Connors Family Found Guilty Of Forced Labour

Five members of the same traveller family who made their staff perform humiliating tasks have been found guilty of forced labour.

William Connors, 52, his wife Mary, 48, their sons John, 29, and James, 20, and their son-in-law Miles Connors, 24, were all convicted of conspiracy to require a person to perform forced or compulsory labour between April 2010 and March 2011.

Bristol Crown Court heard how the Connors would pick up the men - many of whom were homeless or drug addicts - to work for them as labourers.

Jurors were told the victims lived in squalid caravans on traveller sites as they moved around the country working on the Connors' paving and patio businesses.

Prosecutors said the men were paid as little as £5 a day for their work, which included emptying the buckets used as toilets by their bosses, and were forced to scavenge from dustbins for food.

The inside of a caravan occupied by two people who worked for the Connors

Some workers were beaten with broom handles, belts, a rake and a shovel, and one had a hosepipe forced down his throat, it was claimed.

By contrast, the court heard, their employers lived in large, well-equipped caravans, enjoyed holidays in Dubai, Mexico and the Caribbean and drove luxury cars, including a Rolls-Royce, a Mercedes A-Class and a Mini convertible.

Prosecutor Christopher Quinlan QC said: "It was a clear and unequivocal demonstration of control and dominance of one set - the family - over another.

"If you compare and contrast the lifestyles of the workers and bosses it is like comparing a Maserati with a clapped-out Zephyr."

Police began investigating the Connors following the discovery of a worker's decomposed body in a garden shed close to one of the family's caravan sites.

A fellow worker contacted officers in 2009 to say he had been recruited by William and Mary while living on the streets of Cheltenham.

He told detectives he had his identity documents taken from him, was rarely paid, received little food and lived with other workers in the same situation.

When the Connors family was placed under covert surveillance the following year, police recorded evidence of the men being assaulted.

Caravan sites in Gloucestershire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire were raided in March 2011 and 19 men were rescued.

The Connors said their workers were "free agents" who were able to come and go as they pleased.

William and Mary insisted they were "good Samaritans" who provided vulnerable people with food, work and accommodation.

All five defendants had faced a second charge of conspiracy to hold another person in servitude but the judge ordered the jury to find them not guilty of that offence.

They are due to be sentenced on Monday.

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Witches Coven: Child Sex Abuse Pair Jailed

Two men have been jailed for a total of 32 years after sexually abusing several children as part of a witches' coven in Cornwall during the 1970s.

Peter Petrauske, 72, and Jack Kemp, 69, were said to have donned ceremonial robes and pagan paraphernalia before abusing young girls.

Police believe one of their victims may have been as young as three.

During the three-week trial at Truro Crown Court, sex abuse victims said they were given money and sweets to buy their silence.

Petrauske, who described himself as the high priest of a white witches' coven in St Ives, Cornwall, was convicted of one count of rape, one count of aiding and abetting an attempt to rape, and one count of indecent assault, all by unanimous verdict.

Kemp was unanimously found guilty of indecent assault and indecency with a child, as well as seven other sexual offences by a majority verdict.

Jailing Kemp for 14 years and Petrauske for 18, Judge Graham Cottle told them: "The offences range from the extremely serious to the truly horrifying.

"(The trial) has featured ritualistic, sickening abuse of young, young children.

"The scars left are so obvious that it would seem extremely unlikely that either of them have any real prospect of recovery."

The child abuse was only investigated further by police last year when Kemp was arrested in connection with another incident, causing rumours to spread around his home town of Falmouth and prompting the alleged victims of the historic offences to contact detectives.

Petrauske was backed up by female members of the coven who said that, while children were occasionally present, nudity never played a part in the ceremonies.

One female friend also described him as "a gentleman".

Kemp denied any involvement in paganism, saying it "wasn't his cup of tea", and said he was the victim of a bizarre conspiracy.

He said the girls were wrong to name him in the case.

Witnesses also named murdered pagan Peter Solheim and notorious Cornish paedophile Stan Pirie as among their abusers.

