PM Orders Probe Into Paedophile Dossier

By Anushka Asthana, Sky News Political Correspondent

The Prime Minister has ordered an investigation into what happened to a dossier containing explosive allegations about paedophile activity by powerful and famous figures in the 1980s.

David Cameron said he wants Mark Sedwill, the permanent secretary to the Home Office, to do "everything he can" to get to the truth.

The Government has been under pressure to act after claims that a list of names of suspected child abusers, including high-profile men in the establishment, was passed by the MP Geoffrey Dickens to the then-home secretary.

Lord Brittan admitted he received the dossier and passed it on to officials - but no action was ever taken.

"I quite understand people's concerns about these events that were referred to over 30 years ago," Mr Cameron said.

"And that is why I've asked the permanent secretary at the Home Office to do everything he can to find answers to all of these questions and make sure we can reassure people about these events."

Lord Brittan admitted he received the dossier

Mr Cameron warned that nothing must be done to "prejudice or prevent proper action by the police" but urged anyone with information of "criminal wrongdoing" to come forward.

The move comes after an investigation by the Home Office in 2013 into what happened - which was not fully published - concluded that the "credible" parts of the dossier were passed on to prosecutors while other parts were "not retained or destroyed". 

Mr Dickens' son, Barry, said he was dismayed by the lack of action over the files which his father had warned would "blow everything apart". He told Sky News that he wanted to see the Prime Minister take action.

Many of the questions focused on the Elm Guest House in Barnes, southwest London, where there have been allegations that senior members of the establishment abused children.

Allegations of sex abuse have been made against the late Cyril Smith

One figure who was said to go there was the former Lib Dem MP, Cyril Smith, about whom allegations of serial child abuse have emerged since his death in 2010.

One 16-year-old claimed he was abused by Smith at the Barnes institution. The allegations were contained in a book co-authored by Labour MP Simon Danscuk.

Barry Dickens told Sky News that an investigation by Mr Sedwill was inadequate.

"I'm not convinced the Home Office can investigate its own failings," he said.

Many are now calling for a full public inquiry into the allegations, although the Prime Minister and others have warned that it was right for the police to take the lead.

Labour MP Simon Danczuk, who has investigated claims of abuse by Smith, said: "The Prime Minister knows that there is a growing sense of public anger about allegations of historic abuse involving senior politicians and his statement today represents little more than a damage limitation exercise. It doesn't go far enough.

"The public has lost confidence in these kind of official reviews, which usually result in a whitewash. The only way to get to the bottom of this is a thorough public inquiry."

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Boxer Amir Khan Arrested Over Assaults

Former boxing world champion Amir Khan has been arrested on suspicion of two assaults in Bolton.

Khan, 27, was held after two teenagers were attacked in the early hours of Friday.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesman said: "Just before 1.30am on Friday, police were called following reports of an assault in Bolton.

"Officers attended Russell Street and discovered two 19-year-old men had been assaulted. Their injuries are not serious.

Amir Khan tweeted about the arrest

"A 27-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of two section 47 assaults."

The former WBA and IBF light welterweight champion has been released on bail until mid July.

An ambulance spokesman said paramedics attended the scene but those at the scene refused treatment.

Khan's spokesman said he expected the case to be dropped

A spokesman for the light welterweight fighter confirmed he had been questioned by police but was expecting the case to be dropped.

He added that some reports in the media had seen the allegations "blown out of all proportion".

"It was a minor incident and we're expecting the case to be dropped against Amir," the spokesman said.

"We're expecting to formally hear that from police on Monday morning."

Khan later tweeted about the arrest, writing: "All nonsense please don't believe what you read. I'm home with my family and nobody got beat up."

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Imams Call On UK Muslims Not To Join Jihad

UK Mosque Denies Radicalising ISIS Jihadists

Updated: 9:24pm UK, Tuesday 24 June 2014

A mosque in Cardiff attended by two British members of an Islamic extremist group has denied promoting extremist ideologies as Home Secretary Theresa May says 400 UK-linked citizens are fighting in Syria.

The Al-Manar Centre confirmed that the two men who appeared alongside a third British man in a recruitment video for the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) had attended the mosque. 

But it said it had never encouraged any of its members to join extremist groups fighting abroad.

In a statement, the Al-Manar Centre said: "It is worth mentioning that ACT's stance is well known, that we are opposed to going to Syria or any other country, to participate in an armed struggle and have always made this clear.

