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Wind and heavy rain batters Britain

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Image Britain is enduring a wet and windy weekend, with gusts of up to 60mph across swathes of the country. Deluges have been battering northern England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, with localised flooding in some areas. But weathermen said abnormally mild temperatures would continue over the next few days, rising to highs of around 14C in some areas. Lindsay Dovey, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, said the downpours and high winds would remain until early next week, before the country experiences a return to biting cold conditions. "There's rain coming from the West tomorrow (Sunday) and that's going to spread slowly east, across most of the country," she said. "It's going to be very windy as well and there'll be gusts of around 60mph in north-west Scotland. Elsewhere we are looking at gusts of about 40mph." The rain will continue throughout the Saturday and into Sunday, she said, with flooding in some areas and wind ripping branches from trees. While this is likely to be worst in northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, regions such as East Anglia and the Midlands are unlikely to escape unscathed. Winds of up to 45mph could also hit London. Offering Britons some respite from the Arctic conditions of last month, average temperatures will stay between 9C and 12C across the country. "It'll be very, very mild for January, reaching up to 14C in some places," Ms Dovey said. "Slowly temperatures will start dropping on Monday but it will still be mild." The mercury is expected to fall again by Wednesday.

Britons flee violence in Tunisia

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Image About 1,800 Britons are arriving home on emergency flights from strife-torn Tunisia, as trouble on the streets escalated and protesters defied an overnight curfew. Tour operators Thomson and First Choice and Thomas Cook arranged the flights after violence swept through the North African country and ousted President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia with his family. Holidaymakers arriving back on Thompson flight 965 at Manchester Airport described chaotic scenes on the streets between the coastal resorts and at Monastir Airport. Petrol stations on fire, shop windows smashed and armed soldiers on the streets created an atmosphere of fear and intimidation. Adam Wallace, 22, a security manager from Accrington, Lancashire, said: "When we went to the airport it was a bit unnerving. There were police stood on the corners of roads and groups of people hanging about, it did feel a bit intimidating. "But there was no animosity towards us as tourists. "There were a few smashed up buildings, there was a petrol station that had been vandalised and there were people looting but our resort was quite a way from the trouble." Mary Grist, 66, from Chesterfield, has been to Tunisia seven times in the last seven years. Returning to Manchester Airport, she said: "What we have seen is the aftermath, burned out petrol stations and the army lining the streets with their guns. "It was quite scary but I was never in fear for my life. I trusted the hotel and I think the curfew helped us feel safe." Mrs Grist only flew out to the country on Wednesday, and she said: "I don't think we should have been allowed to go on Wednesday. Had I known that there was already trouble ,I would have chosen not to go. I think we should have been warned but they didn't so here we are, two-and-a-half days later, back home."

Top officers defend undercover work

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Image Senior police officers have defended the use of undercover policing but said those officers had to remain within the law. The comments from the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) come in the wake of controversy surrounding Pc Mark Kennedy, who infiltrated a group of environmental activists. The former Met officer monitored the actions of protesters across Europe in the guise of a climber called Mark Stone. The case against six demonstrators accused of conspiring to shut down Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station collapsed on Monday after prosecutors dropped the case. Their legal team claimed the decision was made after the undercover officer had a crisis of conscience and offered to give evidence on their behalf. Independent officials are starting an investigation into whether police tried to cover up Mr Kennedy's role amid claims in The Times that the trial collapsed when the CPS discovered Nottinghamshire Police withheld secret tapes of meetings. The developments have sparked a wider debate on police tactics to monitor political and environmental groups operating on the fringe of legality. A spokeswoman for Acpo said they could not comment on the case specifically but said they did not want to lose sight of the importance of undercover work. She said: "The police service cannot operate effectively to prevent and detect crime unless it uses intelligence. "It is one of the most challenging operational activities undertaken by the Police Service."

