Thai Murders: Two Men Admit Killing Britons

Two Burmese men have confessed to the murders of British backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller in Thailand, police have said.

Mr Miller, 24, from Jersey, died from drowning and a blow to the head, while Miss Witheridge, 23, from Great Yarmouth, died from head wounds on Sairee beach last month.

Their semi-naked bodies were found on the southern island of Koh Tao, near where they were staying, in the early hours of September 15.

A garden hoe with Miss Witheridge's blood on it was discovered nearby, and investigators have been searching for a blunt metal object used on Mr Miller.

Police Maj. Gen. Kiattipong Khawsamang said three Burmese workers were detained and questioned and two admitted murdering Ms Witheridge and Mr  Miller.

Video: David Miller Seen On CCTV

He said the other worker denied involvement in the attack on the island, renowned for quiet beaches and popular diving sites.

"We are interrogating them. So far, accounts from the two men matched and they confessed they killed the tourists," Kiattipong said by telephone.

Another police officer overseeing the case, Lt. Gen. Jaktip Chaijinda, said police will wait for the results of DNA tests from the suspects to see if they match samples taken from Witheridge's body.

"We will wait until the results of the DNA tests come in before making an arrest," Jaktip said.               

Thai police have searched for clues and collected DNA samples from more than 100 men on the island in the Gulf of Thailand.

Thursday's development came as the Phuket Gazette reported a Koh Tao taxi driver had accused police of trying to bribe him into giving a false testimony to frame members of a Thai football team whose DNA samples were also collected for tests.

Police had originally said they believed three men were involved in the attack.

On Wednesday, they revealed Miss Witheridge had been raped by her two killers, while a third man watched.

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1. Gallery: Thailand Beach Murders

   The family of Hannah Witheridge in Thailand. Miss Witheridge was killed alongside David Miller on a beach on Koh Tao

2. Police outside the Ware family home on Jersey. Christopher and James Ware, who were childhood friends of Mr Miller, have been questioned in Thailand as part of the investigation

3. The pair suffered "gruesome" injuries, according to police

4. The victims were staying in this hotel

5. Thai police at the scene of the beach attack

Two different semen samples were collected from her body.

Almost three weeks after the deaths police also announced they were offering a reward of more than £13,000 (700,000 baht) in an effort to catch the killers.

Thai authorities have been concerned the killings could lead to a further slump in tourism which has never recovered since the bloody protests on the streets of Bangkok that preceded a military coup in May.

On Tuesday, the country's tourism minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul announced plans to issue tourists with wristbands in the wake of the murders to help identify those who run into trouble.

Party curfews and restrictions on where they can be held are also being considered, as well as the idea of introducing a "buddy system" - pairing tourists with a local minder.

"The next step would be some sort of electronic tracking device, but this has not yet been discussed in detail," said the minister.

However, the Phuket Gazette reported the wristband idea had been dismissed by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

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Pill For Heavy Drinkers To Help Curb Cravings

Around 600,000 people in England and Wales who drink have half a bottle of wine a day are to be offered the first-ever licensed drug to help reduce alcohol consumption.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) recommended the nalmefene tablet's use after trials showed it cut drinking by 61% over six months when used with counselling.

Experts claim the drug, which costs £3 a pill, could save as many as 1,854 lives over five years and prevent 43,074 alcohol-related diseases and injuries.

Nalmefene, also known as Selincro, is the only licensed medicine which helps people reduce their drinking rather than aiding them to stop drinking altogether.

Severe alcoholics and those who are able to cut down without help would not be eligible for the drug.

It is administered orally once a day and is taken when people feel the urge drink.

It works by blocking the part of the brain which gives drinkers pleasure from alcohol, stopping them from wanting more than one drink.

Men drinking three to four pints of beer would be eligible for the drug

Men would qualify to receive the treatment if they consume 7.5 units of alcohol per day - around three to four pints of standard strength lager.

It would be offered to women who consume five units a day, which amounts to around half a bottle of wine.

Video: Female Drink-Driver Number Doubles

Professor Carole Longson, at Nice health technology evaluation centre, said: "Alcohol dependence is a serious issue for many people.

"Those who could be prescribed nalmefene have already taken the first big steps by visiting their doctor, engaging with support services and taking part in therapy programmes.

"We are pleased to be able to recommend the use of nalmefene to support people further in their efforts to fight alcohol dependence.

