Govt 'Out Of Touch' On Term-Time Holiday Ban

By Afua Hirsch, Social Affairs and Education Editor

New rules banning holidays during school term time are penalising families who have no choice but to take their children out of school, some parents have told Sky News.

Maxine Ingrouille-Kidd, whose son Curtis is severely disabled, said she was threatened with a fine when she asked for permission to take her son on a cruise during term time because it was the only time accessible cabins were available.

"A cruise is a good sensory experience for Curtis ... and it is important for us to have family time together," she said.

"We did try to go at half term and they didn't have an accessible cabin.

"We're really limited by what Curtis needs.

"We didn't think (the school) would refuse us because he has a life-limiting condition and we thought they would appreciate that it was important for Curtis to be with us.

"Despite having up to 40 seizures a day, he's actually quite healthy and has had very few absences."

Curtis, who is quadriplegic, epileptic, blind and has cerebral palsy, was refused permission by his school in Somerset under new rules which came into force last September.

Under the rules, headteachers can only grant permission for term time leave in "exceptional circumstances" - a discretion some parents claim is not being used properly.

Stewart Sutherland, who says he has been unable to take a family holiday for five years because of his job, was prosecuted and fined £996 after he pleaded guilty to taking his three children to Greece on a holiday booked prior to the new rules being introduced.

"The Government is out of touch with society when it introduced these rules," said Mr Sutherland.

"The country does not come to a standstill when the kids are on holiday - there's always someone who is still working."

"Family time is sometimes just as important as schooling," he added.

The Government said the new rules are fair and have reduced the number of pupils regularly missing school by 130,000.

"We have been clear that all headteachers are free to grant pupils leave in exceptional circumstances," a spokesman for the Department for Education said.

"It is up to headteachers to decide whether to grant time off and how much time to grant.

"We are also giving schools the flexibility to set their own term times so they can change dates to ones that work for their pupils and families.

"Parents can urge schools to make use of this new freedom."

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Housing Shortage Sees More Tenants Evicted

By Mark White, Home Affairs Correspondent

Increasing numbers of private tenants are being evicted or exploited by landlords cashing in on the increase in house prices and the shortage of rented accommodation, according to latest figures.

Citizens Advice (CAB) saw a 38% rise in the number of people turning to the charity for help with eviction notices served on them, despite being up to date with their rent.

CAB recorded 5,000 cases across the country in 2013/2014 where tenants complained about being forced from their homes, even though they were not in arrears. That figure is up from 3,750 the previous year.

Problems in London and the South East are particularly acute, the charity said, where many house prices are the highest in the country.

Private tenant Ryan Herran told Sky News he was being forced from his Muswell Hill home of five years, because he complained about damp and mould in the property and demanded his landlord fix the problem.

After months of wrangling with the owner, he was eventually served with a section 21 eviction order.

"I was actually in shock for a couple of days because I've always been a good tenant and always paid my rent and never engaged in anti-social behaviour," he said.

"I did ring up the property management company and they told me they don't have to give a reason under the section 21 eviction notice. They said they felt they were doing me a favour by at least giving me two months notice."

Mr Herran believes his eviction is motivated by spite and certainty on the part of the landlord that he would easily be able to find another tenant.

The number of tenants seeking help over eviction has nearly doubled

Roger Harding from the homelessness charity Shelter said: "Sadly landlords can evict for no reason, even if you've been keeping up with the rent. 

"We've found many worrying examples where landlords have evicted people simply because they don't want to have to deal with repair issues and that's something we want to see outlawed."

During January to March 2014 house prices rose by 18% in London and 10% in the South East, compared to the same period the previous year.

CAB's figures reveal those rises were mirrored by an increase in private tenants reporting they had been served with eviction notices, despite being up to date with their rent .

The charity said the number of tenants in London and the South East seeking help over eviction notices between January and March 2014 was 900, compared with 400 over the first quarter of the year before.

Landlord Richard Blanco rents out properties across six London boroughs and is also a member of National Landlords Association. He said private landlords are often unfairly maligned.

"There's a small minority of rogue landlords who might try and increase rents but really the most sensible business model for landlords is to maintain the property well and to have a good relationship with tenants and to try to ensure tenants stay as long as possible," he said.

Mr Blanco said, contrary to widespread belief, more than three quarters of private tenants have not faced an increase in rents over the past 12 months.

