Ondine's Curse: Girl With Ventilator Can Go Home

By Stephen Douglas, Sky News Reporter

A toddler is preparing to go home for the first time in her life after spending almost three years at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Maisie Harris suffers from a rare condition called Ondine's Curse, which means her brain does not tell her body to breathe, so she needs a ventilator to do it for her.

Now, thanks to a smaller, more portable ventilator, Maisie will be able to leave hospital and head home to Gillingham in Kent.

The new ventilator is intelligent enough to know when she is able to take her own breaths and when she is likely to have an episode and require ventilation.

Her mother Rachel Bridger told Sky News: "It's exciting, I'm nervous. It's all new going home. It'll be good to just be a normal family. You don't feel normal being in hospital so long.

"The last three years have been up and down, good and bad. You give up sometimes. I thought it might be the end of the road but she pulled through which is great news. I'm looking forward to taking her to the park and to her nan's.

"The new ventilator is the best thing she's ever had."

Maisie will leave hospital soon

Maisie, who turns three on October 23, has been at London's Great Ormond Street so long that staff held a going-home party. Maisie will leave the hospital with her family on Monday.

Ward manager Kate Harkus said: "It means a lot to the staff that she's going home. We feel very proud. We've nursed her through rocky times.

"There are very few machines in the world that will be able to support her at home. Technology is advancing so much that more companies are coming out with these ventilators that you can manage at home."

Maisie's parents have mostly been living in hospital accommodation ever since she was transferred to Great Ormond Street from Medway Maritime Hospital when she was three months old.

Her father Andrew Harris told Sky News: "It's been difficult. She was in intensive care going backwards and forwards. Now she's ready to go home it all been worth it.

"'I'm looking forward to seeing her go to school and growing up. We didn't think she'd get to this stage."

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Help To Buy: Doubts Over Success Of Scheme

By Poppy Trowbridge, Business and Economics Correspondent

The second phase of the government mortgage guarantee scheme, Help to Buy, is due to launch next week, three months earlier than expected - but experts are sceptical the initiative will help buyers.

Lack of capacity in the housing market and claims by banks which say they are not ready because they haven't received essential information from the Government - threaten to leave many would-be buyers empty handed.

Exclusive research by Sky News shows interest from potential buyers has sky rocketed since the Government surprised the market.

Property website Rightmove says clicks on its Help to Buy pages numbered 14,807 on Saturday, the day before last Sunday's surprise announcement.

When David Cameron revealed, on the eve of the Conservative party conference, that the launch date had been brought forward from January - clicks, measuring potential buyer interest, spiked to 59,571.

Now, almost a week later, they remain far above average at 23,660.

But there is concern that pent-up demand, cannot be met by existing market services.

Sky News has learned that the two taxpayer backed banks, Lloyds Banking Group and RBS, are not able to guarantee a launch date. Sky News understands both are waiting for further details from the Government.

Barclays has issued a statement saying it too is undecided.

"Whilst we cannot take a decision over participation in the new scheme before the terms are set, we are encouraged by the tone of the discussions so far," the bank said.

Estate agents are also worried that capacity to deal with a surge in interest is lacking.

Robert Ellice, of Clarke Hillyer, told Sky News: "At the moment we've got big delays in the whole process anyway, mortgages are still taking a long time to be offered, and taking a long time to be verified on values."

Does that mean hopeful homebuyers will have to wait for Westminster to work out the finer details before others can catch up?

Mortgage manager Ray Boulger said: "The first details of mortgage rates under this scheme we are expecting on Tuesday from Halifax, but they are likely to be the only lender offering these mortgages for probably some weeks.

"From a buyer's perspective the good news is there will be 95% mortgages available from the biggest lender in the country, the bad news is there will be no competition."

He added: "But it is a start, you have got to start somewhere."

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Child Rapists And Terrorists Face More Jail Time

Child rapists and terrorists will no longer be automatically released half way through their prison sentence.

Criminals who receive an Extended Determinate Sentence (EDS) - sentences where the offender receives a custodial sentence plus a further extended period of licence - will no longer be released automatically two-thirds of the way into their custodial sentence.

Under the proposals unveiled by the Justice Secretary, these criminals will only be released before the end of their custodial term under strict conditions at the discretion of the independent Parole Board.