"We have on many occasions tackled the issues of extreme ideologies. Indeed, feeling the responsibilities towards our local community, especially those concerning the youth, we have engaged with parents warning against such dangers. 

"We would like to emphasise that the vast majority of the local Muslim community are law abiding British citizens.

"May we reiterate our concerns that the internet has become an alarming source for radicalisation of such vulnerable members of our British society."

In the video posted to YouTube, students Nasser Muthana and Reyaad Khan, both aged 20 and from Cardiff, and Abdul Raqib Amin, who was brought up in Aberdeen, urged Westerners to join the fighting in Iraq and Syria.

Nasser Muthana's father Ahmed told Sky News last week that he believed his son was radicalised in a mosque in the United Kingdom, but did now know which one.

Muthana's brother Aseel is also known to be fighting with ISIS.

Home Secretary Theresa May has said the latest figures suggest the number of UK-linked individuals who have gone to fight in Syria currently stands at about 400.

She told Sky News that to prevent them returning home and posing a threat to UK citizens, "we need to exercise every tool that we have."

She said that included that capability to monitor the communications of those who are suspected of taking part in extremist activity who "pose a very real threat."

Meanwhile, the Archbishop of York has called on religious leaders to make sure young people are not "brainwashed" into fighting and killing in the name of their faith.

Dr John Sentamu told Sky News they had "a duty to work together" to tackle the problem of UK youths being radicalised and recruited as jihadists.

Dr Sentamu said: "I don't want to use the word radicalising. I think it is brainwashing. We don't want our young people to be brainwashed believing really a lie, that by fighting and killing another person your religion becomes better.

"All religious leaders, whatever tradition they come from, have got a duty to work together to make sure that our young people are not being brainwashed into some kind of nonsense."

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Rolf Harris To Learn Fate Over Sex Attacks

The Fall Of One Of Britain's Best-Loved Stars

Updated: 6:09pm UK, Monday 30 June 2014

By Nick Pisa, Sky News Reporter

Despite being born in Australia, Rolf Harris' lengthy career in show business, spanning almost six decades, has ensured he is one of Britain's best-known and, until now, best-loved stars.

From his humble beginnings as a swimming champion in his native Western Australia, he moved to London in 1952 after deciding to abandon a teaching career and study art instead.

Within weeks he was singing in ex-pat clubs and two years after stepping off a liner, he signed a contract with the BBC which marked the start of a lengthy association with the broadcaster.

Artist, singer-songwriter and TV star, his legendary career earned him an MBE, OBE and CBE and Australian honours as well.

He was given a BAFTA fellowship, painted a portrait of the Queen and has met other members of the royal family countless times.

Harris also made numerous TV commercials and appeared at Glastonbury six times - opening the event in 2010 - and singing in front of a crowd of almost 100,000.

Countless generations of children and adults know him through iconic programmes from the 70s, 80s and 90s, such as The Rolf Harris Show, Rolf Harris Cartoon Time, Animal Hospital and Rolf On Art.

His wife of 56 years, Alwen, and daughter Bindi, 49, supported him in court throughout the seven-week trial, although only Bindi was called to give evidence in the case.

She described how she wanted to ''stab herself with forks'' after discovering Harris had been having a relationship with her best friend, who was the subject of seven of the charges.

In his 2001 autobiography, titled after his catchphrase "Can You Tell What It Is Yet", there is a telling passage in which he explained his feelings about his family.

He wrote: ''Alwen and Bindi have to come first. It has only been in the last five years that I have realised this. Late, but better than never.''

Telling, because it was in 1997 Harris wrote to the father of Bindi's best friend to tell him of the affair he had been having with his daughter when his own daughter found out.

He also wrote of how, as his career took off in the 60s, he found himself ogling women in backstage dressing rooms set aside for dancers he worked with.

Harris wrote: ''I tried not to watch - or be seen watching - but it wasn't easy, I spent most of my time reading the same page of a book 14 times realising I was holding it upside down.''

It's also clear he had a difficult relationship with his daughter and wife - blaming himself for not being with them as he devoted his time to his career - leaving them a painful second.

In the early 1960s as his career hit the big time, Alwen visited Australia with him and it later emerged she had contemplated suicide, Harris only finding out about it 30 years later when he found her diary.

Harris described how ''the words struck me like hammer blows'' adding that he ''felt terrible and I kicked myself for my selfishness''.

