Corby By-Election: Labour Takes Tory Seat

Did Anyone Care About Police Elections?

Updated: 7:39pm UK, Friday 16 November 2012

By Adam Boulton, Political Editor

The most memorable thing about these elections in England and Wales (but not London) is that not many voters cared about them.

Turnouts in the first ever Police and Crime Commissioner polls were an all-time low for a national election, averaging less than one in five and falling as low as 12% in some areas.

In Newport, one polling station went all day without a visitor. The turnout in the parliamentary election in Manchester Central of just 18.1% was an all-time low for a by-election to choose an MP.

The Electoral Commission and the Electoral Reform Society have criticised the government  for ignoring advice and staging the elections for the unfamiliar police commissioners in the dark and cold days of mid-November.

The Prime Minister brushed aside such criticisms pointing out that there are now 41 elected officials with a direct mandate to supervise local police forces where before there were none.

Mr Cameron predicted that when these elections are next held turnout will go up - a near certainty since they are likely next time to be simultaneous with council elections.

But in truth, such niggles are the least of the headaches which these elections have given David Cameron and Nick Clegg. The coalition parties fared dismally in the three parliamentary by-elections which took place this week.

In Cardiff South and Manchester Central two veteran MPs - Alun Michael and Tony Lloyd - slipped out of their parliamentary seats smoothly, to be elected as Police Commissioners in their areas. Labour comfortably held the safe seats they left behind.

But in the weathervane parliamentary constituency of Corby, where shooting star Tory MP Louise Mensch quit to spend more time with her family in New York, the Conservatives were soundly punished.

A swing of 12.67% from blue to red, handed Labour its first by-election victory over the Tories for 15 years – a time when Tony Blair was cruising towards his first landslide General Election victory.

The Conservative Party Chairman Grant Shapps MP blamed the Mensch factor and claimed that there had been much bigger by-election swings in the past.

That is certainly true but not much comfort for him. Fed into a national trend, a Corby-type swing would see Prime Minister Ed Miliband in Number Ten presiding over a Labour majority of more than 100.

Corby's message to the Deputy Prime Minister was even starker. The Liberal Democrats were forced into fourth place by UKIP, and lost their deposit in spite of demanding two recounts. Across the country in the police elections the party fared little better.

Visiting Corby for a victory parade, Mr Miliband was quick to stress that he has much work still to do. But he claimed that Middle England is "putting its trust in a One Nation Labour Party" because it feels let down by David Cameron and the Conservatives.

Factoring-in the police commissioner contests with the by-elections, it's easy to see why Mr Miliband is being cautious. There is plenty of voter disenchantment, but it seems to be with all three of the mainstream parties.

In spite of their comparative lack of resources, independents have done well; elected Mayor in Bristol and Commissioner in North Wales, Dorset, and Hampshire, where former Tory minister Michael Mates was defeated.

In Humberside, the best-known face of all, former Labour deputy prime minister John Prescott, was forced into a nail-biting second round count-off, which he lost.

So, most voters didn't care and those who did were grumpy with mainstream politicians; typical mid-term blues, perhaps. But also a big problem for David Cameron who created these police commissioner elections which have brought little comfort to his party.

A Conservative recovery in time for the 2015 General Election remains entirely possible.

But at this mid-point of the parliament, the Governor of the Bank of England says the economy is much weaker than hoped for, Britain is heading towards a major clash with its EU partners over budgets, the press are in full cry against post-Leveson regulation and there are at least two big mid-term votes to go - 2014's European Parliament election and the Scottish referendum vote.

No wonder Tory MPs are restless.

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Tube Passengers Ignore Man Collapsed On Floor

Video footage shows a man who collapsed unconscious on the floor of a busy London tube train apparently being ignored for several minutes by fellow passengers.

A member of the public, who claimed he was unable to help, filmed the incident on his mobile phone and later uploaded the footage to YouTube.

In the video the man can be seen clutching onto a handrail before his legs suddenly give way and he collapses in a heap on the floor of the train.

He lies there for several minutes and is ignored by the other passengers, apart from one woman who appears to pull the train emergency alarm.

