Archbishop Of Canterbury Snubs Animal Charity

The Archbishop of Canterbury has turned down an invitation to be a patron of the RSPCA.

A spokeswoman for Lambeth Palace said it was because The Most Rev Justin Welby has "reluctantly decided to restrict his patronage".

His predecessor, Dr Rowan Williams, was vice-patron of the animal charity, which was founded by an Anglican priest in 1824.

The spokeswoman said: "Since taking office in March this year, the Archbishop has received many kind invitations to patron a large variety of charities and good causes.

Dog rescued by the RSPCA

"Each invitation has been an honour, and in an ideal world he would like to accept them all.

"However, in light of the sheer volume of the requests the Archbishop receives ... he has reluctantly decided to restrict his patronage to a manageable number of organisations, based on where he feels his support could be most beneficial.

"Nevertheless, the Archbishop has enormous admiration for the RSPCA and hopes to see its work thrive long into the future."

Last year the RSPCA was heavily criticised after it spent £326,000 on legal action against a fox hunt.

Critics claimed the "staggering" expense of bringing the prosecution against the Heythrop Hunt in the Cotswolds was a waste of money donated by supporters.

10.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

GPs Warn Patients Could Face Long Waits

The majority of GPs fear patients could face longer waiting times because they are struggling to cope with "spiralling workloads and dwindling resources".

A survey of 206 family doctors by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) found that four in five had "insufficient resources" to provide high quality patient care, while 47% admitted they had cut back on the range of services they provide.

More than four in five GPs are worried that it will become increasingly difficult to deliver continuity of care to at-risk elderly people.

The RCGP said general practice was at "breaking point" and called for an emergency package of investment like the £500m bailout given to A&E departments last week.

Clare Gerada, chairwoman of the RCGP, warned that if general practice "starts to crumble" there could be "disastrous" consequences for patients.

She told Sky News: "Around about 90% of all NHS activity is carried out in general practice for only 9% of the budget.

"GPs are what makes the NHS cost effective. A year of care by a GP is about the same as a hospital might get for one attendance in the emergency department.

"Yet what we're finding is that the investment is being put into hospitals but it's general practice that needs the help because if it folds then the rest of the NHS will be unsustainable.

"Last week the English Government announced an additional £500m for A&E departments. What we need is our fair share of funding so that GPs can do more for our patients in their communities."

Ben Dyson, director of commissioning policy and primary care at NHS England, said: "We fully recognise that demands and patterns of healthcare are changing, and that this is increasing pressure on parts of the NHS.

"That's why we have recently published a 'call to action' about the future of general practice to help stimulate new, innovative approaches to providing services and ensuring every patient gets the care they need.

"Our key aim is to enable GP practices both to provide more coordinated care for people with more complex needs and to provide more accessible and responsive service, in conjunction with partners in community and social care."

10.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tailgaters Facing Instant Roadside Justice

By Frazer Maude, Sky News Reporter

Tailgaters and middle lane hoggers could be hit with on-the-spot fines of £100 and three points on their licence from today.

The idea is to make it easier for the police to tackle problem drivers without being tied up with the bureaucracy of taking offenders to court.

Solicitor Neil Davies, who specialises in motoring offences, says policing the new laws will require officers to make a subjective judgement on whether a particular manoeuvre is illegal or not.

"One of the ways in which a court would assess that question is has the person driving departed from the Highway Code - how well is that person driving?

"Now in issuing the fixed penalty notices of course one would hope that police officer do exercise a degree of discretion, a degree of common sense and that they only issue these notices in appropriate circumstances."

Few motorists would admit to flaunting the Highway Code themselves but for most tailgating and lane hogging are pet hates, so the new laws are being welcomed.

Officers will make a subjective judgement on driving standards

Under the new legislation fines for other offences, from using hand-held mobile phones or not wearing a seatbelt, to driving without insurance, have also been increased - from £60 to £100 and from £200 to £300 respectively.

