Birmingham 'Needle' Attacks: Suspect Hunted

Detectives have released a CCTV image of a man suspected of attacking women with a hypodermic needle in Birmingham city centre.

It comes after a 30-year-old was stabbed in the thigh. The victim felt a sharp pain, which was later confirmed as a puncture wound.

Police believe a hypodermic needle may have been used in each attack

The attack happened at around 3am on November 3 and was reported to police several days later.

Officers believe it may be linked to similar attacks on a 20-year-old on June 23 and a 28-year-old on October 6.

Detective Inspector Julie Woods said police had received five reports in total over the last year-and-a-half.

She said: "Although the women have not been left with any obvious physical injuries they have had to endure an agonising wait to check that they have not suffered any long-lasting health effects.

"Whilst we have been unable to confirm exactly how the injuries were caused, it is believed that a hypodermic needle may have been used on each occasion, with young women being specifically targeted.

"Due to the nature of the offences, victims have not realised they have been injured until hours or days later, which has resulted in limited lines of enquiry.

"But we now have a particularly clear image of a man we want to identify in connection with the attacks and I would appeal for him, or anyone who knows who he may be, to come forward.

"These are strange offences and the motive at this stage is unclear, which is why it's so important for us to identify the person in this CCTV image as soon as possible."

Police patrols have been stepped up in Broad Street and around the city centre.

Anyone who recognises the suspect can call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

10.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Patient Neglect To Be Made A Criminal Offence

Wilful neglect of patients will be made a criminal offence under NHS reforms being introduced in the wake of the Mid Staffs and other care scandals.

Prime Minister David Cameron said health workers who mistreated and abused patients would face "the full force of the law" in a package of measures to be unveiled next week.

The offence will be modelled on laws against the wilful neglect of adults under the Mental Capacity Act, punishable by fines or up to five years in prison.

The move was one of the central recommendations of a patient safety review commissioned by ministers in the wake of findings that there were up to 1,200 excess deaths at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust.

It was led by Professor Don Berwick, a former adviser to US President Barack Obama, who said it was needed to target the worst cases of a "couldn't care less" attitude that led to "wilful or reckless neglect or mistreatment".

Mr Cameron said: "The NHS is full on brilliant doctors, nurses and other health workers who dedicate their lives to caring for our loved ones.

"But Mid-Staffordshire hospital showed that sometimes the standard of care is not good enough.

"Never again will we allow substandard care, cruelty or neglect to go unnoticed and unpunished.

"This offence will make clear that neglect is unacceptable and those who do so will feel the full force of the law."

10.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Snow Threat With Cold Snap 'Around The Corner'

The first low level snowfall of winter is expected as early as next week, as temperatures plummet and bitter Arctic winds blow into Britain.

Forecasters at the Met Office warned of "significant snow accumulations" over higher ground, potentially as far south as Devon, as well as in non-mountainous northern areas.

Wintry showers are expected to bring a combination of rain, sleet and snow as they are pushed southwards by northerly winds on Tuesday.

The mercury is set to drop sharply, rising barely above freezing during daytime hours for some.

Heavy snowfall in March meant many roads and railways ground to a halt

Overnight temperatures will feel as cold as minus five degrees Celsius in parts of the North of England, forecasters said.

Sky News weather producer Joanna Robinson said: "It's been a relatively mild autumn so far, but the first proper cold spell is just around the corner, reminding us that winter is upon us.

"It will turn noticeably colder early next week and by Tuesday, temperatures will range from two degrees Celsius in northern Scotland to six degrees Celsius in southern England.

"There'll be widespread frosts overnight too with a risk of icy patches.

Forecasters say it is difficult to provide a long range forecast

"The unsettled theme is likely to continue, bringing the threat of snow as it turns colder.

"The snow looks mainly confined to the hills, with a covering possible as far south as Dartmoor and Exmoor, but potentially to lower levels in the north.

"The detail of any snow is still uncertain so it's worth keeping an eye on the forecast in the coming few days."

A spokesman for the Met Office said it was difficult to predict the weather beyond the end of next week but warned temperatures are likely to be "just below average".

"Whilst there is also currently no signal for widespread wintry conditions, snow is not unusual during late November and early December," he added.