His awards and honours count for nothing and he will now swap his luxury Thames-side home in Berkshire for the cold harsh surroundings of a prison cell, as a convicted sex offender.

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Osborne: 'I Could Have Done More' For Economy

By Sarah Hewson, Sky News Presenter

George Osborne has admitted he wishes he had done more to help Britain's economy when the coalition came to power.

Speaking to Sky News, the Chancellor of the Exchequer expressed regret his attempts to reform the economy had not gone far enough.

The Chancellor fielded questions from the readers of First News

Mr Osborne did not specify what further action he would have liked to have taken but he is now likely to face questions over which other policies he might have pursued or which reforms he would have taken further.

On assuming power the coalition embarked on the biggest austerity drive for more than 50 years as it attempted to repair the nation's finances.

But the Chancellor faced several years of criticism as the economy struggled to recover from the recession.

Asked what his biggest regret of his time in office has been, he said: "When you get into office that's your opportunity to take some really big decisions.

"And we did take some big decisions because then you've got a few years to see them played out.

"But actually I look back and think there's even more we could have done to fix some of the economic problems and I want to go on therefore taking decisions that will help create jobs.

"If anything, it's like I wish we'd done even more."

Mr Osborne made his comments in response to a question from one of a panel of readers of First News - the UK's national newspaper for young people - and students from Sky Academy - an initiative that is giving up to one million opportunities to young people.

During the interview - the first in a series called Hot Seat, where prominent men and women will face questions from young people - Mr Osborne defended the rowdy atmosphere at Prime Minister's Questions, arguing it demonstrates "passion".

The children also challenged Mr Osborne over Prime Minister's questions

But inquisitor Jessica Trueman, 12, from Buckinghamshire retorted, saying: "I think it is good for adults, but not so good for the children watching it because they might think it is ok to shout."

Mr Osborne told the children he saved up as a youngster for a Scalextric set and claimed to spend his time running listening to Happy singer Pharrell Williams on his iPod.

However, he avoided being tested on his times-tables when the youngest of the panel, seven-year-old Sam Raddings, asked Mr Osborne what seven times eight is.

"I've made it a rule in life not to answer a whole load of maths questions," came the swift response from Mr Osborne.

The Chancellor had been invited to give the children an "exclusive" story. If you want the scoop on a hamster on the loose in Downing Street, watch the video.

There will be more to come from the Hot Seat series in the run up to next year's General Election.

Let us know who you would most like to hear from and look out for details on how you can get involved on Sky News and in First News.

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Cot Death Warning Over Sharing Bed With Babies

By Thomas Moore, Health And Science Correspondent

Parents have been warned not to fall asleep with their baby on a bed or a sofa until the child is at least one year old.

New draft recommendations from health watchdog National Institute For Clinical Excellence (Nice) say parents can easily suffocate their babies while they are asleep.

And the risk is higher if they have drunk alcohol, taken drugs or smoked.

Babies are also more likely to die suddenly in their sleep if they were born small or premature.

Professor Mark Baker, Nice's clinical practice director, said: "Falling asleep with a baby, whether that's in a bed or on a sofa or chair, is risky.

"We recognise that some parents may choose to share a bed with their baby because it could make breastfeeding easier, or for cultural reasons.

"Or they may be forced to co-sleep because they may not have the space or money for a cot.

"This is why it's so important for parents to understand what the risks are."

Just under 250 babies a year die from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in England and Wales.

Doctors still do not understand what causes babies to die. But Nice says the risk factors are becoming clearer.

Existing advice warns parents not to "co-sleep" with their babies until they are six to eight weeks old.

Nice says new research shows the risk period extends up to one year.

SIDS charity The Lullaby Trust said it regularly has contact with families that have lost a baby older than eight weeks.

Francine Bates, chief executive, said: "If every parent followed these guidelines we believe we could go a long way in achieving our ambition of halving the rate of SIDS in this country by 2020."

But Belinda Phipps, chief executive of the National Childbirth Trust, warned exhausted parents are likely to ignore the advice.

"We know that around half of UK mothers bed-share with their baby at some point in their first few months," she said.

"Nice guidance needs to reflect this reality. We are concerned that these guidelines will lead to parents hiding the fact that they are bed-sharing, or doing so through desperation or exhaustion without safety strategies in place."

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PMQs 'Big Turn-Off' As Mums Call For Shake-Up

By Becky Johnson, North Of England Correspondent

More than 56,000 people have signed a petition calling for changes to Prime Minister's Questions.