Although fines have gone up, penalty points will remain unchanged, as will fixed penalty notices for parking, waiting and obstruction offences.

The Department of Transport said: "The changes will give the police the power to issue fixed penalty notices for careless driving and allow them greater flexibility when dealing with less serious careless driving offences - such as tailgating or middle lane hogging - as well as freeing them from resource intensive court processes.

"The police will also be able to offer educational training as an alternative to licence endorsement, and drivers will still be able to appeal any decision in court."

Most motoring groups support the changes, although some road safety campaigners think the punishments should be more severe.

One concern is who will police the new laws, with only half as many traffic officers on Britain's roads as there were in the 1990's.

But senior officers insist they will be enforced and that more serious cases will still be taken to court where the offenders may face higher penalties.

10.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Funeral Of Cyber Abuse Victim Hannah Smith

Full Statement From Ask.Fm Founders

Updated: 5:52pm UK, Thursday 08 August 2013

We would firstly like to again express our sincerest sympathies to the family of Hannah Smith, whose death was a true tragedy.

As we explained to the press earlier this week, as soon as we heard the news we approached the Leicestershire police and have been speaking to them throughout this week.

We are committed to supporting the Leicestershire police in their investigation to ensure that they are able to uncover the true circumstances surrounding Hannah's suicide.

We ask the press and public to respect that for legal and privacy reasons neither we - nor the police - are able to discuss the circumstances surrounding Hannah's case any further. We will therefore not be giving any interviews on this subject.

However, in view of the unprecedented press interest in the role of social media platforms such as Ask.fm, Facebook, Twitter and others, we would like to reassure all users and parents of users that we are committed to ensuring that our site is a safe environment.

We do not condone bullying of any kind, or any form of unacceptable use of our site.

We have implemented various measures over the past months to continue to improve our users' safety, and we have implemented improved reporting policies.

We have been working with experts at the UK's Safer Internet Centre, and thus the wider EU InSafe organisation, and are in constant discussions with them regarding our privacy and safety policies and the ways in which we may be able to enhance them.

This is an on-going activity, which Ask.fm is wholly committed to.

In view of this week's events, we wish to highlight a number of existing "safety" features available for users for Ask.fm:

1) The site has an 'in-question' reporting function, which has been in place since 2012, and is similar to the in-Tweet function announced by Twitter this week. This feature enables our users to report with just one click any question that they may find objectionable or offensive.

2) It is integral to the site that users should have control over what appears on their Ask.fm feed. We have never allowed questions to be published on the site before they've been answered.

Thus - if a user receives a question that they find objectionable or offensive, they don't need to respond and we encourage them to report the question to us.

3) We believe one of our site's advantages is that everything is open - rather than hidden in private inboxes. This means that anyone can report anything they see that may be of concern.

If parents see something on their teenager's Ask.fm page that they are concerned about, they too can click the in-question reporting button and alert our moderators.

4) Anonymity can be switched off in a user's privacy settings - our users have always been able to elect not to receive anonymous questions, and equally our users can also elect never to ask an anonymous question.

5) Although it is possible to post anonymously to the site, we would like to reassure parents that in almost all cases it is possible for Ask.fm to identify users - through IP technology, everything on the internet is traceable.

And in extreme circumstances such as those we've experienced this week we work through existing legal frameworks to ensure this information is accessible to the appropriate legal authorities.

6) While many sites use automated machines to monitor content, we have a team of human moderators that works around the clock - 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days per year.

They manually check every photograph or video that is posted to our site - ensuring that anything of a sexual, pornographic or violent nature is removed.

Our moderators also read and deal appropriately with every concern or report that is raised by a user; we remove content if we feel it infringes our Terms of Service.

7) We have a direct working relationship between Ask.fm and the EU's InSafe organisation. This means that if a concern is ever raised through the EU InSafe channels, they have a designated contact liaison at Ask.fm.

