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Knife suspect shot dead by police

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Image A suspected armed robber has been shot dead by an off duty police officer in Northern Ireland. Police sources said the officer shot at a man they said was armed with a knife at a petrol station on Belfast's Albertbridge Road. The shooting took place after 7pm. The man shot by the officer was initially said to have been injured but has since died. A spokesman for the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said: "As is normal procedure the Police Ombudsman has been informed and are attending the scene." It is understood the off-duty officer may have come upon the scene, but the police service said the full details of what happened had yet to be established. A spokesman for the Police Ombudsman confirmed the man had died following the shooting. The filling station is on a busy route running from east Belfast into the city centre. The site includes a shop where it is understood the shooting took place. The police ombudsman's office said they had a number of witnesses but appealed for anyone with information to come forward.

Fry's Japan visit axed over QI row

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Image Stephen Fry has dropped plans to film in Japan for a new BBC series following a furore caused by his panel show QI. The broadcaster and wit was due to visit the country for his forthcoming series Planet Word about language. But the backlash created by a light-hearted discussion of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki - which led to a BBC apology - has meant the planned trip has now been shelved. The BBC said "the strength of feeling" in the country led to the change of plan. The controversy blew up over an edition of the Fry-hosted QI in which panellists discussed the case of Tsutomu Yamaguchi, who survived both of the bombs which were dropped three days apart in 1945. Stars of the show - including Alan Davies and Bill Bailey - discussed how they were amazed the train network was still functioning after the attack. But it led to a complaint from the Japanese embassy in London, accusing the programme of making light of the tragedies. The daughter of Yamaguchi - who was 93 when he died last year - also spoke out. Fry had made it known he wished to clear the air during his visit. In a message on Twitter in January, he said: "I'm coming to Japan the week after next as it happens, and I'll certainly let my regret known (if they let me in)." Fry is currently in Singapore as work on the project continues. A BBC spokeswoman said: "Due to the strength of feeling in Japan at this time, we have decided to alter the filming schedule and itinerary of Planet Word." Roland Kelts, a half-Japanese author who had been due to work on the parts of the production due to be filmed in the country, suggested the reaction to the QI comments had been over the top. "In video footage, one can easily see, if one speaks and understands English fluently, that the hosts are tiptoeing around the obvious offence, trying to strike a balance between humour and respect." He added: "In this age of instantaneous visual language, all subtlety was lost, especially on reactionary right-wing Japanese folks keen to kick up a fight."

More women developing breast cancer

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Image The number of women with breast cancer is rising, with one in eight now developing the disease, figures show. Breast cancer rates in the UK have increased by 3.5% over the last decade, with 47,700 women diagnosed in 2008 compared with 42,400 in 1999. This has pushed up the lifetime risk of the disease from one in nine women to one in eight. Experts have blamed lifestyle factors, including obesity and drinking alcohol, for fuelling the rise. Women are also more likely to have children later in life, and fewer offspring, which influences the risk. Having a family history of the disease also increases a woman's chance of developing the disease, which kills about 12,000 in the UK every year. The latest data, from charity Cancer Research UK, is published on World Cancer Day. It reveals the biggest rise in breast cancer rates has been among women aged 50 to 69. Over the decade, cases rose by more than 6% in this age group while rates among younger women (25 to 49) dropped slightly by 0.5%. In 2008, around 22,900 women aged 50 to 69 were diagnosed with breast cancer - 48% of the total number of cases. Some 15,700 cases (33%) were in women over 70 and 9,100 cases (19%) in those aged 25 to 49. However, more women are surviving the disease, with almost two-thirds living more than 20 years beyond diagnosis. More than three-quarters of women diagnosed with breast cancer survive for at least 10 years. Women in England aged 50 and over are eligible for breast cancer screening every three years. By 2012, this will be extended to women aged 47 to 73. Around 1.5 million women are screened in the UK every year. Sara Hiom, Cancer Research UK's director of health information, said: "Mammograms will pick up breast cancers early on before they can be felt as a lump or spotted through other visible changes. We know that the earlier a cancer is detected the more successful treatment is likely to be so women can benefit by taking up invitations to breast screening."

