Boy, 4, Dies After Falling From Flat Window

A four-year-old boy has died in hospital after falling from a window on the third floor of a block of flats in Glasgow, police have said.

He was rushed to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Yorkhill but doctors were unable to save him.

Strathclyde Police are investigating the incident, which happened in St Andrew's Drive in Pollokshields at around 10.20am on Friday.

Norman MacLeod, SNP councillor for the Pollokshields ward, said: "This is distressing news of a young boy in my ward.

"Clearly the proper authorities will require to undertake a full investigation into all the circumstances surrounding this incident.

"In the meantime, I hasten to extend my most profound and heartfelt sympathy and condolences to the family, friends and relatives of the youngster."

Scottish Conservative councillor for the area, David Meikle, said: "I'm shocked and saddened to hear about the tragic death of a young boy falling from a block of flats in Pollokshields.

"My thoughts go out to the family who have lost a child."

He added: "There needs to be a full investigation into this incident so we can get to the bottom of what happened and ensure nothing like this happens again."

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Teen Charged With Off-Duty Policeman's Death

An 18-year-old man has been charged with killing an off-duty police officer in Wolverhampton.

PC Chris Findley, 33, died in hospital 10 days after being involved in a scuffle outside a nightclub in the town.

The officer, who was based at Sandwell police station, was off-duty at the time of the fight, in the early hours of January 28.

He was punched as he walked past the Divine Bar in Darlington Street following an argument with a man and two women who were leaving the club and suffered a serious head injury.

Mr Findley, from Wolverhampton, was left unconscious in the street after that attack at around 4.30am.

West Midlands Police charged the teenager with his manslaughter on Friday.

The suspect, from Bilston, will appear at Wolverhampton Magistrates' Court on March 27, a police spokeswoman said.

She added a 20-year-old woman has been cautioned for assault while a second woman has been released without further action.

Colleagues at West Midlands Police paid tribute to the officer following his death.

Chief Inspector Paul Betts said: "It is with great sadness that friends and colleagues mourn the passing of Pc Findley.

"Chris, a 33-year-old single man, joined West Midlands Police in 2003 and completed all his police service in Sandwell.

"He will be sadly missed by all that knew him and our thoughts and condolences go out to his close friends and family at this difficult time."

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Bath Ambulance Crash: Boy Badly Hurt

A boy was seriously injured after being hit by an ambulance as it answered a 999 call.

The child, believed to be 10-years-old, suffered "significant" head injuries in the accident with the South Western Ambulance Service vehicle in Bath, Somerset, just after 4pm this afternoon.

A spokeswoman for the ambulance service said he was taken to the city's Royal United Hospital after the accident at the junction of London Road and Snow Hill near the River Avon.

"Due to the serious condition of the patient, police gave permission for the ambulance to leave the scene to take him to hospital," she said.

"Clearly our primary concern is for the patient and his family - senior executives from South Western Ambulance Service have travelled to Bath and will offer to meet with the family."

"We are also ensuring the crew involved are fully supported. We are also working closely with the police to ensure the circumstances surrounding this serious incident are fully investigated."

The child was later transferred to the Frenchay Hospital in Bristol, which has a specialist trauma unit, where he was said to be in a stable condition.

Avon and Somerset Police said London Road was closed in both directions while they investigated the crash and advised motorists to avoid the area.

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Police Hunt For Missing 10-Year-Old Boy

Police are appealing for the public's help to trace a missing 10-year-old boy.

Shaequan Farquarson was last seen at about 8am on Wednesday on Mauldeth Road, Withington, in Manchester.

The youngster is described as black, 4ft 10in tall, with dreadlocks and brown eyes.

He has a Manchester accent and a one inch scar over his left eye.

When he was last seen he was wearing a blue anorak, blue jogging bottoms and white trainers.

Anyone who has seen him, or who knows of his current whereabouts is asked to call police on 101.

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Deer Cull Urged By Experts As Numbers Soar

By David Crabtree, Sky Correspondent

Experts are urging drastic measurers to cull the soaring deer population in Britain.

New research suggests that only by killing 50-60% of the animals can their numbers be kept under some control.

The number of deer in the UK is estimated at 1.5 million. A cull could result in more than 750,000 animals being shot every year.

They are having a damaging effect on woodland and farmers' crops. They are also causing an increasing number of accidents.

Each year about 450 people are injured or killed on the roads and more than 14,000 vehicles are severely damaged as a result of collisions with deer.

