Food Poverty: 1.5m UK Pensioners Struggling

By Ashish Joshi, Sky News Correspondent

More than 1.5 million British pensioners are now living in food poverty - and the situation is set to worsen this winter, according to new research.

The Centre for Economics and Business says a quarter of over-65s have had to make cutbacks on food over the past three years, and over one million are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition because they are struggling to afford basic nutritious food.

The reason is that while the cost of living has continued to rise, incomes have not kept pace.

Increasing food prices in particular have hit the elderly the most.

The study shows over-65s will spend an average of £699 on food between October and December this year - that's an increase of £138 compared to the same quarter five years ago.

And by 2018 there will be an additional increase of £297 on top of that bill. It all adds up to the over-65s being harder hit than any other demographic.

Members describe the lunch clubs as a lifeline

Raina Barnes, 82, from Perivale, Middlesex, has been attending the Age Concern lunch club in Greenford for the past few months. Hot meals and warm company are provided by the charity.

Mrs Barnes, who was widowed last year, remembers when a £30 shop would easily last a few weeks. These days, she says, you get "hardly anything" for that amount.

"I think the supermarkets are taking us for a ride. One minute they're putting their prices down. The next they're going higher. You've only got a certain amount of money to spend," she says.

"All the basics like bread, milk and eggs are the things you need all the time. I mean eggs have just gone up terrible. You just have to see how it goes."

Sharing the dinner table with Mrs Barnes is 88-year-old Harry Thomas, a World War Two veteran. Mr Thomas says he shops around to compare the best prices in local supermarkets.

"It's a very hard thing these days for people, the price of things. You go to one shop and the price might have been dropped and you go to another and the price goes up a little bit.

"You never know what to buy. All I do is look at the price and say 'too high' and I don't bother."

Danny Woolcott, 87, has been a regular at the lunch club for more than six years. The retired mechanic, from Southall, visits three times a week.

He blames the Government for "letting pensioners down".

"I would like to see any government looking after the elderly people of this country.

"The people who brought this country along are being neglected badly and I think it's disgusting the way things have been left, honestly and truthfully."

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Migrants Told 'Speak English Or No Benefits'

Migrants who cannot speak English well enough to get a job face being denied benefits under a new tougher test, the Work and Pensions Secretary has said.

The upgraded test for migrants who want to claim income-related benefits will be rolled out across Jobcentres this week.

Those applying will have to answer more individually tailored questions, provide more detailed answers and submit more evidence before they can claim.

For the first time migrants will be quizzed about whether their English language skills will be a barrier to them finding employment and about what efforts they had made to find work before coming to the UK.

Officials will have 200 questions to choose from when assessing claimants - 100 more than previously.

Iain Duncan Smith said: "It is vitally important that we have strict rules in place to protect the integrity of our benefits system.

"The British public are rightly concerned that migrants should contribute to this country and not be drawn here by the attractiveness of our benefits system.

"And we are taking action to ensure that that is the case.

"The roll-out of the new habitual residence test is the first in a series of measures to ensure that we have a fair system: one which provides support for genuine workers and jobseekers, but does not allow people to come to our country and take advantage.

"It is a crucial part of our long-term plan to secure Britain's economy."

Iain Duncan Smith says the public is 'rightly concerned' about immigration

Britain is already in a legal battle with the European Commission which says that it unlawful to test immigrants before they can claim benefits.

It comes amid concerns over an influx of Romanians and Bulgarians next month when they will be entitled to come to the UK for work and will be able to claim benefits like other EU citizens.

The Prime Minister was accused of "hysteria" and turning Britain into the "nasty country" last month when he announced new measures that would bar EU migrants from claiming out-of-work benefits, such as jobseeker's allowance, for their first three months in the UK.

Labour's shadow welfare minister Chris Bryant said: "For generations, people have come to this country and worked hard to contribute to Britain, but the principle of contribution is an important one, and the controls on immigration must be fair to those who live here.

"That is why Labour called for stronger restrictions on benefits for new arrivals from the EU, including proposals eight months ago to strengthen the habitual residence test to make it clear that people should not be able to claim benefits when they first arrive.

"At the time, the Government dismissed those proposals, but eight months later they have changed their minds and keep re-announcing their proposals.

"Yet the Government are still doing nothing to tackle the serious problem of low-skilled migrant workers being exploited, undercutting local workers and responsible businesses too.

"That is bad for everyone, yet they are doing nothing about it."

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Arrests Over 'Racial Hatred' After Spurs Game

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of inciting racial hatred over Twitter comments made following a Tottenham Hotspur match against West Ham.

Haringey CID launched an investigation after they were made aware of the tweets, which were of an anti-Semitic nature and made reference to Hitler and the gas chambers.

A 24-year-old man was arrested at his home address in Croydon on Thursday on suspicion of inciting racial hatred and was taken into custody at a south London police station

A 22-year-old man was arrested on the same day at his home address in Wiltshire.