More Britons fearful of immigration

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Image Britons are more fearful about immigration than other nations, according to a poll of people across the US, Canada and western Europe. Almost one in four (23%) said immigration is the most important issue facing the country, the Transatlantic Trends survey found. The other countries, including the US (9%), Canada (5%), France (8%), Germany (9%), Italy (10%), Holland (4%) and Spain (3%), appear far less concerned. The survey found 59% of Britons agree there are "too many" people living in the country who were not born here, also a much higher figure than the other nations. And seven out of 10 (70%) said the Government is doing a poor job in managing immigration. A total of 47% believe legal immigrants are a burden on social services like schools and hospitals, and 33% said legal immigrants increase crime. About one in four (22%) said only British citizens should have access to UK schools and 25% said only British citizens should have access to healthcare. However, the survey also shows that 77% of people agree legal immigrants are hard workers, and 43% said they are integrating well or very well into society - a higher figure than several of the other nations. The Government says it is committed to reducing net migration from hundreds of thousands to tens of thousands within the lifetime of the Parliament. The survey, commissioned by the US German Marshall Fund and other organisations, saw at least 1,000 people from each country questioned in August, September and November last year.

Driver killed as gales sweep UK

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Image A motorist has been killed on a rural road as his car was struck by a tree uprooted by high winds. The 51-year-old man, who has not yet been named, was driving a Mercedes Vaneo on the A458 Bridgnorth Road near Stourton, south Staffordshire, at about 11.30pm on Thursday night when the incident occurred. It came as gale-force winds hit vast parts of the country, with gusts of up to 90mph blowing down trees and tearing roofs from buildings in Scotland. In exposed mountain areas, wind speeds broke 115mph. The Met Office said its calculator at the top of the Cairngorms, which shuts down at this speed, went out of action for four hours. In one incident in Glasgow, firefighters had to remove a metal railing which was hanging dangerously from a tenement building, and a driver was cut free from his overturned car on the M73 in North Lanarkshire. Central Scotland Police reported around 15 trees down in the force area. In Shetland - where gusts reached 93mph at 10pm on Thursday - coastguards had to help secure a 25-metre fishing boat that broke free from its moorings. At the other end of the Scotland, 50 people were evacuated from their homes after part of the roof blew off a block of flats in Dumfries and Galloway. Forecasters said the north can expect further stormy weather and winds of up to 85mph on Friday night.

Clegg to defend economic policies

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Image The coalition Government is determined not only to pay off Britain's deficit but to create "a new model of sustainable economic growth", Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg is to insist Mr Clegg will say that the Government inherited from Labour not only crippling debt but also a "failed economic model" fuelled by debt and overly reliant on financial services. He will outline the Government's ambition to "rebalance" the UK economy, diversifying into sectors other than finance; spreading economic activity across the whole country; and encouraging "green" sustainable growth. In a speech in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, Mr Clegg will acknowledge that last week's GDP figures, showing the economy shrank by 0.5% in the last three months of 2010, were "disappointing" and make clear his belief that Britain faces "a long, hard road back to prosperity" following the recession. But he will insist that there are "strongly positive signs" from recent indicators on manufacturing, construction and services, adding: "Things are difficult, but it is not all doom and gloom." Mr Clegg will defend the Government against accusations from Labour and business that it has not done enough to foster economic growth, particularly by failing to publish a Growth White Paper in the autumn. He will say he sees no need to apologise for taking time to consult with business and experts rather than rushing to churn out initiatives designed to create the appearance of stimulating the economy. The Government's growth review will produce a "grounded, evidence-based and properly thought-through" approach in time for Chancellor George Osborne's March 23 Budget - already being billed as a "budget for growth" - he will say. And he will insist that the coalition's ambitions are not limited to paying down the deficit inherited from Labour in time for the next general election in 2015. While eliminating the deficit is a vital part of the Government's economic plan, it is "a means, not an end in itself", Mr Clegg will say, adding: "We are determined to foster a new model of economic growth, and a new economy - one built on enterprise and investment, not unsustainable debt. We seek nothing less than a new model of sustainable growth."

