MP's wife sentenced for cat snatch
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PM voices concern at directors' pay
Prime Minister David Cameron has expressed concern after research showed directors at the country's top firms have seen their pay rise by 49% in the past year.
Despite rising unemployment and falling standards of living for most of the population, average earnings for FTSE 100 directors have risen to just under £2.7 million, according to Incomes Data Services (IDS).
Mr Cameron said: "This is a concerning report, particularly at a time when household budgets are very tight and people have difficult circumstances."
He called for "transparency, accountability, responsibility" in boardroom pay, urging that all awards must be justifiable. Boards have got to think when they are making pay awards, is this the responsible thing to do?
"Of course you have got to attract the best talent to run the business that you are accountable for as a non-executive director, but is what you are doing responsible?"
The research showed that directors' 49% increase in remuneration - including salary, benefits and bonuses - was higher than the 43% jump in the pay of chief executives. Average bonus payments for directors increased by 23% from £737,000 in 2010 to £906,000 this year, the report said.
The pay of FTSE 100 chief executives rose by 43% in the last financial year to an average of £3.8 million, while finance directors enjoyed a 34% increase to take their average earnings over the £2 million mark, according to the report.
Mr Cameron added: "Everyone, whether they are in public life, whether they are in private enterprise, they all need to be able to justify the decisions they make about pay. So I welcome the debate about this. I welcome the transparency. I want to see proper action and I believe in a responsible society and that is responsibility exercised by everybody including in the board room."
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said it "can't be right" that some company bosses were given "socking great big pay increases" when their firm's performance had actually plummeted, adding: "That culture of reward for failure must change."
Labour leader Ed Miliband said: "People are not against those at the top getting higher rewards if those rewards are earned, if more wealth is created, if more jobs are created. But when people are struggling, when the middle is being squeezed, when people are seeing their living standards fall, it is not fair for those at the top to get runaway rewards not related to the wealth they have created."
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Judges in warning over mob violence
Demonstrators who take part in mob violence were warned to expect "significant" sentences by judges as they rejected a plea by Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour's son that a 16-month jail term imposed after he went on a drink and drug-fuelled rampage at a student fees protest was "unduly harsh".
Three Court of Appeal judges ruled that the penalty handed out to 21-year-old Charlie Gilmour could not arguably be described as either "manifestly excessive or wrong in principle".
Lord Justice Hughes, sitting with two other judges in London, ruled that the sentence passed in July on the Cambridge University history student, of Billingshurst, West Sussex, "correctly took account both of the defendant's serious and dangerous acts in this inflammatory context and of his normal character".
He announced: "We do not believe that violence in this context and of the kind displayed by this defendant can normally be met by other than significant sentences of immediate custody even for those of otherwise good character."
The judges pointed out that the law protects the right of people in this country to demonstrate - to "make known and in public their feelings on matters of public concern" - but to do so in large numbers "carries clear responsibilities, principally amongst them to act without disorder or violence which puts the public at risk".
Lord Justice Hughes said: "It is an unavoidable feature of mass disorder that each individual act, whatever might be its character taken on its own, inflames and encourages others to behave similarly, and that the harm done to the public stems from the combined effect of what is done en masse."
Gilmour, who admitted violent disorder after joining thousands demonstrating in London's Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square last December, was seen hanging from a Union flag on the Cenotaph and leaping on to the bonnet of a car that formed part of a royal convoy.
He also kicked at the window of Topshop's flagship store on Oxford Street and ended up in possession of the leg of a mannequin.
A judge at Kingston Crown Court, south-west London, concluded that Gilmour had thrown a rubbish bin at one of the convoy vehicles - a finding upheld by the appeal judges.
Lord Justice Hughes said his offence was committed in the course of "serious disorder which occurred in the later stages of what had begun as a generally peaceful demonstration against Government proposals relating to the funding of further education". There was, he said, "serious mob disorder".
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Tabak convicted of Joanna murder
Twisted killer Vincent Tabak has been found guilty of murdering Joanna Yeates for sexual thrills.
He faces life behind bars for strangling his next-door neighbour before spinning a web of lies and deceit to cover his tracks.
