Suspended Police Chief Found Dead On Railway

A suspended senior police officer has been found dead on a railway track after being hit by a train.

The body of Leicestershire Police Assistant Chief Constable Gordon Fraser was discovered on a trainline on Friday in Aston Magna, Moreton-in-the-Marsh, Gloucestershire.

British Transport Police is investigating the circumstances of Mr Fraser's death, which is currently not being treated as suspicious.

Mr Fraser had been suspended by the force since December 2010 over allegations of gross misconduct and fraud, pending an investigation by Merseyside Police.

He also faced a separate allegation of perverting the course of justice, being investigated by Hertfordshire Constabulary, and was due to appear before St Albans magistrates alongside his wife Teresa, a serving officer with West Midlands Police, on Monday.

It is alleged Mrs Fraser, who has been suspended from her force pending the outcome of the probe, accepted responsibility for a speeding offence committed by her husband in Strathclyde last September.

Leicestershire Police Authority and Leicestershire Police said they were "deeply shocked and saddened" by the death of Mr Fraser.

"Our thoughts are with his family and friends," they said in a joint statement.

Mr Fraser had been offered welfare support during his suspension.

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Woman And Two Children Die In House Fire

Three people have died following a fire at a property in Maes Y Groes, Prestatyn, North Wales, police have said.

A  20-year-old woman, a boy aged four and a girl aged two were pronounced dead at the scene by firefighters.

Two other people - a 23-year-old man and a 15-month-old baby - were taken to hospital after the blaze broke out last night.

A spokeswoman for North Wales Police said: "Firefighters from North Wales Fire and Rescue Service were called to a fire at a property in Maes Y Groes, Prestatyn, at 10pm on Friday.

"Two fire crews from Rhyl and a crew from Prestatyn attended the incident and firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the property."

The crews recovered the five people inside, she added.

A joint investigation is being carried out between North Wales Fire and Rescue Service and North Wales Police.

More follows...

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Doctors Face Annual Fitness-To-Practice Test

By Thomas Moore, Health And Science Correspondent

Doctors' skills are to be checked every year to ensure they are fit to practice.

From December, every doctor will have an annual assessment, with a more comprehensive meeting to test their competence every five years.

The new rules have been brought in by the Department of Health in conjunction with the General Medical Council (GMC), which regulates the profession.

They are the biggest change to medical regulation for 150 years.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "Doctors save lives every day and making sure they are up to speed with the latest treatments and technologies will help them save even more.

"This is why a proper system of revalidation is so important."

GP Harold Shipman is believed to have murdered more than 200 patients

At present doctors may never face a formal assessment of their skills throughout their entire career.

But following the inquiry into serial killer and GP Dr Harold Shipman, medical authorities called for a new system that could flag up problems with doctors far earlier.

In one pilot study of 3,000 doctors, concerns were raised in about 1% of medics.

GMC chief executive Niall Dickson said: "The decision to press ahead with revalidation after many years of preparation and planning means that we'll be able to have a comprehensive system of regular checks for all doctors registered in the UK."

The chair of the British Medical Association, Dr Mark Porter, said patients must have confidence that doctors have up-to-date skills.

But he added: "There is too much bureaucracy in the NHS and so we have to be careful that revalidation does not add to this unnecessarily.

"We still need to ensure consistency across the UK so that all doctors are working to the same standards. And it is vital that sufficient support exists across the UK for those doctors who need it."

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Missing Ben Needham: New Search To Begin

The Belief Of Ben Needham's Mum

Updated: 5:23am UK, Friday 19 October 2012

By Mike McCarthy, North of England Correspondent

British police have travelled to Kos to search a mound of earth near where Ben Needham went missing 21 years ago.

But how does anyone live with the knowledge that their child is missing without trace? 

It's a question that I have considered many times over the past 21 years.

Over that time I have followed the story of Ben Needham who disappeared on the Greek island of Kos in 1991 and have visited the island with his mother Kerry during one of her many campaigning trips.

