Girl, 8, Mauled By Two Bulldogs In Glasgow

An eight-year-old girl is in hospital with serious facial injuries after being mauled by two bulldogs in Glasgow.

The youngster, named locally as Broagan McCuaig, was playing with friends when she was attacked by the dogs in Gartloch Road, Garthamlock, at about 5.10pm on Friday.

She is being treated at the city's Royal Hospital for Sick Children. Her condition is not thought to be life threatening.

A 34-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman have been charged under the Dangerous Dogs Act following the attack.

Neighbour Helen Edgar told the Sunday Mail newspaper: "She is a lovely girl and popular with all the other children.

"She was just playing in the back court and having fun, just like any normal eight-year-old. We are all hoping and praying now that she pulls through."

Local MSP Paul Martin said: "My thoughts are with the family. We have to take robust action to deal with this, and we have to give the victim all the support we can.

"It always seems to be children who find themselves in this position."

A Police Scotland spokesman said the dogs are believed to be American bulldogs.

"The dogs have been seized and one man aged 34 and one woman aged 33 have been charged with offences under the Dangerous Dogs Act.

"Inquiries are continuing."

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Nick Clegg: No 'Coalition Crisis' Over Schools

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has defended his views on free schools saying it's "not a great coalition crisis" but rather a difference of opinion.

Mr Clegg is expected to dramatically disown key parts of the coalition's education policy in a speech at a London school this week.

He insists that free schools and academies should have teachers who are all qualified and that the national curriculum should be taught in every school.

Speaking to Sky News, he said the Liberal Democrat view was to retain freedom, autonomy and innovation for schools but ensure the "basic building blocks of an education" were provided. 

He said the party's view on education was hardly a "state secret" but it puts him distinctly at odds with David Cameron and Education Secretary Michael Gove.

Mr Clegg said: "Of course there are tensions and pinch points, we are not identical parties.

"No one should be surprised about this and it's not a political crisis when some of those differences are articulated in public."

But Sky's chief political correspondent Jon Craig said senior Tories were reportedly "furious" at Mr Clegg's attack on free schools.

"Senior Tories are pretty furious about this attack and they're pointing to some remarks by David Laws, the Liberal Dem Education Minister, close ally of Nick Clegg, in the Commons as recently as Thursday, he was talking about how free schools were doing an absolutely fantastic job."

Speaking in response to a damning Ofsted report on a free school in Derby, Mr Laws said:

"We do want to make sure that teachers who teach in schools have good qualifications and capacity to teach but there are plenty of teachers who may not have formal qualifications who will still do a superb job."  

Mr Clegg maintains he is a supporter of free schools but wants to strike a "sensible balance" between Labour and the Conservatives.

He said: "Yes, give schools more freedom and autonomy but also give parents the reassurance that their children … are taught by qualified teachers to the same standard as any other school in the rest of the country."

He said that while Labour wanted to "strangle" school autonomy and micro-manage everything in the classroom, the Conservatives appeared not to want any "basic standards".

In response to Mr Clegg's comments, the Department for Education (DfE) said free schools were raising education standards and giving parents greater choice.

A spokesman said: "They are run by teachers - not local bureaucrats or Westminster politicians - and are free to set their own curriculum, decide how they spend their money and employ who they think are the best people for the job."

The spokesman said free schools were able to hire "brilliant people" even if they had not attained qualified teacher status (QTS).

Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats former minister in the Home Office, Jeremy Browne, said free schools were a liberal policy that the party should support.

The Taunton Deane MP said: "Well I support free schools. I think free schools are a small "L" liberal policy."

But Lord Browne, who was axed from his job as Home Office Minister by Mr Clegg in the reshuffle on October 7, said it would be "a mistake" for the party to shift to the left.

"I think we should be on the liberal centre ground," he told BBC's Sunday Politics.

Mr Clegg denies the new stance is an attempt to cosy up to Labour, calling the suggestion "complete and utter nonsense".

He also played down suggestions of a rift with fellow Liberal Democrat and schools minister David Laws, who last week defended the performance of unqualified teachers.

