Man Charged With Murders Of Mother And Son

A man has been charged with the murders of a mother and son who were found with multiple stab wounds at their home in Bolton-le-Sands near Preston.

Paul Chadwick, 34, of Lowlands Road, Bolton-le-Sands, has been remanded to appear before Preston Magistrates on Saturday.

The Crown Prosecution Service had authorised Lancashire Constabulary to charge Chadwick with two counts of murder.

Police discovered the bodies of Lisa Clay, 40, and her six-year-old son Joseph Chadwick at their home address in Lowlands Road on Tuesday, April 9.

The house where Lisa Clay and her son Joseph Chadwick were found

A post mortem examination by a Home Office pathologist revealed that both died from multiple stab wounds.

The suspect was arrested on suspicion of murder at the scene and airlifted to the Royal Preston Hospital with serious stab wounds.

Police were called to the pebble-dashed dormer bungalow in the village of Bolton-le-Sands by a concerned relative.

Anybody with information is urged to contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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Prince Harry To Race To South Pole

Prince Harry has announced he will take part in a race to the South Pole with a team of wounded British servicemen and women.

The 28-year-old will take on teams from the United States and the Commonwealth in the 208-mile (335km) Walking With The Wounded South Pole Allied Challenge in November and December this year.

Speaking at a conference in London at which the teams were announced, Prince Harry said: "It just remains for me to say to Soldier On Canada, Soldiers To Summits from the US and Soldier On Australia - welcome to the party.

"As a member of the British team, I will have a brew ready for you when you join us at the Pole."

Harry, who took part in the charity's trek to the North Pole in 2011 and is the event's patron, confirmed he will be competing as part of Team Glenfiddich.

He missed out on a bid to conquer Mount Everest with the group last year because of his military commitments and he withdrew early from the successful North Pole expedition to attend his brother's wedding.

The prince had to drop out of a previous trek to the North Pole

He said of the South Pole race: "The format may be different. The scale is certainly different.

"But the aim remains the same - to enable our wounded to do what they and all other servicemen and women do better than anyone else I know - meet a challenge head-on and overcome it and inspire others to do the same.

"Ladies and gentlemen, these men and women have given their all in the cause of freedom, in our cause.

"That they should once again step into the breach - this time facing down the extreme physical and mental challenges of trekking to the South Pole - just underlines their remarkable qualities."

Harry, who is known as Captain Wales in the Army, will race in Team Glenfiddich with Sergeant Duncan Slater, 34, who lost both his legs in a blast in Afghanistan in 2009; Major Kate Philp, 34, who lost her left leg after a bomb blast in 2008; Captain Guy Disney, 31, who lost his right leg in a rocket attack in 2009; and Captain Ibrar Ali, who lost his right arm in a roadside bomb in 2007.

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Gove Wants An End To Long School Holidays

England's schoolchildren should have shorter holidays and spend more time in the classroom, Michael Gove has declared.

The Education Secretary called for longer school days and term times, warning that the current system is out of date and fit for the agricultural economy of the 19th century.

Mr Gove said pupils are at a "significant handicap" compared to youngsters in East Asian nations, who benefit from extra tuition and support from teachers.

"We've noticed in Hong Kong and Singapore and other East Asian nations that expectations of mathematical knowledge or of scientific knowledge at every stage are more demanding than in this country," he told a Spectator conference in central London.

"In order to reach those levels of achievement a higher level of effort is expected on behalf of students, parents and teachers.

"School days are longer, school holidays are shorter. The expectation is that to succeed, hard work is at the heart of everything."

Michael Gove also wants longer school days

Mr Gove added: "If we look at the length of the school day in England, the length of the summer holiday and we compare it to the extra tuition and support children are receiving elsewhere then we are fighting, or running, in this global race in a way which ensures we already start with a significant handicap."

He later said that he wanted to see schools introduce a longer day for pupils, which he pointed out was already happening in some of the best British schools.

