Weather: Storm Alerts As UK Set For 'Hurricane'

Forecasters are increasingly confident a storm packing hurricane-speed gusts of more than 80mph will hit Britain.

A Met office image shows a forecast for the storm on Monday

Severe weather alerts are in place for England and Wales, with an amber warning, meaning "be prepared", in place for southern counties.

The storm, which is moving across the Atlantic Ocean, would need to buffet the UK with sustained winds for it to be scientifically classed as a hurricane.

Forecasts show how the storm might develop and move towards the UK

Met Office spokeswoman Nicola Maxey said the storm could cause structural damage, trees and power cables to come down and transport problems on Monday morning

"We have been tracking the probable course of the storm and we are tracking it further north than we had thought earlier," she said.

The Met Office website shows amber and yellow alerts for Monday

"We have also revised the speed for gusts of wind up to 70 to 80mph inland, with the possibility of speeds in excess of 80mph in exposed coastal areas."

Atlantic storms of this type usually develop further west across the ocean, losing strength by the time they reach the UK and Ireland.

This one is unusual in that it is expected to appear much closer to land, potentially moving across the country while it is in its most powerful phase.

Some have compared its potential to the Great Storm of 1987 and record-breaking gales in south Wales in 1989.

Sky weather presenter Jo Wheeler said: "Late October is notorious for strong storms, with a wind gust of 124mph recorded in the Vale of Glamorgan in 1989.

"Should this storm achieve its potential, it is likely to bring down trees and cause damage to roads and buildings, possibly causing major transport disruption and power cuts."

The storm's trajectory is unclear but there are fears it may wreak havoc in England and Wales if it hits land.

If it does, it is likely to batter Wales and the South West before sweeping east and touching most of the country.

However, there is a chance it could miss land completely, sweeping instead through the English Channel.

The storm is expected to strike two weeks later than the Great Storm of 1987, which left a trail of destruction on October 15 and 16.

There are already fears the storm may compare to the Great Storm of 1987

Forecasters famously failed to predict its severity before it flattened trees, knocked out power and left 22 people dead in England and France.

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Recruitment Drive For 11,000 New Army Reserves

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

One of the largest military recruitment events of its kind will be held in London today to help the Ministry of Defence increase the number of Reserve forces.

Hundreds of soldiers, sailors and airmen from London-based Reserve regiments will take part in the day at Horse Guards Parade. It will include a parachute jump from a Lynx helicopter by four Reservists.

As part of plans for 'Future Force 2020', the government is hoping to increase the number of the Army Reserve from its current size of 19,000 to 30,000.

The Air Force Auxiliary is to expand to 1,800 personnel and the Navy's Maritime Reserve to 3,100. These recruits will offset large redundancies for regular servicemen and women in all three services. The Army will shrink to 82,000 soldiers from 110,000.

It is a plan that has been widely criticised from a number of corners, and there is considerable doubt over the ability of the military to hit the recruitment targets.

A gunner from the Royal Artillery prepares to fire his light artillery gun

The most up-to-date figures will be released next month, but it's generally thought that only a few hundred new recruits have signed up this year, well short of the numbers needed.

As part of the plans, the name of the Territorial Army is changing to Reserve Force in keeping with the new image.

£1.8bn has been committed over 10 years to supplement training and equipment for Reserve soldiers in order that will receive the same level of kit as their regular counterparts.

The number of overseas training exercises will increase to 22 per year from seven last year. But this, and any operational deployments, would put increased strain on small businesses.

To compensate for that, the Ministry of Defence is offering a financial package to any companies losing staff to Reservist duty. This would allow them to recruit temporary replacement workers.

A gunner from the Royal Artillery carries a high explosive shell

Speaking ahead of the recruitment event, the Defence Secretary Philip Hammond defended the controversial plans for the Reserve force.

"We are completely revitalising our Reserve Forces, growing their trained strength with fresh incentives, better pay and more opportunities for working and training alongside Regulars," he said.

"This exhibition highlights just how many fantastic opportunities there are for anyone looking for a rewarding, challenging and exciting second career."