"When used alongside psychosocial support, nalmefene is clinically and cost effective for the NHS compared with psychosocial support alone."

A final decision to roll out the drug on the NHS in England at a cost of £288m a year will be taken in November.

It has been provided to patients in Scotland since October last year.

Video: Thousands Drinking During Pregnancy

Video: New Report On Drinking And Health

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McCanns Targeted By 'Venomous' Internet Trolls

By Martin Brunt, Crime Correspondent

The Metropolitan Police is investigating a catalogue of vile internet abuse targeting the family of Madeleine McCann including death threats, Sky News can reveal.

Officers are in talks with the Crown Prosecution Service after being handed a dossier of more than 80 pages of Tweets, Facebook posts and messages on online forums aimed at Kate and Gerry McCann.

Over the past few years hundreds of shocking messages have been posted by 'trolls' who believe - despite no evidence - that the McCanns had some involvement in the disappearance of their daughter in Portugal in 2007.

These include suggestions that the McCanns should be tortured and killed and calls for them to "burn in hell".

Some messages are even directed at Madeleine's younger siblings, now aged nine.

Video: McCanns Targeted By Internet Trolls

Manipulated images involving the McCanns - many of them graphic - are also in wide circulation online.

One troll - who uses the Twitter identity "Sweepyface" and has posted dozens of anti-McCann messages using the #mccann hashtag - was confronted by Sky News.

When asked about her use of social media to attack the couple, she replied: "I'm entitled to."

The dossier - compiled by members of the public alarmed at the online treatment of the McCanns and shown to Sky News - calls on police and MPs to act to crack down on such abuse.

The Met wrote to the campaigners: "In consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service and the McCann family the material will now be assessed and decisions made as to what further action if any should be undertaken."

Among the messages identified in the dossier is an exchange on a message board which reads: "These 2 should burn in hell"; "I will supply the petrol"; "I'll supply the lighter - happily".

Video: Sky's Martin Brunt On McCann Abuse

Other posts include: "We need some numbers for some assassins on taps", "I hope that the McCanns are living in total misery" and "I want to see them smashed up the back of a bus or trampled by horses".

In one of her tweets "Sweepyface" called for the McCanns to suffer "for the rest of their miserable lives".

In addition to threats and abuse, several trolls have claimed to live nearby to the McCanns in Leicestershire and reported on their movements.

The campaigner spearheading the appeal - who has asked to remain anonymous - told Sky News: "We're very worried that it's only going to take somebody to act out of some of these discussions, some of the threats that have been made, and we couldn't live with ourselves if that happened and we had done nothing."

Author Anthony Summers, whose book Looking for Madeleine was published last month, said: "There is a campaign of hatred against the parents.

"It is venomous and vitriolic, most of it done by cowards. We are taken aback by the extent of the sheer evil behind it all."

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Children As Young As 11 Caught Drink-Driving

Children as young as 11 have been caught drinking and driving, according to police records.

An 11-year-old was stopped in the Thames Valley area in 2011 and several 12-year-olds were apprehended in Scotland in 2012 and in Manchester in 2008.

An average of 1,000 under-18s have been convicted of drink-driving every year since 2008, according to figures obtained by in-car camera provider Nextbase.

Every week since 2008, an average of five drink-drivers under the age of 18 have been caught, the figures also revealed.

All 43 police forces in the UK have stopped under-18 drink-drivers between 2008 and 2013, with figures from Freedom of Information requests revealing the worst area in England for offenders was Greater Manchester, with 409 people arrested over the period.

Other hotspots included Scotland with 718 offenders, Hampshire with 276 and Devon and Cornwall with 241.

Nextbase said the overall number of underage drink-drive arrests had fallen year-on-year, but a number of areas including South Yorkshire, Northumbria and Kent had seen a rise.

A Department of Transport spokesman said: "Under-age driving is illegal and no person under the age of 17 should be driving a car.

"We have tough laws in place to tackle those caught driving without a licence.

"Drink-driving is a menace that costs lives, and the Government is strengthening the law to help police crack down on this problem."

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DJ Neil Fox Arrested Over Sexual Assault Claims

DJ Neil Fox has been arrested by police over four allegations of sexual assault against two women.

Three of the allegations are historical, while one is from earlier this year.

The 53-year-old Magic presenter, who is known as Doctor Fox, was questioned at a police station in central London. He was bailed later on Tuesday.

A Bauer Media spokesman said: "Bauer Media can confirm that Neil Fox, presenter of the Magic Radio breakfast show, was today arrested by Westminster Police. He is currently being questioned about various allegations.