Solheim was a 56-year-old parish councillor whose body was found five miles off the Lizard Peninsula, Cornwall, by fishermen on June 18, 2004. He had been drugged and mutilated with a machete or an axe.

Kemp was cleared of five charges, while Petrauske was also found not guilty of one count.

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Flood Threat As Heavy Rain Hits South Coast

Parts of Britain are on flood alert as high winds and heavy rainfall are forecast to batter the south coast.

The Environment Agency has warned residents - many of whom are still mopping up after last month's widespread flooding - to brace themselves for a combination of heavy rainfall and storm surges.

Eleven flood warnings have been issued across the South West, with a further 32 areas on the south coast told to prepare for possible flooding.

Communities in Dorset, Devon and Cornwall are likely to be worst hit as spring tides and strong south-easterly winds hit the coast.

Nick Roseveare, of the Environment Agency, said: "We are keeping a close eye on conditions around our coastline and will issue flood warnings if the risk of flooding increases.

"The critical periods will be the early-morning tides over the next three days.

"If they coincide with rain, there's a risk of tide-locking, where water is held in rain-swollen rivers and cannot escape into the sea because of the high tides. This could result in localised flooding."

Between 25mm and 40mm of rain is expected to fall on higher ground in the South West on Thursday night and Friday morning, with other areas likely to see 15-20mm of rain.

Offshore waves of up to 10 metres are expected across the south coast as winds increase and conditions deteriorate, with heavy rain set to arrive in the early hours of Friday.

The public has been advised to stay away from seafronts, quaysides and jetties along the south coast to avoid powerful waves.

The agency said there was also a risk of flooding in south and west Wales, where ground remains saturated from last month's heavy rainfall.

The south east coastline is also being closely monitored.

Those in areas of risk have been urged by the Environment Agency to check their website and Twitter feed for the latest updates, or to call their floodline on 0845 988 1188.

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Savile Revelations Spark NSPCC Abuse Campaign

The NSPCC has launched a campaign in a bid to prevent people thinking sexual abuse is a problem from the past following the Jimmy Savile abuse revelations.

The children's charity is worried that due to many of Savile's victims being abused in the 1970s and 80s, people may believe sexual abuse is not as common now as it was then.

The charity also fears that people still don't know where to turn for help or that they will hesitate to report child abuse until they feel 100% certain.

Peter Watt, director of the NSPCC helpline, said: "By bravely speaking out, Savile's victims have done a great public service in raising awareness of child sex abuse and its long-lasting, devastating effect on victims.

"Our advert aims to remind people that child abuse remains a widespread problem and children are still abused today.

"To end their suffering and bring their abusers to justice we must all act now. Savile's victims waited decades to be heard and helped. We can't let this happen again.

"With this advert we want to send out a clear message about how vitally important it is to act on your suspicions and that the NSPCC is here to help you do this.

"Our trained counsellors will discuss your concerns and the best course of action."

Some 589 people have come forward with information relating to the Savile scandal, with a total of 450 complaints against the the BBC presenter and DJ himself, mainly alleging sexual abuse, Scotland Yard said.

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Victims 'To Get Voice' As Asbos Scrapped

By Gerard Tubb, North of England Correspondent

Victims of anti-social behaviour will get to have a say in how offenders are punished under plans put forward by the Government.

The so-called Community Remedy forms part of draft legislation that could become law in 2014.

The changes, based on a Government white paper published in May, will slim down existing laws, with Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (Asbos) being scrapped on the grounds that they were seen by some offenders as a badge of honour.

Home Office minister Jeremy Browne said victims of anti-social behaviour would be able to have their say on out-of-court punishments of offenders.

"Victims of anti-social behaviour and low level crime often feel powerless," he said.

"Our reforms will place power back in the hands of the people, giving them a proper say in how their local area is policed."

The plans have been welcomed by Joanne Binns, 39, who was driven from her Leeds home six years ago by a gang of youths.

"It was like no matter what I did, they were tormenting me and my family, we couldn't go anywhere, we couldn't sit in our own home," she said.

It took a year to bring some of the offenders to court, by which time she said she had had enough.

