Savile Abuse Scandal: Helpline Calls Soar

The number of calls to a charity helpline reporting serious sex abuse of children has almost doubled following the Jimmy Savile scandal.

In June and July this year, the NSPCC received 594 calls to its 24-hour helpline that were referred to police and social services, compared with 323 in the same period last year.

John Cameron, head of the helpline, said people now seem more confident in speaking out about abuse following media coverage of Savile's posthumous unmasking as one of the UK's worst sex offenders.

More than 200 offences have been recorded against the disgraced TV presenter, who died in October 2011. Most involved children, including youngsters as young as eight.

"The number of calls we took this summer was significantly higher than last year," said Mr Cameron.

"Eight months on, we can confidently say that the Savile scandal is changing the way in which people react to abuse.

"There appears to be a clear shift and the public now seem better equipped and more confident to report their concerns.

The NSPCC received 594 calls to its helpline in June and July this year

"It's very encouraging to see that adults, including those who don't have direct responsibility for children, take action if they think a child is at risk.

"The Savile scandal has shocked the nation but has also increased public awareness of how difficult it is for children to speak out and how crucial it is for adults to report any suspicions or concerns they have straight away."

Savile was unveiled as one of Britain's most prolific sexual predators after detectives launched a national investigation into abuse claims at the end of last year.

The scandal sparked a huge police operation which has seen a number of high-profile arrests.

:: Anyone concerned about the safety of a child can contact the NSPCC by clicking here.

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Charles Bronson Supporters Want Him Freed

By Martin Brunt, Crime Correspondent

Supporters of notorious prisoner Charles Bronson will today urge the Prime Minister to help free him after nearly 40 years in jail.

They are to hand in to 10 Downing Street a petition of 10,000 signatures calling for parole for the man known as Britain's most violent prisoner.

Friend Lorraine Etherington said: "I would love for No 10 and the politicians in positions of power to look over his case, to be big enough to look beyond the name and reputation that precedes Charlie.

"We feel he's served enough time. There are murderers who've got out after serving less time than Charlie. He hasn't killed or raped anyone."

Ms Etherington, secretary of the Charlie Bronson Appeal Fund, said Bronson had behaved well in jail in recent years and had completed a violence reduction course with help from a psychologist.

Bronson, 61, was jailed for seven years for armed robbery in 1974, but has spent almost all the time since in prison after a series of violent episodes, including hostage-taking, assault and damage.

Branson is currently held in the isolation unit at Wakefield jail

He was jailed for life in 1999 after taking hostage prison art teacher Phil Danielson and holding him for two days. He was ordered to serve a minimum of four years, but has regularly been refused parole.

The 2009 critically-acclaimed film Bronson made a star of the actor Tom Hardy, but did little for the violent reputation of its subject, or his chances of early release.

Ms Etherington said: "The flip side of the film was that it showed Charlie only up to the year he got the life sentence, not the reformed man he is today."

The petition includes a hand-written plea to David Cameron, in which Bronson asks to be allowed to "live what's left of my life and not be buried in the prison system".

He also highlights his artistic side with references to the drawings which sell for hundreds of pounds.

Bronson is currently held in the isolation unit at Wakefield jail in a cell known as the Hannibal cage.

Whenever he leaves the cell he is accompanied by four prison officers. It used to be five officers and that, say his supporters, is a sign of the progress he is making

The movie Branson, starring Tom Hardy, was released in 2009

Tanya Bassett, of the National Association of Probation Officers, said a petition to the Prime Minister had little chance of greeting Bronson freed early.

She said: "It's highly unlikely he or the Justice Secretary would intervene. There is a thorough, in-depth process for the release of prisoners and decisions are made by the Parole Board."

She said Bronson could eventually be released if he showed remorse for his crimes and completed various pre-release programmes to show he was no longer a risk to others.

Bronson supporters are current planning to launch a fourth appeal against his life sentence. If that fails they will put his case for release to the European Court of Human Rights.

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Thousands Of Pupils Hurt On Roads Near Schools

More than 1,000 children a month are being injured on roads near schools in Britain, according to new figures.

There were 85,814 child casualties on roads in a 500-metre radius around UK schools between 2006 and 2011, the equivalent of 1,190 a month, statistics from Axa Car Insurance and research body Road Safety Analysis showed.

Some 20% of schools reported no child casualties during the period.

The figures also showed there were 557,200 vehicle collisions around schools during the six-year period, the equivalent of six collisions per school per year on average.

These collisions included any incident reported to police involving any vehicle on a local road. Some did not result in injuries.

The top area for collisions was London, which accounted for 13% of total child casualties and 22% of collisions.