When the train stops at the station he is guarded by tube staff, but is not put in the recovery position.

The incident took place at approximately 12.40pm on Wednesday on a train travelling towards Great Portland Street.

Transport for London told Sky News that TfL staff had received basic medical training but the man was not put in the recovery position because they were requesting an ambulance.

Staff had "checked the customer was breathing", a spokeswoman added.

After a number of minutes the man was finally helped off the train

"It is distressing to see a passenger fall ill and in this case the member of staff responding needed to request more advanced medical support than the basic training that all our staff receive," she said.

"He immediately requested an ambulance then made an announcement to ask whether there was anyone with professional medical expertise and began to clear the train of passengers.

"Medically trained British Transport Police officers, who were brought to the Tube network earlier this year to improve our response to this sort of incident, arrived quickly to assist Tube staff who remained on the scene at all times."

But the video provoked an angry reaction from YouTube viewers and Twitter users.

One tweeted: "Passengers and train staff do nothing and step over him! Disgusting!" While another commented: "That makes me feel sick. Man collapses on Tube and people walk over him."

One poster on YouTube commented: "The London transport staff are shameful they have a duty of care for their customers . It's obvious that the whole organisation needs to look at their training."

The London Ambulance Service, who later gave medical assistance to the man, said he was diabetic and had passed out due to a lack of insulin.

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Dave Lee Travis Bailed By Savile Detectives

DJ Dave Lee Travis has been bailed after his arrest in connection with the Jimmy Savile sex abuse inquiry.

The former Radio 1 star, from Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, was held at 7.45am on suspicion of sexual offences.

Police said the allegations made against the man do not directly involve Savile, and are classed under the strand of their investigation termed "others".

He was bailed to return on a date in early January.

Travis returned home at 9.15pm in the passenger seat of a silver car. He stared straight ahead as the vehicle was mobbed by photographers.

Three police officers stood nearby as the car drove slowly through the gates. One officer told reporters that Travis would not be making any comment tonight.

His arrest came as the Metropolitan Police revealed they are now dealing with around 450 potential victims, the majority of whom claim they were abused by Savile.

This has risen from around 300 possible victims the force said they were dealing with last month.

Officers are looking at three strands within their inquiry: claims against Savile, those against Savile and others, and those against others.

Most of the "others" allegations have been made against people associated with the entertainment industry.

Ex-glam rocker Gary Glitter, comedian Freddie Starr and a 73-year-old man have already been arrested and bailed in connection with the investigation.

A 1977 episode of Top Of The Pops featuring Travis was due to be shown on BBC4 on Thursday night but was pulled.

Last month Travis vigorously denied allegations that he groped two women while in BBC studios.

Dame Janet Smith, who is reviewing the corporation's practices during the Savile years, called on potential victims, witnesses, people who worked with the TV presenter and senior staff at the time to assist the investigation.

According to the inquiry's website, the review also wants to hear from people "who were familiar with the culture or practices of the BBC" in terms of "preventing or enabling the sexual abuse of children, young people or teenagers".

In addition, the Department of Health is investigating its own conduct after appointing Savile to head a task force at Broadmoor high-security hospital in 1988.

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Syria 'Terrorism Suspect' To Appear In Court

A 24-year-old man is to appear in court charged in connection with alleged terrorist activity in Syria, including the kidnapping of two journalists.

Jubayer Chowdhury will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court, police

He was arrested by officers from the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command at Heathrow Airport on Monday morning after arriving on a flight from Bahrain.

Chowdhury is the second man to be charged over the alleged abduction of British photographer John Cantlie and Dutch journalist Jeroen Oerlemans.

The police spokesman said: "Officers from Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command have tonight, 15 November, charged a second man in connection with an investigation into travel to Syria in support of alleged terrorist activity.

"Jubayer Chowdhury, 24, together with Shajul Islam and others, within the jurisdiction of the Central Criminal Court, between 17 July 2012 and 26 July 2012, unlawfully and injuriously imprisoned John Cantlie and Jeroen Oerlemans against their will.

