Pothole Damage Costs Councils £22m In 2011

Councils paid out more than £22m in compensation last year to drivers whose cars were damaged by potholes.

Consumer group Which? said the north west of England was the worst affected region with £8m handed out in damages.

The Government allocated an extra £200m to local highway authorities after a review in 2011 revealed a "significant increase in the number of potholes".

But Which? found the backlog of repairs at each English local authority is still growing, up from £53.2million in 2009 to £61.3m last year.

Local authorities have estimated that it would cost £12.93 billion to clear the entire road maintenance backlog in the UK.

Which? executive director Richard Lloyd said: "Potholes are a menace for all road users. With temperatures plummeting this week and the bitter weather conditions set to continue, the backlog of repairs could grow again.

"Drivers should help themselves and everyone else on the road by pointing out potholes to the local council."

The watchdog said the chance of claims being successful depended on whether the local authority was aware of the pothole in the first place and had not repaired it or if it had not followed road maintenance guidelines.

Local Transport Minister Norman Baker said: "We are providing councils with more than £3bn between 2011 and 2015 to maintain their roads and pavements and last month announced an extra £215m to help councils get the best out of their road network.

"This is on top of the additional £200m we gave to councils in March 2011 to repair local roads damaged by the severe winter weather in 2010.

"It is ultimately up to local highway authorities to determine how they prioritise their funding, but we want to help them get the best value for money.

"That is why we are funding the Highways Maintenance Efficiency Programme which helps councils work together to deliver a first class service to their residents, at the same time as saving money."

Potholes can be reported via a council's website. The Directgov website lists which council is responsible for specific roads.

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Horse Abattoir Film Reveals Welfare Breaches

By Jason Farrell, Sky Correspondent

Sky News has uncovered shocking animal welfare conditions at a UK horse abattoir.

They include animals being beaten, neglected and illegal procedures in the process of slaughtering British horses destined for European food markets.

It comes amid public anger that some of our biggest supermarkets have been selling beef burgers and other products that contained horse meat.

Sky News visited the Red Lion Abattoir near Nantwich in Cheshire after concerns were raised by Animal Welfare Group Hillside Animal Sanctuary.

Investigators at Hillside fitted secret cameras which filmed horses being beaten with an iron rod to encourage them into the pens. 

Some were then crammed into the slaughter pens in pairs and, on one occasion, a group of three, before being stunned together.

The video revealed horses hit with sticks to goad them into slaughter pens

In harrowing images the horses fall on top of each other. Under The Welfare of  Animals Act 1995, horses should not be slaughtered in sight of one another because of the distress it causes.

Furthermore, Sky News found that sick or injured horses were left untended overnight rather than put down immediately.

As a result of the investigation, two slaughter men have had their licences revoked.

Craig Kirby, head of approvals and veterinary advice at the Food Standards Agency (FSA) told Sky News: "As soon as we got the footage and reviewed it we took immediate action to revoke the slaughter men's licences.

"That means they cannot work to slaughter animals again. We will also look to gather further evidence to see if we can prosecute."

Former government chief veterinary officer Keith Meldrum, who viewed the footage, said he was shocked by what he described as "appalling" welfare breaches.

"We see three animals stunned at the same time and it is totally illegal and contrary to welfare slaughter regulations," he said.

"It's a significant welfare problem for a number of reasons. It's harder to render them unconscious in a group and they have a higher chance of regaining consciousness before you've completed the procedure."

Another incident filmed included a horse that appeared to come round from the stun while being hung upside down before being bled. Mr Meldrum described it as "totally and completely unacceptable".

Some 8,426 horses were slaughtered in the UK in 2012

FSA statistics released to Sky News show a dramatic increase in the number of UK horses slaughtered every year, from 3,859 in 2007 to 8,426 in 2012.

Depending on the size and breed they are bought for anything between £100 to £300 and can fetch around 700 euro on the European meat markets.

The animals come from a variety of backgrounds. Some are former pets, others come from show jumping or the race track.

A report last year from the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) found: "The number of thoroughbreds reported dead to the Horse Passport Issuing Authority rose by 580 - an increase of 29% - from 1994 to 2574 horses.

"Of these, 1127 horses either in training, breeding or out of training were reported as killed in abattoirs - and reported to the Government Meat Hygiene Service - from 499 horses in 2010, an increase of 126%."

