Concern Over Elected Police Commissioners

By Becky Johnson, North of England Correspondent

A former senior police officer has told Sky News that rank-and-file officers have serious concerns about the role and powers of Police and Crime Commissioners.

David Anthony, who was a Chief Superintendent with Greater Manchester Police, told Sky News that ex-colleagues were "really worried" ahead of next month's elections.

This week the full list of candidates - who do not need to have policing experience - in the running to be PCCs in England and Wales will be published.

Every force area outside of London will hold elections on November 15.

Mr Anthony said his former colleagues had "just seen their pay and conditions changed, their pension arrangements change; some of them are now going to have to work for an additional five years".

"They're seeing police numbers cut, they're seeing their back office changing out of all recognition, they're seeing their police staff colleagues made redundant and now they're reading and seeing that Police Commissioners are coming in on six-figure salaries, some with no policing experience whatsoever, to actually be in charge of them," he said.

"And they're asking the question 'what value can they add when they've never been involved in policing?'

"The elected commissioner by very nature will be a political appointment. Policing in this country has valued itself on being by consent and free from political bias. This is a major step towards actual political interference."

The idea of having directly elected individuals to oversee policing was a key part of the Conservative manifesto at the last general election.

Policing Minister Damian Green says PCCs are 'a democratic voice'

Currently Chief Constables have to answer to their local Police Authority. The new PCCs will replace those authorities.

Every PCC will be required to swear an oath of impartiality before taking office.

The role of the PCCs will be to decide priorities and budgets for police forces.

They will have the power to sack Chief Constables and appoint new ones.

Salaries will be based on the size of the force area but some are expected to be paid more than £100,000.

Policing Minister Damian Green told Sky News that PCCs would not be in charge of police operations.

He said: "What they are is a democratic voice so for the first time people will be able to vote for someone to represent their views on how their street should be policed, what sort of attitude they should take to antisocial behaviour, drug dealing, all those sorts of things that really worry people in their local area."

The Electoral Reform Society is predicting this election will see the lowest voter turnout of modern times. In a report entitled How Low Can You Go the society projects just 18.5% of people will register a vote.

It blames the Home Office for not giving people enough information on the elections.

It also says that winter elections have significantly lower turnout than those held in the summer.

The report also highlights "unrealistic eligibility rules", which it says could block some strong independent candidates.

Independent candidates are also hampered by a lack of funding and other party resources.

The report said an extremely low turnout "could unfairly advantage extremist candidates who would never succeed in winning over a bigger proportion of the electorate".

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BFI Awards Helena Bonham Carter And Tim Burton

Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton have both received BFI fellowships at the London Film Festival Awards - a dual win which especially pleased the actress as she said it eliminated any jealousy at home.

The highest honours awarded by the BFI were presented to the British actress and her director partner in a lavish ceremony at Banqueting House in London's Whitehall attended by stars including Tom Hiddleston and Olivia Colman.

Bonham Carter said: "It's good because there's no jealousy at home. It's very handy and very thoughtful for them to give us both one at the same time."

The couple have worked together on many films over the years including Alice In Wonderland and Sweeney Todd.

After being presented with her award by theatre director Sir Trevor Nunn, Bonham Carter thanked her parents who were both in the audience.

She said: "I never thought I was particularly good at this. I've certainly had my bad reviews over the years, but I kept going. My dad's motto is KBO which stands for 'Keep buggering on', so I will dad."

And speaking about her decision to become an actress she revealed: "I just love pretending to be honest. I think it's a lot to do with escape and fantasising. It's as pure as that, dressing up."

Burton was presented with his fellowship by Sir Christopher Lee, who has worked with the director on several of his films including Sleepy Hollow, Charlie And The Chocolate Factory and Alice In Wonderland.

The 90-year-old actor said: "Burton is one of the greatest directors of any time. One can only imagine what cinema would look like if Tim had not put his indelible thumb print on it.

"I've worked with Tim several times and I think he's a great director and a close friend. I hope this won't be taken as too much of a hint to appear in his next film!"

Burton said he was especially proud to receive the award from Sir Christopher because he "was one of the reasons I wanted to be in movies".

The American director, who lives in London with Bonham Carter and their two children, said: "I can't quite believe this because I'm not British.

"I grew up on British films, Hammer films, James Bond, The Wicker Man.

"Coming from Los Angeles where you feel like you're in a film business, one of the things I love here is you're constantly reminded it's an art form, so that makes it a special honour."

The Best Film award went to Jacques Audiard's moving drama Rust And Bone starring Oscar-winning actress Marion Cotillard.