Two-year-old with swine flu dies

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Image A two-year-old boy with swine flu has died in Northern Ireland. The infant was from the Republic of Ireland but he was receiving intensive care treatment north of the border, according to the Public Health Agency. The PHA said, at the family's request, no further details of the case would be released. "The Public Health Agency would like to extend its sympathy to the family of this child," said a PHA spokeswoman. The death takes to 18 the confirmed number of people with the H1N1 virus that have died in Northern Ireland this flu season. Information on whether the child had an underlying medical condition is not being released. But the fatality will nevertheless put further pressure on the authorities to re-think the policy decision not to vaccinate all under-fives against the virus, something which was done last year. Only infants in "at risk" health categories are being vaccinated. Stormont Health Minister Michael McGimpsey, who offered his condolences to the boy's family, said medical advisers remained of the opinion that the vaccination programme should not be extended. "I have recently spoken to other UK health ministers about Northern Ireland's current flu picture. I have also spoken to Mary Harney, the Republic of Ireland's health minister. "In addition, I have consulted with the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) about the particular circumstances here. They do not recommend extending the vaccination programme beyond the current at-risk groups."

Inquiry urged in police work row

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Image A solicitor has called for a full and robust independent inquiry into the controversy surrounding an undercover police officer who infiltrated a group of environmental activists. Mike Schwarz represented 20 campaigners convicted of planning to invade Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station, as well as another six whose case collapsed earlier this week when prosecutors dropped the charges. The protesters' legal team claimed the decision was made after former Met police officer Mark Kennedy, who infiltrated protesters in the guise of a climber called Mark Stone, had a crisis of conscience and offered to give evidence on their behalf. On Saturday, independent officials were starting an investigation into whether police tried to cover up Mr Kennedy's role amid claims in The Times newspaper that the trial collapsed when the CPS discovered Nottinghamshire Police withheld secret tapes of meetings. The force's Chief Constable Julia Hodson has already announced an internal review into the secret operation. The revelations have sparked a wider debate on police tactics to monitor political and environmental groups operating on the fringe of legality. And Mr Schwarz said the IPCC investigation and a rumoured probe by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) were not enough. Mr Schwarz said: "We've got the IPCC looking at a bit, the police investigating themselves with the HMIC investigation, but the public need to have confidence in a robust, comprehensive investigation. It is the only satisfactory, comprehensive and reliable way". His comments came as the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) defended the use of undercover policing but said officers had to remain within the law. A spokeswoman said Acpo could not comment on the case specifically but it was important not to lose sight of the significance of undercover work.

Britons flee violence in Tunisia

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Image British holidaymakers have told of their fear at being caught up in civil unrest in Tunisia and their relief at escaping from the strife-torn country as they arrived back safely in the UK. Up to 1,800 tourists are being airlifted home to airports across Britain after their holidays were cut short by the troubles, with some comparing the scenes on the streets of the North African country to a war zone. The travellers were enjoying winter sun breaks when tour operators ordered them to leave on advice from the Foreign Office. Some had been in Tunisia for only a matter of hours. The evacuation came as buildings were set on fire and property looted as protesters defied an overnight curfew. During the chaos more than 1,000 prisoners escaped from two jails and 42 inmates were killed. As he stepped off Thomson flight 965 at Manchester Airport, Adam Wallace, 22, said: "When we went to the airport today it was a bit unnerving. There were police stood on the corners of roads and groups of people hanging about. It did feel a bit intimidating." Ross Wiseman, from Sunderland, was less than 36 hours into his holiday when he and his family were brought home. "Going about the streets before the curfew there were smashed windows, burned out cars, just one big mess really," he said. "On the journey to the airport there were armed soldiers on the streets and that was intimidating. You could see the snipers on the top of buildings with their guns pointing down on us." Birmingham University student Johnny Davis, 23, flew out with a friend on Wednesday to start their holiday but they were flown back to the city on Saturday. Mr Davis said: "On Thursday evening there was a rolling protest with cars and about 500 people hanging out and beeping the horns. But last night it seemed to escalate and we heard what we think was gunfire throughout the city and that was going on all the way through to the early hours of the morning."

