Paul Gascoigne Arrested Over 'Drunken Assault'

Paul Gascoigne has been arrested after an alleged drunken assault at a train station.

The former football star, who left rehab in the US earlier this year, was held after the incident in Hertfordshire.

A Hertfordshire Police spokeswoman said: "Police were called to a report of a man allegedly being drunk and disorderly at Stevenage railway station at 10.30pm on Thursday July 4.

"Officers attended the location and arrested a 46-year-old male on suspicion of common assault and being drunk and disorderly."

He was taken into custody but was not charged, police said.

The Mirror reported that Gascoigne had grabbed a security guard by the throat before attacking ex-wife Sheryl Gascoigne when she tried to step in.

According to the newspaper, he was bailed after being held in a police cell for 12 hours overnight.

Earlier this year, Gascoigne said he wanted to "get back to reality" after the latest health scare in his battle with alcohol addiction.

In March, the ex-England and Newcastle player told Sky Sports News: "When I'm drinking I forget about everyone.

"I don't realise the hurt I'm doing to others but, you know, I've got to think about the hurt I was doing to myself.

"People come up (and say) 'never touch a drink again'. I don't know (if) I'm going to touch a drink again. I just know that I'm not drinking today."

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Father Charged With Daughter's Murder

The father of an 11-year-old girl found strangled at her home has been charged with her murder, police have said.

Rebecca Thompson was discovered at the house in Holmefield Road, Bushey, Hertfordshire, on Saturday, June 22.

Her father Simon Thompson, 52, was taken to hospital after being involved in a car crash in the early hours of the same day.

He has now been charged with murder and will appear at Hatfield Magistrates' Court this morning.

Rebecca's headteacher paid tribute to the schoolgirl.

In a statement, Rita Cooper, head of Sacred Heart Primary School, said: "It is with great sadness that we heard of the death of Rebecca who was in Year Six at Sacred Heart.

"Rebecca was a lovely girl who was hard-working and did well in her learning. She was looking forward to secondary school.

"The whole school is very distressed by this tragedy and our thoughts are with her family and friends."

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Madeleine McCann: New UK Police Investigation

By Michelle Clifford, Senior News Correspondent

Detectives are targeting 12 British potential suspects as they launch a new investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

A Metropolitan Police team says they are among 38 "persons of interest" in the case and they are working on the assumption that Madeleine - aged three when she went missing in 2007 - may still be alive.

Officers have completed a two year review of the stalled Portuguese inquiry and say they are moving to an "investigative stage".

They now intend to pursue further information on the dozens of individuals they want to speak to over the suspected abduction of Madeleine from her family's holiday villa in Praia da Luz.

Kate and Gerry McCann said they "warmly welcome" the latest development in the search for their missing daughter.

The Met intends to apply to issue formal requests to Portugal for evidence to be gathered and to allow a team of British officers to be present during the process.

The working relationship between UK and Portuguese police is now said to be "positive and focused" after previous attempts at cooperation faltered amid intense interest in the case.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, who is heading up the inquiry, calls this "a critical moment" in the the search for Madeleine.

Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry say they "warmly welcome" the new probe

He said: "We have been in a unique position over the last two years in drawing together three strands - Portuguese, UK and private investigators' material.

"From that vast quantity of material analysed we have identified 38 persons of interest and 12 who are UK nationals, and it is from that position that we are able to move from review to investigation."

DCI Redwood added: "There is no clear, definitive proof that Madeleine McCann is dead.

"On that basis I genuinely believe there is a possibility she is still alive. And so I would like to ask the public to continue to look for her."

Madeleine vanished from her bedroom in the Portuguese resort in May 2007 as her parents dined with friends nearby.

The local police investigation was called off a year later, yielding few clues into her disappearance or whereabouts.

In 2011, the Met launched its review of the case and earlier this year it was reported that around 20 "persons of interest" had been identified.

The Home Office said in June that it was prepared to fund any continuing investigation.

Met detectives have made 16 visits to Portugal and officers have met and shared their findings with key members of both the Policia Judiciaria and the judicial authorities.

A spokesman for the McCanns said: "Kate and Gerry warmly welcome the shift in the Met's emphasis from review to investigation.

"It is clearly a big step forward in establishing what happened and, hopefully, towards bringing whoever is responsible for Madeleine's abduction to justice."

