More Funds Urged For Struggling New Mums

By Emma Birchley, East Of England Correspondent

A letter has been sent to the Chancellor urging him to allocate funds in the Budget to support women struggling to cope before and after the birth of a baby.

More than one in 10 women suffer from ante or post-natal depression.

But research by the parenting charity NCT has found that only 26% of NHS trusts offer them any specialist mental health support.

Now 29 organisations have signed the NCT's letter to George Osborne on the weekend of Mother's Day calling for that to change.

The organisations include The Royal College of Midwives, the Mental Health Foundation and Netmums.

Video: Half Of Mums 'Not Getting Advice'

Elizabeth Duff, senior adviser at NCT, said: "One of the things mothers really need is better services when they are suffering poor mental health around having their baby.

"So that's what we're asking Osborne to do - make sure there are services for those women."

Marianne Ryan, from Peterborough, struggled after her daughter Jessica was born with a genetic condition that affected her breathing and feeding.

She was given anti-depressants but had to wait 10 months for counselling.

And it was no better when she became pregnant with Edward, now five months old.

Video: Depressed Mums-To-Be Support Call

"I felt let down," she said.

"Nobody asked me how I was feeling during the pregnancy and when I asked about counselling they said it was not available.

"I could apply for it, but it would take a long time so there wasn't much point. It took quite a lot for me to admit it first time around.

"I felt quite ashamed so I was quite brave doing it again - but there was no help and you feel ashamed again and go home and get on with it."

Last year the Government allocated extra funding for mental health services.

Video: Pressured Mums 'Suffer In Silence'

But the organisations behind the letter say money must be specifically allocated to help mothers.

The letter states: "More than one in 10 mothers in the UK experiences some form of ante-natal or post-natal depression, yet despite the prevalence of this condition and the current political focus on parity of esteem between mental and physical health, there are still huge gaps in the services available.

"A commitment in the Budget to dedicated funds for treating perinatal mental health problems would help to reduce financial burden by ensuring the health service is better equipped."

Of the quarter of trusts which do provide some kind of support, half have just one member of staff to do the work.

Marianne is delighted that action is being taken.

Video: Doing Motherhood For Themselves

"I think the letter is brilliant," she said. But she added: "I think it's a shame that it has to be done because it's pretty obvious that's what women need."

A Government spokesperson said: "It is vital that pregnant women and new mothers with mental health problems get the specialist care they need.

"This is why we have employed more than 2,300 more midwives and an extra 3,100 health visitors since 2010 to provide personalised care and support to women during pregnancy and the perinatal period.

"We are also ensuring that every birthing unit has trained specialist mental health staff available to support pregnant women and new mums by 2017."

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Clarkson Hints At Possible Top Gear Exit

Jeremy Clarkson has hinted he may be ready to leave Top Gear after being suspended over a bust-up with a producer.

Writing in his column for the Sun newspaper he appeared to refer to himself as a "dinosaur", explaining that "the day must come when you have to wave goodbye to the big monsters". 

He wrote: "Nature made a mistake when it invented the dinosaur. It was too big, too violent ...

"All the dinosaurs died and now, years later, no-one mourns their passing.

"These big, imposing creatures have no place in a world which has moved on."

Video: Family: We Saw Clarkson's Abuse

Clarkson, 54, has been suspended over a row in which he allegedly tried to hit a producer, named in reports as Oisin Tymon. 

A petition calling for Clarkson to be reinstated has reached more than 840,000 signatures.

But the controversial presenter wrote: "You can start as many campaigns as you like and call on the support of politicians from all sides, but the day must come when you have to wave goodbye to the big monsters, and move on. 

"We lose one animal and get another. The world turns."

He goes on to say: "As you may have heard, I've been suspended by the BBC following a fracas at a North Yorkshire hotel.

Video: 'I'm Off To The Job Centre'

"I don't intend to dwell here on what happened then or what will happen in the future. I'm sure you're as fed up with the story as I am.

"One of the things which has cheered me is how many people have expressed support in the last few days. I'm touched and grateful."