Reservists will be expected to operate alongside their regular colleagues and perform the same role regardless of their part-time nature.

In an interview last month, Andrew Cameron, the Chief Executive of Combat Stress, warned that reservists are twice as likely to suffer mental health problems and predicted a growth in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) cases if the Reserve Force was expanded.

The Ministry of Defence references other countries, such as the United States, which has a large and successful Reserve element to its military.

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Alps Murders: Mystery Of Missing UK Passports

French investigators have still not found the UK passports of two family members who were murdered in the French Alps, adding to the mystery surrounding the case.

 Saad al Hilli, a 50-year-old British-Iraqi businessman, was found dead in a bullet-riddled BMW on a mountain road near Annecy in September last year.

His wife Iqbal, 47, and her mother Suhaila al Allaf, 74, were also killed, as well as passing cyclist Sylvain Mollier.

His daughter Zainab, seven at the time, recovered after being shot and her sister Zeena, who was four, was found unhurt hiding beneath her mother's body.

Saad al Hilli was killed with his wife and mother-in-law

Eric Maillaud, the prosecutor in charge of the case, said: "We never found the British passports of the al Hilli couple. Investigators searched absolutely everywhere, on the bodies, in the family caravan, in the house in Claygate (in the UK).

"Given the timing (of the killings), it's not impossible that the killer took the two passports ... but that would have been tight."

Investigators also looked for the passports in police stations, hotels and lost property offices along the route that the al Hilli family took on their holiday from the northern French city of Calais to Annecy.

"It only adds to the complexity of the investigation," Mr Maillaud said, adding that surprisingly, Mr al Hilli had ID papers on him belonging to his late father.

Brother Zaid al Hilli has protested his innocence

The revelation came after the brother of Mr al Hilli, who was arrested in June on suspicion of masterminding the killings, admitted the pair had fallen out over their father's inheritance but repeated his claim he had nothing to do with the murders.

Zaid al Hilli told The Sunday Times newspaper: "I have told the police from the beginning that I am an open book. I have nothing to hide."

The 54-year-old suggested that Mr Mollier, the cyclist, could actually have been the target for the attack.

He also accused French police of failing to carry out a proper investigation and claimed investigators were covering up the real motive for the murders to protect "very powerful local people".

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UK Economy 'May Have Grown By Up To 1%'

Official statistics released later are expected to show that the UK economy grew by up to 1% in the three months to September.

Investec's Philip Shaw forecasts 0.8% growth for the third quarter but said it was "not impossible" that it could be closer to 1%.

Samuel Tombs, an economist at Capital Economics added: "GDP looks on track to have grown at a healthy rate."

Growth of around 0.8% or higher would be the strongest for three years and be the first time the economy has expanded for three successive quarters since 2011.

The UK economy expanded 0.7% month on month in the second quarter of this year, the fastest rate since 2010.

The National Institute of Economic and Social Research predicted that output has grown by 0.8%.

This is higher than official forecasts by the Bank of England and the Office of Budget Responsibility, which have predicted growth rates of 0.5% and 0.3% respectively.

Official word on the UK's economic performance comes from the Office for National Statistics. The figure will then be revised at a later date.

The housing market recovery is seen as a driving force behind the rising economic output.

The IMF now expects the economy to grow by 1.4% this year – double the rate it was forecasting in April.

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Raped Girl 'Not Treated As Human' By Couple

By Becky Johnson, North of England Correspondent

A couple have been jailed for a total of 18 years for trafficking a deaf and mute girl into the UK, where she was repeatedly raped and subjected to forced labour.

Ilyas Ashar, 84, and his wife Tallat Ashar, 68, forced the vulnerable youngster to sleep in the cellar of their home in Greater Manchester, where she was beaten and slapped, and led a life of domestic servitude for almost a decade.

The girl was also used to steal more than £30,000 in benefits on her behalf.

She was even taught enough sign language by the family so she could agree to the benefit money being handed over.

Their victim had no family or friends in the UK and had never been to school in Pakistan or Britain.

Ilyas Ashar also routinely raped the girl from the moment he brought her into the UK from Pakistan, aged around 10, in June 2000.