"Even in our own home with the curtains closed there were bricks getting thrown, graffiti drawn on our house, it was just a life of hell," she said.

In the six years since then, Leeds City Council and West Yorkshire Police say they have worked with other agencies to create a more effective system to deal with anti-social behaviour.

Police Superintendent Keith Gilert, the council's chief community safety officer, believes many of the Government's proposals will help them to do even more.

"What we find here in Leeds is that an awful lot of these issues can be dealt with at quite a low level and can be resolved through mediation and negotiation between the parties," he said.

Under the changes, more punishments would be dealt with outside the court system, with police, councils and others working together to create a local 'menu' of ways to deal with offenders.

Victims could be asked whether they want an offender to sign an Acceptable Behaviour Contract, take part in alcohol or drug treatment, pay compensation or repair damage.

Ms Binns, who now works with her council to improve communities, says she cannot wait for the Bill to be passed.

"With Asbos they can tell them where not to hang around, where not to go, but they can't tell them to go on a drug rehabilitation course," she said.

"With the new Bill we can, so it's going to help perpetrators, but also give the victim a voice, and that's what my main concern is."

The draft legislation is now open to public consultation and will be scrutinised by the Home Affairs Select Committee.

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Royal Prank Call Nurse's Inquest Set To Open

Timeline: Nurse Prank Call Tragedy

Updated: 2:04am UK, Thursday 13 December 2012

Here are some of the key developments surrounding the death of hospital nurse Jacintha Saldanha following a hoax phone call by two Australian radio hosts.

Monday, December 3
The Duchess of Cambridge is admitted to King Edward VII's Hospital in London with severe morning sickness.

Tuesday, December 4
2Day FM presenters Mel Greig and Michael Christian make their hoax call to the hospital in the early hours of the morning, posing as the Queen and Prince Charles. Nurse Jacintha Saldanha puts them through to a colleague who divulges details of how doctors have been treating the Duchess.

Wednesday, December 5
A King Edward VII's Hospital spokesman confirms the Australian radio station made the prank call, saying it "deplores" the act and is conducting a review of its phone system.

Thursday, December 6
The Duchess of Cambridge leaves hospital.

Friday, December 7
:: Ms Saldanha is pronounced dead at staff accommodation close to the hospital. She is thought to have taken her own life, although a post-mortem examination is yet to be held.

:: King Edward VII's Hospital releases a statement saying: "It is with very deep sadness that we confirm the tragic death of a member of our nursing staff, Ms Saldanha. She was an excellent nurse and well-respected and popular with all of her colleagues."

:: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge send their condolences to Ms Saldanha's family.

Saturday, December 8
:: Ms Saldanha's family in southwest India speak of their heartache. Her mother-in-law, Carmine Barboza, says: "Jacintha was a very caring woman. She used to call us every Sunday without fail. We just cannot believe what has happened."

:: Ms Greig and Mr Christian go on indefinite leave from the radio station after they are bombarded with abusive and threatening messages on social media websites.

::  Lord Glenarthur, chairman of the King Edward VII's Hospital, writes a latter to 2Day FM calling for the "truly appalling" broadcast to "never be repeated".

:: Max Moore-Wilton, chairman of Southern Cross Austereo which owns 2Day FM, describes the events over the past few days as "tragic", but adds: "The outcome was unforeseeable and very regrettable."

Sunday, December 9
:: It emerges Mel Greig and Michael Christian may be questioned by London's Metropolitan Police.

:: Ms Greig and Mr Christian express a desire to speak about the tragedy, but are still in hiding.

:: The Australian Communications and Media Authority, which regulates radio broadcasting, says it is considering whether it should launch an investigation into whether the presenters breached the commercial radio code of practice.

Monday, December 10

:: Mr Christian and Ms Greig break their silence, expressing their regret and sorrow over the tragedy in a series of emotional Australian TV interviews. They insist they never expected their phone call to go so far and thought hospital staff would hang up on them. Both extend sympathy to Ms Saldanha's family.

:: The family pay tribute to a "loving mother and wife". Speaking on their behalf, MP Keith Vaz says: "They are really grateful for the support of the British public and the public overseas for the messages of support and kindness."