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James Bulger's Parents 'Horrified' Over Ruling

The father of Merseyside toddler James Bulger has said the announcement that one of his killers is to be freed from prison "fills him with terror".

Ralph Bulger, in a statement issued through his solicitor Robin Makin, said the family was "disappointed and dismayed" by the decision to release Jon Venables.

He said: "In 2011 the Parole Board determined that it was 'not safe' for Jon Venables to be released. It is not known what has changed. No reasons for the decision have been given.

"The decision to release Jon Venables is misguided and fills Ralph with terror.

"Ralph fears that an innocent person may be mistaken for Jon Venables and be injured or even killed.

James Bulger was tortured and left dead on railway tracks in Liverpool

"If such occurs then Ralph will feel guilty of not having done enough to have prevented such an obvious tragedy.

"For Ralph and his family the living nightmare continues and is exacerbated by the problems now created by the reckless decision to free Jon Venables without any publicly disclosed safeguards."

Venables, now in his 30s, was jailed in 2010 after admitting downloading and distributing indecent images of children while on parole from his life sentence for killing two-year-old James.

He was originally jailed for life alongside 10-year-old classmate Robert Thompson in 1993 for the abduction, torture and murder of James in Bootle. This year marks the 20th anniversary of James's murder.

The two boys were released on licence with new identities in 2001.

James's mother Denise Fergus is dismayed by the decision to free Venables

Earlier this year James' father and mother, Denise Fergus, both addressed Venables' parole hearing and pushed for him to remain in prison.

Mrs Fergus, who broke the news of Venables' release on her Twitter page, said: "I got a call from the Probation Service, but they only told me that the parole has been approved and that preparations are being made for his release.

"I have not been told what conditions they are going to impose and even whether he will still be banned from entering the county of Merseyside."

She added: "I've been fighting for justice for James for 20 years now and I will continue to do so."

A spokesman for the Parole Board said today: "We've had confirmation that all parties have been told and we can confirm that it was a release decision. He (Venables) will be released."

Ralph Bulger addressed Venables parole hearing earlier this year

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: "The re-release of life-licensed offenders is directed by the independent Parole Board once they are satisfied they can be safely managed in the community.

"Their life licence lasts for the rest of their lives, and they may be recalled to prison at any time for breaching their licence conditions.

"Additionally, they will be subject to strict controls and restrictions for as long as their risk requires them."

Venables' former solicitor Laurence Lee said: "My thoughts go out to Denise Fergus and the rest of James Bulger's family.

"But the Parole Board have decided that he can be freed and he can't be kept inside forever.

"Jon Venables may be at liberty but he will never be free."

Mr Bulger released a book - titled My James - earlier this year in which he described blaming his former wife for letting their son out of her sight.

He also said he drank two bottles of whisky a day to escape the pain and that he considered suicide after his son's murder.

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Ex-Police Chief Bettison Faces Lawrence Probe

Former police chief Sir Norman Bettison has been referred to the police watchdog over claims officers tried to smear Stephen Lawrence's family.

West Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Mark Burns-Williamson said he had "significant concerns" about Sir Norman's conduct when he was Assistant Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police in 1998.

He said documents had emerged relating to Sir Norman's involvement in the Macpherson inquiry - a probe of the Metropolitan Police's investigation into the teenager's murder.

The documents refer to Sir Norman "commissioning a report to be prepared in respect of a key witness" at the inquiry.

"This may suggest an attempt to intervene in the course of a public inquiry and influence the manner in which the testimony of a witness, who was due to present evidence before it, was received," Mr Burns-Williamson said.

Stephen Lawrence was murdered in 1993

He went on: "This is a matter which needs to be thoroughly investigated and, if wrongdoing is demonstrated, those responsible must face the consequences of their actions.

"Doreen Lawrence (Stephen's mother) and her family need their treatment by the police service reviewed independently and this must be done as a matter of urgency.

"I am sure the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) will do the same for these separate issues of concern indicating possible corrupt practices in the later period around the Macpherson Inquiry."

It comes days after Ms Lawrence met Britain's top policeman, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, over claims by a former undercover officer that the Lawrence family were subjected to a "smear" campaign shortly after the 18-year-old's killing in Eltham, southeast London, in a racist attack.

The officer, Peter Francis, said his superiors wanted him to find "dirt" that could be used against the Lawrences.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has also started a Lawrence investigation after claims the force's Special Branch sent a memo in August 1998 to all divisions seeking information on "groups or individuals" expected to attend the Manchester-based Macpherson inquiry.