The Government is in the process of introducing new legislation which it hopes will strengthen the rights of private tenants and help protect them from exploitation, or unjustified eviction.

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Single-Shot Radiotherapy For Breast Cancer

A new type of radiotherapy which could be delivered in a single dose during surgery is offering new hope for tens of thousands of women with breast cancer.

Intrabeam radiotherapy has been given provisional go-ahead for NHS use by the National Institute for Health and Care excellence (Nice).

In new draft guidance, Nice said the treatment option should be considered for people with early stage breast cancer.

Professor Carole Longson, director of health technology evaluation at Nice, said: "Unlike regular radiotherapy, with the Intrabeam Radiotherapy System only one dose is required.

"This single dose is given at the same time as surgery, eliminating the need for numerous hospital visits.

"Regular radiotherapy typically requires numerous doses over a three week period - although some people may receive it for longer - and is performed weeks or months after surgery or chemotherapy.

"Whilst current evidence was not extensive, this type of radiotherapy was more convenient for patients and can improve a person's quality of life.

"It's still a new treatment - so far only six centres in the UK have used the Intrabeam Radiotherapy System to treat early breast cancer.

"Because it is still relatively new it is only right to recommend its use in a carefully controlled way.

The new technique could spare women weeks of traditional radiotherapy

Breakthrough Breast Cancer said the "revolutionary" treatment would not only cause less hassle for patients but it would also save the NHS time and money.

"This is great news for early breast cancer patients due for breast conserving operations," Sally Greenbrook, senior policy officer at Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said.

"Intrabeam is unique in that it is given during surgery, avoiding the need for weeks of follow up appointments and for many women, this is all the treatment they need.

"As this is a new technology, patients will need to be made aware of the pros and cons before going ahead.

"However, this technique can greatly reduce the disruption, stress and inconvenience of what for some people can be over 15 additional trips to and from hospital as well as saving the NHS money and time.

"Whilst this is just an initial decision from Nice we look forward to their final decision which we very much hope will remain positive."

Every year, around 41,500 women and 300 men in England are diagnosed with breast cancer.

Nice said that around 86% of these patients, or 35,970 people each year, could potentially benefit from the treatment.

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UK Economic Depression To Be Declared 'Over'

By Ed Conway, Economics Editor

The longest economic depression in British history will be declared over today, with the Office for National Statistics expected to confirm that the recovery is strengthening.

The ONS is expected to report that the economy grew by around 0.8% or 0.9% in the second quarter of the year.

George Osborne has been boosted by recent figures on growth

The increase in gross domestic product (GDP) will mean that the economy finally surpasses the size it was at the beginning of the recession in 2008.

The news will come as an added bonus for the Chancellor, who yesterday celebrated as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) upgraded Britain's growth forecast for this year and the next.

The IMF also said that UK growth this year will be stronger than in any other major economy.

However, this strong growth belies the fact that Britain's depression - the period for which GDP is below the pre-crisis peak - lasted longer than any other G7 economy.

But while there are concerns about the nature of recent economic growth in the UK and the possibility of a housing bubble in London, George Osborne is likely to emphasise the fact that all major sectors of the economy have been growing recently.

The Chancellor is currently on a tour of northern cities to underline the efforts the Government is taking to attempt to narrow Britain's regional economic divide.

Although overall GDP is back at pre-crisis levels, the natural increase in the population since 2008 means that GDP per capita remains around 6% lower than before the recession.

This, in turn, has contributed to lower wages and the squeeze on incomes felt in recent years.

Economists have also warned that while the services sector is bigger than before the crisis, the manufacturing and construction sectors are significantly smaller.

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Undercover Police Slammed In Misconduct Report

The Metropolitan Police will face criticism today with a report expected to reveal the force kept information gathered by undercover officers that served no purpose in preventing crime.

It follows a review of Scotland Yard's highly-secretive Special Demonstrations Squad (SDS), which has reportedly found that grieving families were spied on, including that of Jean Charles de Menezes, who was shot dead by police in 2005.

The report is expected to say that the Special Demonstration Squad (SDS), Special Branch and senior management broke rules about what information could be kept about the subjects of investigations.

Derbyshire Chief Constable Mick Creedon was called in to conduct an inquiry into the SDS after allegations were made about misconduct within the unit.

