April Jones Funeral: Machynlleth To Mourn

By Mike McCarthy, Sky Correspondent in Machynlleth

The funeral of April Jones is due to take place in the murdered schoolgirl's home town later.

A horse-drawn cortege will take mourners including the five-year-old's parents from her Machynlleth home to the church shortly before midday.

It is almost a year to the day since the five-year-old went missing - with her murderer, Mark Bridger, jailed for his entire life in May - but reminders of the youngster are visible throughout the town.

A memorial garden has been built on the estate of Bryn y Gog, close to the home where she lived throughout her brief life.

April's favourite colour pink has been used extensively. A bench bearing her name has been placed among the trees and next to a pink playhouse.

April's body has never been found

Up in the Welsh hills overlooking her hometown, a tree has been intricately wrapped in knitted pink patches and below in the valley pink ribbons still adorn many of the shop fronts and houses.

But the town is different now according to Councillor Mike Williams, a friend and neighbour of April's family.

He explained: "It's the magnitude of an event in which a five-year-old girl was ripped from her family, ripped from the community, in such a vile and vicious way.

"But the town has stayed together and together we will be. We will be as one and we will be always with the family in support."

People in Machynlleth joined the search for the missing girl

April Jones' funeral reflects the wishes of her grieving parents Paul and Coral, who had wondered for months whether it would even be possible as their daughter's body was never found apart from fragments of bone.

Two poems by a local writer - one called April and the other called An Autumn Night - are being read during the service in the parish church of St Peter's, and the words of well-known hymns have been changed to suit the family.

Vicar Kathleen Rogers told Sky News: "This is a huge thing for Paul and Coral.

"They need to be able to say goodbye to their daughter and this service will hopefully enable them to do that.

"Hopefully it will be a closing of this particular chapter. Another chapter will now open as they now start to grieve privately.

"Hopefully this service will help them a little bit on this horrendous journey that they're on."

The small town of Machynlleth lies in the Dyfi valley surrounded by hills and mountains. It is the kind of tranquil place where many people took for granted the inherent sense of safety.

But that has changed.

Everyone seems to agree that as a result of April's death parents, for example, are more cautious about their children's whereabouts.

It will take at least a generation perhaps for the lost innocence to return ... if it ever does.

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OFT: Children Pressured To Buy Online Games

The online games industry has been warned against pressuring children to "pay to play", under proposals drawn up by the Office of Fair Trading.

The proposed principles outlined by the OFT follow an investigation that found some games included "potentially unfair and aggressive commercial practices to which children may be particularly susceptible".

Investigators found games that implied the player would somehow be letting other players or characters down if they did not buy content.

Other games blurred the distinction between spending virtual currency and real money, and used statements or images to encourage children to make a purchase.

The OFT said such practices were likely to breach consumer protection law, and companies in the market needed to make changes to ensure they were fully complying with their legal obligations.

The draft proposals say payments made by children while playing games online will not be deemed authorised, and should not be taken, unless the account holder - such as a parent - has given their informed consent.

And they state that consumers should be told upfront about potential costs for playing the games, and any other important information such as whether their personal details will be shared with third parties.

The OFT launched its investigation in April amid concerns users could run up substantial costs paying for content such as upgraded membership or virtual currency in forms including coins, gems or fruit.

Typically, players can access only certain areas of these games for free and must pay for higher levels or features.

OFT executive director Cavendish Elithorn said: "This is a new and innovative industry that has grown very rapidly in recent years, but it needs to ensure it is treating consumers fairly and that children are protected.

"The way the sector has worked with us since we launched our investigation is encouraging and we've already seen some positive changes to its practices.

"These principles provide a clear benchmark for how games makers should be operating. Once they are finalised, we will expect the industry to follow them, or risk enforcement action."

Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens Advice, called for the guidelines to back strong enforcement.

"It's good to see that the OFT are considering action to make games include clear information on costs, and require authorisation for the account holder before children can make in-app purchases.

"The final rules must be backed up by strong enforcement action to ensure that consumers are properly protected."

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Peru Drugs Pair Plead Guilty To Trafficking

Two women accused of trying to smuggle £1.5m worth of cocaine out of Peru have pleaded guilty.

Melissa Reid and Michaella McCollum, both 20, were stopped with 11kg (24lb) of cocaine hidden in food packets in their luggage while trying to board a flight to Spain on August 6.

Reid, from Glasgow, and McCollum, from Dungannon, Co Tyrone, originally claimed they were forced to carry the drugs by an armed gang which threatened them and their family members.