"Contrary to common law and Section 63B of the Terrorism Act 2000."

Mr Cantlie, who worked for various newspapers including the Sunday Times, and Mr Oerlemans were held captive for about a week after travelling to the country to report on the ongoing civil war.

Islam, a trainee NHS doctor, is accused of acting as a medic for the group which abducted them.

He was arrested at Heathrow Airport last month after arriving from Egypt.

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Baby Died After 'Serious Failures' At Hospital

By Lisa Dowd, Midlands Correspondent

A baby died at Birmingham Children's Hospital after "serious failures", a coroner has ruled.

Hayley Fullerton suffered heart failure following corrective surgery in November 2009, one month after her first birthday.

Recording a narrative verdict following an inquest into Hayley's death, Aidan Cotter, coroner for Birmingham and Solihull, said: "The failures by a number of the staff at Birmingham Children's Hospital were serious but not gross."

He said he could only make a finding of neglect if there had been a "gross" failure to provide medical attention .

Paula Stevenson holding her daughter Hayley.

Following the verdict, Hayley's mother, Paula Stevenson, said that she planned to sue the NHS over her daughter's "preventable and predictable" death. 

She said: "Today is Hayley's day - I have been waiting three years to speak up.

"Hayley died like an abandoned animal - nobody listened to me while Hayley was dying and nobody listened to me when Hayley was dead."

Ms Stevenson, who flew to the UK from Australia to attend the hearing with Hayley's father Bobby Fullerton, added: "Our entire family has been completely devastated by what happened and continue to grieve for Hayley.

"I still cannot understand how trained medics could ignore the fact that she was slowly deteriorating before their eyes.

"They had seven days to spot that something was seriously wrong but all those precious opportunities were missed."

Hayley was born with a condition that restricted blood getting from her heart to her lungs.

After an operation at another hospital, she was sent to Birmingham for corrective heart surgery.

Hayley Fullerton suffered a collapsed lung after heart surgery.

The operation was a success, but complications set in when Hayley's right lung collapsed.

Ms Stevenson, told the coroner's court earlier this year: "I was hoping she would be put in intensive care.

"I was waiting and waiting for someone to come so I was very aware and alert. I was telling her sorry I could not get help."

She also claimed that her child had been failed "abominably" and said her experience at the hands of some staff has been "brutal".

Ms Stevenson, who is originally from Northern Ireland but now lives in Australia, went on to allege that she gave a nurse a £100 gift voucher in an effort to secure better care for Hayley.

"I truly believe if the medical teams had listened to me and my parents, Hayley would still be alive today. They turned their back on her. She was overlooked and neglected," she said.

In an internal review of Hayley's death, the NHS found that a "hierarchy" among medics deterred junior staff from referring Hayley back to a paediatric intensive care unit in the days before her death on November 11.

In a statement issued after the coroner's verdict, the Birmingham Children's Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said: "When Hayley died we recognised that some of her care fell below our usual high standards and for this we offer a heartfelt apology for the distress that has been caused.

"We've taken all the steps possible to learn from this."

Ms Stevenson has now set up a website, heal-trust.org, which campaigns for the NHS to use Rapid Response Teams, which families, friends or patients can call if they feel their concerns over treatment aren't being heeded.

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Train Guard Found Guilty Over Girl's Death

A railway guard accused of causing the death of a teenager who fell under a train has been convicted of manslaughter.

Christopher McGee, 45, gave the signal for the driver to depart as Georgia Varley, 16, was leaning against a carriage.

The sixth-form college student, who had been drinking on a night out in Liverpool with friends, fell between the train and the platform at the city's James Street station in October last year.

McGee, who had denied the charge, appeared to blink away tears as the jury at Liverpool Crown Court delivered its verdict of manslaughter by gross negligence after three hours and five minutes of deliberations.

He is expected to be sentenced on Thursday.

Trial judge Mr Justice Holroyde remanded McGee in custody, saying he faces a jail term for what he called a "very serious" offence.

Christopher McGee had denied the charges

Some gasped in the public gallery from where the defendant's supporters and the victim's family had followed proceedings.

