British Runaway 'Feared Kidnapped In Spain'

A British man who fled to Spain is believed to have been kidnapped by men posing as police officers.

Francis Brennan left the UK ahead of a sentencing date last October for an assault he committed in the Thames Valley area in 2012.

He was last seen in Alicante on January 24. He was in a friend's car when it was stopped by several men who posed as police officers.

The 25-year-old's parents, Carl and Janet, have appealed for information about his disappearance.

"We got a call from one of his friends and his girlfriend back in January to say that Francis had been arrested on January 24 but we later learnt from the Spanish authorities that this was not the case and that he had been taken against his will," they said.

"This has come as an awful shock to us as Francis is our only son and we can still remember him as a fun-loving child who was football-mad in a football-mad family who loved nothing more than playing out with his friends."

They said they pleaded with their son not to leave the country, but he did not listen.

"He told us not to worry and that he would be home after Christmas," they said.

Mr Brennan's girlfriend, Sophie Staunton, went to Alicante in December to try to persuade him to return home.

"Francis met Sophie, his lovely girlfriend, in 2012 and he seemed to start to grow up and they seemed very settled and happy," Mr Brennan's parents said.

"Sophie went out to Javea in December to try and persuade him to come home but then last month he disappeared and none of us know where. This whole thing has devastated all of us."

Detective Superintendent Richie Carr, from Merseyside Police, said: "Francis's disappearance is completely out of character and because of this, as well as his associations and lifestyle, ourselves and the Spanish police are extremely concerned for his safety.

"We do however believe he has been taken against his will and we and his family are hopeful that someone in the criminal fraternity here in Merseyside has information that could help bring about the safe return of Francis."

:: Anybody with information should call Merseyside Police on 0151 777 8520 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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Moazzam Begg Charged With Terror Offences

Ex-Guantanamo detainee Moazzam Begg has been charged with providing terrorist training and funding terrorism overseas, West Midlands Police have said.

The 45-year-old British citizen, from Hall Green, Birmingham, was one of four people arrested earlier this week on suspicion of terrorism offences linked to the Syria conflict.

He will appear at Westminster Magistrates Court today alongside a woman, Gerrie Tahari, 44, of Sparkbrook, Birmingham, who is charged with facilitating terrorism overseas.

Both were arrested on Tuesday with two other men held on suspicion of facilitating terrorism overseas.

The pair - a 36-year-old man from Shirley, Solihull, and a 20-year-old man from Sparkhill, Birmingham, who is the son of Tahari - remain in police custody.

Begg was released from Guantanamo Bay in January 2005

Begg was held by the US government at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba for nearly three years after being arrested in Pakistan in February 2002.

He was detained on suspicion of being a member of al Qaeda before being released without charge in January 2005.

He was allowed to return to the UK where he was arrested by police before being released without charge.

Begg is a director of Cage - which campaigns "against the War on Terror" - and has always maintained that he has never been involved in any kind of terrorist activity.

More follows...

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Dementia Care: 'Britain Must Raise Its Game'

A raft of new measures to provide better support for people with dementia and improve diagnosis rates in the UK have been announced by the Health Secretary.

Jeremy Hunt said: "Dementia can be a horrific and heartbreaking disease, but it is my mission as Health Secretary to make this country the best place in the world to get a dementia diagnosis, as well as a global leader in the fight to find a cure.

"Today's package is about government, clinicians, business, society and investors coming together to raise our game on every front - from speedy diagnosis to compassionate care, and from help on our high streets to the quest for a cure."

NHS England is to invest £90m in a bid to diagnose two-thirds of people with dementia by March next year, targeting areas where it can take up to 25 weeks to carry out a diagnosis.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt

Leading UK businesses have signed up to the cause with more than 190,000 staff at Marks & Spencer, Argos, Homebase, Lloyds Bank and Lloyds Pharmacy set to become "dementia friends".

They will be trained to learn how to spot the signs of dementia and offer support for sufferers.

An estimated 800,000 people suffer from dementia in the UK. Experts say this figure will soar to 1.7 million by 2051.

According to the Alzheimer's Society, one-in-three people aged over 65 will develop the condition, and two-thirds of sufferers are women.

The society's chief executive, Jeremy Hughes, said: "It is unacceptable that some people with dementia have to wait months to get a diagnosis.