Primary legislation, which will be brought forward in the new year, is required for the new changes, which are expected to affect around 600 criminals a year.

Chris Grayling said: "It's outrageous that offenders who commit some truly horrific crimes in this country are automatically released from prison halfway through their custodial sentence, regardless of their behaviour, attitude and engagement in their own rehabilitation.

"We need to teach criminals a lesson; you will be punished for your crime and you must earn your release, it is not an automatic right."

Before the Parole Board releases any criminal they must be convinced they no longer pose a threat to society and that they have engaged with, and continue to engage with, their own rehabilitation.

Unless they address their offending behaviour criminals can expect to serve their entire custodial term in prison.

Changes to automatic half-way release will apply to criminals who receive a determinate sentence for selected offences against children under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, including rape of a child.

They will also apply to a range of terrorism offences including possession of an article for terrorist purposes, inciting terrorism overseas and preparation of terrorist acts.

Last week, Mr Grayling said he was scrapping simple cautions, which do not involve any form of punishment, for serious crimes such as rape, manslaughter and robbery.

Police will no longer use them for sexual offences against children such as child prostitution or pornography, possession of an offensive weapon or supplying class-A drugs, he said.

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Madeleine McCann: Police Probe Phone Records

By Ian Woods, Senior Correspondent

Scotland Yard detectives investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann in 2007 are analysing the mobile phone details of everyone who was in the Portuguese holiday resort from where she disappeared.

They are set to reveal new information about the hunt for the missing girl in a televised appeal in 10 days.

There are around three dozen British police officers working on what has been designated Operation Grange, but the officers leading the investigation say there has been increasing cooperation with the authorities in Portugal. 

Six Portuguese police officers based in Faro have been appointed to liaise with officers in London. 

The Metropolitan Police stress that they are "professional and committed" and were not involved in the original investigation, which remains closed.    

Assistant Commissioners Mark Rowley and Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood are also sending formal International Letters Of Request to 30 other countries asking for assistance with their inquiry, reflecting the range of nationalities likely to have been in the town on May 3, 2007. 

Detectives want to cross reference mobile phone data with other lines of inquiry, especially with individuals they have previously identified as "persons of interest". 

Madeleine was three-years-old when she vanished from her parents' rented apartment in the Algarve seaside town of Praia Da Luz. 

The Portuguese authorities closed their investigation after initially investigating her parents Kate and Gerry as possible suspects. 

The Home Office agreed to order a review of the case by the Metropolitan Police and in July it became a full blown investigation.

Officers have been looking into the backgrounds of 41 individuals, 15 of whom are UK nationals. 

Assistant Commissioner Rowley said three of these British citizens are on the verge of being eliminated from the inquiry.

It is a huge undertaking requiring extensive international cooperation. 

The phone data has always been available, and some of it has been examined before, but the trawl through thousands of phone numbers is the most thorough yet undertaken. 

DCI Redwood said the phone records could be the key to solving the mystery and he that it is not a "general trawl" for information but a "targeted attack" on possible key numbers.

"We've got a data set of phone traffic. Within that phone traffic you can see we've got some of those numbers we can attribute to people, but a large number of them we can't. So in a targeted way, we're trying to say in a particular moment in time, that is around the moment of opportunity, who's there."

"What we're trying to do is to use every route available to us to identify as many of them as possible and the phone data is one route into that, as are appeals. If you were in Praia da Luz at the time, you may get a routine phone call from the police."

The Metropolitan Police team say they have collated 39,148 documents from previous inquiries by both the Portuguese authorities, and eight different teams of private detectives hired by the McCanns.

So far 21,614 have been processed. Some 4,920 of those have necessitated follow up action and 2,123 lines of inquiry have been completed.

The new lines of inquiry will be publicised in a BBC Crimewatch programme on Monday, October 14. 

The police will not confirm if new photo-fits or artist impressions of possible suspects will be issued, but there will be a reconstruction of events in Praia Da Luz, and Madeleine's parents will be interviewed during the programme. 

Mr Rowley said: "It's important to stress, the Crimewatch appeal is not simply 'this is a live investigation has anyone got any information?' It is more than that. There is new information not previously presented. Fresh, substantive material upon which to make an appeal."

The McCanns will be accompanied by DCI Redwood, making it the first time the couple have made an appeal for information alongside an investigating officer. 

