Ferry Rescue: Passenger Detained After Fire

A passenger suspected of starting a fire on board a ferry in the North Sea sparking an emergency evacuation has been detained by ship staff.

Crew members and passengers had to be winched off a North Sea ferry after they breathed in smoke when the fire broke out 30 miles from land on Saturday night.

Ferry operator DFDS Seaways said six people in total were taken to hospital by helicopter, however the coastguard earlier said it was seven.

Inspector Andrew Dixon said: "It is unknown if the fire was started deliberately or accidentally.

"As a result of this incident the person suspected of causing the fire, or the person from the cabin where the fire occurred, be it deliberate or accidental, has been detained by ship staff."

The fire broke out in a passenger cabin around 10.45pm and was extinguished by 11pm.

The ferrry changed its course towards land (Pic: www.marinetraffic.com)

RAF helicopters from Leconfield near Hull and Boulmer, Northumberland were scrambled to the vessel along with RNLI lifeboats from Bridlington and Filey.

The ship is now on its way back to Newcastle.

A spokeswoman for DFDS Seaways said 946 passengers and 127 crew members were on board the DFDS Seaways cruise ferry King Seaways, which was en route from Newcastle to Amsterdam.

"Fifteen passengers and eight crew members are reported to have suffered from smoke-related injuries," she said.

"They have been checked by a doctor on-board, and two passengers and four crew members have been taken ashore by helicopter for further medical assistance at a local hospital in the UK.

"We will ensure that passengers and crew affected by the incident will be offered psychological assistance as well as other assistance that might be needed."

A spokesman for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said: "All helicopters and life boats involved have been stood down, however Humber Coastguard is in constant contact with the ferry and an RAF helicopter is on stand-by should it need further assistance."

According to the DFDS Seaways website, the 26-year-old vessel has room for over 1,500 passengers and 600 cars. It was renovated in 2006.

It offers entertainment including restaurants, bars, a nightclub and a casino.

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Anti-Smoking Campaign: New Ad Targets Addicts

By Gerard Tubb, Sky News Correspondent

Smokers are being targeted by a new TV advertising campaign which aims to scare them into giving up.

Graphic images of polluted blood flowing through the body of a smoker and damaging cells in his brain are used to reinforce the message that smoking increases the risk of dementia and strokes.

The campaign, funded by Public Health England, was launched by the Chief Medical Officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies.

"We know about the serious effect smoking has on the heart and lungs but smokers need to be aware of how much potential damage is being done to the brain and other vital organs through toxins in cigarettes entering the blood," she said.

"Smoking is the major cause of premature death, with one in two smokers dying prematurely from smoking related diseases, and it is extremely worrying that people still underestimate the health harms associated with it."

Government figures show more than one in five adults in the UK admits to smoking, at an estimated cost to the economy of £5bn per year in health costs, sick leave and lost productivity.

More than one in five adults in the UK admit to smoking

The TV advert, to be shown in England from tomorrow, along with a billboard advertising showing clotted blood dripping from a cigarette, has been welcomed by Joe Korner from The Stroke Association.

"It is well known that smoking harms our health but the link between smoking and stroke is less well known," he said.

"Stroke is a major cause of death and adult disability in the UK and you are twice as likely to have a stroke if you smoke. The more you smoke, the more your risk increases."

Smokers outside the Sant' Angelo restaurant in Wetherby in West Yorkshire who watched a preview of the advert said it encouraged them to consider giving up, or smoking less.

Jo Maltby, 40, has smoked for 20 years and says she tried to give up many times before.

"That probably would give me a bit more of an inclination to (give up) because I have children," she said.

"Obviously the more damage I do to myself the less chance they've got of me being around."

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Greenpeace Activists Arrive Home From Russia

Five Britons detained in Russia as part of the so-called "Arctic 30" have arrived home in the UK.

The five were arrested amid claims of hooliganism following a protest about oil drilling, and held in jail for two months.

They have since been granted amnesty under a new Russian law.

Greenpeace member Anthony Perrett, 32, of Newport, South Wales, arrived in London with fellow activists Alex Harris and Phil Ball, crew member Iain Rogers and freelance videographer Kieron Bryan.

They left St Petersburg earlier today and arrived in Paris this afternoon before travelling to London's St Pancras station on Eurostar to be met by their families.

Ms Harris said being imprisoned had been "terrifying" but that she took comfort from knowing she was one of 29 other people in the same situation.

And she told Sky News she would not give up on the Arctic: "I've gone through a lot for this campaign, I'm not going to stop now."

The activists were onboard the Arctic Sunrise

Mr Perrett told reporters: "It has been a strange few months, but it is over now and it is good to be back. We're
very relieved to be home, it's good to be back and speaking English, which has been sorely missed."