Ashar was convicted of 13 specimen counts of rape by a jury last week, though the court heard the rapes happened "many, many times more".

He had also been convicted at an earlier trial of two counts of trafficking a person into the UK for exploitation, two counts of furnishing false information to obtain a benefit and one of permitting furnishing of false information to obtain a benefit.

He was jailed for 13 years at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester.

His wife was jailed for five years for two counts of trafficking a person into the UK for exploitation, and four counts of furnishing false information to obtain a benefit.

Their daughter, Faaiza Ashar, 46, who was found guilty at an earlier trial of two counts of furnishing false information to obtain a benefit, and one count of permitting furnishing of false information to obtain a benefit, was given a 12 month community order with 300 hours of unpaid work.

Passing sentence Judge Peter Lakin said: "You Ilyas Ashar and you Tallat Ashar did not treat this girl as a human being.

"To you she was merely an object to be used, abused and cast aside at will.

"You took full advantage of her extreme vulnerability.

"You exploited her physically, you exploited her mentally and you exploited her economically.

"There was throughout a distasteful undercurrent of violence and intimidation.

"All that she had in her life was the love of her family and her own human dignity. You two took that away from her. You consigned her to a life of misery and degradation.

"Throughout these proceedings not one of you have shown any remorse.

"You are concerned with your own selfish, self-centred interests.

"You Ilyas and Tallat Ashar are deeply unpleasant, highly manipulative and dishonest people."

When police and local trading standards raided the Ashar family home in Cromwell Road, Eccles, in Salford, on June 8, 2009, officers were "shocked" to discover the girl asleep in the cold and dark cellar.

One officer likened her behaviour to that of an "animal" - not allowed to sit on the furniture - and an indication of her status in the house.

She was taken from the house and is now doing well with the help of social services, the court heard.

A proceeds of crime hearing will be held next year to recoup the benefits stolen by the Ashars.

They had fought the case at every turn, mounting a series of legal challenges and appealing but failing to overturn their convictions at the Court of Appeal.

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Stuart Hall Charged With Raping Two Teenagers

Former television presenter Stuart Hall has been charged with 15 offences of rape against two teenage girls.

Hall, probably best known for fronting the comedy game show It's a Knockout in the 1970s and 80s, allegedly sexually assaulted one of the girls between the ages of 14 and 16, from 1976 to 1978.

The second girl was allegedly assaulted between the ages of 11 or 12 and 15, from 1976 and 1981, when Hall was at the height of his fame.

Hall at his Wilmslow home

Lancashire Police said that Hall, 83, faces 16 charges in all, 15 of rape and one of indecent assault.

Nazir Afzal, chief crown prosecutor for CPS North West, said: "Following a careful review, we have decided that there is sufficient evidence to prosecute Stuart Hall for 16 alleged sexual offences against two girls and that it is in the public interest to do so.

"It is alleged that Stuart Hall committed offences against one girl, aged between 14 and 16, from 1976 to 1978 and another girl, aged between 11 or 12 and 15, from 1976 to 1981.

"This decision to prosecute has been taken in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors, the CPS legal guidance on rape and sexual offences and the DPP's guidelines on prosecuting cases of child sexual abuse."

Hall, of Wilmslow, Cheshire, who is married with two children and four grandchildren, will appear at Preston Magistrates' Court on November 8.

The offences allegedly took place in Manchester, Sale and Wilmslow.

Hall has been a familiar face and voice in British broadcasting for half a century, most recently with his eccentric and erudite football match summaries on BBC Radio 5 live. He also wrote a weekly sport column for the Radio Times magazine until recently.

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Neil McArdle Jailed Over Wedding Bomb Hoax

A man who phoned in a bomb hoax on his wedding day because he had forgotten to book the register office has been jailed for 12 months.

Neil McArdle could not face telling his excited bride that the wedding could not take place, so decided on a drastic course of action.

The 36-year-old slipped out of his house, went to a phone box, disguised his voice and rang Liverpool Register Office, claiming: "This is not a hoax call.

"There's a bomb in St George's Hall and it will go off in 45 minutes."