Their U-turn means they will not have to stand trial on drug trafficking charges.

Instead, it is likely they will be sentenced to six years and eight months in jail at a hearing which could take place as early as next week.

The two women admitted their guilt at a private hearing in a makeshift courtroom at a men's jail in Lima.

They were heard separately for half an hour each from 11am local time - 5pm in the UK - and asked their names and ages before being given the opportunity to speak.

The pair were arrested at Lima's airport on August 6

The women's lawyer, Meyer Fishman, declined to comment but a Callao court spokesman in charge of the investigation confirmed the guilty pleas.

"Both women have pleaded guilty to drugs trafficking," said the spokesman.

"It means they automatically benefit from a sixth off the minimum jail sentence of eight years and will be sentenced to six years and eight months in prison.

"Sentencing has not taken place yet and a new hearing where the women will be sentenced has now got to be arranged.

"But it's likely that will take place in around a week's time."

The cocaine was found hidden in food packets in the women's luggage

Reid and McCollum, who had both been working in Ibiza, were facing up to 15 years in prison if they had been found guilty in a trial.

Reid's parents insisted last week that they still believed their daughter had been forced to carry the drugs but that a guilty plea was the best course of action to get her back to the UK.

Prosecutors previously indicated that the women could return home to serve their sentences if they pleaded guilty.

Reid was the first to consider changing her plea, maintaining she carried the drugs under duress and telling the Daily Mail: "Pleading guilty is going to enable me to get back to my family in Scotland sooner rather than later.

Melissa Reid said she did not want to be in jail until the age of 35

"I do not want to be in jail until 35 - I can't get back those years."

McCollum confirmed at the weekend that she too had changed her mind about continuing to protest her innocence.

"I understand that the judicial process will be simpler if we both plead guilty," said the 20-year-old.

"We are hoping we will not have to wait too long before we are sentenced and pleading guilty will speed things up."

The pair are currently being held at the notorious Virgen de Fatima prison in the Peruvian capital Lima.

Peruvian police and prosecutors have said from the start that they did not believe that the women were forced to smuggle the drugs.

Chief prosecutor Juan Mendoza Abarca claimed their stories were "incredible" and that they had been coached in what to say.

He added: "They staged this whole thing from the beginning because they knew it was possible they would get caught and if they did get caught they had the excuses really well planned.

"It's very obvious they were trained in what to say if they were caught. They were prepared in every sense."

A total of 248 'drug mules' were arrested at Lima's Jorge Chavez international airport in 2012, with nearly 1,600 kilos of illegal drugs confiscated.

The UN said on Tuesday that Peru had overtaken Colombia as the world's largest grower of coca, the raw material of cocaine.

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Teenager Raped After Driver Offered Her A Lift

A 15-year-old girl has been raped by a man who picked her up in his car after claiming that he knew her.

The teenager was walking in Shilton Park, Carterton, Oxfordshire, between 2am and 4am on Saturday when she was approached by the man driving a small silver car.

The man told the victim that he knew her and offered to take her home. He then drove to her to an unknown location where he raped her.

The incident was reported to Thames Valley Police on Monday.

Detective Sergeant Jim Holmes, of Banbury CID, said: "We are supporting the victim in every way we can.

"After reporting the incident, the victim was taken to a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) where she was looked after by trained professionals and given access to support networks.

"This is clearly a very concerning incident and I am appealing for anyone who was in the Carterton area in the early hours of Saturday morning to come forward if they saw the victim, or the car described, either prior to the incident or from 2am onwards.

"We have a team of officers following up inquiries and are keen to speak to anyone who can assist us with this investigation."

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Labour's £800m Tax Break For Small Business

By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent

Ed Miliband will offer an £800m tax break to smaller companies and pledge to make Labour "the party of small business".

The first act of a Labour government, if it wins the next General Election, will be to reverse a hike in small business rates due in April 2015 and to freeze the levy the following year, the party leader will say.

The move - which Labour calculates will be worth an average £450 over two years to 1.5 million businesses, including shops, pubs and hi-tech start-ups, and up to £2,000 for some firms - will be paid for by scrapping the coalition Government's planned cut in corporation tax from 21% to 20%.

In his speech to Labour's conference in Brighton, Mr Miliband will say he wants growth in the UK economy to benefit "hard-working families", including small business owners, and not just the "privileged few".