Tuesday, December 11

:: A memorial fund for Ms Saldanha's family is set up by the radio station. Parent company Southern Cross Austereo is expected to contribute AUS$500,000 (£326,000).

Wednesday, December 12

:: Sky sources reveal that Ms Saldanha was found hanged in her room at staff accommodation. At Prime Minister's Questions, David Cameron says: "She clearly loved her job, loved her work, cared deeply about the health of her patients, and what's happened is a complete tragedy. There are many lessons that need to be learned."

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Libor Scandal: UK Police Make Three Arrests

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has made three arrests as part of its investigation into the manipulation of the interbank lending rate, Libor.

The major banks declined to comment on the development but Sky sources have suggested that one of the people detained used to work as a trader at the Swiss bank UBS, which has a big presence in the City.

The SFO, with the assistance of the City of London Police, executed search warrants at three residential premises - one in Surrey and two in Essex.

It said in a statement: "Three men, aged 33, 41 and 47, have been arrested and taken to a London police station for interview in connection with the investigation into the manipulation of Libor."

It added: "The men are all British nationals currently living in the United Kingdom."

The SFO's criminal inquiry began in July when it decided existing legislation gave it the scope to bring potential prosecutions.

While the identities of those arrested and their employers are not known at this stage, it is known that the SFO's inquiry has been wide-ranging and not limited to Barclays - the only UK bank so far to have been fined in connection with the scandal.

Bob Diamond quit Barclays after its £290m fine came to light

The £290m penalty inflicted on Barclays preceded the departure of its chief executive Bob Diamond and forced the British Bankers' Association to signal it would abandon its responsibility for oversight of Libor amid a clamour among politicians for reform.

Libor, which stands for London interbank offered rate, affects more than £350trn in global transactions and the rates created through the submissions bear a heavy influence in the calculation of a host of financial products including mortgages.

The City regulator, the Financial Services Authority (FSA), has been working closely with the SFO in its investigation.

A review of Libor by the FSA's boss Martin Wheatley has suggested a new body be created to oversee it with the rates set being based more on actual trades rather than just banks' own estimates.

Around 16 financial institutions have been investigated worldwide over alleged Libor rigging - including a total of three based in Britain.

Taxpayer-backed Royal Bank of Scotland has previously said it hopes to settle any claims over Libor manipulation soon and warned that potential penalties could be significant.

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Census: Rise In Immigrants Boosts Population

There has been a large rise in the number of migrants living in England and Wales, according to the results of the 2011 census.

Data from the Office for National Statistics shows that the population of England and Wales now stands at 56.1 million people - a rise of 3.7 million since 2001.

Some 55% of the growth - around 2.1 million people - was due to migration from outside the country.

The number of foreign-born residents has increased to 13%, from 4.6 million to 7.5 million.

In London one person in three was born abroad, compared to the North East where the figure is one in 20.

The majority of those from abroad come from India, Poland and Pakistan. Poland is a new addition to the top ten of where people came from and did not feature at all in the last census in 2001.

Dr Scott Blinder, deputy director of the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, said there had been "a very noticeable change in the population of England and Wales" over the last decade.

It is the second major tranche of information to be revealed from the 2011 census, covering topics including ethnicity, country of birth, religion, health and housing.

The data also shows there has been a big fall in the number of people who consider themselves to be Christian.

Numbers dropped by four million over the past decade - from 37.3 million in 2001 to 33.2 million last year.

There was a 10% increase in those stating "no religion".

The census shows the make up of the population is changing

The British Humanist Association (BHA) described the increase in the number of non-religious people - from 15% in 2001 to 25% last year - as an "astounding" 67% relative rise.

But it said the figures did not offer a complete picture when it came to the number of practising Christians living in England and Wales.

The census also shows 86% of people recorded their ethnicity as white, a fall on 2001. It remains the majority ethnic group in all areas apart from London.

All other ethnic groups grew over the 10 years since 2001.

Two million respondents listed their partners or fellow household members as being of different ethnic groups - 47% more than in 2001.

The number of people claiming to have mixed ethnicity almost doubled, up by 563,000.