A blood analysis after the teenager's death showed the alcohol levels in her blood were well above the legal driving limit, and traces of the drug mephedrone, or Mcat, were also found in her system.

During the trial, the jury was shown CCTV footage of the teenager's death, showing her mistakenly getting off the train and then turning around and leaning against the side as she realised her friends were still on board.

She then staggered and fell down the gap as the train moved off.

The prosecution said McGee had given the signal to the driver to start the train when Georgia was in contact with the train and was in an "intoxicated state".

McGee told the jury he thought Georgia was moving away from the train when he gave the signal to depart. He also said he did not know how drunk she was.

James Street station in Liverpool, where the accident occurred

The girl's mother Paula Redmond, speaking outside the courtroom, said: "We have listened as our daughter was portrayed as being a drunken liability when, in all honesty, she did no more than what many teenagers do of a weekend - she went out to celebrate her friend's birthday.

"The only liability that night was a train guard whom Georgia had the catastrophic misfortune to encounter."

Ms Redmond, 41, described her daughter as a "lovely, polite, respectful young lady, who was popular and full of fun and laughter".

Gerogia's mother says the girl was "an absolute joy to be around"

"Christopher McGee will complete his sentence and return to his family. Mine is now gone forever," she added. "May our baby girl finally rest in peace."

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Schizophrenia Report Blasts Patient Treatment

By Thomas Moore, Health and Science Correspondent

Standards of care in some mental health units are so poor that they make patients worse, not better, a new report has warned.

An independent inquiry into schizophrenia describes the care given to some patients on secure wards as "shameful".

The Schizophrenia Commission found that staff in some units are burnt out and demoralised, and are shut away in offices doing paperwork rather than talking to patients.

The commission's report, An Abandoned Illness, says patients are given drug treatments and then left to watch television, when they should be receiving psychological help, such as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy.

On average a stay on an acute mental health unit costs more than £12,000.

Professor Robin Murray, who chaired the commission, said more money should instead be aimed at better - and cheaper - intervention in the early stages of illness, which can reduce the likelihood of patients deteriorating to the point that they need acute care.

"People are being badly let down by the system in every area of their lives," he said.

"People with psychosis need to be given the hope that it is perfectly possible to live a fulfilling life after diagnosis.

"We have no doubt that this is achievable."

Schizophrenia affects more than 220,000 people in England alone. One in six people will have symptoms of psychosis, such as hallucinations, at some stage of their lives.

The Commission calls for clearer warnings on the use of cannabis, to reduce the risk of schizophrenia. And it says psychiatrists should improve their prescribing to ensure patients are on effective treatment with the minimum of side effects.

Laura Sherlock used to be a professional trombone player and toured the world, despite suffering delusions and feeling suicidal. She was put on anti-psychotic treatment that left her unable to play music.

"I felt numb, deathly tired and barely able to move or think," she said.

"When I stopped taking my tablets I was given medication by injections - I had no say in my own treatment."

Paul Jenkins, of the charity Rethink Mental Illness, said: "It is a scandal that in 2012 people with schizophrenia are dying 15 to 20 years earlier than the general population and that only 7% are able to get a job.

"Too many people are falling through the gaps in the system and ending up in prison or homeless."

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Man Charged Over Al Hilli Bank Fraud

Police have charged a man with attempting to access the bank accounts of the family murdered in the French Alps in October.

Nigerian-born Abiodun David John, 33, was charged with fraud after allegedly trying to get into accounts in the name of members of Saad al Hilli's family after his death on September 5.

Surrey Police could not confirm whether the accounts belonged to Mr al Hilli himself and said the fraud charges were not linked to the ongoing investigation into the murder of the Iraqi-born engineer, his wife, mother-in-law and a French cyclist.

A spokeswoman said: "Abiodun David John was arrested at an address in Salford, Greater Manchester, in October.

"He returned on bail today where he was charged with eight counts of fraud by false representation which are alleged to have taken place between July and September this year."