BFI London Film Festival Award Winners 2012:

:: Best Film: Rust And Bone, directed by Jacques Audiard

:: Best British Newcomer: Sally El Hosaini - director/screenwriter of My Brother The Devil

:: Sutherland Award: Benh Zeitlin for Beasts Of The Southern Wild

:: The Grierson Award for Best Documentary: Alex Gibney, director and screenwriter of Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence In The God House

:: BFI Fellowships: Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter

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Gardeners Blamed For Spreading Potato Blight

By Emma Birchley, East of England Correspondent

Allotment holders who fail to deal with blight-ridden potato plants have been blamed for spreading the fungal infection to farmers' fields.

If it is not detected, blight can destroy crops and the spores can quickly spread 30 miles or more in the wind.

Tackle it the right way and it can be controlled, but the Potato Council says some home and allotment growers are failing to spot the signs in time.

"If someone on an allotment has a blighted plant, a single leaf on that plant can produce 120,000 spores," said the organisation's director Rob Clayton.

"They can blow around in the wind and in warm, wet conditions they can infect neighbouring plants, neighbouring allotments and the whole neighbourhood."

Rob Clayton says some gardeners are not spotting the signs

The muggy, damp conditions of this summer have been the perfect breeding ground for the fungal infection.

Susanna Colaco has had an allotment in Cambridge since 1986. She has never known a year like it for blight. But she is angry that the finger is being pointed at growers like her.

"I think allotment holders are very responsible.

"On this site we purchase certified seed stock from our allotment trading hut and we are very careful that at the first sign of blight we inform all the members on site and ask them to remove foliage and to be vigilant."

That foliage must then be burnt, deeply buried or binned. It can even go in the council's compost bin as the contents are heated to a high temperature.

But infected leaves or rotten potatoes must never be put on the compost heap.

Gardener Susanna Colaco says allotment holders are very responsible

"If somebody throws a rotten potato on a compost heap at this time of year it can sprout ... and it can kick off a whole cycle of infection from next year on," said Mr Clayton.

Late blight, as it is known, or phytophthora infestans, is the type which destroyed vital potato crops in Ireland in the mid-19th century causing the Great Famine. A million people died.

Farmers expect to lose around 7% of their crop to blight, but this year the loss is predicted to be more like 10%.

And the usual £55m cost of coping with the fungal infection is likely to increase to around £80m.

Potatoes are already 11% more expensive than they were this time last year and the price is expected to rise significantly higher as the impact of the increased farming costs filter through to the shops and markets.

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Tebbit: 'PM Incompetent Over Mitchell Row'

David Cameron has been criticised by Conservative grandee Lord Tebbit following Andrew Mitchell's resignation as chief whip.

He said the Prime Minister had allowed "this dog of a coalition Government" to look incompetent.

Accused of calling police officers "plebs" when they would not let him leave Downing Street on his bicycle through the main gates, Mr Mitchell finally quit his Cabinet post on Friday.

Despite the unequivocal support of Mr Cameron, Mr Mitchell admitted the ongoing row had made his position untenable.

Writing in The Observer, Lord Tebbit said: "This dog of a coalition Government has let itself be given a bad name and now anybody can beat it.

"It has let itself be called a Government of unfeeling toffs. Past governments have had far more real Tory toffs: prime ministers Alec Douglas-Home and Harold Macmillan, or even in Thatcher's day, Whitelaw, Soames, Hailsham, Carrington, Gowrie, Joseph, Avon, Trenchard and plenty more, without incurring similar abuse."

He added: "The abiding sin of the Government is not that some ministers are rich, but that it seems unable to manage its affairs competently."

Andrew Mitchell resigned on Friday

A cabinet minister in Margaret Thatcher's government, Lord Tebbit said Mr Cameron needed to impose "some managerial discipline not just on his colleagues but on himself".

Nadine Dorries, Conservative MP for mid-Bedfordshire, also criticised Downing Street's reaction to the situation with Mr Mitchell.

She told Sky's Murnaghan programme: "Unfortunately it's been a catastrophe.

"To some people it's beginning to look that at the end of last week or certainly yesterday we were reaching a bit of a tipping point and it was beginning to look and smell very much like the worst days when John Major and the Back To Basics catastrophe happened.

"I hope that the last week is a bit of a wake up call both to number 10 and the people who work for the PM because we can't continue to have little mini-disasters.

"Someone in number 10 needs to stop and get a grip."

The criticism comes amid reports that Mr Mitchell decided to step down after younger Tory MPs from the 2010 intake made clear their hostility when Parliament returned this week.

Many were dismayed that the row dragged on for so long and that Mr Mitchell - who did not attend the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham earlier this month - had not been sacked by the PM.

It has been a disastrous week for Mr Cameron following Mr Mitchell's decision to quit and reports George Osborne tried to sit in a first class train carriage with only a standard ticket - claims which have been firmly rejected by the Chancellor.