10.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Illegal Animal Item Seizures Rise By Millions

By Harriet Hadfield, Reporter

The number of endangered species items seized by the UK Border Force has increased tenfold during the past year.

The number of items confiscated has reached an all-time high

A total of 2.5 million illegal items were seized during the period 2012-13, compared with just under 250,000 in 2011-12.

Criminals can make millions of pounds each year from smuggled items ranging from ivory and rhino horn to trophy animals, birds of prey and species facing extinction.

Organised criminal gangs are believed to be behind the smuggling

In the last year, 3,890kg of medicinal products containing extracts from endangered species were seized, along with 326 items of ivory and 93 live endangered animals.

Other contraband that was seized included £4,000 shawls made of Tibetan antelope wool, books bound in elephant hide, a Rolls Royce upholstered in alligator skin and a piece of artwork featuring a rare £35,000 rock pigeon clutched between the jaws of a human skull.

Senior Officer Grant Miller displays some of the items

The seizures partly reflect a crackdown on large international smuggling organisations - who are responsible for huge shipments, often by courier, of illegal goods.

Rhino horn is widely used in traditional Chinese medicines and carries huge value on the black market.

These marine turtles were among the items

Grant Miller from the UK Border Force said: "Poaching levels are unprecedentedly high, for example we are anticipating 1,000 rhinos will be slaughtered in South Africa alone next year.

"We are seeing ivory being trafficked from Africa and new products are emerging in the health and beauty industry which are using endangered species as an active ingredient in those products."

Laws prevent the trade of goods using endangered species

The penalty for importation can be up to seven years imprisonment and an unlimited fine.

Live endangered species are sent to zoos, farms and wildlife parks around the country.

Rachel Jones from London Zoo said: "All kinds of animals, there's huge trade in reptiles, tortoises, turtles are often confiscated, and it's extremely difficult trying to find homes for these animals. Organisations like my own become saturated.

Officials say poaching levels are 'unprecedentedly high'

"The other items, for example furs and stuffed animals, are often donated to educational organisations.

"Ivory is often used for medical research but rhino horn has no value, could pose a threat so often it's burned by border officials."

10.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

TA Deaths: MoD Told To Tackle Training Risks

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has been ordered to take action to deal with risks from military selection exercises after the deaths of three Army reservists in the Brecon Beacons.

The three men died after falling ill during gruelling SAS selection training on the highest mountain in south Wales during one of the hottest days of the year.

A joint Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and police investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths is continuing.

However, the HSE has issued a notice ordering the MoD to take action to deal with the potentially fatal risks such top flight selection processes pose to those taking part.

A spokesman said: "HSE has issued a Crown Improvement Notice on the Ministry of Defence following the deaths of three Army reservists while on selection tests on the Brecon Beacons in July.

"The notice requires the Ministry to take action to deal with risks arising from its military selection exercises.

The Brecon Beacons in south Wales where the three men were training

"HSE continues to investigate the deaths, supporting Dyfed Powys Police which is leading the investigation."

Edward John Maher, 31, Craig John Roberts, 24, and James Dunsby, 31, all died as a result of taking part in the demanding SAS selection in July.

On the day in question, July 13, temperatures hit 29.5 degrees Celsius.

A number of other soldiers taking part in the assessment on the day also collapsed and needed medical attention.

An MoD spokesman said: "We have co-operated fully with the Health and Safety Executive inspectors and are implementing all the recommendations in the Crown Improvement Notice."

10.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ella Hysom: Parents Appeal For Safe Return

The parents of a 15-year-old girl who went missing while being treated for depression have appealed for help in finding their "vulnerable" daughter.

Ella Hysom, who was last seen at around 1.15pm on Monday in Ilford, east London, had been receiving treatment at a residential hospital in Goodmayes for six weeks before she vanished.

Her parents Tim and Alison Hysom, both 43, from Colchester in Essex, made an appeal for her return.

Her mother said: "Ella, darling, please get in touch. We love you so much. You are so loved by so many friends and family and we just want you back."

She added: "If anyone has seen her, please get in touch. Although she could easily pass for 18, she is only 15 and is in a weak and vulnerable position.

"She has been suffering from depression for some time and she has been receiving treatment."

Mrs Hysom, training consultant for a management training company, said that her daughter is likely to be showing signs of anxiety.