Every other public appeal they have made during the past six years has been on their own initiative. 

Press conferences in the days immediately after their daughter's disappearance were not organised by friends and advisers rather than the Portuguese Judicial Police. 

It will be a symbolic moment in the long inquiry , with Kate and Gerry McCann, once labelled "aguidos" in Portugal, and investigated as possible suspects, now officially supported by detectives investigating the case.

DCI Redwood said: "I have no reason to be anything other than confident in the McCanns. They have been thoroughly supportive of our inquiry and our relationship is very strong."

There will be similar appeals on TV programmes in Germany and the Netherlands, reflecting the high number of tourists from those countries who were in Praia Da Luz when Madeleine went missing.

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'Boy Planned Columbine Massacre At Ex-School'

A teenager armed with guns and explosives planned a repeat of the Columbine massacre at his former school, a court has heard.

The boy, who was 16 at the time, was found to have petrol bombs, air rifles, pistols and armour at his home.

It is alleged he planned to use them against staff and pupils at the school in Loughborough, Leicestershire.

The teenager, who has Asperger's syndrome, also named his college, a local mosque, a cinema, Loughborough University and the town's council offices as potential targets, an Old Bailey jury heard.

A Che Guevara notebook emblazoned with Nazi swastikas and English Defence League (EDL) mottos was found when his home was searched by police in February.

It included drawings showing how he would arm himself and discussed tactics to carry out The New Columbine, the court was told.

Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold murdered 12 students and one teacher at Columbine High School in Colorado in 1999 before both committing suicide in one of America's worst mass shootings.

Columbine High School

Mujahideen Poisons Handbook was also found in the defendant's home along with video and dictaphone recordings in which he discussed an attack, it was claimed.

Prosecutor Max Hill QC said the jury must consider whether the boy was a "misfit" or "something altogether more sinister and serious".

Mr Hill said the boy, now 17, claimed to be a member of an EDL branch and had a Nazi swastika on his bedroom wall along with a poster of the Joker from the Batman film, the Dark Knight.

He wrote in a letter found at his home that there were "too many Muslims in the UK and Europe" who wanted to "take over Europe and put Sharia law in place".

The defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, denies a charge of possessing items for the purpose, preparation and instigation of an act of terrorism.

These include nine partially assembled petrol bombs, a quantity of part-assembled pipe bombs, partially constructed improvised explosive devices (IEDs), a stab proof vest, a gas mask and three 0.22 air rifles, it is alleged.

The boy also denies one count of possessing a document or record containing information likely to be useful for a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism, and a further count of possessing explosives in the form of component parts of IEDs.

He and two other 17-year-olds have already pleaded guilty to two charges of possessing petrol bombs and component parts of pipe bombs for the use of explosive devices.

The trial continues.

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Keanu Williams: Case Review To Be Published

By Lisa Dowd, Midlands Correspondent

A serious case review into the death of a toddler who was murdered by his mother is likely to find authorities missed a number of opportunities to help him.

Rebecca Shuttleworth, 25, is serving life in prison after beating two-year-old Keanu Williams to death.

Birmingham Crown Court heard the youngster, known as Kiwi, was found with 37 injuries after paramedics were called to a house in Ward End in January 2011.

As well as a fractured skull, he suffered a fist-sized tear in his stomach which caused major bleeding.

He had been abused for months.

Following the trial, Jane Held, independent chair of the multi-agency Birmingham Safeguarding Children Board, which is due to report its findings, admitted there were "lessons to learn" from the case.

Shuttleworth, who was sentenced in June, was described as a "monster" by the detective who led the inquiry.

Chief Inspector Caroline Marsh added: "I can't understand how someone could do that to a two-year-old boy."

Keanu had 37 separate injuries when he was found by paramedics

Detective Superintendent Clare Cowley, of West Midlands Police, said it was "inevitable" one of the key lessons to be learned would be a need for better inter-agency communication.

She described the case as "an absolute tragedy" and said the key was to try to prevent it happening again.

During the six-month trial, family and friends said Keanu was often neglected and wandered around with a soiled nappy for long periods.

Shuttleworth repeatedly explained Keanu's injuries away, saying he had been fighting with siblings or was clumsy.

The prosecution said Shuttleworth, who had attended parenting classes, used her knowledge of the care system to manipulate social workers, doctors and nursery staff into believing she was a competent mother.

