistance is being offered."

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Teen Rail Deaths: Father Says Son Was Happy

The father of a teenager who was killed by a train in a suspected suicide pact with a school friend has said his son was a "happy person".

Mert Karaoglan, 18, and Charleigh Disbrey, 15, died after being hit by a First Capital Connect service close to Elstree and Borehamwood station in Hertfordshire on Monday night.

At least one suicide note is believed to have been found at the scene, it was reported, and British Transport Police are not treating the deaths as suspicious.

Mert, reportedly a budding film-maker, and Charleigh, an aspiring musician, were killed shortly before 9pm, 200 yards from the station by an empty passenger train. They had climbed over a fence close by.

The pair, from Borehamwood, attended the local Hertswood Academy, where Mert was in Year 13 and Charleigh in Year 10.

The youngsters were struck close to Elstree and Borehamwood station

Mert's father, named by The Sun newspaper as Sakru, 48, said "everything seemed okay" with his son.

He told the newspaper Mert had been watching television at his home when he said he was "going out for one or two hours".

He said: "We told him not to be out late. We were waiting and waiting. Then the police came round to see us at nine this morning. I can't stop crying."

Floral tributes to the teenagers and cards were left outside the school's gates. One card read: "To Mert, thinking of you always, bless your soul and may you rest in peace friend."

Another read: "Sleep tight angel. RIP CJ and Mert, never forgotten."

Friends of the pair took to social media to express their shock and grief.

Writing with the Twitter name @lav--gecaj27m, one girl said: "R.I.P Cj and Mert such wonderful and talented people, you will be truly missed xxxxx."

Another girl, @CoverGirlLi, wrote: "Still can't believe it. Rip Mert and CJ," while @ShannReade said: "Situations like this just do not make sense, RIP Mert and CJ."

A Facebook tribute page also saw friends and well-wishers express their grief and sympathy.

Robert Twiner, from Edgware in northwest London, wrote: "R.I.P To my beautiful cousin Cj. We are thinking about you every second xxx."

"At peace and with the angels. God Bless," was the message left by Peter George Bailey.

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Deputy Speaker Nigel Evans Faces More Claims

Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons Nigel Evans has been arrested on suspicion of three more counts of indecent assault.

The 55-year-old was formally informed of the new claims as he answered bail at Preston Police Station.

He already faced allegations he raped one man and sexually assaulted another between July 2009 and March 2013.

The MP strenuously denies the claims.

A Lancashire Constabulary spokesperson said: "He will be interviewed about these allegations at a police station in Lancashire during the course of the day.

"We take all allegations of a sexual nature extremely seriously and understand how difficult it can be for victims to have the confidence to come forward.

"As a Constabulary, we are committed to investigating sexual offences sensitively but robustly recognising the impact that these types of crimes have on victims.

"We would encourage anyone who has experienced sexual abuse, or who has information about it, to have the confidence to report it to us knowing that we will take it seriously, deal with it sensitively and investigate it thoroughly."

Speaking three days after his initial arrest on May 4, he said he was having "just a few days off chair duty" but would continue having his regular meetings with Speaker John Bercow.

He said he had been "overwhelmed" by the reaction from MPs and the amount of "sympathy" he had received from the public.

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NHS Watchdog In 'Hospital Scandal Cover-Up'

Senior officials at an NHS watchdog have been accused of a cover-up after destroying their own report into a hospital maternity unit at the centre of a care scandal.

An independent investigation has found the Care Quality Commission failed to properly inspect University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Trust, where the deaths of up to 16 babies are being investigated by the police.

Concerns were first raised in 2008, but in 2010 the CQC gave the trust, which serves 365,000 people in South Cumbria and North Lancashire, a clean bill of health.

Joshua Titcombe died in Furness General Hospital after staff failures

Wednesday's report suggests that CQC bosses were so concerned about protecting the watchdog's reputation that they ordered an internal review to be deleted because it showed that their original inspection was flawed.

The new report details one official saying that he was told by a senior manager in March last year to destroy his review because it would expose the regulator to public criticism.

Furness General Hospital in Cumbria, which has been criticised

It says: "He informed us that he was instructed by a member of senior management at CQC to 'delete' the report of his findings.