Mr Gove said the Government's changes to teachers' pay, terms and conditions would mean they could be paid more for taking on extra duties.

This would allow headteachers to organise their staff "in a way to get more out of young people", he claimed.

"It may be that there are one or two legislative or bureaucratic obstacles that prevent all schools from moving in this direction but I think it's consistent with the pressures of a modern society," he said.

He insisted that changes to term times and the school day would be "family friendly".

"I think it's the case that the structure of the school term and the school day were designed at a time when we had an agricultural economy," he said.

"Half-term in October, when I was at school in Aberdeen it was called 'tattie holiday' because it was the period when children went into the fields to pick potatoes.

"It was also fixed on a world where a majority of mums stayed home. That world no longer exists and we can't afford to have an education system that essentially its hours were set in the 19th century."

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Kate Middleton: More Patronages For Duchess

By Paul Harrison, Royal Correspondent

The Duchess of Cambridge's workload is expected to nearly double in the coming months as she becomes a mother for the first time.

Kate is taking on a further three patronages, taking her total to seven.

Announcing the news, St James' Palace said: "The Duchess will, over the coming months, undertake both private and public visits across the UK to these organisations."

Kate, who is now more than six months pregnant, has chosen Place2Be, SportsAid and the Natural History Museum to add to the four patronages she already has.

The Duchess and her baby bump during a charity visit to a rehab centre

A Palace aide told Sky News Kate's inspiration for choosing Place2Be came from an increased understanding of the need to intervene early with children who experience problems.

"Through her other patronages like Action on Addiction, The Duchess of Cambridge realises early intervention is key for vulnerable children," explained the aide.

The Duchess' experiences as an ambassador for the London 2012 games and her love of sport inspired her second choice, SportsAid, which helps the Olympians and Paralympians of tomorrow by offering funding that helps young athletes focus on competitions.

She is also giving her backing to the Natural History Museum.

"The Duchess of Cambridge visited the museum a number of times as a child. She's an avid supporter", explained St James' Palace.

Kate was an Olympic ambassador

"One of the key things she's interested in, along with Princes William and Harry, is protecting the natural world for future generations."

As her new patronages prepare to experience the new level of exposure which comes with Kate, they ready themselves too for other benefits.

Benita Refson, chief executive of Place2Be, said: "What I hope this will do is help people understand and recognise how vital it is to support any charity or any work that's going on with mental health.

"Along with that we hope will also come the support we need to sustain the services and reach more children across the country."

The Duchess is already Patron of Action on Addiction and the National Portrait Gallery and is Royal Patron of East Anglia's Children's Hospices and The Art Room.

Compared to the Queen, who has more than 600 patronages, and the Duke of Edinburgh, who has 700, Kate's seven may seem few in number.

But she is adding to the list which shows an intent to return to work soon after her baby is born.

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Alps Coach Crash: Dead British Driver Named

A British coach driver who died after a crash in the French Alps has been named by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Maurice Wrightson, 64, from County Durham was ferrying 52 Britons back to the UK following the end of the ski season when the bus crashed near Alpe d'Huez.

A crane lifts the charred wreckage

Police suspect there was a problem with the vehicle's brakes that caused it to veer off the road and smash into rocks before bursting into flames.

UK travel organisation Abta said the passengers, who are staff at a Brighton-based ski company, are now on their way home.

It has since been said that Mr Wrightson, who worked for Stanley-based firm Classic Coaches, alerted his passengers to the imminent crash which allowed them to prepare to escape.

The bus is thought to have had brake problems

Several passengers leapt from the burning wreckage out of windows. At least four people were said to have been seriously injured, with those hurt being treated in local hospitals.

A helicopter was sent to the scene where firefighters battled to put out the fire.

A local police spokesman said: "The driver seems to have lost control on a steep bend in the road and his vehicle crashed into rocks.

Firefighters sift through the wreckage

"It burst into flames but everyone is now out. Some passengers escaped by jumping out the windows."

TGM group which owns Classic Coaches confirmed in a statement: "Classic is a North East based company and the coach was being driven by a North East based driver."