The allegations included claims officers used the identities of dead children without permission, and tricked women into having sexual relationships.

A banner seen outside a block of flats in Kennington in 2008

Metropolitan Police personnel are also said to have gathered information on the family of Mr de Menezes, who was shot dead by officers who mistook him for a suicide bomber in July 2005.

In a statement, Mr Creedon said: "My report is very clear that criticism must be levelled at the Metropolitan Police Service for keeping information, which had been gathered by undercover officers, which served no purpose in preventing crime or disorder.

"This is not a criticism of the deployment of the individual officers, but of the lack of regard the SDS, Special Branch and the Metropolitan Police Service senior management paid to the rules and legislation that clearly set out what they should, and should not have, collected and retained."

A spokeswoman for the Jean Charles de Menezes Family Campaign said: "It is shameful that the Metropolitan police spied on the legitimate campaign activities of a grieving family who were simply trying to get the answers they deserved after their loved one was killed by police officers.

Teenager Stephen Lawrence was murdered in 1993

"It begs the question - what exactly were the police spying for? We can only assume they were gathering information in an attempt to discredit the family's campaign for justice in order to deflect accountability for their own failings."

The SDS has also been accused of infiltrating campaign groups close to the family of murder victim Stephen Lawrence.

It's also claimed that officers gathered information to "smear" his relatives' reputations.

Mr Creedon said there was no evidence that officers targeted black justice campaigns deliberately.

"To date we have found no evidence that any SDS officer targeted or infiltrated any family member of any Justice Campaign, nor the Justice Campaign itself, and we can find no trace of any personal information about family members having been recorded by them," he said.

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Coastal Deaths At Highest Level In Four Years

By Siobhan Robbins, Sky News Correspondent

New safety warnings are being issued after figures revealed that the number of coastal deaths has risen.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) says 167 people in the UK died at the coast last year, the highest number in four years.

A further 368 people had to be rescued.

The charity will today launch a Respect the Water campaign with posters and advertisements highlighting the dangers of venturing into the water.

Ross Macleod, the RNLI's coastal safety manager, explained that people can go into shock within seconds and can drown in just a few minutes.

"There are some hidden dangers that people need to be aware of: things like rip currents, which are strong bodies of water which can take you from shallow water out to deep water quickly.

"The best thing to do to avoid that is to swim at a lifeguarded beach between the red and yellow flags.

"Other things surround drinking before you go in the water. Obviously, it can inhibit your ability and judgement in the water, so it's best to have a drink after you've been for a swim and not before."

Slips, trips and falls while walking or running accounted for 32% of last year's coastal deaths, while 17% involved alcohol.

Around 68% of fatalities were men, with experts warning they are more likely to underestimate the power of the sea.

Elizabeth Toogood's uncle drowned after being caught in currents at his regular swimming spot off Weston-super-Mare.

Speaking to Sky News, she warned that anybody can get into danger in the water: "He knew the area really well, he was young, he was fit, he was competent in the water and I think that's what made it even more shocking.

"Nobody really knows how strong the currents are."

The campaign is being held in Portsmouth, Brighton, Clacton, Kingston-on-Thames, Margate, Blackpool, Newquay, Cardiff Bay and Queensferry.

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Child 'Sexters' Given Prosecution Warning

Schoolchildren who send so-called "sexts" to people over the internet have been warned by one police force that they could face prosecution.

In a letter to schools in the county, Nottinghamshire Police's sexual exploitation investigation unit said the force had been receiving reports on a daily basis of naked images being sent between teenagers using their phones.

A "sext" is a self-generated explicit image which is sent to other people over the internet.

In one recent case, a teenage girl who sent a topless picture of herself to her boyfriend was investigated after it was deemed she had distributed an indecent image of a child.

The girl's boyfriend, who forwarded the image to his friends after they broke up, is reported to have been given a caution.

In the letter, Detective Inspector Martin Hillier warns that court action for such offences may even mean a child is forced to register as a sex offender.

DI Hillier wrote: "I have grave concerns over the amount of referrals Nottinghamshire Police are receiving on a daily basis in relation to naked images being sent between teenagers via either social networking, texts or mobile phone apps.

"It is crucial that children (under 18 years) understand that every internet site and social networking site is monitored by an administrator.