A keen rower and ballroom dancer, Ella, deputy head girl at her secondary school in Colchester, is described as a well-liked teenager.

Ella's father, a regional director for a facility management company, said: "We are trying to cope and trying to use all the means we have at our disposal to try to find Ella.

"We have been out searching, helping the police to search, using social media to try to spread the news of Ella's disappearance."

Detective Inspector John Delaney said: "We are taking this matter seriously and a lot of resources, including search teams, have been deployed.

"We are concerned for her welfare because she is vulnerable, she is suffering from depression and she is just 15.

"It is out of character and there has been no contact from her since the day she went missing."

She is described as blonde, five feet nine inches tall, and was wearing blue jeans, Ugg boots, a green coat and jumper when she was last seen.

Anyone who sees her or has information can call police 020 8345 2751 or 07979 311259, or the Missing People hotline on 116 000.

10.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Prince Charles Backs Farmers In Country Life

By David Blevins, Sky News Correspondent

A month after he took on the banks, the Prince of Wales has spoken out against the big retailers and expressed his fears for the farming community who supply them.

On the eve of his 65th birthday, His Royal Highness has guest edited a national magazine for the first time - a special edition of the rural affairs publication Country Life.

He describes the countryside as "the unacknowledged backbone of our national identity", adding, "it is as precious as any of our great cathedrals and we erode it at our peril".

"It cannot be right that a typical hill farmer earns just £12,500, with some surviving on as little as £8,000 a year, whilst the big retailers and their shareholders do so much better out of the deal, having taken none of the risk," he added.

Dean Irwin of Greenmount Farm in Richhill, County Armagh, described Prince Charles as, "a friend of the farmer" and welcomed his support for those making their living off the land.

He said: "As farmers, we are on the front line.  We have to produce to a certain specification … and if you don't meet that specification, the supermarkets don't take your product. 

Dean Irwin described Prince Charles as a 'friend of the farmer'

"The bottom line for all the supermarkets, no matter what they say, is profit."

One customer in the Greenmount Farm Shop told us she chose to go there "because I know all the meat is from the farm up the lane".  

Another added: "Supermarkets have got too big and the farmer's not getting a good deal for his product."

Mark Hedges, the editor of Country Life, said, "The Prince has become the countryside's strongest voice, his support for it is something that, as a nation, we should treasure.  What the next king thinks matters."

"There was some struggle reading his handwriting," he revealed "But he worked incredibly hard.  Some of his emails were sent at two in the morning.  He's an incredibly good writer."

The heir to the throne, who turns 65 on Thursday, would appear to have no plans for a quieter life, despite reaching the age of retirement while awaiting the ultimate promotion.

10.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

A&E Services: NHS Plans Two-Tier Service

By Thomas Moore, Health and Science Correspondent

Specialist emergency care could be concentrated in regional hospitals under radical plans for a two-tier A&E service.

NHS England is considering the new-look service as part of a major shake-up of emergency care.

It says other A&E units would not be run down and would still have the staff and resources to treat seriously ill patients.

But according to Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, NHS England's Medical Director, critical patients with complex life-threatening problems need expert care - even if it means travelling further in an ambulance.

"We have demonstrated the benefits of transferring patients far outweigh any differences in travel time," he said.

"For example, stroke care in London, where the number of services has been reduced from 32 to eight, has resulted in a significant increase in survival and a return to independent living."

Some A&E departments could end up dealing with less serious injuries

A panel of doctors has drawn up the plans for NHS England in an effort to stem the rise in demand for emergency care. The number of hospitals breaching treatment time targets has trebled in the last year.

The plans would mean many more patients being treated in the community.

:: Patients with minor problems would be given more support to look after themselves.

:: There would be an enhanced 111 phone service, with patients speaking directly to doctors and nurses.

:: And there would also be seven-day appointments with GPs.

Dr Clare Gerada, head of the Royal College of General Practitioners, cautiously welcomed the plans.

"Of course it's important that patients get the same quality of service on a Sunday afternoon as a Tuesday morning," she said.

"But it's equally important that in the quest for seven-day working we don't remove resources from where they are best used, which is in general practice, and when patients see us most, which is in the working day."

The plans also suggest specially trained paramedics could treat many 999 patients at home rather than simply transporting them to hospital.