Looking at cities with more than 100 schools, excluding London, Liverpool had the highest number of road injuries (deaths, serious injuries and slight injuries) around schools, followed by Nottingham, Manchester, Birmingham and Leicester.

Again excluding London, the city with the most serious incidents (deaths and serious injuries) was Nottingham, followed by Liverpool, Birmingham, Sheffield and Manchester.

Top area for collisions was London, accounting for 13% of child casualties

Taking all collisions, including non-injury ones, into account, the school area with the most collisions was Nottingham, followed by Manchester, Liverpool and Leicester.

The area with the most child injuries was Manchester, followed by Liverpool, Bradford and Oldham.

Among the lowest child casualty areas were Swansea and Cardiff.

Axa and Road Safety Analysis have now launched a local road safety index, showing which areas have the best safety records.

The figures include collisions during school holidays, and the child casualty numbers do not necessarily refer to pupils at that particular school.

Road Safety Analysis director Dan Campsall said: "Translating this wealth of data into something that is meaningful for parents, teachers and community leaders has its challenges.

"However, it is important that these groups are able to understand the immediate road risks around their local schools if they are going to work effectively to secure safer communities for children in the future.

"The data can be used to support changes in local road safety education as well as the road environment, therefore helping to further safeguard pupils across the country."

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'Low-Tech' Police Force Losing Crime Fight

Crime in London is higher because police technology is "out-of-date, ineffective and expensive to maintain", a report has claimed.

Members of the London Assembly said officers "take a step back in time" when they go to work and that Scotland Yard faces "a huge challenge" in updating its technology while facing budget cuts.

The report by the budget and performance committee said: "The Met spends a lot of money on ICT, but most of it goes on maintaining old systems, rather than investing in new technology.

"Consequently, police officers lack the technology to do their jobs as productively and effectively as they could. Crime is higher as a result."

However, the committee found that the Met, which is due to implement a new ICT strategy later in the year, understands the scale of the challenge it faces.

The helicopter team's popular Twitter account @MPSinthesky was also praised as a good example of what can be achieved with social media.

Chairman of the budget and performance committee John Biggs said in his foreword to the report: "Tablet and smartphone technology is commonly available and relatively cheap. Yet a police officer has to radio back to base to find out simple background information about, for example, previous crime reports or information about particular suspects.

"It seems incredible that officers have this modern technology at home yet when they arrive at work they take a step back in time."

The report suggested that the force looks at using crime mapping techniques - where historic data and factors such as the weather are used to predict where crimes are likely to occur - that have successfully been trialled in Los Angeles.

Mr Biggs said: "The Met has been paying over the odds for technology for years - spending much of which has gone on maintaining a collection of out-dated and increasingly inefficient systems put together over the last 40 years. This has got to change.

"Every other person has a smartphone in their pocket and yet the Met are only just starting to look at rolling out similar tools. They should also be working on predictive crime mapping, like that used in Los Angeles, to get officers in the right place at the right time to deter criminals and reassure the public.

"At the end of the day, this kind of investment costs money and with plans to cut spending by 20% over the next three years, the mayor's office for policing and crime  urgently needs to determine what resources will be available to the Met to improve its technology.

"The force simply cannot afford to get this wrong again."

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Shetland Helicopter's Black Box Located

By James Matthews, Scotland Correspondent

Salvage experts believe they know the location of the black box flight recorder from the Super Puma helicopter which crashed off Shetland.

Current sea conditions, however, are too rough for a close inspection of the seabed.

The black box should contain vital information as to why the helicopter suffered a catastrophic loss of power.  Without it, crash investigators have been frustrated in their efforts to pinpoint a cause.

Important sections of the aircraft have, however, been found. They include both engines, the gearbox and the rotor head of the Super Puma.

Several important sections of the helicopter have already been recovered

John Henderson, of Shetland marine engineering firm Ocean Kinetics, told Sky News: "Ocean Kinetics have successfully located, lifted and passed the gearbox and rotor head of the helicopter. 

"We have also located both engines and parts of the cockpit, which will likely be recovered on Thursday.

"We are still searching for the flight recorder which we believe is located at the Point of Garths Ness. There is a heavy swell running, hampering diving operations."

Representatives from across the North Sea oil and gas industry will meet on Thursday for the second time in two days to decide whether or not to lift a flying ban on Super Puma helicopters.

A meeting broke up without agreement on Wednesday after some companies argued that Super Puma models, other than the L2 which crashed off Shetland, should be allowed to resume flights.

The Unite union has made it clear that it wants flights of all Super Pumas suspended until the cause of the tragedy is known.