GMP referred itself to the IPCC over the matter.

Home Secretary Theresa May, who has met with Ms Lawrence, said earlier this week that the claims could be examined by two existing inquiries - a police probe into the activities of undercover officers and another led by Mark Ellison QC into allegations of corruption in the original investigation into Mr Lawrence's murder.

But Ms Lawrence said she did not trust the existing police-led investigation into undercover officers and expressed shock that her family was targeted.

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Prisoners To Be Moved To Jails Near Home

A network of 70 resettlement jails that will prepare offenders to be released into the area in which they live has been unveiled by the Justice Secretary.

Existing prisons up and down the country will function as resettlement prisons with a trial starting in the north west of England in the autumn, as part of a prisons shake-up.

Justice Secretary Chris Grayling hopes the move will cut the risk of reoffending.

Mr Grayling has also announced plans to build a £250m super-prison in North Wales, and a raft of prison closures covering some 2,600 inmate places in January.

Mr Grayling said: "Rehabilitation in the community must begin behind the prison walls and follow offenders out through the gates if we are to stand a chance of freeing them from a life of crime.

"Currently a local area could expect to receive offenders from dozens of prisons across the country - this is hopeless.

"It is little wonder we have such high reoffending rates when you have a prisoner leaving HMP Liverpool, given a travel permit to get them home to the south coast, and then expected to simply get on with it.

"This approach is a significant step forwards in our reforms to tackle reoffending and lays the groundwork for building a genuine nationwide network of 'through the gate' supervision and support for all offenders."

The Government wants every offender released from custody to receive statutory supervision and rehabilitation in the community.

Mr Grayling hopes the move will cut reoffending

The Offender Rehabilitation Bill currently before Parliament will extend statutory supervision to 50,000 short-sentenced offenders each year, who will serve their time in custody in a resettlement prison and come out to a tailored package of supervision and support.

The women's estate is subject to a separate review announced by the Justice Secretary in January, which will report later in the summer.

Paul McDowell, chief executive of crime reduction charity Nacro and a former Governor of Brixton Prison, welcomed the move and said: "We are still sending too many people to prison when they could be better dealt with in the community - especially many of those serving short prison sentences.

"But putting communities at the heart of the criminal justice system through the development of resettlement prisons is a step in the right direction."

Shadow justice secretary Sadiq Khan MP said: "The idea of resettlement prisons is a good one - prisoners being integrated back into communities where they have family and friends could lead to reduced re-offending and fewer victims of crime.

"However, this is another example of reality being very different from rhetoric. These plans amount to a substantial reorganisation of our prisons system, and it's not clear how it will be funded. Nor is it clear what will happen in London where there is an estimated shortfall of 8,000 places."

Juliet Lyon, director of the Prison Reform Trust said: "Resettlement and rehabilitation do matter but, until and unless you reserve prison for serious and violent offenders, you cannot hope to cut sky-high reoffending rates or maintain safe and decent regimes."

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Reserve White Paper: Hammond In TA Shake-Up

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

The Defence Secretary is due to announce that £1.8bn will be invested in a restructured Reservist Force over the next decade.

Philip Hammond will set out a new package for Reservist soldiers and their employers when he unveils the Reserve White Paper in the House of Commons.

It is also expected that news of which Territorial Army regiments are to disband will be revealed, although defence sources point out that new ones will also be created.

Although well known for some time, the White Paper will also confirm a change in name.

The TA, which senior military officers feel has a Dad's Army connotation, will become The Reservists.

Thirty-six TA centres will also be "vacated", although that is far less than the 88 predicted based on early calculations.

Philip Hammond says employers will benefit from the changes

They will not be sold off but instead used for other purposes. A total of £80m will be spent refurbishing the remaining centres, with 68 major units for the reserve force.

A financial package for small and medium-sized businesses will be announced, ensuring that companies do not find themselves out of pocket if a member of staff joins the Reservists.

Companies will also be given more notice of training and deployments so they can plan for the temporary loss of staff.

And Philip Hammond will promise to listen to the concerns and views of businesses to ensure their co-operation.

Speaking to Sky News, he defended the changes: "The White Paper allows us to set out our vision for the future of Reserves. We need the support of employers to make this work.

"But we also need to make sure that the benefits of Reservist training, the skills that Reservists learn, can be properly recognised and deployed in their civilian workplace to make them better employees.