Serious case reviews are launched whenever a child is suspected to have died as a result of neglect or abuse.

In August, a similar inquiry criticised Birmingham City Council for failing to properly investigate suspicions about paedophile nursery worker Paul Wilson, who was jailed for life for raping a child at Little Stars Nursery in Nechells.

In 2008, a review into the death of seven-year-old Khyra Ishaq, who was starved by her mother and stepfather in Handsworth, recommended a need for better communication between child protection agencies, among other findings.

Khalid Mahmood, the MP for Birmingham's Perry Barr, said there had been a "systematic failure" of children's services in the city.

"Since 2006, 22 serious case reviews have been published," he said.

"That's huge. People say it's because we're a big city but it's just not good enough.

"There have been five changes of heads in the last five years in the department, so there's no stability, and at any one time, 20% of staff are off sick. Something must be done."

Only last month, neighbouring authority Coventry City Council was slammed by a review board for failings in the case of Daniel Pelka, who was starved and beaten to death by his mother and her partner.

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PTSD Fears Over Plan For More Army Reservists

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

Ministers' plans to replace tens of thousands of full time soldiers with reservists risks creating a new wave of veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, campaigners have warned.

In an interview with Sky News, Andrew Cameron, chief executive of Combat Stress, said members of the Territorial Army (TA) who serve on the front line are at far greater risk of developing the condition than ordinary troops.

Last year, as part of cost-cutting measures, the Government announced plans to double the size of the TA from 15,000 soldiers to 30,000, while reducing the number of regular servicemen by 20,000.

But reservists returning home from conflicts do not have the same level of support afforded to full time soldiers, Mr Cameron warned.

"The preponderance of post-traumatic stress disorder amongst veterans who are reservists is 50% higher than it is for regular servicemen," he said.

"The reason for that is they don't get the level of support from their regiment, their ship or their squadron that they might have done if they were a regular.

"If we double or treble the number and if we continue with high-intensity warfare then I think society has got a big challenge because we will see a lot more reservists who need help."

Combat Stress said that since 2009, it had seen a large rise in the number of veterans seeking help after returning from Afghanistan.

Combat Stress CEO Andrew Cameron says reservists do not have the support

In 2008/9, the charity were approached by 56 Afghan veterans. This had risen to 271 in the last year, a fivefold increase.

Mr Cameron, whose intervention comes just days after Defence Secretary Philip Hammond was heckled at the Conservative party conference by veterans over cuts, said he expected veterans to need help for another decade.

He said: "I'm planning for services at or above the level we are providing for at least the next five years and I don't expect to see a tail-off in very much less than 10."

Soldiers' families, friends, colleagues and employers need to be more aware of what they have gone through, he added.

Jake Wood, 40, an investment bank analyst, was a Lance Sergeant in the TA in Afghanistan from April to October 2007.

He told Sky News he suffers from what he calls "Survivor Guilt" and "Killer Guilt", leading to nightmares and sleepless nights, after discovering a member of the Taliban had died in a firefight he had been involved in.

He said: "I didn't feel anything at the time. I couldn't. I was immersed in the normality of Afghanistan.

"But it's when you come home and you're re-immersed in the different normality of home, the cosiness of home life, that you can remember things differently.

"And I just remember playing my part in killing an extremely terrified, dying man."

Mr Wood said he also struggled to recover from a Taliban attack in which his commanding officer was blown up. Returning to work, he said, was a very difficult experience.

"On a moral level it didn't fill me with glee going back to that environment," he said.

"As a soldier on the ground, you look after the guy next to you and he looks after you. It's a cliché but it's a cliché for a reason because it's what happens.

"It's a completely unselfish, black and white existence.

"Then when you're suddenly re-immersed in an investment bank after just a few weeks leave, there can be this profound sense of sudden isolation, and also alienation as well, where you're just completely and utterly alone.

"It's basically a hangover from the past, which in my experience does not go away. And now I'm not expecting it to either. This isn't defeatism.

"I've had years of intensive treatment and I've no doubt it has helped me, and the reason I know it has helped me is that I haven't killed myself."

A recent study of thousands of servicemen and women in Iraq and Afghanistan by King's College London found 6% of reservists suffered from PTSD compared with 3% in a control group.

