Call For Police To Be Armed With Tasers

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 31 Januari 2015 | 12.25

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Frontline police officers should be able to carry a Taser to combat attempted attacks on them by terrorists, according to the head of the organisation that represents front-line officers.

Police Federation chair Steve White said the stun guns, which can temporarily disable the target with two dart-like electrodes that carry a maximum 50,000-volt charge, should be made more widely available to uniformed officers.

He told The Guardian newspaper the move was needed because acts of terrorism could be carried out anywhere and officers needed protection.

Mr White said: "The terrorist ideal to get attention no longer relies on an attack being in a place of note.

"It could be in Cheam high street, in any town, in any part of the UK.

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Gallery: Taser Device Explained

The most common device used by police is the X26 Taser, which has a peak voltage of 50,000 volts when discharged - this drops to 1,200 volts while travelling around the body

The Taser fires two small dart-like electrodes which stay connected to the main unit as they are propelled by small compressed nitrogen charges to the body similar to air gun or paintball marker propellants

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Tasers work primarily by creating "neuromuscular incapacitation" - in short, they interrupt the ability of the brain to control the muscles

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This creates an immediate and unavoidable incapacitation that is not based on pain and cannot be overcome. Once the electricity stops flowing, the subject regains control of their body

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The Taser has a "drive stun" capability, where the Taser is held against a person's body without firing the projectiles. This is intended to cause pain without incapacitating the target

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"We know there are more dangerous people out there, preparing to attack police officers and we need to be able to respond to that threat."

Leaders at the Police Federation will vote next month on a proposal that every officer on the frontline should be offered training in how to use the weapons.

Mr White said: "Talking to them with a cup of tea and a biscuit is not going to work."

The murder of Fusilier Lee Rigby in Woolwich in 2013 showed "you don't need to have a gun to create terrorism", said Mr White, who rejected the notion the move amounted to arming officers.

"It is a defensive tool and a tactical option.

"We have a largely unarmed service and the service wants that to remain.

"The alternative is to have officers out there without anything at all. We have to do something."

But one police chief, speaking anonymously, told The Guardian the idea risked damaging public confidence in the police.

"The idea of arming every police officer with a Taser is alien to 200 years of police culture," they said.

"It is a stepping stone to arming the police; something strapped to your hip that looks like a firearm is a huge shift in what we stand for."

The latest Home Office figures show the use of Tasers has increased every year, and there have been a number of controversial deaths related to the use of them.

The stun guns were fired 826 times out of the 5,107 times they were deployed between January and June 2014.

The latter figure compares to 4,999 times during the same period in 2013 and 1,297 occasions in 2009.

Concerns over their use grew after the death of Andrew Pimlott in Plymouth in April 2013.

He suffered fatal burns after being hit by a Taser after he had poured petrol over himself and was holding a lit match at the time.

:: Steve White will be appearing on Sky News this morning at around 8.20. You can watch the interview on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202 and Freeview 132.

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Written By Unknown on Jumat, 30 Januari 2015 | 12.25

By Martin Brunt, Crime Correspondent

Police officers are abusing their power to get sexual favours and drugs, a report reveals, and it's feared that new force budget cuts could breed staff anger and more corruption.

The abuse of power was first highlighted two years ago, but is happening just as much now, according to Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary.

Mike Cunningham said: "It remains a concern today and we want to see a more proactive approach by police leaders to identify officers likely to conduct themselves in this way and put preventative measures in their way.

"They have to be more vigilant. It is not decreasing and remains a significant problem.

"Like all corruption, the true scale of it is not known until you turn over the stone."

The HMIC is also concerned that more than half of corruption and misconduct investigations result in no further action.

The report's figures showed that of 4,611 investigations, 2,891 did not lead to a prosecution or internal disciplinary action.

The figures for complaints of racial discrimination were even starker.

Of 1,043 allegations, 816 resulted in no action.

Mr Cunningham said: "We are concerned about these figures.

"It could be the complaints were unfounded or malicious, but they may be inadequately investigated and the service needs to understand why so many result in no further action."

He warned, too, that dissatisfaction with more spending cuts could drive officers into corruption.

He said: "At times of uncertainty there could be a general counter-organisation attitude, people belligerent towards the service and it could encourage them, if they are prone to corruption, to let down their colleagues.

"It is incumbent on chief constables to be even more vigilant over the conduct of their staff."

The HMIC report says the 43 police forces of England and Wales have done much to tackle corruption, but need to be more proactive in rooting it out.

They need to improve internal reporting systems, which half of all officers do not believe are confidential enough and so do not use them.

Jacqui Cheer of the Association of Chief Police Officers said corruption is "neither endemic nor widespread".

"However, the actions of a few corrupt officers can corrode the reputation of the vast majority who work hard every day to protect the public," she said.