Flights by all the Super PUmas like that in the crash have been suspended

Contingency plans have been drawn up to maintain North Sea operations in the absence of the Super Pumas, which account for more than 50% of all flights to and from North Sea platforms. Oil and gas companies are sharing transport and sourcing other aircraft from around the world.

Some have also commissioned boats to ferry workers to and from rigs, although sea transport does not offer an attractive alternative.

Journeys can take upwards of 12 hours and transferring staff from boat to platform typically involves a "basket transfer", in which three or four people at a time are strapped inside a capsule and lifted by crane onto the rig.  It is not a pleasant adventure in flat calm conditions; in a rough sea it can be impossible.

The RMT union held a rally at their Aberdeen office calling for improved safety. General Secretary Bob Crow told Sky News that lessons must be learned.

He said: "One thing's for sure, our members shouldn't pay the ultimate price of losing their life as a result of going to work."

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Serco: Police To Probe Prison Firm Over 'Fraud'

Security firm Serco faces a police fraud investigation over its £285m prison escorting contract.

Serco staff allegedly recorded prisoners as having been delivered ready for court - a key performance measure - when in fact they were not, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said.

The contract, which covers prison transfer services in London and East Anglia, has been put under administrative supervision with immediate effect.

Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said: "It's become very clear there has been a culture within parts of Serco that has been totally unacceptable, and actions which need to be investigated by the police.

"We have not seen evidence of systemic malpractice up to board level, but we have been clear with the company - unless it undertakes a rapid process of major change, and becomes completely open with Government about the work it is doing for us, then it will not win public contracts in future.

"The taxpayer must know that their money is being properly used."

Both the MoJ and Serco's directors have asked City of London police to investigate the actions of the staff working on the prison escorting contract. 

Evidence of potentially fraudulent behaviour emerged as part of the audit work announced by Mr Grayling in July.

The audit work came in the wake of an electronic tagging scandal, in which G4S and Serco were both accused of overcharging the Government for monitoring offenders.

In light of the new findings, Serco have agreed to repay all past profits made on the prison escorting contract and to forgo any future profits.

The FTSE 100 giant has told the MoJ that no member of the board had knowledge of the allegedly fraudulent practice.

Chris Hyman, chief executive of Serco Group, said: "The Justice Secretary is right to expect the highest standards of performance from Serco.

"I am deeply saddened and appalled at the misreporting of data by a small number of employees on the contract.

"This is a very serious matter for the customer and for us. We will not tolerate any wrongdoing and that is why we have referred this matter to the police."

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Jamie Oliver Says British Workers 'Whinge'

The television chef, Jamie Oliver, has said that if his restaurants had to rely on British staff rather than European immigrants they would close.

Oliver said that immigrants were "stronger" and "tougher" than their British counterparts who tended to "whinge" about too long hours.

He said that he had mothers telephoning him to say that their sons were "too tired".

His controversial comments come just 24 hours after he sparked anger by saying that families trapped in "modern-day poverty" forked out on giant televisions instead of healthy food.

In his latest comments, the 38-year-old told Good Housekeeping magazine: "The average working hours in a week was 80 to 100. That was really normal in my 20s. But the EU regulation now is 48 hours, which is half a week's work for me. And they still whinge about it!

Oliver says he used to work a 100-hour week in his 20s

"British kids particularly, I have never seen anything so wet behind the ears!

"I have mummies phoning up for 23-year-olds saying to me, 'My son is too tired'. On a 48-hour-week! Are you having a laugh?"

He told the magazine: "I think our European immigrant friends are much stronger, much tougher.

"If we didn't have any, all of my restaurants would close tomorrow. There wouldn't be any Brits to replace them."

Oliver, whose restaurants include Fifteen, which helps the young unemployed, and more than 30 UK branches of Jamie's Italian, said: "It's all very well when people are slagging off immigration and I'm sure there are problems.

"Older people always complain about youth and I think it's a good thing because it is always changing. The young will be better at different things. But long hours in hot kitchens is not one of them!"

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Computer Games And TV Make Children Depressed

By Nick Martin, News Correspondent

Children who spend too much time watching television or playing computer games could be at a higher risk of anxiety and depression, a major report has claimed.

A link between time spent in front of screens and lower levels of wellbeing amongst children is a major cause for concern, according to a study by Public Health England.

Higher levels of TV viewing are contributing to lower self-worth, lower self-esteem and lower levels of self-reported happiness.

The briefing paper is released as a new Change4Life campaign encourages families to use the back to school period to adopt healthier behaviours - one of which is reducing children's screen time.