Clarkson is being summoned to appear before a BBC disciplinary panel that will decide his fate.

The panel will be chaired by Ken MacQuarrie, the head of BBC Scotland who conducted the investigation into Newsnight's false expose of Lord McAlpine.

The corporation has not revealed when or where the hearing will take place.

Video: Clarkson Is TV's Kevin Pietersen

:: Read Sky News' interview with a family who say Clarkson launched into an expletive-ridden rant at the producer.

According to reports, he lashed out because he was unable to order a steak at the Simonstone Hall Hotel near Hawes, North Yorkshire, where the production team were staying.

The Sun and Daily Mirror said the hotel's chef had gone home by the time they arrived and they were only offered cold meat platters, although Clarkson had ordered a £21.95 steak.

The papers quoted a source who claimed Clarkson blamed Mr Tymon for not arranging hot food and said there had been a "scuffle".

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Ebola Nurse And Two Colleagues Back In UK

A British healthcare worker who contracted Ebola while working in Sierra Leone has arrived in the UK for specialist treatment.

The unnamed woman, who works for the British military in Kerry Town, is being treated at a special high-level isolation unit at the Royal Free Hospital in northwest London.

Two fellow military healthcare workers who came into contact with the woman returned to the UK on the same RAF plane, Public Health England (PHE) said.

An RAF plane transported the three healthcare workers to the UK

The pair will be assessed at the Royal Free, the hospital said.

"Neither is displaying symptoms of the disease," it said.

Video: Ebola Nurse To Be Flown Back To UK

Two other co-workers who also came into contact with the woman are still in Sierra Leone under observation, but will be flown to Newcastle on Friday on an EU Medevac flight.

They will be taken to the city's Royal Victoria Infirmary.

Rapid tracing was undertaken to identify anyone who had been in recent close contact with the worker after she tested positive to the disease, a PHE spokeswoman said.

Video: Jan: Inside The Sierra Leone Clinic

"This contact tracing identified four military healthcare workers requiring further assessment," she said.

An investigation has been launched into exactly how the woman fell ill, at the same British-run clinic where Scottish nurse Pauline Cafferkey contracted the virus.

Ms Cafferkey had volunteered with Save The Children at the Ebola Treatment Centre in January. She returned to the UK before making a full recovery.

Video: July 2014: Inside The Royal Free

Another British nurse, Will Pooley, also survived the highly-contagious disease after contracting it while working in Sierra Leone last year.

No British nationals have died from Ebola, but there have been more than 9,500 fatalities in West Africa since the outbreak began.  

Ms Cafferkey and Mr Pooley were the only Britons to have tested positive for the disease until the latest case.

Video: How Ebola Attacks The Human Body

A Ministry of Defence spokeswoman said: "Despite there being stringent procedures and controls in place to safeguard UK service personnel, there is always a level of risk in deployments on operations of this type."

An estimated 700 British servicemen and women have been deployed to Sierra Leone to help in the response against Ebola, which swept through West Africa last year.

They have helped build and staff medical centres such as the Kerry Town Ebola Crisis Centre which opened in November last year, along with a number of volunteers from the NHS.

Video: Ebola: Busting The Myths

The 80-bed hospital is managed by Save the Children. It has several beds reserved for health workers who fall ill with the potentially deadly virus.

The World Heath Organisation said the death toll from the Ebola epidemic has surpassed 10,000.

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Rochdale Abuse: Police Admit Failing Victims

By Becky Johnson, Sky News Correspondent

Greater Manchester Police has admitted failing to properly investigate child sexual exploitation in Rochdale.

The extent and gravity of crimes being committed was not recognised by officers, a report by the force's Professional Standards Branch has concluded.

But despite the damning findings, the report reveals no officers will be formally disciplined for their part in the failures.

In total, the conduct of 13 officers was examined. Of those, seven officers were formally investigated.

The force concluded that only one, an inspector, had a case to answer for misconduct.

The officer retired last year before the findings of the long-awaited report were made public, and hence no action was taken against him.

Simon Danczuk says the force has failed to protect vulnerable young girls

Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk told Sky News: "Whilst there were lots of failures there hasn't been any action taken against those responsible for those failures.

