Bullying Suicides: Parents Call For New Law

By Stephen Douglas, Sky News Reporter

A group of parents who say their children committed suicide after being bullied are calling on David Cameron to introduce a new law to tackle the problem.

In a letter to the Prime Minister the group have asked the Government to create a new offence of bullying and intimidation. They also want the coalition to introduce an anti-bullying strategy for the UK.

Child protection campaigner Shy Keenan claims her 14-year-old son was "bullied to death".

Ayden Olson was found dead earlier this year at his family home in Colchester, Essex in an apparent suicide.

His mother told Sky News: "He was lovely and we were so looking forward to him growing up. We tried working with the policies in place and it just wasn't enough.

"Then I'm looking at my little boy on the floor dead and I'm thinking they have to listen now, this can't be allowed to happen because they're killing kids.

"We want new ways to protect children from all forms of bullying. At the moment it's not even illegal to bully. We don't want to criminalise children but the first step is to take bullying seriously."

Aaron Dugmore took his own life at the age of nine

Ms Keenan has been joined by other families who have been through similar experiences.

Aaron Dugmore was nine years old when he hanged himself at his home.

His mother, Kelly Dugmore, said: "It's still very raw, we're still very numb. He was just nine. You'd never think a child of that age would even think of taking his own life. He just must have been so traumatised. The law needs to change."

The families want to meet Mr Cameron and have all signed a letter to him which reads: "For our families and the brothers and sisters of those we've lost, nothing can be the same again.

"On behalf of all children who have experienced bullying, and their families, we are calling on you and your Government to take action to help prevent more people suffering in this way.

"Together we can stop bullying in our society. Please give us your support and meet with us to discuss how we make bullying unacceptable, once and for all."

The victims' families have written to David Cameron about their campaign

The potential legislation is being called Ayden's law after Ms Keenan's son, and the campaign is being led by charity BeatBullying.

Its deputy chief executive Richard Piggin said: "The latest Government statistics show that as many as 46% of young people will have experienced bullying.

"For us it's about those one in 13 who experience it day in day out. They need protection and we need to make sure the perpetrators take responsibility for their actions."

A Downing Street spokesman said: "Bullying can have a devastating effect on the lives of victims and their families and we are clear that it must not be tolerated.

"It is important that all children know where they can go for help and are confident that their problems will be dealt with seriously and sensitively. 

"Every school must have measures in place to prevent all forms of bullying. This Government has issued new guidance to ensure schools are clear on their responsibilities in protecting children from bullying and has also given teachers new powers to tackle bullying quickly and effectively.

"To reinforce this, Ofsted now clearly holds schools to account on how well they deal with behaviour and bullying and since January last year inspectors must consider pupils' freedom from bullying, harassment and discrimination. 

"The Department for Education works with organisations including the Anti-Bullying Alliance and BeatBullying as part of its on-going work to tackle bullying and there are a range of laws in place to protect people from all forms of bullying."

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Bank Holiday Monday Set To Be Scorcher

Britain is preparing for a scorching Bank Holiday Monday as temperatures continue to increase across the country.

England and Wales is set to be swathed in more sunshine today but tomorrow could be the hottest day of the year so far.

Weather experts have predicted highs of at least 23C, which is likely to beat temperatures in sunny European destinations including France and Italy.

If it climbs any higher, it will beat the April 25 record of 23C.

Meanwhile, temperatures today will gradually hit 19C in England and Wales with cloudy and showery intervals.

The best of the weather is expected to be in East Anglia and central England.

But Scotland and Northern Ireland are not enjoying the same warm days as England and Wales this weekend, with temperatures expected to linger around 16C today and Monday.

Sky weather presenter Isobel Lang said: "The early spring Bank Holiday can be rather cool and mixed, as we have seen in recent years.

Norfolk saw blue skies and fine weather last week

"This year looks to be a pretty good one with many places set to be fine and dry with Monday looking the warmest of the days."

This year's expected sunny Bank Holiday will be a big improvement on last year, which saw rain and a temperature high of just 16C at Exeter Airport.

The warmest Bank Holiday Monday in recent years was in 2008 when London reached 23C and even the coldest part of Scotland got up to 14C, with much of the country seeing sunshine.

This year looks similar for England, Wales, central Scotland and Northern Ireland with temperatures ranging into the mid and high teens across most areas with plenty of sun.

The recent warm weather and earlier good forecasts have led to a wave of optimism, with people around the country planning barbecues and other events.