"In the circumstances Neil will be off air from tomorrow to enable him to devote his full attention to dealing with these matters.

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1. Gallery: Profile: Neil Fox

   Born in 1961. Neil Fox first turned to radio while studying management at Bath University

2. Fox began at Radio Wyvern in Hereford. His show was called Mellow Yellow. In 1987 he joined Radio Luxembourg

3. He joined Capital Radio in late 1987, assuming the moniker 'Dr. Fox' in the early 1990s. He famously fronted the station's chart show and later went on to present the station's key drive-time slot

4. He was a judge on Pop Idol - the forerunner of X Factor - in 2002 and 2003. He was caught out by Chris Morris in an episode of spoof news show BrassEye

5. He has been awarded ten Radio Academy Awards. In 2009 he got a lifetime achievement award for his radio work

6. He is married with three children and owns homes in London and West Sussex

"All other aspects of his contract will remain unchanged while matters are resolved. We can make no further comment at this stage."

His arrest is not a part of the high-profile sex crime investigation, Operation Yewtree.

Scotland Yard has not named the broadcaster, but said a 53-year-old was questioned.

A spokeswoman said: "Officers from Westminster this morning, Tuesday, 30 September, arrested 53-year-old man following four allegations of sexual assault against two women.

"Three of the allegations are historic, one from earlier this year.

"The man was arrested at a business address in W1 and taken to a central London police station. Officers subsequently searched addresses in SW6 and the Littlehampton area of West Sussex.

"The man has now been bailed to return on a date in early December pending further enquiries."

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Alice Gross Police Find Body In River Brent

Police searching for missing teenager Alice Gross have found a body in the River Brent in west London, Scotland Yard has said.

The body has been removed from the scene and the 14-year-old's family are aware of the development.

Scotland Yard said Commander Graham McNulty will make a statement on Wednesday morning.

"Formal identification awaits and a post-mortem examination will be scheduled in due course," a Scotland Yard statement said.

"We ask the media give Alice's family and friends the privacy they require at this difficult time."

Video: Alice's Movements Reconstructed

More than 300 officers have been involved in the hunt for Alice, who failed to return to her home in Hanwell, west London, on 28 August.

She was last seen on CCTV walking along the towpath of the Grand Union Canal towards Hanwell at 4.26pm that day.

A stretch of canal was searched in the hope of finding possessions such as her iPhone - but no new leads were discovered.

Later the RAF was drafted in to help identify new search areas.

On Saturday, officers revealed that footage from 300 CCTV cameras within a six-square-mile radius was being analysed.

Video: Missing Girl's Parents' Anguish

Police received 150 phone calls after staging a reconstruction of the teenager's last-known movements.

On Monday, the operation moved to the National Trust-owned Osterley Park, in west London.

Alice's mother, Rosalind Hodgkiss, said last week: "This has obviously been a very distressing time for the whole family and every morning as Alice's disappearance grows longer and longer brings new agony, new anguish.

"We're coping as best we can and we're trying to keep hopeful.

"We've had a lot of support from the community, our family and friends, the Facebook page and the police, and we're making an appeal today to Alice, if she can hear us, that we want her to come home, that we miss her and love her."

Video: Latvia Asked For Help Over Alice

Convicted murderer Arnis Zalkalns, who was filmed cycling along the same route behind Alice, has emerged as the prime suspect in the case.

The Latvian builder was reported missing within days of her disappearance, but police stress he is just "one line of enquiry".

Zalkalns worked at a building site in Isleworth, west London, and is thought to have come to the UK in 2007.

Authorities have been criticised for apparently holding no record of his conviction for bludgeoning and stabbing his wife Rudite to death in Latvia.

He is described as white, 5ft 10in and stocky, with dark brown hair that he normally wears tied in a ponytail.

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GP Practices Face Closure Over Dangerous Care

By Thomas Moore, Health Correspondent

Up to 200 GP practices across England face the threat of closure for providing potentially dangerous care to thousands of patients, the chief inspector of family doctors has warned.

Professor Steve Field told Sky News that a handful of surgeries would be shut down straight away after being found guilty of "serious failings".

And he said scores more would be given a year to improve - or face being closed down as well.

In his first major broadcast interview, Prof Field - the Chief Inspector of GPs for the Care Quality Commission (CQC) - said preliminary inspections suggested that up to 200 of the 8,000 practices in England were failing.