He said: "David Laws is right that that is the policy of the Department for Education. He is quite right in stating that is the present approach."

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Energy Bills: Welby Slams 'Severe' Price Rises

The Archbishop of Canterbury has launched a stinging attack on Britain's energy firms, warning the latest round of price hikes seem to be "inexplicable".

Justin Welby insisted the so-called Big Six energy companies had an obligation to behave morally rather than to simply maximise profit.

His intervention, published in an interview with the Mail on Sunday, came after British Gas followed in the footsteps of SSE by announcing a 9.2% increase in prices.

The head of the Church of England, himself a former oil executive, said he understood the anger the rises had generated.

"The impact on people, particularly on low incomes, is going to be really severe in this, and the companies have to justify fully what they are doing," Mr Welby said.

Last week British Gas announced a 9.2% increase in prices

"I do understand when people feel that this is inexplicable, and I can understand people being angry about it, because having spent years on a low income as a clergyman I know what it is like when your household budget is blown apart by a significant extra fuel bill and your anxiety levels become very high. That is the reality of it."

The Archbishop urged firms to be "conscious of their social obligations", saying they had to "behave with generosity and not merely to maximise opportunity".

"They have control because they sell something everyone has to buy. We have no choice about buying it. With that amount of power comes huge responsibility to serve society," he said.

"It is not like some other sectors of business where people can walk away from you if they don't want to buy your product and you are entitled to seek to maximise your profit.

"The social licence to operate of the energy companies is something they have to take very, very seriously indeed."

Electricity prices are rising faster than those for gas

But the Church Of England owns a significant number of shares in energy companies.

Sky's Chief Political Correspondent Jon Craig said: "Justin Welby has now joined in this increasingly politically charged debate about energy prices - the only embarrassment really for the Church of England really is that it owns more than £7m of shares in Centrica and about £6m of shares in SSE.

Craig added: "The remarks have been welcomed already by the Labour Party - but they will infuriate government ministers, the Prime Minister and the Energy Secretary."

An ongoing bitter political spat over energy has seen Labour leader Ed Miliband attempt to seize the initiative by pledging a 20-month-long price freeze.

Prime Minister David Cameron has dismissed the idea as a "con", and encouraged consumers to switch suppliers to keep bills down.

But polls have suggested that Labour's promise is popular with voters, putting pressure on the coalition to respond.

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Inmates Bullied Into Converting To Islam

By Mark White, Home Affairs Correspondent

Sky News has learned that increasing numbers of British inmates are being bullied into converting to Islam while in jail.

The Prison Officers Association says it is symptomatic of the growing power and influence of Muslim gangs in prison.

However, there are also concerns that some of those converts could be radicalised by more extremist elements in prison.

Sky News spoke to one young woman who said her brother was being bullied by members of a Muslim gang, who were trying to force him into converting to Islam.

The woman did not want to be identified for fear of reprisals against her brother, who is serving a sentence in excess of 10 years in a high security prison in England.

She said: "He just looks like a broken man ... he's tearful on visits. I'm just really scared for him."

She also claimed the bullying had taken a more violent turn: "He's been physically assaulted. He's had black eyes. 

"In the showers, he got threatened with a knife. He's not going to back down. He's not going to convert for anyone."

She added: "He just spends his time in hiding in his cell. He's got at least another five years to serve. I don't know how much longer he can hold out."

Official sources acknowledge forced conversions are a problem in the country's prisons.

How large the problem is remains unclear, as inmates are often afraid to report such intimidation for fear of reprisals.

Joe Chapman, a former prison officer who now acts as a prison law consultant, believes the problem is on the increase.

"I think it could be a huge problem. Previously I'd probably only worked in about a dozen or so prisons as an officer," Mr Chapman said.

"But this job takes me to 40 or 50 over the year, throughout the country. It's become obvious to me that it's a growing problem.

"About half a dozen of my clients have directly reported problems with being forced to convert ... those that weren't Muslim when they came in and those that were and have been forced to look at more radical ideas about their faith."

It is the potential route to extremism that will be of most concern to the authorities.