Around 100 police officers in Britain and France are investigating the murders of Mr al Hilli, 50, his dentist wife Iqbal, 47, her elderly mother Suhaila al Allaf, 74, and passing cyclist Sylvain Mollier in a horrifying gun attack near Chevaline, Lake Annecy.

The couple's four-year-old daughter Zeena lay undiscovered under her mother's corpse for eight hours after the shooting, while her sister Zainab, seven, was found with serious injuries after being beaten and shot.

French investigators searched the al Hilli family home in Claygate, Surrey, in the wake of their deaths.

Later in September, Surrey Police asked Greater Manchester Police to arrest John on suspicion of fraud offences.

John, who has since moved to London, denies the charges.

He will appear at Guildford Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.

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UK Soldier Shot Dead While Playing Football

A British soldier who was killed by a rogue member of the Afghan army as he played in a football match on Remembrance Day has been hailed as a "great man" and an "amazing father" by his wife.

Captain Walter Barrie was playing in a match between British soldiers and members of the Afghan National Army (Ana) at his base when he was shot at close range in the Nad-e Ali district of Helmand Province, the Ministry of Defence said.

Capt Barrie, from Glasgow, had been mentoring and advising a brigade of the Ana to take over security in an area of southern Afghanistan.

His wife Sonia said: "Captain Walter Barrie was great man, a doting and amazing father and a fantastic husband. He was much loved and will be missed by many.

"The family would ask that their privacy is respected during this very difficult time."

Capt Barrie, who leaves behind 15-year-old son Callum, had served for 25 years, which included tours of Iraq, Bosnia, Kosovo, Northern Ireland and Afghanistan in 2008.

The 41-year-old, who was deployed on August 31, was in the Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland.

He was described by the MoD as an "approachable and compassionate officer" who "cared deeply for the wellbeing of those around him and had unparalleled rapport with all ranks".

Capt Barrie was killed in the Helmand Province

Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Wrench said: "His role as an adviser to the Afghan army was one he trained for, looked forward to and performed superbly.

"His ability to build relationships and rapport has always made an impact on those who met him. This was down to his enthusiasm for life, for youth and humanity.

"As can be seen from the many tributes, he enriched the lives of everybody he came across. His winning personality and Glaswegian wit will be sorely missed, as will the banter we often had as a result of his fanatical support for Glasgow Rangers.

"It is almost impossible to express the sadness we, as a close battalion, are experiencing at this time."

The "green on blue" death brings the number of British servicemen killed by Afghan soldiers or police to 14 this year, compared to just one in 2011, three in 2010, and five in 2009.

Capt Barrie is the 438th UK service member to be killed in Afghanistan since October 2001.

News of the killing came after the Queen led the nation in honouring the fallen, as the country fell silent to remember its war dead.

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Workers To Be Able To Ask For Flexible Hours

By Gerard Tubb, Sky Correspondent

Every employee in the country is to be given the right to ask for flexible working hours as the Government tries to get more unemployed women into work.

Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, believes that enabling relatives and friends of working parents to alter their working patterns will boost the economy.

The Government estimates around a million women are effectively locked out of employment because of problems balancing work and childcare.

The plans to allow anyone to ask for flexible hours are an extension of the rights introduced in 2009 for parents of children aged 16 and under.

A study last year of eligible parents showed 28% of women and 17% of men had asked to change their work patterns in the previous two years, with 80 to 90% of requests accepted.

At Odyssey Systems on Teesside, a telecommunications company with 30 employees, management says it has helped parents to change working hours, but extending the scheme to everyone will be a burden.

Sales director Christine Gilbert said: "We're still here because we think about customers first.

"To say that everybody in the whole company has to have flexible working is just going to be a massive managerial nightmare."

Adam Marshall, director of policy at the British Chambers of Commerce believes the new proposals could cause "unnecessary friction" in the workplace and " unrealistic expectations about the level of flexibility most businesses will be able to accommodate".

But the TUC welcomed the proposals, with General Secretary Brendan Barber describing them as common sense.

He said: "These reforms will make life easier for millions of working parents.

"Businesses will also benefit from a more engaged workforce and a larger pool of people to recruit from."

