Butlins Balcony Plunge Kills Man

A 23-year-old man has died after falling from a hotel balcony at the Butlins holiday resort in Bognor Regis.

Police and ambulance crews arrived at the West Sussex complex in the early hours of Saturday morning after receiving reports of the fall.

Paramedics attempted to resuscitate him, but he was declared dead at the scene.

The man has been identified as Timothy Wall, of St Leonards, Dorset.

A Sussex Police spokesman said: "The death is being treated as unexplained but it is not being considered as suspicious."

A post-mortem will now take place.

23.39 | 0 komentar | Read More

Job Ad For Bond-Style Hitman Posted Online

A spoof advert for a would-be James Bond with a licence to kill has appeared on an official Government website.

The appeal for a 'target elimination specialist' was posted on Friday, on the Department for Work and Pensions' Directgov.co.uk website, apparently on behalf of MI6.

It said that the Government had, from time to time, "a need to remove people whose continued existence poses a risk to the effective conduct of public order".

Potential candidates were told they would need to be "resourceful in finding ways to accomplish their missions and, in some cases, to leave foreign countries by non-conventional means".

The online advert went on to promise that the successful applicant would receive equipment such as special watches, mini-submarines and Bond's signature gun, the Walther PPK.

At £50,000-£60,000, the salary may have seemed a little low to fund the fast cars and Bond girls lifestyle of a secret agent, but  it was suggested that bonuses would be paid following successful missions.

It added that the job, which had the reference number 007, would be "appropriate for those who like their martinis shaken and not stirred".

Unfortunately for would-be spies, a spokesperson for MI6 has confirmed the advert is fake and the Government is not looking to recruit a killer.

She added that while it was not yet clear how the ad got onto the site, external employers are able to post potential openings on it.

It has now been removed.

23.39 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pensioner Praised For Runaway Bus Rescue

A pensioner grabbed the wheel of a bus and steered it to safety after the vehicle's driver passed out.

Alfred Throop said he felt like he was in a "scene from James Bond" as he took control of the vehicle from the unconscious driver.

The 67-year-old, who has not driven for 12 years, managed to manoeuvre the bus around cars and pedestrians and turn it to the side of the road, where it hit metal railings and stopped.

Mr Throop was preparing to get off the Arriva bus at his stop in Northfields, Leicester, when it began to swerve and hit a van.

The retired hospital porter said: "I noticed he was slowing down and swerving a bit, so I went to ask the driver if he was okay but he didn't respond. Then I saw he had blacked out.

"I was looking for the brake but I couldn't find a way to get to it so I grabbed the wheel and steered it away from the cars and the people and turned it to the kerb."

Leicestershire police have praised his bravery during the incident on Thursday.

A spokeswoman said: "Thanks to Mr Throop's brave actions, he managed to prevent further damage and any serious injury to members of the public."

Mr Throop's wife, Sylvia, 72, said: "He did a wonderful job, but he's like that. If he sees someone needing help when we're out, he always stops to lend a hand."

23.39 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hatton Retires Again After Losing Fight

Ricky Hatton's fairytale return to the ring ended in defeat after he was knocked out by a ninth-round body shot from fellow former champion Vyacheslav Senchenko.

Hatton, 34, was back in the ring for the first time since a devastating second-round knockout by Manny Pacquiao in 2009.

The Mancunian started aggressively without landing anything of note, until a left hook and short right connected.

But as the fight went on the Ukrainian landed several power shots which did seem to take their toll in the eighth as his momentum built.

Then Hatton was floored in the ninth by a left to the body which sent him crashing to the floor.

The crowd urged their hero to rise but he was simply in too much agony as referee Victor Loughlin stopped the fight with eight seconds left in the round.

Hatton was hoping to prove something to himself, his critics and his demons after seeing his life fall to pieces since the Pacquiao loss.

Hatton waves goodbye after his brief return to the ring

He had decided not to warm up against a soft touch and instead opted to fight against credible opposition in the form of former WBA champion Senchenko.

After the fight an emotional Hatton said he was retiring from boxing for a second time.

"I needed one more fight to see if I had still got it - and I haven't. I found out tonight it isn't there no more. I can look at myself in the mirror and tell myself I did my best, but there is always an excuse to find.

