Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 11 April 2015 | 12.25
The driver of a stolen ambulance has been killed after the vehicle crashed into a double-decker bus near York, according to Sky sources.
The person driving the ambulance - who police believe was not a paramedic or a member of ambulance staff - was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the bus and five of its 16 passengers were taken to hospital after the collision on the A64, near the Flaxton junction, about 8.30pm.
Their injuries were not life-threatening.
Another person, travelling in a Toyota Yaris with one other, was taken to hospital as a precaution.
Motorists have been asked to stay away from the area.
North Yorkshire Police tweeted: "The A64 at #York, near the Flaxton junction, is closed in both directions due to a serious collision. Please avoid the area."
Police have urged anyone who witnessed the crash or saw either of the vehicles beforehand to contact police and quote reference number 556 of 10 April.
The Metropolitan Police has come under fire after it emerged officers initially failed to go to the scene of the Hatton Garden jewel heist despite a burglar alarm going off.
A security firm had contacted the force about an intruder alert at the safe deposit company shortly after midnight on Good Friday.
But the call was graded in a way that meant officers did not consider it worthy of a response.
And it was not until Tuesday morning, following the four-day bank holiday Easter weekend, that the raid - one of Britain's biggest - was discovered.
The Met is now investigating why the force did not respond to the alarm activated as the heist was thought to be getting under way.
Video:Raid: How Thieves Gained Entry
Police insisted it was too early to say if the handling of the call about the alert would have had an impact on the outcome.
But the revelations have led to anger from potential victims who spoke of their shock that the police "just weren't there".
Millions of pounds worth of gems were thought to have been stolen in the raid in London's jewellery district.
Michael Miller, from Knightsbridge, who may have lost £50,000 in uninsured jewellery, said: "I am just so shocked and disappointed to hear the police didn't answer that alarm.
"I mean before, we thought maybe the police didn't even know about that but now we know that they knew something was wrong.
Video:Ex-Detective On Jewel Heist
"This completely changes things, the knowledge that something could have been done.
"The police pride themselves on being somewhere in a couple of minutes, but on this occasion they just weren't there."
A store owner near the scene, who did not wish to be named, said: "It's just shocking that someone didn't answer that call that come in when the alarm went off.
"You think what on earth isn't a high priority call if it's isn't a safe deposit alarm going off in there.
"I know they're investigating but really what is the good of that when the damage is done. There are people who will have lost their livelihoods because of this."
Video:Jewel Heist Drilling Explained
Scotland Yard said: "The call was recorded and transferred to the police's CAD (computer aided despatch) system. A grade was applied to the call that meant that no police response was deemed to be required.
"We are now investigating why this grade was applied to the call. This investigation is being carried out locally."
Those behind the raid disabled a communal lift shaft and climbed down to the basement before using power tools to drill through a two-metre wall into the vault.
Once inside, they ransacked a total of 72 safety deposit boxes, although five were empty at the time.
A further 11 were due to be "drilled out" due to non-payment of fees, meaning detectives are attempting to contact a total of 56 box holders.
Written By Unknown on Jumat, 10 April 2015 | 12.25
Former Metropolitan Police chief Lord Stevens is being investigated over claims he failed to disclose information to the Macpherson inquiry into the Stephen Lawrence murder probe.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) confirmed it was investigating the peer following a referral from the London force.
The probe was launched by the watchdog after a complaint by the murdered teenager's father Neville Lawrence last October.
The Met said the complaint was in relation to Lord Stevens' role when he was deputy commissioner and disclosure to the Macpherson Inquiry 17 years ago.
Sky' crime correspondent Martin Brunt said: "The accusation is when he was deputy commissioner in 1998 he had told Lord Macpherson in the course of his inquiry that no officer or former officer involved in giving evidence to that inquiry had been under investigation for corruption."
Brunt added he spoken to someone very close to Lord Stevens and he was "very angry he was subject to this investigation".
The Macpherson Inquiry into Scotland Yard's handling of the killing of the black teenager found evidence of "institutional racism" within the Met.
Stephen Lawrence was aged 18 when he was killed at a bus stop in 1993
Imran Khan, the solicitor for Stephen's mother Doreen, told Sky News: "Corruption was a very important issue as far as the inquiry was concerned.
"There was suspicion that the reason that suspects were not arrested as they should have been in time was because there was concern there was corruption amongst the police and suspects involved."
He added: "Had information come to the inquiry at that time, which led to those questions being answered, then it may be that Sir William Macpherson would have come to the conclusion that corruption played a part in the failure of the investigation as well as institutional racism."
