Clarkson Hits Out At BBC Over Racism Row

Clarkson Racism Row: 10 Top Gear Gaffes

Updated: 3:53pm UK, Friday 02 May 2014

As Jeremy Clarkson "begs for forgiveness" over claims he used racist language, Sky News looks at past controversies on his show.

:: Lorry load of trouble over 'prostitute' claim (series 12, November 2008)

The BBC received hundreds of complaints after Clarkson joked about lorry drivers murdering prostitutes.

"Change gear, change gear, check mirror, murder a prostitute, change gear, change gear, murder," he said. "That's a lot of effort in a day."

One MP called for Clarkson to be sacked but the BBC defended its presenter, saying viewers have "clear expectations" of his on-screen persona and humour.

:: Top Gear slammed over "vulgar" Mexico claims (series 16, December 2010)

A special episode of the show upset Mexicans by describing them as "lazy, feckless and flatulent" and branding their food "refried sick".

It claimed the Mexican ambassador to the UK would not complain as he was likely to be asleep.

In response, ambassador Eduardo Medina-Mora Icaza wrote to the BBC, describing the comments as "outrageous, vulgar and inexcusable".

Ofcom found the BBC had not breached guidelines but the broadcaster admitted the language used had "reinforced" stereotypes.

:: "Slope" remark during Burma special (series 21, March 2014)

Clarkson was accused of using "casual racism" during a Top Gear special, during which he and his co-presenters built a bridge over a Burmese river.

As a man walked across the bridge, Clarkson said: "That's a proud moment but there's a slope on it."

A BBC spokesman said the show was not aware the word "slope" was considered by some to be offensive and insisted it was used to make a "light-hearted wordplay joke".

:: Mock-Nazi salute sparks anger (series seven, November 2005)

Clarkson did little to strengthen Anglo-German relations when he made a mock-Nazi salute during a segment discussing a new Mini.

He also claimed the car's in-built navigation system "only goes to Poland".

German diplomats sternly pointed out that, had his salute been on German TV, he would have faced criminal charges and even a possible six-month prison term.

The BBC said it would be dealt with under its "rigorous" complaints procedure.

:: '"N-word" edited out of Top Gear broadcast' (series 19, February 2013)

Clarkson was accused by the Daily Mirror of using the "n-word" while filming an episode of the motoring show.

According to the paper, Clarkson "can be heard chanting, 'Eeny, meeny, miny moe...', before mumbling, 'Catch a n****r by his toe'."

Clarkson responded by saying he was "horrified" by the allegations.

The BBC launched an investigation into the episode, which was broadcast without the alleged comment.

:: Fallout from the top over India special (series 17, December 2011)

An Indian special, during which Clarkson built a toilet into the back of a Jaguar, claiming it would be "perfect" for tourists because "everyone" who visits the country suffers diarrhoea, sparked a complaint from the Indian High Commission.

It accused the show of "cheap jibes" and "tasteless humour", adding that it "lacked cultural sensitivity".

A BBC spokesman said it had not insulted Indian people or the country's culture.

:: Albanian man's 'murder' triggers complaints (series 16, February 2011)

Hundreds of people complained to the BBC after Top Gear aired a segment during which the presenters tried to squeeze an overweight Albanian man, who had ostensibly been murdered, into their boots of their cars.

The presenters pretended to have been sent to the country to test drive cars for a mafia boss.

:: Dead cow 'humour' angers viewers (series nine, February 2007)

During a one-off US special, Clarkson tied a dead cow to the roof of a Chevy Comaro before reversing the car and flinging the animal to the ground.

The stunt sparked complaints to both the BBC and Ofcom but the broadcaster insisted it was "very typical" of the show's "irreverent humour".

A spokesman added: "No offence was intended."

:: Botswana special leaves trail of controversy (series 10, November 2007)

Environmental campaigners claimed Top Gear had damaged Botswana's Makgadikgadi salt pan by blasting through it during a 2007 special.

They claimed tracks left by the team's vehicles would remain visible for decades.

However, the BBC said it was careful to avoid sensitive conservation zones.