"We think that the information contained in the report was sufficiently important that the deliberate failure to provide it could properly be characterised as a 'cover-up'."

MP Tim Farron called for an urgent question to be tabled in the Commons

Stephen Dorrell, chair of the Health Select Committee, told Sky News: "This report makes very depressing reading.

"Unfortunately it repeats many of the points that have been made or gives further colour or substance to concerns and complaints.as a regulator.

But he added: "The new management is willing to face the truth and this report is part of that process of facing the truth about the record of the CQC."

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt is due to make an announcement in the Commons following Prime Minister's Questions this afternoon.

James Titcombe, whose baby son Joshua died aged just nine days old in Furness General Hospital in 2008 after staff failed to spot and treat an infection, described the report as "shocking".

"It embodies everything that is wrong with the culture in the NHS. It's something that's been rotten really about the system," he said.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt is to make a statement after PMQs

"We need it to change. We need that culture to change. Patient safety should be the number one priority, and organisations that work within regulation need to be aligned with that principle."

Responding to the report's findings, the regulator said: "We let people down, and we apologise for that.

"This report reveals just how poor the Care Quality Commission's (CQC) oversight of University Hospitals Morecambe Bay (UHMB) was in 2010.

"This is not the way things should have happened. It is not the way things will happen in the future. We will use the report to inform the changes we are making to improve the way we work and the way we are run."

It insisted there was "no evidence of a systematic cover-up" and promised "more thorough inspections".

CQC chairman David Prior said: "The publication draws a line in the sand for us. What happened in the past was wholly unacceptable.

"The report confirms our view that at a senior level the organisation was dysfunctional. The board and the senior executive team have been radically changed."

Westmorland General Hospital, where Morecambe Bay NHS Trust is based

Shadow health minister Jamie Reed said: "First, we need to know who took the decision to delete this report, who else was party to the decision and what the justification was for so doing.

"Second, urgent clarity is needed on whether the CQC had any contact with the Department of Health about this matter and if so, what was the nature of that contact."

The CQC, which faces at least 30 civil negligence claims, is to be subject to a public inquiry.

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TV Licence Dodgers' Excuses In Video Campaign

Officials have exposed some of the excuses people give for not having a television licence.

One thought he was exempt because his pet corgi was said to be related to one of the Queen's dogs.

Another household claimed they merely used the glow from the set as a lamp to help them read.

More than 400,000 people were caught last year watching TV without valid paperwork, which is more than 1,000 a day.

The annual levy - £145 for a colour licence and £49 for a black and white - is used to help fund the BBC's domestic television, radio and internet services.

TV Licensing has launched a drive to encourage more people to pay up and has teamed with a Bafta-winning animator to bring some of the excuses to life in a short-film, published on YouTube.

One person is said to have told officials they did not bother to buy a licence because they had stolen the TV set.

"Joking and wacky excuses apart, it's breaking the law to watch live television without a licence, so anybody doing this risks prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000," said spokesman Stephen Farmer.

"Some of the excuses are simply hilarious whilst others show a great deal of imagination and creativity, but being caught without a valid TV licence is a criminal offence and no laughing matter."

The revenue-raising authority provides reduced rates for certain people.

Those certified as either blind or severely sight-impaired are entitled to a 50% reduction in the fee.

Care home residents may qualify for a discounted fee of £7.50, but are warned that residents, staff and residents' families all need a separate licence for their own living area.

Senior citizens are entitled to a free licence when they reach the age of 75.

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Murray Walker Reveals He Is Fighting Cancer

Motor sport commentator Murray Walker is to have chemotherapy over the next few months after being diagnosed with cancer.

The 89-year-old said he had a form of lymphatic system cancer, but said the condition was treatable.

He told the BBC: "They've caught it incredibly early. It's treatable, the doctors say my condition is mild and I'm very hopeful."

Walker was diagnosed with the illness during tests after breaking his pelvis in a fall last month.

His distinctive commentating style became synonymous with motor racing as he covered the sport for more than half a century before retiring in 2001.

According to the Cancer Research UK website, the lymphatic system is a system of thin tubes that runs throughout the body. These tubes are called lymph vessels or lymphatic vessels.

The lymphatic system is like the blood circulation - the vessels branch through all parts of the body like the arteries and veins that carry blood.