Some 91% of respondents to the 2011 census claimed to speak English. Just 4% of households had no English speaking residents.

The statistics also offer a snapshot of how people live.

Since 2001, the proportion of people owning properties through a mortgage or loan has decreased from 39% to 33% but the number of people who own homes outright increased from 29% to 31%.

Ownership of cars and vans has also gone up - increasing by 3.4 million to 27.3 million, a rise of 14%.

Last year there was an average of 12 cars for every 10 households - up on 11 cars per 10 households in 2001.

London was the only region where the number of vehicles was lower than the number of households.

Four out of five people claimed to be in good health.

The questionnaire was sent to around 26 million households in England and Wales on March 27 last year.

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Snoopers' Charter: Nick Clegg Urges Re-Think

By Katie Stallard, Media And Technology Correspondent

The Government must go back to the drawing board with its plans for new digital surveillance laws, the Deputy Prime Minister has told Sky News.

Nick Clegg said the coalition Government must now have a fundamental rethink about the draft Communications Data Bill, dubbed the Snoopers' Charter by opponents.

He was responding to a report published by MPs and peers who have been studying the proposals, which accuses the Government of using 'fanciful and misleading' figures to justify them and says the breadth of the draft bill would be 'overkill'.

The Deputy Prime Minister said: "Their report makes a number of serious criticisms - not least on scope; proportionality; cost; checks and balances; and the need for much wider consultation.

"It is for those reasons that I believe the coalition Government needs to have a fundamental rethink about this legislation. We cannot proceed with this bill and we have to go back to the drawing board."

The Joint Committee questioned the scope of the measures, which would see records kept of all internet and mobile phone communications for 12 months, regardless of whether the individual was suspected of a crime.

Details of emails, internet phone calls and activity on social networking sites would be stored, but not the message content.

Lord Blencathra, who chaired the committee, concluded: "There is a fine but crucial line between allowing our law enforcement and security agencies access to the information they need to protect the country and allowing our citizens to go about their daily business without a fear, however unjustified, that the state is monitoring their every move."

"Whilst the Joint Committee realise that there are specific data types which are not currently available, and which would aid the work of law enforcement bodies and the security services, we are very concerned at how wide the scope of the Bill is in its current form."

Nick Clegg: We cannot proceed with this bill

He added: "The breadth of the draft Bill as it stands appears to be overkill and is much wider than the specific needs identified by the law enforcement agencies.

"We urge the Government to reconsider its zeal to future-proof legislation and concentrate on getting the immediate necessities right. We are confident that the safeguards already in the draft Bill, together with our recommendations to strengthen those safeguards, will do just that."

The committee also criticised the level of consultation with service providers, who would be required to gather the data, and questioned whether the sums added up.

The report said they expected the overall cost to the taxpayer to exceed the £1.8bn estimate by a 'considerable margin', and that the Home Office figure for estimated benefits was 'even less reliable'.

"The estimated net benefit figure is fanciful and misleading.  It ought not to be used to influence parliament in deciding on the relative advantages and disadvantages of this legislation."

Nick Pickles, from the campaign group Big Brother Watch, told Sky News: "The committee has exposed weak evidence, misleading statements and fanciful figures and unanimously rejected this draft Bill's proposal to monitor everyone's emails, web visits and social media messages.

"The complexity and sensitivity of the subject required a radically different process and a totally different bill. There are challenges, but they can be solved in a proportionate way that protects privacy, is based on what is technically possible and focuses on maximising the effectiveness of data already held."

Home Secretary Theresa May has insisted the legislation is needed to keep up with advances in technology and bring the law up to date.

A Home Office spokesman said: "This legislation is vital to help catch paedophiles, terrorists and other serious criminals and we are pleased both scrutiny committees have recognised the need for new laws."

"We will consider the committees' recommendations carefully but there can be no delay to this legislation. It is needed by law enforcement agencies now."

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Belfast Officer Attack Was 'Attempted Murder'

A petrol bomb attack on a police officer by suspected loyalists in Belfast is being treated as attempted murder.