Research Fellow Kristin Waeber, from the University of East Anglia, said: "I think deer belong in the landscape, but if we let the deer numbers increase even more, then we have to make a decision that we lose our woodlands, our bluebells, our oxlips, because the deer will just eat them.

"So are we okay in compromising that in just having a lot of deer about? I think it is important to keep a balance."

The common red deer is Britain's largest land mammal

She says the deer are disturbing the ecology so much that native birds are being wiped out. The fact that nightingales are now so rare is largely blamed on deer.

Thetford Forest has about 14,000 deer in 52,000 acres. They shoot about 2,000 a year and the bodies are sent to local game dealers.

Trevor Banham, chief wildlife ranger at Thetford Forest, said: "We have a part to play in this. We have to try to manage this population and if we don't, we have this process that is going on now where they are starting to go out of control.

"It is needed, the cull is needed all the time."

The RSPCA says it is opposed in principle to the killing or taking of all wild animals unless there is strong evidence to support it.

It is urging controlled methods, where a cull must be taken on a case-by-case basis. They do not want it to be rolled out in a uniform way across the country.

Although they were kept on private land belonging to the nobility, native wild deer were virtually unknown in England for 1,000 years until their re-introduction by the Victorians.

Today, there are more deer in the UK than at any time since the Ice Age.

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Gucci Ram-Raid: Sloane Street Shop Targeted

Ram-raiders have smashed their way into the flagship London store of luxury fashion brand Gucci.

The car was driven into the Sloane Street boutique on Wednesday night, the Metropolitan Police said.

Three suspects fled the scene and no arrests have yet been made.

It is not clear if anything was taken, although police are treating the raid as a burglary.

Pictures taken at the scene showed a black Mercedes with its headlights switched on facing the entrance to the store.

Gucci opened its Sloane Street branch more than 20 years ago.

Some of the Italian company's handbags sell for more than £2,000, while women's shoes can cost upwards of £700.

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Two Men Charged Over Alleged Mortar Plot

Two men have been charged with possession of explosives with intent to endanger life after mortars were discovered.

The pair, aged 35 and 37, are also accused of possessing articles for terrorist purposes and conspiring to cause an explosion.

They are due to appear before a district judge in Derry on Wednesday.

Two other men are still being questioned about the bomb find in the city on Sunday night when police intercepted a van on the Letterkenny Road.

Four primed mortars were discovered in the back of the vehicle.

Detectives are trying to trace the movements of the van and a motor cycle which they believe were used by a gang which came within minutes of attacking the city's police headquarters.

Officers intercepted both vehicles on Sunday night and seized four primed missiles as they were being transported towards the Strand Road station.

The mortars were ready to be launched - fired from the back of the van which had its roof cut out.

Dissident republicans in Derry, this year's UK City of Culture, have been under round the clock surveillance amid heightening fears they are prepared to go to any lengths to disrupt the programme of events.

Police chiefs admitted the terrorists came dangerously close to inflicting massive casualties.

Chief Superintendent Stephen Cargin, the district commander in Derry, said: "There is no doubt about their intention. They were intent to kill and cause maximum police fatalities."

The Superintendent added: "This was a risky, risky operation. Those mortars could have gone off at any time, and even if they (the terrorists) had reached the intended target there was no guarantee they would have hit it, because these mortars are so unreliable.

"Can you imagine what the outcome would have been had they landed nearby, on a gas tank or a petrol tank? It does not bear thinking about."

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Sex Abuse Panel Formed In Wake Of Savile Case

By Mark White, Home News Correspondent

Police and prosecutors are to set up a special panel to review historic sex abuse allegations in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal.

The measure is part of a radical overhaul designed to reform the way in which child sexual abuse in particular is handled within the Criminal Justice System.

The Director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer QC told Sky News that there needed to be a "national consensus" over the proper approach the authorities should adopt in the investigation and prosecution of sex offences.

In a speech later to charities, campaigners and government officials, the DPP will set out proposals aimed at rebalancing the way in which alleged victims of abuse are dealt with.

Mr Starmer said: "Police and prosecutors have significantly improved the way we investigate and prosecute sexual offences in recent years, particularly those involving children.

"The results have been encouraging with more cases being brought to court, higher conviction rates and more defendants pleading guilty. Yet, despite all this, events over the last 12 months raise fundamental questions about our approach to these cases."

The Jimmy Savile abuse scandal has been a shocking illustration of the level of isolation many victims feel.