But the lymphatic system tubes are much finer and carry a colourless liquid called lymph, which contains a high number of lymphocytes or white blood cells.

Plasma leaks out of the capillaries to surround and bathe the body tissues. This then drains into the lymph vessels.

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UK Weather: Hottest Days Of Summer So Far

Britain is expected to bask in its hottest days of the year so far today and tomorrow, forecasters say.

Temperatures are expected to reach highs of 26 to 30°C (79-86°F) in the south east of England.

But it does not look to be a completely dry day.

The heat will trigger some heavy showers and thunderstorms across southern England and East Anglia, lasting into the night.

Weather experts say this wet end is not unusual.

Sky News Weather Presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said: "This pattern of weather is not unusual at this time of year.

"In fact, it is well summarised by the well-known, if somewhat tongue in cheek, definition of a British summer - three fine days then a thunderstorm."

For those further north and in the west of the UK and in Ireland it will remain drier but not as hot.

On Thursday, temperatures will fall back to the low 20Cs.

The welcome warm blast follows what the Met Office said was the coldest spring since 1962.

There was a mean temperature across March, April and May of 6C (43F), which is calculated as being 1.7C below the long-term average.

:: Proud of your photo skills? Upload your pictures to the glorious summer section on Sky's Your Photos.

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Army Cuts: Thousands Told They Will Lose Jobs

Nearly 4,500 Army staff have been given their redundancy notices in the latest round of staff cuts, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed.

A total of 4,480 are being axed as the Government tries to reduce the number of regulars by about 20% to 82,000.

Sky's Defence Correspondent David Bowden said those who take voluntary redundancy will be leaving within six months, and compulsory reundancies will be complete in a year.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the move was necessary to help balance the books, but insisted operational capability would not be affected.

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has confirmed there will be no further reductions in manpower in the next round of spending cuts.

Announcing the latest tranche of redundancies, the third to arise from the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review, he said: "It is with great regret that we have had to make redundancies to deliver the reduction in the size of the armed forces, but unfortunately they were unavoidable due to the size of the defence deficit that this Government inherited.

 "Although smaller, our armed forces will be more flexible and agile to reflect the challenges of the future with the protection and equipment they need.

Shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy said the redundancy notices being issued today "represent not just broken promises but a failing strategy" to reform the Army.

"There is a huge effort going into sacking soldiers, but nowhere near as much is being done to plug the gap by recruiting new reservists," he said.

"These redundancies represent not just broken promises but a failing strategy, and the level of voluntary applicants will be a signal of morale."

The MoD said: "Tough decisions needed to be made to address the multibillion-pound deficit and bring the defence budget back into balance.

"This unfortunately included making some redundancies across the armed forces. However we can be clear that these reductions will not affect our operational capability.

"The end of combat operations in Afghanistan and the restructuring of our armed forces means they will be more reflective of the complex global situation and more adaptable to future challenges and threats."

Chancellor George Osborne, speaking from the G8 Summit in Northern Ireland earlier, said Britain had to make "difficult decisions" about spending to "live within its means".

He told Sky News: "We've got to have an Army we can afford ...

"And when it comes to the military what we've said is we want to make sure that Britain can still project itself abroad, defend itself at home, and that our soldiers have all the latest equipment they need to do that.

"As part of these changes, yes there have been difficult decisions about getting the size of the Army right, but we're also purchasing for them the latest equipment."

Both the Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir David Richards, and the Head of the Army, General Sir Peter Wall, are concerned about the impact of further defence cuts.

Sir Peter has exclusively told Sky News that Britain's chances of success on the battlefields of the future could be at serious risk if the Army was downsized in the latest spending review, the results of which will be announced next week.

The Prime Minister was forced to respond to Sir Peter's comments by saying there would be no further staff cuts to the Army, Navy or Air Force.

British Army spokesman Major General James Chiswell told Sky News it was a "hard day" for staff but that the redundancies had been carried out "as fairly as we could hope for".

Personnel are being offered help with resettling into civilian life.

:: Britain's Last War? The Jeff Randall documentary on the impact of Army spending cuts is on Sky News, Tuesday at 8.30pm.