8) We comply with the United State's Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (1998) and we are working with a renowned expert to ensure that our moderation policies continue to lead the way in this area.

As we stated above, we are constantly working to improve our site, including its safety features. We are currently working on a series of updates with more safety features and information.

In view of some of the recent press reporting, what is important to note is that the vast majority of our users are using the site appropriately and are just having fun.

However, we would like to reiterate that it's really important that anyone who sees anything they do not like or feel uncomfortable with uses the appropriate reporting mechanisms to bring these issues to our team's attention as soon as possible.

Our site has grown rapidly over the past year and one of our greatest challenges (like any fast growing business) has been ensuring that our internal resources and capabilities are able to expand at a proportional and appropriate rate.

We strive to ensure we have the best people and this includes our moderators and customer services staff, where we have invested heavily to reflect this growth. We will continue to do this.

We hope that this corrects some of the recent media reports and offers reassurance to our users and their parents that our site has safety features which are in-line with, if not better than, other social networking sites.

The vast majority of our users are very happy teenagers, who use Ask.fm to converse with their peers around the world about the things that interest them. Bullying is an age-old problem that we in no way condone - and while its evolution online is disturbing, it certainly is not unique to our site.

We will continue to work with the appropriate organisations to safeguard against bullying on Ask.fm - and we would welcome the opportunity to align with the rest of industry and society in fighting it on a higher level.

We are proud of the phenomenal popularity of the social network we have created and strive every day to make it better and safer.

Mark and Ilja Terebin

10.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

A-Level Students Turning Backs On University

By Mike McCarthy, North of England Correspondent

About 300,000 teenagers are due to receive their A-level results today as more students than ever are turning their backs on university.

Market research suggests that more than half of young people currently studying at university would rather do an apprenticeship if given the chance.

The Higher Education Funding Council has reported a drop in students accepting undergraduate places for the first time since 2008 and the number of people applying for schemes such as apprenticeships and vocational courses through one website has more than doubled within a year.

The rise follows a three-fold increase in tuition fees at many universities and a CBI report this summer which warned businesses to change the perception that a degree is the only way to for young people to equip themselves for work.

The skills organisation Semta has urged parents to put aside their prejudice, arguing it is hindering the flow of students into vocational training.

"Pupils are passing A-levels only to be let down when their parents fail the big test," chief executive Sarah Sillars said.

"Research has shown they can't describe what an apprenticeship is, let alone recommend their kids to take up one."

She claims many parents are "squeamish" about a vocational route because of "the long-held belief that university is the only way to go and get a decent education".

Meanwhile, the multinational company Unilever says it has placed greater emphasis in recent years on attracting talented young people to a new apprenticeship scheme.

Richard Jones, research and development director, told Sky News: "We're able to bring in students fresh from college or school and we're then able to tailor the apprenticeship to the skills that we require into the future.

"Obviously our organisation evolves and the requirements of technology evolve, so we're able to adapt throughout the (apprenticeship) programme."

Emma Brown had been offered an unconditional place to study at Sheffield University but chose an apprenticeship with Unilever at Port Sunlight on the Wirral instead.

"I had a few older friends who had already graduated and were struggling to find a job," she said.

"Everyone was asking for experience and you don't have that until someone gives you a chance.

"I thought that if I worked here I would get work experience and have no student debt. It's going to be the best option for me."

10.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pair Charged With Attempted Rape Of Baby

A man and a woman have been charged with attempted rape of a baby girl after a child was admitted to a hospital in Colchester.

Essex Police were contacted by social services after the baby was admitted to Colchester General Hospital on August 10.

The 31-year-old man and 23-year-old woman have also been charged with neglect and assault after the 10-week-old baby girl was found to have suffered serious injuries..

The pair also each face three counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, relating to serious head injuries and injuries of a sexual nature.

They have been remanded in custody and will appear at Colchester Magistrates' Court later.

10.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Don't Send Thieves To Prison, Says Law Expert

Thieves and fraudsters should be spared jail and punished with fines and community sentences instead, a legal expert has said.