Relatives of the 25-year-old victim watched from the public gallery as jurors rejected Tabak's claim that he did not mean to kill her. Instead they found he was a "shrewd" liar who had been sexually aroused during the attack.
The verdict comes despite prosecutors being blocked from telling jurors about Tabak's sordid sex secrets. He strangled Miss Yeates after becoming obsessed with violent sex and pornography, it can now be revealed.
Videos recovered from his laptop depicted blonde women being throttled during sex. Just two weeks before murdering the landscape architect he also paid for sex with a prostitute during a business trip to Los Angeles, police discovered.
Dutchman Tabak, 33, throttled Miss Yeates in a violent confrontation at her flat in Clifton, Bristol, on December 17 last year.
The petite blonde suffered 43 injuries during a desperate fight for life as he used his burly 6ft 4in frame to overpower her.
Miss Yeates, who did not even know her killer's name, is believed to have been dead within about 20 seconds of Tabak grabbing her neck.
A prosecution bid to include Tabak's previous sexual perversions was thrown out twice during the trial.
Mr Justice Field said it would be inappropriate for the jury to hear how he had cheated on his girlfriend Tanja Morson by paying for sex with a prostitute he had hooked up with on an escort website.
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Riot-blaze accused admits burglary
A man accused of starting a fire that destroyed a 144-year-old family-run furniture shop during the riots has admitted burgling two chain stores.
Gordon Edward Thompson has pleaded guilty to burgling a branch of House of Fraser and an Iceland supermarket as looters raided London shops on August 8.
But at a hearing at Inner London Crown Court, he denied committing violent disorder in Croydon town centre and burgling Reeves Furniture Store in the same south London borough, on the same date.
At a previous hearing on September 26, he also denied setting the furniture store ablaze on August 8.
The 33-year-old of Waddon Road, Croydon, who remains in custody, will stand trial for two counts of arson, violent disorder and burglary on February 20.
Reeves Furniture Store was set up in 1867 and its current owner, Trevor Reeves, is the fifth generation of the family to run the business.
Reeves Corner in Croydon is named after the firm.
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Time change plan 'needs consensus'
The Government is ready to back plans for clocks in the UK to go forward by one hour all year round, but only if Scotland agrees to the change.
Prime Minister David Cameron said he is "interested" in the issue, but believes it can only happen if all parts of the UK are content with the change.
Ministers will support a Private Member's Bill which would pave the way for moving the UK in line with Central European Time (CET) for a trial period of three years.
But they are tabling amendments to the Daylight Savings Bill requiring consultation with the devolved authorities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Any "clear opposition" would mean the plans were dropped.
Moving to CET would mean lighter winter evenings, which supporters claim would cut road deaths, boost tourism and reduced energy use. But any change is likely to face opposition from many in Scotland who do not relish the prospect of an extra hour of darkness in the morning.
Critics claim this would increase the dangers for many workers, particularly farmers, as well as families on the school run.
Speaking during a visit to Australia, Mr Cameron said: "I've always been interested in this debate as someone who likes playing sport and all the rest of it. But I've always felt you could only do this as a United Kingdom and there have always been very strong arguments made in Scotland.
"Discussions are under way across Whitehall and with the devolved authorities but that's the key - you can only do this if there is real national consensus and pressure between all the nations of our United Kingdom."
The Daylight Saving Bill, tabled by Rebecca Harris, Conservative MP for Castle Point in Essex, calls for a review of the potential costs and benefits of a move to CET and would need further legislation before any trial was launched.
The Bill will still need the backing of MPs and peers by April next year to go ahead. The clocks go back an hour at 2am on Sunday when British Summer Time ends.
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Sean Gallagher concedes to Higgins
Independent candidate for the Irish presidency and one-time opinion poll-topper Sean Gallagher has conceded defeat to the Labour Party's Michael D Higgins.
Businessman Mr Gallagher, a former member and fund-raiser for the Fianna Fail party, has accepted the veteran politician will be the country's ninth head of state.
Mr Gallagher rang his rival to congratulate him.
"In the last hour I've called Michael D Higgins to congratulate him on his performance and his success in this election," Mr Gallagher said.