Children who spend more time on computers and playing video games tend to experience higher levels of emotional distress, anxiety and depression, said Professor Kevin Fenton, Public Health England's Director of Health and Wellbeing.

"There are many complex factors that affect a child's wellbeing such as the wider environment they live in and their social, financial and family circumstances, but there are also some very simple things we can all do every day with our children to help improve their health and wellbeing.

"Our goal is to encourage families across England to sign up to Change4Life to make a healthy change to their new term-time routines, which will hopefully then become part of their everyday lives."

Children who do more physical activity do better at school

The study reveals that children doing more physical activity are more likely to concentrate better in school, enjoy good relationships with classmates, and display lower levels of worry, anxiety and depression.

But some parents were sceptical about the report findings.

Jemma Murphy, a mother of two from Handforth, Cheshire, said she allows her children, Casper, aged four and Summer, three, to watch some television whilst encouraging other activities in the home and outside.

"My children don't watch television hour after hour but they do watch it sometimes because it's often the only time I can get things done around the house," she told Sky News.

"But we also have craft days and go to the park or for walks to get them out of the house. It's a balance."

Lil Caprani, Director of Communications, Policy and Campaigns, The Children's Society said: "When we asked children about their wellbeing as part of our Good Childhood Report, we found a strong association with being active and being happy.

"Things like cycling, swimming or playing football all had a clear relationship, but simple things like just going for walks were associated with higher wellbeing."

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Ovarian Cancer: Hopes Over UK Screening

Cancer charities are hoping that a new screening programme for ovarian cancer to save thousands of lives a year may be rolled out across the UK.

Known as the silent killer, ovarian cancer is responsible for the deaths of 4,500 women a year and is notoriously difficult to detect in the early stages when it is most responsive to treatment.

There is currently no national screening programme in the UK because the current blood test that is used often produces false results.

However, scientist in America say they have tweaked the tests to detect the cancer more accurately.

The trial at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centre in Houston showed it is possible to identify ovarian tumours correctly through a screening strategy of blood tests and ultrasound examinations.

Karen Lu, who is leading the research team, said:  "The results from our study are not practice-changing at this time; however, our findings suggest that using a longitudinal (or change over time) screening strategy may be beneficial in post-menopausal women with an average risk of developing ovarian cancer.

"We are currently waiting for the results of a larger, randomised study currently being conducted in the United Kingdom that uses the same Risk of Ovarian Cancer Algorithm in a similar population of women.

"If the results of this study are also positive, then this will result in a change in practice."

Annie Mulholland, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in March 2011, told Sky News: "I had no symptoms of cancer but I felt unwell and went to doctors to find out why I was feeling a bit tired ... that was my fortune."

"Because there is no screening at the moment which is reliable the doctors have to wait until a woman presents."

She said the roll-out of a screening strategy like the one highlighted in the report would be "wonderful" news for thousands of women.

"If every singe woman over a certain age, perhaps 50 or over, would be screened routinely it would raise awareness of this particular cancer and it would also allow doctors to find out whether the woman is growing the cancer well before it's too late to cure."

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Ex-Army Officer With Royals Link Killed In Kenya

A retired British Army officer who ran a game reserve where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were guests has been killed in a botched robbery at his home in Kenya.

Lieutenant Colonel David Parkinson, 58, and his wife Sonja were attacked after a gang of five robbers, armed with machetes and a gun, broke into their house in the Lolldaiga Hills, a wildlife ranch, in the early hours of Sunday.

During the confrontation, Lt Col Parkinson's hand was cut off and he was fatally wounded, police said.

Local police chief Marius Tum said the intruders entered the couple's bedroom by breaking a glass door using a large stone.

They ordered the couple to hand over money and guns.

"One of the gang members was armed with a pistol, another with a machete while the rest had crude weapons. While one of them was terrorising Mr Parkinson the others tied his wife's hands with ropes," Mr Tum said.

However, Mrs Parkinson who had sustained a cut on her back managed to untie herself and escaped to a strong room where she hid herself until the robbers fled.

On returning to the main house she found the body of her husband on the floor, police said.

William proposed to Kate at Lt Col Parkinson's game reserve

Mr Tum said a post-mortem examination would be carried out to determine the cause of Lt Col Parkinson's death.

On Sunday afternoon, a suspect from a nearby village was arrested after police mounted a major manhunt using sniffer dogs.

Lt Col Parkinson, who had a distinguished career in the Army for 30 years, worked as the manager of the Lolldaiga ranch in Laikipia East district since 2008.

Before that he was a director of Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya where Prince William spent his gap year helping with various conservation projects before taking up his place at St Andrews University.

