Riot Payouts: Victims 'Failed By PM And Mayor'

Labour has accused David Cameron and Boris Johnson of breaking promises to more than 130 victims of the London riots who have made compensation claims but are yet to receive a single penny.

The Opposition said of all the claims, less than 16% of the requested cash has been paid out more than two years after violence and looting broke out across the capital.

Shadow home office minister Steve Reed, who uncovered the figures through freedom of information requests to the police, claimed  the riot victims felt "abandoned and ignored by the Government and the Mayor of London".

"With the eyes of the country on him, David Cameron promised the victims of the riots they would not be forgotten and would not be left out of pocket," he said.

"It's disgraceful there are still residents and business owners in London facing financial hardship because they have received either too little compensation or nothing at all."

But a spokesman for Mr Johnson's mayoral office for policing and crime said it was "simply untrue to say that people are yet to receive a penny" following the violence.

A carpet showroom in Tottenham was among the buildings torched

"All of the outstanding claims are either funds owed to insurance companies, or to settle under-insured elements of claims," he said.

"Everyone who wasn't insured and made a valid claim has been paid, and over 96% of insured claims have been settled. Only the most complex cases remain.

"In the last year the number of outstanding claims has reduced by over two thirds. During the summer the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime met with a number of claimants and the insurance industry to hear their concerns and to help resolve the final issues around remaining cases, so that they are moved forward in a timely manner."

Policing, Criminal Justice and Victims Minister Damian Green said the Met police and the Mayor's office were "working hard to resolve" the outstanding claims "as quickly as possible".

He added: "In order to make sure the compensation is as quick and efficient as possible in future, the Home Secretary commissioned an independent review in to the Riot Damages Act, which made several recommendations. We will be launching a public consultation on next steps early this year."

The figures released by the Met showed 3,447 claims had been made by March 31, 2013, and 3,535 claims by November 6, 2013. By March 31, 2013, £250.1m had been claimed, and by November 6, 2013, claims had reached £299m.

Cash totals paid out by the Met Police were £35.8m(14.3%) on March 31, 2013, and £46.9m (15.7%) on November 6, 2013.

The total number of outstanding claims on November 6, 2013, was 133.

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Madeleine McCann Parents In Court Setback

A request by Madeleine McCann's parents to give evidence at a Portuguese libel trial over a book by a former local police chief has been rejected, according to a family source.

Kate and Gerry McCann are suing Goncalo Amaral over claims he made in The Truth of the Lie, which they say damaged the hunt for their missing daughter and greatly added to their anguish.

The McCanns are also taking legal action against his publisher and the makers of a documentary based on the book.

They had wanted to testify in the court case, which is taking place in Lisbon.

Goncalo Amaral at the launch of his book in 2008

But a family source said permission had been refused ahead of the next hearing date, which is on Tuesday.

The couple are said to be disappointed by the decision, and their lawyer Isabel Duarte is likely to appeal against the judge's decision.

An application by Mr Amaral to give evidence is also understood to have been turned down.

Mr McCann's sister Trish Cameron told the court last October that the family's pain over Madeleine's disappearance was "multiplied 100 times" by the book, while the trial previously heard how Mrs McCann had considered suicide in the aftermath of its publication in 2008.

Madeleine McCann disappeared from her family's holiday apartment in 2007

Madeleine's mother travelled to Lisbon at the start of the trial, and her husband has attended several times in the hope of being able to give evidence.

Madeleine, who was then nearly four, disappeared from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in the Algarve on May 3, 2007, as her parents dined at a nearby restaurant with friends.

British detectives launched a fresh investigation into the youngster's disappearance in July this year - two years into a review of the case - and made renewed appeals on television in the UK, the Netherlands and in Germany.

After shelving their inquiry into Madeleine's disappearance in 2008, Portuguese authorities said in October that a review had uncovered enough new information to justify reopening it.

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Mark Denton: Two Men Charged With Murder

Two men have been charged with the murder of Mark Denton, who died from serious injuries in Hartlepool on New Year's Eve.

The pair, aged 21 and 23, will appear at Teesside Magistrates' Court today, said a statement from Cleveland Police.

A 17-year-old has been released without charge.

Police said Mr Denton had been at a party in Hutton Avenue, Hartlepool, on December 31.

Officers cordoned off the property on New Year's Day to carry out a forensic examination.