BBC apologises for Top Gear insults

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Image The BBC has apologised to the Mexican ambassador over remarks made on Top Gear. But the corporation defended the show's presenters, who branded Mexicans "lazy", "feckless" and "flatulent", saying national-stereotyping was part of British humour. His Excellency Eduardo Medina-Mora Icaza wrote to the corporation to complain about the "outrageous, vulgar and inexcusable insults". The BBC said it has now written to the ambassador to say it is sorry if the programme caused offence. In a statement the corporation said the comments may have been "rude" and "mischievous", but there was no "vindictiveness" behind them. It said: "Our own comedians make jokes about the British being terrible cooks and terrible romantics, and we in turn make jokes about the Italians being disorganised and over dramatic, the French being arrogant and the Germans being over-organised. Whilst it may appear offensive to those who have not watched the programme or who are unfamiliar with its humour, the executive producer has made it clear to the ambassador that that was absolutely not the show's intention." The BBC said stereotype-based comedy was allowed within its guidelines in programmes where the audience knew it could be expected. In the episode, broadcast on January 30, Richard Hammond joked that Mexican cars reflected national characteristics, saying they were "just going to be lazy, feckless, flatulent oaf with a moustache, leaning against a fence asleep, looking at a cactus with a blanket with a hole in the middle on as a coat". James May described Mexican food as "like sick with cheese on it" and Jeremy Clarkson predicted they would not get any complaints about the show because "at the Mexican embassy, the ambassador is going to be sitting there with a remote control like this (snores). They won't complain, it's fine". Hundreds of Mexicans contacted the BBC to protest against the remarks which caused national outrage.

New car sales record 11.5% plunge

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Image New car sales fell by 11.5% to 128,811 last month compared with January 2010, new figures show. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said the decline was in line with its forecast and partly reflected the ending of the car scrappage scheme. Its figures also reveal that the market share for cars with lower CO2 emissions continued to increase, rising by more than 65% in January. SMMT chief executive Paul Everitt said January's fall in new car sales marked the beginning of a challenging year for the UK motor industry, adding: "Consumer confidence is low and it is important that Government uses the March Budget to help relieve some of the financial pressure on motorists by freezing fuel duty, while providing stability and certainty on motoring taxes. "Despite the challenging conditions, the demand for low CO2 emitting and highly fuel-efficient cars continues to grow." Just over 65,000 new diesel cars were sold in the UK last month compared with almost 62,000 petrol models, said the SMMT. New car registrations have now fallen for seven months in a row following January's 16,668 reduction in sales. The SMMT said last month's rise in VAT to 20% also had an effect on sales, as well as uncertainty over the economy, although the industry group mainly blamed last year's ending of the scrappage scheme under which motorists were offered a discount on new cars for trading-in older models. In January last year, almost one in five new cars were sold through the scrappage scheme, and the SMMT said it expected the knock-on effect to hit the market during the first six months of 2011. Total sales volumes are now forecast to fall by 5% this year, to 1.93 million.