It is also where Prince William proposed to Kate Middleton in 2010.

The Foreign Office confirmed the death of Lt Col Parkinson.

"We are aware of his death and we stand ready to provide consular assistance to his family at this sad time," a spokesman said.

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NHS Managers Pocket £1.4bn In Exit Packages

NHS chiefs have squandered £1.4bn on axing staff as part of David Cameron's shake-up of the health service, Labour have claimed.

Latest Department of Health figures show that over the past three years more than 32,000 NHS managers received "exit packages".

Of these, 330 people received pay-offs totalling more than £200,000, while just under 2,000 pocketed between £100,000 and £200,000.

The figures come in the same week that NHS workforce statistics show the number of nursing jobs lost since the election in 2010 has topped 5,000.

Labour claims the shortage of nurses is fuelling a waiting time crisis at A&E units and and leaving one in 10 hospitals without enough staff.

Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham said: "The true cost of David Cameron's NHS re-organisation is slowly revealing itself and it is enough to make people weep.

"At a time when the NHS needs every penny it can get, we have a Prime Minister handing out gold-plated, six-figure pay-offs to hundreds of managers and P45s to thousands of nurses. It stinks and begins to explain why, on Cameron's watch, A&E is in crisis and waiting lists have hit a five-year high.

"There could be no clearer illustration of a Prime Minister with his priorities seriously wrong. He has lined the pockets of management consultants and left one in 10 hospitals without enough staff on the wards.

"Billions have been siphoned out of the NHS front-line to pay for an unnecessary re-organisation no-one voted for and David Cameron personally promised would not happen.

"We are only in this position because Cameron was too weak to stand up to his old boss Andrew Lansley and allowed him to proceed with his vanity re-organisation.

"It is time for the Government to own up to the real cost of its disastrous NHS re-organisation. These payments show that official figures are under-estimating the true price-tag.

"People who are now waiting longer for operations, or seeing treatments denied, have a right to know about how this Government has chosen to spend scarce NHS resources."

A Department for Health spokesperson said: "Last year we started changes that put doctors and nurses in the driving seat as they are best placed to take decisions about care for their patients.

"The changes made as a result of the reforms mean a huge net gain for the taxpayer. They will save £5.5bn during this Parliament and £1.5bn every year thereafter, to be reinvested back into patient care."

Meanwhile, the Royal College of Midwives has claimed expectant mothers are being turned away from maternity wards because of severe staff shortages, which could last a decade.

It said a baby boom is putting strain on the system - the number of new births jumped by 7,000 between 2010 and 2012.

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Woman Shot Dead On Birthday: Hunt For Killer

Police are hunting the killer of a woman who was gunned down while out celebrating her 24th birthday with friends.

Sabrina Moss, of Neasden, north-west London, died in hospital after being involved in a double shooting.

Another 24-year-old woman is in hospital. Her injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

The pair are believed to have been caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, according to detectives.

Officers had been called at 4.12am on Saturday to reports of shots being fired in the street in Kilburn High Road, at the junction with Messina Avenue.

Police investigate the double shooting in the capital

Both women were taken to hospitals and Ms Moss was pronounced dead later. A post-mortem examination will be arranged in due course.

Ms Moss, thought to be the mother of one son, was attacked outside Woody Grill.

She was talking to other people when two black males approached, opened fire and then ran off.

The other woman who was shot remains in hospital and her injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

Officers were called to the scene after reports of gunshots

Tributes to Ms Moss have been left on the social networking site Twitter.

Adjei Adu wrote: "My heart goes out to her family and the lil one she's left behind, sleep well Sabrina Moss."

Leila Hassan tweeted: "My Thoughts Are With Your Family... A Beautiful Young Woman, Mother and Daughter!"

Another tweet read: "Lost the cousin I was close with when I was a child.. R.I.P Sabrina Moss."

A murder inquiry has been launched by detectives from the Homicide and Major Crime Command and police are appealing for witnesses to the double shooting.

The other woman's injuries are not thought to be life-threatening

Detective Chief Inspector John Sandlin of the Metropolitan Police said: "Enquiries continue to establish the full circumstances of this tragic incident.

"At this early stage, I believe the two women were innocent parties who were caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"I am appealing for anyone who witnessed the shooting, or who saw anything suspicion in the Kilburn area early this morning, to call police.

"In particular, I need to hear from anyone who saw two males who came into the High Road from Messina Avenue and, after the shooting, made off on foot back along Messina Avenue."

One man has been arrested in connection with the investigation.

Anyone with information that may assist the inquiry should call the incident room at Hendon on 020 8358 0300 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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