Flood warnings as river levels rise

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Image Temporary flood defences are being put up in a bid to protect communities as river levels rise following heavy rainfall in parts of northern England. Householders braced themselves as the Environment Agency issued 14 flood alerts in Cumbria and said they were monitoring the situation in low-lying areas across the North West. Two flood warnings were given - one for Appleby and one for the Keswick Campsite. According to the Environment Agency, a flood warning means flooding is expected and that immediate reaction is required. A flood alert indicates flooding is possible and advises residents to be prepared for such an eventuality. A spokesman for the agency said: "We have put up temporary flood defences in Appleby on the River Eden. There has been heavy rainfall from early this morning (Saturday) and it will continue through to Sunday morning. "Some bands of heavy rain are coming through so we are closely watching Appleby." The Environment Agency said the rainfall could lead to the flooding of some properties, roads and land in Cumbria and Lancashire. Staff from the agency have been removing debris from the rivers in a bid to prevent blockages that could cause flooding. The spokesman said the aim is to make sure everyone in the affected areas "is as prepared as possible". He added: "If you live in Cumbria we would urge people to check the Environment Agency website for the latest flood situation in your area and sign-up for free flood warnings. While those living in Appleby, Kendal, Burnside and Keswick should tune into their local radio stations, ensure important documents are in a safe place and check their flood plans."

Two children with swine flu die

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Image Two young children with swine flu have died in Northern Ireland. The death of a 10-month-old baby boy was announced just hours after the authorities said a two-year-old boy with the virus had died. The baby had underlying health problems. It is not known if the two-year-old, who was from the Republic of Ireland, was also suffering from another condition as his family have asked for those details to remain private. The death takes to 19 the confirmed number of people with the H1N1 virus who have died in Northern Ireland this flu season. Health Minister Michael McGimpsey expressed his sympathies to the family of the latest young victim, who was from Northern Ireland. "This is tragic news and my thoughts and sympathies are with the family of this baby at this very sad and difficult time," he said. The minister had earlier passed his condolences to the family of the two-year-old boy. The fatalities will put further pressure on the authorities to re-think the policy decision not to vaccinate all under-fives against the virus, something which was done last year. Only infants in 'at-risk' health categories are being vaccinated. But after the death of the two-year-old was announced, Mr McGimpsey said medical advisers remained of the opinion that the vaccination programme should not be extended.

Coe reveals Olympic ticket details

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Image Tickets for the London 2012 Olympic Games will go on sale on March 15, Seb Coe has announced. And tickets for the London Paralympics will go on sale on September 9 after the prices are announced in May, the London 2012 chair confirmed. Sports fans will have six weeks - to April 26 - to apply for the 6.6 million tickets available to the public for the Olympics. Applications can be made at any point as it will not be a first come, first served process. From the deadline, all oversubscribed sessions will be allocated via a ballot. Lord Coe said: "On 15 March, the application process opens to be part of the greatest show on earth. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the world's greatest athletes going for gold in the UK - a chance for people to see their favourite sport and perhaps try a new one. "Our message today is simple - mark the date in your diary and sign up to our ticketing site at www.tickets.london2012.com to receive all the information you need to help you with the process." Full details of the purchasing process and the finalised schedule for all 650 sport sessions will be announced in February. The two million people who have so far signed up to the ticketing database will receive information about how to apply. They will be able to use their existing log-in details to access the application process. Further details of the application process for Paralympic tickets will be announced later this year. A range of official ways to get Olympic tickets open on March 15. These include UK Games break packages available from official London 2012 supporter Thomas Cook, hospitality packages via Prestige Ticketing, international travel and accommodation packages with Jet Set Sports. Tickets will be globally available through each National Olympic Committee or its authorised ticket reseller. Tickets for the London 2012 Festival events will go on sale this autumn.