There is no automatic pathway but Jihadist groups do focus on the vulnerable - and new converts in the prison environment offer them a captive audience.

Former Home Secretary Lord Reid told Sky News: "When they arrive in prison, inmates often feel isolated, lacking in identity. 

"They don't have family groups and kinships around them. On top of that, very often there's a need for protection, a feeling that you've arrived in prison, you're on your own but there are people who appear like you, who give you a set of beliefs but also the protection of being in a gang. 

"It is a very, very fertile ground for recruitment and proselytization and radicalisation in prison."

There are currently around 11,200 Muslims in prison in England and Wales.

That figure is about 13% of the total prison population and is far higher than in the wider community, where Muslims make up less than 5% of the population.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "Faith can have a very positive influence on prisoners and can play an important role in rehabilitation, but it must never be misused as a way of coercing vulnerable prisoners into criminal behaviour.

'We are never complacent about bullying in prisons and take a zero tolerance approach to tackling victimisation of any kind."

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Teens Arrested Over University Sex Attacks

Two teenagers have been arrested over a string of sex attacks near Manchester University.

A boy aged 14 and an 18-year-old youth were arrested on suspicion of sexual assault and later released on police bail.

They must return to a police station later today to be questioned further by officers.

Two assaults happened within 15 minutes of each other, and there was a third around two weeks later.

Police said the victims were deeply traumatised by the attacks, which a senior officer said were "not a practical joke".

Police had earlier released an efit of the youngster they were looking for in connection with the attacks.

Detective Chief Inspector Colin Larkin said: "These crimes have shocked everyone and I am pleased to say that we have now made two arrests.

"I would like to thank members of the public and the media for their support and the information they have provided and as a result, we are now in a position where two people are in custody and are being questioned.

"However, we still remain in the early days of this investigation and there is still a lot of work to be done.

"I want to reassure the community that, whilst we have made arrests, we will continue to investigate these appalling incidents so we so can establish all the facts and who is responsible.

"I would continue to appeal to anyone who either has information about these three attacks or has information about any other incidents of this nature to come forward."

The first two attacks took place on Saturday September 21.

A 27-year-old woman was approached from behind and grabbed in Lloyd Street North at 6.15pm before she screamed and the offender ran off.

The next incident followed in Oxford Road, close to the old BBC building, when a 21-year-old woman was approached by a boy who made lewd comments.

She carried on walking along Moss Lane East and was sexually assaulted by her assailant, who was described as a young Asian boy aged about 12 and wearing green jeans and glasses.

The third attack took place at the Manchester Science Park in Lloyd Street North at about 2.15pm on Saturday October 5.

A 32-year-old woman was approached by two young boys and sexually assaulted by one of them described as Asian, 12 to 13 years old, of slim build, and with a small frame. He was wearing baggy trousers and carrying a rucksack on his back.

She pushed the boy away but he approached her again and sexually assaulted her for a second time before running off towards Pencroft Way together with the second boy, who was also of Asian appearance.

Anyone with information is asked to phone police on 0161 856 4223 or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

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Waste Crime: Rogue Operators Hunted Down

By Emma Birchley, East of England Correspondent

Illegal waste operators are being tracked down and forced out of business as part of a crackdown on their criminal trade.

A Environment Agency taskforce shut down a record 1,279 sites in the last financial year, almost double the previous 12 months, where traders had dumped or buried waste, or sorted it ready for illegal export without the necessary permits.

The cost of the crime is put at £1bn, according to the organisation's environment and business manager Bob Mead.

"The people who operate illegally probably don't pay taxes, they certainly aren't paying their proper landfill tax, so there are a variety of income sources which government isn't getting," he said.

"And there is the money lost to legitimate industry that would be paying the appropriate taxes."

On the edge of Brigg in North Lincolnshire, enforcement officers found a warehouse packed with thousands of vast bales of plastic as well as mounds of loose rubbish blowing about the yard.

Thick swarms of flies spread to the town, proof that the stinking waste was contaminated.

At the White Hart pub half a mile away the problem became unbearable for owner Andy Carrington.