Supermarkets and other stores have reported large quantities of barbecue foods being sold and also increased sales of items like nail varnish.

The fine weather, however, is not good news for hay fever sufferers, who the Met Office said are likely to struggle through the weekend, with high levels of pollen expected across England.

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Keira Knightley Marries In Laid-Back Style

She married on screen with great fanfare in rom-com Love Actually - but Keira Knightley's real-life nuptials were a much more laid-back affair.

The actress, 28, married musician boyfriend James Righton in a small town-hall ceremony in the south of France on Saturday, with just a handful of friends and relatives present.

Knightley, who first found fame in Bend It Like Beckham and has since appeared in the Pirates Of The Caribbean films as well as Pride And Prejudice, Anna Karenina and Atonement, wore a short strapless off-white dress and a jacket said to be by Chanel.

Her new husband, the keyboardist in indie rock band Klaxons, wore a dark blue suit and a skinny tie for the occasion.

Both donned sunglasses while Knightley also had a garland of flowers around her head.

The couple, who became engaged last summer and have recently moved to a multi-million pound home in east London, left the ceremony in Mazan, near Avignon, to the applause of their 11 guests and were ushered into a Renault Clio.

A reception is believed to have taken place at Knightley's mother Sharman Macdonald's nearby estate, with guests reported to include actress Sienna Miller and designer Karl Lagerfeld.

In an interview last month, Knightley said she did not want an extravagant wedding day. She said: "We're not big wedding types. I don't need to have all that. I'm just trying to enjoy the engagement bit."

The pair were introduced to each other by mutual friend, the presenter Alexa Chung, after Knightley split up from her boyfriend of five years, Pride And Prejudice co-star Rupert Friend.

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Struggling Families Using Loans To Buy Food

Five million families in Britain are approaching financial "breaking point" and struggling to pay for food, according to research.

One in five households said their monthly incomes would not stretch to cover all of their food costs in April and they had to use some form of borrowing such as a credit card, overdraft or loan, or plunder their savings instead, consumer group Which? found.

Which? said this would equate to five million families if the findings were projected across the UK.

The findings provide an indication of the numbers of people who are struggling, despite official figures showing last week that personal insolvencies have fallen to their lowest level in five years.

The group who could not cover their food bills from their income alone was largely made up of low-income households earning less than £21,000 a year and squeezed 30 to 49-year-olds, many of whom had children.

Some 82% of these people said that they were worried about food prices and 57% were finding it "difficult to cope" on their current income.

People in this group were also more likely to be worried about their level of debt and 74% of them described economy as "poor".

Which? executive director Richard Lloyd said: "Our tracker shows that many households are stretched to their financial breaking point, with rising food prices one of the top worries for squeezed consumers.

"It's simply shocking that so many people need to use savings or credit to pay for essentials like food."

The study also found that only one quarter of people said that they were living comfortably on their incomes, while more than one third (36%) felt squeezed.

Two-thirds were worried about the effects of low interest rates on their savings - although insolvency experts have credited low interest rates with helping people's borrowing costs and keeping personal insolvencies down.

Almost one third (31%) of people surveyed cut back spending on essentials last month, mainly women aged between 30 to 49 years old.

Over two thirds (68%) described the state of the economy as poor, with just 9% saying it was good.

Around 2,000 people across the UK took part in the survey, which was carried out last month.

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Carry On Camping: Britain's 'Staycation' Boom

By David Crabtree, Midlands Correspondent

The number of British people deciding to holiday in the UK continues to surge and the caravan and camping industry is reaping the rewards.

In January, the industry saw a 14% increase in the number of advanced bookings compared to the same time last year, according to the Camping and Caravanning Club.

The sector is said to contribute nearly £6m to the UK economy.

The popularity of festival and 'glamping' mark a camping comeback

At Lickhill Manor Park in Stourport-on-Severn, first time camper Catherine Bryant said: "We only live in Birmingham so it is not very far away. But this is a good option to get the whole family out and meet up with friends. It is fun and economical.

"All we have to do is book up, load up the car and get away for a few days in a nice environment where the kids can have a good run around."

Her husband Phil said: "It's the best way of getting friends and family together without expensive hotels and holidays abroad."

Those in the industry say it is vital that they attract the right candidates with the appropriate skills to manage the expansion. More young people are being urged to study tourism park management.

Caravan holidays back in 1959

A spokesperson for the National Caravan Council (NCC) said: "The caravan and camping sector has seen a rise in the number of people holidaying in the UK and is creating opportunities to allow its employers to capitalise on growth.