"This report shows that Greater Manchester Police are good at protecting the careers and pensions of senior officers but they aren't any good at protecting vulnerable young girls across Rochdale."

The report looked at the conduct of officers when victims first told police about the abuse in 2008.

It found that appropriate resources were not given to looking into the claims.

There were not enough officers and there was a lack of specialist training and experience among those tasked with carrying out the investigation.

When the CPS dropped the case due to concerns about the credibility of a witness, the police did not challenge the decision.

One victim recalls how she and other girls were made to feel by officers.

"I got called a prostitute by a uniformed copper," she told Sky News.

"It's like they were calling everyone liars because when you went and told them about something then they weren't listening to you."

The report found the force did not recognise how to respond to the crimes

It wasn't until 2010, when more resources were put into investigating child sexual exploitation in Rochdale, that the earlier reports from victims were reinvestigated.

Further girls came forward and in 2012 nine men who ran a child exploitation ring were jailed for offences including rape and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child.

Their trial heard in detail how they preyed on vulnerable girls and plied them with drugs and alcohol before passing them around for sex.

The report recommends that in future Greater Manchester Police needs to "focus more professionally on investigating the crime rather than investigating the victim".

It added that "there has been too great an emphasis on examining the credibility of the victim".

Assistant Chief Constable Dawn Copley said: "I want to start by saying we openly acknowledge that mistakes were made and victims were let down.

"For our part in that we apologise to the victims and we give them our assurance that lessons have been learned, changes have been made and we are determined to use this to continue making improvements.

"This matter was referred to the IPCC in December 2010. They decided to supervise the investigation which was then conducted by our Professional Standards Branch.

"It is clear that mistakes were made in this investigation. We have, and continue to make significant improvements because of the lessons we have learned.

"We urge victims to come forward knowing that we will take them seriously and thoroughly investigate what has happened to them. People who abuse children will be traced and brought to justice."

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France Overtakes Britain In IS Air Campaign

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

France has overtaken Britain as the second biggest contributor to the air campaign against Islamic State, Sky News can reveal.

The UK government has long claimed that position but since the arrival of French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle in the Gulf last month, the French are putting up more planes on more sorties over Iraq.

French warplanes now fly between 12 and 15 sorties a day, more than three times the amount of RAF jets.

There are more than four times as many French fighter jets involved in the campaign.

The Charles de Gaulle has 21 onboard:12 Rafale and nine Super Etendard; and a further 15 are based on land in Jordan and the UAE.

There are 12 Rafale aircraft on France's Charles de Gaulle carrier

The UK, in contrast, has eight Tornados based at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. They fly an average of two sorties a day, in pairs.

The Tornados are supported by a Voyager refuelling aircraft, which also contributes to the French mission when needed.

Video: Sept: First RAF Airstrikes On IS

The French also have considerably more personnel assigned to the campaign: 3,200 compared to 500 from the UK.

Sky News research undermines David Cameron's repeated claim that Britain is the major partner to the United States in the air effort.

Only last week he told an audience "the second largest contributor in terms of airstrikes and air patrols is Britain by a very large margin. I think you have to add up several other countries to get to the scale of what we're doing".

French officials told Sky News they do not see it as a competition but consider their military to be the second biggest contributor, not the RAF.

In response, the Ministry of Defence said British planes had carried out a greater number of airstrikes.

"We have been focussing our military contribution where it can have the most impact - airstrikes in support of Iraqi forces, providing vital intelligence, surveillance and air-to-air refuelling capabilities to the coalition.

"We continue to fly daily Reaper and Tornado missions and our Voyagers routinely refuel coalition aircraft, including French."

The international coalition has been flying missions over Iraq and Syria for 31 weeks.

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1. Gallery: Iraq: British Jets Launch First Combat Mission

   British jets armed with missiles have taken off on their maiden combat mission over northern Iraq

Two Tornado GR4 fighter jets left RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus on Saturday morning, the day after MPs approved airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Iraq

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DUP: Future Coalition Must Commit On Defence

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

A future coalition government would have to commit to maintaining defence spending if it wants DUP support, the party has told Sky News.