The petition was launched by parenting forum Mumsnet.

It comes after the behaviour of politicians was likened to that of preschoolers during the weekly debate in the Commons when MPs and the opposition leader grill the Prime Minister.

They describe PMQs as "one of the biggest turn-offs", saying "we want our children to grow up proud of that and eager to engage".

"At the moment, worrying numbers struggle to find the will to vote," the petition said.

"PMQs should be about holding power to account - not about planted questions, scripted answers and 10-second soundbites for the TV news."

A recent survey carried out by the group found 76% of mothers think PMQs is "unprofessional and outdated" and 80% think it is "ineffective".

David Cameron and Labour leader Ed Miiband make their points at PMQs

Mothers in Swinton, Greater Manchester, told Sky News they were shocked at some of the behaviour they witnessed in PMQs.

Nicola Turner, mother of four-year-old Lily, said: "I think they're quite immature in a lot of respects, quite inconsiderate of each other.

"They need to allow time for each person to speak and show the respect and consideration of allowing those people to speak without interrupting them."

Vicky Barton, who has a one-year-old son William, agrees.

She said: "The fact that the speaker had to stand up several times and tell them to be quiet and calm down, you get that in nursery or in primary school, you certainly don't expect adults to have to be told more than once."

Vicky Barton has criticised politicans' behaviour

Mumsnet users have taken to their online forum to air their views.

One wrote: "We should be very embarrassed about this pantomime. It's got nothing to do with adult debate about any subject."

Another posted "Would be nice to not see whatever party is speaking not all grinning/laughing like bullies when the speaker makes a point belittling the other side."

However, some didn't want to sign the petition.

One commented "it's a tradition. And quite amusing. Though I can quite see why people want it changed.

"But it does give a chance to see our so called leaders at their worst. So maybe that's a good thing."

Today, PMQs will be streamed live on the Mumsnet website at 12pm.

Users will be able to take part in a live webchat before and afterwards with Sky News' political correspondent Anushka Asthana to share their views.

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Superbugs 'Could Send UK Back To The Dark Ages'

Britain is to lead the fight against antibiotic-resistant superbugs which risk sending Britain "back to the Dark Ages", David Cameron will announce today.

Tens of thousands of people around the world are dying from infections caused by bugs that have become resistant to treatment including malaria, salmonella and tubercurlosis.

An estimated 627,000 people died from malaria in 2012

The WHO has warned that unless co-ordinated action is taken the world is heading towards a post-antibiotic era in which common infections and minor injuries can once again kill.

"This is not some distant threat but something happening right now," the Prime Minister will say.

"If we fail we are looking at an almost unthinkable scenario where antibiotics no longer work and we are cast back into the dark ages of medicine where treatable infections and injuries will kill once again."

Dame Sally Davies: 'We must act now on a global scale'

Professor Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer for England, said: "We must act now on a global scale to slow down antimicrobial resistance.

"In Europe, at least 25,000 people a year already die from infections which are resistant to our drugs of last resort.

"New antibiotics made by the biotech and pharmaceutical industry will be central to resolving this crisis which will impact on all areas of modern medicine.

"I am delighted to see the Prime Minister taking a global lead by commissioning this review to help new antibiotics to be developed and brought to patients effectively."

David Cameron raised the issue with US president Barack Obama and German chancellor Angela Merkel when they met at the G7 summit in Brussels last month.

The initial £500,000 cost of the work will be met by the Wellcome Trust. Director Jeremy Farrar said: "Drug-resistant bacteria, viruses and parasites are driving a global health crisis.

"It threatens not only our ability to treat deadly infections, but almost every aspect of modern medicine: from cancer treatment to Caesarean sections, therapies that save thousands of lives every day rely on antibiotics that could soon be lost.

"We are failing to contain the rise of resistance, and failing to develop new drugs to replace those that no longer work. We are heading for a post-antibiotic age."

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Madeleine McCann Police To Interview Suspects

Madeleine: Key Events Timeline

Updated: 8:10pm UK, Monday 30 June 2014

Here is a timeline of the key events since Madeleine McCann's disappearance.

2007

:: May 3 - Kate and Gerry McCann leave their three children asleep in their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz while they dine with friends at a nearby tapas restaurant.

Jane Tanner, one of the friends eating with the McCanns, later reports seeing a man carrying a child away earlier that night.

:: May 5 - Portuguese police reveal they believe Madeleine was abducted but is still alive and in Portugal, and say they have a sketch of a suspect.