The entitlement to ask for flexible hours will be introduced in 2014 at the earliest and employers will have to provide good reason for refusing a request.

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British Soldier Killed In 'Insider Attack'

A British soldier has been killed in Afghanistan in an apparent "insider attack", the Ministry of Defence has said.

Major Laurence Roche, the spokesman for Task Force Helmand, said: "I am very sorry to report the death of a soldier from The Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland who was shot by an individual wearing an Afghan National Army uniform at his base in the Nad-e Ali district of Helmand Province.

"This is incredibly sad news for the Battalion and everyone serving in Task Force Helmand.

"As we mark Remembrance this weekend, our thoughts now turn to the soldier's family and friends whose loss is so much greater than ours."

The soldier's family have been informed, and requested a 24-hour period of grace before further details are released.

A total of 437 members of the UK military have died in Afghanistan since operations started in 2001.

More than 60 soldiers serving with the Nato coalition have been killed so far this year by their Afghan colleagues, in what have become known as green on blue attacks.

Responsibility for security in Afghanistan is due to be handed over to local military from 2014.

More follows...

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Ex-BBC Boss In Line For £450,000 Payment

Former director-general George Entwistle will receive one year's salary after resigning from the BBC.

Mr Entwistle quit after 54 days in the job after a Newsnight report wrongly implicated former Conservative Party treasurer Lord McAlpine in an investigation into child abuse allegations at the Bryn Estyn care home in North Wales.

Under the standard executive board contract, he would normally be entitled to just six months salary.

A BBC Trust spokesman said: "The BBC reached a consensual termination agreement with George Entwistle last night and agreed to pay him 12 months pay, in lieu of notice.

"This reflects the fact that he will continue to help on BBC business, most specifically the two ongoing inquiries."

Lord Patten has told Sky News that he must restore confidence in the BBC

The chairman of the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee John Whittingdale said he could not see any justification for such a large payoff.

"A lot of people will be very surprised that somebody who was in the job for such a short period of time and then had to leave in these circumstances should be walking away with £450,000 of licence fee payers' money," he said.

"Certainly I would want to know from the Trust why they think that's appropriate.

"I want to hear an explanation but I have to say that I find it very difficult to see a justification for that amount of money to be paid to somebody who has had to resign in these circumstances.

"I wouldn't have thought that just because you have to help an inquiry into the Savile allegations you necessarily need to be paid a such a large amount of money.

"A lot of people will be giving evidence to the inquiry into the culture and practices within the BBC and I can't imagine they will all be being paid for it."

The chairman of the BBC Trust, Lord Patten, has told Sky News that people will expect him to step down if he fails to restore the public's confidence in the corporation.

"If we don't restore the huge confidence and trust that people have in the BBC, then I'm sure people will tell me to take my cards and clear off," he said.

He also admitted that the future of Newsnight is being discussed.

Tim Davie, the acting director-general of the BBC, will unveil his plans to restore the broadcaster's reputation on Monday.

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Teen Used 'Old Man' Disguise In Armed Robbery

A schoolboy who used sophisticated prosthetics to disguise himself as a pensioner while carrying out a violent armed robbery has been jailed.

Miles Alura - and the teenage robber in his disguise

Brandishing two handguns and dressed up as an old man, 16-year-old Miles Alura and his two teenaged accomplices were caught following a raid on a Kent jewellers.

The trio used handcuffs and a dog lead to tie up terrified staff, before making off with £50,000 worth of jewellery. But an onlooker called the police and all three boys were arrested.

Alura was found in a nearby garden having dumped the gang's haul and removed his facial prosthetics, make-up and hairpiece.

The decommissioned guns found on Alura, pictured (inset) in his disguise

Following their capture, detectives from the Met's Flying Squad linked the July 3 robbery to an earlier raid on June 7 at a jewellers in Mayfair, central London.

Alura had committed that robbery along with one of the two boys - who cannot be named - and while wearing false waist-length dreadlocks.

They jumped over the counter and threatened the staff, intimating they had a gun. Workers were tied up and they escaped with jewellery worth £100,000.