Of all the heartbreaking memories Kerry has shared with me over the years I found none more poignant than those of her departure from Kos after all hope of finding her son seemed lost.

The media interest had dwindled, the Greek police had (temporarily at least) seemed to have given up. 

I remember Kerry telling me that she felt crushed by the agonising thought that she was in some way abandoning Ben and leaving him behind when she finally returned to the UK.

Under such unbearable pressure she felt at times that she was drifting uncontrollably towards insanity.

The young mother and 21-month-old son had left their home city of Sheffield to start a new life in the sunshine with her parents Eddie and Christine who had settled on the island some time earlier.

The vast majority of missing children mercifully turn up safe and well.  But how do parents survive when their child does not return?

For 21 years Kerry Needham has clung to the hope that Ben is still alive.

In fact "belief" seems a more accurate word than "hope" for there is something utterly unshakeable about the faith she appears to have kept throughout the long years without Ben.

"Until someone proves that Ben is dead," she once told me, "I can't give up... for his sake."

Even after all this time there's no mistaking the pain Ben's family still endure. 

I guess it will stay with Kerry to her dying day... unless, unless... one day there might be a miracle.

Until then I feel pretty certain that the well of strength that has sustained a mother in what must have felt so many times like a living hell will keep her hopes alive.

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Obesity Surgery Seen As Quick Fix, Says Report

Bariatric surgery is too often being seen as a "quick fix" to solving obesity problems, research suggests.

A new report found that many patients undergo operations without properly assessing of the risks the procedure poses to them.

More attention should be paid to pre-surgery counselling, the authors said.

The report, conducted by the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death (Ncepod), examined the care given to 381 patients who were treated both privately and on the NHS.

The authors said that just a third of patients had received psychological counselling prior to referral for surgery.

And 24% of consent forms did not contain appropriate information.

They also found that 32% of patients did not receive adequate follow-up after surgery.

And nearly a fifth of patients had to be readmitted to hospital, with some people needing further surgery, the researchers said.

The number of bariatric weight loss procedures - such as a gastric bypass or the fitting of gastric bands or balloons - rose by 70% between 2008 and 2010, Ncepod said.

Between 2008 and 2009 there were 4,200 surgeries in England, this soared to 7,200 between 2009 and 2010.

Too many ops? Bariatric procedures rose by 70% between 2008 and 2010

"Bariatric surgery is a radical procedure with considerable risks, as well as benefits," said the report co-author and Ncepod clinical co-ordinator in surgery Ian Martin.

"It shouldn't be undertaken without providing full information and support to patients. But, when we reviewed cases we found examples of inadequate processes from start to finish - even the basics, such as giving patients dietary advice and education before decisions to operate are taken, were sometimes lacking."

Mr Martin also raised concerns about poor consent procedures and lack of psychological counselling prior to treatment, adding: "Consent often happens on the day the patient is admitted for surgery."

The report authors said there should be a greater emphasis on psychological assessment before surgery.

They also said there should be a two-stage consent process - so patients have time to weigh up the benefits and the risks.

But separate research published today states that if obese patients undergo bariatric surgery they can quickly reduce risk factors for heart disease and stroke.

The research, published in the journal Heart, says the impact of such surgery is greater and faster than drug treatments for weight management or diabetes and in some cases, could be life-saving.

President of the Royal College of Surgeons, Professor Norman Williams, said: "Bariatric surgery is not a quick fix. It has been proven to be an incredibly successful and cost-effective treatment for morbid obesity and the many serious conditions associated with it."

Robert Houtman, director of the Obesity Management Association, added: "Bariatric surgery does have a role to play in obesity management, but we should explore every other option before we resort to surgery.

"Obesity is a complex condition and, without accompanying behavioural and emotional support, the weight can pile back on and patients require further treatment. This is draining public funds, which are already reaching breaking point."

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Doctors Separate Twins In Four-Hour Operation

By Thomas Moore, Health And Science Correspondent

Surgeons have successfully separated conjoined twins just a day after they were born.