Gascoigne 'sues over phone hacking'

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Image Former England footballer Paul Gascoigne is the latest celebrity to sue the News of the World alleging he was a victim of phone-hacking, it has been reported. Comedian Steve Coogan has also issued proceedings and Chris Tarrant, the television presenter, and the jockey Kieran Fallon are also expected to launch legal actions soon, according to The Observer newspaper. Actress Sienna Miller has already lodged documents in the High Court in connection with the scandal. The latest development came after prosecutors announced they are to trawl through all the material collected by Scotland Yard linked to the phone hacking scandal in a move which could spark fresh prosecutions. Reporter Clive Goodman and private investigator Glenn Mulcaire were jailed over the controversy in January 2007 after they admitted intercepting messages at the Old Bailey. Director of Prosecutions Keir Starmer said the "comprehensive assessment" of evidence would ascertain whether further criminal charges could be brought. Speaking to The Observer, Gascoigne's solicitor, Gerald Shamash, confirmed proceedings would be issued within days. "All being well we will probably issue this week," he said. Mr Shamash claimed that Gascoigne is in a vulnerable mental state and that his recovery had been hindered because of the trauma of believing that his phone had been hacked. "It has made things even more difficult for his general wellbeing," he told the paper. Gascoigne has been fighting drink and drug problems for a number of years and been in and out of rehabilitation clinics. A News of the World spokeswoman said: "We will, of course, co-operate fully with any inquiries relating to the assessment by the CPS."

Environment agency 'cutting jobs'

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Image Thousands of jobs are to be cut from the Environment Agency in the next few years, a leading union has claimed. The GMB said there were already a number of unfilled vacancies at the agency, with little or no indication that they will be filled. The union accused the Government of claiming that not filling jobs when people left due to early retirement and voluntary redundancy or not filling vacant posts, did not seem to count as a job loss. The union maintained there will be 3,000 fewer people working for the Environment Agency in three years time than there were 18 months ago. "The Government is in denial that it is deliberately creating unemployment. Ministers do not seem to know what is happening on the ground or else they don't care," said GMB general secretary Paul Kenny. "These are job losses pure and simple as they are posts which will not available to young workers or others seeking work. GMB has grave doubts that the private sector can create enough jobs to make up for these job losses." The GMB claimed Government ministers were not aware of what was happening on the ground with public sector job cuts. The union has been tracking threatened redundancies in local authorities because of government spending cuts, saying the total is now well over 100,000. An Environment Agency spokesperson said: "The GMB have taken a look at the Environment Agency along with a range of other public sector organisations and done some simplistic maths based on budget settlements. We do not recognise the figure that has been quoted. "We do have to work with a reduced budget over the next few years but we haven't finished the detailed business planning as a result of our settlement and have no plans of redundancies on that scale."

Payne vow on child protection cuts

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Image The mother of murdered schoolgirl Sarah Payne has vowed to fight austerity cuts affecting child protection - just months after surviving from a life-threatening stroke. Sara Payne, who was given a 50/50 chance of living following a massive brain seizure just over a year ago, said cash-saving measures would undo the good work already done to protect youngsters. She criticised the Government for targeting the public rather than criminals when it came to budget cuts. "The message from the Government seems to be that they are going to be extremely soft on criminals but really tough on the public," she told the News of The World. "They must never forget the children and all the work that has been done to protect them. There will be cutbacks - but what cost can you put on the protection of children?" Ms Payne, who has learnt to talk and walk again following her stroke, said she wants a meeting with Home Secretary Theresa May to discuss the future of the threatened Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (Ceop). She also vowed to fight the winding-up of the Forensic Science Service (FSS) - which helped convict paedophile Roy Whiting who murdered eight-year-old Sarah in 2000. Criticising plans to close the service, which also helped snare killers such as Soham murderer Ian Huntley and Suffolk Strangler Steve Wright, Ms Payne, 42, said: "The main piece of evidence against Whiting was Sarah's hair on his jumper. The public want the forensic science service to be part of the money they pay." According to the Home Office, the FSS - which makes an operating loss of £2 million per month - is likely to run out of money by the end of the month and is expected to be wound up by March 2012, costing around 1,600 jobs. Experts have warned the closure would cause the country to lose its position as world leader in crime-scene investigation. Ms Payne also criticised plans to merge Ceop with a new British National Crime Agency. "The merger will result in it being watered down and you won't have a specialised unit in the end," she said.