Mr Lawrence reportedly asked the IPCC to examine whether senior officers provide "full, frank and truthful" information to the inquiry.
He also requested the IPCC look into claims that hundreds of files on past major police corruption probes were shredded, it was reported.
A complaint has been made by Stephen Lawrence's father Neville
Mr Lawrence told Channel 4 News: "I'm glad that they're actually doing what they were supposed to do because this is not the first time that we've asked them to look into it and they've come back with a negative result.
"I'm hoping that this time they're going to come back this time with a result that can help us to get further into the truth of what was happening during the investigation into Stephen's death."
Sky's Martin Brunt said a source close to Lord Stevens pointed out that an inquiry into similar accusations three years ago - the so-called Ellison Inquiry - had effectively cleared Lord Stevens of the allegations.
Stephen Lawrence was 18 when he was stabbed to death by a group of up to six white youths in an unprovoked racist attack at a bus stop in Eltham, south-east London, in April 1993.
A Met Police statement said: "Following the receipt of a public complaint in relation to Lord John Stevens, former Commissioner, the MPS [Metropolitan Police Service] made a referral to the Independent Police Complaints Commission on Tuesday, 4 November 2014.
"The complaint has been made in relation to Lord Stevens' role as the then Deputy Commissioner and disclosure to the Macpherson Inquiry.
"This issue was raised in the Stephen Lawrence Independent Review by Mark Ellison QC, published on 6 March, where he concluded there were defects in the level of information that the MPS revealed to the Inquiry."
The elderly and people with health problems have been warned to avoid strenuous activity because of harmful levels of air pollution expected to blanket parts of the UK.
The warning comes as forecasters say Britain could enjoy the hottest day of the year so far, with parts of eastern England predicted to reach highs of 22C (71.6F).
Eastern, central and southern England are forecast to be affected by "high" pollution today.
Parts of East Sussex and West Kent are expected to reach "very high" levels, according to the Government's UK-Air monitoring service.
Air pollution maps released by Defra
The high levels are due to domestic soot particulates, combined with dirty air from the Continent and some Saharan dust.
With the fine, settled weather conditions the pollution will be trapped over the UK for several hours.
Video:The Latest Weather Forecast
Dr Sotiris Vardoulakis, head of the air pollution group at Public Health England, said: "While most people will not be affected by short term peaks of air pollution, some individuals, particularly those with existing heart or lung conditions, may experience increased symptoms."
Dr Vadoulakis said in areas with very high pollution levels people should reduce physical exertion if they develop a cough or sore throat.
He added: "Adults and children with lung problems, adults with heart problems, and older people should avoid strenuous physical activity.
1/10
Gallery: Top Ten UK Cities For Air Pollution
Nottingham is joint top of the list, with a PM10 level of 25. The WHO say most cities across the world are failing to meet safe levels for outdoor pollution
Written By Unknown on Kamis, 09 April 2015 | 12.25
Detectives from the Counter Terrorism Command are investigating the death of a Syrian preacher in north-west London.
Abdul Hadi Arwani, 48, was found in his Volkswagen Passat in Wembley with a gunshot wound to the chest on Tuesday morning.
Mr Arwani, a British national born in Syria, was living in west London and was a preacher at the An-Noor Mosque in Acton.
Officers from the Counter Terrorism Command unit have taken the lead in the investigation because of their "expertise in the management of investigations with international dimensions and an established liaison network abroad", Scotland Yard said in a statement.
Mr Arwani was found in Greenhill on Tuesday morning
The force said: "The investigation remains in its very early stages and officers remain open-minded about the motive."
A post-mortem examination into Mr Arwani's death will take place on Thursday. Formal identification has not yet taken place.
Mr Arwani is said to be a staunch critic of the Bashar al Assad regime in Syria. His is reported to have six children.
His son Morhaf Arwani, 20, said: "We are at a loss to understand what is behind this. At the moment we know as much as you do."
An-Noor Mosque has previously hosted the son of radical preacher Abu Hamza, and was the location for the November 2013 escape of terror suspect Mohammed Ahmed Mohamed, who dressed himself in a burka.
A statement posted on the wall at the mosque said: "We have with great sadness heard of the unfortunate death of Shaykh Abdulhadi Arwani who was the former Imam of the An Noor Cultural and Community Centre who served from 2005 to 2011.
"He will be sadly missed."
Mr Arwani is thought to have fled Syria as a teenager in 1982 after surviving the Hama massacre. He is believed to have attended protests against Assad outside the Syrian embassy in 2012.