"When photographs that fall within the category of an indecent image (even if taken with consent) are uploaded, reports are made by the administrators to the police.

"If a person is aged over 10yrs and distributes (shares - even to friends) an indecent image then they can be arrested, charged and dealt with for this offence.

"If they are found guilty they must then register as a sex offender."

The officer stressed that pictures are almost impossible to remove from the internet after they have been uploaded.

"An individual's on-line reputation needs protecting as it stays with them for the rest of their life," DI Hillier added.

"I would like to make every school in Nottinghamshire aware of these offences and the implications of pupils' involvement in such behaviour."

Earlier this year, Nottinghamshire County Council's anti-bullying co-ordinator Lorna Naylor warned young people that such pictures could leave them vulnerable to blackmail.

"They can be deleted on social media or may only last a few seconds on apps like Snapchat, but images can still be saved or copied by others," she said.

"These images may never be completely removed and could be found in the future, for example when applying for jobs or university.

"Young people may think 'sexting' is harmless but it can leave them vulnerable to blackmail where someone may threaten to share the pictures with family and friends unless they send money or more images."

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Queen's Gold Cup-Winning Horse Fails Drug Test

A racehorse owned by the Queen has tested positive for the banned substance morphine, Buckingham Palace has revealed.

Five-year-old filly Estimate, which won the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot last year, is trained by Sir Michael Stoute.

The positive test is thought to have resulted as a result of consumption of a contaminated feed product, the palace said.

The Queen, who cheered the horse on to victory in 2013, has been informed of the result.

A statement by John Warren, the Queen's Bloodstock and Racing Advisor, said: "On Thursday July 17 the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) announced that a number of post-race samples, obtained from recent race meetings, had been found to indicate the presence of morphine, which is a prohibited substance on race days.

"Five horses, under the care of various trainers, were affected.

"I can confirm that one of those horses was Estimate, the five-year-old filly trained by Sir Michael Stoute and owned by The Queen.

"Initial indications are that the positive test resulted from the consumption of a contaminated feed product.

"Sir Michael is working closely with the feed company involved to discover how the product may have become contaminated prior to delivery to his stables."

Estimate's victory saw the Queen become the first reigning monarch to win the Gold Cup. The horse also finished second in the same race this year.

At the time, Sir Michael said: "It's a special thrill to win this race for the Queen and it will have given her enormous pleasure - she really loves this game and it's a great recreation for her.

"She told me it was a very big thrill and thanked everybody involved."

Morphine is not prohibited during training, but is banned on race days.

Queen Elizabeth won £155,960 in prize money as the owner of the horse in the race.

Horses owned by the monarch have won four out of the five flat racing classics - the 1,000 Guineas and 2,000 Guineas, the Oaks and the St Leger. She has missed out on only the Derby.

The Queen has also seen 22 winners at Royal Ascot.

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MH17: Money Pours Into Fund For Newcastle Fans

Malaysia Airlines Defends War Zone Flight Path

Updated: 4:48pm UK, Saturday 19 July 2014

A Malaysia Airlines official has defended the company's decision to fly over eastern Ukraine after flight MH17 was brought down.

Hugh Dunleavy, commercial director for the airline, said there had been no incidents involving civilian aircraft using the flight path and Malaysia Airlines had been using it "for quite some time".

However, at least three Ukrainian military aircraft were hit by missiles fired by pro-Russian separatists operating in the region in the week before MH17 was shot out of the sky, killing 298 people. Of the victims, 189 are Dutch.

Mr Dunleavy told Sky News: "Now there's been an incident like this, everyone is looking back saying 'you should have done something different'.

"But at the time we were flying, along with many other airlines on that flight path, there had been no incidents involving civilian aircraft.

"These are routes that are traditionally accepted on a day-by-day basis by the air traffic control authorities so they also consider them safe to fly.

"This was something totally extraordinary, it could just as easily have been the aircraft ahead of Malaysia Airlines or the aircraft behind that was hit."

Mr Dunleavy added the airline would now be using an alternative flight path around Ukraine and they have stopped calling the route MH17 out of respect for the victims. It will now be called MH19.

The International Civil Aviation Organisation, a UN agency and other aviation authorities recently issued a "notice to airmen" (NOTAM) putting the eastern edge of Ukrainian airspace off limits up to 32,000 feet because of the conflict.