:: May 14 - Detectives take Anglo-Portuguese man Robert Murat in for questioning and make him an "arguido", or official suspect.

:: May 25 - Detectives release a description of the man reported by Jane Tanner three weeks earlier after pressure from the McCanns, their legal team and the British Government.

:: May 30 - Mr and Mrs McCann meet the Pope in Rome in the first of a series of trips around Europe and beyond to highlight the search for their daughter.

:: August 6 - A Portuguese newspaper reports that British sniffer dogs have found traces of blood on a wall in the McCanns' holiday apartment.

:: August 11 - Exactly 100 days after Madeleine disappeared, investigating officers publicly acknowledge for the first time that she could be dead.

:: September 7 - During further questioning of Mr and Mrs McCann, detectives make them both "arguidos" in their daughter's disappearance.

:: September 9 - The McCanns fly back to England with their two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie.

:: October 2 - Goncalo Amaral, the detective in charge of the inquiry, is removed from the case after criticising the British police in a Portuguese newspaper interview.

:: October 25 - The McCanns release a new artist's impression drawn by an FBI-trained expert showing the man described by Jane Tanner.

2008

:: March 19 - Mr and Mrs McCann accept £550,000 libel damages and front-page apologies from Express Newspapers over allegations they were responsible for Madeleine's death.

:: April 7 - Three Portuguese detectives, led by Paulo Rebelo, fly to Britain to re-interview the seven friends on holiday with the McCanns when Madeleine vanished.

:: July 17 - Mr Murat receives £600,000 in libel damages from four newspaper groups over "seriously defamatory" articles connecting him with the child's disappearance.

:: July 21 - The Portuguese authorities shelve their investigation and lift the "arguido" status of the McCanns and Mr Murat.

:: August 4 - Thousands of pages of evidence from the Portuguese police files in the exhaustive investigation into Madeleine's disappearance are made public.

2009

:: January 13 - Mr McCann returns to Portugal for the first time since coming back to the UK without his daughter.

:: March 24 - The McCanns launch a localised new appeal for information focused on the area in the Algarve where Madeleine disappeared.

:: April 4 - Mr McCann goes back to Portugal to help film a reconstruction of the events on the night his daughter vanished.

:: April 22 - The McCanns fly to the US to record an interview with chat show host Oprah Winfrey to mark two years since Madeleine's disappearance.

:: June 14 - Dying paedophile Raymond Hewlett says he was in the Algarve when Madeleine disappeared and has an alibi - but has no plans to reveal it.

:: August 6 - Detectives say they are hunting a "Victoria Beckham lookalike" with an Australian or New Zealand accent, reportedly seen in Barcelona three days after the little girl went missing.

2010

:: Feb 18 -  Kate and Gerry McCann say they are "pleased and relieved" at a judge's decision to uphold a ban on a book by former detective Goncalo Amaral.

:: Mar 3 -  A newly-released file from Portugese police on possible sightings is called "gold dust" and could lead to a breakthrough, says a spokesman for the McCanns.

:: May 1 - Kate McCann reveals she had thoughts about being "wiped out" in a motorway crash to end the pain of losing Madeleine - but vows never to give up.

:: November 10 - Madeleine's parents launch an online petition to help force a UK and Portuguese joint review of all evidence in the case.

:: November 15 -  The McCanns sign a deal to write a book about their daughter's disappearance.

2011

:: May 13 - The Prime Minister David Cameron asks London's Metropolitan Police to help investigate the case.

:: November 23 - Kate and Gerry McCann appear at the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics.

They tell how media pressure affected their family life and accuse newspaper editors of hampering the search for their missing daughter.

Kate McCann says she felt "violated" when her diary was published without her permission.

:: December 5 - Scotland Yard detectives spend time in Barcelona as part of their re-examination of the case.

2012

:: March 9 - Portuguese police in Oporto launch a review of the original investigation.

:: April 26 - Scotland Yard says Madeleine McCann may still be alive and release an artist's impression of what she may look like as a nine-year-old.

:: July 6 - British detectives examine a claim that the little girl's body is buried near the apartment from where she vanished. It comes after a self-styled investigator sends police radar scans he claims show a burial site.

2013

:: February 11 - Gerry McCann calls for politicians to implement the conclusions of the Leveson Inquiry in full, backed by legislation.