Police cordoned off a house in Hartlepool on New Year's Day

Mr Denton's family said his death had left them "devastated and heartbroken".

A statement said: "He was a loving uncle, brother, son and boyfriend and he will be sadly missed by everyone.

"Our hearts will never heal from the loss of Mark, he was a larger than life character and our loss is immeasurable."

Mr Denton is understood to be have been a promising middleweight amateur boxer when he was younger and was well-known in the local boxing community.

A Facebook page has been set up in tribute to him.

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Mental Health Nurses In Police Stations Pilot

A £25m pilot scheme aimed at reducing reoffending by mentally ill criminals will place mental health nurses in police stations and courts.

Police officers spend an estimated 15% to 25% of their time dealing with mental health problems - the equivalent of around 26,000 officers.

But the pilot, which is to be tested in 10 areas across England, will mean that people with mental health problems will be treated "as early as possible".

Care and support minister Norman Lamb said identifying people with mental health needs who come into contact with the criminal justice system at the earliest possible stage will help to "divert" them away from offending again.

He said that "too often" criminals with mental health problems, learning difficulties or substance misuse issues are only diagnosed once they reach prison.

The majority of people who end up in prison have a mental health problem, a substance misuse problem or a learning disability, and one in four has a severe mental health illness such as depression or psychosis, a Department of Health spokeswoman said.

Care and Support Minister Norman Lamb (front) at a police station

According to the Mental Health Foundation, more than 70% of the prison population has two or more mental health disorders and the suicide rate in prisons is almost 15 times higher than in the general population

Over the next year, the money will be used to join up police and courts systems with mental health services in Merseyside, London, Avon and Wiltshire, Leicester, Sussex, Dorset, Sunderland and Middlesbrough, Coventry, south Essex and Wakefield.

Mentally ill people, as well as those with substance abuse problems and learning disabilities, will be assessed when they come into contact with police.

The information will be shared with officers and the courts system to ensure charging and sentencing decisions take into consideration a person's health needs, the spokeswoman said.

It will also mean treatment is given sooner which will help stop reoffending, she added.

Paul Jenkins, chief executive of charity Rethink Mental Illness, said: "All too often, the way our criminal justice system deals with people with mental health problems leads to poor outcomes for individuals, frustration from police officers, magistrates and others, and such a waste of resources as people are needlessly sent to prison through a failure to respond to some of the underlying issues in their lives.

"We welcome this initiative, which has the potential to stop people going unnecessarily to prison, reduce reoffending rates and save millions in taxpayers' money."

If the pilot is successful, the measure will be rolled out across the rest of the country by 2017.

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New Year: 'Multi-Sensory' Fireworks For London

Revellers in London have been treated to the world's first "multi-sensory" fireworks display as people around the world welcomed in the New Year.

More than 250,000 people lined the Thames for the display, which saw peach snow and orange-scented bubbles descend on a section of the crowd.

Fireworks explode over Edinburgh Castle

In Scotland, about 80,000 were in Edinburgh city centre for the famous Hogmanay street party.

There was music from the Pet Shop Boys as well as traditional Scottish sounds at an outdoor dance event.

But those venturing outside to welcome in 2014 were contending with some horrible weather - with the Met Office issuing more than 100 flood alerts.

Thousands enjoyed the celebrations in London

Spectators in London said the show was the best ever.

Harriet Dudley, from Brighton, said: "This was the best ever show and I'm so glad I came to watch - I feel so emotional. It was, like, four-dimensional."

Referring to London's show, Mayor Boris Johnson said: "There is no better way to celebrate the highs of 2013 and the start of an exciting new year than by seeing one of the world's most dazzling firework displays, now augmented in more ways than one.

Dubai's fireworks display is billed as the largest ever

"Watched by millions around the world, and hundreds of thousands of people from the banks of the Thames, it highlights our capital's fantastic community spirit and its premier position on the global stage."

Up to 100,000 people in key viewing areas by the Thames were given packs featuring scratch 'n' sniff programmes and LED wristbands.

They also had seven kinds of fruit-flavoured sweets that linked to the tastes and smells of the multi-sensory display.

Peach snow and orange-flavoured bubbles descended in London

The UK celebrations were among displays from around the world including the largest ever fireworks display in Dubai.

The six-minute extravaganza included 500,000 fireworks from 400 firing locations, all synchronised by 100 computers from stations across the city.