"He will have my full support as president and I sincerely thank him for a positive campaign. His slogan stated that he would be a president to be proud of and I believe he will be that president."
Mr Higgins looks set to take about 40% of the vote on the first count, to be confirmed at Dublin Castle around 7pm or 8pm.
Mr Gallagher appears on course to finish second but has seen his support collapse from a high of 40% in last weekend's opinion polls to closer to 30% in the vote proper.
Eamon Gilmore, Tanaiste and Labour Party leader, said it had been an honour to nominate 70-year-old Mr Higgins, a former minister, for the job.
"This is a good day for the Labour Party. Our nominee Michael D Higgins looks pretty certain that he will be elected the ninth president of Ireland," Mr Gilmore said. "I'm really happy for him. I'm really delighted that he succeeded."
The final confirmation of the poll at Dublin Castle is not expected until late on Friday night or in the early hours of Saturday if there are any issues at count centres around the country.
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Family's regrets over death penalty
Joanna Yeates's parents have said they wished their daughter's killer could have been given capital punishment after a jury found him guilty of her murder.
In a statement read by police outside court, they said they would never get over their loss.
"For us, it is with regret that capital punishment is not a possible option for (Tabak's) sentence," they said.
"The best we can hope for him is that he spends the rest of his life incarcerated where his life is a living hell, being the recipient of all evils, deprivations and degradations that his situation can provide."
The last four weeks had been "more stressful and intense than we ever imagined," said David and Teresa Yeates.
They had attended Tabak's trial to find out as much as they could about "what really happened" from the time their daughter disappeared to when her murderer was arrested, they went on. But, they said, they "never considered this trial as a process of justice for Jo".
Their statement said: "There was never any doubt in our minds that Jo had been murdered and we fully expected (Tabak) to lie when he went into the witness box.
"We saw no emotion or remorse or regret for what he did to Jo. We felt all emotion expressed by him was false. All we heard were words of self-pity."
They described the trial as having had "little effect on our lives", adding: "We have still lost our daughter and our son has lost his sister.
"Our main sorrow is that Jo isn't allowed to start her own family, have children and achieve her potential. We will never get over our loss, how she was murdered and the total lack of respect with which her body was treated. We so miss hearing her happy voice and seeing her living life to the full."
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Forces coming home after Libya job
Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has congratulated British military personnel on a "job well done" in Libya as they were given the green light to come home.
Mr Hammond approved the immediate return of six Tornado jets during a visit to the Gioia Del Colle airfield in Italy, where they have been based.
The remaining UK air assets, including another 10 Tornado GR4s, two VC10 tankers, two E3D Sentry and one Sentinel surveillance aircraft, will be back over the coming days.
HMS Liverpool is due to start its journey homewards over the weekend.
The drawdown follows Nato's announcement that its mission will end on October 31.
Mr Hammond said: "Our armed forces can be immensely proud that their hard work has assured the liberty of the Libyan people.
"This is a job well done and we will be sending our crews home from tonight. I have given my personal thanks today to some of the aircrew and support personnel at Gioia del Colle."
At its peak, the UK had 2,300 personnel, 32 aircraft and four ships committed to the campaign in Libya.
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Sordid sex life of killer revealed
Vincent Tabak turned from sordid voyeur to murderer after becoming obsessed with images of women being strangled during sex, it can be revealed.
He also paid a prostitute having trawled escort and violent pornography websites in the weeks before throttling Joanna Yeates.
Detectives discovered his perversions had chilling parallels with how he killed his next-door neighbour. Footage found on his laptops depicted women tied up in car boots - just as Miss Yeates's body was temporarily left after she died.
Three pictures also showed a blonde woman in a pink T-shirt and jeans closely resembling Miss Yeates on the night of her death.
Tabak, 33, who never had a proper relationship until he met Tanja Morson online, was accused of misleading jurors by portraying himself as sexually inexperienced.
His depraved secrets were not heard by jurors trying him for murder. But detectives privately believe he killed the 25-year-old in a bid to re-enact his violent perversions.
Tabak paid for sex with a call girl while on a business trip to Los Angeles less than two weeks before killing Miss Yeates, officers found.