:: February 13 - Police say the results of DNA tests on a girl in New Zealand who was mistaken for Madeleine reveal that she is not the missing British girl.

:: February 21 - Retired solicitor Tony Bennett who published claims that Madeleine McCann's parents caused her death is given a suspended jail sentence.

:: May 2 - Madeleine McCann's parents tell Sky News a police review into their daughter's disappearance is making "excellent progress" as they mark the sixth anniversary since she went missing.

:: May 17 - Scotland Yard say they have identified a number of "people of interest" they want to speak to. It believes it has found enough evidence to reopen the case but the Portuguese authorities are still resistant. 

:: June 15 - The Home Office agrees to fund a full-scale investigation by the Metropolitan Police.

:: October 13 - UK detectives reviewing the case say key details in the timeline of her disappearance have "significantly changed".

:: October 14 - A fresh appeal is launched in a bid to find a suspect detectives say is of "vital importance", with two new separate e-fits - thought to be of the same man seen on the night Madeleine went missing - released by police.

:: October 17 - Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, who is leading the Scotland Yard team, Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, and Mr and Mrs McCann meet officers in Lisbon to be briefed on the Portuguese case.

:: October 23 - Britain's most senior police officer Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe defends the way the Portuguese dealt with the initial investigation into Madeleine's disappearance, saying it would have been "very difficult" to immediately know if they were dealing with a serious crime.

:: October 24 - Detectives in Portugal reopen the investigation into Madeleine McCann's disappearance after an internal review uncovers new lines of inquiry and witnesses who were never questioned during the original Portuguese investigation.

2014

:: January 3 - A family source says Kate and Gerry McCann have been denied permission to give evidence at a Portuguese libel trial over a book about the case by former local police chief Goncalo Amaral.

:: January 13 - British police investigate three burglars who were in the area when Madeleine disappeared, and whose phones were apparently "red hot" after she went missing. A letter is sent to Portuguese police asking for help to track them down.

:: January 29 - Scotland Yard officers, including the detective leading the case, fly to Portugal to meet police there and discuss the latest developments.

:: March 19 - Officers from Operation Grange launch a search for a man who sexually assaulted five British girls in the Algarve between 2004 and 2006.

:: April 23 - Detectives identify five new cases where a lone intruder abused young British girls in holiday apartments in the Algarve.

:: May 1 - Kate and Gerry McCann give an interview to Sky News where they are desperate to find out what happened to Madeleine, even if it is the "worst case scenario" as they back calls for a Child Rescue Alert service similar to the Amber Alert system in the US.

:: May 6 - Scotland Yard plans to dig for evidence in three locations in Praia da Luz are approved, with officers set to use ground penetrating radar.

:: May 8 - British Officers reportedly use a military helicopter to photograph potential excavation sites and hold a four-hour meeting with Portuguese colleagues to agree a timetable for new searches.

:: May 22 - Met Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley says the investigation will enter a "substantial phase of operational activity" in Portugal in the coming weeks. 

:: June 2 - Portuguese police seal off an area of scrubland to the west of Praia da Luz as they prepare to examine the potential excavation site.

:: June 11 - Police begin to search an area between Praia da Luz and the town of Lagos behind a water treatment plant. The search of the scrubland site was later wound down.

:: June 30 - The British team return to Portugal and plan to speak to a key witness and several suspects the following day.

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Rolf Harris Visited Broadmoor With Jimmy Savile

The Fall Of One Of Britain's Best-Loved Stars

Updated: 6:09pm UK, Monday 30 June 2014

By Nick Pisa, Sky News Reporter

Despite being born in Australia, Rolf Harris' lengthy career in show business, spanning almost six decades, has ensured he is one of Britain's best-known and, until now, best-loved stars.

From his humble beginnings as a swimming champion in his native Western Australia, he moved to London in 1952 after deciding to abandon a teaching career and study art instead.

Within weeks he was singing in ex-pat clubs and two years after stepping off a liner, he signed a contract with the BBC which marked the start of a lengthy association with the broadcaster.

Artist, singer-songwriter and TV star, his legendary career earned him an MBE, OBE and CBE and Australian honours as well.

He was given a BAFTA fellowship, painted a portrait of the Queen and has met other members of the royal family countless times.

Harris also made numerous TV commercials and appeared at Glastonbury six times - opening the event in 2010 - and singing in front of a crowd of almost 100,000.

Countless generations of children and adults know him through iconic programmes from the 70s, 80s and 90s, such as The Rolf Harris Show, Rolf Harris Cartoon Time, Animal Hospital and Rolf On Art.