"An additional financial incentive over and above the reimbursement of costs that we already provide is our way of recognising that pressure that it puts particularly on smaller employers."

But Neil Carberry, the Confederation of British Industry's director of employment and skills, said small businesses were willing to work with the MoD but fear being told what to do.

"What we want to see is not a 'thou shalt do this' when you employ a Reservist from the MoD, but rather a 'let us tell you how we can work together' to make employing a Reservist a really enjoyable experience," he said.

The Ministry of Defence needs to dramatically increase the size of the Reservists. The total reserve force, made up of all three services, currently stands at around 22,000, of which around 19,000 are in the Army.

"But the aim is to expand it to 35,000 members, 30,000 in the Army. A big marketing drive has been put in place including a recent series of adverts broadcast live from Camp Bastion in Afghanistan."

The Head of the Army, General Sir Peter Wall, admits that the key challenge will be recruiting the numbers needed, but is confident that will be achieved.

"There is a cultural shift required here, there is a sort of experimental nature here, but we need to remember that historically we had a big reserve and when I joined the Army a few decades ago it was over 100,000 in the Reserve," he told Sky News.

"We also need to remember that other nations make far more use of reserve manpower than we do, particularly the American army, which you wouldn't necessarily associate as being that situation and if we emulate what they've been doing then I think we'll be fine."

The Reservists will train alongside the regular counterparts. There will be more overseas exercises for them and both the reserve and regular force will train together ahead of deployments.

Sgt Gary Shepard is a lorry driver and a member of the Reservist. He foresees no problem with a closer working relationship.

"I'm actually an ex-regular soldier but when I joined 1 Para we integrated very easily and within a few weeks they actually forgot we were part-time," he told Sky News.

"What we do is 'beat-up' training prior to going and joining them (the regulars) so that we're on the same level as they are." 

However, the restructuring is not out of choice but financial pressures. The regular Army is being cut to 82,000 personnel, the lowest level for more than a century.

Although the MoD escaped the worst of the budget cuts in the recent Spending Review, the military is still undergoing a major restructuring following the Strategic Defence and Security Review a few years ago.

There will be a fourth and final round of redundancies early next year. That will largely affect the Army.

Dan Jarvis, a former soldier and now a Labour MP, has his doubts: "Let's be clear these decisions are being made not about capability but about saving money.

"The Government has considerable challenges ahead to recruit the number of reservists it needs.

"We accept and understand that changes do have to be made but it will be a difficult a process to make all those changes happen smoothly and effectively."

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Health Tourism: Foreigners Face £200 NHS Levy

Foreigners will be charged around £200-a-year towards the cost of healthcare in a bid to tackle so-called health tourism.

Ministers will outline plans to introduce the charge for foreign workers and students who come to the UK for more than half a year.

A Department of Health spokesman said the cost would "ensure that migrants contribute towards the cost of their healthcare while not increasing red tape and administration for NHS professionals".

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt is expected to announce a public consultation on the move as part of a raft of changes to immigration laws.

He will say:  "We need to ensure that those residing or visiting the UK are contributing to the system in the same way as British taxpayers, and ensure we do as much as possible to target illegal migration.

"We have been clear that we are a national health service not an international health service and I am determined to wipe out abuse in the system.

"The NHS is a national treasure and we need to work with the entire health system to develop plans and make sure it is sustainable for years to come."

He will also outline plans to end free access to GPs for short-term visitors and pledge to cut the bill for treating tourists which currently stands at £200m

The changes are part of a government-wide push to cut down on abuse of British services but doctors warned they feared being turned into a "form of immigration control".

Earlier this year Prime Minister David Cameron said that immigrants cannot expect "something for nothing" in the UK.

Labour's shadow health minister Liz Kendall MP said: "In its three years in power the Government has a poor record on announcing policies that sound good but prove to be completely unworkable. We will have many questions to ask about the details when they are published but the key tests for their proposals are: can they be properly enforced and will they save more money than they cost to put in place?

"The public and NHS staff must be confident that any new measures are about getting taxpayers a better deal and ensuring fairness, not playing politics with our NHS."

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Child Sex Abuse Live Streaming A Bigger Threat

Child sexual abuse streamed live online through services like Skype has been highlighted as an emerging threat by experts.

Figures show an increasing number of offenders have been targeting vulnerable families overseas to set up live access to children over webcams in exchange for payment.