Law professor Andrew Ashworth believes imprisonment for "pure property offences", including those who continually commit such crimes, is disproportionate.

He said the focus should be on making sure perpetrators make amends and that victims are compensated - which he argued was less likely from someone behind bars with little or no income.

Prison, as the UK's most severe punishment, should be reserved for the most serious crimes only including those of a violent, threatening or sexual nature, he said.

His comments are in a pamphlet titled What If Imprisonment Were Abolished For Property Offences? which has been released by the Howard League for Penal Reform which plans to distribute it to every magistrates' court in England and Wales in a bid to spark a debate on sentencing issues.

Victims say they want the punishment to fit the crime

Prof Ashworth, the Vinerian Professor of English Law at Oxford University, said while prison should still be considered in cases of robbery, blackmail and burglary, its use is disproportionate for crimes that do not involve violence, threats or sexual assault.

According the professor, prison sentences are only truly worth considering where a victim is targeted because of their vulnerability, although there may be some exceptions.

His pamphlet states that some 20,000 people go to prison each year for theft or handling stolen goods, 5,000 for fraud and 1,000 for criminal damage.

The effect of such a policy would reduce the number of men serving prison sentences by 8% (5,000 men) and women by 21% (700 women), saving around £230m each year, it claims.

A spokesman for Victim Support said: "Victims tell us they want more than anything else the punishment to fit the crime and for the criminal not to re-offend.

"A community sentence may be appropriate in some instances of property crime but not in others because crime type is not a reliable indicator of the impact an offence has on an individual victim.

"It would be hard for community sentences to retain public confidence if offenders knew they could keep committing certain types of crime and never be jailed.

"It is essential when passing sentence that judges and magistrates can take into account the full facts of the case - including the impact on the victim - not just the nature of the offence."

10.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Whipps Cross Hospital 'Unsafe And Uncaring'

An NHS trust has been issued with three formal warnings after inspectors found "unsafe" conditions including filthy maternity wards and water placed out of the reach of elderly patients.

Barts Health NHS Trust "failed to protect the safety and welfare of patients" at Whipps Cross University Hospital in Leytonstone, east London, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) said.

The trust must now make "urgent improvements", following unannounced inspections in May and June.

The hospital was failing to meet 10 of the 16 national standards for quality and safety, inspectors found.

On maternity wards, "serious shortfalls" were noted, such as blood-stained equipment, filthy curtains, staff not cleaning their hands and midwives failing to carry out proper checks on newborns.

Resuscitation equipment for babies did not have an oxygen supply and was not checked regularly, while some equipment was not sterile, inspectors found.

"We saw examples of poor care, unacceptable staff behaviour and poor infection control in maternity services," inspectors said in their report.

"In surgery, theatre processes and communication arrangements put people's safety at risk."

During just one visit, inspectors identified "serious shortfalls" in eight out of the 16 essential standards hospitals are required to meet by law.

Staff on postnatal wards were found to be "uncaring".

The report said: "We saw a woman in a blood-stained gown and bed. About 10 minutes later we saw the same woman crying in the corridor.

"The midwife on duty asked the woman 'Why are you crying?' The woman replied 'I am in pain'. 'Pain!' the midwife repeated in a sarcastic manner.

"The midwife got some medication and handed her a white pot which contained tablets without telling the woman what the tablets were.

"We observed the same midwife bringing the wrong formula milk (as it was different to what the woman had previously been feeding her baby). When asked by the woman, the midwife did not accept she had brought the wrong milk and did not offer the woman the correct alternative."

On the labour wards, the theatre sluice pipe had previously leaked onto the floor.

"We saw visible dried stains on that sluice pipe and floor," inspectors said.

Inspectors also found shortages of staff on elderly care wards, including a lack of qualified nurses.

Barts Health NHS Trust chief executive Peter Morris said: "Barts Health is committed to ensuring the safety and welfare of every one of our patients and we are extremely sorry for the failings in some of our services at Whipps Cross Hospital.