:: Crash test damages villagers' tree (series three, November 2003)

The BBC was forced to hand over £250 to a parish council in Somerset after Clarkson damaged a horse chestnut tree while testing the strength of a Toyota Hilux.

Local people thought the damage had been caused by vandals until later recognising the tree on TV.

The show "unreservedly apologised".

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Clifford Sentence 'A Clear Message Of Justice'

A children's charity has said Max Clifford's sentence has sent a "clear message" that victims of historic abuse can achieve justice.

The 71-year-old celebrity publicist has started an eight-year sentence at Wandsworth Prison in south London for a string of sex sexual offences against four women, aged between 15 and 19.

The NSPCC helpline, which was used by Clifford's victims to come forward, welcomed the judge's decision to hand down a "substantial sentence".

Its director Peter Watt said: "It's clear the judge has recognised the pain and suffering Clifford caused and the additional distress he put his victims through by forcing them to relive their ordeal in court.

"His victims showed an enormous amount of courage in coming forward, four through the NSPCC helpline, and were treated with contempt throughout by Clifford, who called them liars and fantasists in court.

"As we heard in the trial, Clifford seriously damaged many years of their lives, with some being left suicidal by their terrible experiences at his hands."

The prison van carrying Clifford

He added: "The sentence today, and those of other recent cases up and down the country, sends a clear message that victims of non-recent abuse can get justice.

"All allegations, however long after the abuse took place, must be fully investigated and assessed by the police and CPS, with victims fully supported."

Passing sentence, Judge Anthony Leonard told the disgraced PR guru: "The reason why (your crimes) were not brought to light sooner was because of your dominant character.

"Your victims thought you were untouchable, something I think you too believed."

He also blasted Clifford for causing an "additional element of trauma" to the women he abused by his "contemptuous attitude".

Judge Leonard condemned Clifford's 'contemptuous' behaviour

Judge Leonard said that due to the age of the offences, that occurred between 1977 and 1984, Clifford was charged under an act from 1956, which set the maximum term for each charge at two years.

Under later legislation passed in 2003, the maximum term would have been 10 years, and for the worst instances would have been charged as rape, which attract a maximum life term.

Clifford will have to serve at least half his sentence.

The former celebrity agent repeatedly shook his head as the judge made his comments in Southwark Crown Court.

Clifford, who branded his accusers "fantasists", remained defiant ahead of his sentencing, saying: "I stand by everything I have said in the last 17 months."

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Max Clifford Sentencing: Firm Set To Close

By Nick Pisa, Sky News Reporter

Shamed publicist Max Clifford will not only be saying goodbye to his freedom when he is sentenced later today but also his high profile PR business, which is expected to close.

Max Clifford Associates, founded more than 20 years ago, was the go-to place for people wanting to promote their kiss and tell stories - as well as for high profile clients including Simon Cowell, who has now unsurprisingly severed all links.

Although in recent years business had been falling away, latest financial records show Clifford's firm was still pulling in more than £1m a year - during his eight week trial he told reporters his firm lost earnings of that amount.

Workers were in tears as Clifford, 71, was found guilty of eight counts of indecent assault against four women aged between 15 and 19 during an eight year period from 1977.

The dozen all female staff he employs were regulars in the public gallery at Southwark Crown Court but they are now all expected to lose their jobs when he is sentenced by judge Anthony Leonard.

Clifford's Rolls Royce parked outside the offices of his PR firm in April

The company moved from plush offices near Bond Street in central London to an office block in Weybridge, Surrey, last year, not far from Clifford's home and his Bentley with personalised number plate is seen regularly on the High Street.

Lawyers are expected to announce the firm will shut as a result of Clifford's convictions and a staff member said: ''We've been told not to say anything. There will be a statement, at some point after sentencing, that's all I can say.''

Employee Ann Duffy, who broke down in tears as the verdicts were returned, told Sky News: ''This is the biggest injustice and I'm very distraught.''

Clifford's daughter Louise and several employees supported him at court

Other staff members were also clearly upset and said it had been ''the most awful week.''