"Today's announcement is a positive step forward to increasing diagnosis rates and ensuring that no matter where you live you will receive a timely assessment.

"Too often we hear about a lack of suitable services available to people with dementia and their carers. We welcome the focus on post-diagnosis support which will provide a vital lifeline to thousands who are currently left in the dark, with nowhere to turn for advice or support."

Prime Minister David Cameron has appointed a World Dementia Envoy following agreement between the G8 countries at a dementia summit in London in December.

There are around 800,000 people in the UK who suffer from dementia

Mr Cameron has called for international collaboration to urgently find a cure for the condition.

However, Labour warned that the Government must tackle "poor care standards" in order to combat dementia.

Liz Kendall, Labour's shadow minister for care and older people, said: "Dementia is one of the greatest challenges we face as a country. The Prime Minister is right to focus on it and Labour supports the Government's commitments on research, and to ensure everyone with dementia is properly diagnosed.

"But if his words are to have real meaning, David Cameron must do far more to help people struggling to cope with dementia right now.

"£2.7bn has been cut from council care budgets under this Government, hitting the quality of life of hundreds of thousands of people with dementia and their families. This isn't good for them, and is a false economy as an increasing number of elderly people with dementia are ending up in hospitals or care homes when they don't need to.

"The Prime Minister cannot credibly claim to show leadership on dementia unless he tackles poor care standards, like the increasing number of 15-minute home visits which are barely enough time to make a cup of tea, let alone help a frail elderly person with dementia get up, washed, dressed and fed."

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Gamblers To Set Cash Caps On Slot Machines

New technology will allow gamblers to set limits on how much time and money they spend on gaming machines.

The technology is being installed on gaming machines in England and Wales as part of a code of conduct established by the Association of British Bookmakers (ABB).

The ABB says the code aims to "tackle problem gambling".

The technology will allow customers to set limits on gambling machines, and will also introduce mandatory alerts when a customer has spent £250 or played for 30 minutes.

Staff at a gambling venue will also be alerted when the limit is reached, and the machine will alert the customer and force a 30-second break in play.

The new technology to implement the measures is currently being installed on 33,000 machines across England and Wales.

The ABB said the code, which comes into effect today, has the "full support" of the gambling industry.

ABB chief executive Dirk Vennix said: "The code will help give players more control and encourage responsible gambling.

"It forms part of the industry's ongoing, proactive efforts to be socially responsible, to tackle problem gambling and to ensure a duty of care towards every customer.

"We recognise growing concerns that some customers are spending too much money or too much time on gaming machines. We want to take steps to protect them because one problem gambler is one too many.

"That is why we have put together the code, which introduces revolutionary new harm minimisation measures, the likes of which have yet to be seen anywhere in the world."

Dirk Hansen, chief executive of gambling advice service GamCare, said: "I welcome the ABB's move towards offering greater protections for players, encouraging responsible play and for raising awareness amongst betting shop customers about the help that is available for problem gambling.

"These new measures will not only educate players to the risks associated with gambling but also empower individuals to get support when they need it."

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NI Assembly Set For Recall Over Bomb Ruling

Hyde Park Bombing Victims' Families 'Angry'

Updated: 7:51pm UK, Tuesday 25 February 2014

The families of the soldiers killed in the Hyde Park IRA bomb blast have criticised Northern Ireland police's "monumental blunder" after an attempt to prosescute suspect John Downey failed.

Downey, 62, of County Donegal, will not face trial at the Old Bailey because he received a "letter of assurance" that he would not face a criminal court.

He had been wanted by the Metropolitan Police for more than 30 years, but officers were unaware Mr Downey - who denies involvement - and dozens of other terrorist suspects had been promised they would not be arrested because of the Northern Ireland peace process.

Police in Northern Ireland have now said they were wrong to make those assurances.

After the ruling by a judge that the prosecution could not go ahead, relatives of the four soldiers killed in the 1982 attack, said in a statement: "It is with great sadness and bitter disappointment that we have received the full and detailed judgment and that a trial will now not take place.

"This news has left us all feeling devastatingly let down, even more so when the monumental blunder behind this judgment lies at the feet of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI)."

Career soldier Lieutenant Anthony Daly, then 23, died alongside three other members of his regiment the Blues and Royals, part of the Household Cavalry, when a bomb packed with wire nails and hidden in a parked car was detonated as they passed along South Carriage Drive in London.