He will attempt to shore up his authority and move on from recent events in a speech next week in which he will call for a new "tough but intelligent" approach to law and order.

A ComRes opinion poll, carried out for The Independent on Sunday and the Sunday Mirror, revealed Labour are now eight percentage points ahead of the Tories.

The Lib Dems were in a distant third with just 10% of those polled opting for the party.

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House Fire Victims' Relatives Visit Scene

By Nick Martin, Sky News Correspondent

Relatives of three family members killed in a house fire have visited the scene as police continue questioning two neighbours on suspicion of murder.

Lee-Anna Shiers, 20, was killed with niece Skye Allen, two, and nephew Bailey Allen, four, when their first floor flat in Prestatyn, North Wales, was engulfed in flames.

Miss Shiers' partner Liam Timbrell, aged 23, and their son Charlie Timbrell, aged 15 months, are being treated in hospital.

Family members brought flowers and teddy bears to the scene and gathered there for around 45 minutes looking at floral tributes and reading messages of condolences. 

They said they were too upset to comment on the tragedy.

Forensics experts have attended the scene

At the local Christ Church, special prayers were said for Ms Shiers, Bailey and Skye as part of the Sunday service.

Police forensic officers are at the flat in Maes y Groes carrying out investigations.

A 45-year-old man and a 42 year-old woman, tenants in the downstairs flat, continue to be questioned on suspicion of murder.

Firefighters dragged the five victims from the flat at 10pm on Friday.

A Welsh Ambulance Services spokeswoman said the survivors were taken to Glan Clwyd Hospital.

Mr Timbrell, who remains in a critical but stable condition, was later transferred to Whiston Hospital, Merseyside.

Charlie was moved to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool.

Detective Superintendent John Chapman said: "My heart goes out to the family and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time."

:: Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101.

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Bristol Bridge Plunge: Man Charged Over Death

A man has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving after a mother-of-one was killed when a car containing five people plummeted into a river.

Police said a 33-year-old from Bristol had been charged in relation to the incident and is also accused of drink-driving and driving without insurance or a licence.

The accident saw a silver BMW crash through railings at Bristol's St Philip's Bridge and into the River Avon, leaving a woman believed to be the front seat passenger dead.

The victim was named locally as Namara Whisker, 21, who is said to have given birth to a boy two months ago.

She is believed to have been at a nightclub in the city before getting into the car.

Friends have described the former business studies student, from the Easton area of the city, as "the kindest person you could ever meet".

School friend Shawnika Sergeant, 22, said: "She was so pretty, bubbly and a special girl. I could not believe it when people started texting me this morning. I have known her for so long, it is hard to take."

Another friend said Ms Whisker was a guest at her five-year-old son's christening.

She added: "Namara has a two-month-old son, I can't believe he is going to grow up without his mummy."

A 21-year-old woman from Bristol who was also being held has been released on police bail pending further enquiries.

Six police officers who dived into the water after the car were taken to hospital as a precaution, but later released.

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Ben Needham: Police Believe He Can Be Found

British police officers have told Sky News that if missing toddler Ben Needham is buried on a site being searched on a Greek island they are confident of finding him.

The officer leading the British side of the inquiry says the police service would not have gone to so much effort if they did not believe there was a chance of finding something significant.

A joint operation between UK and Greek search specialists is taking place on the island of Kos at the spot where the toddler disappeared in July 1991.

Sophisticated radar equipment is being used to provide penetrating images from below ground level.

Ben went missing 21 years ago, when he was 21 months old

"It is a real line of inquiry and it is a realistic line of inquiry," said Detective Inspector Matt Fenwick.

"I hope we don't find anything and in the future we can assist (Ben's mother) Kerry to be reunited with her son."

He said the search was "more than just a process of elimination".

"We are interested in anything that might identify the movements of Ben 21 years ago, so any item of clothing, any toys, anything that Ben may have been playing with, anything that might give us an indication of where Ben was when he was here and how far into the field he ventured.

"It's the sort of things we are looking for to get some clarity on Ben's movements immediately prior to his disappearance."

Greek police join their British counterparts in the area in Kos

It has been revealed that radar readings will be taken from inside a farmhouse next to the spot where 21-month-old Ben went missing. 

The boy's grandfather Eddie was renovating the property at the time.

The police chief of Kos, Colonel Sergos Sentonas, has told Sky News the level of co-operation between the two nations along with scientific advances has made the new search possible.

He said: "We are hoping to get a positive answer for this boy's family and an answer to the whole mystery after 21 years."

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Man Charged With Murdering Darlington Woman

A 61-year-old man has been charged with murdering a great-grandmother who was stabbed to death in her flat.