His wife of 56 years, Alwen, and daughter Bindi, 49, supported him in court throughout the seven-week trial, although only Bindi was called to give evidence in the case.

She described how she wanted to ''stab herself with forks'' after discovering Harris had been having a relationship with her best friend, who was the subject of seven of the charges.

In his 2001 autobiography, titled after his catchphrase "Can You Tell What It Is Yet", there is a telling passage in which he explained his feelings about his family.

He wrote: ''Alwen and Bindi have to come first. It has only been in the last five years that I have realised this. Late, but better than never.''

Telling, because it was in 1997 Harris wrote to the father of Bindi's best friend to tell him of the affair he had been having with his daughter when his own daughter found out.

He also wrote of how, as his career took off in the 60s, he found himself ogling women in backstage dressing rooms set aside for dancers he worked with.

Harris wrote: ''I tried not to watch - or be seen watching - but it wasn't easy, I spent most of my time reading the same page of a book 14 times realising I was holding it upside down.''

It's also clear he had a difficult relationship with his daughter and wife - blaming himself for not being with them as he devoted his time to his career - leaving them a painful second.

In the early 1960s as his career hit the big time, Alwen visited Australia with him and it later emerged she had contemplated suicide, Harris only finding out about it 30 years later when he found her diary.

Harris described how ''the words struck me like hammer blows'' adding that he ''felt terrible and I kicked myself for my selfishness''.

His awards and honours count for nothing and he will now swap his luxury Thames-side home in Berkshire for the cold harsh surroundings of a prison cell, as a convicted sex offender.

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A&E 'Burdened By Millions Of GP Patients'

Hospital A&E Patient Numbers On The Rise

Updated: 1:08pm UK, Friday 10 January 2014

By Thomas Moore, Health And Science Correspondent

Hospital emergency departments saw 2,674 more admissions than they did in the same week last year.

The surge in admissions is thought to be one of the factors that has led to A&E departments nationwide missing their target for seeing patients within four hours.

In the last week, accident and emergency departments have seen 94.3% of patients within fours hours. The target is 95%.

Dame Barbara Hakin, chief operating officer of NHS England, said that although the weekly target had been missed, the quarterly target had been achieved.

She said: "The first few weeks of the calendar year are generally the toughest for the NHS, but this week's figures, the first week in quarter four, are over a percentage point better than the same week last year. This is hugely encouraging."

At Good Hope Hospital in the West Midlands, A&E staff have been dealing with a surge of patients since the New Year.

A new rapid assessment team of senior doctors and nurses checks fresh arrivals within 30 minutes of them coming in, redirecting those who could be seen by a GP or a minor injuries unit.

But a delay in discharging patients from the wards is causing a bottleneck.

By early afternoon, 13 patients are waiting in cubicles to be admitted. Until they are found a bed, patients are having to wait on trolleys for their A&E treatment to start.

A&E matron Anna Howell said the backlog adds to pressure on staff.

"It means we are doing two jobs rather than one," she said.

"There is the A&E workload and then there is the workload of patients who are stable and safe and need to be admitted for specialist treatment. They need different nursing."

Alice Mills, who turns 100 later this month, is one of those needing a bed.

She has breathing problems and doctors suspect she has an infection.

Her daughter Lesley Partridge said that although staff were busy, they were still caring.

"She was scared about coming into hospital," she said.

"But everybody has reassured her, joked with her and calmed her. It's exactly what she needed."

The problem with bed-blocking at Good Hope is common around the NHS.

Figures released earlier this week by NHS England showed that almost 2,700 beds are occupied by patients who are better. That is up on this time last year.

Abimbola Otesile, an A&E doctor at Good Hope, said the work rarely stops.

"As soon as you finish one patient you see the next one almost immediately, so you get very tired by the end of the day," he said.

Katherine Henderson, a lead A&E clinician at St Thomas's Hospital, London, said: "We have transformed our ability to get patients out of the EDU by early on flagging a patient's bed - we are going to need a bed on this unit.

"(We are) working very hard with the medical teams for patients coming into the hospital, but also working hard with the community teams, so we have a hospital-at-home system so we can actually got a rapid response community service to see any elderly patients who just needs a little bit more."