The South East Coast Ambulance Service already has some 'paramedic practitioners', who keep 30,000 patients a year out of A&E.

Sky News spoke to 92-year old Gwendolyn Kimpton, who had a badly infected wound dressed by one of the paramedics. She said she was relieved not to be going to hospital.

"I would have been a bit frightened, I must admit," she said.

10.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Acts Of Remembrance Around UK For War Dead

The UK has stopped to remember its war dead on Armistice Day, pausing for the traditional two-minute silence at events across the country.

Acts of remembrance included a service at the national Armed Forces Memorial in Staffordshire, with Dorothy Ellis, the last surviving First World War widow, among the guests at the outdoor event.

Senior representatives of the Government and the armed forces also attended the service at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, near Burton-on-Trent.

The Portland stone memorial bears the names of more than 16,000 fallen service personnel.

Dorothy Ellis (L) looks on as wreaths are laid at the Armed Forces Memorial

Designed to complement the Cenotaph in London, which commemorates the victims of the First and Second World Wars, it honours those who have died in the line of duty since 1948.

It is designed so a shaft of sunlight shines onto its central sculpture to mark the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, in remembrance of the end of World War One.

Events held in London included one at the Lloyd's of London market in the City attended by the Chelsea Pensioners, and another in Trafalgar Square featuring musical performances and readings.

An event to mark Armistice Day in London's Trafalgar Square

Also at 11am, the funeral took place of Harold Percival, a wartime airman who died in October aged 99 with no close family or friends.

Following an internet campaign, hundreds of people attended the service at Lytham Park Crematorium in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Rev Justin Welby, visited the Cenotaph in Whitehall, as well as the Ministry of Defence where he was updated on military operations.

The funeral of Harold Percival in Lancashire

"At this time of year it's essential that we remember and give thanks for all those who gave their lives for the sake of freedom in the two World Wars, and also remember those who still risk their lives as servicemen and women in our Armed Forces," he said.

The Duke of Edinburgh at the Last Post ceremony in Ypres

"It's a time to recommit ourselves to the cause of peace and to seek to play our own small part as agents of reconciliation."

The Duke of Edinburgh travelled to Belgium to honour troops who fell in some of the First World War's deadliest battles.

The 92-year-old took part in the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate in Ypres, where he collected soil from Flanders Fields for a memorial garden at Wellington Barracks in London.

Hundreds of people gathered at the Menin Gate, a vast stone monument engraved with the names of nearly 55,000 British and Commonwealth solders who died in the First World War and whose bodies have never been recovered

President Barack Obama places a wreath

In neighbouring France, President Francois Hollande was jeered by protesters as he laid a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

In the United States, President Barack Obama attended a service for war veterans at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. 

10.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Harold Percival: WWII Veteran's Funeral Held

By Mike McCarthy, North of England Correspondent

Two thousand people have turned up to mark the funeral of a World War Two veteran who died with no close relatives or friends.

An internet campaign was launched after a Lancashire funeral director advertised the service for Harold Jellicoe Percival in a local newspaper.

Mr Percival died aged 99 last month in a nursing home. He had never married, had no children, outlived his siblings and was described as "a solitary man".

He served during the Second World War with RAF Bomber Command and worked as ground crew for the famous Dambuster Squadron.

He left the RAF after the war and led a nomadic lifestyle.

The chapel at Lytham Park Crematorium was packed for his funeral service and several hundred more people stood outside in the rain.

Funeral director Dawn Whitehead-Brown said: "It is humbling and heartwarming to see so many people who never knew this man turn up here to pay their respects.

"We had no idea what kind of response we would get when we put the ad in the paper ... but to see this turnout is unbelievable."

Many serving and former servicemen and women attended the funeral held on Armistice Day.

It began as a two-minute silence heralded by a bugler sounded the Last Post at 11am.

Mr Percival's nephew, Andrew Collier-Worsell, said the response from members of the public was "outstanding".

"It is just remarkable to see so many people turn up ... strangers ... people who never knew him in his life," he said.

"I think if he'd known, he'd have been sheltering around the corner, hiding from it all.

"He wasn't a very public man. He was a private man, a solitary loner.

"I think it shows there is a deep feeling for the veterans and the service they put in."