The company's website was unaccessible within hours of the guilty verdicts being returned and at the same time a ''horrified'' Cowell cut links with Clifford as did Dragons' Den Star Theo Paphitis.

A source close to the PR firm said: ''The girls are having long talks with lawyers and advisers. They know at the end of the day they are all going to lose their jobs. Max Clifford Associates will close and they will be out of work.

''No-one wants anything to do with the company and clients are distancing themselves. The girls are all upset - they backed Max all the way and now they have uncertain futures.''

One of Clifford's employees told Sky News she had been left 'distraught'

The source added: ''As a friend and a former client of Max I can only speak as I find and the Max that I know has always been a kind, generous and helpful person who has been a fantastic father.

''I hope he can spend his time in prison working out where things have gone wrong for him and come out and be the best person he can.''

It has also emerged that earlier this year ago Clifford took out an unexplained £3.5m mortgage on his Surrey mansion with the suggestion being he wanted to put his money out of reach of victims looking for compensation.

During the trial he accused the woman who came forward detailing how he preyed on them of ''jumping on a bandwagon'' and trying to ''cash in'' on him by selling their stories.

Clifford in the 90s with Antonia de Sancha, one of his best-known clients

There is also speculation that his wife of four years Jo is looking to divorce him - she was noticeably absent during his trial and was not even called as a character witness.

Last month she was seen near her Cotswolds home without her wedding ring and when approached by Sky News said she did not want to comment on the trial.

Legal experts say that Clifford faces at least two years in jail as the judge will have to use guidelines in force when the offences were committed in the 1970's and 1980's.

He has already warned Clifford that being bailed was no indication of how he would be sentenced.

If the offences had been committed in the last decade he could have been given a life sentence, as two of to the guilty verdicts on the 15-year-old girl victim involved serious sex crimes.

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Octuplets Mum Brands Max Clifford 'A Devil'

By Lisa Dowd, Midlands Correspondent

A mother who was represented by Max Clifford after she found out she was having octuplets has called the convicted PR guru "a devil".

Mandy Allwood said Clifford "preys on people's vulnerability" and used her as a "money-making machine".

She hit the headlines in 1996 after taking fertility drugs, but went on to miscarry all eight babies - and almost died herself.

Despite this, she claims that Clifford, 71, showed her no sympathy.

Mandy Allwood, when pregnant with the eight babies

Ms Allwood, from Warwickshire, told Sky News: "He preys on people's vulnerability.

"Obviously you can imagine going through that trauma, it was my children, he had no consideration for my wellbeing.

"He knew I was vulnerable, but he was just interested in lining his own pockets and there was no emotion, no feeling - he was just out for what he wanted."

Clifford, convicted of a string of sex attacks, had arranged a £75,000 deal with a tabloid newspaper for exclusive rights to her story in June 1996.

Max Clifford arranged a £75,000 deal with a tabloid paper

But in September she went into labour over an agonising three days, only to watch each child die in her arms.

At the time, in a series of interviews on her behalf, Clifford explained: "She needs help, and she came to me for help and guidance and that is exactly what she gets from me."

In 2001, Ms Allwood successfully sued him after she claimed he'd made "considerably more" out of the tragedy than she had.

"He is a devil, a manipulative selfish predator," the 49-year-old said.

"He's a clever guy who knows how to prey on your vulnerability. You can imagine, I was very vulnerable, he didn't even once say 'how are you Mandy?' - there was nothing.

Ms Allwood says Clifford showed no sympathy when she lost the babies

"I was a money-making machine for him - he was so up his own backside he thought he was invincible.

"Justice has been done for all his victims, and I was a victim, let's make that clear.

"I have no sympathy for the guy, I am so pleased that the verdict came back guilty, for the victims.

"Hopefully now they have got justice and they can start repairing their own lives."

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Tech Glitch Causes Long Delays At UK Airports

Passengers flying back to the UK from holidays today could face lengthy delays due to IT problems affecting passport control.

The IT glitches are affecting UK Border Force computers and have led to travel disruptions at several airports across the country.

Extra border control staff members have been brought in to try to reduce the lengthy lines.

Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham and Manchester are among the airports hit by the problems.

Passengers have reported isolated fights breaking out as frustration boiled over in long queues late on Wednesday.

The computer problem mostly affects passengers trying to enter the country and is having a particular impact on non-EU airline customers.

The scuffles apparently broke out over accusations of queue jumping.

Kay Perry, flying to the UK from Majorca, told Sky News: "We joined the queues at Gatwick's south terminal which actually extended out of the passport control room, up the stairs and along the corridors.

Luggage piled up at Gatwick Airport after the IT glitch

"We had people merging from the north and south terminal. Nobody really knew where they were meant to join the queues so fights started to break out."

Passport scanners were not working and staff manually checked each passport. The problem also affected e-passports.

Chris Hyland, a 32-year-old company director from Islington, north London, said international passengers at Gatwick had been told to expect a wait of up to four hours.

He said: "We landed from Geneva at 5.20pm but it took until 6.40pm for us to get through passport control.

"It's an absolute nightmare. We've been told there is an IT failure but that's it. You would have thought there would be a back-up plan."

A Government spokesman said: "We are currently experiencing temporary IT problems which may add to the time taken to conduct passport checks.

"We are working to rectify this issue and are providing extra staff to get passengers through the controls as quickly as possible. Our priority remains security of the border.

"We apologise for any additional time this adds to passengers' journeys."

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Motorists Face Miles Of Roadworks Misery

By Frazer Maude, Sky News Reporter

Motorists who complain about the amount of roadworks they have to deal with do have a point, according to a new survey.

A total of 91 councils provided information about the number of roadworks in their area, with the unfinished projects in these areas totalling almost 25,000.

Among the oldest projects are repairs on the A629 Brow Lane in Halifax and Carey Street in London, both of which began more than 18 months ago.

LV=, who commissioned the survey, say they estimate there are over 2,300 miles of roads currently being repaired.

Suffolk County Council has the most outstanding roadworks (1,906) followed by Leicestershire City Council (1,250) and Derby City Council (930).

A total of 109 councils said how much they had spent on road maintenance in 2013, with the overall figure of more than £647m equating to an average of £5.94m per council area.

One in eight said they had experienced aggression while in roadworks

LV= Road Rescue managing director Peter Horton said: "Local authorities face a difficult challenge to repair and maintain our roads this year, particularly given the impact of the adverse weather we have seen in recent months.

"With more cars on the road than ever, it will be hard to carry out roadworks without impacting drivers."

They also spoke to over 2,000 drivers who said that roadworks were affecting a third of journeys and adding an average of 12 minutes to travel times.

Roadworks have caused 14% of motorists to be late for meetings in the last year.

Work also causes frustrations to boil over.

A total of 13% of drivers say they have experienced aggressive behaviour from another motorist while stuck in roadworks.

More than half of drivers said roads in their area are getting worse

Four percent, the equivalent of 1.2 million drivers, have broken down as a result of their car over-heating while sitting in traffic.

While 66% of those polled felt road quality in their area was getting worse, 37% said projects were not completed quickly enough.

Peter Box, chairman of the Local Government Association's economy and transport board, said authorities always tried to carry out work quickly and to a high standard.

But a lack of cash has "trapped councils in "an endless cycle of only being able to patch up our road network", he claimed.

"We need increased and consistent funding for the widespread resurfacing projects we desperately need if we're ever to see a long-term improvement," he said.

The drivers have little sympathy though, they just want to get to work, and get home, without delays.

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Children Treated For Drug And Alcohol Abuse

Children as young as four are being referred to specialist drug and alcohol treatment services in the UK, an investigation has revealed.

Hundreds of youngsters have been flagged as being at risk of becoming addicts or have even started abusing alcohol and substances themselves, leading charities to call for improved education in schools.

Freedom of Information requests sent to all councils in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland reveal children as young as four have been referred to specialists in South Ayrshire.

Eight year olds have been flagged up to services in Waltham Forest and East Ayrshire, while Herefordshire, Liverpool, Oxfordshire, Rutland, the Scottish Borders and West Berkshire have all seen nine year olds referred.