A gang of 15 men targeted the unmarked vehicle on Monday night after surrounding and smashing it outside the offices of Alliance Party MP Naomi Long.

It was the worst incident in another night of sporadic violence in parts of east and south Belfast involving loyalists who took to the streets again in protest against a decision by Belfast City Council to restrict the flying of the Union flag at Belfast City Hall.

PSNI Assistant Chief Constable George Hamilton said the officer was lucky to escape with his life outside the MP's office on the Newtownards Road.

A car set alight in the Newtownards area over the weekend

He said: "This was a planned attempt to kill a police officer which also put the lives of the public in danger and it is fortunate there were no injuries."

Officers were also attacked with petrol bombs in south Belfast close to the M1.

More talks are planned later between Peter Robinson, the Northern Ireland First Minister and leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, with Mike Nesbitt, leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, to try to agree some sort of political strategy to ease tensions and end the violence.

It follows a meeting between the pair in Belfast on Monday.

They have been heavily criticised by nationalist representatives over their leadership since the trouble flared a week ago.

The Alliance Party has been the focus of loyalist anger

The trouble followed a council decision to limit the flying of the Union flag to designated days.

Ms Long's Alliance Party has been blamed by loyalists for supporting the nationalist SDLP and Sinn Fein in pushing through the vote to lower the flag.

She said: "If Northern Ireland is to move forward then we need a strict adherence to the rule of law and respect for the democratic process. We need this urgently before lives are lost."

Mr Robinson said: "The attempted murder of a police officer in East Belfast was a despicable act of terror.

"The masked men responsible do not act in the name of our Union Flag. They are bringing shame on it. My prayers are with the police officers at the centre of this attack."

There were also protests in Limavady, Co Londonderry, Ballyclare, Co Antrim, Ballycastle, Co Antrim, and Cookstown, Co Tyrone, where the car of a DUP member of the Northern Ireland Assembly, Ian McCrea, was surrounded by angry loyalists.

PSNI Chief Constable Matt Baggott said the some of the violence was intense and there was clearly some paramilitary involvement.

:: Witnesses have been urged to contact police at Strandtown on 0845 600 8000 or through the confidential Crimestoppers number 0800 555 111.

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Sir Patrick Moore, 89, Dies At Home

Man Who Brought Space To The Masses

Updated: 2:17pm UK, Sunday 09 December 2012

Sir Patrick Moore - knighted in 2001 - was the astronomer who, more than any other scientist living or dead, could explain to the world at large the marvels and intricacies of the universe - and beyond.

TV personalities come and go, but Sir Patrick, famous for his monocle, outlasted them all.

For more than 40 years, he presented BBC TV's popular The Sky At Night programme, a wonderland of information for the expert, the novice and his huge army of fans who had no particular scientific bent at all.

It became the longest running television series with the same presenter. His knowledge of outer space was prodigious and he possessed a unique ability to transmit that knowledge in a comprehensible and attractive form to the layman.

But Sir Patrick, despite an occasional irascible nature and a tendency towards eccentricity, was a kindly man and modest with it. Once he said he would like to be remembered as an amateur astronomer who played cricket and the xylophone.

Patrick Caldwell Moore was born on March 4, 1923. He was educated privately, because of illness.

His interest in astronomy was fired at the age of six when he read a book called Guide To The Solar System, published in 1898.

"I picked up that book by sheer luck and sat down by the armchair and read it through. I understood most of it - which wasn't bad for a six-year-old."

At the age of eight he was given a 1908 model Woodstock typewriter on which all of his 170 books were written. He claimed to be able to type at 90 words a minute - using only two fingers.

Then, when he was 11, he was nominated as a member of the British Astronomical Association - the youngest ever member. He published his first paper, on small craters in the Mare Crisium on the Moon at the age of 13 - exactly 50 years before he was to be president of the association.

The paper was accepted and he was asked to present it. "I wrote back saying, 'Thank you for your letter. I'd be honoured but you've got to understand I'm only 13'. They replied: 'We don't see what that's got to do with it'."

As a young man Sir Patrick knew Albert Einstein. He said of him: "He was an interesting man, totally unworldly. He was a violin player and I accompanied him playing Saint-Saens's 'Swan'. I wish I had a tape of it."