10.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Walk-In Centre Closures 'Threaten Communities'

By Tadhg Enright, Sky News Correspondent

More than 50 NHS walk-in centres have closed over the past three years, according to a report by a health regulator.

Monitor, the NHS watchdog for England, has blamed problems on the way the nurse-led clinics are funded and warned that further closures could undermine the equality of healthcare provision in the communities affected.

Monitor's Catherine Davies told Sky News: "A lot of patients attending walk-in centres are also registered with GPs and so when patients choose to attend a walk-in centre instead of their GP practice, the commissioner of care in their area is, in effect, having to pay twice."

Walk-in centres were launched eight years ago as an alternative to GP and A&E care. 

Most are open from early morning until late at night, seven days a week with no appointment necessary. 

Nurse practitioners treat patients for minor illnesses and injuries and GPs are often available at times when nearby practices are closed. 

Sky News visited a centre in Teddington and met Sophie Gallagher, a secondary school student who injured her wrist in a hockey game.

She said: "When I've been to Kingston A&E it took a lot longer. This place is more efficient and you get through a lot quicker."

Ms Gallagher was treated by a nurse practitioner who arranged for her to have an X-ray at the centre.

Advanced Nurse practitioner Inge Kievit

Monitor has found that of 238 walk-in centres which opened over the past decade, only 185 remain.

Its research suggests they are popular with young adults, women and people from vulnerable social groups such as the homeless, who cannot register with a local GP.

It also found some care commissioners were concerned some patients were using the service to treat ailments that did not require professional attention.

But out of 2,000 patients who were asked by Monitor what they would do if their walk-in centre closed, only 8% said they would try to treat themselves at home.

Some 21% said they would attend A&E and a further 34% would see their GP.

Teddington's walk-in centre cares for around 48,000 patients every year.

Advanced Nurse Practitioner Inge Kievit said: "If you look at this particular walk-in centre and the amount of people that we see, where would people go? And how are GP practices and A&E departments supposed to cope with the amount of people if you take walk-in centres away?"

Monitor suggests that to preserve walk-in centres, the NHS might need to re-examine the funding model for GP practices, because it pays them to have patients registered at their practices and it also pays the centres for each attendee.

Health Minister Lord Howe said: "Patients should be able to access good-quality out-of-hours NHS services without having to go to an A&E. Walk-in centres may be part of the answer but this isn't a one-size-fits-all solution.

"Family GPs, community services and pharmacists all have a part to play and it's good that Monitor is looking at how walk-in centres fit in."

10.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sir John Major Slams Affluent Dominance Of UK

Sir John Major has criticised the "truly shocking" dominance of the upper echelons of power in Britain by the privately-educated and affluent middle class.

In remarks that will sting Eton-educated David Cameron, his Conservative predecessor in Downing Street called for more to be done to boost social mobility.

The Daily Telegraph reported that the state-educated former prime minister, who left school at 16, spoke out in a speech to party members in the South Norfolk constituency.

He reportedly said: "In every single sphere of British influence, the upper echelons of power in 2013 are held overwhelmingly by the privately-educated or the affluent middle class.

"To me, from my background, I find that truly shocking."

Mr Cameron has faced claims he has surrounded himself with people from a similarly privileged family and educational background.

Sky's chief political correspondent Jon Craig said the comments were the latest in a series of "blasts" by Sir John against the Prime Minister and his Government.

"His remarks will leave a nasty taste in the mouths of senior Tories because he is attacking them over their backgrounds," he said.

The PM has been accused of creating a circle of privileged people

Sir John pinned the blame for a collapse in social mobility on Labour, which he said left a "Victorian divide between stagnation and aspiration".

He said: "I remember enough of my past to be outraged on behalf of the people abandoned when social mobility is lost.

"Our education system should help children out of the circumstances in which they were born, not lock them into the circumstances in which they were born.

"We need them to fly as high as their luck, their ability and their sheer hard graft can actually take them. And it isn't going to happen magically."

Labour leader Ed Miliband's adoption of the one nation party mantra was "absurd", he suggested.

In an appeal for unity, Sir John said the party could win the 2015 general election "but only if we pull together" - saying internal criticism could be productive but should be kept private.

The former PM, whose own time in office was plagued by internal party divisions, said: "Public criticism is destructive. Take it from me. Political parties who are divided and torn simply do not win general elections."

