Police Will Consider Bradford City Fire Claims

By Paul Kelso, Sports Correspondent

West Yorkshire Police says it will consider any new evidence relating to the deaths of 56 people in the 1985 Bradford City fire, following the publication of new allegations about the tragedy.

A new book alleges the Valley Parade disaster was one of nine major fires at companies or premises linked to the club's then chairman, Stafford Heginbotham.

It also claims the chairman, who died in 1995, was in deep financial difficulties prior to the fire and received total insurance payouts from the nine fires equivalent to £27m.

Author Martin Fletcher, who lost five members of his family in the fire, does not make any direct allegation about Mr Heginbotham's history of fires, but questions why they were not examined at the time.

The jury at the inquest in 1985 delivered a verdict of misadventure

"Could any man really be as unlucky as Heginbotham had been?" he asks.

In a statement West Yorkshire Police said: "Should any evidence come to light which was not available to Her Majesty's Coroner at the original inquest, then we will consider it and take appropriate action."

Sir Oliver Popplewell conducted a public inquiry into the fire and found it was caused by a dropped cigarette which ignited rubbish that had been allowed to accumulate, despite several warnings, beneath a wooden stand.

Sir Oliver, who was not made aware of Mr Heginbotham's link to previous fires in 1985, told Sky News that while they were "a remarkable coincidence" it did not change his original judgement that it was an "accident exacerbated by negligence".

"If we had been aware of these fires at the time of course they would have demanded further investigation, but I am not sure what they would have revealed," Sir Oliver said.

The fire claimed 56 lives

"In terms of the facts it was one of the more straightforward inquiries.

"The police compiled witness statements and there was no evidence of anything untoward. There was no suggestion or evidence of arson at my inquiry or subsequent civil prosecutions."

Former sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe, deputy leader of Bradford City council at the time of the tragedy, says he knew Mr Heginbotham "flew by the seat of his pants" in terms of the club's finances, but remains convinced by Popplewell's conclusion

"Stafford Heginbotham was one of those football club chairmen of which there were many at the time who flew by the seat of his pants," he said.

"I was deputy leader of the city council at the time and he did fly by the seat of his pants when it came to paying the bill for the police and so on.

"But I think the inquiry was very thorough at the time and I don't think there needs to be another because of this.

"I do not believe there was any sort of cover-up and in fact the inquiry led to a lot of recommendations on stadiums that together with the Taylor Report came up with the right answers for football."

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Police Trained To Spot 'Paedophile Tattoos'

Police have been getting training to spot tattoos, books and even clothing that could indicate someone is a paedophile.

Four hundred Durham officers were taught specialist skills developed by Texas police and Dr Joe Sullivan, an expert who has worked on the Madeleine McCann case.

They learnt about behavioural signs that could signal a potential child abuser and prompt the need for further questioning.

Dr Sullivan said he did not want to give more details to the public but that his knowledge had come from interviewing thousands of paedophiles.

"I have learned from that they have had to say, what are the key indicators that someone who may not have that level of knowledge may not pick up on.

"This training is about targeting frontline staff who are not working in the arena of child sexual exploitation."

It is the first time UK police have taken part in the Intervene to Protect a Child programme and it is hoped it will help them spot warning signs – even if the case is not originally flagged as child abuse.

PCSO Adam Grundy, 28, put his new skills to use just two weeks after the training, protecting a five-year-old girl.

He became concerned when he spotted a condom and a Viagra pill at the property of a man in his 80s during a routine call.

Mr Grundy said: "This guy was being very evasive with me when normally he would engage. He was very stand-offish and wanted me to leave.

"His personality had completely changed and that was something I referred back to in my training."

The training has also been completed by another 160 workers including teachers, fire officers and health workers.

"We are giving them the confidence to recognise, if people wear certain clothing, if people have certain tattoos, if people behave in a certain way, that might be an indication," said Durham's chief constable, Mike Barton.

"When you add these things together, that should give them the confidence to a frontline member of staff to do a bit more digging."

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Karen Buckley: Police Search Glasgow Park

Dozens of police officers and a helicopter have been scouring a Glasgow park for clues on the disappearance of missing student Karen Buckley.

The entrance to Dawsholm Park was cordoned off after the 24-year-old's handbag was found there.

Ms Buckley went missing in the early hours of Sunday after leaving the house of a man she met on a night out.