Kercher father attacks TV film

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Image The father of Meredith Kercher has reportedly criticised a television film showing her screaming in terror as her killers pin her down. John Kercher said the production - which shows his daughter being grabbed by actors playing Raffaele Sollecito and Rudy Guede - was "absolutely horrific". The images have been released in a trailer for the film, which will air on US channel Lifetime on February 21. Mr Kercher told The Sun: "To actually see it like this is very distressing. The scenes are absolutely horrific. It's awful what these film people have done." The 21-year-old Briton, from Coulsdon, Surrey, is played by actress Amanda Fernando Stevens, while Heroes star Hayden Panettiere is cast as Amanda Knox. The young American, dubbed Foxy Knoxy, is shown in a romantic tussle with her then lover Sollecito, then caged behind the bars of a police van. In another scene the victim's body is shown partially covered by a duvet on her bedroom floor, just as she was found in the cottage she shared with Knox on her year abroad in Perugia, Italy. The movie, called Amanda Knox: Murder On Trial In Italy, is billed as being "based on a true story" and comes with the tagline: "There are two sides to every story." Clips in the trailer show Knox's on-screen mother, Edda Mellas, saying: "She's kind, she's gentle," while an actor playing Diya "Patrick" Lumumba, the barman Knox falsely accused of the killing, seethes: "She's evil." The film poses the question of whether Knox committed the crime in November 2007 or was herself a victim.

Cameron urges 'transition' in Egypt

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Image David Cameron has urged the Egyptian government to act on international calls for an orderly transition to democracy. Arriving at an EU summit in Brussels on Friday, the Prime Minister warned: "If we see on the streets of Cairo today state-sponsored violence by thugs hired to beat up protesters, the regime will lose any remaining credibility it has in the eyes of the watching world, including Britain." He went on: "We have been clear that Egypt should be taking steps to show there is a clear, credible transparent path towards transition. "So far the steps taken have not met the hopes of the people. "EU leaders today have to come together to show they support that orderly transition."

Robbery suspect shot dead by police

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Image A man has been shot dead by an off-duty police officer after a suspected armed robbery in Northern Ireland. Police sources said the officer shot at a man who was armed with a knife at a petrol station in Belfast's Albertbridge Road on Friday. It is thought the off-duty officer may have come upon the scene, but the PSNI said the full details of what happened are yet to be established. A spokesman for the Police Ombudsman, which investigates complaints against police but is called immediately when officers fire baton rounds or live rounds, said it is probing the incident. The filling station is on a busy route running from east Belfast into the city centre. The site includes a shop where it is understood the shooting took place. PSNI officers are routinely armed while on duty and have weapons for their protection when off duty. Sinn Fein Assembly member Alex Maskey, who sits on the Policing Board which monitors the service in Northern Ireland, said he has been in contact with police over the shooting. He added: "This is obviously an issue of the utmost seriousness and one which must be investigated fully by the Police Ombudsman's Office." The Ulster Unionist Party's Michael Copeland said residents were concerned over the incident, while the Alliance Party said the community would be seeking answers over what happened. Assembly member for the area Dawn Purvis called for a full investigation, adding: "While the details of this incident are not yet clear, the one thing we can be sure of is that there are several families suffering with the ramifications of this shooting. I regret deeply the loss of life and my thoughts go to the families at the heart of this incident."

MPs deny advising Devine on claims

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Image Two MPs did not advise a former colleague accused of fiddling his expenses to take cash from an allowance to pay his staff, a court has been told. Former Labour backbencher Jim Devine claims he had a conversation with Tom Watson and Steve McCabe in the House of Commons Strangers Bar in which they told him he could use a communications allowance to cover staffing costs. But the two MPs told Southwark Crown Court that no such discussion took place. Devine, 57, who held a seat in the House of Commons for Livingston, West Lothian, is on trial for falsely claiming almost £9,000 from the public purse. Tom Watson, MP for West Bromwich East, said he hardly knows Devine. The former defence minister also told the court that if anyone came to him with a question about expenses, he would point them in the direction of the fees office, rather than give them advice. The prosecution barrister asked the MP if he ever told Devine he could use money from his communications allowance "in order to fund staffing costs". He said: "No." Devine is on trial facing two charges of false accounting. The first count alleges that, between July 2008 and May 2009, Mr Devine dishonestly claimed £3,240 for cleaning services from Tom O'Donnell Hygiene and Cleaning Services. The second count alleges that between March 2009 and April 2009, Mr Devine dishonestly claimed £5,505 for stationery from Armstrong Printing using false invoices. Mr Devine, of West Main Street, Bathgate, West Lothian, denies both charges.