In the weeks after the murder, Tabak searched "Jo Yeates" on Google minutes before logging on to view several home-made sex videos. On the morning of her death Tabak logged on to a pornographic website and while there was no evidence of a sex attack on Miss Yeates, police believe he was aroused and gaining sexual gratification from the killing.
Nigel Lickley QC, who made two failed applications to include the evidence in the prosecution case, told Bristol Crown Court how pornography depicting violence was found "in a series of films". Mr Lickley sought permission to tell the jury about Tabak's secret life because he said the Dutchman had created a "false impression".
"In fact the defendant is sexually experienced beyond his relationship with Miss Morson in the sense that he has accessed websites allowing him to seek out women that he could pay, and we submit, did pay for sex," the barrister said.
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Legal bid to move St Paul's protest
Legal action will be taken to evict protesters camped outside St Paul's Cathedral, the City of London Corporation has announced.
The planning and transport committee voted to go ahead with court action to remove more than 200 tents from the public highways around the cathedral.
The decision came as the doors of the cathedral reopened after being closed for a week due to the anti-capitalist protest - the first time it has been shut to the public since the Second World War.
Michael Welbank, who chaired the committee, said: "Protest is an essential right in a democracy but camping on the highway is not and we believe we will have a strong highways case because an encampment on a busy thoroughfare clearly impacts the rights of others."
Stuart Fraser, chairman of policy and resources at the corporation, said: "We have no problem with a peaceable 24-hour protest by people without tents - provided the highway is fully usable - but campsites and important highways don't mix."
A spokesperson for St Paul's Cathedral said that legal action had "regrettably become necessary" as protesters refused to leave the area peacefully.
The cathedral said: "The Chapter only takes this step with the greatest reluctance and remains committed to a peaceful solution.
"At each step of the legal process the Chapter will continue to entreat the protesters to agree to a peaceful solution and, if an injunction is granted, will then be able to discuss with the protesters how to reach this solution.
"Theirs is a message that the Chapter has both heard and shares and looks forward to engaging with the protesters to identify how the message may continue to be debated at St Paul's and acted upon."
The Dean's Verger Charles Williams said he was "very pleased" to reopen the doors of the cathedral to the public.
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Huhne police seek more evidence
Prosecutors have asked police to obtain more evidence over allegations that Energy Secretary Chris Huhne dodged a speeding penalty.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said it had requested additional material after completing a "full review" of the case.
"We have now considered all the evidence submitted to us so far and have completed a full review of the case," said a CPS spokeswoman.
"We have asked Essex Police to obtain further information which they are seeking to gather. As a result, this week they were granted a production order for material held by a national newspaper.
"We await the outcome of this. We continue to work closely with the police and hope to reach a decision shortly."
Police began investigating more than five months ago after claims emerged that Mr Huhne asked his ex-wife, Vicky Pryce, to accept penalty points on his behalf.
The force delivered an initial evidence file to the CPS in July, but has since been pursuing other leads.
The speeding offence is alleged to have taken place in 2003 when the then-MEP was driving home from Stansted Airport after flying back from the European Parliament.
Liberal Democrat Mr Huhne - who left Ms Pryce for another woman last year - has denied the allegations and said he hopes the probe will "draw a line" under the furore.
At the party's conference in Birmingham last month, the Cabinet minister spoke publicly of his regret that Ms Pryce had still not forgiven him for the circumstances of their split. She hit back by releasing a statement through lawyers accusing Mr Huhne of a "serious intrusion" into her private life and that of their children.
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Depraved Tabak gets life for murder
Joanna Yeates's murderer Vincent Tabak was obsessed with images of women being strangled during sex, it can now be revealed.
The killer was jailed for life with a minimum term of 20 years after a jury took three days to find him guilty of throttling the 25-year-old.
Her family wished his life to become a "living hell" as his perversions for violent pornography and prostitutes were revealed for the first time.
Jurors were not told how videos found on his laptops had chilling parallels with the way Miss Yeates died. His pornography depicted blonde women being throttled during sex or bundled into car boots.
But despite being blocked from hearing of his depraved sex secrets, jurors at Bristol Crown Court found he was a liar who had been aroused during the attack.