Borrowing a slogan from Ronald Reagan's successful 1980 bid for  the US presidency, Mr Miliband will say that in 2015 voters should ask themselves: "Am I better off now than I was five years ago?"

He will also risk a backlash from countryside campaigners by launching a "road map" for the construction of a new generation of new towns in England in a bid to solve the housing crisis.

Labour insiders did not identify areas which might come under consideration for new towns, but said Mr Miliband wants to ensure families are given better access to new homes, and communities which want to grow are helped to do so.

While Prime Minister David Cameron and Chancellor George Osborne have been "boasting" of fixing the economy, Mr Miliband will say the proceeds from growth have gone to a minority, as life for ordinary families has been getting harder, thanks to a "cost of living crisis" caused by soaring bills and wages which fail to keep pace with inflation.

"Too many of the jobs we're creating in this country are just too low-paid, too many of the gains in our economy are just scooped up by a privileged few, including those with big bonuses," he will say. "And too often you are left being charged over the odds.

Mr Miliband says he wants growth to benefit "hard-working families"

"They used to say 'a rising tide lifts all boats'. Now the rising tide just seems to lift the yachts."

Mr Cameron has often said his economic policies are designed to help the UK compete in a "global race" for prosperity.

But Mr Miliband will accuse the Conservatives of pursuing a "race to the bottom", in which prosperity for a few is bought at the cost of worsening wages, conditions and workplace rights for the majority of workers.

Labour would instead offer "a race to the top", with support for small firms to become the wealth and job creators of the future.

"You've made the sacrifices. But you've not got the rewards. You were the first one into the recession, but you are the last one out," the Labour leader will say.

"Will the pain be worth it for the gain under this Government? No.

"They aren't going to solve the cost of living crisis. Because for them, it is not an accident of their economic policy, it is their economic policy.

"David Cameron talks about Britain being in a 'global race'. But what he doesn't tell you is that he thinks the only way Britain can win is for you to lose.

"For the lowest wages, the worst terms and conditions and the fewest rights at work - a race to the bottom. The only way we can win is a race to the top."

Mr Miliband will make the announcement at the Labour conference in Brighton

Mr Miliband will say 80,000 big businesses have already benefited to the tune of £6bn in reductions in corporation tax under the coalition Government, while 1.5 million small firms will have seen their business rates rise by an average of almost £2,000 by the end of this Parliament.

Labour's decision to hold business rates at 2014 levels for two years would affect properties and commercial premises with an annual rental value of £50,000 or less. This would mean some franchise-holders operating branches of major multinationals benefiting from the change.

The move would save small firms a total of £250m in 2015/16 and £540m in 2016/17, according to figures from the House of Commons Library.

Halting the 1% cut in corporation tax would raise an estimated £340m in the first year and £785m the next, but Labour insists that any extra money will be passed on in further cuts to business rates and not taken as additional tax revenue for the Treasury.

Explaining his decision to target tax breaks on small firms, Mr Miliband will say: "Most of the jobs of the future are going to be created in a large number of small businesses, not a small number of large businesses. And most of the new jobs that British people will be doing in 15 years time will be in new companies.

"That's why we have to support our small businesses, the vibrant, dynamic businesses that will create wealth in Britain."

He will also caution activists at Brighton that a Labour government would not have funds to lavish on spending hikes.

"We won't be able to win the race to the top by spending money we don't have,"  he will say. "You know and I know that the next Labour government will face tough times, and there's no point in pretending otherwise.

"We have to deal with the deficit and that means we need to win the race to the top in a different way, based on the jobs we create, the businesses we support, the talents we nurture, the wages we earn and the vested interests we take on."

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Sutton Policeman's Death: Two More Arrested

Another two men have been arrested following the death of a policeman in a suspected hit-and-run collision.

The pair, aged 19 and 23, were held on Monday night, just hours after a man was remanded in custody accused of causing death by dangerous driving and failing to stop at the scene of an accident.

The defendant, who was charged under the name Gary Bromige, but appeared in court under the name Gary Cody, was also charged with failing to report an accident and driving without insurance.

PC Andrew Duncan, 47, was struck by a car in the early hours of Friday while working on speed checks in Sutton, south London.

The married father of two died in hospital on Sunday morning.

Two men aged 19 and 20 were arrested that day and bailed until a date in October. A woman who was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of perverting the course of justice has also been bailed.

Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe hailed PC Duncan as a "hard-working and courageous policeman" following his death.

"The night he was injured he was doing a job that he loved and we all had every right to expect he would return safely to his home and family - tragically that was not the case."