"We have taken immediate action to rectify the failures to ensure we meet standards across the hospital at all times."

Barts Health NHS Trust is already under scrutiny by chief inspector of hospitals Professor Sir Mike Richards.

It is one of 18 trusts being examined due to potential risks to patients, and is one of five on the list, announced in July, that is considered to be "high risk".

Royal College of Nursing (RCN) London regional director Bernell Bussue said: "It's deeply concerning to see these failures in relation to basic standards of infection control, hygiene, waiting times and providing adequate food and drink."

10.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Missing Teen Erika Kacicova Found 'Safe'

Missing 13-year-old Erika Kacicova has been found "safe and well" in Bradford city centre, police say.

Officers said the teenager was discovered alone and that a total of five people - four men and one woman - were being held in connection with her disappearance.

Erika is in the care of police in Bradford and her family have been informed of developments.

Detective Inspector Helen Tate, of South Yorkshire Police, said she did not know if Erika had been held against her will.

"It's fantastic news that we now have Erika, safe and well and a successful conclusion to the search for Erika," she said.

Erika was in the care of police officers in Bradford

"Our primary aim now is to concentrate on Erika's well-being and begin to piece together her movements since she left home last Monday.

"We are working with local authority and partner agencies for the appropriate support for Erika and to assist with the investigation.

"I have personally been overwhelmed by the way the public and the media have responded to our appeals and I am extremely grateful for their help and support throughout this investigation."

She told a news conference that work would now continue in an effort to establish what had happened to the teenager.

A statement issued by police said the discovery of Erika came after they had spoken to various people throughout the day who they believe had been in contact with her over the last couple of days.

Erika was last seen leaving her home in the Darnall area of Sheffield at around 4pm on August 5.

Her father told Sky News he had not been eating or sleeping since his daughter went missing.

Police earlier arrested a 37-year-old man on suspicion of child abduction, while a 22-year-old man from Bradford also held on suspicion of child abduction was released on police bail on Sunday.

10.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Britain's Most Wanted Fraudsters Revealed

By Martin Brunt, Crime Correspondent

These are the faces of 25 most wanted identity fraudsters who were caught in the act.

They allegedly stole other people's personal details and then tried to use their own photographs to get passports, driving licences and other official documents.

Some of their victims may have had information taken in burglaries or muggings, others may simply have been intimidated into revealing it.

The scam is often used by organised gangs to commit crimes such as money laundering, drug trafficking and illegal immigration, say investigators.

Nigel Kirby, of the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), said: "Be in no doubt, these fraudulently obtained documents are being used by criminals for criminal purposes.

"Passports and driving licences do not just allow you to travel and drive, they are important identity documents that can be used to support applications for mortgages, bank loans and benefits."

The Crimestoppers charity wants the public's help in tracking down the 25 alleged fraudsters.

Director of operations Roger Critchell said: "We need to protect ourselves from such criminals, particularly now with data-driven identity crimes making up the vast majority of all fraud in the UK."

Identity theft is the fastest growing type of fraud in Britain, and hit an all-time high last year with 150,000 identifiable victims, according to the UK's Fraud Prevention Service CIFAS.

:: Anyone who recognises any of the suspects can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online

10.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Missing Teen Erika Kacicova: Suspect Bailed

Detectives looking for a 13-year-old schoolgirl who vanished from her home have received a number of reports of possible sightings.

Police, who believe Erika Kacicova is with people she knows, made a direct appeal to the teenager on Sunday afternoon, calling on her to return to her "distraught" family.

She was last seen leaving her home in the Darnall area of Sheffield at around 4pm on Monday, August 4.

Erika Kacicova has been urged to contact her family

Police have been conducting house-to-house inquiries there, and have expanded their search to Bradford.

A 22-year-old man from Bradford was released on police bail earlier after being arrested on suspicion of child abduction.