:: More from Sky News Tyne And Wear

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'Severe' Blaze Hits Birmingham Paper Mill

Around 100 firefighters are tackling a "severe" fire at a paper mill in Birmingham.

More than 15 fire engines and their crews are tackling the blaze at the Smurfit Kappa plant in the Nechells area of the city.

The site in Mount Street is a recycled packaging mill, according to the company website.

A fire service spokesman said the fire was in "a very large outside storage area, containing cardboard bales".

According to its website Smurfit Kappa is one of the leading producers of paper-based packaging in the world with more than 41,000 employees in 32 countries.

West Midlands Police said high winds were hampering efforts to extinguish the fire, which started just after 10pm on Wednesday.

A helicopter was being used to see if the fire had spread to other parts of the industrial estate the paper mill is located on.

A tweet from the police said: "Motorway officers are also monitoring fire due to proximity to M6. No traffic problems at this stage." 

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Npower: Energy Firm Denies Tax Avoidance

Npower has admitted it has not paid corporation tax in the UK for three years - just months after increasing prices by around 9%.

The company made the admission to the Energy and Climate Change select committee - but its boss said they had invested billions in new power stations and wind technology.

Chief Executive Paul Massara said: "Effectively we have invested £5bn in the last five years building power plants, creating jobs, creating employment and helping to keep the lights on.

"If we had not made that investment we would not have the deductibility that we would be allowed. That is a simple accounting UK rule."

Npower reported a 34% rise in profits to £413m last year.

The admission came as the "big six" energy companies were questioned by MPs over topics including profits and how they treat their customers.

A company statement added: "Looking at RWE npower specifically, our investment programme since 2008 has amounted to almost £3bn, which means we have seen a large increase in tax relief.

"This is in no way tax avoidance, and all of our business is taxable in the UK. We've not paid corporation tax because we've been investing hundreds of millions to keep the UK's lights on."

Prime Minister David Cameron's official spokesman said: "I wouldn't comment on an individual taxpayer.

"More broadly, the Prime Minister's view is that it is important that companies pay the tax that is due."

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Lowestoft: Death Fall Mum 'Cared Too Much'

A heavily pregnant woman who fell to her death before her three young children were found dead was "a beautiful, intelligent girl".

Fiona Anderson had suffered from mental illness

Fiona Anderson, 23, has been formally identified after she suffered fatal head injuries at a multi-storey car park on Monday morning.

Officers investigating the incident later found the children - named by neighbours as Levina, three, Addy, two, and 11-month-old baby Kyden - at their home in Lowestoft, Suffolk.

In a statement issued by Suffolk police, Ms Anderson's mother Kerry, father Michael and sisters, Claire and Laura, said she "cared passionately" but had suffered with mental illness from a young age.

Levina

They said: "Fiona was a beautiful, intelligent girl and a loving and caring person, but she had suffered from mental illness since she was young and we believe she was driven to her actions yesterday.

"This was not our Fiona - she was not herself. She cared passionately about others but often brought stress on herself by caring too much.

"She was gentle but ended up under too much pressure.

Addy

"As a family we were close but she would often push us away, keen to do her own thing and not to listen when we offered support. Life was sometimes overwhelming for her.

"She was really popular but just didn't believe she was and had forgotten there were people there that could help her.

"We wish more had been done to recognise her mental health problems, which could be masked by her intelligence and creativity. She would often make costumes for the children, who she loved very much."

Kyden

The family added that Ms Anderson would be remembered as a "girlie girl" who was also a very private person.

Post-mortem examinations have failed to ascertain how the children died and further tests will be carried out, police said.

Neighbours said Ms Anderson was eight months pregnant with a baby girl she had planned on calling Evalie.

CCTV images show Fiona Anderson shortly before her death

She was seen entering the car park in Battery Green Road, Lowestoft, shortly before 8am on Monday, Suffolk police said.

CCTV footage showed Ms Anderson walking around Lowestoft holding a teddy bear shortly before she was found.