However, in a statement to Sky News, the BHA added: "This is a wider equine issue and not an issue for the British racing industry, which is one of the country's most highly regulated equine pursuits.

"However, if there are allegations that any horse, whether thoroughbred or not, is being inhumanely treated in an abattoir we would fully support any investigation and subsequent action, if appropriate."

During the investigation, Hillside Animal Sanctuary rescued one racehorse called Underwriter by bidding against the abattoir at auction. They discovered it had a distinguished career.

John Watson, from Hillside, said: "It's not just ill and old horses being killed. There are very many fit and healthy horses, horses with foals, pregnant mares, and thoroughbreds that are being treated badly.

Red Lion Abattoir said they had revoked the license of two slaughtermen

"It blows away the myth of humane slaughter, and there is a misery in that place that is palpable."

Hillside's lead investigator, who did not want to be identified, added: "What we've found has shocked us deeply; animals left with horrendous injuries and horses shot on top of each other.

"In all the years I've been doing this work, without doubt it's the most harrowing experience I've come across. All the horses in there had their heads hung down."

The Red Lion Abattoir told us it views animal welfare and public health with paramount importance.

In a statement it said: "In attendance at the The Red Lion Abattoir are three full time Food Standards Officers comprising of an official veterinarian and full-time meat hygiene inspectors throughout production."

It said the incidents were "not the norm, but of an isolated nature" and they have taken disciplinary action against the individual featured.

The statement continued: "I agree horses should individually enter the stunning area and most certainly not three at a time.

"However, small horses and ponies having spent years together as companions are difficult to separate. Horse lovers would understand that.

"My opinion and that of other veterinarians is it is better to keep those types together to reduce the stress, providing swift dispatch is achieved."

The Red Lion Abattoir also insisted it meat was not part of the recent supermarket burger scandal.

The horses there are destined to be served in European food markets. The scandal this time is the way they are treated, in the last moments of their lives, in a licenced British abattoir. 

Roly Owers, chief executive of World Horse Welfare, viewed the footage and said: "The breaches, from what we've seen, are throughout; from the care of the animals to the slaughter process.

"Horses are intelligent animals. When they see an animal stunned in front of them you can only imagine the distress that animal is going through. There are, without doubt, welfare issues here and it is plain illegal."

The RSPCA said "The footage is shocking and upsetting to watch."  They have requested a full copy of the film with a view to investigating.

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Explicit New Role For Harry Potter Star

Daniel Radcliffe has put the boy wizard firmly behind him with an explicit new portrayal of the Beat poet Allen Ginsberg.

The Harry Potter star's new film, Kill Your Darlings, has been premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah.

His new role sees Radcliffe as the young Ginsberg initiated into drink and drugs and some dubious sexual encounters with men, including a scene of oral sex in a library.

The film recounts a little-known 1944 story of a murder involving Ginsberg's friends, including fellow future Beat heroes Jack Kerouac (Jack Huston) and William S Burroughs (Ben Foster).

Dane DeHaan co-stars as Ginsberg idol and intimate Lucien Carr, who introduces him to Burroughs, Kerouac and the bohemian life. It is Carr's older lover who meets an untimely death.

Director John Krokidas and Daniel Radcliffe at the Sundance premiere

Radcliffe was initially apprehensive about taking on a real-life literary heavyweight but director and co-screenwriter John Krokidas helped him to put it in perspective.

He said: "I think John made us all feel much more relaxed about that and it was such an amazing process.

"I've never had a director work with me so closely, and I think all the actors felt that. It's made us all feel much less intimidated by the whole thing. I hope."

Krokidas said Radcliffe became his muse on the film and that it was clear within minutes of their first meeting that the part was his.

Radcliffe with his Harry Potter co-stars Emma Watson and Rupert Grint

Casting Radcliffe effectively came to him in a dream.

"Daniel Radcliffe was an idea I had in the middle of the night. I basically made a list of all the actors I thought were fantastic under 30," he said.

Just before he fell asleep, Radcliffe had moved to the top of the list.

Krokidas said young Ginsberg starts as a dutiful son who spends his time taking care of others but eventually spills over with repressed passion.

"By the end of the movie, he is a poet and a rebel," Krokidas said. "I had a feeling Dan might be able to relate to this."

Also on the red carpet at Sundance to promote the film were Dexter star Michael C Hall, who plays Kammerer, Foster, DeHaan and Huston.