£7m Gauguin on show ahead of sale

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Image Artworks valued at more than £100 million, including a Gauguin which has been unseen for 15 years, have gone on display ahead of their sale next week. Paintings by Magritte and Picasso, as well as a pastel by Degas - each with a multimillion-pound estimate - are also being exhibited. They will go under the hammer at the first major art auction of the year - Christie's Impressionist and Modern sale in London on February 9 and 10. Gauguin's Nature Morte A L'Esperance has the highest estimate in the sale, expected to fetch between £7 million and £10 million. It was painted in 1901 and shown at the artist's first landmark Retrospective in 1906. Other notable works include Sur L'Imperiale Traversant La Seine by Picasso - again from 1901 and expected to fetch up to £3 million. Together the works have a pre-sale estimate of up to £130.9 million and are being shown at Christie's in London's King Street until Wednesday. The sale follows a record-breaking year for Christie's in 2010, which saw annual sales of £3.3 billion - a new high.

Clegg defends plans for growth

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Image Nick Clegg has warned there is no one "lever" that the Government can pull to generate economic growth. The Deputy Prime Minister said ministers could not simply "churn out initiative after initiative" in a desperate attempt to stimulate the economy. He said it was essential to stick to the Government's plans to tackle the deficit if it was to build a base for sustainable growth. In a speech on Friday in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, he said he would not apologise for the delay in publishing the Government's promised growth strategy until the Budget, saying it was being treated with "the utmost seriousness". The coalition, he said, had inherited a "failed economic model" from Labour and the country needed to "wean ourselves off debt-financed growth". "It is very tempting in a time of economic difficulty for governments to churn out initiative after initiative, in a desperate attempt to stimulate the economy or - all too often - to try and give the appearance of doing so," he said. "And politicians can fall prey to the myth that somewhere there is a lever they can pull to generate growth, and that they should simply pull as many as possible in the hope of finding it. "We have learned - the hard way - that an economy built on debt is built on sand. Right now, we are going through the sometimes painful process of unwinding a toxic legacy of personal, business and public debt. We should not fall into the trap of seeing deficit reduction and economic growth as separable. Our deficit reduction plan is a vital element in our growth plan. "By keeping the UK out of the danger zone, and holding down the cost of borrowing, our approach is creating a stable macroeconomic platform for growth." Mr Clegg said that he also believed there was a "moral dimension" to tackling the deficit to ensure that future generations were not saddled with the debts of their parents. "This strikes me as little short of intergenerational theft. It is the equivalent of loading up our credit card with debt and then expecting our kids to pay it off," he said.

Four face action over baby's death

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Image Four social care workers are facing disciplinary action following the death of a 13-month-old boy whose neglect was found to be "preventable and predictable". Three social workers and one social care employee will be investigated over their role in the care of Alex Sutherland who died after being left in front of a lit gas fire for three days. His binge-drinking mother, Tracey, 39, was jailed for 27 months last April after she admitted child cruelty. A serious case review into his death by Manchester Safeguarding Children's Board found no single agency was to blame for failing to protect Alex but his case was "poorly managed throughout". Manchester City Council said it had carried out an extensive programme of training with care workers in a bid to learn lessons from the death, and announced the disciplinary action as it conceded it "could have done better". Mike Livingstone, the council's deputy director of children's services, said: "As part of the serious case review process we have scrutinised every aspect of our involvement with Alex and his family. It is clear from this that there are areas where we could have done better, and as a result four members of staff have been subject to disciplinary investigations. "Two of the staff members (social workers) are now being brought before formal disciplinary hearings, and the other two staff - while not facing formal disciplinary hearings - are now subject to management instruction and oversight of their work." On November 3 2009 - a week before Alex's charred body was found - an anonymous call to social services claimed the youngster looked small and undernourished, and his mother was behaving erratically. A health visitor planned to meet Sutherland two days later but the mother cancelled the appointment and rearranged it for November 12. The caller rang again on November 6 to report Sutherland had been seen with Alex at her workplace and had smelled of alcohol. There was no record that information was passed to the health visitor.