:: Anyone with information should contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Some of the UK's top footballers could be among the victims of the Hatton Garden safe deposit raid.
Jewellers who store gems at the diamond centre in Holborn, central London, do commission work for a number of Premier League stars, a source told Sky News.
They work on high-priced orders for wives and girlfriends and for the footballers themselves.
"Players have almost unlimited spending power and love to outdo each other with extravagant purchases, especially where jewellery is concerned," said the source.
"It's only natural they would go to the renowned craftsmen of Hatton Garden to place their orders."
Video:Raid: How Thieves Gained Entry
The players affected are likely to play for the top London clubs, but it is thought stars of other clubs visit the dozens of jewellers in Hatton Garden when they are playing or partying in London.
Flying squad detectives said up to 70 safe deposit boxes were broken open, but they had not informed the victims because forensic work was still going on.
:: More on Europe's most notorious jewel heists
The raiders are believed to have broken into the building through the roof and abseiled down a lift shaft.
Video:Raid: 'Shock To The Trade'
Heavy cutting equipment was then used get into a vault, believed to be reinforced with thick metal and concrete doors, up to 2ft thick.
The stolen jewellery and precious stones, which could be worth millions of pounds, will already be out of the country, former Flying Squad chief Barry Phillips believes.
He described the heist as "sophisticated" and "highly organised" and said it would have been carried out by a "professional team".
Questions have been raised about security at the premises amid reports guards responded to an alarm on Friday, but left without checking inside.
Video:Raid: 'What's Going On?'
Safe deposit box owner Gerry Landon said he found the break-in "unbelievable".
"Apparently, as you may have read, the alarm went off at one o'clock on Friday and the security guards came down," Mr Landon said.
"They more or less looked through the window to see that there was no activity there - and then they left."
Neil Duttson, a diamond dealer who buys stones for private clients, said tracing gems stolen in the heist would be nearly impossible.
Video:Vault Customer's 'Shock' At Raid
"Once diamonds have been re-cut and polished there is no geological map," he said.
"I imagine they will be sat on for six months. You can expect some cheap diamonds will be coming on the market soon."
Police have not put a value on the goods stolen, but estimates vary widely from hundreds of thousands of pounds to £200m.
The families of two teenage boys believed to have travelled to Syria have said they are "in a state of profound shock" and are exrtremely concerned for their safety.
The seventeen-year-olds, named as Hassan Munshi and Talha Asmal, are thought to have fled to the country after travelling to Turkey on 31 March.
The pair, from Dewsbury, were last seen by their families on the day they are thought to have flown from Manchester airport to Dalaman.
A statement released on behalf of the two families said: "Our number one priority is to get Hassan and Talha back home ... and we implore anyone who may have any information whatsoever to get in contact with the police.
Kadiza Sultana, Shamima Begum and Amira Abase are thought to be in Raqqa
"These were just two ordinary Yorkshire lads who enjoyed the things that all young people enjoy at their age - both Hassan and Talha had a promising future as an apprentice and an A-level student respectively, and we are praying they will be back with us soon and are able to realise that future."
The statement added: "We would implore all parents to be extra vigilant, although as we found, it's near impossible to know your children have been groomed and brainwashed.
Video:IS Threat Gets Closer To Damascus
"Syria is a frightening war-torn place and we need to urgently educate our young children about the dangers posed by those who prey on impressionable teenagers."
Hassan is believed to be related to Hammaad Munshi, who was arrested by counter-terrorism police in 2006 at the age of 15 and later convicted over his role in a plot to murder non-Muslims, The Times newspaper reported.
West Midlands Police says it has been supporting the two families and carrying out extensive inquiries alongside the North East Counter Terrorism Unit.
Assistant Chief Constable Mark Milsom said: "Syria is an extremely dangerous place and the public will be aware of the dangers these boys may face.
"The choice of returning home from Syria is often taken away from those that come under the control of Islamic State, leaving their families in the UK devastated and with very few options to secure their safe return."
Video:May 2013 - Yarmouk Refugees
He urged anyone concerned that a friend or relative may be contemplating travelling to Syria to contact police or local safeguarding units.
The two teenagers are believed to have travelled on a Thomas Cook Airlines flight out of Manchester.
A spokesman for the company said: "Whilst we cannot confirm the names of any of our passengers who travel with us, we can reassure all our customers that we work closely with all authorities to ensure the safety of our flights in and out of the UK."
UK security services believe around 600 Britons have travelled to Syria and Iraq to join militant groups, with around half now back in the UK.