Asked whether it had been worth it, he said: "Well, look at the media that's here today. We're trying to spread the word to save the Arctic and I think we have done that job fairly well."

Ms Harris said she thought the Russian government let the Arctic 30 go to avoid global criticism in the lead up to the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.

A sixth Briton, activist Frank Hewetson, has also been released and is travelling to another country.

The Arctic 30 - 28 activists and two freelance journalists - were arrested after Russian authorities boarded their ship, the Arctic Sunrise, during an anti-drilling demonstration in September.

The group were detained for protesting against an Arctic offshore oil rig owned by the Russian company Gazprom.

They were initially charged with piracy, but the charge was later changed to hooliganism.

They had their passports returned to them after being freed on bail by courts in St Petersburg, but initially did not have visas to leave Russia.

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Football: Standing May Return To Terraces

Standing on the terraces could return to all Football League divisions after a consultation document was sent to each of the 72 clubs.

Currently, standing is allowed in Leagues One and Two, but not the Championship, once a team has played there for three seasons.

The consultation paper, led by the Football League's new chief executive, Shaun Harvey, was sent to all clubs on Friday.

The Football Supporters' Federation (FSF) has campaigned for safe standing in recent years.

One solution would be to include hybrid rail seats that could be flipped up or down as required to allow safe standing behind chest-high rails.

Arsene Wenger says he would support safe standing

These are seen in the Bundesliga, such as at Borussia Dortmund's Westfalenstadion.

As yet, there have been no official discussions around safe standing in the Premier League, where all-seater stadiums have been compulsory since 1994. 

David Gold, co-chairman of West Ham, said in the past week that he would "certainly consider" incorporating safe standing areas into the Olympic Stadium.

At Arsenal Arsène Wenger has said he agrees "100%" with safe standing while the chief executive, Ivan Gazidis, has said: "Why would you be against it, if you can do it safely?"

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Sales: Shoppers Ready For More Bargain Hunting

Bargain-hungry shoppers are expected to spend nearly £3bn today on the second day of the post-Christmas sales.

The amount of money spent is predicted to be more than the estimated £2.7bn spent in shops and online on Boxing Day.

High streets should see a repeat of some of the frenzied scenes witnessed yesterday as shoppers queued for hours to get the best bargains.

A total of £2.22bn was projected to have been spent in stores on Thursday, up 5.7% on last year, according to the Centre for Retail Research (CRR).

Online shoppers spent £540m - a new daily record - on Boxing Day, up 15% on last year, IMRG, the internet retailers' association, said.

Many people queued from before dawn in London

Total spending on Friday could be even higher, with shops expected to take £2.57bn - up more than 7% on last year's £2.4bn on December 27.

Online sales are expected to peak £400m.

Thousands of people hit British high streets yesterday for the traditional Boxing Day sales, with international tourists out in force and spending big.

Many keen bargain-hunters started queuing before dawn to ensure they were first in line when the shops opened.

Shoppers are predicted to spend £2.5bn in the high street on Friday

Selfridges on Oxford Street in central London saw some of the largest queues.

As 3,500 shoppers surrounded the huge shopping emporium, it was apparent the queue was made up of people from all around the world - particularly from China.

The significant presence of international shoppers was confirmed by Global Blue tax-free shopping experts.

Shoppers from Qatar spend the most on average per transaction (£1,714) followed by those from the United Arab Emirates (£1,372).

But a spokesman said Chinese shoppers are the biggest spenders overall.

They spend £1,367 on average per transaction but are more likely to return to the tills with more goods.

Selfridges celebrated its most successful ever first hour of trade, taking over £1.9 m between 9am and 10am - up 16% compared to last year.

Harrods also kicked off its winter sale and offered mugs of hot chocolate, smoked salmon canapes and blankets to keep people warm in the queue.

Department store Liberty offered designer goods at a fraction of their usual price, while both Next and Marks & Spencer boasted discounts of up to 50% on sale items.

Bluewater in Kent predicted more than 800,000 people will come through its doors between Boxing Day and New Year's Eve.

More than 1.4m shoppers were expected to spend a total of more than £50m in London's West End today.

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Weather: Ireland And UK Battered By Storms

Storms with 100mph winds battered Britain and Ireland last night, causing flights to be diverted and downing trees - as more flood warnings were issued.

Days after heavy rain and gales lashed the UK, disrupting the Christmas travel plans of thousands of people, the Met Office has once again issued severe weather warnings.

The Environment Agency map showing flood warnings and alerts in the UK

Flights were diverted and cancelled overnight and some train companies said they would not be running any services until at least midday today. 