The British girls were joined at the abdomen and shared part of their intestines.

In a four-hour operation a team of 20 doctors and nurses at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London were able to separate the twins without complications.

Rosie and Ruby Formosa are now doing well and are smiling "bubbly babies", according to their mum Angela.

Mrs Formosa, from Bexleyheath, Kent, said: "Between 16 and 20 weeks we found out that they were joined. I didn't know what to think. I was shocked and I felt sad.

"We didn't know what to expect until they were born. The doctors could not tell where they were connected."

The girls were born in July,  six weeks prematurely.

Surgeons would normally wait until twins are several months old before attempting to separate them. But the structural abnormality had caused a blockage in their intestine, which required emergency surgery.

Angela and Daniel Formosa with twins Rosie (l) and Ruby (r)

Professor Agostino Pierro, who led the team, told Sky News: "The twins were very small because they were so young. But they are doing very well."

He added: "The babies will need further treatment in the future. but we expect that they will both be able to lead happy and normal lives."

Mrs Formosa said she was relieved to have the girls back home.

"They are really well. They are putting on weight," she said.

"They are normal bubbly babies who are starting to smile and cry when they want something."

Great Ormond Street Hospital is one of the world's most experienced centres for separating conjoined twins.

Mrs Formosa said: "When I was pregnant they were saying that the survival chances were quite low.

"For them to have been operated on and doing so well, it is amazing."

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Man Charged Over Syria Kidnappings

A 26-year-old man has been charged with the kidnapping of a British photographer who was held hostage in Syria, Scotland Yard has said.

Shajul Islam is accused of keeping John Cantlie, who worked for various newspapers including the Sunday Times, and Dutch journalist Jeroen Oerlemans captive for around a week.

Islam, who was arrested last week after arriving at Heathrow airport on a flight from Egypt, will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court later.

A 26-year-old woman who was detained with him has been released without charge.

The pair were arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism on October 9.

Anti-terror legislation gives police up to a week to question suspects without charge.

The charge alleges that Islam, with others, unlawfully and injuriously imprisoned John Cantlie and Jeroen Oerlemans against their will, between July 17 and 26.

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Benefits: Changes 'To Hit Disabled People'

Up to half a million disabled people and their families could be worse off under the new system of Universal Credit once it is fully implemented, according to a report.

It suggested some people might even be forced out of their homes as a result of the changes.

An inquiry headed by former wheelchair athlete Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson said several "key" groups would lose out under the Universal Credit, which will start to replace much of the benefits and tax credits system from next year.

The study used research showing that once the changes are fully in place, 100,000 disabled children stand to lose up to £28 a week, 230,000 severely disabled people who do not have another adult to help them could receive between £28 and £58 a week less, and up to 116,000 disabled people who work could be at risk of losing around £40 a week.

The report said the impact of the cuts in support for disabled children could be "extremely severe" for families currently receiving the mid-rate "care component" of the Disability Living Allowance (DLA), a payment made where a child can be severely disabled but does not need care overnight.

Of those families affected, one in 10 expressed fears that they could no longer afford their own home, while two thirds said they would have to cut back on food, and more than a half said it would lead them into debt.

The report was led by Paralympic legend Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson

In some of the most severe cases, some families said the changes to support for disabled children could result in their children having to be placed in full-time residential care.

The report said 83% of those eligible for the severe disability premium (SDP), which will be abolished under the changes, reported that a reduction in benefit levels would mean they would have to cut back on food and 80% said they would have to cut the amount they spent on heating.

The changes start to come into force from October next year and current benefit claimants who move on to Universal Credit will not see an immediate reduction in their payments.

But they will have their level of benefit frozen, with no increases to take into account rising prices, campaigners said, and they may see their support cut immediately if their household circumstances change.

The report, Holes in the Safety Net: the impact of universal credit on disabled people and their families, had the backing of The Children's Society, Citizens Advice and Disability Rights UK and drew on research from these bodies.