The Northern Ireland party has set the red line as part of its national strategy in the event of a hung parliament.

"We are very clear, whether it be Labour or Conservative, that we need to see a very clear commitment on 2% GDP on spending and that must be upheld. It's not just a NATO requirement, we need this for our defence," the party's defence spokesman Jeffrey Donaldson told Sky News.

Jeffrey Donaldson: 'We need this for our defence'

It is a significant announcement from a party that could potentially hold the balance of power on 8 May.

The Democratic Unionist Party is seen as a possible ally for the Conservatives in the event of a hung parliament. They are expected to win eight or nine seats at the election meaning their support could swing it for the Conservatives looking to form a government.

They also insist any new government must equip and deploy both of the two new aircraft carriers currently under construction.

The announcement comes on the same day politicians debate the defence budget in the House of Commons. The debate was called by backbenchers after repeated refusals by Downing Street to commit to the budget beyond the next spending review later this year.

One of those taking part in the debate is Conservative MP and member of the Defence Select Committee James Gray.

"The world is an incredibly dangerous place," he said. "We need defence spending, the Americans have made it plain we need defence spending and the Prime Minister is personally committed to doing it, so all we are saying is please live up to what you previously promised."

Tory backbenchers are cross their party is committed to protecting the International Aid budget - a Lib Dem policy - but will not give such commitments to the defence budget.

It is believed the Chancellor is in favour of further cuts to the military, but David Cameron would like to see the budget protected. The MPs hope to put pressure on him ahead of next week's Budget.

Currently Britain is only one of four NATO countries to spend 2% of its national wealth on defence. The others are Greece, Estonia and the United States.

At the NATO Summit in Wales last year, David Cameron forced other member states to pledge to meet the target. Later this year there will be another Defence and Security spending review. If the UK economy continues to grow but the defence budget is not increased, then the UK will slip below that 2%.

The military has already taken a huge hit after the last spending review in 2010.

The Army has shrunk from 102,000 personnel to 82,000 and pessimistic forecasts predict it might be cut further still, taking it beyond a credible force.

Washington is putting pressure on the government not to cut further. Barack Obama has spoken to the Prime Minister in private, but recently the US Army Chief of Staff, General Raymond Odierno, publicly warned against further cuts.

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Missing Schoolgirls May Have Stolen Jewellery

The three east London schoolgirls who fled to Syria to join Islamic State (IS) are believed to have stolen family jewellery to fund their trip, MPs have been told.

Shamima Begum, 15, Kadiza Sultana, 16, and 15-year-old Amira Abase flew from Gatwick to Istanbul on February 17 and are feared to have continued to Syria to become so-called "jihadi brides".

According to reports, they are now staying in a house in the IS militants' stronghold, Raqqa.

The three girls paid more than £1,000 in cash to a travel agent for their flights to Turkey, the Home Affairs Select Committee heard.

Asked how they raised the funds, Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, the national police lead for counter-terrorism, said: "We think it's linked to taking jewellery from one of their family members."

Video: Amira's Father

Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe apologised for failing to communicate more directly with the families of the three girls - but insisted there was nothing more the force could have done to stop them leaving the UK.

It has emerged the three teenagers were among seven schoolgirls who were handed letters by the police about another 15-year-old from Bethnal Green Academy who ran away to Syria in December.

Earlier, relatives of the girls demanded an apology from the Met for failing to send the crucial letter directly to their parents.

Had they received them family solicitor Tasnime Akunjee said they would have been "on notice" for issues like radicalisation and foreign travel. 

Video: Khadija's Cousin

In response, Sir Bernard said: "First of all we're sorry if the family feel like that, clearly it's a terrible situation they find themselves in, having lost their daughters in such a horrible way.

"You can only half imagine what a parent is going through at this time. In that sense, I'm sorry they're in that situation.

"Also sorry the letter we intended to get through, didn't get through. It's clear that failed. It was intended for them and failed and for that of course we're sorry.