On one issue that has caused grass-roots dissent, gay marriage, he urged people to accept times had changed, warning it was "toxic".

And on another major area of concern, he recommended a less-confrontational approach to the threat from the UK Independence Party.

He said: "We don't need to make personal attacks on UKIP. Many of the UKIP supporters are patriotic Britons who fear their country is changing. It is far more productive to expose the follies in their policies."

Norfolk South MP Richard Bacon, who hosted the dinner, said: "It was a superb speech which drew attention to the huge damage done to social mobility, especially by the last Labour government.

"I think the coalition is acutely aware of this problem and is taking steps to address it such as cutting tax for the low paid and the pupil premium, but it is an enormous task."

10.19 | 0 komentar | Read More

Walk-In Centre Closures 'Threaten Communities'

By Tadhg Enright, Sky News Correspondent

More than 50 NHS walk-in centres have closed over the past three years, according to a report by a health regulator.

Monitor, the NHS watchdog for England, has blamed problems on the way the nurse-led clinics are funded and warned that further closures could undermine the equality of healthcare provision in the communities affected.

Monitor's Catherine Davies told Sky News: "A lot of patients attending walk-in centres are also registered with GPs and so when patients choose to attend a walk-in centre instead of their GP practice, the commissioner of care in their area is, in effect, having to pay twice."

Walk-in centres were launched eight years ago as an alternative to GP and A&E care. 

Most are open from early morning until late at night, seven days a week with no appointment necessary. 

Nurse practitioners treat patients for minor illnesses and injuries and GPs are often available at times when nearby practices are closed. 

Sky News visited a centre in Teddington and met Sophie Gallagher, a secondary school student who injured her wrist in a hockey game.

She said: "When I've been to Kingston A&E it took a lot longer. This place is more efficient and you get through a lot quicker."

Ms Gallagher was treated by a nurse practitioner who arranged for her to have an X-ray at the centre.

Advanced Nurse practitioner Inge Kievit

Monitor has found that of 238 walk-in centres which opened over the past decade, only 185 remain.

Its research suggests they are popular with young adults, women and people from vulnerable social groups such as the homeless, who cannot register with a local GP.

It also found some care commissioners were concerned some patients were using the service to treat ailments that did not require professional attention.

But out of 2,000 patients who were asked by Monitor what they would do if their walk-in centre closed, only 8% said they would try to treat themselves at home.

Some 21% said they would attend A&E and a further 34% would see their GP.

Teddington's walk-in centre cares for around 48,000 patients every year.

Advanced Nurse Practitioner Inge Kievit said: "If you look at this particular walk-in centre and the amount of people that we see, where would people go? And how are GP practices and A&E departments supposed to cope with the amount of people if you take walk-in centres away?"

Monitor suggests that to preserve walk-in centres, the NHS might need to re-examine the funding model for GP practices, because it pays them to have patients registered at their practices and it also pays the centres for each attendee.

Health Minister Lord Howe said: "Patients should be able to access good-quality out-of-hours NHS services without having to go to an A&E. Walk-in centres may be part of the answer but this isn't a one-size-fits-all solution.

"Family GPs, community services and pharmacists all have a part to play and it's good that Monitor is looking at how walk-in centres fit in."

10.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sir John Major Slams Affluent Dominance Of UK

Sir John Major has criticised the "truly shocking" dominance of the upper echelons of power in Britain by the privately-educated and affluent middle class.

In remarks that will sting Eton-educated David Cameron, his Conservative predecessor in Downing Street called for more to be done to boost social mobility.

The Daily Telegraph reported that the state-educated former prime minister, who left school at 16, spoke out in a speech to party members in the South Norfolk constituency.

He reportedly said: "In every single sphere of British influence, the upper echelons of power in 2013 are held overwhelmingly by the privately-educated or the affluent middle class.

"To me, from my background, I find that truly shocking."

Mr Cameron has faced claims he has surrounded himself with people from a similarly privileged family and educational background.

Sky's chief political correspondent Jon Craig said the comments were the latest in a series of "blasts" by Sir John against the Prime Minister and his Government.

"His remarks will leave a nasty taste in the mouths of senior Tories because he is attacking them over their backgrounds," he said.