The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre's (Ceop) annual report also warned that fears were growing of child sexual abuse in Brazil ahead of the country's influx of visitors for the World Cup and Olympic Games.

In 2012, Ceop received 8,000 reports of indecent images of children being shared - with a two-fold increase in the total number of images and videos on previous years to 70,000.

Ceop chief executive Peter Davies said: "Our assessment shows that, sadly, there are still too many children at risk and too many people who would cause them serious harm.

"We should all practice zero tolerance to child sexual exploitation and abuse."

The report said live streaming emerged as a key method of producing and distributing indecent images last year, a tactic that it said presents a particularly high risk in the developing world.

Sex offenders are targeting families and children in areas with extreme poverty, rising levels of access to the internet and poor child-protection policies, the centre said.

Concerns were also raised about the use of the so-called hidden internet - heavily encrypted forums and pages that allow abusers to cover their tracks when accessing indecent images online.

The number of UK users connecting to secret or encrypted networks each day increased by two thirds, one of the largest annual increases globally, the report said.

A total of  20,000 daily UK users of such networks are expected by the end of this year, although not all of these will use the hidden internet for criminal means.

Ceop found that there has been a 70% increase in the number of female victims under 10 years old.

The report comes shortly after after five members of a seven-man sadistic paedophile ring found guilty of grooming vulnerable underage girls were given life sentences at the Old Bailey. Two other defendants were both jailed for seven years.

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Wales Set To Approve Organ Opt-Out Scheme

By Rhiannon Mills, Sky News Reporter

Wales is expected to become the first place in the UK to bring in an opt-out scheme for organ donation.

The Welsh Assembly will hold the final vote on the Human Transplantation (Wales) Bill later, which if enacted would bring in a system of "presumed consent" for organ donation.

Under the proposals, people in Wales will have to clearly indicate that they do not wish to give their organs when they die in order to be excluded from the donor register.

Kidney Wales Foundation has campaigned for the proposed change in the law for the last five years and believes that donor organ availability could be boosted by up to 35% if it goes through and many more lives could be saved.

"The UK is one of the lowest donor rate countries in Europe," said Roy Thomas, KWF chief executive.

"The new Bill is new progressive law. We are proud to have led the debate in favour of this law.

"When introduced in Belgium only 2% opted out, currently only around a third of the Welsh population is on the organ donor register and this is around the same for the UK as a whole."

Those against the proposals claim it will cause extra distress for bereaved families and could put medical staff in a difficult position.

The UK currently has one of the lowest donor rates in Europe

Laura Raffour's four-year-old daughter Ava, was born with a life-threatening liver condition and underwent heart surgery and two liver transplants before her first birthday.

In total she has undergone over 60 operations. Mum Laura, who is now on the organ donor register said: "Ava has been given a second chance at life and I want other people, young and old, to also have a better quality of life.

"For us, organ donation comes down to the premise that if you're willing to take, you should be willing to give. Simple as."

In 2004, Gaynor Taylor from Barry, South Wales, lost her 23-year-old champion skater son Richard in a freak accident. They had never talked about being an organ donor but Gaynor eventually agree to donation.

She only later found out that Richard put his name on the NHS Organ Donor Register without telling anybody.

Gaynor said: "While we were in favour of organ donation, knowing his wishes made the whole process a lot easier to accept and meant we had done the right thing by him.

"Making a decision on whether to allow donation is a very difficult decision at the most traumatic time. Six people's lives were saved as a result of donating Richard's organs and the recipient of Richard's heart went on to win gold at the Transplant Games which is an incredible story and proves something positive can sometimes come from tragedy."

If the legislation is passed, a two year public information campaign will follow in Wales to ensure members of the public are fully informed on what the changes will mean and how to make their wishes known through a single organ and tissue donation register.

Yet a group of faith leaders and senior health professionals in Wales have issued a joint statement calling for a soft opt-out option, which would take into consideration the views of bereaved families.

The signatories, who include the Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, and the Catholic Archbishop of Cardiff, George Stack have said: "The law must be amended in this way if it is not to be inhuman, unfeeling before the suffering of relatives, and a danger to the public trust and support which are necessary for the practice of organ donation to flourish.

"Without this there is a real danger that the law could backfire."

One person dies every week in Wales waiting for an organ transplant. The figure for the UK as a whole is three people a day.

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