"I don't think we would go as far as saying therefore that caused the girls to go.

Video: Shamima Begum's Sister

"There was nothing more we could have done to prevent that. Because at the beginning we were trying to get from these girls information about a further young woman who had actually left in December that was our principle reason for talking to that family.

"In hindsight, we now know that these girls were planning to go and neither the family, the police, the school nor anyone else realised that."

Amira's father Hussen Abase, Khadija's cousin Fahmida Aziz and Shamima's older sister Sahima Begum said there were no signs the girls had been radicalised.

Miss Begum told the committee: "My sister was into normal teenage things. She used to watch Keeping Up With The Kardashians."

Video: Girls 'Pictured On Way To Syria'

She said her family "did what they could" to monitor Shamima's activities, but they would have done more had they known the girl who was the subject of the undelivered letters - a friend of Shamima's - had gone to Syria.

"We would have questioned that," she said.

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Half Of Single Parents Borrow Money For Childcare

Nearly half of single parents have had to borrow money to pay for childcare, according to a report.

The campaign group Gingerbread said the increasing cost of childcare proved the idea that work was the best route out of poverty was "far from reality" for many single parent families.

A new report said a poll of 1,700 single parents showed that half have had to borrow money friends, family or banks to fund childcare in the last two years.

The charity is calling on the Government to raise the maximum amount of childcare costs that low-income families can claim, to reflect the actual costs they face.

It said a decade-old cap meant that, even with the extra help to be rolled out under Universal Credit which increased support from 70% to 85% of costs, for many single parents there is no financial benefit working longer.

Video: Childcare Costs Are Spiralling

Gingerbread chief executive Fiona Weir said: "Childcare costs are putting single parent families under severe financial strain.

"Childcare just isn't affordable for many and it is very worrying that single parents are having to turn to friends and family, banks and credit cards to try and cover costs.

"We welcome Government plans to increase the amount of support available, but the cap on costs means too many single parents will see little benefit.

"The Government must honour its commitment to make work pay and swiftly bring in extra financial support - parents can't afford to wait any longer."

On average in England, Scotland and Wales sending a child to nursery for 25 hours a week costs £115.45.

That is 5.1% more than last year and 32.8% more than in 2010.

Children aged between nine months and two years could get 15 hours of free childcare if the Liberal Democrats are still in government after the General Election in May.

The issue of childcare costs is likely to feature highly in the run up to the election, with politicians keen to use today's report to score political points.

Last month Nick Clegg pledged a major expansion of free childcare for toddlers, which could save an average family where both parents work £2,670 a year.

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Hillsborough Police Chief To Face Inquests

By Mike McCarthy, North of England Correspondent

The man who was in charge of policing on the day of the Hillsborough disaster will today give evidence to inquests into the deaths of 96 football fans.

David Duckenfield was match commander on 15 April, 1989, and has been heavily criticised for blaming Liverpool supporters for creating the incident.

David Duckenfield was match commander on the day of the tragedy

The inquests have already heard that Mr Duckenfield, a former chief superintendent, gave the order to open an exterior gate to ease congestion at the Leppings Lane end outside the Sheffield stadium, but is alleged to have told officials that Liverpool fans had forced it open.

For many relatives of those who died in the disaster Mr Duckenfield is the most important figure from South Yorkshire Police to give evidence.

At the opening of the hearings last year the coroner Lord Justice Goldring told the jury that Mr Duckenfield was in overall control of "F" Division, where the Hillsborough stadium is based.

The police officer had been promoted just weeks earlier and had never been in charge of a match at Hillsborough before the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.

Lord Goldring told the jury: "Whether that was a sensible decision may be something for you to have to consider." 

Members of the jury have been told that the then chief executive of the Football Association, Graham Kelly, went to the police control box after the match had been stopped and spoke to Mr Duckenfield.

Mr Kelly told an earlier hearing: "I said 'what has happened?' and Mr Duckenfield said 'the Liverpool fans have forced a gate'."

The officer in charge of the Leppings Lane turnstiles, Superintendent Roger Marshall, has already told the inquests that was a lie.