Cheshire Police said many trees had been uprooted as gales swept across the county.

"Many trees down due to strong winds. We would ask all drivers to exercise extreme caution whilst driving tonight," the force tweeted.

The storm is forecast to spread east across the UK during the morning, with the worst-affected areas expected to be northern England and northern parts of Wales.

Police and fire services across the country have reported road closures because of uprooted trees and Dublin Airport had to divert six planes because of strong winds.

The Bognor Regis rail route was closed after this landslip at Ockley

Gatwick Airport said it had "additional teams of engineers, electrical staff and volunteers at the airport to minimise the risk of disruption".

The Environment Agency (EA) is warning of more "significant disruption" across southern England.

This landslip also blocked the line on the Brighton Main Line near Redhill

A spokesperson for the Agency said: "It is possible that heavy rain may worsen the current flooding situation in some areas with rivers responding quickly to rain falling on already saturated ground."

The rain will exacerbate ongoing river flooding across the Somerset Levels, River Severn, River Thames and River Ouse in Cambridgeshire and rivers across Essex.

It will also worsen the situation along the River Medway and the Kentish Stour around Ashford and Canterbury.

There are 52 flood warnings and 157 flood alerts in place, but the EA said the number of alerts may increase as rivers respond to the further band of rainfall.

The Met Office recorded a gust of wind in Aberdaron, in west Wales, of 109mph early this morning.

General wind speeds of between 60mph and 80mph are expected in the UK.

A man removes items from his home after flooding in Tonbridge

More than 43,000 people were left without power following Monday night's storm and around 1,200 properties were flooded in England.

According to ESB Networks, in Ireland, some 15,000 homes and businesses are understood to be without power with engineers dealing with almost 300 individual faults.

This number is expected to increase by the morning.

A man paddles his canoe past a flooded property in Yalding

The South West of Ireland is the worst effected with at least 5,000 homes out in the Cork and Bandon areas.

A large fault in Dundalk is also impacting on 2,000 customers while Lisdoonvarna and Kilfenora in Clare are also without power.

In Limerick a fault in Abbeyfeale has left 2,000 customers without electricity.

Network Rail advises that routes will need to be checked at first light and tracks will need to be cleared of any fallen trees and any damage will need repaired before train services can start.

Southeastern said it is unlikely it will be able to run any metro or mainline train services until at least midday, while Network Rail added that services in Kent and Anglia will be delayed.

Robin Gisby, managing director of network operations at Network Rail, said: "Passengers have had a tough week of travelling and unfortunately that is likely to continue for at least another day.

"Thousands of railway workers have worked tirelessly over the holiday period to try and repair the significant damage caused by Monday's storm and will be called on again over the next 24 hours.

"As ever, safety comes first, as we ensure routes are safe for passenger services leading to a delayed start-up in some regions."

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Bargain Hunters Flock To Boxing Day Sales

Bargain hunters are set to flock to the high streets in their thousands today as shops open for the Boxing Day sales.

Shoppers are expected to start queuing up from dawn to ensure they are first in line when the shops open.

Harrods is kicking off its winter sale with the promise of mugs of hot chocolate, smoked salmon canapes and blankets to keep people warm in the queue.

They will also be serenaded by a string quartet and be treated to a performance by a street magician.

Some online sales started on Christmas Eve and millions are believed to have already snapped up goods from home.

Some 117 million visits to retail websites were estimated to have been made on Wednesday in the UK, with Boxing Day's figure set to rise to over 118 million.

Shopping habits are changing, according to analysts

Robert Goodman, Bluewater's general manager, said: "We are ready for a bumper Boxing Day this year.

"With the strongest retail offer to date, with 50 new brands launching with us this year, we are expecting visitor numbers to be on a par with Boxing Day last year.

"This will begin what is likely to be our busiest six days of the year."

James Murray, digital insight manager at Experian, said: "Christmas 2013 has consistently outperformed 2012 on virtually every single shopping day this December, with online visits from Christmas Eve through to Boxing Day up from last year, a record breaking Cyber Monday and the emergence of the even busier Middle Cyber Monday.

"Shopping habits are changing, with Christmas Day becoming a significant shopping day during the period.

"As a result, we anticipate a more sustained shopping pattern during this period, moving away from the traditional peaks and troughs usually evident during holiday season."

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Abbas Khan: Funeral For Syria-Death Doctor

The funeral of British doctor Abbas Khan who died in custody in Syria is due to take place in London today.

Dr Khan was on the verge of being released when his family were told of his death by what the Syrian government calls suicide and they say was political murder.

The 32-year-old orthopaedic surgeon, from London, was captured in November last year in the Syrian city of Aleppo after travelling from Turkey to help victims of hospital bombings.