"We will continue to improve our approach so that those who are not fit to be in the police are held to account and removed."

College of Policing CEO Alex Marshall said: "Trust in police remains high and it is encouraging to see the HMIC report acknowledges all forces have begun introducing the Code of Ethics, which was created by the College to guide ethical decision making.

"Work has already begun to provide guidance to forces for best practice in managing whistleblowing.

"This should increase confidence among officers that their force will know how to deal with any disclosure appropriately."

12.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Child Obesity 'Levelling Off' But Concerns Remain

By Emma Birchley, East of England Correspondent

The steady rise in childhood obesity seems to finally be slowing down, but a third of young people are still too heavy, a study has found.

In younger children it appears that the rate of obesity has even begun to fall, but there is particular concern about the number of 11 to 15 -year-olds who weigh too much.

The research, based on 20 years of electronic health records relating to more than 370,000 children aged two to 15, revealed 37.8% of boys and 36.6% of girls in the older age group are either overweight or obese.

Report author and professor of public health at Kings College London, Martin Gulliford, said: "Children in their teens are very likely to become overweight or obese as adults, and from their obesity they might be at greater risk of chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes.

"The concern therefore is that future generations may not be as healthy as previous generations."

And that has cost implications for the NHS - but there are signs of change.

The report found that between 1994 and 2003, the prevalence of being overweight or obese in children rose by 8% a year, but in the second decade of the study, that rate fell to an annual rise of just 0.4%.

And while one in four children in the youngest group are too heavy - up from one in five in 1994 - it is among those aged two to five that the obesity rate is slowly beginning to decline.

Prof Gulliford said: "It's an interesting finding that we see this trend level off in younger children.

"At the present time it's too early to say whether this result is down to interventions that have been rolled out to address childhood obesity - or whether this reflects some kind of saturation whereby the children who are going to become obese have become obese in the environment in this country"

In Colchester, Russell Turner runs a group called Crossfit Kids to instil a passion for being active at a young age.

"Once they are here they don't look back," he said.

"It's really important because it starts with fun and we are shaping their mindset with regards to how they see exercise, so as they grow up hopefully they will want to carry on and participate, eat well and keep that general lifestyle going."

The children taking part in Russell's class already know the importance of exercising.

James Chapman, who is seven, says it keeps him healthy and is much better than playing computer games all day.

And six-year-old Sophie Mann said she enjoys it because "you are not being lazy and you are keeping fit".

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Protesters To Rally Against Fracking Proposals

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 28 Januari 2015 | 12.25

By Mike McCarthy, North of England Correspondent

Demonstrators from around the UK are expected to gather in Lancashire today, ahead of a controversial decision on the future of fracking in the county.

It is the first time that Cuadrilla, an exploration company, has applied to develop new fracking sites since being blamed for creating earth tremors in Blackpool three years ago.

The firm suspended test drilling and abandoned its site near the seaside resort following the quakes in 2011.

The Preese Hall site remains the only place in the UK where modern fracking techniques have been used so far.

The new areas sit on the same massive reserve of shale gas which experts say could help revolutionise Britain's energy market.

But groups opposed to fracking say it would industrialise the countryside and pollute the environment.

Cuadrilla has applied to Lancashire County Council for permission to frack two sites in a rural area between Preston and Blackpool.

Officers at the authority have recommended that councillors vote against the proposals because of concerns over noise and road safety.

If the councillors accept the recommendations, it will be seen as a major blow to the efforts to kick-start Britain's shale gas industry.

Anti-fracking campaigner Tina Rothery said: "Like many people in the anti-fracking movement, we have completely put our own lives on hold for four years just to get this done – because how do you walk away from this?

"Every door I would look to walk out of would have my granddaughter's face on it. I can't walk away and go 'It's OK – they'll take care of it' because it's too big."

Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is the process of drilling a mile or more into the earth before water, chemicals and sand are injected under high pressure into rock, releasing the shale gas trapped inside.

In recent years, it has become one of the most divisive issues in the UK, leading to violent scenes between police and protesters at proposed sites in Manchester, Lancashire and Sussex.

Supporters such as Blackpool businessman Tony Raynor claim his interest in fracking was prompted by the local earth tremors several years ago.

"Like most people, I was ambivalent to shale gas, but the tremors made me want to find out more. Now I'm in favour," he said.

"There are fewer jobs here now than there were in 2004 and we all worry about the brain drain (from the area) and our children finding opportunities in this region. We need economic activity happening in Blackpool."

The anti-fracking movement has built up considerably over recent years. Its supporters say pollution in the US has shown the process is environmentally unsustainable.

However, supporters argue that it has considerably reduced America's dependence on imported energy supplies and helped to bolster the economy.