"This area was badly affected. On this street there is another pub, a butchers, a bakery," he told Sky News.

"It soon became clear we were all suffering, we were all struggling with them which makes the town look bad."

The illegal operator was fined £13,500 but 17 months after the waste was found, most of it is still festering in the unit.

And if he does not remove it, it will be up to the landowner to clear.

By failing to follow procedures and get the necessary licences, rogue operators can undercut their legitimate competitors, like Bell Waste Control in Scunthorpe.

General manager Steve Kent said: "It's so frustrating that we have to go through all the procedures ... to get the lads' health and safety and the environmental management, and bogus operators are going round with none of this, filling warehouses with waste and walking away from it."

The extra funding for the illegal waste sites taskforce ends soon, but the Environment Agency says it will use the methods it has developed to keep the pressure on the criminals.

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Alps Murders: Brother Denies Involvement

The brother of a British-Iraqi businessman whose family were shot dead in the French Alps has again claimed he was not involved in the massacre.

Zaid al Hilli, whose brother Saad was found dead in a bullet-riddled BMW in September last year, admitted to The Sunday Times newspaper that they were engaged in a bitter inheritance dispute, but said he had nothing to do with the murders.

"I have told the police from the beginning that I am an open book. I have nothing to hide," he said.

The 54-year-old, who was arrested in June on suspicion of masterminding the killings, accused French police of failing to carry out a proper investigation.

Saad al Hilli was shot dead with his wife and mother-in-law

He said they should look at the possibility that the real target was Sylvain Mollier, a Frenchman who was shot dead near the family's car as he cycled through the hills above Lake Annecy.

"They are covering up for someone in France in that region and they know it," Mr Hilli told the BBC.

"Mollier was involved in family disputes and was an outsider to (his) rich family. There is something more to it locally ... most crime has local roots."

The scene of the shooting in France

Saad al Hilli, 50, was shot dead in his car parked in a lay-by on a mountain road. His wife Iqbal, 47, and her mother Suhaila al Allaf, 74, were also killed. Mr Mollier's body was found nearby.

The couple's daughter Zainab, seven at the time, recovered after being shot and pistol-whipped and her sister Zeena, who was four, was found unhurt hiding beneath her mother's body.

French investigators believe Mr Mollier was an innocent bystander who was killed because he stumbled upon the murder scene.

Their lead theory is that a family inheritance dispute was the motive for the killings.

Saad al Hilli's family home in Claygate, Surrey

Mr Hilli, who is due to answer police bail on Wednesday, also denied any involvement in the shooting when he was approached by Sky News last month.

He told The Sunday Times that the last time the brothers spoke, Saad had physically attacked him as they argued over the £1m house in Claygate, Surrey, they inherited from their mother.

"I was on the bed in my bedroom and he pinned me down," he said.

Mr Hilli, who works as a payroll manager for a leisure company, said he had given 25 hours of interviews to British police but has refused to go to France for further questioning.

The killings took place near Lake Annecy

"The French, I don't trust them at all," he told The Sunday Times. "My brother was killed there in that region and I am not going to take the risk."

He revealed that he had taken a day off work on the day of the murders and gone to Worthing, in West Sussex, with a friend.

He said the brothers, who were born to middle-class parents in Baghdad before the family moved to Britain in 1971, had enjoyed a close relationship but fell out over the house.

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Killer Mark Bridger’s Cottage 'Up For Rent'

The home of killer Mark Bridger, where he is thought to have murdered five-year-old April Jones, may be put up for rent, according to reports.

Bridger, 47, abducted April as she played with friends near her home in on the Bryn-y-Gog estate in Machynlleth, mid Wales, in October last year.

The former slaughterhouse worker has never revealed what he did with April's remains, although skull fragments were found in his fireplace.

Police believe he dismembered the schoolgirl's body before dumping the body parts at various locations in the hills, rivers and forests surrounding his home in Ceinws.

Smoke coming out of the chimney the day after April's disappearance

Traces of April's blood were found all over the rented cottage.

The first police officers who attended the scene reported a strong smell of washing powder and cleaning products.