"Staycations, popularised by cash-strapped Brits holidaying at home, have driven growth, as well as the growing 'glamping' trend."

NCC figures show that 1.5 million people regularly take tourism caravan or motorhome holidays.

It is estimated in the UK there are 510,000 touring caravans, 305,000 caravan holiday homes and 142,000 motorhomes.

At Lickhill Manor Park, camper Tony Marchewka said: "It is just great. This is a quick fill in holiday for us, but we often take the caravan abroad, across Europe. We can stay anywhere."

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Shoppers 'Annoyed' By 'Robotic' Sales Staff

Most Britons find the "robotic" shopping culture of sales staff asking if they want help a turn-off, a survey has found.

Two-thirds of shoppers (68%) find offers of assistance from pushy staff "annoying", according to a survey of more than 11,000 people by MoneySavingExpert.com.

This group said that they would rather be left alone to browse than asked: "Can I help you?" by an overly-zealous member of staff.

However, one fifth of those surveyed (19%) thought there was no harm in being approached and said it saved them having to seek out help.

The website said it had found that many people who work in stores have no choice but to approach customers with offers of assistance.

Martin Lewis, creator of MoneySavingExpert.com, said: "It seems Brits are rejecting the seeming robotisation of shopping, and prefer staff to give help when they're asked rather than pouncing as soon as we cross the threshold.

"A huge majority of people would simply prefer to be left alone to browse.

"Yet shop assistants tell us they're forced to do this - hopefully retailers will remember the customer is always right and listen to the poll."

Mr Lewis also suggested that the manner of the approach by retail staff could be putting consumers off.

He said: "An open: 'Do let me know if you need any help,' is far less off-putting than the closed: 'Can I help?"'

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Hague: No Need For Tories To Change Course

Foreign Secretary William Hague has said the Conservatives do not need to change course to win the next general election after losing supporters to the UK Independence Party.

The Tories retained 18 county councils but lost control of 10, with the loss of 336 seats. In comparison, UKIP made huge electoral gains - largely at the expense of the Conservatives, winning  147 seats.

Responding to his party's poor local election results, Mr Hague insisted UKIP voters were looking for a government "that does many of the things that we are now doing".

He said it was now up to the Government to get its "message across more forcefully" that ministers were doing everything they could to help hard-working people, cut immigration, cap the welfare bill and bring down the deficit.

Mr Hague told Sky News' Murnaghan programme: "It's not a matter of changing course but it is a matter of pointing out that it is a choice at the next general election between a Conservative Prime Minister and a Labour Prime Minister and we are doing our utmost to tackle the issues that people are concerned about in this country.

"A General Election is not an indulgence as a local election or by-election can be. It is a choice.

"Do you want a Conservative government that is going on to carry on its important work and hold a referendum on the European Union, or do you want a Labour government that would go back to all the things that went wrong under Gordon Brown?

Thursday's county council election results

"We have to be clear that we will succeed in bringing down immigration, capping welfare, keeping down the cost of living for people, bringing down the deficit.

"These are part of our mission as a government - and we need to present that clearly to people over the next two years for the next general election."

He said while voters who supported UKIP should be treated with "respect", it was "fair game" to claim the eurosceptic party's spending commitments "did not add up", adding UKIP was currently the "popular vehicle" for the protest vote.

David Cameron is coming under increased pressure from senior Conservatives to hold a referendum on Europe before the next general election, with calls from Tory right-wingers for a "mandate referendum" as early as next spring.

Mr Hague said the Conservative Party was unable to offer a referendum before the next election because it was in a coalition with the Liberal Democrats, but stressed Mr Cameron was prepared to look at ways to demonstrate its commitment to holding a referendum.

He said the Tory leadership had not ruled out asking MPs to vote on plans to hold a referendum, but added that it would probably be defeated because the Conservatives did not have a majority in the House of Commons.

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Nigel Evans Denies Rape And Sex Assault Claims

Conservative MP Nigel Evans has said allegations that he raped a man and sexually assaulted another are "completely false".

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons strongly denied the claims and said he had no idea why they had been made by two people he "regarded as friends".

In a short statement outside his constituency home in the village of Pendleton, near Clitheroe, in Lancashire, Mr Evans said: "Yesterday I was interviewed by the police concerning two complaints - one of which dates back four years, made by two people who are well-known to each other, and who until yesterday I regarded as friends.