Bury, Calderdale, Halton, Hull, Monmouthshire and Rochdale councils have referred 10 year olds.

The figures were uncovered by the Press Association.

A referral can either mean the child is vulnerable to drug and alcohol misuse through exposure from a parent or relative, or could have started abusing them on their own.

The most common reason for children to come into contact with drugs and alcohol is through their parents, according to experts.

Preventative work is key to heading off the problem among youngsters, they say.

A third of those referred for treatment had problems with alcohol

According to the most recent statistics from Public Health England, 366 children aged 12 or under were referred for treatment in 2012/13, compared with 433 in 2011/12.

More than half of under-13s - 59% - received treatment for cannabis misuse.

A third were treated for alcohol misuse, with a small number abusing solvents.

Andrew Brown, director of programmes at the charity Mentor UK, which seeks to protect children from drug and alcohol misuse, said it was "vital" education surrounding alcohol and drugs is improved.

Evidence suggests the "norm" of having one or two lessons on the subject a year is not sufficient, he added.

One of the Government's official drug advisers, Professor Simon Gibbons, recently said more needed to be done on drugs education in primary and middle schools.

By law, schools must cover the harmful effects of drugs on behaviour and health as part of the national science curriculum.

A new curriculum being introduced in September states that pupils in year six - those aged 10 and 11 - must learn to "recognise the impact of diet, exercise and drugs and lifestyle on the way their bodies function".

Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) lessons remain non-compulsory, although the Department for Education recommends schools schedule time for them and use the lessons to expand the knowledge pupils get in science lessons.

A Government spokeswoman said: "Both the old and the new curriculum are clear that all pupils should be taught about how drugs and other substances can be harmful to the human body.

"The science curriculum also covers how drugs can affect people's health and lifestyle.

"Teachers are also free to use their professional judgement to address any specific issues that meet the needs of their pupils through PSHE."

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By-Election Battle: Farage May Fight For Seat

Will Farage Step In After Mercer Resignation?

Updated: 12:15am UK, Wednesday 30 April 2014

By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent

When the 13 MPs on the Standards Committee squeezed into tiny Committee Room 13 in the Commons to decide Patrick Mercer's fate, I'm told the Labour MP Tom Clarke proposed that he should be expelled.

But he could not get a seconder and the majority of the committee backed a six-month ban, which is the same as the House of Lords handed out to some peers caught up in a similar cash-for-questions sting.

But Mercer didn't bother to wait for publication of the committee's report, but swiftly announced his resignation as an MP, triggering a by-election in which Nigel Farage is considering throwing his trademark fedora in the ring.

When I spoke to Mercer at about 6pm, he said he hadn't heard either officially or unofficially what the Standards Committee was going to recommend. But then events then moved quickly.

Within the next hour he did hear. And at 7.15pm he marched in the military style of the Army officer he used to be on to the green outside Parliament and put his hands up.

"As an ex-soldier I believe that when I have got something wrong you have got to fess up and get on with it," he barked.

"No point in shilly-shallying and trying to avoid it. What's happened has happened and I'm ashamed of it."

The Conservatives responded by declaring: "We agree that Patrick Mercer needs to stand down and that there should there be a by-election so the people of Newark can have a new MP."

Really? A by-election in Newark in the summer, shortly after UKIP's expected surge in the European elections on May 22, is David Cameron's worst nightmare.

Yes, Patrick Mercer's majority as the Tory candidate in 2010 was a healthy 16,000 and, yes, UKIP polled just under 2,000.

But times have changed. The YouGov poll in The Sunday Times a couple of days ago showed UKIP on 31% in the European elections, Labour 28%, the Tories just 19% and the LibDems 9%

So if Nigel Farage does stand, it would be at a time when his party is likely to be on a roll, having topped the poll in the Euros or coming close to doing so, and when Tory morale is at rock bottom and David Cameron's party possibly in meltdown.

On the morning after the Eastleigh by-election, in which UKIP came within 1,700 votes of defeating the LibDems, I asked Farage why he hadn't stood himself and whether he would stand in another by-election before 2015.