Kill Your Darlings is one of 16 films in the US Dramatic Competition category at Sundance, all receiving their world premieres.

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Dogs To Help The Disabled: More Needed

By Richard Suchet, Sky Reporter

The number of British troops injured in Afghanistan who are applying for assistance dogs has contributed to a severe shortage of the trained animals.

The dogs are trained to help with a range of practical tasks both inside and outside the home, like switching on lights, fetching the phone, picking up items from the floor, unloading the washing machine, collecting the post, and flushing the toilet.

Cerebral Palsy sufferer Lorna Marsh, 34, was unable to do any of these things until Canine Partners matched her with Eli.

Eli - a cross between a Labrador and a Golden Retriever - carries out approximately 306 different tasks for Lorna, and his training has been specifically tailored to her needs.

Ms Marsh told Sky News: "He's my best friend. He's the door to independence, to a level I never thought I was going to reach. He means the absolute world to me because he means I can do more stuff on my own, which, as a disabled person, is gold dust.

"I never thought I'd be able to do half the stuff I'm doing and I never thought I'd be able to feel as close to Eli as I do.

"I think every disabled person who wants an assistance dog has the right to apply for one and see how far they get. It's just really sad that money gets in the way of somebody being that little bit more independent than they were before," she said.

Over the course of its life, each assistance dog costs £20,000 to train and support but with 1.2 million wheelchair users in the UK, it's impossible to provide for everyone.

Those who are paired with a dog are not charged a penny, so the help does not depend on a client's financial ability to pay.

Canine Partners relies solely on donations from the public.

The charity's main training facility near Midhurst, West Sussex, is at full capacity with 25 dogs being schooled there at any one time, each on an 18-week course.

Jenny Moir, from the charity, said: "We've got as many trainers and probably as many dogs as we can train from here, but because the demand is increasing - not least because we place dogs with service people coming back from Afghanistan - we've decided to purchase new premises in Leicestershire which we are developing as we get money in."

A new premises is currently being developed as and when money comes in, at an estimated final cost of £3m.

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Weather: Snow And Ice Forecast To Stay

Britain faces another week of travel disruption as forecasters warn there is more snow and ice on the way.

With travel chaos across the country and Britain's busiest airport cancelling more than 110 flights, forecasters predicted further misery in the coming days.

Following Friday's deluge of snow, a blanket of snow is expected to sweep across more of the nation today, hitting London and the South East of England first before spreading into the Midlands, north east Wales, East Anglia and central England.

Freezing temperatures will ensure icy conditions endure for some time, with more snow in northern England expected as the week begins.

The Met Office has issued yellow warnings for ice over much of the country, but a red, severe warning for South Wales which experienced the worst of the weather has been downgraded.

Sky News weather presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said: "The heaviest snow will be across East Anglia and Kent where around 5-8cm (2-3inches) is expected.

BA says it has cut its flights by a fifth because more snow is on the way

"Further west, from the west of London into the Midlands and Wales around 2-4cm (0.8-1.6inches) could fall.

"Overnight the snow will move northwards into Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, The North East and eastern Scotland and it will be very cold with a risk of ice."

Heathrow Airport in west London said it was reducing the number of flights scheduled for today by at least a fifth after forecasters predicted another 2-6cm of snow and low visibility in the area.

Passengers are being urged to check with their airlines before travelling to the airport - where bosses are warning weather conditions at other European airports could further decimate schedules.

Emma Gilthorpe, executive director of Heathrow Ltd (formerly BAA), said the airport had very little leeway to cope with the kind of disruption caused by the weather in recent days.

She told Sky News: "The fact that we operate at almost full capacity means that when there's disruption and we do have to space the aircraft at a greater distance we have little room to manouevre, which is why it's so important we make decisions ahead of time so we don't cause disruption to more passengers than we need to."

:: Are you stuck at Heathrow? Contact the Sky news desk on news@sky.com

Ground staff clear the pitch of snow ahead of Tottenham v Manchester United

Passengers at Heathrow have been facing disruption after many were stranded on planes for seven hours or forced to spend a night on the floor.

More than 100 Saturday flights were cancelled and travellers complained about check-in queues of up to two hours as staff battled to clear a backlog caused by 400 cancellations on Friday.

A 22-year-old man was killed on Saturday when his car was involved in a crash with a bus and also hit a lamppost in Coventry, where temperatures had plunged to -1.3C at the time of the accident.