Previously, as part of the same investigation, on December 5, a 48-year-old man was arrested in Canning Town.

All three men have now been bailed to a date in late January pending further enquiries.

In a separate investigation that also dealt with anti-Semitic tweets relating to the same match, police said a 55-year-old man from Hemel Hempstead was arrested and cautioned on in November for malicious communications.

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Missing Jayden: Man Arrested In Hunt For Teen

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a 17-year-old girl who has been missing for 10 days.

Jayden Parkinson, from Oxford, was last seen in the Iffley Road area of the city around mid-afternoon on December 3 and did not return home that evening as planned.

A 22-year-old, from Reading, Berkshire, has been detained in connection with her disappearance.

Detectives are now believed to be searching for a body.

Superintendent Christian Bunt, from Thames Valley Police, said: "At this stage we are continuing to ask the public for their help in tracing Jayden's whereabouts since last Tuesday.

"I appeal to anyone who has any information, however significant it may be, to contact police immediately."

Jayden is described as white, of slim build with shoulder length dark brown hair and brown eyes.

More follows...

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Dog Attack: Leeds Mother Dies From Injuries

A mother-of-four has died after she was attacked by dogs.

Emma Bennett died on Tuesday evening after suffering serious bite injuries in an incident at a house in Dawlish Avenue in the Osmondthorpe district of Leeds.

It was reported that the attack on Monday afternoon happened while the 27-year-old was suffering an epileptic fit.

She reportedly lived in the house with her boyfriend and an American pitbull and Staffordshire bull terrier.

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said: "Two dogs were seized following the incident and police enquiries remain ongoing this evening.

"Officers would like to speak to anybody who has information about the incident and the dogs involved in it.

"Anyone who has information should contact Protective Services at West Yorkshire Police on 101."

Speaking to the Yorkshire Evening Post after the attack, one neighbour said: "It is usually quiet here.

"It is just not the kind of thing that happens around here."

Earlier, police said the injured woman had been taken to Leeds General Infirmary for treatment.

Officers responded to reports that a woman was "in distress" at the address in Dawlish Avenue.

The force added: "One dog which got loose from the property was contained by officers in Back Dawlish Road and recovered. Another was safely removed from the address a short time later."

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Damien Hirst Works Of Art Stolen From Gallery

Two signed Damien Hirst works of art worth more than £30,000 have been stolen from a gallery in London, Scotland Yard has said.

The pieces were stolen from the Exhibitionist Gallery in Notting Hill in the early hours of Monday morning.

Police say a suspect forced open the front doors of the gallery and drove the items away in a dark-coloured hatchback-type vehicle towards Ladbroke Grove.

The stolen pieces feature the artist's recognisable multi-coloured dots and are signed.

The larger of the two is called Pyronin Y. It was created in 2005 and is worth £15,000.

The second work is entitled Oleoylsarcosine and was created in 2008. It is worth £18,000.

Hirst first came to fame with his formaldehyde shark

"It appears the suspect has specifically targeted the two pieces," said Detective Sergeant Jon Lightfoot, from Kensington and Chelsea Borough.

"The items would have been visible in the back of the car and we are appealing for any witnesses or anyone with information to please come forward."

Hirst was awarded the Turner Prize in 1995.

His more recent works include Verity, a 66ft bronze-plated statue of a pregnant, naked woman wielding a sword, unveiled on Ilfracombe harbour in north Devon last October.

The artist rose to fame first as part of a group known as the Young British Artists and is probably best known for a series of works in which he preserved animals in formaldehyde, including a shark and a sheep.

Pyronin Y is 103cm x 116cm and valued at £15,000

His solo show at Tate Modern last year was the most popular in the gallery's history, with around 463,000 visitors queuing to see exhibits including a diamond-encrusted human skull called For The Love Of God.

Hirst's commercial success is not always matched by critical acclaim and he has been criticised by other artists, including fellow Turner Prize winner Grayson Perry who described Hirst's work as "hackneyed" and "tatty".

The potter, known for his cross-dressing, said the "phenomenally successful" Hirst was playing "a good game".

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Serious Acquisitive Crime Unit at Notting Hill Police Station on 020 8246 0230 or, to remain anonymous, Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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Sian Green Sues Over New York Taxi Accident

A British tourist who lost part of her leg when a taxi jumped a kerb and hit her in New York has launched a $27.5m (£16.7m) damages claim against the city.

Sian Green filed a notice of claim in November over the incident, which happened at the Rockefeller Center. 

The 24-year-old's lawyer Daniel Marchese said other parties could also face lawsuits.

Ms Green's city claim says the taxi driver's yellow cab licence should have been suspended before the August 20 accident because he had prior driving violations.

New York's Taxi and Limousine Commission has claimed a computer problem, which has since been fixed, was to blame.

Doctors had to amputate the lower part of Ms Green's left leg after she was hit while sightseeing with a friend.