PC Duncan joined the Metropolitan Police in 1990 and was originally posted to Battersea. He had been a member of the south west traffic unit for nearly 10 years.

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PC Killed In 'Hit-And-Run': Man Charged

A man has been charged over the death of a police officer who was hit by a car during a speed enforcement operation in south London.

Gary Bromige, 25, from South Norwood in south London, will appear at South Western Magistrates' Court, Battersea, today charged with causing death by dangerous driving and failing to stop at the scene of an accident.

He has also been charged with failing to report an accident and driving without insurance, the Metropolitan Police said.

Traffic officer PC Andrew Duncan, 47, was taken to hospital following the collision in Reigate Avenue at around 1am, but died on Sunday morning.

Tributes to the father of two were issued by the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe.

He said: "I was so sad to hear that PC Andrew Duncan died this morning.

"On behalf of the Metropolitan Police family, I would like to offer my sincere condolences to his wife and children, parents, family and friends.

"Andy was a hard working and courageous policeman. He served the community as both a police officer and as a Scouting volunteer.

Flowers are left at the scene where PC Andrew Duncan was hit

"The night he was injured, he was doing a job that he loved and we all had every right to expect he would return safely to his home and family - tragically that was not the case.

"We will continue to professionally and objectively investigate this incident under the oversight of Her Majesty's Coroner.

"I would urge anyone with information to contact us."

PC Duncan was married with a son and a daughter, a Met Police spokesman said.

He had joined the force on March 19, 1990, and was originally posted to Battersea.

Six years later he transferred to the South-West Territorial Support Group where he served for almost seven years before moving to Hammersmith and Fulham Borough.

He subsequently joined the South-West Traffic Unit on 17 May 2004.

The Met force said two men, aged 19 and aged 20, who were arrested on Sunday evening in connection with the investigation remain in custody at a south London police station.

A woman who was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of perverting the course of justice has since been bailed.

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Diabetes Will Create 'Public Health Disaster'

The UK is heading for a "public health disaster" and the NHS facing "huge strain" with not enough being done to prevent Type 2 diabetes, it has been claimed.

The number of people with the condition is expected to hit 5 million by 2025 - up from 3.8 million today, because people do not take it seriously enough or make the right lifestyle changes, a charity said.

And less than a third of people realise that Type 2 diabetes can lead to serious health complications such as amputation, heart attack, blindness and stroke, according to Diabetes UK.

Type 2 diabetes patients do not produce enough insulin or the insulin they produce does not work properly. Roughly 85% of diabetes sufferers have Type 2 - it can be treated with exercise and an improved diet.

Type 1 cannot produce any insulin, is not caused by obesity and cannot be cured.

Diabetes UK has launched a national awareness campaign today to have the risk of Type 2 diabetes assessed.

Barbara Young, chief executive of Diabetes UK, said: "You only have to spend five minutes talking to someone who has lost their sight or has lost a leg as a result of Type 2 diabetes to realise the devastating impact the condition can have.

"But this survey makes it clear that most people do not understand the potential consequences of developing it and I worry that until we finally lay to rest the myth that Type 2 diabetes is a mild condition, it will continue to be seen as something that is not worth being concerned about.

"This is a misconception that is wrecking lives and is the reason that as a country we are sleepwalking towards a public health disaster of an almost unimaginable scale."

Losing weight, eating more fruit and vegetables and exercising can significantly reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

A Department of Health spokesman said: "The number of people with diabetes is steadily growing, with often devastating consequences for their health.

"We are helping people make healthier choices to help prevent obesity which can lead to type 2 diabetes.

"By working with industry we have helped to reduce fat, sugar and salt in foods, and thanks to the Change4Life campaign we are targeting more and more children and families with information on how to eat well, move more and live longer."

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Labour: UK Apprentice For Each Foreign Worker

By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent

Ed Miliband will today launch a Labour fightback after a difficult summer - with policy pledges on the economy and immigration.

He will announce plans to increase fines for employers who fail to pay the minimum wage and force bosses to train an apprentice if they hire a foreign worker.

The moves will come on the opening day of Labour's conference in Brighton, at which the party will attempt to spell out a series of policies which appeal to voters.

Mr Miliband addresses the crowd in Brighton

The conference begins with the party's high command reeling over the damaging revelations of plots, smears and feuds in the memoirs of Gordon Brown's spin doctor Damian McBride.