They include three teenage girls from East London, who are now thought to be in the Syrian city of Raqqa, an Islamic State stronghold.
Video:Feb 2014 - Inside Yarmouk
Shamima Begum, Amira Abase and Kadiza Sultana were last seen on CCTV at a bus station in Istanbul on 17 February.
Last week, nine Britons were arrested allegedly trying to cross into Syria from Turkey illegally.
Anyone with information is urged to call police on 101 or the confidential Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789 321.
New border checks are being introduced today which will require every passport to be thoroughly verified before a person can leave the UK.
The checks are being introduced at seaports, airports and tunnels which provide exit points from the British Isles.
The changes are expected to particularly affect cross-Channel and Channel tunnel travellers, who will now need to have their passports scanned.
As airlines currently gather passengers' information ahead of time, there is unlikely to be a noticeable difference in queues for passengers.
But there are fears of delays at peak travelling times while the changes are implemented.
Until now, many people have been able to leave the country without having their passport scrutinised.
The Home Office says the changes will strengthen Britain's border security, adding that the implementation of the checks will be staggered at sites across the country.
The changes have led to fears of delays for some travellers
For the first month all passports will be scanned, but only 25% of passport holders will have their details verified.
In the second month 50% will be checked. By the middle of June, 100% of passports will be fully checked.
Security and immigration minister James Brokenshire said: "It is right that we have an immigration system that is fair, that tackles immigration and that clamps down on anyone who tries to cheat the system by staying here when they have no right to do so.
"Exit checks will provide us with vital information that confirms a person's exit from the UK.
"Port and travel operators are experts in their business and know their customers best, which is why we've supported them to design and trial the systems for collecting data in a way that will minimise the impact on customers."
More staff have been brought in to cope with the new measures, but whether the changes will have a detrimental impact on passengers will not be known until peak travelling times, such as the summer months.
A P&O spokesperson said: "They have picked a quiet day for the introduction of the checks.
"The actual scanning of passports is quick, it's the verification that takes longer. We are hoping there will be a fairly seamless transition to the new system."
Written By Unknown on Selasa, 07 April 2015 | 12.25
The cheap package holiday boom of the 1960s and 70s means pensioners are now seven times more likely to develop the deadliest form of skin cancer.
New figures from Cancer Research UK show that men aged 65 and over are 10 times more likely to be diagnosed with malignant melanoma than their parents' generation.
Older women are around five times more likely to develop the disease.
Each year, some 5,700 pensioners are now diagnosed with melanoma each year in the UK compared with 600 in the mid-1970s.
Older women are around five times more likely to develop the disease
Age is a big risk for melanoma, but the increase is blamed on package holidays which became popular in the 1960s.
Getting sunburnt once every two years can triple a person's risk of developing the disease.
Professor Richard Marais, Cancer Research UK's skin cancer expert based in Manchester, said: "It's important for people to keep an eye on their skin and seek medical opinion if they see any changes to their moles, or even to normal areas of skin.
"Melanoma is often detected on men's backs and women's legs but can appear on any part of the body."
Malignant melanoma is the country's fifth most common cancer overall and the second most common cancer in young adults aged 15 to 34.
Each year, 2,100 Britons die from the disease.
Dr Julie Sharp, Cancer Research UK's head of health information, said: "Sun damage accumulates over time so avoiding sunburn - and sunbeds - is key, as well as getting to know your skin type so you don't overdo it on the beach or even in the garden."
Retired teacher Sue Deans, 69, from Croydon, south London, was diagnosed with malignant melanoma in 2000 after having a mole removed.
She said: "I was part of the generation where package holidays became affordable and you could go abroad nearly every year.
"I don't think there was much understanding at the time about the impact that too much sun can have on your risk of getting skin cancer."
The warm Easter weather looks set to continue into the week.
Temperatures could reach 21C (70F) in some places, when the average UK temperature for April is 11.4C (52F) and for England is 12.4C, according to the Met Office.
Two Great White Pelicans in London's St James Park
Despite many holidaymakers expected to return from the Easter break on Monday the continued high pressure will ensure conditions in most areas will remain settled for the rest of the week.
The South and South West of England will see the best of the warm weather while in northeast Scotland it will be sunniest while northwest Scotland could see some cloud developing.
Most of Northern Ireland, particularly the east coast, will also enjoy spells of sunshine.
Sky's weather presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said: "Most places will continue with the dry and sunny conditions - however, eastern coastal regions and Irish sea coasts may be affected by sea fog.
"It will feel warm in the sunshine today, with top temperatures of 12-18C (54-64F)."