Prof Field said most severe problems were found in single doctor practices

Problems included:

:: Late referrals for patients suspected of suffering from cancer, with potentially fatal consequences

:: Wrong medicines being prescribed to patients

:: Over-prescription of antibiotics

:: Child vaccinations not being stored in fridges, putting hundreds at risk

:: Out of date and unhygienic premises

:: Staff shortages and "chaotic management"

Prof Field said that the most severe problems were found in isolated, single doctor practices. "The writing is on the walls" for these type of practices, he said.

In many of these cases he said the problems had been known about for years, but authorities had not acted.

Up to 200 GP practices across England are facing the threat of closure

Prof Field's team have been carrying out pilot checks on surgeries for the past year.

Last December it was revealed that one such check had found maggots at a surgery in Nottinghamshire.

Prof Field said that preliminary results following this process suggested that 2% were failing with large variations in standards of care.

He added that when the inspections were first launched almost one third of practices were struggling to achieve all of the basic standards.

That number had now dropped to below 20%, he said.

Prof Field vowed to act against unsafe surgeries even if politicians protested at the closure of their local practices.

"While there is a small number of practices which are very worrying - probably looking at only about 2% - they can affect 100s or 1000s of patients potentially. So this is very serious.

"For the small number of practices (providing unsafe care) they will either improve or they will cease to practice. We will remove their registration."

Many other practices will be given a year to improve

Prof Field said that the 160 to 200 surgeries found to be failing will be given extra support from NHS England to help them improve.

"Unfortunately there are some ... which have gone on for years failing and people haven't drawn a line and said enough is enough. For those we will take urgent action.

"General Practice is the jewel in our crown and we're undermined by a small percentage of GPs who are not providing the care our patients deserve."

All 8,000 practices in England face inspections from next month and the CQC's findings will be published under a new Ofsted-style regime.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chair of BMA GP committee, said: "We know that  a lot of GPs are working in an environment that is extremely difficult and challenging, in premises that are not fit for purpose.

"And yet they cannot find another place to work in because there are no funds to relocate them. It would not be right to criticise or blame them for factors outside their control."

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British 'Islamic State Recruiter' Arrested

A British man has been arrested in Bangladesh on suspicion of recruiting people to fight alongside Islamic State militants in Syria.

Samiun Rahman, who is from London, arrived in the country in February to find fighters for both IS and the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, according to Monirul Islam, joint commissioner of the Detective and Criminal Intelligence Division (DCID).

"He has plans to recruit and send a team from Bangladesh to fight in Syria," Commissioner Monirul said.

Islamic State fighters have seized large parts of Iraq and Syria

Rahman, whose parents are from a town northeast of the capital Dhaka, has confessed to trying to recruit fighters for the groups, police said, although it is not clear if his efforts were successful.

He told police he had joined the Nusra Front in Syria last September and fought with the group until December 2013.

Police say Rahman returned to Britain at some point and visited other countries to recruit jihadis before going to Bangladesh to do the same.

Foreigners have travelled to Iraq and Syria to fight with IS

IS has seized large parts of Iraq and Syria in recent months, and fighting is reportedly continuing around the capital, Baghdad.

An explosion at a makeshift IS hospital has killed at least three fighters in Baquba, Diyala province on Monday, according to Sky sources.

There has also been intense fighting between Kurdish rebels and IS militants close to the Turkish border.

The US has been conducting airstrikes in Iraq since last month in a bid to reverse IS gains, and recently expanded their campaign to neighbouring Syria.

Britain joined the mission last week when MPs approved military action against the Islamists in Iraq.

Although RAF Tornados have flown a number of missions over northern Iraq since then, they have yet to fire any missiles.

Kurdish peshmerga fighters in position in Jalawla

But, a former IS fighter has told Sky News the airstrikes are backfiring, bringing extremist groups closer together.

A key part of the effort against IS are the Kurdish peshmerga battling the group in the north.

A peshmerga commander has also told Sky's Stuart Ramsey that airstrikes alone will not be enough to defeat the group.

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Alan Henning: Vigil For Hostage In Home Town

By Mike McCarthy, North Of England Correspondent

Hundreds of people have attended a vigil for British hostage Alan Henning in his local town hall.

The event in Eccles, Greater Manchester, was held 15 days after Islamic State extremists released a video in which they threatened to kill Mr Henning.