But MH17 was flying at 33,000 feet when it was hit by a missile fired from what experts believe was a Buk launcher.

Ukraine has now closed all airspace in the east. 

Ismail Nasaruddin, president of the Malaysian Flight Attendant Union, said some crew members were too distraught to work following the tragedy.

He said: "We have lost 21 crew members in a very short time period. This is not something we like to see.

"We are affected, the crew members are demoralised by the essence of this tragic incident.

"What we are looking at now is probably an event that Malaysia crew members have never experienced before."

Daniel Holland, a military aviation expert, told Sky News airspace above war zones should be sealed off to commercial aircraft.

He said: "When a war zone occurs, everything from ground level up until realistically the level of space needs to be sealed off to any and all commercial traffic just to avoid something like this happening where a plane accidentally wanders over a battle ground.

"You've got that probability that an accidental misfire could occur and strike a civilian target without any real rhyme or reason, other than it being in the wrong place at the wrong time."

On Tuesday, Polish blogger Michael Dembinski suggested flying over eastern Ukraine was "worrying".

He wrote: "Take a look at eastern Ukraine and you'll see a procession of civilian aircraft flying along an air corridor between Luhansk, Donetsk, Horlivka, Kramatorsk - places where battles are raging and people are being killed.

"Yet blithely oblivious to what's happening on the ground, some of the world's largest civilian airliners are criss-crossing the area at 38,000ft."

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Last British Victims Of Flight MH17 Named

The final two British victims of doomed flight MH17 have been named as a charity in Newcastle revealed a child in its care has been orphaned by the crash.

John Allen, who worked at international law firm NautaDutilh, has been described as a "much-loved colleague". He died on the flight alongside his Dutch wife, Sandra Martens, and their three sons - Christopher, Julian and Ian.

"He was a person with many talents, and in addition to his professional contribution to our firm he generously shared his musical and athletic abilities with us as well," the firm said.

John Allen was killed along with his wife Sandra Martens and three sons

"All of us who had the privilege of working with John during his 18 years at NautaDutilh came to know him as a kind, down-to-earth and humorous man and many of us have also lost a friend. He will be dearly missed."

His sister Wonder Allen Smith posted a picture of her brother on Facebook with the following statement: "I lost my whole family, my only brilliant brother and his beautiful wife and three magnificent children in the mh17 airplane crash".

The final British person onboard the flight has been named as Andrew Hoare.

Meanwhile, the Percy Hedley Foundation, which cares for disabled people, said it has been unable to contact the family of one of the children in its care. It said it was working with authorities to try and establish what has happened to them.

The foundation has not revealed the nationality of the child or the family.

Nine of the British victims on flight MH17

Another British victim Robert Ayley has been confirmed as being on board the Malaysia Airlines flight. A friend of Mr Ayley has told how the father-of-two almost missed the flight.

Bill Patteson, who was travelling with the 27-year-old around Europe visiting Rottweiler breeders, has told Sky News his friend didn't make it onto the bus to take him from his hotel to Amsterdam's Schiphol airport.

But Mr Ayley, who was originally from Guildford but moved to New Zealand as a child, managed to get there in time to board the ill-fated Malaysia Airlines flight, which was shot down over Ukraine with almost 300 people on board.

An ex-journalist, helicopter pilot, students and Newcastle United fans are among the other British victims.

Mr Patteson, who flew back to New Zealand the day before, said: "There were so many things that came together to make Rob be on that flight.

"The stars really had to align for Robert to be on that flight, even right down to the last minute.

"Everyone was hoping he'd missed the flight, but Robert being the great organiser that he was managed to get on his flight."

Mr Patteson described his friend as a "really great, confident young man" who was proud of his British roots.

Mr Ayley's wife Sharlene wrote on Facebook: "Rob was our everything. We adored him and there was no one else like him. He touched so many hearts and lives.

Briton Stephen Anderson was on board MH17

"We are grateful to forever have him in our hearts."

Mr Ayley's family said he was passionate about life and his family, adding that when it came to Rob "there were no half measures".

"He found in his boys two little people he could love, understand and trust," they said.

"When they cried they were sad, when they laughed they were happy and when they hugged it was because they loved him."

The statement added: "Sharlene and Rob are soul mates. She is his 'Princess'. She changed his life and he changed hers.

"She held his heart and he held hers. Rob will live forever in his family."

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