Keir Starmer said there were "fundamental questions" to be answered

Few victims came forward at the time and those who did said their claims were dismissed by the authorities.

The measures being announced, which are a response to the Savile affair and other scandals - like the grooming and abuse of young girls by a gang of men in Rochdale - are aimed at helping to reassure victims their claims will be taken seriously.

Mr Starmer said: "We are clear that the yardsticks for testing the credibility and reliability of victims in sexual abuse cases do not serve the police or prosecutors well and risk leaving an identifiable group of vulnerable victims unprotected by the criminal law."

Jon Bird, who has devoted his life to helping those affected by child sex abuse, helps run the National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac).

The charity, based in London, deals with around 7,000 potential abuse victims each year.

He knows more than most how those victims feel. Mr Bird was raped by a stranger when he was just four. He said he was not believed at the time and the issue was brushed under the carpet.

A few years later, he was abused by an adult while at boarding school.

Jon Bird, who was abused as a child, now helps other victims

He did not report the abuse at the time because he did not think people would believe him: "I didn't talk about it until I was into my thirties and that is because I hadn't been taken seriously the very first time I tried. So when it happened again I just thought what's the point in trying? And that's pretty typical from what we hear on our support line."

The measures, announced by the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Association of Chief Police Officers, will include what has been described as "a radical clearing of the decks".

All existing policy on child sexual abuse will be decommissioned and replaced by one overarching and agreed approach, which will be followed by investigators and prosecutors across England and Wales.

Enhanced training will also be given to ensure there is no gap between policy and practice.

A national scoping panel will be established to review complaints made in the past, which were not sent for prosecution. If asked to review a case, the panel will aim to determine whether a prosecution can still be brought.

Chief Constable David Whatton, the Association of Chief Police Officers' lead on violence and public protection said: "The police service is acutely aware that trust and being believed are key to victims of sexual offences having the confidence to report such crimes.

"When victims do come forward it is important to ensure that we provide the best response and that includes supporting victims while at the same time ensuring that we do not compromise a fair trial process for the accused.

"Key to that is working closely with other parts of the criminal justice system to ensure we can secure best evidence and best criminal justice outcomes."

The NSPCC and other child protection groups have welcomed the proposals and have said they will work with the police and prosecutors to help draft the new policy.

Although many within child protection and victims support are enthusiastic abut the changes, for the authorities this is still a tricky area, as the rights of those accused of what can be very damaging allegations must also be protected.

However, Mr Starmer said he now believed the Criminal Justice System was heading in the right direction.

He said: "We cannot afford another Savile moment in five or ten years' time. Whatever approach is now agreed it has to be fully informed, coherent, consistently applied across the country and able to withstand the test of time."

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Mortar Bomb Plotters 'Absolutely Reckless'

Police in Northern Ireland have condemned a foiled mortar bomb plot as "absolutely reckless".

Army bomb disposal experts were called to the Letterkenny Road area of Londonderry after the four live devices were discovered in the back of a van last night and around 100 homes were evacuated.

"These people were absolutely reckless," said Chief Superintendent Stephen Cargin.

"They were prepared to drive a van with four live mortar bombs, ready to go, through a built-up area in Derry city, putting the lives of thousands of people at risk.

Chief superintendent Stephen Cargin said the plot was "absolutely reckless"

"It doesn't even bear thinking about what we could have been looking at today in terms of the consequences of these devices had they exploded."

He added: "These people are voices of the past, and there's no future for them."

Sky's Ireland correspondent David Blevins said: "It would appear that police have managed to thwart yet another attempted attack by dissident republicans."

Three men have been arrested, including two 37-year-olds and a 35-year-old. One was the driver of the van, another was following on a motorbike. The third was arrested elsewhere in Derry.

A bomb disposal robot pictured at the scene

Police are urging anyone who may have seen a white Citroen Berlingo Van (registration 99D 88526) and a black Honda CBR motorcycle (registration LIB 3341) to contact them.

Blevins added: "The police realised very quickly that they had intercepted the mortars primed for an attack in the vehicle which has a Southern Irish registration number plate.

"The foiled attack bears the stamp of dissident republicans who are opposed to the political settlement in Northern Ireland.

"Until recently, there were three different factions - the Real IRA, the Continuity IRA and Óglaigh na hÉireann (soldiers of Ireland) - but they are reported to have amalgamated into one group calling itself The New IRA.

