First Text Was Sent To A Mobile 20 Years Ago

By By Richard Suchet, Sky News Reporter

Tomorrow marks 20 years since the first text message was sent to a mobile phone.

The first SMS was sent on December 3, 1992, when a 22-year-old British engineer called Neil Papworth - an employee of the technology company Sema - used his computer to send the message "Merry Christmas" to an Orbitel 901 mobile phone.

Texting has now surpassed the traditional phone call as the most common method of staying in touch.

Speaking to Sky News, Mr Papworth said he never envisaged that texting would be so popular.

"Back then I had no idea - I was just doing a day's testing. It wasn't until the 10th anniversary that I realised and thought 'Wow, that was a big thing'.

"And here we are another 10 years later and text messaging has gone on to even bigger and better things now."

According to figures released by Ofcom, more than 150 billion texts were sent in the UK last year, almost triple the amount sent five years ago.

Its most prolific users are 12 to 15-year-olds, who send an average of 193 texts every week, almost four times as much as the UK average.

In fact, most of us are now more likely to text a friend than to pick up the phone, or have a face-to-face conversation with them.

But the first half of 2012 saw two quarterly declines in the volume of SMS messages sent in the UK.

The drop is being put down to the meteoric rise in web-based communications - many of which are freely available on smartphones and tablets - like WhatsApp, Blackberry Messenger (BBM), iMessenger, Google Talk and MSN Messenger.

An increase in communication through social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook is also thought to be having an impact.

SMS stands for Short Messaging Service and a message is traditionally under 160 characters in length.

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Chakrabarti: 'Leveson Law Would Be Unlawful'

A key aide to Lord Justice Leveson claims his calls for press reform laws would be illegal and may breach the Human Rights Act.

Shami Chakrabarti, one of six assessors who worked with the judge on the inquiry, told the Mail on Sunday she could not support legislation because it would "coerce" newspapers into holding higher standards than anyone else, which would be unlawful.

The director of civil rights group Liberty warned that Lord Justice Leveson's proposal for an independent regulatory body backed up in law could have "serious unintended consequences".

The report on press reforms was issued last week

She said: "In a democracy, regulation of the press and imposing standards on it must be voluntary.

"A compulsory statute to regulate media ethics in the way the report suggests would violate the Act, and I cannot support it."

She added that Labour leader Ed Miliband "was hasty" in supporting the recommendations unveiled earlier this week.

Of Hacked Off, she told the Mail on Sunday: "I understand that people who have been wronged want action. But they should be interested in outcomes, rather than particular processes.

The PM has serious concerns about legislative action

"The outcome they should be seeking is a free and vibrant press with access to justice for the public when things go wrong."

David Cameron has expressed "serious concerns and misgivings" about legislative action but faces intense pressure to implement the findings from victims of press intrusion, the public and other party leaders.

The Prime Minister, who called for the press to be given a some time to now get its house in order, will warn Fleet Street it must take swift action to set up an independent press watchdog in crunch talks with the industry next week.

The report has ratcheted up coalition tensions with the Liberal Democrats saying they are prepared to back the regulatory system and slapping down Tory claims that draft laws were only being drawn up to demonstrate the proposals were unworkable.

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Floods: £120m Extra Cash For Defences

The Government has announced £120m of new funding for flood defences which it says will improve protection for up to 60,000 homes.

It comes amid clean-up operations across the UK in the aftermath of the recent flooding which devastated communities in the South West, Midlands, Wales and North East.

Ministers said £60m will be targeted at areas where improving defences against flooding could unlock investment and growth in the area, and the rest will go to speed up delivery of up to 50 schemes already in the pipeline.

They believe the money, which will be delivered between next year and 2015, will not only boost defences, but also provide £1bn in economic benefits.

Potential projects which could benefit from the funding include Leeds, where the riverside area is regularly threatened by floods and defences could protect 250 businesses, employing more than 100,000 people, and more than 3,100 homes.

Residents of Old Malton begin to deal with the aftermath of the floods

The money is in addition to the £2bn being spent on flooding and coastal erosion this spending period up to 2015 - half of which is for capital projects such as flood defences.

Earler this week, the Prime Minister hinted a cash boost may be on the way. Defending the Government's spending plans on flood defences, David Cameron told the Commons: "We believe by spending the money better and by leveraging from private and other sectors we can increase that level of flood defence spending.

"The spending that is already under way will protect an additional 145,000 homes between now and 2015, but if we can go further, of course we should."

But ministers have faced criticism that they have cut flood defence spending at a time when their own advisers say hundreds of millions of pounds more cash is needed to help the UK cope with greater risk of flooding as the climate changes.

This summer, government climate advisers said flood defence spending is 12% below levels in the last spending review period, with a gap opening up of £860m between money pledged for 2011/15 and what is needed to maintain protection.