His answer, which he has often repeated, was that he was concentrating all his efforts on the Euro-elections and he wouldn't consider standing in a Westminster by-election until after May 2014.

Well, Newark will be after May 22. And the timing perhaps couldn't be better for him. But there are risks. If he stood and lost he would be badly damaged. So it's a gamble for him.

Margaret Thatcher used to accuse her political opponents of being "frit", an old Lincolnshire word meaning frightened.

If Farage doesn't stand in Newark, the Conservatives and Labour will accuse him of being "frit".

He says he's tempted. But if he dithers, he'll also be accused of "shilly-shallying", to use Patrick Mercer's colourful phrase.

A by-election triggered by a sleaze scandal is a potential disaster for the party defending the seat and a gift to an opposition party, particularly an "anti-politics" party like UKIP.

In 2009, when the left-wing Labour MP Ian Gibson got into trouble over his expenses, he quit and caused a by-election in his Norwich North constituency which was won by the Tories' Chloe Smith.

So if the Tory MPs on the Standards Committee thought they were helping to avoid a by-election by snubbing Tom Clarke's proposal to expel Patrick Mercer from the Commons, they were badly mistaken.

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Teacher Stabbing: Pupil Remains In Custody

School Pupils Caught With Weapons

Updated: 12:07am UK, Wednesday 23 April 2014

By Afua Hirsch, Social Affairs and Education Editor

Almost 1,000 pupils were caught with weapons including guns, axes and a meat cleaver in schools in the last three years, a Sky News investigation has found.

New figures show 981 children have had weapons confiscated on school premises since 2011.

They include at least 80 primary school children, the youngest of whom was an eight-year-old caught with a knife.

Some 36 pupils were found with an assortment of guns, including two hand guns, seven air-powered weapons and 27 BB guns.

Of those found with weapons, 329 caught with items including an axe, a cut-throat razor and a stun gun were charged with a criminal offence.

One 18-year-old, who is taking part in a young offender's programme in London, said: "I carried a weapon ... but only because of the environment I was in.

"My generation is a bit wild ... so it's a normal thing to carry a weapon because you know everyone else is. It's making it fair, basically."

Campaigners warned the scale of the problem is likely to be much worse, as 21 of the UK's 52 police forces did not supply figures requested under the Freedom of Information Act.

Data from West Midlands Police, which alone recovered weapons from 538 people during the same period, was not included because it also accounts for colleges and universities.

The figures raise questions about whether schools and the Government have failed to tackle the problem.

Jayne Walmsley, whose son Luke was murdered at a Lincolnshire school in 2003 aged 14, said: "Something is happening to the society we live in.

"We need to think and educate these kids. It's got to stop. We've got to do something about it."

Patrick Regan, CEO of charity XLP, which was founded in response to a school stabbing, added: "There's a culture of fear that needs to be broken down."

The Government said it had given teachers powers to take action if they suspect a pupil has brought a weapon into school.

"Teachers can now search pupils without consent, confiscate prohibited items and use force to remove disruptive pupils from the classroom when necessary," a spokesman for the Department for Education said.

"We've also given heads the final say on expulsions by removing the right of appeal panels to put pupils back in the classroom."

However, Chris Douglas, a youth worker with St Giles Trust, which engages with young people caught up in crime, warned the use of weapons is a growing problem.

"We're not hearing about stabbings because they're becoming more common," he said.

Last year, a study by UCL and charity Kids Company found half the young people working with the organisation had seen someone shot or stabbed in their community in the past year.

In 2009, the then-Government announced new measures to curb the problem of weapons in schools after a spate of attacks against children.

There were plans to introduce airport-style metal detectors as part of a violent crime action plan.

But campaigners are concerned the issue has disappeared from public discourse, leaving children vulnerable.

"Sometimes it's a bit like banging your head on a brick wall," Mrs Walmsley said.

"Schools won't admit to the problem because all they want is more pupils for more money."

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Half Of Cancer Sufferers Live Another Decade

By Thomas Moore, Health and Science Correspondent

More than half of all newly-diagnosed cancer patients now live for at least another decade, a landmark study has shown.