Spectators said the show was better than last year's

Later, there will be a celebration parade in London which features music from around the globe.

It leaves from the Ritz Hotel at noon before winding through Piccadilly, Pall Mall and Trafalgar Square and ending in Parliament Square.

Fireworks in Moscow

About half a million people are expected to attend.

Those attending the event may have to contend with a miserable start to the year, weather-wise, with rain and strong winds predicted.

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Cornwall: New Year Paddler Swept Away By Sea

A major search is under way for a person who was swept out to sea after going for a New Year's Eve paddle with friends.

They were in the sea at Loe Bar, near Porthleven, Cornwall when the missing person, who has not been named, was swept off their feet by a large wave.   

One of the group alerted Falmouth Coastguard, which mobilised rescue teams from Penzance, Porthleven, Mullion and Porthoustock, and RNLI lifeboats from Penlee and Lizard.

A helicopter from RNAS Culdrose also helped in the search in atrocious conditions.

Phil Mathias, Falmouth Coastguard watch manager, said: "The weather for searching has been particularly challenging and as the night has gone on, conditions have deteriorated."

The search was suspended at 4.30am, but resumed at first light with fresh search teams.  

Meanwhile, a woman has drowned after being swept out to sea off the north Devon coast.

A coastguard helicopter and lifeboat crews were sent to find the unnamed woman, who was pulled from the water at around 1pm on Tuesday.

"She was airlifted to North Devon District Hospital where attempts to revive her were sadly unsuccessful," a Devon and Cornwall Police spokesman said.

The woman, thought to be a holidaymaker visiting Croyde Bay, was swept out in rough waves near Braunton.

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Online Music Streaming Doubles In UK In 2013

Online music streaming in the UK has doubled in the last year, according to new figures.

But that has come at the expense of album sales, which have seen an overall dip during 2013 due to the decline in CD sales as people turn to digital listening.

Research by music trade body the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and the Official Charts Company shows 7.4 billion tracks were played on paid-for or ad-funded streaming services in the last year - twice the 3.7 billion figure of 2012.

Around £103m was brought in over the past 12 months by subscription services - up £26m on the previous year.

Runners-up Bastille saw their album Bad Blood become the most streamed

The total income generated by streaming will be much higher as the figure does not include the cash from advertising on free streams and on services such as YouTube.

Album sales were worth £772m last year, which is down £29m compared with the previous year.

CD sales of 60.6 million were down almost 13% on 2012, but still account for almost two-thirds of the album markets in the UK.

Digital sales of 32.6 million - up nearly 7% - now represent almost 35% of the total market.

Rock quartet Arctic Monkeys were the most streamed artists of the year.

The band, who headlined Glastonbury and whose fifth album AM was nominated for the Mercury Prize, beat Bastille into second place, with French duo Daft Punk third.

The biggest-selling album of the year was the compilation Now That's What I Call Music 86, selling 1.1 million copies, way ahead of the biggest seller by an artist which was One Direction's Midnight Memories, shifting 685,000 copies.

A report in trade magazine Music Week last month said 2013 is the first year since the 1980s in which there has been no million-album-selling artist in the UK.

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New Year's Eve Death In Hartlepool: Teen Held

A teenager is in custody after a man died following an incident at a house on New Year's Eve.

Police were called to an address in Hutton Avenue in Hartlepool at 10.20pm.

A 31-year-old man was taken to hospital with serious injuries and later pronounced dead.

He has been identified locally as amateur boxer Mark Denton. Next of kin has been informed.

Neighbour Bobby Gill told Sky News: "He was a good lad, he was no angel but no one deserves this to be killed on New Year's Eve.

"He had been to a party here, he walked through the door and someone hit him over the head with a metal bar or an icepick or something like that."

A 17-year-old was arrested and is being questioned in connection with the incident, Cleveland Police said.

A post-mortem examination will be carried out to establish the cause of death.

Officers have cordoned off the address and are carrying out house-to-house enquiries in the area.

Police are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact them on 101.

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New Year Honours: Women Overtake Men

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

More women than men have been named in the New Year Honours List for the first time ever.

Actress Penelope Keith is made a dame along with Professor Julia Slingo, chief scientist at the Met Office, and Professor Susan Bailey, president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Singer Katherine Jenkins, actress Lynda Bellingham and Arsenal Ladies footballer Rachel Yankey all receive OBEs, while businesswoman Karren Brady gets a CBE.