Tabak, 33, showed no emotion as he was found guilty and then jailed for life after Mr Justice Field condemned him as "wicked". He had earlier pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Miss Yeates's parents David and Teresa - who were too distraught to attend court - said in a statement how they "regret that capital punishment is not a possible option".
Police leading the inquiry paid tearful tribute to the dignity shown by her family and boyfriend Greg Reardon. Detective Chief Inspector Phil Jones, who led the murder inquiry, attacked Tabak for "living lies", while Detective Inspector Joe Goff described him as being "a social inadequate".
Tabak strangled his next-door neighbour in a violent confrontation at her flat in Clifton, Bristol, on December 17 last year before spinning a web of lies and deceit to cover his tracks. She suffered 43 injuries during a desperate fight for life.
Jailing Tabak for life with a 20-year minimum term, Mr Justice Field attacked him for "a dreadful, evil act committed against a vulnerable unsuspecting young woman in her own home". He added: "That wicked act ended the life of a young woman who was entitled to expect a life of happiness and fulfilment."
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City protesters face legal action
Anti-capitalists camped outside St Paul's have been told they will face legal action to evict them as the cathedral reopened after being forced to close for a week because of the protests.
St Paul's and the City of London Corporation will seek separate High Court injunctions in a bid to clear more than 200 tents which have been outside the cathedral for almost two weeks.
The decision came as the doors of cathedral opened to worshippers after being closed since last Friday - the first time it had been shut to the public since the Second World War. St Paul's said the action had "regrettably become necessary".
Hundreds of people attended the Eucharist at 12.30pm, including some of the protesters.
Michael Welbank, who chaired the transport committee of the corporation which voted to seek injunctions, said: "Protest is an essential right in a democracy but camping on the highway is not and we believe we will have a strong highways case because an encampment on a busy thoroughfare clearly impacts the rights of others."
Stuart Fraser, chairman of policy and resources at the corporation, said: "We have no problem with a peaceable 24-hour protest by people without tents - provided the highway is fully usable - but campsites and important highways don't mix."
A spokesman for St Paul's Cathedral said that the decision to seek an injunction had been taken with "the greatest reluctance", adding: "At each step of the legal process the Chapter will continue to entreat the protesters to agree to a peaceful solution and, if an injunction is granted, will then be able to discuss with the protesters how to reach this solution."
The campsite was set up on October 15 after activists organised on Facebook and gathered in the City of London to attempt an occupation of the London Stock Exchange in imitation of anti-capitalist protests in Wall Street.
Protesters responded by saying they would oppose any legal action taken to remove the tents. Ronan McNern, a spokesman for the Occupy London Stock Exchange campsite, said the injunctions were only in the "interest of big business".
He added: "This decision will take us into a long and protracted legal battle which will cost a lot of money. We will not accept any offer to stay here without the campsite - if you take away the tents you take away the sense of community we have managed to create here."
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Sean Gallagher concedes to Higgins
Independent candidate for the Irish presidency and one-time opinion poll-topper Sean Gallagher has conceded defeat to the Labour Party's Michael D Higgins.
Businessman Mr Gallagher, a former member and fundraiser for the Fianna Fail party, has accepted the veteran politician will be the country's ninth head of state.
"In the last hour I've called Michael D Higgins to congratulate him on his performance and his success in this election," Mr Gallagher said. "He will have my full support as president and I sincerely thank him for a positive campaign. His slogan stated that he would be a president to be proud of and I believe he will be that president."
Mr Higgins, 70, a former Labour Minister, looks set to take about 40% of the vote on the first count, to be confirmed at Dublin Castle later.
Mr Gallagher appears on course to finish second but has seen his support collapse from a high of 40% in last weekend's opinion polls to closer to 30% in the vote proper.
Eamon Gilmore, the country's deputy prime minister and Labour leader, said: "This is a good day for the Labour Party. Our nominee Michael D Higgins looks pretty certain that he will be elected the ninth president of Ireland."
Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness looked set to take third place in the vote and secured a huge boost for his party by topping the poll in the Donegal North-East constituency.