Michael Goddard, a former police sergeant who shared the control box with the match commander, told the inquests that Mr Duckenfield "did not step up to the plate" as the disaster unfolded and had made a "gross error" in failing to consider the effect of opening an exterior gate.

Although Mr Duckenfield was in charge of policing the Hillsborough match he was not the most senior South Yorkshire Police officer at the stadium. Assistant Chief Constable Walter Jackson was the senior officer on call for the day. 

Asked during his evidence whether it had been right for Chief Supt Duckenfield to take control of the semi-final he said: "He had reached a senior rank in the service and you don't get to be a deputy divisional commander if you haven't got tremendous experience."     

Mr Duckenfield is due to give evidence at the inquests for four days.

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Police Forces Lose Track Of 396 Sex Offenders

By Martin Brunt, Crime Correspondent

Police have lost track of almost 400 registered sex offenders they should be monitoring, include a child rapist who vanished two years ago, official figures have revealed.

Others have been off the police radar for much longer, one for 14 years.

Claude Knights, of the child protection charity Kidscape, said: "The horrifying prospect is that these offenders will have rebuilt their lives in communities who don't know them.

A government spokesman said more sex offenders are being imprisoned

"Re-offending is high and particularly among those who have left the support system that was designed to help them."

Everyone on the register - currently around 60,000 - is required to say where they are living. They are monitored by police, probation officers and the prison service under the multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA).

But a total of 396 registered sex offenders have vanished after moving home without telling the authorities their new address.

Some of those missing are foreign nationals who may have returned to their own countries. That could include failed asylum seeker Patrick Kanda, 36, who was convicted of child rape.

He was monitored for several years after he was released from prison, but vanished two years ago from his home in Dagenham, Essex.

He is one of 167 offenders who have stopped reporting to monitors at the Metropolitan Police.

West Midlands Police has "lost" 39 registered offenders, Greater Manchester Police is missing 25, and Essex and Sussex have no contact with 11 offenders.

There are offenders missing from their homes in most of the UK's 45 forces, but only Scotland says it knows where all its 4,775 sex offenders are living.

The figures were revealed in response to a Freedom of Information request by the Press Association news agency. The forces refused to name any of those missing.

Jim Gamble, who runs child protection consultancy Ineqe, said: "Offenders who have chosen to go off the radar should be pursued and punished.

"By disappearing they are removing the incentive for staying in the system for the many others who choose to comply."

A Home Office spokesperson said: "The UK has some of the toughest powers in the world to deal with sex offenders and we are committed to ensuring the system is as robust as possible.

"Under this government more adult sex offenders are being imprisoned, and they are being imprisoned for longer. The latest published figures show there are more than 11,000 sentenced adult sex offenders in prison - up by more than 2,500 since 2010.

"We have also reformed civil orders by introducing new measures that give police and the courts further powers to restrict and monitor the activities of sex offenders and those who pose a risk.

"It is for the police to manage offenders in their area, but we work closely with forces to ensure legislation is effective and that officers have all the tools they need."

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Defence Cuts Could Put 30,000 Jobs At Risk

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

Britain's Army could shrink to its smallest size in more than 250 years the UK has been warned.

A report published by the think tank Royal United Services Institute predicts the UK defence budget will fall to 1.95% of GDP - below the NATO minimum of 2%.

A 2010 review led to the army reducing in size to 82,000 personnel

It warned that up to 30,000 service personnel could go - with the Army likely to bear the heaviest cuts - leaving the armed forces with a combined strength of just 115,000 by the end of the decade.

In a worst case scenario the Ministry of Defence (MoD) might face a 10% cut over the next four years and would need an additional £3bn added to its budget after 2016 to remain at the same level of spending.

Video: Are Army Jobs At Risk?

Further increases would then be needed to keep pace with the growth of the economy.

The report's author Professor Malcolm Chalmers states: "By 2019/20 an extension of the commitment to the NATO target would require the MoD to be provided with an additional £5.9bn in annual spending, compared with current plans."