When studied again five years later, they were still found to have greater levels of PTSD and marital instability than regular soldiers.

The Ministry of Defence is set to release new figures detailing the number of servicemen suffering from mental health conditions on Thursday.

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Cyberbullying: Survey Points To 'Growing Trend'

Almost seven in 10 young people have experienced cyberbullying on social media sites, with users of Facebook among the most likely to be targeted, a new survey suggests.

The national anti-bullying charity Ditch the Label sampled 10,008 young people aged between 13 and 22 and found that levels of cyberbullying were much higher than previously reported.

It found that of the 69% of young people who had experienced cyberbullying, a fifth said it had been very extreme.

The survey suggested the cyberbullying rate was at its highest on MySpace, with 89% of users claiming they had been subjected to taunts, although just 4% of young people said they used the site.

Of the three-quarters of those who used Facebook, 54% said they had been bullied.

That figure was around twice that of Twitter, which was used by 43% of young people surveyed.

Liam Hackett, founder of Ditch the Label, said the charity set up its annual survey after discovering more than 30,000 young people were visiting a virtual support centre on its Habbo Hotel website every week.

"We found that cyberbullying was a growing trend within the sphere of bullying and we were naturally inclined to investigate further," he said.

"We have identified that cyberbullying is not just a passing phase and is having a profound impact on the lives of millions across the country.

"Cyberbullying is seriously damaging the self-esteem and future prospects of young people and is an issue we cannot afford to overlook."

A spokesman for Facebook said: "We don't tolerate bullying ... and that's why we provide the best tools and support in the industry for people to report bullying to us or to someone else who can help them."

The research comes two months after 14-year-old Hannah Smith, from Leicestershire, took her own life after she was bullied on Ask.fm.

The website announced a raft of changes to protect users following her death.

Earlier this year, Twitter agreed to install a report abuse button alongside every tweet after feminist campaigner Caroline Criado-Perez was subjected to a barrage of online rape threats.

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Teachers Stage One-Day Strike Over Pay Reform

Thousands of teachers are set to take part in a one-day strike in a continued row over pay, pensions and working conditions.

The walkout, which is taking place across four English regions, is expected to affect tens of thousands of schoolchildren.

It has been organised by two of England's biggest teaching unions - the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and the NASUWT.

Schools in 49 local authorities in the East of England, the East Midlands, West Midlands and Yorkshire and Humberside will be affected.

NASUWT general secretary Chris Keates said strike action was a last resort

NASUWT general secretary Chris Keates said: "The overwhelming majority of teachers in four regions will be on strike today.

"Strike action is a last resort. Teachers have been left with no choice but to demonstrate their anger and frustration in the face of their genuine concerns being dismissed and trivialised."

NUT general secretary Christine Blower said: "No teacher takes strike action lightly but the intransigence of this Education Secretary has left teachers with no choice.

"We cannot stand by and watch our profession be systematically attacked and undermined. There needs to be a change in the Government's attitude to teachers and education."

A Department of Education spokeswoman said: "It is disappointing that the NUT and NASUWT are striking over the Government's measures to allow heads to pay good teachers more."

The spokeswoman said a recent poll found that 61% of those questioned backed linking teachers' pay to performance and a majority were opposed to walkouts.

"All strikes will do is disrupt parents' lives, hold back children's education and damage the reputation of the profession," she added.

The first regional walkout took place in the North West on June 27, with further strikes expected to take place on October 17 in the North East, South East, South West and London.

Plans for a national one-day walkout before Christmas have also been announced by the two unions.

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Extended GP Opening Hours Pilot Unveiled

A £50m trial to encourage longer GP surgery opening hours has been unveiled by the Prime Minister in an attempt to cut the pressure on overstretched A&E departments.

Up to half a million patients are expected to be covered by the pilot project in areas across England which could see surgeries open from 8am to 8pm seven days a week.

Almost one in five patients in a recent NHS survey said inconvenient appointments were a concern, with more than 70% backing weekend and after office opening hours.

The scheme, which is being unveiled at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester, will offer extra cash to groups of GPs proposing the most effective ways to improve patient access.

As well as extended surgery hours, ministers hope they will pioneer more effective use of technology, such as consultations with patients via video calls, email and by telephone.