Man jailed over racial abuse claim

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Image A sales rep has been jailed for 12 months for "playing the race card" by falsely claiming a traffic warden had racially abused him and attacked him to avoid paying for a parking ticket. Ben Hlal was also convicted of making another false allegation of racial abuse against a consultant doctor after he confronted the defendant for parking in a disabled bay outside a hospital. Hlal, from Fareham, Hampshire, was found guilty of two charges of perverting the course of public justice and was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment for both offences to run concurrently. His estranged wife, Diane Bateman, 52, from Gosport, was found guilty of one offence of perverting the course of justice after the jury found her guilty by providing a statement in support of Hlal. Bateman, a caterer for an old people's home, was given a six-month prison sentence suspended for 12 months, 100 hours community service and ordered to pay £500 costs. Sentencing Hlal at Portsmouth Crown Court, Judge Roger Hetherington said: "This was a concerted and determined tactic employed by you on two separate occasions and pursued to the bitter end to make a deliberately false allegation against two wholly innocent men. "Your motivation was partly self-interest to get yourself out of a situation where you were clearly wrong, and partly in anger that anyone should have the temerity to challenge you. "You have deliberately played the race card knowing it would cause maximum embarrassment to those on the receiving end and would be treated seriously by the authorities. "The seriousness of these offences lies not just in the distress and anxiety felt by the victims, but also in the fact it strikes at the root of public justice and undermines people's confidence in the system." He added that Bateman had acted out of "misguided loyalty" to her ex-husband.

Cricketers to face 'cheat' charges

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Image Three Pakistani cricketers and an agent will be charged with conspiring to cheat bookmakers over the match-fixing scandal, the Crown Prosecution Service has said. Captain Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer will face court over their actions during a Test match at Lord's last August. They were questioned by Scotland Yard detectives over claims they accepted cash to deliberately bowl no-balls. Agent Mazhar Majeed, accused of accepting £150,000 to fix the actions of players, was also charged with conspiracy to cheat bookmakers. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said all four men have also been charged with conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments. Majeed will appear before City of Westminster Magistrates' court on March 17. Summonses for the three players have been issued for the same date. Simon Clements, of the CPS, said: "These charges relate to allegations that Mr Majeed accepted money from a third party to arrange for the players to bowl 'no balls' on August 26 and 27, 2010, during Pakistan's Fourth Test at Lord's Cricket Ground in London. "Mr Majeed has been summonsed to appear for a first hearing at City of Westminster Magistrates' Court on 17 March. Summonses for the same court date have been issued for the three players and they have been asked to return to this country voluntarily, as they agreed to do in September last year. Their extradition will be sought should they fail to return." Accepting corrupt payments is an offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1906 and carries a maximum sentence of seven years' imprisonment and an unlimited fine. Cheating is an offence contrary to Section 42 of the Gambling Act 2005. It carries a maximum sentence of two years' imprisonment and an unlimited fine.