None of the major parties has guaranteed defence spending and the Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond wouldn't commit on the issue when pressed in an interview at the weekend. UKIP is the only party to suggest it will protect defence.

The US Army Chief of Staff recently warned Britain against making further cuts and Barack Obama has also spoken about the matter to David Cameron in private.

On Thursday MPs will debate defence spending in the House of Commons. It is becoming an increasingly important issue amongst backbench Conservative MPs who don't understand why the International Development budget is ring-fenced.

Video: Sept 2014: 'A Formidable Force'

Under the last security review in 2010 the Army reduced in size from 102,000 personnel to 82,000; the smallest since the Napoleonic wars.

Major equipment was also scrapped and not replaced, including the country's aircraft carriers and maritime patrol aircraft.

Those decisions have been exposed in recent months with the threat from Islamic State and growing aggression from Russia.

The paper's optimistic scenario envisages defence receiving an extra £4bn per annum from 2019/20, but recognises that would result in severe cuts for other departments or increased taxation.

The report states: "Even on the optimistic scenario, numbers of service personnel could fall from 145,000 to 130,000 by the end of the decade. Under the pessimistic scenario, they could fall to 115,000."

Video: Sept 2014: Danatt Criticises Cuts

It also warns than ships, fighter jets and armoured vehicles could be affected.

The report concludes: "In either scenario, the result will be a remarkably sharp reduction in the footprint of defence in UK society over a decade.

"Even in the optimistic scenario, defence's share of GDP will have fallen by a third, from 2.6% of GDP in 2010 to around 1.75% by 2019; and the MoD workforce (service and civilian) will have fallen by around 30% , from 265,740 to 184,000 by 2019."

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Cameron Pledges To Open 500 New Free Schools

By Jason Farrell, Political Correspondent

David Cameron says he wants to create 500 more free schools in the next parliament.

The Prime Minister will suggest at a speech in London later today that the controversial programme has been a great success, amid criticism from teachers' unions and the Labour Party.

"If you vote Conservative, you will see the continuation of the free schools programme at the rate you've seen in the last three years," he will say.

More than 400 free schools have been approved since 2010

"That means, over the next parliament, we hope to open at least 500 new free schools resulting in 270,000 new school places."

Under the free schools scheme parents and teachers can set up and design their own schools.

Video: Nick Clegg Takes On Free Schools

One institution expecting approval will be based at a "boxing boot camp" in Hackney which will use daily training sessions in the ring to help children deal with their anger.

Mr Cameron will also announce the approval of 49 new free schools, as a report by the right-wing think tank Policy Exchange concludes the innovation is driving up standards at primary and secondary level.

Free schools have been the big education experiment of this government so it is no surprise that, with an election coming, the Conservatives conclude it has been a huge success.

More than 400 have been approved since 2010 creating more than 230,000 places. According to Policy Exchange nearly three quarters (72%) of all open or approved mainstream free schools are in areas with a projected lack of places in the future.

But critics say the schools are unaccountable and the initial findings do not warrant expanding the programme.

Henry Stewart from the Local Schools Network said: "It you look at the data for both primaries and secondary schools free schools don't have any effect on the other schools in the area, but what they have done is they've used up a huge amount of resource.

"Some £1.7bn is the capital spend on free schools to date and the National Audit Office found that 52% of free school places are in areas that don't need new places."

Video: Gove Defends Free Schools

The Policy Exchange report also finds that free schools are not dominated by the middle class and are eight times more likely to be located in the most deprived areas of England than the most affluent.

Jonathan Simons, head of education at Policy Exchange, said: "Policymakers should make decisions based on evidence and the evidence clearly shows that free schools drive up standards of nearby schools in the local community, particularly the ones which are lower performing.

"Restricting new free schools solely to areas of basic need will deprive pupils - especially in some of the poorest performing schools - from achieving better results."

But Tristram Hunt MP, Labour's shadow education secretary, said: "The Tory plan is failing young people and their parents, with a third of all free schools found to be under-performing.

"Instead of focusing on the desperate need for more primary school places across the country and on spreading innovation right across the school system, David Cameron's government has spent at least £241m on free schools in areas that already have enough school places.