James Brindley sweeps muddy sediment out of the Swan Pub in St Asaph

Earlier this week, a report by Wildlife and Countryside Link, which includes 38 charities, warned not enough money was being spent on flood defences and said ministers were failing to prevent unnecessary building in areas at high risk of flooding.

Figures released by the Environment Agency showed some 1,600 properties were flooded during the recent bout of bad weather, while flood defences had protected more than 54,000 homes.

Shadow environment secretary Mary Creagh said: "This year's floods have shown how short-sighted the Government was to cut investment in flood defences by £95m a year, leaving homes and businesses unprotected.

"Flooding is the biggest threat the UK faces from climate change, yet even after today's mini U-turn the Government will still be spending less on flood defences next year than in 2008.

"Every £1 invested in flood defences saves £8 later and provides much needed construction work.

"What a shame ministers have wasted two years looking for shovel ready infrastructure projects while 294 flood schemes have been postponed or cancelled."

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Freddie Flintoff Wins First Heavyweight Fight

Andrew Flintoff has won his first heavyweight boxing match against Richard Dawson at the Manchester Arena.

Flintoff beat Dawson on points by 39-38 at the end of four two-minute rounds in front of a roaring crowd in his native north west.

The former England and Lancashire cricket star was afforded a hero's welcome by the 5,000-strong crowd.

But after taking the first round he was sent tumbling to the canvas by a punch from his American opponent early in the second.

Flintoff - who lost 20kg while training with former world champion Barry McGuigan - came back into the match as the heavier Dawson showed signs of tiredness.

And the Ashes winner showed impressive composure to take a narrow points win according to referee Phil Edwards' scorecard.

Flintoff recovered after being knocked to the canvas in the second round

The win was the perfect response to critics including promoter Frank Maloney, who said the fight would "shame the fight game".

Flintoff was thrilled to have made a winning return to the limelight.

"You mention the Ashes at international level, but as a personal achievement I think this is the best," he told Box Nation.

"It's something that isn't natural to me. I've had to work hard."

The 34-year-old, who has been training for four and a half months with McGuigan and his son Shane, added: "The feeling of being back in front of a crowd and winning at the end - I can't describe it.

"I wanted to experience it. The people around Manchester, and the county, supported me so well playing cricket. It was a no-brainer to have it up here.

"The crowd made a massive difference. It's been amazing - humbling, really."

Flintoff's progress was charted in a Sky television documentary, where his commitment and dedication to achieving prime physical condition were clearly evident.

But doubts were raised by seasoned observers about the former all-rounder's technical boxing skills.

More than three years on from his last outing as a professional sportsman - helping England regain the Ashes from Australia at The Oval in 2009 while battling a knee injury that would ultimately curtail his career - Flintoff entered the ring wearing his old Lancashire Lightning one-day top.

The crowd favourite had tipped the scales at a trim 15st 6oz - giving Dawson a near two-stone weight advantage.

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Joyce Moulson Plagued By Yobs Before Death

The family of a pensioner who died after stones were hurled at her house have said she was plagued by anti-social behaviour by youths.

Joyce Moulson's family said she was having dinner with one of her grandchildren when a pane of glass was broken in her front door.

While the shattered glass was being cleared, the 84-year-old collapsed on the kitchen floor.

She was pronounced dead soon after she arrived at hospital. A post-mortem established the cause of death as heart-related illness.

A family spokesman said Mrs Moulson led an independent life but was blighted by anti-social behaviour.

"Mum and her neighbours in Fair Road, North Road and Upper George Street have seen intrusions into gardens and broken windows in greenhouses," the family said.

"The many high garden walls in the area appear to be an attraction for youths attempting to participate in free running."

But the family insisted she was not terrorised and was supported by her relatives.

They said: "Mum never lived in fear of anything and her door was always open.

"She saw uninvited youths as an inconvenience and was certainly not terrorised by them. Wibsey is a good area of Bradford, only spoilt by the antics of a few."

Paying tribute to Mrs Moulson, her family added: "Mum, her three children John, Julie and Jason and five grandchildren all live in the area and visited her regularly. She was a much-loved mother and was adored by those who knew her, both family and friends.

"She was perhaps best known locally for her glamorous blonde hair and dress style. She would always dress smartly, even if only going across the road to the Co-op for a pint of milk."

Two boys aged 12 and two aged 13 have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter. One of the 13-year-olds has been released without charge.

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Supermarkets Back New Price Promotion Rules

What The Supermarkets Say

Updated: 3:19am UK, Friday 30 November 2012

Eight major supermarkets have signed up to a new code on special offers and price promotions, while Asda is considering whether to take part. Here is what some of the retailers had to say...