Officers have been searching through undergrowth for clues

The man, who is not currently a suspect, told officers she had left at 4am but the Irish student has not been seen since.

It is believed she was planning to walk back to her flat in Hill Street.

Video: Student Last Seen At Man's Home

Her parents, who have flown from Ireland to help with the search, said it was typical for her not to use taxis.

Ms Buckley spent Saturday night with friends at Glasgow's Sanctuary nightclub on Dumbarton Road.

She told them at around 1am she was going to the toilet, but failed to return and left her jacket behind.

CCTV spotted her leaving the club with the man, whose identity has not yet been revealed.

Detective Superintendent Jim Kerr said: "We've traced the man she was with in Dorchester Avenue. He believes he was intimate with her at his flat consensually in the early hours of Sunday.

"From what we can see, she does not appear to be under duress, there's no signs of a struggle or reluctance on her part to leave the club.

"However, that does not mean that something untoward has happened to her at a later stage."

The parents of Ms Buckley, who studies occupational therapy and is originally from Cork, said they were "desperate" for the public's help.

"We just want Karen home safely, we are desperate. She is our only daughter, we love her dearly," said her mother, Marian.

"If anybody has any information please come forward, we would dearly appreciate it."

Ms Buckley's father, John, said: "If anybody is holding Karen, if anybody knows anything of her, please return her. Please let's have her back. We love her to bits."

Det Supt Kerr said Ms Buckley was widely travelled and was "aware of how to take care of herself".

Police also want to find out more about a grey car seen on the roads between Milngavie and Drymen, north of Glasgow, between 11am and 3pm on Monday.

Det Supt Kerr said: "The activity of this grey car on the Monday is something that we're a wee bit concerned about.

"This car has been seen at various locations on these roads and I want to know why."

Ms Buckley is between 5ft and 5ft 2in with brown eyes and dark hair which has long black curly extensions in it.

She was last seen wearing a black jumpsuit, red high-heeled shoes and carrying a black handbag.

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'Third' Of GPs Thinking Of Quitting Before 2020

A third of GPs are thinking about retiring from general practice in the next five years, according to a survey of thousands of doctors.

Nearly four in 10 (37%) said their workload was too much to deal with, while 53% said it was tough but generally manageable.

Two-thirds (68%) also told the British Medical Association (BMA) that they experienced significant work-related stress, but insisted they could deal with it.

Just one in six said they were unable to handle the stress of their job.

The BMA survey questioned 15,560 GPs and also found one in five trainees (19%) was already thinking about writing off work in the UK in favour of a job abroad.

Video: GPs launch recruitment film

The doctors' association said it raised doubts over political promises to dramatically boost GP numbers over the next five years.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, BMA GP committee chair, said the survey painted a bleak picture of frustrated GPs facing "burnout" and swamped by "pointless paperwork".

"In this climate, it is absurd that in the recent leaders' debate, political parties were attempting to outbid each other on the number of GPs they could magically produce in the next parliament," said Dr Nagpaul.

The head of the Royal College of GPs went further and said the pressures on GPs posed a "genuine danger to patient safety".

Video: 7-Day Week GP Service Explained

Dr Maureen Baker said: "Highly trained and experienced GPs are leaving the profession in growing numbers because of the intense and increasing pressures that we are facing, and not enough medical students are entering general practice to replace them.

"This is a genuine danger to patient safety - and to the wellbeing of hardworking family doctors and our teams."

"We simply don't have enough GPs to cope with the increasing demand of our growing and ageing population," added Dr Baker.

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Sterling Faces Warning Over Laughing Gas Claim

Liverpool star Raheem Sterling could face a stern talking-to about his actions off the pitch after a video appeared to show him inhaling laughing gas.

The club's manager, Brendan Rodgers, said it was not the behaviour of a top sportsman and that it would be dealt with "internally".

"For me it is something that when you are a professional sportsperson at the top level of the game, I don't think it is something you should be doing. It is as simple as that," said Rodgers.

The 20-year-old has also played 14 times for England

"But I will speak to him on it, to see what he says on it. As you can imagine, I have only seen this today."

The 20-year-old, who scored during Monday's 2-0 win over Newcastle, is pictured on the front of today's Sun, inhaling what it says is nitrous oxide.

Video: Rodgers: I'll Speak To Sterling

The paper claims the video shows him seemingly passing out after taking a hit of the gas, used by some as a legal high and nicknamed "hippie crack".