Bridger was given a whole-life sentence in May by trial judge Mr Justice Griffith Williams after a jury found him guilty following a month-long trial.

Inside the cottage

The one-time lifeguard, who was also caught downloading child porn on his computer, claimed he accidentally ran over April and in the ensuing panic could not remember what he did with her body.

The Wales on Sunday newspaper reported that Bridger's former home, which is three miles north of Machynlleth, was to be offered to new tenants because the authorities were not prepared to buy or demolish it.

Bridger moved into Mount Pleasant Cottage in August 2012, five weeks before he snatched April.

View of the cottage from the road

A resident in the area, who did not wish to be identified, told the newspaper: "It is my understanding that Mark Bridger's home is being prepared to go to new tenants.

"The landlord has been there mowing the lawn and has told locals that the house isn't to be bought by the police or council, and so he is to re-let the property.

"Given what has likely gone on there, this seems rather distasteful."

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Missing Children: Appeal To Dad And Grandma

Staffordshire police say two young children taken by their father from a hotel in Hanley may also be accompanied by their paternal grandmother.

Two-and-a-half year old Na'llah Khan and her 10-month-old brother, Sulailman Khan, were taken from the Quality Inn Hotel in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent at around 5pm on Friday.

They were in their mother's care at the time.

Police say their father, Saleem Tahir, 40, from Nottingham, was last seen with the children on Bristol Road in Selly Oak, Birmingham at about 8pm on Friday evening.

The children's grandmother, Denise Smith-Sellers, 67, also from Nottingham, is understood to be with them.

Denise Smith-Sellers

Police believe the group are still in Birmingham and would like to hear from them.

"Our priority is the safe return of the children," says Chief Inspector Jane Hewitt from Staffordshire Police.

"We believe that Saleem, Denise and the children are still in Birmingham and would urge them to contact us immediately on 101 so we can talk to them to resolve this situation."

Detectives are continuing to pursue a number of lines of inquiry including CCTV, witness interviews and some limited information from the public following yesterday's appeal.

Information has been shared across the Staffordshire, Nottinghamshire and West Midlands Police social media sites.

Officers are also liaising closely with colleagues from a number of other police forces.

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Tornado Lifts Off Roofs At Seaside Resort

A small tornado wreaked havoc across a seaside resort, bringing trees down on cars and lifting the roof covering off of houses and huts.

More than 100 homes in Hayling Island are said to have been damaged after the winds ripped through the coastal community around 7.30am on Sunday.

A Havant Council spokesman said the twister is believed to have caused damage to properties in Blackthorn Road and Ilex Walk.

Cheryl Hart, who lives in the area, told The Portsmouth News the tornado sounded like "a freight train hurtling along the road".

A roof is lifted off a beach hut on Hayling Island. Pic: Solent News

She said: "It woke me up. You could hear it coming. It sounded like a freight train coming up the road.

"You could actually see it. It's difficult to describe but it was like a big grey wall. I didn't see any rubbish or debris in it - just a big grey wall of wind.

"We have just got a bit of damage to our garden but other homes have been hit.

"One has a kayak that has been blown into the garden. No-one knows where it has come from."

A wall is brought down in a garden on Hayling Island. Pic: Solent News

No injuries were reported but several trees were blown down and tiles were ripped off the roofs of several houses.

Nearby, several outhouses and beach huts lost their roofs to the wind and some walls were blown over.

Several cars are also believed to have been damaged by fallen trees and broken fences.

One couple reported that their shed was destroyed and their caravan had been smashed into a tree.

The spokesman for Havant Council said: "Emergency services are at the scene and Havant Borough Council (HBC) is working with Hampshire County Council Highways to clean up the debris.

A tree is brought down on Hayling Island. Pic: Solent News

"HBC building control officers are assessing the damage to the affected properties and more will be known once inspections have been carried out."

Paul Knightley, forecast manager for Meteogroup, said: "The conditions were favourable for a tornado; there is an unstable atmosphere, it is fairly warm for this time of year and there is a lot of moisture in the air."

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