Gerry Adams, his party's president, said the support would bring politics in Northern Ireland and the Republic closer. "I think what we have done is narrow the gap between politics in the north and the south," Mr Adams said.
Gay Mitchell, candidate for Government party Fine Gael in coalition with Labour, had a poor showing that left him vying with Senator David Norris, a former Trinity professor and Joycean scholar, for the fourth and fifth spots with a record seven candidates in the race.
The also-rans are Mary Davis, who headed the Irish division of Special Olympics, and Dana Rosemary Scallon, former Eurovision winner and Eurosceptic MEP.
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Women gain equal succession rights
Prince William's first child will follow him on to the throne whether it is a girl or a boy, after agreement was reached on historic constitutional changes to end gender discrimination in the rules of succession.
The 16 Commonwealth nations of which the Queen is monarch agreed unanimously to end the rule of primogeniture, under which a younger son takes precedence over older sisters in the order of succession.
The 16 "realms", including the UK, Australia and Canada, also agreed to scrap centuries-old laws which ban the spouse of a Roman Catholic from ascending to the throne.
Announcing the changes at a Commonwealth summit in Australia, Prime Minister David Cameron said the "outdated" rules were "at odds with the modern countries that we have become".
Explaining how the rules on succession will change, he said: "Put simply, if the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were to have a little girl, that girl would one day be our queen."
Reform of the succession rules, which date back to the 17th century, has long been seen as overdue in an age of greater equality between genders and faiths.
Mr Cameron said: "Attitudes have changed fundamentally over the centuries and some of the out-dated rules - like some of the rules of succession - just don't make sense to us any more.
"The idea that a younger son should become monarch instead of an elder daughter simply because he is a man, or that a future monarch can marry someone of any faith except a Catholic - this way of thinking is at odds with the modern countries that we have become."
His announcement was welcomed by the head of Roman Catholics in England and Wales, Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols, who said the reform would "eliminate a point of unjust discrimination against Catholics".
But Graham Smith, of the Republic campaign for an elected head of state, said: "The monarchy discriminates against every man, woman and child who isn't born into the Windsor family. To suggest that this has anything to do with equality is utterly absurd."
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Girl died trying to save boyfriend
The family of a teenage girl who drowned in a canal has said she died trying to save her boyfriend.
Sara Rylance, 17, and Fayz Uddin, 18, died in hospital on Wednesday night after being pulled from the water near Brasshouse Road in Smethwick, West Midlands, by emergency services.
Friends said the pair kept their relationship secret because of their different religious backgrounds.
In a short statement released through West Midlands Police, Sara's parents and sister said: "We are very proud of Sara for being so brave in risking her life to save another. She will be sadly missed by family and friends."
Police said Mr Uddin's family did not wish to comment, adding that both families had appealed to the media for privacy.
Police said both families were being supported by family liaison officers, but the investigation into the incident was "coming to a close".
Detective Sergeant Andy Robinson, from Sandwell Police, said: "This is an extremely sad and tragic accident where two young lives have been lost. There are no suspicious circumstances and our thoughts and sympathies remain with both families at this very difficult time."
Bouquets were thrown into the canal and placed at the water's edge, where friends gathered to pay tribute to the young couple. Close friend Yasmin, 17, said: "They were a couple but obviously because of the general circumstances and different backgrounds they kept it quiet."
She added: "Fayz was just the most amazing guy and Sara was the strongest and most determined girl. I had known Fayz since we were in Year 6 at school together and I can't believe he has gone. I am still in shock."
A female friend of Sara, who asked not to be named, said: "I just keep looking at the edge of the path and thinking 'What were they doing walking so close to the water? What were they thinking?' I can't believe what has happened."
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Criminals' benefits set to be hit
Benefit claimants who break the law will be stripped of up to five times as much state cash per week in fines in a clampdown ordered by David Cameron in the wake of the summer's riots.
Courts will be given the right to demand payments of £25 per week instead of the present £5 maximum to show offenders they cannot get away with paying "the bare minimum", the Prime Minister said.
Of the 1,350 people hauled before the courts for their part in the disorder that hit the streets of England in August, 40% were claiming a state benefit of some kind, official figures show.