Fingerprints belonging to both boys was found on paperwork - including school history coursework and a drawing of the plan of the store - left at the scene.

Alura was sentenced at Kingston Crown Court to a total of five years in prison. His accomplice in the Mayfair robbery, 'Boy A', also 16, of Stoke Newington, was jailed for three years.

A picture from Miles Alura's Facebook page

Fifteen-year-old 'Boy B', of Holloway, received a 12-month detention and training order. Reporting restrictions were lifted for Alura, but not for the other two boys.

Detective Constable Vicky Bailey, from the Met's Flying Squad, said: "These were violent armed robberies during which innocent members of staff were terrorised and genuinely feared for their lives.

"It is even more shocking to know that this level of violence was inflicted by three schoolboys who went to extraordinary lengths to research, plan and get away with these offences, demonstrated by Alura's sophisticated disguise."

All three defendants had earlier pleaded guilty at Kingston Crown Court to conspiracy to rob relating to the Kent robbery.

Alura and 'Boy B' had pleaded guilty to possession of an imitation firearm regarding that raid. Alura and 'Boy A' had also pleaded guilty to the Mayfair robbery.

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BBC Boss Resigns After Newsnight Abuse Report

BBC's Reputation Is In Crisis

Updated: 12:34am UK, Sunday 11 November 2012

The BBC has been through crises before, but nothing that has shaken trust quite like this.

According to a ComRes poll carried out after the Savile allegations came to light, but before the latest scandal hit, more people now believe the corporation is untrustworthy than trustworthy.

Of 1,002 adults polled last month, 47% did not agree that the BBC was trustworthy, compared to 45% who said it was.

Among 45-54 year-olds, the results were even worse - 59% said the corporation was not trustworthy.

Media commentator Steve Hewlett told Sky News it was the first time he could remember that more people did not trust, than trusted, the BBC.

The corporation has had its share of uncomfortable scrutiny over the last decade - the Hutton Inquiry, misleadingly edited footage of the Queen, the Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand affair.

Yet the Savile scandal seems to have resonated with viewers like never before.

In the space of just over five weeks, Savile has been unmasked as, according to police, one of the most prolific sex offenders the country has ever seen, the BBC has had to order an inquiry into why a Newsnight report that might have uncovered his activities was shelved, and now another Newsnight investigation has been broadcast falsely accusing a senior Tory of being a paedophile.

It has not been the corporation's finest hour.

What's at stake now is trust in the integrity of the BBC's journalism, and trust in the senior management's ability to get a grip.

Hewlett said: "It looks like no-one's in charge, no-one's got a grip and it's clearly unsettling. Not just inside the BBC, where it's plainly unsettling, I can tell you that for certain, but it's also unsettling out there. People are not sure, they are just not sure."

Before he resigned as the corporation's director-general, George Entwistle demanded a report into the latest Newsnight incident and halted all Newsnight investigations while their editorial robustness is assessed.

He also had to admit that he did not see the Newsnight report in question at the time - he was out that night - and he did not know anything about it in advance. He found out about it on the internet, he said.

That led to the unfortunate label "Incurious George" from some - the man who failed to ask questions as Director of Vision last year about the Newsnight Savile investigation, and who failed, as director-general and editor-in-chief of the BBC, to show that he was wholly in charge of the organisation.

Conor Burns MP said that ought to have been "at the very heart of George Entwistle's agenda every day" and which has been "destroying the credibility of the BBC".

"This is a crisis for the BBC, it's been an ongoing crisis for the BBC for some weeks now," he added.

Trust in the BBC is more than just a warm, fluffy sentiment - the BBC depends on the trust of the public because it depends on the licence fee to fund it.

Perhaps no surprise then that the BBC Trust, which oversees the corporation and protects the interests of the licence fee payer, has expressed its concern.

A spokesperson told us: "This is a deeply troubling episode. The Trust notes the BBC Executive's apology and would like to offer its own apology also.

"The Trust has impressed upon the director-general the need to get to the bottom of this as a matter of the utmost urgency and will expect appropriate action to be taken as quickly as possible."

In other words, Auntie needs to get the house in order.

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