IS militants have threatened to kill Alan Henning

The taxi driver was captured in December last year after travelling to Syria with aid for refugees. 

The 47-year-old father of two had given up Christmas with his family to help a team of volunteers and was taken within half an hour of crossing the Turkish border into Syria.

Vigil organiser Irena Pistun said the community had been shocked by his plight and wanted to show support for his family.

The vigil was held as fears grow for his safety

She said: "The community wanted to come together. 

"Alan Henning's wife Barbara was really moved that we were doing this. 

"I think and I am hoping that it does sort of permeate to Alan where he his now because when I think he knows that his home town is really behind him, thinking about him, praying for him - we hope that it encourages his spirit."

Later, people gathered at a nearby recreation ground to light candles spelling out the name Alan.

Residents prayed for the safe return of the 47-year-old

Earlier this week Mr Henning's wife issued a plea to Islamic State after receiving an audio recording of her husband pleading for his life.

"We are at a loss (as to) why those leading Islamic State cannot open their hearts and minds to the facts surrounding Alan's imprisonment and why they continue to threaten his life," she said.

"I have been told that he has been to a Sharia Court and found innocent of being a spy and declared to be no threat.

"I implore Islamic State to abide by the decisions of their own justice system. Please release Alan."

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Chancellor To Abolish 'Death Tax' On Pensions

UKIP Defections: PM Did Too Little, Too Late

Updated: 10:09pm UK, Saturday 27 September 2014

By Anushka Asthana, Political Correspondent

During the 2010 election, I travelled to Rochester and Strood in Kent, where I met the Tory candidate Mark Reckless.

One thing that struck me as I watched him take to the doorsteps, was the number of constituents raising the issue of immigration.

One awkward incident involved an elderly man ranting about why he supported the far-right National Front. Mr Reckless backed off, embarrassed.

He certainly didn't share those extreme views. But it was clear then that he was a politician who was worried about immigration and angry about Europe.

I remember another conversation with Mr Reckless last year in the Commons.

Tory backbenchers were nervous about immigration, he told me. They felt David Cameron hadn't done enough, and the looming prospect of transitional controls lifted on Bulgarians and Romanians was of particular concern. 

Things could get tetchy in January 2015, he said.

Mr Cameron knew about these misgivings among his MPs and tried to act on them.

Late last year he unveiled a toughening up in the rhetoric on immigration – bringing in new rules to crack down on the access that new EU migrants would get to benefits. Then came the pledge of an EU referendum.

The hope was to appease the concerns of people like Mr Reckless, and you might have thought it was working.

After all, following the defection to UKIP of Douglas Carswell many asked the MP if he would be next. He insisted not.

When I texted Tracey Crouch, a neighbouring MP in Kent, about his decision to leave the Tories, she replied: "Nothing I can say right now would be becoming of a lady. I'm so angry. He looked me in the eye and promised he wasn't going to defect."

Others pointed out that he was openly supportive of the Conservatives as recently as yesterday.

Then he tweeted: "Good to lead coach for Team2015 campaigning in Birmingham Northfield on Sunday + will be followed by our Clacton action next Thursday."

That is why Tory sources say they are "surprised". Other MPs told me they felt "let down", "frustrated" and "fed up".

"Another battle when we should be fighting Labour," said one.

Others argued that although he had behaved irresponsibly, giving a leg-up to Ed Miliband, that a number of backbenchers were angry with the party's position on Europe.

They believe that Mr Cameron hasn't done enough to prove he can loosen Britain's ties to the EU. They want to see the issue addressed at his conference speech this week.

The problem for men like Mr Reckless is they don't share the Prime Minister's views on Europe.

Mr Cameron wants to reform the UK's relationship with the continent and then – ideally – campaign for us to stay IN.

And that is the sticking point with Mr Reckless.

The former Tory MP was clear today that he believes in an independent Britain, and wants to follow the Scotland Yes campaign with what he said was a positive, patriotic message for voters.

He wants OUT – and UKIP is the only party that is fully with him.

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Iraq: British Jets Return From Combat Mission

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

British jets armed with missiles have returned from northern Iraq, following their maiden combat mission with authorisation to conduct airstrikes.

The two Tornado GR4 fighter jets - armed with missiles for the first time - took off from RAF Akrotiri at 8.30am this morning.

In a statement, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed that no airstrikes were launched during the seven-hour mission.

"Although on this occasion no targets were identified as requiring immediate air attack by our aircraft, the intelligence gathered by the Tornados' highly sophisticated surveillance equipment will be invaluable," its spokesman added.