His death was announced on December 17.

Dr Khan's mother Fatima

Dr Khan's family released a statement via their solicitor Nabeel Sheikh, announcing plans for the funeral and burial.

He said: "Dr Abbas Khan's funeral prayer will take place at midday on Boxing Day at Regent's Park Mosque, London.

"Dr Khan will then be taken to Ilford, east London, to be laid to rest. Anyone who wishes to pay their respects is welcome to attend."

The doctor's mother Fatima has denied claims made by Syria's deputy foreign minister Faisal Mekdad that her son killed himself.

The PM wrote a letter to Dr Khan's family

Earlier this month, the family revealed a letter in which the doctor expressed his optimism at being released, and his hopes of being home in time for Christmas.

On Sunday, David Cameron wrote a letter to Dr Khan's mother, describing her son's death as an "appalling tragedy" and calling for those responsible to be held to account.

He wrote a letter to Abbas Khan's mother Fatima on Friday, describing her son's death as an "appalling tragedy".

Dr Abbas leaves behind his wife Hanna, 30, son Abdullah, six, and daughter, Rurayya, seven.

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Queen's Speech: Monarch Reflects On 2013

By Paul Harrison, Royal correspondent

The Queen will reflect on key events of the past 12 months in her traditional Christmas broadcast, including the birth of her great-grandson Prince George and the 60th anniversary of her Coronation.

In her message, recorded earlier this month at Buckingham Palace, the 87-year-old Monarch will say: "We all need to get the balance right between action and reflection.

"With so many distractions, it is easy to forget to pause and take stock." 

The head of the Commonwealth will also use the theme of 'reflection' to look ahead to the Commonwealth Games being staged in Glasgow next year.

It is expected to be a full house at Sandringham this year with The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge joining the family for the festivities, including the traditional Christmas Day church service.

It will be their son Prince George's first Christmas at the Norfolk estate.

The Monarch will reflect on the birth of her great-grandson, Prince George

The Queen will refer in her message to her growing family by saying "...the arrival of a baby gives everyone the chance to contemplate the future with renewed happiness and hope."

During the broadcast, behind-the-scenes footage will be shown for the first time of the photoshoot at Clarence House in October, shortly after the Christening of Prince George at the Chapel Royal.

One photograph taken was that of the Queen with the next three generations of monarchs including Princes Charles, William and George.

As the Queen speaks to the British people, and those of the Commonwealth, the historic photograph takes pride of place next to her at the Palace alongside a framed image of her father George VI and mother, the Queen Mother.

The Christmas address is written by the Queen and is one of the rare occasions when she does not turn to the Government for advice but is able to voice her own views.

It was this year recorded in Buckingham Palace's Blue Drawing Room which features a large Christmas tree decorated with coloured baubles.

During her message, the Queen is seated wearing a single crepe-wool primrose dress designed by Angela Kelly, which she wore to William and Kate's wedding in April 2011.

On her left shoulder is a diamond, ruby and sapphire brooch, a present from her parents to celebrate the birth of Charles in 1948, which she wore at George's Christening.

The message will be broadcast on Sky News at 3pm.

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Adverts 'Should Feature More Disabled Children'

By Lisa Dowd, Midlands correspondent

The owner of the UK's largest child talent and model agency says advertising companies should use disabled youngsters more often in campaigns.

Debi Clark has two disabled children on the books of her talent agency Bizzykids. But despite sending their details to advertisers, production companies and photographers, she has only had three requests for disabled children in 20 years.

She says: "It's great that they've broken the boundaries by using them at all, but what they do is they use them, and they hit the headlines, and it's sensationalising it, it's absolutely wonderful, great; but they're not used again."

Her comments come after clothing firm Boden used eight-year-old Holly Greenhow, who has athetoid cerebral palsy, in an online advertising campaign.

Last Christmas, Marks & Spencer used Seb White, who has Down's Syndrome, in one of their campaigns, and Francesca Griffiths, who has the same condition, was cast by Boots in their catalogue.

Holly's mother Fiona, 42, said: "It may be a token thing ... I'd like to think it wasn't ... If it does something to help promote children with learning difficulties in modelling, and make it more inclusive then fantastic. I'd like her to do more of it as an ambassador."

Rosemary Frazer, community campaigns manager at disability charity Scope, said: "It's extremely rare indeed either in advertising campaigns or really anywhere in the media. You would struggle to find any disabled people and that's a real shame.

"I think it's only through having that sort of high-profile role in the media that you begin to sort of challenge people's perceptions about disability, and actually then they can come to see that disabled people, like myself, we're very much like everybody else".

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