:: All this week Sky News has been providing live coverage examining the crisis in the NHS. Watch 'A Matter Of Life And Death' on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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England Fans Could Face Euro 2004 Riot Charge

Three England football fans deported from Portugal during the Euro 2004 championships have been ordered to return to face charges of rioting.

The charges date back to June 2004 when some 400 England fans clashed with police in the holiday resort of Albufeira on Portugal's Algarve.

Richard Freeman (L) and Lewis Andrews deny being involved in the clashes

Mounted officers and riot police with dogs moved in after a local bar was pelted with chairs, bottles and tables in a night of disturbances that left several police officers and fans injured.

Several dozen England fans were arrested and deported after summary court hearings.

After arriving back in the UK they were told by British police that no further action would be taken.

But Portuguese authorities have now named them as arguidos - or suspects - and ordered them to return to stand trial on charges of rioting. If convicted they could face up to five years in prison.

Garry Mann was extradited to Portugal and imprisoned

Berkshire builder Richard Freeman claims he was beaten by Portuguese police and held in custody for three days before being deported.

He denies being involved in the disturbances and said he was shocked and scared when Sky News told him he had been summoned.

He said: "It's the first I've heard of it. After all this time, it's a farce. I've no idea what to do. If I go back what chance have I got of a fair trial? If I don't go, they might extradite me."

Newly-wed Lewis Andrews, from Oxfordshire, is another wanted suspect. He said: "I'm not going to court because they might arrest me again.

Several dozen England fans were arrested during the tournament

"I was just walking back to my hotel doing nothing when police attacked me with batons. Why are they bringing this up now, after 10 years?"

Some 21 other England fans were considered for belated prosecution, but because of the time delay they are unlikely to be returned. Prosecutors say they have until December to prosecute the other three.

Kent fireman Garry Mann was arrested during the clashes and convicted after a brief trial. Six years after he was deported he was extradited to Portugal and imprisoned.

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All Staff Get Rights To Work From Home

By Emma Birchley, Sky News correspondent

The right to request flexible working arrangements is about to be extended to apply to all staff and not just parents and carers.

From Monday, workers who have been in their job for six months will be able to ask for flexitime, to job share or to work from home.

The change will extend flexible working rights to around 20 million people.

Many businesses who already offer it say it increases staff motivation and productivity and reduces absence.

Workers may be able to avoid painful commutes to work

It has been an option for all employees at the small advertising agency Osbornenash in Norwich since they set up three years ago - and it has paid off.

Managing director Carole Osborne said: "For us as a business it has helped because we want to be able to recruit the best staff that we possibly can ... it's important that we are flexible around their lives and then also that they can be flexible around what we as a business offer our clients."

The company's senior art director, Neil Wright, has two young daughters and is able to change his hours to suit his family life.

"Obviously family is important to everyone particularly having two children and my wife also works full time," he said.

"It's very valuable to be able to balance life and work equally."

The team at Osbornenash support flexi hours

But employment lawyer Fraser Younson, a partner at Squire Patton Boggs, fears it could leave bosses with tough decisions about whose request to prioritise.

Flexibility will not be an option for all businesses and there are various grounds on which they can reject an application.

Christopher Soule, from the Federation of Small Businesses, said that one reason might be if the request worked out as too expensive for the employee's company.

But Mr Soule believes that many companies will embrace the opportunities.

"About 70% of our members already do some kind of flexible working," he said.

"It will make people think about whether it will help their business and improve their business and improve their staff relations."

Workers will have the right to appeal if the decision does not go their way and apply again 12 months later.

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Dying Man's Video Advice For Daughter

A man dying from Motor Neurone Disease is making video messages for his three-year-old daughter to watch when she has grown up.

Ian Pratt's videos cover subjects like boys and money management.

Mr Pratt, from Barnsley, was diagnosed with the disease in 2012 and knew the only way he would be able to talk to his daughter Georgiana when she reached her teenage years was to make recordings of his words.

He told Sky News: "I never thought that we would have children. It was never something we planned to do. It was just something that happened and I'm pleased it did.

"But it's just the thought that I won't be there to protect her and to nurture her and to do those things that a father would normally do.

"No one survives this. Everyone who gets a diagnosis dies. Some people die quickly. Some people go on for five, ten years. Some might live longer."

He has gone public with his story to raise awareness of the disease and the Motor Neurone Disease Association which helps people like him and carries out research.

His wife Catherine supports what he is doing.

She told Sky News: "I'll probably end up sitting with Georgiana when she gets older but it will just be a sob story for me. I'll be in tears."

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