"We know that the very presence of coalition airpower over Iraq has a significant impact on IS's efforts to attack the Iraqi people.

"With no effective defence against airstrikes, and knowing the precision with which coalition aircraft can hit them, the terrorists are forced to be much more cautious, keeping their forces dispersed and movement inhibited."

A member of the aircrew prepares to depart on the first mission. Pic: MOD

Meanwhile, the Pentagon has confirmed that US forces have carried out airstrikes on seven targets in Syria, with missiles hitting an IS building and two armed vehicles. Three strikes were also conducted in the Iraqi city of Irbil.

The British pilots in Saturday's mission - one male, one female - were flying over Iraq according to the tasking given to them by US Central Command.

It is thought to have been a dynamic close air support mission, hitting targets if and when they reveal themselves.

The Tornados are being supported by a Voyager refuelling aircraft

Saturday's activity came after MPs overwhelmingly backed action in a vote in the House of Commons on Friday.

Parliament gave approval by 524 votes to 43 (a majority of 481) for Britain to join the US-led coalition in the Middle East.

Prime Minister David Cameron has said Britain is ready to play its part in dealing with IS.

He said: "We are one part of a large international coalition. But the crucial part of that coalition is that it is led by the Iraqi government, the legitimate government of Iraq, and its security forces.

"We are there to play our part and help deal with this appalling terrorist organisation."

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon told Sky News that Britain would select targets "in accordance with the American and international effort that's going on in Iraq".

He added: "There's fighting around these towns - we have to fit in to the day-to-day fighting and see where we can help best."

An RAF pilot at the base on Saturday morning

Meanwhile, Iraq's deputy prime minister has said Islamic State "is not just the problem of Iraq. It is the problem of all countries".

The planes have been at RAF Akrotiri for the past six weeks carrying out surveillance missions over the Middle East.

The US has been carrying out airstrikes in northern Iraq since August and France joined the mission last week.

:: Watch full coverage on Sky News Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202 and Freeview 132.

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Britain's Role In Fight Against IS Explained

Codenamed Operation Shader, the British military action now under way sees UK warplanes swap their surveillance role in Iraq for combat missions.

There are six Tornado GR4s based at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, and on missions they will be armed with Paveway and Brimstone missiles capable of hitting moving targets.

Having carried out reconnaissance missions over Iraq for the last six weeks, the pilots know the terrain well.

The combat operation is directed out of Qatar from the Al Udeid airbase - shared by both the British and US.

The man heading the RAF mission is Air commodore Al Gillespie, but it is the US directing the growing coalition air operation in Iraq, which also includes Australia, Denmark, and France.

Former RAF navigator John Nichol, who flew in the 1991 Gulf War, told Sky News: "The Americans will be telling each different nation what the target list is, where to patrol, what sort of weapons might be needed, and then they will be launched into the air."

While the Tornado aircraft is 40 years old, Mr Nichol said: "It's been hugely updated. The big updates are the weapons systems.

"When I was flying it was very much what I would call 'dumb bombs'. The weapons that this GR4 deploys are all precision-guided, very, very accurate munitions."

The planes take around two hours to reach northern Iraq from Cyprus

While the planes are capable of flying quicker than the speed of sound, on patrol the planes would travel at around 300-400mph to conserve fuel.

The Tornados fly in pairs and take around two hours to reach northern Iraq from Cyprus.

The two-man crews can be on board for up to eight hours in the cramped cockpits.

The on-board technology allows them to operate at low level, day or night and in poor weather.

During the recent reconnaissance missions the jets often refuelled in mid-air by connecting to fuel lines from an RAF Voyager plane - like "trying to refuel your car on the motorway at night, at 600mph, when the petrol station is doing 600mph", according to Mr Nichol.

The Tornado planes will be armed with precision-guided weapons

The crews are highly skilled and normally very experienced, who have flown many times over Iraq in previous deployments.

Mr Nichol said: "These are young men and women. They are trained to do a job. They want to do the job.

"I compare it to a firefighter. You never want to see anyone's house burning down but its your job to put those flames out and that's what they are getting a chance to do.

"Some of them are battle-hardened veterans, but you have the younger members there as well.

"There's an excitement about what you are going to go and do but a reality and a knowledge of what the cost could be as well."

In the absence of IS command and control centres, he believed  the air crews would be looking at the ground in "real time" for targets.

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