The discovery was made on the outskirts of Londonderry

"The timing of any attack would be significant given that we are just four days away from a Westminster by-election in Northern Ireland in the mid-Ulster constituency - the seat which was formerly held by Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness.

"That indeed may have been why a possible attack was being planned by those opposed to the peace settlement."

The four contenders for Thursday's by-election are Sinn Fein Assembly Member Francie Molloy, independent Nigel Lutton, the Social Democratic and Labour Party's Patsy McGlone and Eric Bullick of the cross-community Alliance Party.

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British Army Bases In Germany To Close By 2019

British Army's History In Germany

Updated: 10:27pm UK, Monday 04 March 2013

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

The British Army arrived in Germany after the end of the Second World War to control the British zone of the country.

It became known as the Rhine Army or BAOR because of the location of bases in West Germany. Its first Commander-in-Chief was one Field Marshall Montgomery.

In the early years, relations between locals and occupiers were completely non-existant.

The British were not allowed to socialise with Germans. To ensure these strict rules were followed, bases were like small towns and everything was catered for - shopping, entertainment, schooling, you name it.

So separate were the two cultures, and such was the British loathing of Germany, that the military even had its own currency to avoid money going into the German economy.

It was also a reflection on the number of serving military in the country at the time. At its height the BAOR numbered 150,000 personnel and that is not including wives and children.

The Cold War followed some years later and Germany became the frontline against the communist threat from the East. Soldiers based there remember training for an imminent Soviet invasion and practising drills in the event of a nuclear strike.

As the years went on, and Germany rebuilt itself, relations softened and soldiers were allowed to fraternise with German women. Naturally some ended up marrying each other and that hasn't changed a bit.

In the late 1980s it became a target for a new enemy. Ten people were killed in attacks by the IRA between 1988 and 1990. This campaign only ended when two Australian tourists were shot dead after being mistaken for off-duty British soldiers.

In recent times Germany has been an important staging post for British forces as the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have demanded a change in focus.

Any soldier of a certain generation is likely to have spent some time in Germany, whether posted there on a more permanent basis or just in the country on exercise.

The well known sports broadcaster Barry Davies began his future career whilst serving in Germany. He commentated on inter-regimental sports matches for the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) radio and so a vocation began.

The relationship between the British military and the Germans was one that started from the lowest point imaginable but has grown into one of shared resources and outlook.

They arrived as occupiers, became guests, and will leave as friends.

By 2019, a long and entwined history, will come to and end.

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Al Sweady Inquiry Into Iraq War Abuse Claims

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

An inquiry into whether British soldiers committed war crimes during the Iraq War will finally begin in public today, more than three years after it was first ordered.

The Al Sweady Inquiry will be the largest of its kind to date. It will focus on the events of May 14, 2004 and what happened in the hours after.

On that day, British soldiers from the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders were ambushed while on patrol in southern Iraq by the Mahdi Army.

Reinforcements sent in to help from the Prince of Wales's Royal Regiment were also caught in an ambush.

A close-quarter and fierce four-hour fight ensued, at one point the British soldiers fixed bayonets to their rifles and charged their enemy - the first time that had happened since the Falklands Conflict.

It became known as the Battle of Danny Boy, named after a nearby checkpoint.

No British soldiers were killed but 28 Iraqis were and a further nine were taken prisoner.

It is alleged that some were then tortured and in the case of six, murdered, while in British custody at Camp Abu Naji.

Accounts of what happened differ dramatically. The inquiry will endeavour to come to a definitive conclusion.

Over the years there have been accusations and counter-claims from both sides, all of which have resulted in a delay to proceedings.

The incident was initially investigated by the Royal Military Police and latterly the Iraq Historic Allegations Team.

But the independence and objectivity of that was brought into question by lawyers who successfully argued that some of the investigators might have conflicting motives. And so the Al Sweady Inquiry was commissioned by the former defence secretary Bob Ainsworth.

More than 50 Iraqis will give evidence, some in London but the majority in Beirut later in the year. Around 200 British military witnesses will also be questioned.

The inquiry has been named after one of the alleged victims, 19-year-old Hamid al Sweady.

The inquiry chairman, former High Court judge Sir Thayne Forbes, is hoping to report his findings by Christmas 2014.

By then it is estimated that the inquiry will have cost £25m.

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Mortar Bombs Found In Van In Londonderry

Sky sources say at least three mortars have been found in the back of a van on the outskirts of Londonderry.