Detective Superintendent John Brocklebank said the force was "conducting a meticulous investigation" into the tragedy.

The IPCC said it was awaiting details of the case from Suffolk police.

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Fears For Britons Running In Boston Race

Britons are feared to be among the injured following the explosions which rocked the Boston Marathon.

Some 347 of the 25,000 runners taking part in the race were British and several have spoken of the aftermath of the twin blasts.

Abi Griffiths, from London, crossed the finishing line around 10 minutes before the explosions.

The 34-year-old told Sky News she heard the blast while collecting her bag.

She said: "The ground shook and immediately people sort of looked around - it was just too loud to be something that wasn't serious.

"People kind of didn't know what to do. Then all of a sudden it went into a state of chaos.

"Police were everywhere, we were being evacuated out of the area and it was really eerie.

"It was very, very scary and what should be a major celebration of the achievement of running 26.2 miles suddenly became a frightening scene."

She said police had swung into action quickly.

"This is just such an awful scene to have happened," Ms Griffiths continued. It felt like it may have come from the inside of a shop.

"Suddenly you looked around and there was this cloud of smoke and then people went into gear. There were police everywhere."

Jez Hughes, a firefighter from Morley, west Yorkshire, was walking to the subway with his wife when they heard two explosions.

He had been standing only 100 yards from the finish line with other competitors after completing his 10th marathon but walked around the corner to meet his wife.

He said: "While we were going to the subway we heard two explosions. I said straight away that sounds like a bomb and then we heard a second one.

"My wife is very shook up but we are out here until Thursday evening and no terrorists are going to spoil our day, don't let them get the better of you."

Darren Foy, 40, from Southampton, his wife Sandra and their two children, missed the explosions by just half an hour after he finished the marathon in three and a half hours.

The chartered surveyor, who is chairman of the Lordshill Road Runners in Southampton and was competing in his fourth marathon, said: "There are reports here that the explosions came from a hotel at the finish line and I walked past there a few days ago to pick up my race number.

"It's such a soft target. There are hundreds of thousands spectators on the streets and 27,000 runners, so we got off lightly."

Mark Jenkin, a 34-year-old sports writer from Barnstaple in Devon, said the explosion had put the race into perspective.

After finishing 138th in a time of 2 hours 24 minutes, he told his paper, the North Devon Journal: "It's a beautiful spring afternoon in Boston.

"The people of the city put on a great race and it's such a tragedy this has happened.

"I was feeling tired and a bit disappointed with my time in the race but all that seems irrelevant now. I just feel grateful to be ok."

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Lowestoft: Pregnant Mum And Kids Found Dead

A pregnant woman fell to her death at a car park in Lowestoft before police discovered the bodies of her three young children.

Tributes left for the children

Suffolk Police said they were called out at 8am on Monday to the death of a woman in her 20s who suffered head injuries at a car park in Gordon Road.

Officers investigating the incident later found the children - believed to be aged three, two and 11 months - at a Victorian terraced house in London Road South.

A police officer arranges the teddies left at the house

Outside the house a number of teddy bears had been left as tributes together with flower bouquets.

Visiting the scene, Mayor of Lowestoft, Nick Webb, said the community was in "absolute shock".

He said: "It is just incomprehensible what has happened here and so difficult to get your head around.

Police at the scene where the bodies of the children were found

"My heartfelt sympathies go out to the families of those who have lost their loved ones."

Formal identification is expected to take place after post-mortem examinations by a Home Office pathologist at James Paget Hospital in Gorleston conclude.

Police said they were treating the children's deaths as suspicious but added that there was no further threat to the wider community.

Detective Superintendent John Brocklebank, from Norfolk and Suffolk Major Investigation Team, said: "We are in the early stages of a large investigation into what has happened.

"It is too early to be able to come up with a definitive explanation and we will be keeping an open mind.

"Our priorities now are to establish the circumstances behind the woman's death and how it may be related to the deaths of the three children."