It also follows a summer in which senior party figures were accused of being invisible and a gradual shrinking of Labour's opinion poll lead over the Conservatives.

Senior Labour figures claim the new policy announcements signal a new approach on the economy and a new approach on immigration.

In an interview with the Sunday Mirror, Mr Miliband said the Labour Party was "changing under my leadership" and had "learned lessons from the past".

He said: "I want a high wage British economy, not a low wage brutish economy. We've got plans to make that happen, to drive up skills.

"So we are going to say to any firm that wants to bring in a foreign worker that they also have to train up someone who is a local worker, training up the next generation.

"We think that can create up to 125,000 new apprenticeships over the course of five years and that is a massive boost for skills for our young people."

Mr Miliband said he tenfold increase in fines for the minimum wage would "stop the exploitation which undercuts workers that are already here".

He said: "At the moment the maximum fine is £5,000. If you do flytipping the maximum fine is £50,000.

"So we are going to say: maximum fine £50,000 for employers who systematically abuse the minimum wage. We are going to take action in the care sector where up to 220,0000 are not being paid the minimum wage, that's a third of the workforce."

He added: "We are going to stop that exploitation, we are going to drive up skills and that's the way to make our economy work for working people in Britain."

In an interview with The Observer Mr Miliband said he complained about Mr McBride's behaviour to Mr Brown.

"I complained to Gordon about what Damian was up to," he said. "I was worried by him and I said to Gordon I was worried by him."

Mr McBride (far left) with Gordon Brown

A new opinion poll also makes worrying reading for the Labour leadership.

A year after Mr Miliband launched his "One Nation" slogan, nearly half of voters, 47%, say they don't know what it means, according to a ComRes poll for The Independent on Sunday and the Sunday Mirror.

On voting intentions  Labour's lead over the Tories is barely changed, at eight points: Con 28% (0), Lab 36% (-1), UKIP 17% (-2), LD 10% (+2) and Others 9% (+1)

But Mr Miliband's ratings are poor, with 52% saying that he doesn't have the qualities to be an effective prime minister.

But more people say they and their families would be better off if Labour won the election (30%) than if the Conservatives did (22%).

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A&E Departments Failing To Hit NHS Targets

The number of NHS Foundation trusts in England failing to see A&E patients within four hours has doubled in the last year, according to new figures.

A quarterly report by regulator Monitor found 31 trusts missed the waiting times target in April-June compared with 13 over the same period in 2012.

The report said: "We are concerned about waiting times in A&E which normally improve in the spring and early summer, but which this year remained challenging for 31 foundation trusts which failed the four-hour target in the quarter ended June 30, 2013.

"This compares to 13 in the same period last year. Long waits in A&E may result in patients experiencing unsatisfactory care and the persistence of problems means that it is essential for trusts to plan appropriately and have the right funding in place if the challenges of next winter are to be dealt with effectively."

The report also said the number of foundation trusts running a financial deficit increased from 36 in the first quarter of 2012/13 to 48 for the equivalent period this year.

The overall deficit was £74m, although the regulator stressed that figure was mostly due to a small number of "particularly financially troubled trusts".

During the first quarter of 2013/14, trusts generated £57m less in cost savings than originally planned.

Long waits could result in 'usatisfactory care', the reports says

Jason Dorsett, Monitor's financial risk and reporting director, said: "Our analysis of returns from foundation trusts shows that patients are still waiting too long at A&Es in a number of foundation trusts.

"Increased demand means more than ever that trusts need better and earlier planning to make sure they deal with these problems.

"The increased demand has also prevented trusts from delivering their planned financial savings. We expect to see trusts planning now for how the increased demand will impact on their finances, so that they are not storing up trouble for the future."

Responding to the figures, shadow health secretary Andy Burnham said: "A&E is the barometer of the whole of health and care. It is telling us that there are severe storms ahead for the NHS this winter unless the Government urgently faces up to problems with front-line staffing and in social care.

"Close to one million people have waited longer than four hours to be seen at A&E in the last 12 months - the worst year in decade. The Government has brought the NHS to the brink and cannot continue to ignore the warnings that are mounting by the day.

A Department of Health spokeswoman said A&Es saw 95% of patients within their targets since the end of April - as they were before last winter.

She said: "This is testament to the hard work of staff working throughout the health and care system. But we know that more work needs to be done to make sure that patients have access to the urgent and emergency services that they need.

"That's why we are investing £500m over the next two years to help ensure A&E departments are prepared for winter."

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