Sky's Ireland correspondent David Blevins said: "It would appear that police have managed to thwart yet another attempted attack by dissident Republicans.

"A huge security operation has been under way for several hours now but in the last few minutes Sky sources have confirmed to us that police intercepted at least three mortars last night.

"One hundred families have been evacuated from their homes and we understand that two men, aged 35 and 37, have been detained.

"We are being told by local people in the Letterkenny Road area that police stopped the van and there is some suggestion they stopped a motorbike at the same time before they took the two people into custody.

"The police realised very quickly that they had intercepted the mortars primed for an attack in the vehicle with a Southern Irish registration number plate.

"They have called in the Army bomb squad to defuse the devices."

Blevins added: "The timing of any attack would be significant given that we are just four days away from a Westminster by-election in Northern Ireland in the mid-Ulster constituency - the seat which was formerly held by Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness.

"That indeed may have been why a possible attack was being planned by those opposed to the peace settlement."

More follows...

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Middle-Aged Drinking Takes Toll on 'Ladettes'

By James Matthews, Sky Correspondent

The "ladette" culture of the 1980s and 90s is a key factor in the growing number of middle-aged women turning to drink, according to the founder of a support website.

Lucy Rocca says women between 30 and 50 are turning to alcohol as a natural choice, having grown up in an era when drinking to excess was encouraged. 

Ms Rocca set up the Soberistas website after developing - and overcoming - a dependency on alcohol. 

Within two months, more than 1,500 women had joined the forum to discuss problem drinking. The overwhelming majority are middle-aged and many are professional, career women.

Ms Rocca told Sky News: "I think the reason that women of that age are finding themselves in that position where they are drinking too much is that a lot of them grew up in a ladette culture and went on to get married and have children. 

"They had grown up in a culture where it was acceptable and encouraged, really, to drink excessively and, once they found themselves dealing with motherhood and stresses of work, they swapped the pints for the wine and they drank at home to try to deal with that stress."

Former 'ladette' poster girl Zoë Ball recently gave up alcohol

Figures for hospital admissions reflect a recent increase in problem-drinking among women between 30 and 50. 

According to the Department of Health, in England in 2010 there were 110,128 alcohol-related hospital admissions for women in their mid-30s to mid-50s. This was nearly double the number of admissions of women aged 15-34.

In Scotland, the number of alcohol-related deaths among women aged 30-44 has doubled in the past 20 years. 

In January, the Scottish Government launched a new photo app called Drinking Mirror as part of an initiative it dubbed Drop A Glass Size.

Its aim is to encourage women to curb excessive drinking by showing them a photo of how they will look in 10 years' time, depending how much they drink.

Sarah Turner, 57, who runs a centre for women with drink problems, was a millionaire property developer until she developed an addiction to wine and vodka.

Her business collapsed and her home was repossessed. Having now recovered, she helps middle-class, middle-aged women deal with drink problems. 

She believes their needs are too often ignored, while resources are channelled towards areas like teenage binge-drinking.

She told Sky News: "There is enough being done for the disassociated and the disadvantaged.

"The middle-class, middle-aged woman is so shameful, guilty and fearful of coming forward to talk about this problem and they become hidden, secret drinkers.

"This is happening in the home on an epic scale now."

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Queen's Rome Trip In Doubt Due To Illness

What Causes Gastroenteritis?

Updated: 3:07pm UK, Saturday 02 March 2013

Gastroenteritis is an infection of the stomach and bowel and is very common, with about one in five people affected every year in England.

The two most common causes in adults are a virus, such as the norovirus, or food poisoning, according to NHS Choices.

The infection interferes with one of the main functions of the intestines, the absorption of water from the contents of the intestines into the body.

Common symptoms of gastroenteritis include vomiting, diarrhoea and dehydration.

Most types of gastroenteritis are highly infectious, and bacteria can be transferred through poor hygiene, such as not washing your hands after going to the toilet.

Viruses and bacteria on hands can be transferred to whatever they touch, such as a glass, kitchen utensil or food.

Most people with gastroenteritis only have mild symptoms and the infection passes after a few days without the need for treatment.

But sufferers may need treatment in hospital if symptoms are severe or if they are vulnerable because of their age or another illness.

This is because diarrhoea can quickly cause dehydration which, if severe, can be fatal.

Each year in England and Wales an average of 190 deaths occur because of gastroenteritis, with most deaths in people over the age of 65.

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