The controversy comes amid uncertainty over the player's future at the club - he recently rejected a new £100,000-a-week contract.

Rodgers added: "We want players here who are super-professional and focused on their football. I know he is.

"He very much is focused on his football and improving as a player.

"As I have said before, young players make mistakes. As long as they learn from them, that is what is important."

Jamaica-born Sterling has 14 senior England caps after making his debut in November 2012.

Drug information site Frank says laughing gas - which is not illegal - can make people feel "euphoric and relaxed".

However it warns it also carries a risk of death due to lack of oxygen.

The Sun story comes after the Daily Mirror published a picture at the weekend apparently showing Sterling smoking a shisha pipe.

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'Syria-Bound' Brit Waheed Ahmed Back In UK

A British man detained in Turkey for allegedly trying to cross illegally into Syria with eight members of his family is thought to be back in Britain after being deported.

The rest of the group are expected to be flown back later today.

Waheed Ahmed - the son of Rochdale councillor Shakil Ahmed – is understood to have flown from Dalaman into Birmingham, according to Sky sources.

A video on Sunday showed Mr Ahmed apparently leaving a Turkish police station and being put on a coach.

Waheed Ahmed had changed over the last year, according to a family friend

Mr Ahmed, 21, was with his aunt, two cousins and one of their wives when they were stopped in Turkey, near the Syrian border on 1 April. They had four children with them.

Most of the group flew from Manchester on 27 March but Mr Ahmed joined them three days later on a flight from Birmingham.

Video: Neighbour On 'Syria-Bound' Brits

There were reportedly concerns about his behaviour in the months before he was arrested.

Mohammed Shafiq, who is a friend of Shakil Ahmed, said of Waheed: "There were concerns in the last six months to a year about a change in his behaviour.

"And a change in his attitude towards various different issues."

He also told Sky News: "That was causing concern for people in the community and his family."

Other family members detained include Zareeda Bi, 47, Maboob Yasin, 22, Habib Yasin, 24, Samia Bi, 22, and youngsters aged one, three, eight and 11.

Police are trying to establish their reason for travelling to the Syrian border.

The Foreign Office said it did not comment on individual cases.

Officers have searched at least five homes in the Manchester area, including that of the Labour councillor.

Cllr Ahmed said he thought his son had been in Birmingham on a work placement when he discovered he had been detained in Turkey.

He has described him as a "good Muslim" and said his son's "loyalties belong to Britain".

"If I thought for a second that he was in danger of being radicalised, I would have reported him to the authorities," said Mr Ahmed.

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Boy Who Died Skiing 'Was Daring Little Boy'

The family of a boy who died on a ski holiday in the Alps have described him as "daring outgoing determined little boy".

Carwyn Scott-Howell, from Wales, was also described as a "very competent skier and snowboarder".

The boy died when he fell around 160ft from a cliff edge after losing his way in the Alpine resort of Flaine on Friday.

In a statement released through the Foreign Office, his family said: "Carwyn was an adorable caring person who gave so much love.

"Very daring outgoing determined little boy who's handsome smile lit up any room and made life full of laughter with never a dull moment. Seven years is too short a time to be an angel in the sky.

The ski resort of Flaine, in France. Pic: Dan Kamminga

"Carwyn was a very competent skier and snowboarder who had started skiing at the age of three and spent several weeks each year skiing. We had spent the most happy ski holiday together in the French ski resort of Flaine."

The statement went on to explain how the family became separated on their last run of the day on Friday afternoon.

"The family were all enjoying their last ski run over the small jumps and bumps at the side of the slope together, when Carwyn's sister lost her ski on a jump and at this point Carwyn skied ahead," it said.

"The family cannot explain their feeling of utter devastation with a vast void in their hearts. The family would like to thank all their friends and family for their support at this time and the vast help from the British Consulate.

The alpine resort of Flaine, in France

"The family now ask for time to grieve in private."

The family have a farm in the village of Talybont-on-Usk in the Brecon Beacons, where Carwyn's parents Ceri and Rhys run an award-winning produce business and rent holiday cottages.

Liam Fitzpatrick, an independent county councillor for the village, said the community was "in absolute shock".

"He was seven years old, it's horrendous. A tragic, tragic accident," he said.

Carwyn had started skiing at the age of three. Pic: Facebook

"We just can't comprehend it.

"It's a small village and everyone knows each other, especially his parents who are well-known because of their business.

"There will be massive support here for them when they come back. The community will be ready to assist in any way it possible can.