Electronic prescriptions, online appointment booking and allowing people to visit a number of different surgeries across an area are among other measures which could be introduced.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt will outline the plans at the Tory conference

David Cameron said: "Millions of people find it hard to get an appointment to see their GP at a time that fits in with their work and family life.

"We want to support GPs to modernise their services so they can see patients from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week.

"We also want greater flexibility, so people can speak to their family doctor on the phone, send them an email or even speak to them on Skype."

The first pilot projects are due to be operating by April 2014.

Similar initiatives are already being trialled in some parts of the country, including parts of Manchester, where some surgeries will move to seven-day opening.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who will talk about the initiative in his speech to the conference, said: "We live in a 24/7 society and we need GPs to find new ways of working so they can offer appointments at times that suit hard-working people.

"Cutting-edge GP practices here in Manchester are leading the way, and we want many more patients across the country to benefit."

Professor Steve Field, Chief Inspector for General Practice, said: "This move towards seven day services is great news for patients and should be embraced by GPs.

"I want to see brilliant access to GP services for patients across the country and will be assessing this in each practice I inspect."

However, shadow health secretary Andy Burnham accused Mr Cameron and his Conservative party of "taking the NHS backwards".

"This announcement is a major admission of failure and a U-turn of fairly epic proportions," he said.

"Patients are also finding it harder to get appointments, and turning to A&E instead, after he removed Labour's guarantee of an appointment within 48 hours."

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Thames Duck Boat Fire: 30 Pulled From River

Around 30 people have been rescued from the River Thames after their tour boat caught on fire.

The passengers were forced to jump overboard when flames took hold on the London Duck Tours amphibious vessel on a stretch of water close to Lambeth Bridge.

Some 28 tourists and two crew members were hauled to safety by passing tour barges after the fire broke out shortly before midday on Sunday.

A woman and a child were taken to hospital with suspected smoke inhalation.

The blaze on the amphibious vessel is being investigated

Further tourists were treated for smoke inhalation at the riverside, opposite the Houses of Parliament.

All passengers have been accounted for, but London Fire Brigade group manager Neil Withers said they were "cold, wet and in shock".

"Fortunately at this stage it doesn't look like anyone's been seriously injured," he said.

The cause of the fire is not yet known

"People are clearly cold, wet and in shock but they were pulled from the water really quickly and that's testament to the work of our firefighters, other emergency rescue teams and others who rushed to the scene to help.

"The casualties, who are tourists, are being looked after by the London Ambulance Service and firefighters, who are keeping them warm and making them cups of tea."

The cause of the fire is not yet known.

"The damaged boat was pulled away from the scene by our fire boat and a full investigation into exactly what happened will now be taking place," Mr Withers said.

The Port of London Authority is also expected to investigate the blaze.

Around one-third of the beleaguered boat was damaged by the blaze, according to the fire brigade.

It is the third time this year that a Duck Tours vessel has run into difficulty.

In June, 22 people were taken to hospital after the Yellow Duckmarine amphibious tour bus sunk in Liverpool.

Another Yellow Duckmarine tour bus reportedly sank in the city dock in March. Nobody was injured in that incident.

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Antoin Akpom Murder: Second Man Arrested

Police have arrested a man in connection with the murder of a youth football coach stabbed to death in the street.

The 19-year-old was arrested on Sunday evening in Cardiff in relation to Antoin Akpom's death in a knife attack in Leicester on September 12.

He is the second person to be held by police investigating the murder.

Abdul Hakim, 19, of Wood Hill, was remanded in custody after appearing in court on September 18 charged with the 20-year-old Mr Akpom's murder.

Mr Akpom, who coached a youth football team at Leicester Nirvana FC, was found injured in Kent Street and later died from his wounds.

A Leicestershire Police spokesman said: "Detectives investigating the murder of Leicester man Antoin Akpom have arrested a man in connection with the incident.

"The 19-year-old man was arrested in Cardiff on Sunday evening and currently remains in police custody.

"On September 17 detectives charged a 19-year-old man with the murder of Antoin. He has since been remanded into custody and is due to appear at Leicester Crown Court at a later date."

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Cameron Launches State-Backed Mortgages Plan

David Cameron will announce that state-backed mortgages to help people on modest incomes get onto the property ladder will start within days - three months earlier than planned.

The mortgage guarantees will allow buyers to acquire a newly built home or an existing property worth up to £600,000 with a deposit of only 5%.