"The result is many more children forced into crowded classrooms - a 200% increase in the number of infants taught in classes of more than 30."

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UK Kurds Mixed About Britons Fighting IS

By Richard Suchet, Sky News Reporter

"You lost one son but you have earned thousands of other sons."

That is the message from the editor of the UK's only Kurdish newspaper, Aladdin Sinayic, to the family of the first British person to die fighting Islamic State extremists.

Ex-Royal Marine Konstandinos Erik Scurfield, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, travelled to Syria in December to fight alongside Kurdish forces but was killed on Monday.

Mr Scurfield died fighting alongside Kurdish forces

It is believed he quit his military career in order to join the fight against IS alongside Kurdish forces.

At the Kurdish Community Centre (KCC) in Haringey, north London, he is considered a hero.

Video: Brit Killed Fighting Islamic State

One visitor to the centre told Sky News: "We think that these people must be very, very sensitive about Kurds and very intellectual. They have a big heart for us."

Another said: "When Erik's body is returned to the UK, we would like to do something special for his family - we want to invite them here and have a ceremony for them."

London is home to thousands of Kurds - a community united not by statehood but by language and culture.

Haringey is more than 3,000 miles from the fight against IS but the suffering of their people in the geocultural region of Kurdistan is at the forefront of their minds.

The walls of the KCC are plastered with pictures of Kurdish martyrs, many of whom have family in London.

"As long as we are awake we talk about these issues," says one man.

"It is part of our lives. Our minds have never been free of thinking about what is going on in Kurdistan."

Video: 19 Feb: Ex-Public Schoolboy Fights

Another added: "We came here two hours ago together, we are having our tea but at the same time we are talking about what is going on in Kurdistan.

"What, for example, is going to happen tomorrow?"

Telegraf editor Mr Sinayic believes the country's Kurdish community would like to see more Westerners travel to the Middle East to take on IS.

"When you see Britons or other nationalities going there and being in the fight, this is something very very important for us," he says.

"They are honourable."

But one British Kurd who has fought IS does not want to see other Brits risking their lives.

Security guard Yasir Abdullah is originally from Iraq but lives in West Yorkshire with his wife and four children.

Video: Dec: Britons Reveal Fight In Syria

Twice he has gambled everything by returning to his village to fight alongside other Kurds.

"I see on the TV what they're doing to the Kurdish or Arabs, or executing, everything, the bad things they do and we thought, we have to stand up to fight against this enemy of humanity," he said.

"But we don't want anyone coming over there to help us.

"We thank everybody - if they want to come over we thank them to not come over there.

"If they want to help us, tell the British Government and American Government more weapons. This is what we want."

Authorities go to great lengths to prevent UK nationals travelling to join IS but those wanting to fight against Islamist extremists seem to be free to do so.

But people who succeed in reaching the battlefield are held in high regard by a community that until recently has felt largely abandoned by the West.

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Trespasser On Roof Of House Of Commons

Police have confirmed they are dealing with a man trespassing on the roof of the House of Commons.

Officers were made aware of the man on the roof at 9.15pm on Saturday.

Sky News Political Correspondent Jason Farrell, who is at the scene, says the man is on his own and wearing a grey top and dark trousers.

Police were called to the scene at 9.15pm. Pic: Jason Farrell

Farrell says he seems "quite young and quite relaxed".

The man can be seen walking around on the roof.

A police boat on the river side of Westminster. Pic: Jason Farrell

Police say they have not had much communication with him.

It is not yet known why he is on the roof.

He does not have a banner so it is not known if the incident is related to a protest, Farrell says.

The fire brigade and ambulance service are at the scene and a police boat is on the Thames side of Parliament.

Campaigners have used the roof for stunts in the past, including protesters in 2008 demonstrating against a third runway at Heathrow.

And a year later dozens of Greenpeace protesters climbed on to the roof to call for action on climate change.

During that protest, they unfurled banners which read: "Change the politics, save the climate."

Earlier on Saturday, more than 5,000 protesters gathered outside Parliament for a climate change demonstration.

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