"It's impossible to know what they are going through at the moment."

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Jail Threat As 'Revenge Porn' Law Comes In

Sharing sexually explicit images without consent carries a potential two-year jail sentence from today, as a new 'revenge porn' law comes into force.

The measure targets people who share images or video without permission and with the intention of causing distress.

They are often posted by an ex-partner and sometimes accompanied by personal details, such as a social media profile.

The new law includes uploading to the internet, sending by text, email or messaging platforms, as well as simply showing someone a physical or electronic image.

The Crown Prosecution Service says it "covers images that show the genitals but also anything that a reasonable person would consider to be sexual, so this could be a picture of someone who is engaged in sexual behaviour or posing in a sexually provocative way".

Campaigners hope it will dramatically reduce the number of cases of revenge porn and make it easier to get justice for victims.

Previously, a mix of existing laws, such as the Communications Act and the Protection from Harassment Act, were used to prosecute offenders.

Children as young as 11 have been victims, according to the police.

Calls for a bespoke law gathered momentum after recent high-profile leaks of intimate celebrity images featuring the likes of Rihanna, Jennifer Lawrence and Tulisa Contostavlos.

Campaigner Hannah Thompson, 22, called the changes a "huge step forward".

She said: "I was a victim of revenge porn, and I spent months agonising over it and believing that it was my fault.

"This new law, along with the advice helpline, empowers victims and clearly displays that they are not at fault."

There were 149 allegations of revenge porn in the two and a half years to September 2014, according to eight police forces in England and Wales with data on it.

The vast majority were women but only six incidents ended with any kind of police caution or charge.

Other laws coming in under the Criminal Justice and Courts Act include increasing the maximum jail term for online trolls to two years, and making it illegal to possess extreme pornography that depicts rape.

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Aintree Racegoer 'Knocked OAP To The Ground'

Police are investigating after a video emerged appearing to show a Grand National racegoer deliberately knocking over an elderly man.

The video is believed to have been made outside the racecourse in Aintree where around 150,000 people attended the event.

In the footage, a racegoer walks along the pavement before knocking into the victim, who then falls to the ground.

Onlookers are heard gasping and seen rushing to the pensioner's aid before an ambulance is called.

The video appears to have been made by a friend of the racegoer and he shouts "text bomb" and "is there any need?" just moments before the incident, as he sniggers from behind his phone.

A Merseyside Police spokesman said officers are treating the incident as an assault and appealed for help in finding the victim.

"Merseyside Police has been made aware of a video showing a man shoulder-barging another, older man, over in a road near to the Aintree racecourse," he said.

"The incident is being treated as assault and officers are speaking to several people believed to have further information that could help the investigation.

"Inquiries are also being carried out to establish exactly when and where the incident occurred and checks are being made with local hospitals to see if further information can be found out about the victim and what his condition is now.

"We are grateful to the people who reported this video to us and we will endeavour to update them once further enquiries by officers have been made. "We would continue to welcome any information from anyone who witnessed the incident itself on 101. "

Earlier, police said the annual race had seen no arrests over its three-day course, thanking the public for making the event such a "safe and enjoyable occasion".

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British Boy Killed In Alps Ski Fall 'Was Lost'

A British boy who died in a skiing accident while on a family holiday in the French Alps was skiing alone at his own request, according to reports.

The seven-year-old fell around 160ft from a cliff to his death in the alpine resort of Flaine on Friday.

He had been skiing with his mother, brother and sister but is understood to have asked to ski the day's final descent on his own.

His family became worried after he failed to reach the bottom of the slopes, prompting a search which ended when his body was discovered around three-and-a-half hours later.

The alpine resort of Flaine, in France

Michel Ollagnon, an officer with the Bonneville mountain rescue service, said the boy's body was spotted off his expected course by rescuers in a helicopter on Friday evening.

Police chief Patrick Poirot, the head of the mountain rescue division in the nearby town of Annecy, was quoted in the Daily Mirror saying: "Specialists are at the scene to try and determine exactly what happened and understand every element that led to this tragedy.

"Hypothetically we think that, after losing his parents, the little boy didn't know where to go and skied in the wrong direction.

"He's just seven-years-old. He left the marked ski slope and probably skied to the top of a cliff.

"He then stopped, removed his skis, walked a little way and then fell.

"He fell 50 metres."

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said they were aware of the death and are providing consular assistance.

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