"The complaints are completely false and I cannot understand why they have been made, especially as I have continued to socialise with one as recently as last week.

Nigel Evans reads from a prepared written statement outside his home

"I appreciate the way the police have handled this in such a sensitive manner."

Later he broke from what he described as his "Sunday lunchtime pint" at his local pub to thank people for their messages of support.

He said: "This has been, notwithstanding, the loss of my mother and my brother, very recently my brother, the worst 24 hours of my life."

He added that the one thing that had kept him going was the support of villagers and of those who had left messages on Facebook.

Mr Evans' office also released a statement saying that he had asked to be excused from chairing the debate on the Queen's Speech next week and this had been accepted. However, he will be returning to Westminster this week as planned.

A policeman searches the MP's car on Saturday

The 55-year-old was arrested by police at his home on Saturday morning on suspicion of raping one man and sexually assaulting another between July 2009 and March 2013. Both alleged victims are in their 20s.

After being questioned for several hours he was released on bail at around 10.30pm until June 19.

Prime Minister David Cameron and Speaker John Bercow were informed of Mr Evans' arrest.

The popular MP is not intending to stand down, either as a deputy speaker or as a Member of Parliament.

Mr Evans, who has represented Ribble Valley since 1992, has also posted a message on Facebook thanking members of the public for their support.

He wrote: "thanks for the amazing and overwhelming support at this difficult time ..."

Politicians and constituents have said they are "shocked" by the claims

Speaking on Sky News' Murnaghan programme, Foreign Secretary William Hague said: "Of course we are all very limited about what we can all say about this, it's subject to legal proceedings.

"It's right to point out, and for me as a long-standing friend of his, to point out that he is a very popular and well-respected Member of Parliament and deputy speaker - I think that is true across the House of Commons actually for MPs of all parties, so we will all be very sorry to see this situation.

"It's not possible for us to comment in more detail on something subject to legal proceedings."

A statement on the Ribble Valley Conservatives Association website said they expected Mr Evans to continue with his duties in the constituency as normal.

It said: "In our democracy everyone accused is innocent until proven guilty and therefore unless Nigel chooses himself to cease to be our MP or the electorate vote him out or justice system intervenes, we expect him to continue as normal to fulfil his duties in representing the people of the Ribble Valley."

A prominent gay rights campaigner, Mr Evans became one of three deputy speakers in 2010, earning £102,000-a-year, including his MP's salary.

In December of the same year, he came out as gay in an interview with the Mail on Sunday newspaper in which he said that he was "tired of living a lie".

Mr Evans, who was vice chairman of the Conservative Party from 1999 to 2001, said he had been threatened with exposure by political opponents.

Brian Binley, Tory MP for Northampton South and a friend of Mr Evans, said: "I was just deeply disturbed and shocked.

"I've known him ever since I've been in Parliament and I came in in 2005. I consider him to be a very good friend. I know him to be caring, compassionate and in no way would he inflict himself violently on any other person."

Constituents in Pendleton said they were also stunned by the arrest.

One villager, who did not want to be named, said: "I am shocked. I like him. He is a good MP and he has done a lot for the Ribble Valley. Obviously he is well known in the village and goes to the local pub a lot."

Another resident, who also wanted to remain anonymous, said: "It's unbelievable, I know him very well. He is an excellent person and I would stand by him 100%."

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Evans Back At Commons For State Opening

By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent

Deputy Speaker Nigel Evans will be back at Westminster for the State Opening of Parliament on Wednesday, despite the sex allegations hanging over him.

But he appears to have spared John Bercow a tough decision by asking the Speaker to be excused from chairing the Commons debates on the Queen's Speech.

"Nigel will be returning to Westminster this week as planned," his office said on his behalf.

"However, as an inevitable added time pressure has been placed upon him at this time, he has asked the Speaker to be excused chairing duties for the debate on the Queen's Speech, and the Speaker has kindly agreed."

So Mr Evans will not be in the Speaker's chair on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday of next week - yes, the Commons has a rare Friday sitting - or Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday of the following week.

Also easing the pressure on the Ribble Valley MP, who has been bailed until June 19, is the fact that the Commons rises for its Whitsun recess on May 21 and MPs do not return until June 3. Yes, yet another break for MPs.

As Deputy Speaker, Mr Evans has no formal role in the State Opening and is not required to join the procession of MPs from the Commons to the Lords to hear the Queen's Speech on Wednesday.