Ms Green was "dismayed" that the taxi driver would not be facing charges

She spent four weeks in a New York hospital following her accident, also sustaining cuts to her right leg.

Immediately after the crash, quick-thinking plumber David Justino used his belt as a tourniquet, tying it around Ms Green's leg, earning praise from medics.

He was also recognised by US celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz, who had been filming scenes for his television show nearby and rushed to help.

In November, Ms Green was "incredibly dismayed" to learn that cabbie Mohammed Fasyal Himon, who has said the accident was not his fault, would not be facing criminal charges.

The city's Law Department said it would review her damages claim.

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Scientology: Woman Wins Chapel Wedding Right

A woman who wanted to marry in a Church of Scientology chapel has won a legal battle in the UK's Supreme Court.

Scientologist Louisa Hodkin took her fight to the court after a High Court judge ruled that services run by Scientologists were not "acts of worship".

Five Supreme Court justices analysed the case at a hearing in London in July and ruled in her favour today, announcing that the Scientology church was a "place of meeting for religious worship".

Miss Hodkin wants to marry fiance Alessandro Calcioli in a Church of Scientology in central London.

She took legal action after the registrar general of births, deaths and marriages refused to register the London Church Chapel for the solemnisation of marriages under the 1855 Places of Worship Registration Act - because it was not a place for "religious worship".

Supreme Court justices said religion should not be confined to faiths involving a "supreme deity".

They unanimously allowed Miss Hodkin's appeal against the High Court ruling.

Miss Hodkin said she hope to get married to Mr Calcioli in the next few months.

She: "I am really excited. I'm really glad we are finally being treated equally and can now get married in our church."

Mr Calcioli added: "I think the court's definition of religion is excellent. I think it's what most people today would understand 'religion' to be."

But local government minister Brandon Lewis said his department would now take legal advice following the ruling over concerns about religious exemption from business rates for Scientology premises.

He said: "Hard-pressed taxpayers will wonder why Scientology premises should now be given tax cuts when local firms have to pay their fair share."

In 1970 the Church of Scientology launched a similar case.

Then the Court of Appeal ruled that Scientology did not involve religious worship because there was no "veneration of God or of a Supreme Being".

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Dubai Death: Superbike Racer Emmett Bailed

Former Superbike racer Sean Emmett, whose wife died in Dubai while the couple were on their honeymoon, has been released on bail after being arrested on his return to the UK.

Mr Emmett, 43, had his passport given back to him by officials in the United Arab Emirates months after the conclusion of an investigation into the death of his wife Abbie.

He flew back to the UK from Dubai on Thursday and was immediately arrested.

The sportsman was later released on bail until a date in March, Surrey Police said.

Sean Emmett had been held in Dubai

Mrs Emmett, 27, died in February after falling several floors from a high-rise hotel.

Surrey Police said on Thursday: "A 43-year-old man has today been arrested by Surrey Police officers at Heathrow Airport in connection with the death of Surrey resident Abigail Emmett, nee Elson, in Dubai in February 2013."

Mr Emmett had been stranded in the Gulf state since his passport was handed to officials during the investigation.

Before his arrest, he posted a picture of his newly-returned passport on Twitter, describing it as the "best early Xmas pressie ever".

He later tweeted: "Thanks to everyone for all your messages, my phone's melting!! Flight booked and I'll be landing in Blighty 7.10 tmrw. #bringonthecold."

Mr Emmett last month sent a message of thanks to supporters on Twitter, saying: "Just want to thank each and every one of you that has helped me with support, financial or otherwise. I don't even have contacts for some!"

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Teenager Electrocuted In Christmas Accident

A teenager has died in a freak electrocution accident while apparently searching for Christmas decorations in the loft of her house.

Georgia Marshall, 13, from Barry, South Wales, is thought to have been killed when a metal ladder inadvertently touched a live wire.

The schoolgirl was holding the step ladder while her father Richard, 54, searched for the decorations, according to local media.

The teenager, one of seven children, was from a family of animal lovers and grew up surrounded by horses, dogs and guinea pigs.

Her mother, Glenda Marshall, paid tribute to Georgia on Facebook.

"My beautiful light became a shining star today. Love u forever and will miss you till the day I die. My amazing Georgia. Words cannot say how I feel XXX," Mrs Marshall wrote.

Georgia's mother posted a Facebook photo of her daughter riding a horse

She has also posted a photograph of Georgia taken last Christmas, with the message: "My Angel, Christmas 2012."

The accident happened on Saturday and Mrs Marshall thanked friends of the family who have been using the site to express their sympathies.

"This is so hard for us. I just wanted to thank everyone for all the support and offers of help this last couple of days," she wrote.

"Thank you to all the people who have taken and are going to take my guineas for me. This will help me out more than I can say.

"I won't ever get over this, but all your thoughts and help are so much appreciated by all of us here. THANK YOU."

Police are not treating the death of the teenager as suspicious.

A South Wales Police spokesman said: "Our thoughts and sympathies are with the family at this tragic time for them."

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