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Newcastle - Sunderland Derby Violence Arrests

A total of 29 football fans have been arrested and three police officers hurt after violence following a derby game in Newcastle.

Missiles were thrown at police as a group of Newcastle fans tried to confront Sunderland supporters in Central Station after the home side's 0-3 defeat at St James' Park.

One officer was taken to hospital for treatment, police said.

Video footage of the violence showed fans picking up empty glass bottles from a bin and throwing them towards rows of police.

A burning bin could also be seen lying on its side in the road.

The violence erupted after crowd trouble marred Saturday's FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.

A total of 14 men were arrested after fighting broke out in the Millwall fans' area of Wembley during the second half of their 2-0 defeat by Wigan, in disturbing scenes which left youngsters in tears and were witnessed by millions on television.

Scotland Yard said 12 of those held were Millwall supporters and two Wigan fans.

Police arrested 14 people after the Millwall vs Wigan FA Cup semi-final

Northumbria Police said they were pelted with missiles during the trouble in Newcastle.

A force spokeswoman said: "The most serious incident involved a group of Newcastle fans in Central Station attempting to confront Sunderland supporters, but they were intercepted by officers from British Transport Police.

"During this incident missiles were thrown at the officers, which resulted in three injuries to officers - one of them requiring assessment at hospital."

Officers said they received reports of minor incidents, including the release of smoke canisters, before and during the match.

It is believed that Newcastle fans were also involved in a series of sporadic incidents of disorder in the city centre following the match, a force spokeswoman said.

Chief Superintendent Steve Neill, of Northumbria Police, said: "The vast majority of fans were well behaved today and enjoyed the Tyne-Wear derby for the great occasion that it is.

"Disappointingly, there was some disorder involving what appear to be Newcastle United supporters following the match in the city centre, including an incident at Central Station.

"Disruptive behaviour of any kind is not tolerated. Inquiries will take place into these incidents and action will be taken against all those involved."

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Woman Killed In Fire Engine Crash In Dorset

A woman has been killed and her two passengers seriously injured after her car collided with a fire engine that was going to the scene of another fatal road accident.

The woman died in the head-on crash just half a mile from where a man was killed after his car struck a tree on Sunday.

The fire engine was making its way to the first crash when the second one occurred, Dorset Police said.

The two passengers in the woman's car were airlifted to Southampton General Hospital with serious injuries.

Emergency services were first called at 7.50am after the vehicle left the A35 near Poole and collided with a tree.

The male driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

A spokeswoman for Dorset Police said: "At 8.10am there was a report received of a second road traffic collision, close to the first collision, but on the B3075.

"This involved a car that was in collision with a fire engine.

"One of the occupants of the car was sadly pronounced dead at the scene and the other two occupants of the car were taken by air ambulance to the Southampton General Hospital where they are being treated for serious injuries."

An investigation has been launched in to both fatal collisions and witnesses are asked to contact Dorset Police.

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Car-Lorry Collision: Toddler Among Five Dead

Four of the five members of the same family killed when their car was in a collision with a lorry have been named by police.

David Cockburn, 48, his daughters Carley Ann, 21, and Bethany, 18, and Bethany's 23-month-old daughter Lacie Jade Stephenson were among those who died.

The fifth family member is yet to be formerly identified, Humberside Police said.

They lost their lives after their Nissan Primera was involved in the head-on crash on the A18 near Grimsby at Friday lunchtime.

Three of the victims died at the scene, while two were taken to the nearby Diana Princess of Wales Hospital but died later.

Three ambulances and an air ambulance had rushed to the spot in Laceby, which was then closed until late on Friday night.

The family, from the Chester-Le-Street area of Durham, had been on their way to Butlins in Skegness with friends to take part in a dance competition.

The driver of the lorry - a light goods vehicle- is thought to have sustained minor injuries.

The Grimsby stretch of the A18 featured in a BBC television programme, Britain's Most Dangerous Roads, in 2011.