About 10 people were passengers on the bus and some were treated for minor injuries.

West Midlands Police said the road had been gritted and they did not believe the weather caused the accident.

On the railways, there have been widespread cancellations and delays to services across the country, with First Capital Connect running "ghost trains" overnight in a bid to keep tracks clear of snow.

The freezing temperatures over the weekend have prompted motoring organisations to issue warnings.

Darron Burness, the AA's head of special operations, said: "With the snow compacting down and turning icy, we're likely to see treacherous driving conditions throughout the weekend. Any fresh snow on top will just add to the problems."

The RAC said it had dealt with nearly 9,000 breakdowns - 10% more than usual.

Some have been making the most of the snow this weekend

:: Send in your weather photos and videos

A young woman from Peterborough was killed in a crash involving a number of vehicles shortly after 6pm on Friday, Lincolnshire Police said.

It is not known if anyone else was injured in the accident, which happened in bad weather on the A1 at Little Ponton, near Grantham.

Humberside Fire and Rescue said seven passengers were taken to hospital after a double-decker bus collided with two cars and ploughed into a garden.

In Edinburgh, a 16-year-old broke his leg when his sledge ran out of control and he plunged down a 150ft embankment.

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Devon Murder Arrest After Toddler's Death

A murder investigation is under way after the death of a toddler whose body was found at a home in Modbury.

Police have arrested a 40-year-old woman and she is being questioned on suspicion of murder.

Officers were called to a property in the Devon village at around 8.20am on Saturday after the two-year-old boy's body was found by a member of the public.

As well as carrying out house-to-house enquiries, police have also begun initial forensic work - although a post-mortem examination has yet to take place.

Police have said it will be carried out in the next few days by a Home Office pathologist or specialist paediatric pathologist.

In the meantime, detectives have urged anyone with information to come forward.

A Devon and Cornwall Police spokesman said: "Following a report to police, officers attended an address in Champernowne, Modbury, where they found the body of a two-year-old boy.

"A 40-year-old local woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder and is currently in custody at Charles Cross police station, Plymouth."

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Scotland Avalanche: Prayers For Four Victims

A female climber left fighting for her life after an avalanche that killed four has been moved from the Scottish Highlands to a hospital in Glasgow.

Police say the 24-year-old suffered serious head injuries and is in a critical condition in the city's Southern General Hospital, where members of her family are with her.

The victims - two women and two men - were among a party of six walking on Bidean Nam Bian, a mountain near Glencoe, on Saturday.

It is believed they were climbing down a peak when the snow-covered slope they were crossing gave way.

Five people in total were engulfed in a wall of ice and snow and sent hundreds of feet down the mountain.

A major search operation involving mountain rescue teams and police dogs was launched and the four bodies were found under the snow, while another man was unhurt.

A mountain rescue worker after the avalanche

Prayers have been said for the dead climbers at a private service at St Munda's Church in nearby Ballachulish.

Rev Moira Herkes told the congregation: "We include in our prayers thoughts for the deceased in yesterday's tragic accident on the mountain and their families.

"Somehow life must continue. We accept the challenges of nature as part of our living."

She added: "We also pray for the people who are injured, both physically and emotionally.

"And we give our thanks to those prepared to risk their lives in the saving of others, and do so with a sense of commitment and through thinking beyond themselves."

The alarm was initially raised by two other climbers not in the stricken party after they found one of the victims lying in the snow.

The sole male survivor then contacted police to say more people were missing.

John Grieve, leader of Glencoe mountain rescue team, which co-ordinated the search, said: "The first call to police was from two other people who had been on the mountain.

"They found someone lying next to where they were climbing. So, the assumption was that it was just one casualty, but it became clear that there were others missing when they heard from the man who is safe."

He said the dead climbers were located using a technique called "probing", where a metal stick is pushed into the snow.

"I'm not sure how deeply buried they were, but using that technique would suggest it was more than a metre," Mr Grieve, who was not involved in the search, said.

The avalanche occurred on a slope in Glencoe

All of the missing climbers, who are yet to be named, were located within four hours of the alarm being raised.

Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond said: "This is an appalling tragedy and our immediate thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who have been lost.

"To lose four people from a party of six is truly devastating."

Bidean Nam Bian is a Munro - a mountain with a height in excess of 3,000ft - with a number of different climbs.