Chris Daly - former major in the Blues and Royals - spoke angrily about being "let down" by the authorities, adding there was evidence to suggest the PSNI discovered its error but twice failed to rectify the problem, or inform the province's director of public prosecutions.

He said: "It stems very directly to the issuing of the letter Downey has in his possession where the Government has given him assurance he will not be prosecuted.

"And therefore how did Downey come into possession of this letter?

"It transpires the PSNI issued this letter to Downey in July 2007, thinking that he was not wanted either in Northern Ireland or by any other police force in the United Kingdom.

"This is despite the fact that three months earlier in April the same team within PSNI knew that Downey was wanted by the Metropolitan Police, on the police national computer, so the letter was issued in error.

"A year later this error was flagged up by the PSNI but nothing was done about it.

"Why wasn't something done about it?

"Then a year later, in 2009, again the error of the issuing of the letter was recognised but nothing was done about it."

Mr Daly, who was 18 when his brother died, is now asking for an apology for the victims' families from the police force and a full investigation into what went wrong.

He said the fact Downey would be returning to a normal life was "a torment" for the families left behind, for whom the grief of loss would never end.

The PSNI apologised and accepted "full responsibility" for the botched prosecution.

Northern Ireland Chief Constable Matt Baggott apologised to the families, saying: "I deeply regret these failings, which should not have happened."

Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers said the PSNI should reflect on "the serious error".

President of the Association of Chief Police Officers Sir Hugh Orde, who was chief constable of Northern Ireland at the time of the error, said: "It is a matter of great personal regret that a crucial oversight was made by a senior officer which resulted in erroneous information being sent to Mr Downey by the Northern Ireland Office and thus prejudicing the current indictment."

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Pre-Nups Should Be Legally Binding, Says Report

By Afua Hirsch, Social Affairs Editor

Pre-nuptial agreements should become legally binding in court, according to an influential report.

The body which reviews law in England and Wales wants them to have contractual force, and is calling on parliament to change the law.

"Pre and post-nuptial agreements are becoming more commonplace but the courts will not always follow them and lawyers are therefore not able to give clear advice about their effect," said Professor Elizabeth Cooke, Law Commissioner for property, family and trust law.

"(Our recommendations) would give couples autonomy and control, and make the financial outcome of separation more predictable.

"We have built in safeguards to ensure that they cannot be used to impose hardship on either party, nor to escape responsibility for children or to burden the state."

Pre-nups have traditionally been treated with suspicion by English courts, but have gradually become more and more influential after a series of rulings recognising their terms.

In 2010 the Supreme Court upheld the terms of German heiress Katrin Radmacher's pre-nup in a landmark ruling that lawyers say has made the agreements more popular.

Divorce lawyer Vanessa Lloyd Platt said: "We have seen an increase in pre-nups since Radmacher.

"And what we have especially noticed is an increase in demand for pre-nups from women. They have a property that they have acquired before a marriage, which they want to protect.

"Pre-nups are legal in the US, Australia, and many European countries. But some say that aspects of British culture are unique and make their use more difficult.

"For many English women, money is a dirty word, whereas in America for example, women are comfortable discussing money openly. 90% of the women I see don't have a clue what their husbands are earning and what assets they have.

"I worry that if pre-nups are enforced by the courts, women will be put in a position where they won't want to spoil the wedding by suddenly saying its off because the terms of the pre-nup are unreasonable."

Yet divorce in England and Wales is on the rise. Some 42% of marriages are now expected to end in divorce.

In 2012 the number of couples divorcing increased to 118,140, up from 117,558 the previous year.

The prevalence of divorce has led to more calls for pre-nups to be recognised, provided they are not unfair.

The Law Commission said its recommendations did include the necessary safeguards, and that pre-nups would only be enforced if both parties were provided for.

Prof Cooke said: "We believe that married couples and civil partners should have the power to decide their own financial arrangements, but should not be able to contract out of their responsibilities for each other's financial needs, or for their children."

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RBS Reaches Deal To Award £550m Bonus Pot

By Mark Kleinman, City Editor

Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is to pay approximately £550m in staff bonuses for 2013 after securing the agreement of the Treasury agency that is its biggest shareholder.