Weary Britons tell of Tunisia chaos

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Image Thousands of weary Britons are spending their first day home after returning from trouble-riven Tunisia. The vast majority enjoying winter sun breaks in the north African country were flown home by their tour operators over the last two days. On Saturday, Thomson and First Choice evacuated 1,437 holidaymakers on seven flights to airports around the country - and Thomas Cook flew 300 passengers to Manchester. The day before, Thomas Cook flew 1,500 passengers back. It is thought there were approximately 1,000 expats living across Tunisia - famed for its beautiful climate and quality of life - before this week's political upheaval saw scores of nationals killed, buildings torched and businesses looted. The Foreign Office said that between 150 and 200 independent travellers in the country had registered on its website to let the British authorities know where they were. On Saturday night, some returning passengers compared the popular tourist spot to a war zone. Angela Khalifa, 56, from Newhall, Derbyshire, was visiting her Tunisian husband's family but had to cut her holiday short by a day. After jetting into Birmingham Airport, she said: "The banks had broken glass, and the big shops too, like a little war zone with the military all there now. I was a bit frightened coming back." Holidaymakers were ordered to leave after the Foreign Office urged only essential travel. During the unrest more than 1,000 prisoners escaped from Mahdia jail and 42 inmates were killed in a prison fire in Monastir. On Saturday, the nation swore in a new interim president, Fouad Mebazaa, with former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali fleeing to Saudi Arabia.

Crackdown on top rate tax loophole

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Image Tax investigators are cracking down on attempts to avoid the new 50p top rate of income tax by reclassifying salary as payments for "image rights", HM Revenue and Customs has confirmed. The issue emerged as the Sunday Times reported that a number of prominent Premier League footballers had taken advantage of the little-known provision to save millions of pounds in tax. According to the newspaper, more than 50 players are making a tax saving of 22% by having a proportion of their salary paid through image rights companies, which are liable to corporation tax at 28% rather than income tax at 50%. And in some cases, it was claimed that players are paying as little as 2% tax by taking money from the image rights companies as loans, which are classed as benefits in kind. Payments for image rights can be made to people - often high-profile performers or sports personalities - whose physical appearance and name have a commercial value in their own right. Footballers could earn image rights payments for the use of their pictures on merchandise or their names on replica shirts. According to the Sunday Times, players have rushed to set up image rights companies in the wake of the introduction of the 50p tax rate on earnings over £150,000 by Chancellor Alistair Darling 18 months ago. A Revenue and Customs spokesman said: "HMRC are well aware of attempts to use image rights as well as other schemes to avoid the 50p rate of tax. "The taxation of image rights is a complex area, where the tax treatment will very much depend on the facts of the particular case. "The Government has made an additional £900 million available to HMRC to ensure the tax rules are respected across the board."