Lidl: "At Lidl, we consider customer satisfaction and transparency to be at the forefront of our business, and the OFT's set of principles for fair pricing practices is fully in line with our own pricing policies we have set ourselves.

"For example we do not inflate prices of products before a promotion to artificially imply a saving to the customer.

"For this reason the pricing of products in Lidl stores will not be affected as we will continue to apply these principles to our prices in stores."

Tesco: "We work hard to ensure we offer competitive prices and fair, meaningful promotions to our customers.

"We always try to use simple and clear information, so we welcome the OFT's clarity on good practices and support their wish to see a consistent approach to promotions across the sector."

Waitrose: "Waitrose already has clear principles in place to ensure that our pricing is clear and transparent for our customers - so we are supportive of the OFT's code announced today."

Morrisons: "We are happy to sign up to the Office of Fair Trading's principles because they reflect good promotional practice and we are working towards convergence."

Sainsbury's: "These principles are in line with what we already do at Sainsbury's as we have always been committed to fair and transparent pricing. We will continue to ensure that our pricing and promotions are as clear as possible for our customers."

Co-Operative: "We understand how important it is for shoppers to be able to easily understand what the promotional offer is, so they can spot the best deal, and we are committed to providing clear and accurate labelling for our customers so they can make informed purchasing decisions.

"We have been working closely with the Office of Fair Trading, and are fully supportive of the principles set."

Asda: "We're not sure (the OFT's draft code) best helps customers in these challenging times, so we are taking the time to consider its proposals in detail."

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Pensioner Dies After Stones Thrown At House

Four boys have been arrested by detectives investigating the death of a pensioner after youths hurled stones at her house.

Joyce Moulson, 84, collapsed around 10 minutes after her terraced home in Bradford was attacked on Tuesday night.

She was taken to Bradford Royal Infirmary but was pronounced dead soon after she arrived.

Four boys - two aged 12 and two aged 13 - have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and are being held in custody.

Local residents described Mrs Moulson as "a lovely old lady who always had time for you".

A friend and close neighbour said: "She was helpful, chatty and always had time for you and a tale to tell."

The woman, who asked not to be named, added: "She was just a lovely old lady. I heard the kids outside last night and basically ignored it because I'm so used to it now."

Nicola Taylor, 29, who lives on the other side of the road, said: "It's devastating. She must've been really, really scared.

"There's always a lot of kids hanging round on the corner. It's quite scary. We were really worried when we heard what had happened."

Another neighbour, Laura Schofield, 26, said: "I heard sirens last night but that's just a normal thing here."

Julie Taylor, who owns a shop near Mrs Moulson's house in Fair Road, said: "Youths are always jumping on the wall outside her house and in the garden. Some of them have no respect.

"I didn't know her personally but used to see her coming and going from her house. I'm shocked."

Police are patrolling the Wibsey area of Bradford following the incident, which happened at around 6pm.

Officers are also studying CCTV footage, a police spokesman said.

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Floods: Family 'Devastated' At OAP's Death

The family of a 91-year-old woman who died in floods that devastated a small city in North Wales have said she was an "active and independent" mother and grandmother.

The body of Margaret Hughes, who had been due to celebrate her birthday today, was discovered in her flooded home in St Asaph.

"Maggie", as she was known, was found by officers carrying out house-to-house checks as hundreds of waterlogged properties were evacuated following the deluges.

Officers said there were no suspicious circumstances and her death was being treated as unexplained.

The city suffered severe flooding after the River Elwy reached a record high of 14ft 3in (4.35 metres) and burst through flood defences.

This was more than 3ft (1m) deeper than its previous record of 11ft 4in (3.47m) in November 2009.

Prime Minister David Cameron described the damage in St Asaph as "biblical scenes".

In a statement released by North Wales Police, Mrs Hughes' relatives said they were "devastated" by the news of her death.

She was described by her family as "independent and strong willed with a real sense of humour and fun".

David Cameron described the damage in St Asaph as "biblical scenes"

The family statement read: "Despite her frailty and age she was still very active and loved nothing more than entertaining her grandchildren and great-grandchildren with cups of tea and mince pies with which she would overwhelm them particularly at Christmas."

Speaking from their Denbighshire home, Mrs Hughes's daughter and four grandsons and granddaughter spoke lovingly of their "Nain".

They said she came from that "old stock" of Welsh farmers who carried on regardless of the circumstances, never complained or moaned and always put the wishes of others before her own.

They recalled how Mrs Hughes, while in her 80s, would take long walks collecting firewood and delivering bundles to her grandchildren, often using the bus to take the firewood to their homes.

The statement continues: "Margaret spent most of her early life working on farms, initially in Cerrig, near Corwen and then Plas Coch in St Asaph where she farmed with her husband for 18 years before moving into Tai'r Felin, St Asaph.