Sky News has learnt that the taxpayer-backed bank will disclose the sum - which is higher than previous reports had suggested - alongside its annual results on Thursday.

The bonus pot for 2013 is certain to reignite a row over pay at RBS because it will also announce a loss for the year estimated at £8bn, the biggest since its bail-out by the Government in 2008.

UK Financial Investments (UKFI), the body which manages taxpayers' stake in the bank, is understood to have signed off on the payments in recent days.

The sum of around £550m will represent a fall on the 2012 bonus pot of £679m of just under 20%, which Chancellor George Osborne is expected to cite as evidence that RBS is exhibiting restraint on bonus payments.

Last year's figure was further reduced by £72m to £607m because of the clawback of previous years' deferred bonuses, undertaken as a consequence of RBS's £390m fine for its role in the Libor-rigging scandal.

RBS is expected to have reduced the 2013 bonus pool by at least £25m under a commitment it gave 12 months ago to reduce bonuses in subsequent years.

It is unclear whether RBS will also announce a plan on Thursday to seek shareholder approval at its annual general meeting in May to allow it to pay bonuses worth double the value of senior employees' basic salaries.

Other UK banks are planning to do so, but RBS found itself at the centre of another political row last month when Labour leader Ed Miliband urged David Cameron to use the Government's stake to block any such request.

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Mr Cameron told Sky News: "With our particular responsibility for RBS, I can tell you that I don't only want to see the level of pay and bonuses come down overall, I want to see it come down per-person, per-capita as well."

The Prime Minister said last month that new European rules on bankers' pay, which the Government is challenging, could exacerbate the riskiness of banks.

He said: "This European directive... in some ways might make things worse, because you could see rates of pay go up.

"You can claw back a bonus, the taxpayer can get the money back. You can't claw back [basic] pay."

Thursday's bonus announcement will come as Ross McEwan, RBS's new chief executive, unveils a plan that will mean the bank's 120,000-strong workforce shrinking to barely two-thirds of that number following the sale and closure of several business units.

RBS and UKFI declined to comment.

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Nursing Staff Cuts Linked To Higher Death Rates

Hospitals are experiencing higher patient death rates as a direct result of nursing cutbacks, according to a study of hospitals in England and eight other countries.

Data from 300 European hospitals shows that every extra patient added to a nurse's workload increases the risk of death within a month of surgery by 7%.

The level of training the nurse had undergone also had an impact, the study said, with university degrees going a long way towards making up for reduced staffing levels.

A 10% increase in the proportion of nurses holding a bachelor degree was associated with 7% lower surgical death rates, the findings published in The Lancet journal revealed.

Since September last year, every newly qualified nurse in the UK has had to possess a university degree.

Figures for 30 English hospitals showed that on average every one of their nurses looked after around nine patients, which is one more than professional bodies would like.

Spain appeared to have the most overworked staff, with an average 12.7 patients per nurse. But in Spain every nurse had a bachelor degree, compared with only 28% in England at the time the data were collected in 2009-10.

In some other countries the patient-to-nurse ratio was significantly smaller. Norway had a ratio of 5.2 to one, the Irish Republic 6.9, the Netherlands seven and Finland and Sweden 7.6.

Lead researcher Professor Linda Aiken, said: "Our findings emphasise the risk to patients that could emerge in response to nurse staffing cuts under recent austerity measures, and suggest that an increased emphasis on bachelor's education for nurses could reduce hospital deaths."

The study analysed information on more than 420,000 patients admitted to hospitals in Belgium, England, Finland, the Irish Republic, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Researchers compared nurse workload and education and patient outcomes, taking into account the age and sex of patients, types of surgical procedure, chronic conditions, and the kind of technology available in a hospital.

The overall percentage of surgical patients who died within 30 days of admission was low, ranging between 1% and 1.5% per country. In England, the average rate was 1.4%.

Peter Carter, chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), said: "It is worrying to see that researchers found the mean ratio of patients to nurses in England is above eight, as we know that this can compromise patient safety.

"The RCN has also expressed concern at the skills mix in UK hospitals as trusts get rid of more senior nurses to save money, meaning there is far less experience on many wards, and the full extent of this will be revealed in our upcoming Frontline First report."

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said the Government would not introduce a legal minimum because staff requirements were a "different number for different wards".

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