An analysis of more than seven million patients by Cancer Research UK reveals 10-year survival rates have jumped from just a quarter since 1971 as diagnostic techniques and treatments have improved.

The charity has set out an "ambitious" strategy to raise 10-year survival still further, to 75% over the next 20 years.

Dr Harpal Kumar, Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK, said: "Up to now the metric (for success) has been five-year survival.

"But with the progress that's been made over the last few decades we think it's time to shift the narrative and thinking about 10-year survival.

"That's what patients would aspire to and it's now realistic to talk about it."

Dr Harpal Kumar says we have come "a long way" when it comes to cancer

Women with breast cancer now have a 78% chance of surviving at least a decade, compared to only 40% some 40 years ago.

Ten-year survival rates for men with testicular cancer have jumped from 69% to 98% over the same period.

But the charity said the outlook for some patients remains bleak, with just 1% of those with pancreatic cancer surviving 10 years.

It will step up research on the cancer - as well as lung, oesophageal and brain cancer - to improve the prognosis.

Professor Michel Coleman, head of Cancer Research UK's Cancer Survival Group at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: "We want to see people with every type of cancer get the same chances of living a long life.

"This won't be easy, but the progress reported here over the last 40 years shows we're moving in the right direction."

Laurel Johnson was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer

The charity said survival could be improved by diagnosing cancer earlier, targeting effective new smart drugs at patients most likely to benefit, and reducing the proportion of adults who smoke from 20% to below 5%.

Laurel Johnson, 56, was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in 2006 after suffering a persistent sore throat.

"The chemo literally knocked me off my feet," she said.

"I had to be fed through a tube because I couldn't swallow and I struggled to walk because the therapy left me so weak.

"But the treatment worked. It's thanks to research that I am here today."

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Children Over Five 'Wearing Nappies In Class'

By Afua Hirsch, Social Affairs and Education Editor

Children are still wearing nappies in class after the age of five in hundreds of schools across the country, a Sky News investigation has found.

Teachers have reported pupils as old as 15 who have no medical conditions or developmental issues, but who are unable to use the toilet on their own.

In what is believed to be the first survey of its kind, Sky News commissioned the National Foundation for Educational Research to ask head teachers and staff in England about their experiences of children coming to schools wearing nappies.

Almost one in 10 heads and senior staff who responded said in the past year a child aged between five and seven had worn a nappy to school.

The figure was 5% for classroom teachers.

Almost one in 20 heads and senior staff said that in the last year a child aged seven to 11 had worn a nappy to school.

And 1% of classroom teachers surveyed had experience of older children in nappies.

The survey was completed by 602 teachers in primary schools and 561 teachers in secondary schools.

The figures suggest that head teachers and senior staff at a substantial number of England's 16,000 primary schools have experience in the past 12 months of at least one pupil above the age of five still wearing nappies.

There has been growing evidence in recent years that increasing numbers of children are starting school in nappies.

But this is the first research to suggest the problem extends beyond the Reception year.

And experts say it is not just pupils from deprived backgrounds who are not being toilet trained, but those who have working parents too busy to address the issue.

Anne-Marie Middleton, a deputy head teacher from Dover, says many pupils are too embarrassed to admit they still wear nappies.

She said: "We're seeing more and more children wearing nappies. We find that more and more children have an issue with toilet (training) further up the school.

Ms Middleton says that the busy lives of parents are often at the root of the problem, with pupils arriving at school without many basic skills including toileting, or being able to use a knife and fork.

Janet Marsh says it is an 'incredibly serious situation'

Janet Marsh runs a programme at a Kent school to try to help pupils toilet train.

She said she knew of 14 or 15 year olds without medical problems who still had toilet-training issues.

"It's an incredibly serious situation," she said.

"There are children who miss 25% of their education in Reception because they're being taken out to be changed. How are they going to catch up?"

Asked if teachers are being asked to do too much by expecting them to act as surrogate parents, Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Education, replied: "I do think hard about how much we ask of teachers, because we do ask a lot."