Firth hot Golden Globes favourite

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Image Colin Firth is hot favourite to be the big winner at tonight's Golden Globes. His nomination for best actor in a motion picture drama is one of seven nominations for The King's Speech. The star, who plays stuttering monarch King George VI, is odds-on favourite to win the award this weekend. Bookmakers Betfair were offering odds of 2-13 on the 50-year-old picking up the prestigious gong. The Globes, presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), are often seen as a guide to later Oscar success and many pundits have tipped Firth for an Oscar win later this year. His co-star Helena Bonham Carter, whose performance as Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother sees her nominated as best supporting actress, said she expects Firth to win an Oscar. She said: "I've had a Golden Globe nomination before and then didn't get an Oscar nomination. But I presume Colin will get one, and I presume Colin will win." Firth received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame earlier this week. The British film, which tells the story of the unlikely relationship between the monarch and an Australian speech therapist who helps him cope with his stammer, was also nominated for best motion picture drama, best supporting actor, best director, best screenplay and best original score. Its seven nominations put it ahead of its nearest rival, The Fighter, with six nominations. The King's Speech has been heavily backed for Oscars success and earlier this year won the Cadillac People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival.

NHS chiefs warn of 'risky' reforms

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Image Health bosses are set to warn of closed hospitals, treatment rationing and lower standards of patient care as a result of the Government's controversial reforms of the NHS, it has been reported. A report from the NHS Confederation - which represents the bulk of health service organisations, such as hospitals and primary care trusts - will describe the proposed transfer of commissioning power to GPs as "extraordinarily risky", reported The Observer. The report is understood to accept the need for reform, but is critical of Health Secretary Andrew Lansley for failing to persuade patients or health professionals that his radical proposals will improve the NHS. Under plans to be set out in a Health and Social Care Bill expected on Wednesday, Primary Care Trusts will be abolished in England and their responsibility for commissioning £80 billion worth of treatment and services - around 80% of the NHS budget - will be handed over to GPs. According to The Observer, the NHS Confederation report will raise concern over the new system under which consortia of GPs will be able to send patients to whichever provider they judge will offer the best treatment, warning that this will force the NHS to shrink in order to make space for new healthcare providers. The policy of "price competition", allowing hospitals to undercut one another to attract patients, poses a risk to standards of care, the report is expected to warn. And it will add: "The absence of any compelling story about why the reforms are necessary or how they will translate into improved outcomes is of concern." It is "extraordinarily risky" to undertake such a fundamental restructuring at a time when the NHS is being asked to save £20 billion by 2014/15 and is undergoing 45% cuts to managers, it is expected to say. A Department of Health spokesman said: "We have listened extensively to all views about our plans to modernise the NHS. And now, with thanks to some 6,000 responses, we have set out with clarity and with direction why and how we need to deliver long-lasting reform in the NHS. "The Government has protected the NHS budget, but it must still simplify its structure and cut bureaucracy, which will release further savings to invest in care for patients. Modernisation of the NHS is a necessity, not an option. What we are proposing is a carefully staged transition, with the ever increasing engagement of patients and NHS staff."

Tributes paid as Nat Lofthouse dies

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Image Former England football international Nat Lofthouse OBE has died aged 85, his club Bolton Wanderers announced on its website. Lofthouse made more than 450 appearances for the Trotters, scoring 255 goals for the club between 1946 and 1960. He also represented England 33 times and scored 30 goals. Bolton announced Lofthouse had died peacefully in his sleep at his nursing home on Saturday night. Bolton chairman Phil Gartside told www.bwfc.co.uk: "On behalf of everyone at Bolton Wanderers Football Club, I would like to extend our deepest condolences to Nat's family, who are very much in our thoughts at this time. "Nat undoubtedly is a Bolton Wanderers legend. He was a one-club man and our football club meant as much to him as he did to us. We will miss him but we will celebrate his life, his legacy and great times that he brought to Bolton Wanderers." After finishing playing in 1960 after a serious knee injury, Lofthouse remained at the club in a number of off-field positions including chief coach, chief scout, caretaker manager and club president, in which he remained until his death. Malcolm Clarke, chairman of the Football Supporters' Federation, described Lofthouse as "a true legend" and pointed to his loyalty as a one-club man. Mr Clarke told BBC Radio Five Live: "What is very rare these days is to have a one-club footballer at the top like he was, playing for Bolton for the whole of his career, scoring a fantastic number of goals both for them and for England. A true legend of the game undoubtedly." Of where Lofthouse ranks in English footballing history, Mr Clarke added: "These things are always difficult to assess but I would certainly say he was in the top 10 of English footballing heroes."