"I got in the best shape I possibly could but if I hadn't been hit with that body shot I would have just scraped over the line with a points win and I honestly think I would still be telling you all the same thing.

"A fighter knows and I know it isn't there any more. I got the opportunity and I got the answers and, no matter how upsetting it is, I have got to be a man and say it is the end of Ricky Hatton."

23.39 | 0 komentar | Read More

New Law To Tackle Stalkers Comes Into Effect

By Jane Chilton, Scotland Correspondent

Campaigners are celebrating today after new anti-stalking legislation finally becomes law in England and Wales.

It is already illegal to stalk a person in Scotland, with the Scottish legal system changing in 2010, but it has taken until now for the laws to be introduced in England and Wales.

Campaigners claim the laws are now "harmonious" throughout the UK.

In England and Wales, it is estimated that 120,000 victims, mostly women, are stalked each year but only 53,000 are recorded as crimes by police and only one in 50 of those actually lead to an offender being jailed.

As there have been no anti-stalking laws in England and Wales until today, abusers were often charged with the less serious offence of harassment. This resulted in more lenient sentences of 12 months or less in prison, and many being granted community orders.

Since the law changed in Scotland the effect of tougher anti-stalking legislation is clear. Before the changes only 70 offenders were prosecuted over 10 years, but since 2010 the figure has soared to 443.

Ann Moulds, from Ayr, was stalked for almost three years by a man she thought was her friend.

When he heard about her stalker, he offered her support and even offered to stay in her home to help protect her and make her feel safe. All the time he was her stalker, bombarding her with sexually explicit texts, messages and phone calls.

Ann told Sky News: "I ended up where my home became a prison. I was terrified to go out, I kept the curtains closed, I even stopped putting on the television or playing music so I could listen if there were any sounds outside.

In Scotland, 443 stalkers have been successfully prosecuted since 2010

"I just couldn't see a future, I couldn't see an end to it all. I lost my friends, I lost lots of weight and I lost my hair."

"So when I discovered that my supportive friend was this crazy man who was stalking me it was total shock, disbelief, absolute betrayal and it took me a long, long time to understand how that kind of mind can work."

Ann's stalker was eventually prosecuted and Ann decided to campaign for a change in the law in Scotland. She founded Action Scotland Against Stalking and was instrumental in bringing in the anti-stalking legislation.

Now she is extending her campaign to the European Parliament, which is now looking at making anti-stalking laws compulsory throughout all European states.

While praising the changes coming in today in England and Wales, Ann said: " It's about harmonising stalking laws so abusers can't commit offences in one country then hide behind a lack of legislation in other countries.

"The campaign has lifted the lid off stalking and that helps the police, judges and the courts in dealing with abusers seriously. One in five men and women will become a victim of stalking in some form or another. We are not looking at a small problem."

Stalking is a growing problem, especially through social networking sites. Cyber stalkers falsely believe they have greater anonymity - but protection rights are tightening up.

Digital stalking expert Jennifer Perry told Sky News: "The more prosecutions we hand out, the more people that are harassing individuals will hopefully think twice about it."

23.39 | 0 komentar | Read More

PM 'Open-Minded' On Leveson's Press Report

David Cameron is said to be keeping an "open mind" about the future regulation of the press and will make no decisions before he has seen Lord Justice Leveson's much-anticipated report.

Downing Street has rejected any suggestion that the Prime Minister has already decided to rule out full-blown state regulation following reports he is heading for a showdown with Lord Justice Leveson when he delivers his report into the findings about the British press.

The Mail On Sunday claimed Mr Cameron would back a new, tougher model of self-regulation to replace the Press Complaints Commission - but with the threat that a statutory system could be brought in later if matters do not improve.

The Leveson report is supposed to be shrouded in secrecy until its publication on Thursday.

Mr Cameron and some other senior Government figures will have access to it on Wednesday so that he can make a substantive response when it is released.

"The Prime Minister is open-minded about Lord Justice Leveson's report and will read it in full before he makes any decision about what to do," a spokesman said.

The Prime Minister himself gave evidence to the inquiry

Victims of press intrusion are calling for an independent regulator, backed up by law, while editors fear that statutory regulation could serve only to limit press freedom.