The PM has been accused of creating a circle of privileged people

Sir John pinned the blame for a collapse in social mobility on Labour, which he said left a "Victorian divide between stagnation and aspiration".

He said: "I remember enough of my past to be outraged on behalf of the people abandoned when social mobility is lost.

"Our education system should help children out of the circumstances in which they were born, not lock them into the circumstances in which they were born.

"We need them to fly as high as their luck, their ability and their sheer hard graft can actually take them. And it isn't going to happen magically."

Labour leader Ed Miliband's adoption of the one nation party mantra was "absurd", he suggested.

In an appeal for unity, Sir John said the party could win the 2015 general election "but only if we pull together" - saying internal criticism could be productive but should be kept private.

The former PM, whose own time in office was plagued by internal party divisions, said: "Public criticism is destructive. Take it from me. Political parties who are divided and torn simply do not win general elections."

On one issue that has caused grass-roots dissent, gay marriage, he urged people to accept times had changed, warning it was "toxic".

And on another major area of concern, he recommended a less-confrontational approach to the threat from the UK Independence Party.

He said: "We don't need to make personal attacks on UKIP. Many of the UKIP supporters are patriotic Britons who fear their country is changing. It is far more productive to expose the follies in their policies."

Norfolk South MP Richard Bacon, who hosted the dinner, said: "It was a superb speech which drew attention to the huge damage done to social mobility, especially by the last Labour government.

"I think the coalition is acutely aware of this problem and is taking steps to address it such as cutting tax for the low paid and the pupil premium, but it is an enormous task."

10.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Funeral Appeal After WWII Veteran Dies Alone

Hundreds of people are expected to attend a funeral of a war veteran they never knew after it emerged he died with no close friends or relatives.

Harold Jellicoe Percival served as RAF ground crew and helped with the famous Dambusters raids during the Second World War.

He died last month aged 99 in a nursing home.

Mr Percival's funeral will be held at 11am on Armistice Day at a crematorium in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire.

The veteran never married, had no children and has no close family members able to go to the service.

A request for servicemen first went out in a local newspaper

But after publicity in local newspapers and social media, funeral directors say they are now hoping for a good turnout.

The RAF Association tweeted that its "Northern area will be in attendance" so Mr Percival "won't be alone".

Afghanistan veteran Rick Clement, who lost both legs in 2010, has been using Twitter and Facebook to urge people to turn up to pay their respects.

"Need a big favour from any military or ex serving members. This fallen soldier at 99 years old is having a funeral on Monday," he said.

"It says he has no family to attend in Lytham St Anne's. If your in the area can you give him the send off he deserves." 

He later thanked all those who had supported the appeal, saying: "Harold is going to get an amazing send off."

Comedian Jason Manford has also got behind the campaign.

Mr Percival lived in Penge, south London, before joining the RAF.

He was based in northwest England and became part of the ground crew which helped the Dambusters, the squadron which was initially formed to destroy dams in the Ruhr valley in Nazi Germany.

Mr Percival helped support the Dambusters' daring raid during World War Two

After working in Australia, he later retired to England and lived at a care home in Lytham St Annes.

Matron Janet Wareing said: "Harold was a lovely character, very strong-willed and independent.

"He was quite a private man, and he loved reading his Daily Telegraph every morning.

"We have already been contacted by military veterans who are intending to come, even though they have never met him.

"We've been told one group is looking to bring around 200 people to the service, which would be fantastic."

Mr Percival does have a nephew, David Worsell, but he is not able to attend so his son - Mr Percival's great nephew - will represent the family.

He was a distant relative of former British Prime Minister Spencer Perceval, the only PM to have ever been assassinated.

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Remembrance Day Services To Honour Veterans

War Graves 'Have Enormous Power To Engage'

Updated: 1:51am UK, Sunday 10 November 2013

By Mark Stone, Asia Correspondent, in Burma

Just outside the chaos and the buzz of Burma's largest city, Rangoon, is a place of remarkable peace and tranquility.

Set back from the busy highway linking Rangoon to the Burma's new capital city Naypyidaw is the Taukkyan War Cemetery.

Taukkyan is the final resting place for 6,426 soldiers of the Commonwealth who fought and died in one or other of the two world wars.

The headstones are lined up in perfect uniformity. I spot a Private Jones and a Corporal Johnson.