"The family are devastated by the news of her unexpected death."

They said she was still "full of life" and looking forward to Christmas.

They also passed on their sincere thanks for all the messages of support and good will but have now asked for privacy at this "very difficult time".

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Cyril Smith: Late MP 'Abused Young Boys'

Police have acknowledged for the first time that the late politician Sir Cyril Smith sexually and physically abused young boys in the 1960s.

Smith, who was elected MP for Rochdale in 1972, was dogged by rumours of abuse throughout his career but charges were never brought.

But both Greater Manchester Police and the Crown Prosecution Service have now said if Smith had been accused today he would be charged and prosecuted.

Assistant Chief Constable Steve Heywood said: "We are now in a position to say that on three separate occasions, files were passed to first the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and then the CPS containing details of abuse committed by Smith, but on each occasion no prosecution was pursued.

"Having now reviewed those decisions, we believe that if the same evidence was presented to the CPS today there would have been a very realistic prospect that Smith would have been charged with a number of indecent assaults, and that the case would have been brought to trial.

"Clearly that is a bold statement to make but it is absolutely important for those victims who were abused by Smith that we publicly acknowledge the suffering they endured."

An investigation was carried out by Lancashire Police in the late 1960s into Smith's actions at the Cambridge House Hostel, a privately-run care home in Rochdale.

Smith served as Liberal Democrat MP

The investigating officer presented details of allegations made by eight youths to the DPP and concluded Smith had indecently assaulted young boys, but the DPP recommended no prosecution be pursued.

All the boys were either living at Cambridge House or were dependent on Smith for either employment, financial support or guardianship.

The allegations were set out in 80 pages of evidence that was supplied to the then DPP Sir Norman Skelhorn with a covering note dated 11 March 1970.

The only documentation of the decision making is a one page letter to the Chief Constable of Lancashire Constabulary.

It is dated 19 March, 1970, and reads: "I have considered your file and I observe that eight young men, whose ages range from nineteen to twenty-four years, allege that between 1961 and 1966 Smith subjected them to various forms of indecency and I also observe that Smith denies their allegations.

"Any charges of indecent assault founded on these allegations, as well as being somewhat stale, would be, in my view, completely without corroboration. Further, the characters of some of these young men would be likely to render their evidence suspect."

Nazir Afzal, chief crown prosecutor for CPS North West, said: "The decision made in 1970 would not be made by the CPS today.

"Any victims considering coming forward should not be dissuaded by the decisions of the past."

Smith, who died in 2010, served as the Liberal and later Liberal Democrat MP for Rochdale between 1972 and 1992.

A Liberal Democrat spokesperson said: "All accusations against Cyril Smith should have been investigated thoroughly with the authorities taking whatever action they thought necessary.

"Any new allegations being made should also be investigated by the police."

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Alcohol: Ministers To Propose Minimum Pricing

By Thomas Moore, Health Correspondent

Cut-price alcohol deals could be banned in a new attempt by the Government to curb binge drinking.

The Home Office is expected to outline plans including a new minimum price for alcohol and an end to bulk-buy discounts.

It will launch a public consultation on the minimum price, thought to range from 40p to 50p per unit of alcohol.

At a unit price of 50p, the cheapest bottle of wine would rise in cost from around £3 to just under £5.

But Emily Robinson of Alcohol Concern said the "pocket-money prices" charged for booze have a long-term cost for the nation's health.

"Young people say it is cheaper to get drunk than go to the cinema," she said.

"So this is a measure that will target that group of people. It won't affect moderate drinkers much at all.

"And this is already costing us money. As taxpayers we are paying for the high costs in terms of policing, admissions to A&E and councils that have to clear up the mess."

Researchers at the University of Sheffield have studied the effect of setting a minimum price.

David Cameron is thought to support a minimum price policy of 40p a unit

Charging at least 50p a unit would reduce the number of crimes by 42,500 in the first year.

After 10 years the policy would have prevented 15,000 deaths and 481,000 hospital admissions.

And it would save £9.7bn in its first decade, the research shows.

But the Wine and Spirit Trade Association said there was no "real world" evidence that minimum pricing would work.

Spokesman Miles Beale said the measure was unfair.

"Minimum pricing is not targeted at all," he said. "The vast majority of us are responsible drinkers but it will apply to us nonetheless.

"If a minimum price of 50p was introduced then 74% of products on supermarket shelves would go up in price."

However, one of the 'big four' supermarkets has come out in support of minimum pricing.

Morrisons Finance Director Richard Pennycook told Jeff Randall Live: "The Government is doing something that everybody who sells alcohol has to comply with.

"That means we're all in the same boat and if they've taken the view that this is an important fiscal measure, one which is related to consumer health, then we are very supportive of it."

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