Christopher Jefferies, the landlord who was wrongly arrested for the murder of his tenant Joanna Yeates, revealed today he has yet to receive a written apology from any of the editors and reporters responsible for his "vilification" in the press.

The 67-year-old retired teacher won substantial libel damages from eight newspapers following their coverage of his arrest in connection with the architect's disappearance in 2010.

He was released without charge while another tenant, Vincent Tabak, was later sentenced to life for murder.

And Mr Cameron set up the Leveson Inquiry in July last year in response to revelations that the News Of The World (NOTW) commissioned a private detective to hack murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler's phone after she disappeared in 2002.

Lord Justice Leveson's report will be published on Thursday

This Thursday's report follows the first part of the Leveson Inquiry looking at the culture, practices and ethics of the press, and will include recommendations for press regulation.

Speaking to Sky's Dermot Murnaghan, the Chairman of the Press Complaints Commission Lord Hunt said he had made his own recommendations.

"I think some time ago (the PCC) realised it needed to be replaced by a tough independent regular, so I came along, I was given a blank piece of paper, I set out what I thought was the best way forward, basing the whole structure on contract rather than statute, and that's what I put to Lord Justice Leveson," he said.

"It's got to have enough power to deal with the sort of outrageous behaviour we have seen uncovered."

He added that he wanted to see more "internal regulation".

"We're dealing with publishers, some of whom have hundreds of editors, I think they have taken insufficient responsibility. I want the buck to stop there."

London Mayor Boris Johnson told Sky that the present system, "doesn't really carry confidence amongst the public at large."

"There needs to be a tougher system of self-regulation," he added.

"Where I think we don't want to go is in the direction of a media that is controlled by politicians."

Members of campaign group Hacked Off, including victims of press intrusion, want an independent regulator - possibly backed up by law to ensure newspapers comply.

Hacked Off director Professor Brian Cathcart said they wanted "something effective that will make a difference" - probably backed by law to give it the necessary "clout" - but said if the chairman found a way of doing that without law, they would be happy as long as it was effective.

But Bob Satchwell, executive director of the Society Of Editors, called for "proportionality", saying he hoped Lord Justice Leveson had not only taken the "headline evidence" into account.

"Some of the points that came out were absolutely dreadful and nobody is trying to hide away from the fact that there were some pieces of behaviour in some parts of the press that were quite appalling," he said.

"But it's got to be seen in context - we want to see some proportionality."

Former Crimewatch presenter Jacqui Hames, who was placed under NOTW surveillance along with her husband, said victims wanted to "draw a line under all this".

"We want to be able to trust our journalists again and pick up our newspapers and be confident that what we're reading is accurate and it hasn't been obtained illegally or at the detriment of somebody's life," she said.

"We have a fantastic historical tradition of newspapers and journalism in this country and I would love to see that restored.

"It's a fantastic opportunity to look to the future so that in 50 years' time people will look back and see this as a pivotal moment and a restoration of faith in our free press."

23.39 | 0 komentar | Read More

Flood Scenes 'Shocking' Says David Cameron

David Cameron has said the scenes of flooding around the country are "shocking" and pledged help for all those affected.

The Prime Minister took to Twitter to voice his concern about the pictures of devastation coming from the South West as Britain braces for more bad weather to come.

He tweeted: "Shocking scenes of flooding in Cornwall and around the country. Govt will help ensure everything is being done to help."

It comes after a 21-year-old was killed when she became trapped under a fallen tree in Exeter on Saturday night. Two men were also injured.

Inspector Andrew Webber of Devon and Cornwall Police told Sky News that the dead woman had been living in a small tent sheltered against a wall at the roadside.

"It was a very large oak tree that had been there for ... many years. Obviously we've had lots of heavy weather, it's been raining an awful lot, and the tree for whatever reason came down," he said.

The site of a fallen tree in Exeter, where a 21-year-old woman died

Rescue services in the West Midlands have appealed for drivers of 4x4s to stop taking unnecessary risks. They say a remarkable number of their call-outs have been to people in four-wheel drive vehicles.

Nathan Hudson, of West Midland Ambulance Service, said: "Perhaps surprisingly, we have had to deal with a remarkable number of stuck 4x4s. Just because your vehicle has four wheel drive, does not make it amphibious. They too can become stuck in deep floodwater.