Ruth Jones, star and co-writer of Stella and Gavin & Stacey, is awarded a CBE.

Ruth Jones gets a CBE

In all, 611 women are honoured, accounting for 51% of the list, the highest total since the Order of the British Empire was founded in 1917.

Keith said she was "elated, exhausted and thrilled."

The 73-year-old, known for her crisp diction and roles in sitcoms such as To The Manor Born and The Good Life, receives her honour for services to the arts and to charity.

She said: "It's the big one. I had already got an OBE and then a CBE, so I don't know what is better than the icing on the cake - but this is."

Former England footballer David Beckham and Wimbledon winner Andy Murray had both been tipped for knighthoods but both missed out.

Marcus Setchell, the doctor who oversaw the safe delivery of Prince George, is recognised for his work caring for the Duchess of Cambridge.

Michael Crawford picks up a CBE

Actor Michael Crawford, who played Frank Spencer in 1970s sitcom Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, said his CBE for services to children's charities was "the most wonderful surprise".

The parents of murdered teenager Jimmy Mizen were given MBEs for their work setting up a foundation in their son's memory.

Mother Margaret Mizen told Sky News that she heard about the award in November but had to keep it secret.

"I just couldn't believe it I was in total shock," she said.

"We were determined not to be beaten by what happened.

"We go into schools and prisons and we share Jimmy's story but we don't go in telling them what to do, to put their knives down or put their guns down ... but we tell them how special they are."

Julie Bailey, who led the campaign to highlight the scandal at Stafford hospital, dedicated her CBE to her late mother Bella.

She told Sky News: "We haven't let powerful people silence us and brush it under the carpet we have just kept our heads down and kept going with dignity and respect."

MBEs have also been awarded to DJ Pete Tong, Grand Designs presenter Kevin McCloud and 90-year-old Bettina Dawson, who has been serving fish and chips to the people of Moffat in Dumfries and Galloway since 1928.

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David Attenborough's 'Ghastly' Night Shifts

By Richard Suchet, Arts and Entertainment Correspondent

Sir David Attenborough says he struggled to acclimatise to night shifts during filming for his new documentary.

The 87-year-old historian admits he found 20 nights shooting at London's Natural History Museum a gruelling experience.

He told Sky News: "The first night you think, 'My God this is rather interesting'. Night two you think, 'Yes, well I hope this isn't going to go on much longer'. On day three you think, 'This is absolutely ghastly. Where is a bar of chocolate to console me?'

"But then by night four you are switched and it's as though you have gone to Australia. You're time-lagged.

"But lots of people at 87 spend their nights awake for worse reasons than mine."

His 90-minute film Natural History Museum Alive 3D brings his favourite ancient creatures to life with spectacular 3D and CGI effects.

Sir David's new film is set in London's Natural History Museum

As he explores the museum alone in the middle of the night, Sir David offers his scientific insight as he appears to interact with a sabre-toothed tiger, giant predatory birds, snakes, and dinosaurs.

"I have a bit of a qualm because here I am, a natural historian, and I'm supposed to be dealing with real creatures and what I say is supposed to be true and yet now I have to act a bit, to pretend there's a Dodo there," he says.

"Am I trying to deceive people? Well, we got rid of that problem by making some of the creatures we bring to life simply skeletons - they don't even have skin or feathers or scales, so that people know that this is a trick.

"But I hope they will believe in me as a natural historian enough to know that we're making it as truthful as we can, but at the same time playing this particular game.

"This museum is the great treasure house of natural history. I was a boy in the 30s and living in the Midlands, and to come to London to the Natural History Museum was an enormous thrill.

Sir David filmed at the museum for 20 nights

"It's an astonishment. Kids come in and their jaws sag."

Sir David, who has been making nature documentaries since the 1950s, insists he has no plans to retire and says he is still brimming with ideas for programmes.

"There are a lot of people at 87, friends of mine, who aren't in the position to be doing what I'm doing," he said.

"They don't get about as much or can't remember as much. Who knows what old age is going to do to you?

"And the fact that I feel relatively spry, I feel that I would be very ungrateful if I decided I wasn't going to take advantage of that good fortune.

"Last night I was finishing a script on the evolution of flight amongst animals."

Sir David's Natural History Museum Alive 3D airs on Sky 3D and Sky1 HD on New Year's Day.

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