Pamela Glen, also known as Turner, 61, was attacked at the flat where she lived alone in Darlington on Friday night.

Neighbours came to help her and she was given first aid at the scene. Medics were unable to save her.

Joseph William Turner, from Sanderson Street, Darlington, has been charged with her murder and will appear before Newton Aycliffe magistrates on Monday.

A Durham Police spokesman said the defendant was a "family member" but could not give further details of his relationship with Ms Glen.

She was a mother of two grown-up daughters, had six grandchildren and a great-grandchild.

A Durham Police spokeswoman said: "Her daughters said she was a much-loved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother who will be sadly missed.

"They would also like to thank Pamela's neighbours who came to her assistance on Friday night."

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Kirkland Attack: Man Held After Goalkeeper Hit

A 21-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of assault after Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Chris Kirkland was hit in the face during a Championship game against Leeds.

A statement from Gloucestershire Police said the man was arrested in Cheltenham shortly before 1pm on Sunday.

Kirkland was struck in the face by a man who got on to the pitch shortly after Leeds had scored an equaliser.

He fell to the ground and required treatment, but was able to finish the game.

South Yorkshire Police are leading the investigation. The man remains in police custody.

A statement from South Yorkshire Police's senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Mark Monteiro said the offender was identified with public help.

He said: "With the public's assistance we have clearly identified the offender who ran on to the pitch during Friday night's game between Sheffield Wednesday FC and Leeds United FC and who is suspected of assaulting the Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper.

"We are also using CCTV footage from around the ground to identify suspects who may have been responsible for other offences before, during or after the match.

"I'd like to thank the supporters and general public who have provided information and assisted with our inquiries."

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Cardiff Hit-And Run: Dad Saw Van Hit Child

A father has described the terrifying moment his young family were struck by a van in Cardiff.

Adam Lewis' two-year-old daughter Amelia-May was catapulted from her pram during a 30-minute hit-and-run rampage across the Welsh capital.

Luckily, she escaped with only cuts and bruises, while Mr Lewis' partner Annie Jones, 23, was left with a broken leg, fractured ankle and a puncture wound to her hip.

CCTV footage captured the moment the van targeted the young family

He told Sky News: "I caught the van in my peripheral vision but it was too late, he just sped up and smashed straight into us.

"I got pushed to the side with the wing-mirror and unfortunately my partner and the baby took the brunt of it.

"(Amelia-May) ended up face down on the pavement, and my partner was there holding onto her leg, and it was broken."

Amelia-May was left with cuts, bruises and a grazed face.

Ms Jones is undergoing surgery to have metal pins and rods inserted into her leg to help with the healing process.

CCTV footage taken by a shopkeeper showed the Iveco transit-style van veering across the road and targeting the couple and their child just minutes before the driver goes on to kill mother-of-three Karina Menzies, 32.

She was with her children at the time, and reportedly threw them out of the way as the van approached.

Ms Menzies, 32, was killed on Friday after being knocked down

Her brother Craig said: "She threw the kids to each side of her and gave her own life saving her kids. That's what any mother would do.

"She was just a lovely beautiful bubbly person, everyone loved her. Three gorgeous little girls have lost their mother, I just feel so bad for them."

Ten others were injured in the crashes on the streets of the Welsh capital.

The van went on a hit-and-run rampage across Cardiff

"We're just so relieved that we're still all OK," Mr Lewis said. "It's just so overwhelming, such as surreal situation to be put in.

"You don't expect a big white van to come and smack you off the pavement.

"Why somebody would want to do that, I'll never know.

Reverend Jan Gould will lead a special church service later

"I'm just hoping there's not going to be any psychological effects with Amelia-May."

Detectives were last night granted a further 36 hours to question a 31-year-old man on suspicion of murder.

Officers are also appealing for information about a mystery car seen driving on the wrong side of the road shortly before the crashes.

Detective Superintendent Paul Hurley said that the suspect left his vehicle and physically assaulted people between the crashes and also carried a steering wheel lock as a weapon.

According to unconfirmed reports, police are also investigating whether the driver was involved in a domestic incident before the collisions.

At 2pm on Sunday a crowd of around 200 gathered outside the fire station where Ms Menzies was killed.

A special church service will be held later for the victims at the Church of the Resurrection on Grand Avenue.

Reverend Jan Gould said that while community was in shock local people would stand "shoulder to shoulder" together.

Ms Menzies' family have released a statement calling her a "good friend" who would be "sorely missed".

"Karina was a lovely girl. She lived for her kids and her brothers and sisters and everything she did was for her family.

"She was a good friend to everyone and was well thought of in the community. She will be sorely missed by everyone."

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