"We would urge people to not try and get across flood water and instead take a short detour, rather than become trapped in their cars and have to be rescued."

The warning follows a report from Warwickshire Police that three people who had decided to go off-road driving in the bad weather had become stranded and were stuck on the roof of their vehicle shouting abuse at rescue teams.

The Environment Agency has currently got one severe flood warnings, which means serious threats to life and property, in the South West in place.

Cars stranded in floodwaters outside homes in Malmesbury, Wiltshire

There are 223 flood warnings in place across the country, mainly in the South West and the Midlands, and 273 less serious flood alerts.

Emergency services were called to rescue people from their homes in the historic town of Malmesbury, in Wiltshire, where waters were 3ft deep in places due to flooding from the River Avon.

A spokeswoman for Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "It's been building up there for a few days and has flooded now in the area down by the river.

"Streets and houses have been flooded and we've rescued four people from two properties, three people from one house and a chap with asthma from another."

In Cambridgeshire, a 70-year-old man died after his car plunged into a river near Earith on Saturday night, however, the police said it was not a weather-related accident.

A spokesman for Cambridgeshire Police said: "This particular accident could have happened at any time of year."

British team kayaker Sam Anderson takes to the water in Exeter

In Devon 60 people were evacuated from 12 locations because of safety concerns, while in Cornwall 80 properties had been hit by flooding.

Emergency teams have been working to shore up defences, deploy temporary barriers, monitor river levels, clear blockages from watercourses and pump-out flood water from towns.

Richard Benyon, the Environment Minister, said: "We recognise that while somewhere over 400 homes have been flooded, we have actually managed to protect over 24,000 homes by recently constructed flood defences, and so that is, if you like, the silver lining to this cloud."

In Exeter a member of the British kayaking team, Sam Anderson, took advantage of the white waters generated by the floods and took to the River Exe in his kayak.

He told Sky News that he would not encourage others to do the same thing but that he had been kayaking for 10 years and was wearing safety equipment, including a helmet.

He said: "It's really powerful the current. You just cannot go against it you have to go with it because it is really strong and it's really deep as well."

Flooding in Newlyn, Cornwall (Pic: Adam Gibbard)

The rest of Britain is also bracing itself for more flooding and travel disruption, with forecasters predicting further heavy downpours.

Jo Wheeler, Sky News Weather Presenter, said: "The low pressure system that brought flooding rain across the country last night, will slowly clear north-eastwards through the day. 

"The heaviest hit areas of Devon and Cornwall received over two inches of rain in some places.  But the heaviest rain has now moved north, and there'll be a period of some hours before further wet weather is likely.

"Meanwhile, the storm system has taken the wettest weather into central , eastern and northern parts of England. 

"And the strongest winds are to the south and east of the system, with gale force gusts for eastern England, East Anglia and the south-east.  These blustery conditions will also abate as the low pressure system clears away into the North Sea."

Network Rail said trains were likely to be suspended between Exeter and Bristol until Monday. Landslips at Honiton and Dawlish have led to the cancellation of a number of train services.

In North Yorkshire flooding has caused the closure of major roads including the A66, between the A1 and A67.

North Yorkshire Police tweeted: "Please take care when travelling in North Yorkshire. There is lots of standing water on many roads. Reduce your speed."

23.39 | 0 komentar | Read More

Spurs Attack: No Attempted Murder Charges

Two men who were accused of attempted murder following an attack on a Spurs fan in Rome have appeared in court on lesser charges.

Ashley Mills, a Tottenham Hotspur fan who was in Rome to watch the team play Lazio, suffered serious injuries to his skull and thigh when violence broke out in one of the city's bars.

The 25-year-old builder had been drinking with his brother in The Drunken Ship pub before the match when 50 masked assailants stormed in.

Two men, who were initially charged with attempted murder following the attack last week, have now appeared in court.

Lorenzo Contucci, a lawyer for one of the men, said the attempted murder charges had been dropped, but the men instead face charges of aggravated wounding with a weapon.

Mr Contucci explained the judge said the violence in the pub had not been racially motivated, but it was a "football-related crime".