Coming 11 days after the Boston Marathon bombing, the call sparked "terror" at the venue, which was quickly evacuated.

Bride Amy Williams was left standing outside in her wedding dress with the rest of the wedding party as emergency services raced to the venue.

However, McArdle's would-be in-laws were already suspicious, Liverpool Crown Court heard, and a row broke out with Miss Williams' sister telling a "flustered" McArdle: "You probably done the bomb scare yourself."

Police managed to trace the phone call and McArdle admitted to the hoax.

He pleaded guilty to a single charge of communicating false information with intent.

Charles Lander, defending, told the court: "If it was not so serious, the facts of this case have all the markings of a comedy."

He said the defendant had failed to go through the forms given to him to make sure the wedding was legal and would go ahead as planned.

And only the night before the big day did he notice a "checklist" of what needed to be done before their "dream day".

The court heard that Miss Williams has stood by McArdle and the couple are still together.

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Appeal To Trace Dead Woman's iPhone And Bag

Police investigating the discovery of a woman's body in the street have appealed for help to trace her missing iPhone and bag.

The death of Patricia Dornan is being treated as unexplained by Warwickshire Police, who are attempting to establish the 39-year-old's movements last Wednesday.

A member of the public discovered Ms Dornan's body in the early hours of Thursday at the junction of James Street and Albert Street in Rugby.

Ms Dornan, who lived locally, is known to have been in possession of her mobile phone and shoulder bag in the hours before she was found.

A police spokesman said officers would like to hear from anyone who saw Ms Dornan, or who had contact with her between 3pm and midnight on the Wednesday.

The spokesman said: "To assist the investigation Patricia's family have released a picture of her in the hope that it will assist the police in piecing together Patricia's movements.

"Police are also keen to locate Patricia's iPhone, that is described as being white with a pink sparkly back, and a dark-coloured shoulder bag that Patricia is believed to have had with her earlier."

Anyone with any information about the items is asked to contact the incident room on 01788 853956.

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Scotland: Two Boeing 747 Planes In Near Miss

Two jumbo jets with around 1,000 people on board were just 100ft from crashing over Scotland because pilots confused their flight instructions, it has emerged.

The two Boeing 747s were 30 miles north of Glasgow and preparing to cross the Atlantic when an air traffic controller spotted they were moving closer together.

The UK Airprox Board report shows the two planes heading towards each other

He immediately ordered the plane on the left to make a left turn and the one on the right to make a right turn to move them further apart.

But they did the opposite - bringing the two passenger jets closer together.

When the danger was first spotted the 747s were 10 miles apart, but within a minute they were three miles away and still closing in.

A crash was only averted when the two pilots on each aircraft saw each other and took evasive action, with one plane climbing and the other diving.

At one point, one plane was just 100ft above the other.

Details of the incident, which occurred on June 23 this year, were revealed in a report by the UK Airprox Board, which examines near misses in UK airspace.

Investigators are at a loss to explain how the crews of both aircraft either misheard or misinterpreted their orders.

The report said: "It was apparent that both crews had taken each others' instructions, and the board found it hard to determine why this had occurred; unfortunately no human factor report was available from either crew.

At one point the two jets were only 100ft apart in height

"The board was surprised that all four pilots had misheard or misinterpreted the avoiding action instructions despite at least one of the crews reading them back correctly.

"One airline pilot member wondered if there could have been call-sign confusion; this was discounted because they were not similar ... the transmissions were clear on the RT recording."

The board said the danger was needlessly increased because the planes had earlier been ordered by air traffic control to fly at the same height of 34,000ft.

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Royal Gwent Hospital: Travellers Camp In Car Park

Hundreds of NHS workers, including doctors and emergency staff, have been blocked from parking at a hospital after French travellers set up camp in the staff car park.

Around 14 caravans arrived outside Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport, south Wales, on Saturday.

A statement from Aneurin Bevan Health Board said parts of the car park would be closed for three days as talks between council bosses and travellers continued.

"We will ensure that security is available on site from 6am to 10pm every day to reassure and support staff during this situation," it said.

"I am sure you will appreciate there was nothing that we could do to stop this happening, but we are taking legal advice to resolve the situation as soon as possible.