He approached police on Friday, the day officers made an urgent appeal for information about Erika's whereabouts.

Detective Inspector Helen Tate said: "Please remember she is a young girl who has never been away from home for this long before and we want her to return safe and well."

She added: "Erika, if you are reading this, please let us know you are okay. You're not in any trouble."

Erika's home in Poole Road, Darnall, in Sheffield

She said members of the public had come forward with information and reports of sightings but that "time was of the essence" as they search for the teenager.

Her disappearance was described as "out of character".

Erika is described as being slim and around 4ft 11ins tall. She has long, dark-brown, straight hair and brown eyes.

She was last seen wearing blue jeans, a pink polo-style shirt and a silvery-grey coloured jacket.

:: Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101.

10.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Cycling 'Revolution' Shifts Into Top Gear

A big cash injection for cycling and a nationwide drive to promote cycling in cities and national parks is being announced by the Prime Minister.

The initiative includes plans to make roads safer for those on two wheels and means a number of English cities will get Government money for cycling schemes.

A total of £77m will be divided between Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Newcastle, Bristol, Cambridge, Oxford and Norwich.

Also, the New Forest, Peak District, South Downs and Dartmoor areas will each share a slice of £17m funding for national parks.

With local contributions, the total new funding for cycling is £148m between now and 2015.

The announcement includes a commitment to cut red tape that can stifle cycle-friendly road design and to encourage changes to the way roads are built or altered.

Councils will be expected to up their game to deliver infrastructure that takes cycling into account from the design stage.

Mr Cameron said: "Following our success in the Olympics, the Paralympics and the Tour de France, British cycling is riding high - now we want to see cycling soar.

"Our athletes have shown they are among the best in the world and we want to build on that, taking our cycling success beyond the arena and onto the roads, starting a cycling revolution which will remove the barriers for a new generation of cyclists."

He went on: "This Government wants to make it easier and safer for people who already cycle as well as encouraging far more people to take it up and business, local government, developers, road users and the transport sector all have a role to play in helping to achieve this."

Bradley Wiggins has inspired a generation of Britons to cycle

New trunk road schemes, such as junction improvements or road-widening, will be 'cycle-proofed' so they can be navigated confidently by the average cyclist.

Significant junction upgrades will help cyclists at 14 locations on the trunk road network where major roads can prove an obstacle for journeys by bike.

A total of £5m will be invested in upgrades this year and a further £15m will be invested in 2015/16, with plans in place for many more similar schemes.

The boost is intended to put Britain on a level-footing with countries like Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: "We have seen a significant growth in the number of cyclists in London over the last few years. But cycling shouldn't be confined to the capital.

"Today's announcement shows we are absolutely committed to boosting cycling in cities and the countryside across the whole of England."

It was also announced that there would be a feasibility study to look into creating a new national cycleway.

The route would broadly follow the route of the HS2 rail line from London to Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester.

It would link communities and rail stations to work, schools and shops as well as countryside and tourist attractions along the way.

Thousands of cyclists took part in an event in London recently

In addition, a new national School Awards Scheme  will be created to recognise schools that have demonstrated excellence in supporting cycling and walking.

The UK cycle industry, led by the Bicycle Association, has volunteered to work with the Government to sponsor this award.

It was also announced that the Government is extending its commitment to support Bikeability cycle training into 2015/16.

All of the cities receiving funding have either already implemented, or are looking to expand, the network of 20mph zones, with Norfolk and Cambridge looking to introduce extensive area-wide 20mph schemes.

Similar work has been done to make it easier to introduce 40mph limits in rural areas.

Shadow transport secretary Maria Eagle said: "No amount of cynical spin from David Cameron will make up for the fact that, immediately on taking office, he axed Cycle England, the Cycle Demonstration Towns scheme and the annual £60m budget to support cycling that he inherited.

"Since then he has axed targets to reduce deaths and serious injuries on our roads, reduced traffic enforcement, cut the THINK! awareness campaign and allowed longer HGVs."