But according to MPs who are close friends, he is determined to carry on representing his Ribble Valley constituents as normal and wants to fulfil his duties in the Speaker's Chair after a short break.

Before Mr Evans issued his statement, his supporters were concerned that Mr Bercow may, on the advice of Commons clerks and lawyers, ask him to step aside while the police investigation continues.

Nigel Evans in his role as Deputy Speaker in the House of Commons

But Mr Evans' backers - who include Labour as well as Conservative MPs - were warning that if Mr Bercow did ask him to take a break there could be a furious backlash against the Speaker.

"Nigel was elected by House of Commons for a five-year term and so is accountable to the House, not the Speaker," said one of Mr Evans' leading supporters.

"The advice he is getting from his friends is to carry on as normal. And at the moment that is what he intends to do."

Some of Mr Evans' friends in the Commons were worried, though, about the pressure he would have been under if he continued in the Speaker's chair without a break.

"If I were Nigel, I'd take a week off," one close friend said before Mr Evans' announcement.

Some of Mr Evans' supporters believe the statement issued by the Deputy Speaker was the result of a behind the scenes deal.

Mr Bercow is understood to have consulted the Clerk of the House, the bearded Captain Birdseye lookalike Robert Rogers, about whether he should ask Mr Evans to take a break from the Chair.

John Bercow is the Speaker in Parliament

"It's pure speculation, but I wonder if it was suggested to Nigel that it would look better in PR terms if he requested time off rather than being told to by John Bercow," one MP said.

Mr Evans is one of three deputy speakers, sharing duties with Labour MPs Lindsay Hoyle - a fellow north west MP - and former Treasury minister Dawn Primarolo.

The Speaker's team has coped with absences in the past without calling on another MP to help out. Dawn Primarolo was away for three months earlier this year having a hip operation and so Mr Evans and Mr Hoyle sat in the Chair for longer stints.

And when Mr Bercow's predecessor, Michael Martin, had heart surgery in 2006, the senior Deputy Speaker, Sir Alan Haselhurst, stood in at Question Time and he and the other deputies, Michael Lord and Sylvia Heal increased their workload.

The reaction from MPs to news of Mr Evans' arrest has been overwhelmingly supportive. Among his backers are Tory MP Andrew Bridgen, who was accused of a sex assault two years ago and then police dropped their inquiry a week later.

"Fortunately in this country we have a rule that says you are innocent until proven guilty and I think that should be maintained," Mr Bridgen told Sky News.

"I personally think that Nigel should be able to continue as Deputy Speaker while the police, quite rightly, carry on with their investigations."

Deal or no deal, Mr Evans now won't be continuing in the Chair throughout the police investigation. But he can be assured of a warm welcome from MPs when he returns to Westminster on Wednesday.

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£2.5m Island For Sale, Post Office Included

It comes with 800 acres, a flourishing tourist enterprise, bird colonies, a post office and three jetties all for the bargain price of £2.5m.

The small Scottish island of Tanera Mor, the only inhabited island in the Summer Isles archipelago 1.5miles off the north-west of Scotland, has been put up for sale.

The 800-acre island is currently managed by Lizzie and Richard Williams, who took it on from Mrs Williams' family, the Wilders.

The Wilders bought the island in 1996 after selling their dairy farm in Wiltshire.

Tanera Mor: "A truly spectacular place to live"

Mrs Williams said it is time to give someone else the "privilege of looking after the amazing place".

She said: "After many happy years of calling Tanera home, it is time for someone else to have the privilege of looking after this amazing place.

Talks with the local community over a buyout were held but it has now been put on the open market after the Coigach Community Development Company decided not to pursue the sale.

Estate agents CKD Galbraith are now handling the sale and described Tanera Mor as a "flourishing tourist enterprise and superb family residence", with a guide price of £2.5 million.

It has nine residential properties, a cafe, post office and three jetties.

The chance to own a Scottish island is "extremely rare"

John Bound, of CKD Galbraith, said: "The chance to own your own Scottish island is extremely rare and with Tanera Mor's thriving tourist enterprise coupled with being a truly spectacular place to live, we expect to receive a lot of interest as it goes on the open market.

"With on-going support and commitment from the local Coigach community, Tanera Mor offers a truly fantastic prospect for interested parties who will very much have the island's heritage and sustainability at heart as well as a fantastic life style."

The island inspired the book Island Farm by Frank Fraser Darling who lived in Tanera Mor in the late 1930s and studied the habitat of its bird colonies.

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