"There is no quick legal solution but we are also working with the travellers to ensure they leave as soon as possible."

Terry Jones, 64, who was visiting a relative in hospital, told the BBC: "Someone could suffer because a doctor is late for their shift. It just shouldn't be allowed to happen.

"It may not be politically correct to say it, but these people never seem to think about the impact it will have on the rest of us. I hope they realise what a nuisance they are causing to the staff and move on soon."

More than 3,400 staff work at the hospital, which has approximately 774 beds and serves a population of more than 600,000.

The staff car park has 300 spaces, and the travellers have taken over 65 of them, the hospital said.

A hospital worker, who did not want to be named, said: "Finding a parking space is bad enough normally without this happening first thing.

"I find it infuriating this situation can be allowed to continue until the families decide to move themselves on.

"There are doctors and other medical staff who work on emergency cases around the clock.

"They are being forced to park some distance away all because a group of French travellers fancied the spot to set up camp."

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Alcohol Poll: Half Of Kids See Parents Drunk

Almost half of 10 to 14-year-olds have seen their parents drunk, according to new research.

A survey by the industry-funded charity Drinkaware found 46% had seen their parents drunk, with 29% saying they had seen it on more than one occasion.

The poll of 1,000 parents and their children also found 42% of parents admitting their child had seen them or their partner drunk.

But 72% of parents said they felt very confident talking to their child about drinking and 75% believed they were best placed to do so.

Elaine Hindal, chief executive of Drinkaware, said: "While setting rules about alcohol and speaking to children about the risks is a positive step, equally important is that parents understand their significant influence as role models and feel confident to set a good example.

"Children are aware of alcohol from a young age.

"Estimates suggest that around one in three children under 16 in the UK live with an adult binge-drinker, and studies show that the odds of a teenager getting drunk double if they have seen their parents drunk - even if only on a few occasions.

"Understanding the impact of what parents say as well as what they do is important, as both can shape children's attitudes towards alcohol."

Public opinion is mixed on the streets.

In Chester in Cheshire, a mother told Sky News she has no concerns about drinking in front of her family.

"Yes, they have seen me drunk, being silly and doing silly things ... but it doesn't worry me at all," she said.

"I have an teenage daughter who is old enough to drink but I wouldn't offer to buy her one. I don't encourage her to drink at all."

But a father said that he would never get drunk in front of his children because he wanted to set a good example.

He told Sky News: "I normally have a drink after they have gone to bed. However, they have seen me drink but they have never seen me drunk."

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'Strike Price' Agreed For New UK Nuclear Plant

A deal to build Britain's first nuclear power plant in a generation is expected to be announced today.

The Government has been negotiating with French-owned EDF Energy for more than a year over two new plants which will be built at Hinkley Point in Somerset.

But ministers are now understood to have agreed on the crucial 'strike price' which will give EDF a guaranteed rate for producing low-carbon electricity, raising concerns that this will hike up energy bills.

If wholesale prices drop below the strike price, investors who financed the project will be compensated. If prices rise above that level, EDF will pay the difference back to consumers.

The 'strike price' gives EDF a guaranteed rate for producing electricity

The two reactors proposed for Hinkley are a key part of the coalition's drive to shift the UK away from fossil fuels towards low-carbon power.

Energy policy has shot up the agenda since the party conference season, when Labour leader Ed Miliband pledged to freeze retail prices for 20 months.

Chancellor George Osborne removed another obstacle last week when he announced that Chinese firms will be allowed to invest in civil nuclear projects in the UK - even potentially taking a majority stake.

The funding agreement will almost certainly mean that the new reactor at Hinkley will be a mirror image of the Taishan plant in China.

Ed Miliband and George Osborne weighed into the energy debate last week

During a visit to the Taishan plant last week, Mr Osborne said: "It is an important potential part of the Government's plan for developing the next generation of nuclear power in Britain.

"It means the potential of more investment and jobs in Britain, and lower long-term energy costs for consumers".

But anti-nuclear activists living near the site say they have been misled by the decision process to site the plant at Hinkley.