Expenses: MP 'reports colleagues'

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Image A serving MP has reported six of his parliamentary colleagues - including two former Cabinet ministers - to police over alleged abuse of expenses, it has been reported. The Sunday Times claimed that the Labour MP, who represents a northern constituency, passed details of alleged wrongdoing to police because he believes he was unfairly singled out for investigation over his own allowances. If confirmed, it would be the first time since the expenses scandal erupted in 2009 that an MP has made a complaint to police about fellow members of the Commons. According to the paper, the politicians against whom the complaints have been made include two Labour MPs, two Conservatives and two Liberal Democrats. Scotland Yard said that "a small number" of parliamentary expenses cases remain under consideration by a panel of detectives and prosecutors, but was unable to say whether any fresh cases had been brought to their attention recently. A spokesman said the Met does not reveal the identity of its informants in such cases. Some 10 files have been handed to the Crown Prosecution Service by the Met's economic and specialist crime unit, of which six led to charges and two to no further action being taken, while two others remain under consideration. Former Labour MP David Chaytor was jailed for 18 months earlier in January after admitting false accounting, while Barnsley Central MP Eric Illsley has announced he will step down from Parliament after entering a guilty plea to dishonestly claiming more than £14,000. He will be sentenced next month. According to the Sunday Times, the MP who passed on his colleagues' names has been the subject of a police investigation, but is not one of the four politicians awaiting trial. He has reportedly highlighted claims by colleagues which were similar to his own expenses for household expenditure like council tax, maintenance and utility bills. The report comes ahead of the opening on Monday of the trial of Lord Taylor of Warwick, a former Conservative peer, who faces six charges of false accounting relating to 2006 and 2007. He pleaded not guilty at an earlier hearing.

Man quizzed over attack at hospital

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Image A man is being held by police in connection with an attack at a hospital that left two staff members and five patients injured. The two female employees received minor injuries as they restrained the 22-year-old man who was being treated at Newham General Hospital in Plaistow, east London. He is thought to have mental health problems. One of the victims, a woman in her 60s, suffered serious head injuries in the attack during the early hours of Saturday but is now in a stable condition, the Metropolitan Police said. An "improvised weapon" was used to strike the victims, police added. The three males and one other female patient who were assaulted are in a stable condition at the hospital. The force was alerted to the incident at 00.40am and arrested the man on suspicion of a public order offence. He remains in police custody. It is believed the injured patients had been asleep when they were attacked on the general medical ward. A spokeswoman for Newham University Hospital NHS Trust confirmed that neither drugs nor alcohol were factors in the incident. Acting medical director Frank Chinegwundoh, described the spate of attacks as "freakish". Saying it was not unusual for patients to launch attacks on other patients, he said: "In all my 26 years of practising I have not come across another one like it." Hospital bosses refused to reveal what the suspect used as a makeshift weapon, but said they did not believe he had brought it into the hospital.

Tributes are paid to Susannah York

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Image Tributes are being paid to Susannah York who has died age 72, according to reports. The actress enjoyed a glittering career which began in the 1960s and saw her star in film, theatre and television. She won a Bafta for her appearance in the 1969 film They Shoot Horses, Don't They? The role also saw her nominated for a best supporting actress Oscar. News of her death, from cancer, emerged late on Saturday night. Her actor son, Orlando Wells, told the Daily Telegraph she was "an absolutely fantastic mother". He said: "She loved nothing more than cooking a good Sunday roast and sitting around a fire of a winter's evening. "In some sense, she was quite a home girl. "Both Sasha (Orlando's sister) and I feel incredibly lucky to have her as a mother." York's stunning blue eyes and blonde hair set men's pulses racing and she was one of the best known faces of the swinging sixties.
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