The programme claimed that the stretch of road was 25 times more dangerous than the average British motorway, with 20 crashes in the previous three years.

The fatal crash happened in Laceby

It was also found to be the UK's highest-risk stretch of road for car drivers in a nationwide survey conducted by the Road Safety Foundation in 2010.

Operations Superintendent Tracy Bradley, of Humberside Police, said: "Our deepest thoughts go out to the family and friends of those who were tragically killed in this collision which happened on the A18.

"We are working closely with relatives of those who lost their lives and are supporting them through what will be a very difficult time.

"Roads policing officers are working closely with our collision investigation team to piece together the evidence we have gathered in order to try and determine what led to this tragic incident taking place and took the lives of those travelling in the Nissan at the time.

"We have spoken to a number of key witnesses already, however, if anyone saw the incident but has not come forward I would ask them to do so."

Anyone with information should call Humberside Police on 101.

Relatives of the victims are being supported by family liaison officers and have asked to be left alone to come to terms with their loss.

Chris Baron, resort director at Butlin's Skegness, said: "We are all shocked and stunned by this tragedy and our thoughts go out to the extended families of the victims.

"Our team at Skegness is offering support and assistance to the other competitors and their families. We are working closely with the dance competition organisers."

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Millwall Fighting: Arrests After Fans Clash

Ten people have been arrested after violence broke out among Millwall fans during the FA Cup semi-final against Wigan.

During the second half of their 2-0 loss to Wigan on Saturday, around 20 Millwall fans began fighting with each other behind the goal at Wembley Stadium.

The disturbing scenes, which witnessed by millions on television, left some fans bloodied and youngsters in tears.

Skirmishes began towards the end of the game

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "Ten people have been arrested following sporadic disorder among fans in the Millwall supporters' area at Wembley.

"Investigations into the circumstances of the incidents are continuing."

Some fans were left bloodied by the violence

Alex Horne, general secretary of the FA, said: "The Metropolitan Police and the FA are investigating scenes of sporadic violence and disorder in the Millwall FC end at the FA Cup semi-final.

"The FA and Wembley Stadium will work with police and representatives of Millwall FC to review all events.

Millwall promised to ban those involved

"We will look to ensure those involved are identified and we would call for criminal charges and a football banning order to be brought against them.

"The FA deplores the scenes which have taken place, which are unacceptable. Everything will be done to take action against those involved."

Millwall have long had an unwanted reputation for hooliganism and Saturday's scenes were a throwback to the 1980s.

It is unclear what sparked the clashes

The club's chief executive Andy Ambler said it would do all it could to find those responsible.

"Our position is clear. Anyone associated with our club found guilty of violent behaviour will be banned indefinitely from Millwall matches in addition to any punishment they receive from the authorities," he said.

"Having worked so hard to show the positive side of our club both on and off the field, we cannot allow the actions of a mindless minority to undermine that.

The match ended 2-0 to Wigan Athletic

"At this stage we are still in the process of establishing the full details of what happened in a section of the ground during the second half.

"When we have those facts at our disposal and the police have completed their investigations we may be in a position to comment further." 

Milwall chairman John Berylson, who flew in from the United States for the game, said: "There are always a few idiots. That's not our fan-base and we don't even know who those people are. We will be investigating."

Police moved in after the violence started

And the team's captain Danny Shittu added: "Today was meant to be a good day out at Wembley. I'm disappointed by it.

"It's sad to hear about these things happening on a day like today. Things like that shouldn't be going on, It should be a great day for both sides."

Wigan's chairman Dave Whelan, whose team will face Manchester City or Chelsea in the final next month, said he was appalled by what he saw.

Millwall fans were condemned for the fighting

"I can't understand why the Millwall fans would fight each other," he told the BBC.

"I understand if they want to fall out with the visiting team, but why would they fall out amongst themselves? It just gives football a very, very poor reputation."

"We know Millwall are a tough club, their team's tough to play, the supporters are Millwall Millwall Millwall... straight through. But don't fight each other."

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