Anti-nuclear campaigner, Theo Simon

Campaigner Theo Simon told Sky News: "We were told it would mean lower energy bills but actually the announcement of the strike price is really the last nail in the coffin of this project.

"We were told that it would provide cheap energy; we were told it would help us to bridge the energy gap in the early 2000s, and now it seems it wont be built 2025 and we will all be paying for the profits of EDF and Chinese nuclear corporations for the next 40 years."

The issue of prices has become even more controversial with the Big Six power firms unveiling hikes of more than 9% in electricity and gas prices.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has raised concerns about the increases, telling Sky News' Murnaghan programme that the energy firms needed to justify prices increases.

"Clearly the companies need to justify the bill increases that they are now announcing," he said.

"It cannot be right that people who are really struggling - many, many people still struggling to pay their weekly, their monthly bills, where electricity and gas bills for this winter are a looming worry.

"It can't be right that those bills are increased for those households in our country and yet it is all rather opaque about what drives these increases."

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Fears For Two Children Missing With Father

A manhunt is under way after a father disappeared with his toddler and baby.

Staffordshire Police said they are concerned for the welfare of two children who were taken by their father from a hotel in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent.

Saleem Tahir, 40, is understood to have smashed his way into a room where Na'llah Khan, aged two, and her brother Sulailman, 10 months, were being looked after at around 5pm on Friday and fled.

The pair were in the care of their mother in the hotel at the time.

Mr Tahir, who is originally from Nottingham, was seen with the children in the Selly Oak area of Birmingham at 8pm on Friday night.

Police say it is possible the children are with their 67-year-old grandmother, Denise Smith-Sellers.

Officers issued an urgent appeal asking for anyone who has seen Mr Tahir, Ms Smith-Sellers or the children to get in touch.

A spokesman for Staffordshire police said: "Have you seen these two children? Please call Staffordshire Police on 101."

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Energy Bills: Welby Slams 'Severe' Price Rises

The Archbishop of Canterbury has launched a stinging attack on Britain's energy firms, warning the latest round of price hikes seem to be "inexplicable".

Justin Welby insisted the so-called Big Six energy companies had an obligation to behave morally rather than to simply maximise profit.

His intervention, published in an interview with the Mail on Sunday, came after British Gas followed in the footsteps of SSE by announcing a 9.2% increase in prices.

The head of the Church of England, himself a former oil executive, said he understood the anger the rises had generated.

"The impact on people, particularly on low incomes, is going to be really severe in this, and the companies have to justify fully what they are doing," Mr Welby said.

Last week British Gas announced a 9.2% increase in prices

"I do understand when people feel that this is inexplicable, and I can understand people being angry about it, because having spent years on a low income as a clergyman I know what it is like when your household budget is blown apart by a significant extra fuel bill and your anxiety levels become very high. That is the reality of it."

The Archbishop urged firms to be "conscious of their social obligations", saying they had to "behave with generosity and not merely to maximise opportunity".

"They have control because they sell something everyone has to buy. We have no choice about buying it. With that amount of power comes huge responsibility to serve society," he said.

"It is not like some other sectors of business where people can walk away from you if they don't want to buy your product and you are entitled to seek to maximise your profit.

"The social licence to operate of the energy companies is something they have to take very, very seriously indeed."

Electricity prices are rising faster than those for gas

But the Church Of England owns a significant number of shares in energy companies.

Sky's Chief Political Correspondent Jon Craig said: "Justin Welby has now joined in this increasingly politically charged debate about energy prices - the only embarrassment really for the Church of England really is that it owns more than £7m of shares in Centrica and about £6bn of shares in SSE.

Craig added: "The remarks have been welcomed already by the Labour Party - but they will infuriate government ministers, the Prime Minister and the Energy Secretary."

An ongoing bitter political spat over energy has seen Labour leader Ed Miliband attempt to seize the initiative by pledging a 20-month-long price freeze.

But Prime Minister David Cameron has dismissed the idea as a "con", and encouraged consumers to switch suppliers to keep bills down.

But polls have suggested that Labour's promise is popular with voters, putting pressure on the coalition to respond.

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