Cuadrilla has asked that the local authority allows more time to consider its proposals for minimising the environmental impact at fracking sites. If Lancashire councillors do reject Cuadrilla's plans, the company is expected to appeal.

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More Pregnant Smokers Quit If Paid, Study

Pregnant women who smoke are more likely to quit the habit if they are paid, according to new research.

Figures suggest 5,000 fetuses and babies die every year as a result of mums smoking during pregnancy.

And it is claimed it can cost the NHS annually up to £64m for problems in mothers and up to £23.5m for infants.

But a new study suggests financial incentives, in the form of shopping vouchers, can motivate pregnant women to quit the habit.

"This study provides substantial evidence of a very promising and potentially cost-effective new intervention to add to present health service support," the authors wrote.

"The findings can serve as the basis for future research to include other UK centres and other health care systems."

Researchers at the University of Glasgow and the University of Stirling used 612 pregnant smokers.

They were randomly assigned to one of two groups.

Half were assigned to a group offered up to £400 of financial incentives if they took part in sessions aimed at helping them quit ior actually gave up.

The other half were just offered places on help groups and a face-to-face appointment with a smoking cessation adviser, four follow-up support calls and free nicotine replacement therapy for 10 weeks.

Women who were offered shopping vouchers were significantly more likely to quit smoking (23%) than those in the control group (9%).

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Racism Allegations In Football Treble: Review

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 27 Januari 2015 | 12.25

By Paul Kelso, Sports Correspondent

The number of alleged incidents of racism and other discrimination in football trebled last season, according to a Football Association review.

The three-fold increase was described as "worrying" by FA director Heather Rabbatts.

She told Sky News that reporting incidents of discrimination was essential to retaining the confidence of players and spectators from black and minority ethnic communities.

The last year has seen the FA deal with high-profile discrimination cases involving Nicolas Anelka, banned for five games for anti-Semitism, and Wigan chairman Dave Whelan, fined £50,000 for using racially offensive language.

There were also fines for players including Rio Ferdinand and Mario Balotelli for offensive use of social media.

In total the FA and its partners received 677 allegations of discrimination during the 2013-14 season, up by 202% on the previous year. The majority of these were for alleged racism.

Ms Rabbatts, a member of the main FA board and chair of its Inclusion Advisory Board, said the continued level of abuse was shocking, but may reflect a greater confidence among players, spectators and officials to report cases.

The FA and anti-discrimination campaign group Kick It Out have developed smartphone apps in the last year to make it easier for abuse to be reported.

"Of course it's a worrying sign that we still have that degree of discrimination happening in the game," Ms Rabbatts said.

"But the centrality of the inclusion plan is about football for everyone and instilling confidence that we will seek out and eliminate racial abuse.

"It still shocks me that we have those issues of racial abuse in the game. I think for years, and certainly when I was coming into this role, people would say there has been under-reporting of racial abuse.

"The reason we put so much effort into developing these apps was to ensure that we absolutely instil confidence, and say to people you can report it and we will deal with it."

The figures are revealed in an update to the FA's inclusion and anti-discrimination action plan, an initiative led by Ms Rabbatts to increase representation from black and ethnic minority communities, and women, in coaching and executive roles.

Ms Rabbatts says action is urgently required as black players currently feel excluded when they retire. She points to the 'On Board' initiative, which trains players for careers in football beyond the pitch.

She said: "I think in terms of black players feeling excluded as they come out of the game, it's a very significant frustration, I think it's why it has to be tackled.

"One of the crucial turning points for football will not only be who is sat on the dugouts but who's sitting around the boardroom table so that if you're a black manager you're not the only black person in that entire structure."

Ms Rabbatts also said the controversy surrounding convicted rapist Ched Evans' potential return to football had "cast a shadow", and that the FA will review its rules in the light of the issues raised.

"I think the reputation of football is fragile at times as we know we have these instances that cast a very big shadow over football despite all the good work that many of us are trying to do," she said.

"I think being clear in the future about how we all collectively respond to these matters is a priority.

"Ultimately how someone like Ched Evans comes back into the game will be the responsibility of his employing club, I have no doubt in the light of recent events they will think very carefully about it."

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Litvinenko Inquiry: Widow Hopes For Truth

By Alex Rossi, Sky News Correspondent

The widow of former Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko says she hopes the inquiry into his murder will reveal the truth about his death.

Marina Litvinenko has told Sky News she wants closure for her and her son Anatoly and also wants to put an end to the conspiracy theories surrounding the crime.

She said: "I know my husband was killed, I saw how it happened. It was a torture. He died a long 23 days in front of me, in front of his son, in front of his friends."

She said she was "fed up" with speculation that her husband had smuggled radioactive material for a "dirty bomb".