Anyone who is concerned about relatives climbing in the area are advised to contact Northern Constabulary's control room on 01463 715555.

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HMV: Labels And Studios 'Give Hope Of Rescue'

Music labels and film studios are reportedly planning to throw their weight behind a rescue deal for the collapsed retailer HMV.

Entertainment giants including Universal Music, Warner Music and Sony are apparently considering offering suitors generous credit terms and cutting the price of CDs and DVDs to help keep HMV's presence on the high street.

According to The Sunday Times, the companies are fearful that the demise of HMV will lead to even more pressures on the industry as supermarkets and online firms, such as Amazon, compete to slash prices.

It is thought turnaround group Hilco - which already owns HMV Canada - is among the favourites to rescue HMV and is said to have been locked in talks with administrators Deloitte on Friday.

At stake is the group's 92-year-old heritage, more than 4,120 jobs and 223 stores.

There are reportedly around 50 potential suitors circling HMV, and the company's chief executive, Trevor Moore, has said he is "convinced" that the chain's future can be secured.

Game, which was bought out of administration itself last April, has confirmed it is interested in buying stores.

It did not reveal how many shops it was looking at acquiring, but reports suggest it could bid for up to 45 in locations where it does not yet have a presence.

Hilco has already helped turn around sales at HMV's Canadian arm since it bought the business in 2011.

Support from suppliers would be crucial to a revival of HMV to fight against the might of supermarkets and internet rivals.

HMV bosses last week praised the "amazing support" of suppliers, which came to HMV's rescue in January 2011 with a deal which helped the retailer shed some of its debt.

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Algeria: Freed Brit Hostage Describes Ordeal

A freed British hostage has told Sky News that he feared he had fallen into the hands of terrorists after fleeing the Algerian gas complex where he had been holed up for four days.

Alan Wright spent days hidden in a pitch-black room with colleagues at the In Amenas plant after hearing gunfire.

Eventually, the 30 or so workers in the building decided to cut through a perimeter fence and make a break for it.

But he said feared he had made the "biggest mistake" of his life when the troops who intercepted them in the desert split them into ex-pats and locals - and he assumed they had fallen into the hands of the terrorists.

"You just think 'that's it'. If you'd been captured there was pretty much no escape from them, and you know it's going to take a miracle to get you out."

The ordeal began on Wednesday morning, when he and colleagues locked themselves in their office after hearing gunshots.

He told Sky's James Matthew's that a terrorist attempted to entice the workers out of the room, with a friendly greeting.

"At around about 9.30am we heard … a very friendly national voice say 'good morning' in Arabic, and we're certain that was the terrorists coming in and trying to lull people into coming out friendly.

"That was the first moment that you thought 'we're in big trouble here'."

For the next nine hours they could hear sporadic gunfire, which stopped at about 11pm.

When the sound of loud gunfire resumed, he feared the worst.

"We just assumed we were surrounded, and (the terrorists) were waiting, just going round and gathering people up."

Along with three other workers, he decided to move to another room where they closed the blinds, leaving them in total darkness for three days.

Eventually, Algerian employees in another room convinced them that no-one was coming to get them, and they cut the fence and made their daring break for it.

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Off-Duty Police Officer Dies After Assault

Two men are being questioned on suspicion of murder after an off-duty police officer died following an assault.

PC Gareth Francis, 28, was attacked on his way home from a night out in the early hours of Sunday.

Police were called to a report of an assault in Edgeley, Greater Manchester, at around 1.20am.

Emergency services arrived within minutes and discovered PC Francis with a serious head injury.

Paramedics treated PC Francis at the scene and he was taken to Stepping Hill Hospital, Stockport, where he died shortly afterwards.

A post-mortem examination is due to take place to establish the cause of death.

Two men aged 20 and 21 from the Stockport area have been arrested and are being held for questioning.

PC Francis joined Greater Manchester Police in 2007 and at the time of his death was serving at West Didsbury Police Station in south Manchester.

Stockport's divisional commander, Chief Superintendent Chris Sykes, said: "First and foremost I would like to pass on my condolences to both Gareth's family and his colleagues in south Manchester.

"Gareth was a dedicated police officer with six years' experience and he will be greatly missed by his colleagues.

"However, the loss will be even greater for Gareth's family and I would like to reassure them that we have a team of detectives working round-the-clock now to establish exactly what happened."

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