He served with the Royal Air Force from 1940 to 1945, as a navigator in Bomber Command. To get into the armed forces at only 16 he had to lie about his age and fake his medical.

The girl he was to marry was killed during the war in an air raid. He said since: "My whole life ended in one day. These things happen. You accept them.

"As far as I was concerned, that was that. It's the reason I have never married. But I don't like living alone."

Nevertheless he did live alone for most of his life at his beloved Selsey in Sussex.

His career as an astronomer blossomed. Whereas hardly anybody could name the Astronomer Royal, Sir Patrick became a household name. Within the span of half a century he observed what must be the most spectacular period in the history of any science.

He always said that the Cold War never affected astronomers. "The International Astronomical Union is the only organisation I know that always has been totally international.

"At the very height of the Cold War, at one stage the president was a Russian, the vice-president was American. In space research the Cold War went on. In pure astronomy it didn't."

Sir Patrick's years on television began while space travel was "bunk" in the unguarded words of Britain's then Astronomer Royal in 1956.

But within six months Sputnik I was beeping in the heavens. Within three years men were in space and within 12 years they were on the Moon.

When Sir Patrick began broadcasting, cosmologists contemplated an eternal universe and continuous creation and birth by the Big Bang as equally unprovable.

But his popularity as an astronomer incurred the jealousy of those who regarded themselves as superior to him.

One of his great triumphs was to explain, on TV, the existence of a giant black hole at the centre of our Milky Way galaxy. Various scientists tried to do it, unsuccessfully, in a variety of weird and wonderful ways.

Sir Patrick had a map of the Milky Way drawn on the floor of the studio. He walked towards the centre and then apparently disappeared.

He passionately wanted to go into space himself. "But I'm the wrong age, the wrong nationality and the wrong medical grade. Besides," he joked, "it would need a very massive rocket to launch me."

He used to gaze at the stars and say: "We are a very, very small speck in the universe, about as important as a single ant in the whole of the world."

In 2000 he suffered a paralysis in his right hand which considerably restricted his activities as a musician and a writer. He was also forced to cancel lectures.

This disability even prevented him from opening the letter telling him he was being considered for a knighthood.

He became an OBE in 1968 and a CBE in 1988. He was knighted in the 2001 New Year list "for services to the popularisation of science and to broadcasting", an honour which earned him congratulations from around the world.

In July, 2004, at the age of 81, Sir Patrick by his own admission "nearly died" after a severe bout of food poisoning caused, he believed, by a duck's egg he had eaten.

He battled on and in 2007 presented a special 50th anniversary episode of the show from his back garden with special guests including Queen guitarist Brian May.

Five years on he hit the headlines again when in an interview to mark the show's 55th anniversary he warned of the danger of another world war and declared "the only good Kraut is a dead Kraut".

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HMS Audacious: New Super Submarine For Navy

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

A £1.2bn contract has been agreed to build a new submarine for the Royal Navy.

The deal, awarded by the Ministry of Defence to BAE Systems, will safeguard 3,000 jobs at the company's Barrow shipyard in Cumbria.

The submarine, to be called HMS Audacious, will be the fourth of seven Astute Class boats being built for the Navy. It will join Astute, Ambush and Artful in the growing fleet.

The first two submarines, Astute and Ambush, are currently undergoing sea trials to test their systems ahead of full service. These trials assess their ability to dive to deep depths and fire missiles.

A further £1.5bn has also been committed to three submarines yet to be built, which will complete the fleet. It will allow vital preliminary work to start.

Commenting on the announcement, Rear Admiral Simon Lister, the MoD's director of submarines, said: "The Astute Class will become the jewel in the crown of the Royal Navy's Submarine Service and boasts much greater firepower and more advanced sonar and communications than ever before.

Audacious is the fourth of seven Astute submarines being built for the Navy

"These submarines represent a huge leap forward in technology and will operate all over the world with the Royal Navy.

"These boats provide the optimum capability a submarine can offer in land strike, strategic intelligence gathering, anti-submarine and surface ship warfare, and protection of the strategic deterrent."