The inquiry is diplomatically sensitive and it was initially blocked by the government. There were fears it would cause too much damage to an already bad relationship with Moscow.

Former Voice of Russia London bureau chief Dmitry Linnik said the fallout from the Ukrainian crisis and the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 means the relationship between London and Moscow can hardly get any worse.

He said: "It is as bad as it probably can be short of an open conflagration in a military sense."

Alexander Litvinenko was a former agent for the FSB, the successor organisation of the KGB.

He was an outspoken critic of the Kremlin. He defected to the UK in 2000 - it's thought he then worked for MI6 as an informer.

While in Britain he accused Vladimir Putin of many crimes, including ordering the murder of the human rights journalist Anna Politkovskaya.

Litvinenko fell ill after meeting two Russian contacts - Dmitry Kovtun and Andrei Lugovoi - at the Millennium Hotel in Grosvenor Square on 1 November 2006.

He had drunk tea that had been poisoned with polonium 210, a rare radioactive isotope.

The two men are now both wanted by the British police on suspicion of murder but an extradition request has been refused by the Russian Federation.

Both men have consistently denied the allegation of murder.

The inquiry, which opens on Tuesday and is scheduled to last for the next 10 weeks, will attempt to fathom what their involvement was and ultimately whether or not the Russian state orchestrated the killing.

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NHS Vaccine Delay 'Needlessly' Killing Babies

Written By Unknown on Senin, 26 Januari 2015 | 12.25

By Siobhan Robbins, West of England Correspondent

Children are dying needlessly because of a delay in rolling out the meningitis B vaccine in the UK, a campaign group has claimed.

The vaccination was given its EU licence two years ago in 2013, but Meningitis Now says the delay in offering the immunisation to every baby on the NHS is putting lives at risk.

Figures obtained by the campaign group suggest 24 UK children under the age of one could have died from the disease since the vaccine was approved in 2013. Since that time there have been 1,130 cases of the infection.

Meningitis Now founder Steve Dayman said: "Too many of our children are needlessly dying or left disabled due to lethargic bureaucracy."

Caroline Williams, from South East Wales, lost her one-year-old son Caden to meningitis B. He died a year after the immunisation had received EU approval.

Ms Williams told Sky News the Government was risking other children's lives by not adding the jab to the NHS baby immunisation programme.

She said: "The amount of children that could be saved with this vaccine is unbelievable. I know meningitis doesn't just affect babies but it could be saving children's lives and they're still negotiating over price, they're putting a price on children's lives."

The meningitis B vaccine is available on the NHS for groups at increased risk of invasive meningococcal infection, such as children without a spleen, and can be bought privately.

The Department of Health told Sky News the number of cases of the disease has dropped over the last decade.

In a statement, a spokesperson said: "We are very clear that we want to see this vaccine introduced as soon as possible to help protect children from this devastating disease.

"The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation recommended that a MenB vaccine be introduced, but only at a cost-effective price - below the price published by Novartis.

"We need to make sure NHS funds are used effectively and negotiations are continuing."

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Hoax Caller 'Was Drunk And High On Drugs'

Security procedures are under review after hoax calls were made to GCHQ, during which a number for the eavesdropping agency's boss was disclosed, and to Downing Street, which connected the caller to David Cameron.

The Prime Minister ended the call when it became clear it was a prank, and Downing Street said no sensitive information was disclosed.

A review into the breach is under way at both Number 10 and GCHQ, where a mobile phone number for director Robert Hannigan was revealed to the caller.

A Government spokesman said: "Following two hoax calls to Government departments today, a notice has gone out to all departments to be on the alert for such calls.

"In the first instance, a call was made to GCHQ which resulted in the disclosure of a mobile phone number for the director.

"The mobile phone number provided is never used for calls involving classified information.

"In the second instance, a hoax caller claiming to be the GCHQ director was connected to the Prime Minister.

"Both GCHQ and Number 10 take security seriously and both are currently reviewing procedures following these hoax calls to ensure that the Government learns any lessons from this incident."

It is not known if the same person was behind both hoaxes, but a man claiming responsibility for the call to GCHQ described his actions to The Sun newspaper.

He claimed he was high on drink and drugs at the time and said the situation was "hilarious".

"I've just made complete monkeys out of GCHQ. I've got the mobile number of the director," he told the paper.

"What's more, I am off my face on booze and cocaine."

He added: "I'm definitely going to do it again. It was so easy."

The paper reported that the man telephoned Mr Hannigan claiming to be an ITN journalist, but said the director was suspicious and ended the call.

The mobile phone number for Mr Hannigan is understood to be for an unclassified phone, rather than one of the secure lines used for sensitive communications.

The call to Mr Cameron was made to an official mobile, but the conversation was understood to have been "quite brief".

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