10.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Schoolboy Harry Whitlam Hit By Tractor Dies

A schoolboy has died after being hit by a tractor at a farm visitor attraction.

Harry Whitlam, 11, died on Friday hours after the incident at Swithens Farm in the Rothwell area of Leeds.

The tractor driver, a 48-year-old man, has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and drink driving.

The farm is open to visitors, although a statement on its website said the collision was on the "working part of the farm".

Local reports suggested Harry suffered head injuries from the tractor's trailer as the vehicle was reversing.

It is thought Harry was hit by a reversing tractor trailer

The 11-year-old, who lived in the Wakefield area, was apparently a farm hand at the premises where his mother also worked.

Officers were called at 9.20am on Friday by the ambulance service who were already at the scene.

He was flown to Leeds General Infirmary but died on Friday night following complicated emergency surgery.

Joanna Baron, who was at the farm with her four-year-old son, told the Yorkshire Post: "I can't believe it. It's awful. We come here a lot and it's such a lovely place to be. It's shocking."

Detective Superintendent Scott Wood, of West Yorkshire Police, said: "We are continuing to investigate what has been a tragic incident with the Health and Safety Executive and are still appealing for witnesses."

The tractor driver has been bailed pending further inquiries.

Swithens Farm, which describes itself as a "friendly place with a focus on families, fun and fabulous fresh food", has remained open.

A statement posted on its website said: "There was a tragic accident on Friday 9 August and our thoughts are with Harry's family.

"We're still not sure of the full circumstances but the accident happened on the working part of the farm.

"The farm shop, cafe and petting farm are open to the general public and we are trying to run the business as normal."

:: Anyone who saw the collision should contact West Yorkshire Police Major Collision Enquiry Team on 01924 293047 or via 101.

10.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

High Street Housing Plans Come Under Fire

Store Vacancies Hit New High Level

Updated: 11:50am UK, Monday 20 May 2013

A surge in shopping centre vacancies means almost one in every eight British stores is now empty, according to a new survey.

Empty shops now account for 11.9% of retail space, after failures including Comet and Jessops knocked holes in the shopping hubs and out-of-town retail parks.

The percentage of UK shop vacancies in April worsened from 10.9% in January and was the highest rate since the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Springboard survey began in 2011.

It said high streets have been "vastly outperforming" malls and retail parks, boosted by a 5% increase in evening drinkers, diners and clubbers.

The retail sector has been battered by a wave of failures this year, with entertainment retailer HMV and camera chain Jessops both entering administration in January.

Electricals retailer Comet slumped into administration in November.

BRC director general Helen Dickinson said: "It's a major concern that the vacancy rate has reached a record high, driven by increases in almost every part of the UK, with some regions like the South West seeing a significant leap in empty shop numbers."

But rising temperatures lifted April footfall 1% on a year earlier, a marked improvement on the 5.2% fall in March, as more shoppers ventured out compared with a rainy April 2012.

Ms Dickinson added: "The unsettled weather at the start of the month seems to have created pent-up demand, which brought many of us out to shop when more spring-like weather finally made an appearance."

High street footfall was up 3.4%, the strongest performance since December 2011, but shopping centre visitors fell 3%.

Greater London was the strongest-performing region with footfall rising 4.2% and just 7.4% of its shops vacant.

Footfall in Northern Ireland slumped 6.4% in April, while its shop vacancy rate hit 18.1%. In Wales, shoppers were down 2.1%, with a vacancy rate of 17.9%.

The South West saw footfall slide 1.3% and shop vacancies hit 14%.

The UK's surging vacancy rate follows recent downbeat sales figures from the BRC, which showed retail sales slumped at the fastest rate for a year in April as the timing of Easter and a freezing start to the month offset improvements in fashion and beauty.

Like-for-like sales fell 2.2% in April from a year earlier, with the early Easter hitting food sales in particular, it said.

10.18 | 0 komentar | Read More