Their names seem oddly incongruous so far from 'home'. It is a reminder of just how global the two world wars were.

As always at war cemeteries, the ages are sobering. Most of those I pause by in Taukkyan are teenagers.

Around the world there are a staggering 23,000 war cemeteries just like Taukkyan.

You will find them in 153 different countries, they hold the remains and bear the names of 1.7 million individuals and they are all managed and beautifully maintained by an organisation called the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC).

"The CWGC maintains the very fabric upon which remembrance of the war dead is focussed," Peter Francis, from the CWGC, told Sky News.

"Today, the war graves and memorials are perhaps the only physical reminder of the war left. They have an enormous power in my experience to engage the individual in the war and the sacrifices made."

The gravestones that line the fields of Northern France are well-known, but similarly poignant cemeteries can be found in every country where battles of either world war were fought.

From Burma to Libya and from Turkey to Thailand they are all as moving as they are magnificent.

Some are in deserts, some in mountains, some under snow and some lined with palm trees.

Many of the cemeteries are the legacy of an extraordinary pledge made during the two world wars.

These were the days before repatriations of the like we see today. Back then, soldiers were buried where they fell, but admirable efforts were made to record each individual burial location.

When the guns fell silent, as many of the bodies as possible were 'repatriated', not home, but to a central cemetery where they could lie side-by-side.

Mr Francis points out that World War One marked a step-change in how the victims of war were remembered.

"Before the First World War it was unusual to remember the sacrifice of 'ordinary' soldiers," he explained.

"One only has to look around London and see the memorials to Generals, or go to the battlefield at Waterloo (just 100 years before the Great War) to see that there was very little to mark the sacrifice of the soldier. The First World War and the CWGC changed all that.

"It is all too easy, for those of us who have grown up with the two minute silence, the poppy, the war graves, the memorials, to think there was an inevitability about the commemoration of the war dead. That is not the case."

Along with the 6,426 marked graves at Taukkyan is a memorial wall on which are etched the names of a staggering 27,000 others who died during the battles in Burma and who have no known grave.

Burma, now Myanmar, was a battle ground for both wars and has been for many more since.

The upkeep of so many cemeteries, some in countries now the frontline of new wars, is a huge undertaking.

Mr Francis tells me about one cemetery which is a 45 minute boat ride to a remote Scottish Island. Access to another involves a dangerous journey across Libya.

"Every site, every grave is inspected, assessed and maintained by our dedicated workforce - some 1,300 strong worldwide (the vast majority gardeners and stone masons)," he told me.

"Some may stay at one cemetery their entire career, others will move from country to country. Some are even the third generation of their family to work for us - one of the nice things about the organisation is that we do have a sense of 'family'."

While there are cemeteries in unstable counties like Syria, Iraq and Libya, there are challenges even in places like the UK.

"Here in the UK we face a very peculiar challenge," Mr Francis said.

"Most people do not realise that in the UK, the Commission commemorates more than 300,000 Commonwealth servicemen and women who died in the two world wars - their graves and memorials to be found at a staggering 13,000 locations.

"There is little awareness of this. These range from small rural churchyards to large urban civic cemeteries. In essence we have to enter into 13,000 agreements to maintain these sites."

The CWGC, which is well-funded by grants from Commonwealth-member governments, expects that visitor numbers will increase by up to 30% over the next four years.

It has now embarked on a renovation and modernisation programme.

"Our headstone replacement capacity is now at 22,000 headstones a year and we are re-engraving some 19,000 headstones a year in situ - maintaining the very fabric upon which remembrance of the Great War is largely based and keeping alive in stone the names of those who died."

The commission's website now contains an interactive database allowing people to search for a relative who died in a far-away battle.

Initiatives like this help younger people connect to a past with which they no longer have a direct generational link. 

"An increased awareness of, and sense of ownership in, war graves in the UK, will greatly assist the Commission's task of caring and maintaining for these sites, some of which may have been abandoned to nature over the decades," Mr Francis said.

Back at Taukkyan, I watch one of the commission's volunteers, an elderly Burmese man. He rakes away fallen leaves from the pristine grass around the rows of graves.

Two young Burmese boys wander past. I wonder how much they know of their country's troubled history. Hopefully for them, the troubles are history.

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