The second stage of the Help to Buy scheme aims to boost mortgage availability by reducing the risk for lenders because the Government takes on the risk of default when it guarantees a proportion of a loan.

Mr Cameron says the 'earlier the better' for the scheme's launch

Mr Cameron believes that will help solve the skewed market that means people on good wages struggle to buy even modest properties because they cannot scrape together the massive deposits needed or find a mortgage.

The scheme was due to start in January next year but the Prime Minister will say at the Conservative Party conference today that people will be able to start applying for the new mortgage guarantee from next week.

Mr Cameron said: "Young people who've got a decent job and have got decent earnings - they cannot buy a house or a flat, because they have to have a £30,000, £40,000 or £50,000 deposit.  Now, if you haven't got rich parents, you can't get that sort of money.

"So we're going to launch the Help To Buy Scheme - it's not coming in next year, it's coming in next week, because I'm passionate about helping people who want to own their own flat or home.

"You take a nurse married to a teacher. They're both earning £25,000 - that's pretty close to average full time earnings. If they want to buy a £200,000 house, they're going to have to find a £40,000 deposit.

"Now, they can't do that, unless they've got rich parents. That's not right. That's not an aspiration nation."

But the scheme has attracted widespread concern, with some claiming it may lead to more problems than it solves.

Liberal Democrat Business Secretary Vince Cable warned the scheme "could inflate the market" and said he feared there was a "danger of getting into another housing bubble".

Former Bank of England governor Lord King said the scheme is "too close for comfort" to a general scheme to guarantee mortgages.

Mr Balls says the Government focus should be on affordable homes

Labour's shadow chancellor Ed Balls said: "If David Cameron is serious about helping first-time buyers he should be bringing forward investment to build more affordable homes. Rising demand for housing must be matched with rising supply, but under this government housebuilding is at its lowest level since the 1920s.

"Unless David Cameron acts now to build more affordable homes, as Labour has urged, then soaring prices risk making it even harder for first time buyers to get on the housing ladder.

"You can't deal with the cost of living crisis without building more homes, so it's no wonder that for millions of families this is no recovery at all."

The first stage of Help To Buy was launched in April and offers loans to give people the chance to buy a new-build home with a deposit of just 5%. The scheme has been credited with spurring a surge in home sales and driving up prices.

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Police Chief: 'Make Class A Drugs Legal'

One of England's top police officers has called for class A drugs such as heroin and cocaine to be legalised.

Durham chief constable Mike Barton claimed the war on drugs had failed and decriminalisation was the best way to strip power away from criminal gangs.

Writing in The Observer, the national intelligence leader for the Association of Chief Police Officers also suggested the NHS should supply class A drugs to addicts.

He said: "Not all crime gangs raise income through selling drugs, but most of them do in my experience. So offering an alternative route of supply to users cuts off the gang's income stream.

"If an addict were able to access drugs via the NHS or some similar organisation, then they would not have to go out and buy illegal drugs.

"Drugs should be controlled. They should not, of course, be freely available.

"I think addiction to anything - drugs, alcohol, gambling, etc - is not a good thing, but outright prohibition hands revenue streams to villains."

Under Mr Barton's direction, Durham Constabulary launched Operation Sledgehammer, a sustained campaign  to "get in the faces" of organised crime gangs.

He has previously claimed to seek inspiration in the way notorious Prohibition-era mafioso Al Capone was finally brought down not for bootlegging, but tax evasion.

The officer, who has served for nearly 34 years, said he had witnessed a worsening drug addiction problem since prohibition began in 1971 with the Misuse of Drugs Act.

He argued that pushers had made billions from adulterated drugs, transforming them into local folk heroes for young people.

"Decriminalising their commodity will immediately cut off their income stream and destroy their power," he said.

"Making drugs legal would tackle the supply chain much more effectively and much more economically than we can currently manage."

Mr Barton said that offering drugs therapeutically through the NHS and similar organisations would avoid the spread of HIV and hepatitis C among needle users.

But he underlined that he was in favour of their use in a controlled environment, rather than a "free for all".

"I am saying that people who encourage others to take drugs by selling them are criminals, and their actions should be tackled," he said.

"But addicts, on the other hand, need to be treated, cared for and encouraged to break the cycle of addiction. They do not need to be criminalised."

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