Mr Gove said the Government needed to support frontline teachers and listen to their concerns.

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Three Children Among Five Killed In House Fire

Five people, including three young children, have died in a house fire in Sharrow, Sheffield, firefighters say.

More follows...

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PM: Paedophiles Will Be Treated Like Terrorists

Paedophiles will be given the same treatment as terrorists as part of a crackdown on child abuse, the Prime Minister has said.

David Cameron wants to close a loophole that allows sexual predators to produce and possess manuals containing tips on identifying victims, grooming them and avoiding capture.

Under a new law to be included in the Queen's Speech, paedophiles will face the same kind of punishment as extremists who download guides to bomb-making.

Mr Cameron told the Sunday Times: "It's completely unacceptable that there is a loophole in the law which allows paedophiles to write and distribute these disgusting documents.

"I want to ensure we do everything we can to protect children - and that's why I am making them illegal."

William Vahey was being investigated by the FBI when he took his own life

The loophole emerged after the intelligence agency GCHQ and the National Crime Agency found examples of the guides in the chaotic part of the internet known as the "dark web".

The move comes in the week it was revealed a prolific paedophile abused up to 60 children at a London school before killing himself.

William James Vahey taught history and geography at Southbank International School from 2009 to 2013.

The law is expected to be in force by the general election next year, and the Sunday Times reports it could be implemented in an amendment to the Obscene Publications Act 1959.

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Paedophile Teacher's Abuse 'Led To Suicides'

A former student of paedophile William James Vahey has said she believes three of her classmates killed themselves after being abused by the teacher.

Alicia, who was taught by Vahey during the 1980s in Saudi Arabia, said she heard rumours about the teacher years after she left school.

"The rumours were, later on, when we would have reunions ... that certain people in my circle, there were three suicides of very popular students of his that were molested by him," she said.

"That was the rumour, and I cannot believe that this guy was still teaching students.

"That was the rumour: that Bill Vahey molested children and that ultimately three children had committed suicide as a result."

Asked to clarify the rumour further, Alicia said: "It's not a rumour. I mean, I know these people."

The FBI application for a search warrant

Vahey, who killed himself last month, is thought to have abused up to 90 boys during his career as a teacher, many of them in Britain.

The FBI says it is believed Vahey abused dozens of pupils at a London school. The American agency is leading the investigation into Vahey's crimes.

FBI special agent Shauna Dunlap said: "Without a doubt, this is certainly one of the most prolific suspected sexual predators that we've seen, given the numbers of children, potential victims, his position of trust, and so forth.

"And some of the allegations and the methods that are being alleged that he may have employed while committing these crimes."

Ms Dunlap added the FBI would not "stop seeking justice" because Vahey is dead.

FBI agents are in the UK to assist with the investigation into abuse at Southbank International School in London. The 64-year-old taught history and geography there from 2009 to 2013.

Executive principal Graham Lacey said images of between 50 and 60 pupils at the school were found on the American national's computer.

The FBI is in possession of pictures of at least 90 different boys aged 12 to 14 and is concerned there could be more.

Because Vahey drugged some of his victims, many might not even know they were abused.

Southbank International School in London

The school was closed on Friday and is asking for any pupils with disturbing experiences to come forward.

Parents of children there will have to chance to express their concerns to police at a meeting on Monday.

Chair of Governors Sir Chris Woodhead said: "The main anxiety of parents is predictable, they want information as soon as possible about whether there are images of their children discovered on Vahey's computer."

One of those concerned he may have been abused by the serial child molester during a field trip has spoken to The Guardian.

Jonathan told the newspaper: "I had my suspicions from the beginning. There was something a bit off about him.

"This was discussed among the boys: it was a case of Mr Vahey - the paedo."

Sky News has also obtained an FBI affidavit which reveals the extent of Vahey's abuse.

The document explains how Vahey reported a theft from his apartment in Nicaragua in 2013.

His maid was dismissed, but handed a memory stick she stole to the American Nicaraguan School in Managua, Nicaragua.

The images it contained "depict minor males in various states of undress" who "appear to be asleep, unconscious or possibly drugged".

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