RAF cigarette smugglers jailed

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Image Three RAF servicemen who were part of a gang which smuggled an estimated seven million cigarettes into Britain on military flights from the Middle East have been jailed. Hauls of cigarettes were flown into RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire in 2008 and 2009 in a "well thought out and professionally planned" operation. They were then transported to the North East of England and sold on without paying import duty or VAT. Corporal Stuart Helens, 31, Sergeant Stuart Walker, 43, and Senior Aircraftman Paul Garbutt, 31, all admitted their part in the conspiracy. Civilians Lisa Harrison, 36, Alison McCabe, 45, and Christopher Garbutt, 26 - Paul Garbutt's brother - also owned up to being part of the scam between late 2008 and May 2009. The three servicemen pocketed up to £30,000 each before the swindle was rumbled, Bristol Crown Court heard. Analysis of mobile phones, computers and other documents by HM Revenue and Customs investigators found that at least 1.14 million cigarettes were smuggled on flights from Muscat, Oman - evading around £204,000 in duty and VAT. Another six million cigarettes were smuggled in on flights from Kabul, Afghanistan, evading almost £1.1 million in duty and VAT. Helens, of King Edward Close, Calne, Wiltshire, pleaded guilty to two charges of conspiracy to cheat the public revenue. Paul Garbutt, of Avon Grove, Billingham, Teesside, admitted two charges of conspiracy to cheat the public revenue and one charge of acquisition of criminal property. Walker, of Loggon Road, Basingstoke, Hampshire, pleaded guilty to a charge conspiracy to cheat the public revenue. Christopher Garbutt, of Knapton Avenue, Billingham, pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to cheat the public revenue and converting criminal property. Harrison, of Sydney Road, Middlesbrough, and McCabe, of Fielding Court, Billingham, each admitted a charge of being concerned in the acquisition of criminal property. Paul Garbutt's wife Louisa, 36, was acquitted by a jury of conspiracy to cheat the public revenue and acquisition of criminal property following a trial at Bristol Crown Court. The seventh member of the gang, Cpl Thomas Warren, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to cheat the public revenue and will be sentenced at a later date.

Walliams to swim 200-mile Thames

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Image Come Fly With Me star David Walliams is to swim around 200 miles - along the length of the River Thames. The funnyman has previously swum across the English Channel and cycled the length of Britain for charity challenges. He announced that his next endurance test will see him following the course of the river from its source in the Cotswolds. Walliams's challenge is to be staged for Sport Relief and will begin in September. The star, who married model Lara Stone last year, revealed the mammoth journey as he spoke to Chris Evans on Radio 2. The river is around 215 miles long although it is not possible to swim the entire length of the route. He joked: "You've got to walk the first (part) or run or jog - that's probably what I'll do, I'll jog. I'll jog when the cameras are on me and when they're off me I'll start walking." Environmental campaigner Lewis Pugh completed the trip in 2006, but his start began with a 19-mile run because the river was barely a trickle. He completed the journey in 21 days. Walliams will also take part in a challenge for next month's Comic Relief activities, which will see him hosting TV panel shows for 24 hours. He said: "I'm going to be presenting a panel show for 24 hours. Basically all the current panel shows, Have I Got News For You, (Never Mind The) Buzzcocks, 8 Out Of 10 Cats - I'll be presenting all of them for a 24-hour period so I don't know how I'm going to be after about 12 hours - probably asleep. "That's going to be streamed live and then highlights are going to be on the BBC on the night." Walliams will team up with Evans on the judging panel for a children's writing competition, 500 Words, which is taking place at the Hay Festival of Literature and Arts. Children aged 13 or under are being encouraged to take part in the contest - launched on Evans's Radio 2 show this week - which is part of the BBC Year Of Books.

Record number declared insolvent

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Image The number of people declared insolvent in England and Wales reached a new all-time high of 135,089 in 2010. The Insolvency Service said the 0.7% rise on 2009's figure came despite a 13.6% drop year-on-year in individual insolvencies during the final three months of the period as the number of people struggling financially continued to decline. The figures showed that 30,729 people were declared insolvent in the fourth quarter, which was also down on the previous month by 9.4%. That drop came as the number of personal bankruptcies fell to its lowest level for more than five years, at 12,049 in the three months to December 31. This was down 29.2% on a year earlier and was the lowest since the first quarter of 2005. Personal insolvencies have now fallen consistently quarter-on-quarter since the beginning of 2010. The figures also show further improvements in company liquidations across England and Wales, which fell 15.9% in 2010 to 16,045. But in a worrying sign for UK businesses, company administrations - often seen as a more representative measure - rose quarter-on-quarter for the first time since the height of the financial crisis. There was also caution over the outlook for personal insolvencies, despite the recent improving trend. Debt charity the Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS) warned that the squeeze on household income this year from tax hikes, spending cuts and soaring inflation was likely to push personal insolvencies higher in 2011.
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