A total of 500 (35%) were claiming an out-of-work benefit, compared with 12% of the general working population in England and 45% of all offenders sentenced for an indictable offence last year. In all, 100 were claiming disability living allowance, 60 were claiming incapacity benefit and some may have been claiming both.
The new maximum deduction will come into force in 2013 to coincide with the introduction of Universal Credit - the Government's new welfare payment system that rolls several existing benefits into one.
Courts will retain discretion over how much to demand in weekly repayments towards any fine they impose.
A £25 hit would represent around 37% of the present rate of jobseeker's allowance.
Mr Cameron, who is in Perth, Australia, for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, said: "People need to understand if they commit a crime they will face the consequences.
"The system as it stands at the moment is far too soft and does not always send the right signals. (Work and Pensions Secretary) Iain Duncan Smith and I are determined to see responsibility and fairness restored to the welfare system and this clearly does precisely that.
"If you commit a crime and you are on benefits, you can no longer expect to get away with paying the bare minimum."
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Charter passengers in plane dispute
Police were called to an aeroplane at Birmingham Airport after a "civil dispute" broke out between passengers and an airline, a force has said.
A West Midlands Police spokesman said officers boarded the aircraft to stop the situation "getting out of hand".
According to the BBC, a chartered Viking Hellas flight was scheduled to leave Manchester for Athens at 1pm on Friday, but passengers were instead taken by bus to Birmingham. After they boarded a flight due to leave at 5pm they were told to get off, but refused to do so, it was reported.
They are said to have agreed to leave at 1.30am, before getting on a bus to return to Manchester.
A police spokesman said: "It was just a civil dispute and the police were there monitoring the situation to make sure it didn't get out of hand."
He said there had been "an issue between the airline and the passengers".
Speaking from the aircraft, a passenger named Dorota told the BBC the flight had been chartered and passengers were originally due to fly last Friday.
She said: "People are hungry. They have not eaten since this morning. The air conditioning has been switched off and it is getting hot. The airline will not give us food, only water."
She later said the group left the plane because there was "no point staying on".
The passengers had received a letter from Viking Hellas and were told they would be given a refund, she added. No one from Viking Hellas or Birmingham Airport was available for comment.
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Higgins comeback wins presidency
Michael D Higgins will be Ireland's ninth president after one of the most remarkable political comebacks in the history of the state.
The Labour Party veteran, poet and campaigner, seized an unprecedented swing in support following the spectacular implosion of his biggest rival on live television.
Mr Higgins declared his triumph was built on a left-leaning campaign while his seven-year term will be marked by inclusion, ideas and transformation.
The 70-year-old's resounding victory was obvious within an hour of ballot boxes being opened in a massive voter swing just days after favourite Sean Gallagher publicly derailed during a TV debate.
"I feel a little overwhelmed," Mr Higgins said. "I'm very, very happy. It is something I prepared for, something I thought about for a long while. I am very glad as well that it is a presidency built on a campaign that emphasised ideas. I hope it will be a presidency that will enable everybody to be part of and proud of."
Mr Higgins secured the victory for Labour - the second in a day as the party edged towards a by-election win - after the other six candidates conceded defeat. He took 40% of the poll, 701,101 votes out of 1,77 million, on the first count.
Mr Gallagher, the opinion poll topper with a 15-point margin as recent as Sunday, saw his support vanish to 28% in a stunning defeat blamed on his ties to Fianna Fail, the party most associated with Ireland's economic demise. But the businessman refused to criticise. "These are campaigns and this is the nature of a campaign," the former political fund raiser said.
Mr Higgins will be inaugurated on Armistice Day, November 11, the day after current president Mary McAleese leaves office.
Runner-up Mr Gallagher would not blame the man who derailed his seemingly unassailable campaign on live TV last Monday. The businessman - a former fund raiser for the Fianna Fail party which was widely blamed for the country's economic woes - ran into a storm of controversy amid allegations he was a "bag man" soliciting and collecting donations.
Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness, who was ran third in the poll securing a tactical victory, dropped the bombshell that Mr Gallagher had requested and personally received a 5,000 euro (£4,390) cheque from a businessman with a conviction for tax fraud and fuel smuggling.
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