The two men are understood to be supporters of Lazio's cross-town rivals, AS Roma.

The attack left seven people injured, including an American and a Bangladeshi, and the pub in tatters, with its windows broken, and chairs and tables overturned.

Police named other injured British fans as Dave Lesley, Stephen Tierney and Christopher Allen.

The group of attackers covered their faces with motorbike helmets and scarves and were armed with knives, baseball bats and knuckle dusters when they stormed The Drunken Ship pub late on Wednesday night, according to police.

The pub in Rome following the attack

Mr Mills remains in hospital in Rome. The 25-year-old builder from Brentwood, Essex, has spoken of the attack, and said: "There was a good atmosphere in the bar. Everyone from back home having a few drinks, we were having fun. And then the atmosphere changed really quickly.

"I was standing outside the bar drinking, and the next thing I know there are loads of them. It happened very quickly, I don't remember much. I remember being pulled out, along the ground, after I had been stabbed.

"I am not scared now, I was scared at the time."

Mr Mills received head wounds when he was beaten and a knife wound to the top of his right thigh, causing prolonged bleeding from his femoral artery.

The next thing he remembers is waking up at Rome's San Camillo hospital, where his groin wound, considered life-threatening by doctors, was operated on, while his head wound was treated with stitches.

A statement issued by the hospital said Mr Mills remained in a serious condition and would be kept under observation "for a few days".

He has been cheered up by three friends who have travelled to Rome to see him.

23.39 | 0 komentar | Read More

My Photo With Marilyn: School Pic Up For Sale

A rare school photograph showing a fresh-faced Marilyn Monroe is going under the hammer.

The 15-year-old, who was then known as Norma Jeane Baker, appears in a panoramic shot of the whole class year at Ralph Waldo Emerson Junior High School in Los Angeles.

It was taken in the summer of 1941, just a few years before she became a model, actress and global sex symbol.

Monroe went on to become one of the most photographed people of the 20th century.

The famous image from The Seven Year Itch

The image of her standing above a subway grate, her white dress billowing in the breeze, is one of the most iconic images in cinematic history.

The photograph, which measures 8 x 24 inches, is expected to sell for up to £1,500 when it goes under the hammer at the auction in Stockport, Cheshire.

Also up for sale at the same auction are nine Christmas cards sent by Prince Charles and his then-wife Diana, Princess of Wales.

The cards, which were sent over successive years, feature photos of young William and Harry growing up, include festive greetings and have been signed by the royal couple.

Some of the Christmas cards sent by Prince Charles and Diana

23.39 | 0 komentar | Read More

Celebrity MP Dorries Says Colleagues Are 'Jealous'

Nadine Dorries has said criticism of her appearance in the I'm a Celebrity jungle was fuelled by the "jealousy" of other MPs.

Speaking to London's LBC radio station she said the programme had given her a platform to voice her opinions, adding "people know who I am now".

She told presenter Iain Dale: "The word jealousy springs to mind.

"I know what's happened, a lot of MPs including the female MPs, and the female MPs I've been told were the critical ones are the jobless and the more ambitious."

Ms Dorries, the MP for Mid Bedfordshire, was suspended from the Conservative Party earlier this month after agreeing to take part in I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here amid concerns she would not be able to carry out her constituency duties while in Australia.

She was the first to be voted out of the show and has been asked to meet with the Chief Whip Sir George Young when she returns to the UK.

She added: "There's been a kind of 'oh no, she's gone in the jungle and she's going to attack Cameron and Osborne.' I know this has probably been fired up by number 10.

"What amazes me is that number 10 would think I would go into the jungle for it to be all about them. It wasn't about them, it was about me and the issues I'm concerned in."

Ms Dorries has also accused her critics of being sexist.

Writing in a blog entry on the conservativehome website, she said: "What has shocked me the most has been the sexism and double standards applied to my appearance.

"I am very sure that William Hague, following his resignation as leader of the party, spent far more than three sitting days away from Parliament whilst he was writing his books and speaking on the after dinner circuit earning vast amounts of money.

"Following Vince Cable's handling of the BSkyB deal he appeared on Strictly Come Dancing. Oh, how the press loved him. Well, of course, they would, he's a bloke."

23.39 | 0 komentar | Read More