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Man United: Decision On New Manager Imminent

Everton manager David Moyes could be named as Sir Alex Ferguson's successor at Manchester United later today.

The deal to appoint the new boss has already been done and approved by the club's board, according to Sky News City Editor Mark Kleinman.

Moyes, 50, who has spent 11 years at Goodison Park building competitive teams on slim resources, is out of contract with the Merseysiders on June 30.

He spent a number of hours in talks with Everton chairman Bill Kenwright in London on Wednesday night.

It won't be easy filling Ferguson's shoes

Moyes and Ferguson have had a close relationship and the Everton manager has long been considered as his fellow Scot's most likely successor.

He was even touted as a possible right-hand man to Ferguson as far back as 2000, when he was in charge at Preston, two years before he took the Everton job.

Despite having a comparatively meagre budget at Goodison Park, Moyes' Everton have not finished outside the top eight since 2006.

Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho, who established a friendly rivalry with Ferguson while in charge of United's rivals Chelsea, had also been touted for the Old Trafford job.

Jose Mourinho had been tipped as a possible successor

Ferguson, 71, guided United to 13 Premier League titles and two European Champions League crowns during his 26 years in charge at Old Trafford, winning 38 major trophies in all.

Rumours of his retirement only began circulating late on Tuesday, but Ferguson said it was a decision he had been considering for some time.

"The decision to retire is one that I have thought a great deal about and one that I have not taken lightly. It is the right time," Ferguson said.

"It was important to me to leave an organisation in the strongest possible shape and I believe I have done so."

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Tia Sharp Accused: 'I'm Not Like Ian Huntley'

The man accused of murdering Tia Sharp told a prison officer that her death was an accident and said: "I'm not like Ian Huntley", a court has heard.

Stuart Hazell, who was taken to Belmarsh prison in August last year, was also quoted as saying that "nothing sexual" had happened between him and Tia.

Hazell is on trial on charges of sexually assaulting and murdering the 12-year-old between August 2 and 10 last year. He denies the charges.

Prison officer Warren Fegan, who was working at Belmarsh when Hazell was taken there, told the Old Bailey: "He was saying, 'I'm not like Ian Huntley, it was nothing sexual, I'm not a nonce'.

"He was saying that the press was trying to make it look like it was sexual but it wasn't," Mr Fegan testified.

"He said that it was an accident, she had fallen down stairs and broken her neck."

Hazell is the former boyfriend of Tia's grandmother Christine Sharp.

The schoolgirl's body was found in the loft of Ms Sharp's house in New Addington, south London, a week after she went missing.

A memorial to Tia after her body was found in August last year

Prosecutors say Hazell killed Tia and hid her body in the loft of the house.

Mr Fegan said: "He said that he didn't know what to do and he picked her up and took her upstairs and laid her on the bed, and he thought that she would get better.

"He didn't know what to do, so he wrapped her in a sheet and put her in the loft."

He said Hazell was full of remorse and felt sorry and guilty.

"He asked me how hard it would be to prove not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter," the prison officer told the court.

Mr Fegan told the jury that when Hazell was assessed at the prison, the risk of him harming himself was "at the far extreme".

"He really wanted to kill himself. He was saying he was sorry and he felt guilty.

"Initially he was fearing for his personal safety. He was very, very distressed. He was clearly saying that any opportunity he had he would kill himself."

Mr Fegan added: "He wanted to be dead. He wanted away from everything."

Prosecutor said the girl was sexually abused

The prison officer said Hazell talked to him again two days later.

"He stated that he wished he could turn back the clock," Mr Fegan said.

He quoted Hazell as saying: "I deserve everything I get. If I get 25-30 years, I don't care, I deserve everything I get."

Mr Fegan said that, when he asked Hazell how he felt, he held up one hand, and said: "Guilty, guv'nor".

Another prison officer testified earlier today that Hazell had tried to get razors blades from his bag to cut his wrists while he was in custody at a police station.

Paul Leahy told the jury that Hazell said: "Since Friday I've been feeling guilty and I just want to kill myself."

The court heard that Hazell told Mr Leahy: "I have a real problem with my anger and when people say wrong things to me, I can flip.

"I just feel like hurting everyone."

Tia's mother was in the courtroom as the prosecution continued to make its case against Hazell.

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