The Astute class submarines are powered by nuclear energy which means they never need to refuel. In theory they can stay underwater forever, only re-surfacing to take on supplies for the crew.

They are fitted with the most advanced sonar systems available and are quieter than older submarines. The sonar system has the processing power of 2,000 laptops and can track spot and track ships 3,000 miles away.

At around 320ft (97 metres) from bow to stern they are about 50% bigger than the Royal Navy's current Trafalgar Class submarines. They carry on board a mix of Spearfish torpedoes and Tomahawk land-attack missiles.

The submarines will also make their own oxygen from seawater. 

The money is coming from a pre-allocated budget. In the Autumn Statement the Chancellor said the MoD could have more time to spend about £1bn that it has yet to use from this year's budget.

It was thought that the Treasury might request the money be returned, but George Osborne has allowed the department a period of flexibility.

10.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Suffolk Light Aircraft Crash: One Person Dead

One person has died after a light aircraft crashed into a tree in a Suffolk village.

Police said the aircraft came down in Aldham, near Hadleigh, where it collided with a tree and became submerged in a pond.

At around the same time as the crash, homes in Aldham and nearby Elmsett lost power because of a fault on the 11,000-volt overhead electricity distribution network.

A spokesman for UK Power Networks said engineers were working with emergency services at the site of the plane crash to restore power "as quickly and as safely as possible", although most homes were reconnected within six hours.

Local resident Alison Gillies told Sky News she could see smoke rising from land behind her house.

"There are a huge number of emergency services in the village and our power was off for around three or four hours," she said.

Ms Gillies said it was not unusual to see light aircraft flying over Aldham as they take off from or land at Elmsett Airfield to the northwest.

Dennis Hill, who lives near the crash site, added: "The plane flew across the fields and into the tree, before falling into the pond.

"I think the pilot died on impact. There's an airfield nearby but he was way off track. It's like he was trying to land, but you've got fields and hedges in the way."

Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service said firefighters from Woodbridge, Hadleigh, Needham Market, Bury St Edmunds and Halstead, Essex, were called to the village, which is around eight miles from Ipswich.

Police and ambulance crews and a water rescue team were also sent to the scene.

An area around the crash site was cordoned off and the Air Accidents Investigation Branch was alerted.

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NI Police On Alert Amid Union Flag Tensions

Police are on alert in Belfast after a week of protests over new restrictions on flying the Union flag at City Hall.

Up to 2,000 people took part in a loyalist protest in the city centre on Saturday, which passed off peacefully.

But pockets of violence broke out in east Belfast - with one police officer taken to hospital - as a major security operation got underway to try to prevent a repeat of the clashes on Friday night which saw eight officers injured.

Saturday's demonstration against new restrictions on flying the Union flag at City Hall ended after about an hour with a rendition of God Save The Queen.

A protest in Belfast passed off peacefully but there was violence elsewhere

Two tricolours were burned amid chants and jeers while protesters sang a number of sectarian songs.

Up to 20 police armoured Land Rovers were lined up on either side of the building while officers in full riot gear with dogs could be seen in the courtyard.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said protesters had dispersed, but there was some disorder in east Belfast and a section of the Newtownards Road was closed.

The Christmas market in Belfast city centre had been temporarily shut down but later re-opened.

On Friday night, eight police officers were injured and more than a dozen people arrested - including a 13-year-old boy - during clashes between loyalists and riot police.

Around 2,000 people joined the protest in Belfast city centre

PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Will Kerr said loyalist paramilitaries had been orchestrating some of the violence seen in the past 24 hours.

"Violence has serious and unwanted consequences for us all and we will robustly investigate all incidents," he said.

"I am urging everyone to be calm, take a step back and think about how this violence is affecting not just their own communities but the whole of Northern Ireland."

Violence erupted when councillors in Belfast voted to limit the number of days the Union Flag could be flown over the City Hall to 17 days a year.

A death threat against the MP Naomi Long, whose Alliance Party tabled a compromise agreement on the issue, led to an escalation in the seriousness of the tensions.

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