Lady Grey-Thompson, who shares the title of Great Britain's most successful female Paralympian with cyclist Sarah Storey, said the findings of the report did not make "easy reading".

"The clear message is that many households with disabled people are already struggling to keep their heads above water," she said.

"Reducing support for families with disabled children, disabled people who are living alone, families with young carers and disabled people in work, risk driving many over the edge in future."

A spokeswoman for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said savings from abolishing the adult disability premiums and changes in the child rate would be "recycled" into higher payments for more severely disabled people.

She said the report was "highly selective and could result in irresponsible scaremongering", adding that Universal Credit would provide greater incentives for people - including disabled people - to try out work, and would reduce the financial and administrative barriers to work that exist in the current system.

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Jimmy Savile: Labour Demands New Abuse Probe

Labour has called for the Government to set up an independent inquiry into the Jimmy Savile sex abuse scandal to "do right by the victims".

On Monday, Culture Secretary Maria Miller dismissed demands for an independent inquiry, saying she was "confident" BBC chiefs were taking the claims "very seriously".

But Labour leader Ed Miliband said the BBC's internal investigations were not enough.

Speaking to ITV1's The Agenda, he said: "These are horrific allegations. In order to do right by the victims I don't think the BBC can lead their own inquiry.

"We need a broad look at all the public institutions involved - the BBC, parts of the NHS and Broadmoor. This has got to be independent."

The abuse is thought to have spanned six decades

Labour wants an independent inquiry to have the power to demand documentation and witnesses. It should look into Savile's activities at the BBC, Stoke Mandeville hospital and Broadmoor, the party said.

"I think we now have enough set of allegations and further allegations to know this is not some isolated set of incidents," Mr Miliband said.

"This seems to be a pattern of activity which spanned a number of institutions. As I say, I just think about the victims in this. This is absolutely horrific and will scar people for life. And I think for them, the BBC - good institution though it is - I don't think they can lead their own inquiry."

Prior to Labour's demand, Ms Miller told the Commons that the allegations had "wide-ranging implications for a number of public institutions" but rejected calls for an outside inquiry to restore the public's faith, warning it could hamper police investigations.

"In terms of a wider inquiry, we have a police investigation on-going at the moment," she said. "Everybody would agree that it is really important that those individuals who have been victims know that that investigation can go on unfettered and that that should be our priority at this stage."

New BBC boss George Entwistle has announced three internal investigations

She cited the three seperate internal investigations already launched by the BBC into the affair.

Commons culture committee chairman John Whittingdale said BBC director-general George Entwistle had offered to appear before the committee next week and said he was "sure" MPs would take him up on the offer.

Leeds North East MP Fabian Hamilton said his constituents, who turned out in their thousands to pay tribute to the broadcaster when he died, felt "betrayed and angry".

Police believe the DJ and television presenter's alleged catalogue of child sex abuse could have spanned six decades and included around 60 victims.

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Breast Cancer Cases In Older Women To Quadruple

The number of women aged 65 or over living with breast cancer is set to rise to more than 1.2 million by 2040.

New research from King's College London claims today's figure of 340,000 will quadruple in the next 30 years.

At present, 59% of all breast cancer survivors are over the age of 65 but the research, funded by Macmillan Cancer Support, suggests that this figure will increase to 73% by 2040.

The data, published in the British Journal of Cancer, also suggests that by 2040 breast cancer will account for more than half of all cancer cases in women in the UK.

Ciaran Devane, chief executive of Macmillan Cancer Support, said: "The NHS needs to take heed of these figures.

"It is already struggling to provide adequate care for older breast cancer patients.

"We need to change the way we care for older breast cancer patients now - so that we are prepared for such a dramatic increase in numbers."

Dr Rachel Greig, senior policy officer at Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said: "It is startling to think that we could have a million older women living with breast cancer within a generation.

"It shows that we have a rapidly ageing population - but also that we are getting much better at treating women with breast cancer.

"However, increasingly we should think less about the age of patients, and more about their individual need."

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