Crackdown on gangs after stab death

• Seydou Diarrassouba was stabbed on Boxing Day

Police have arrested 17 suspected gang members in a bid to dampen "rising tensions" and prevent reprisal attacks following the murder of a teenager on the UK's busiest shopping street.
Seydou Diarrassouba, 18, was stabbed in the heart after a fight broke out at a Foot Locker sports shoe store on London's Oxford Street on Boxing Day.
Investigators said a number of gangs were present at the time of the killing and were aware of people wanting to "seek retaliation or revenge" for what had happened.
In order to pre-empt any further violence, officers yesterday conducted a series of raids across the capital arresting 17 people for a range of offences including grievous bodily harm, robbery, affray, intent to supply drugs, burglary, forgery and handling stolen goods. A large amount of cash was also seized.
It came after police bailed 11 people arrested over the murder or Mr Diarrassouba. The motive of the attack is yet to be established.
Met Police Commander Mak Chishty said: "We were aware of rising tensions in the wake of the murder and, having monitored the situation closely, including various comments that have been made on social networking sites, we felt it vital we take robust and prompt action in order to pre-empt any potential future violence. We don't want to see any other young person or anyone else lose their lives."
Further raids were expected across the capital. Mr Chishty added: "This is just one of a series of measures we are carrying out in order to enhance the safety of the public and visitors to London. We will continue to aggressively pursue any lawful opportunities against those who choose to become involved in violent crime and thus protect potential future victims, in line with the Commissioner's pledge on total policing."
Mr Diarrassouba, from Mitcham, south west London, died from a single stab wound which pierced his heart.
A number of weapons were recovered at the scene and police have said they are particularly interested in obtaining videos of the fight shot on camera phones. Another youth was stabbed on the same street just a few hours later.
The 11 people arrested earlier this week - two 22-year-olds, five 19-year-olds, three 17-year-olds and one 16-year-old - have been bailed to dates in mid-January. Those arrested in Friday's raids, which took place at properties in Merton, Wandsworth, Southwark and Westminster, remain in custody at various London police stations.

Two men, including a soldier, hailed as life savers

Two men, including a soldier at home on leave in Shropshire, are being hailed life savers after they helped rescue a woman from the River Severn in Shropshire in the dark.

The incident was close to Washbrook Road, Bridgnorth, on Tuesday night.
Both men went into the river and helped the woman until the emergency services arrived.
An ambulance service spokeswoman said it was not known how the woman, aged in her 50s, came to be in the river.
A spokesman said: "The emergency services were alerted to a woman in her 50s being in the river.
'Difficult and dangerous' "A 56-year-old man initially went into the water to try and help.
"He was joined shortly afterwards by a 22-year-old soldier who was walking home at the time. It is not known how long the pair were in the water for.
"The soldier went into the water up to his shoulders and held the woman afloat until firefighters were able to bring them both to the shore."
He added in the meantime the other rescuer had been helped out of the water by his wife.
He said the woman was suffering from the effects of hypothermia and was semi-conscious.
She was assessed at the scene before being taken to Princess Royal Hospital for further assessment and treatment.
The spokesman said the middle aged man refused treatment and was left at home.
The soldier, who is based at Catterick Barracks in Yorkshire and serves with the Mercian Regiment, was checked over at the scene but did not require hospital treatment.
"West Midlands Ambulance Service will be writing to the soldier's commanding officer in recognition of his efforts to help a member of the public in extremely difficult and dangerous conditions," he said.
"The service will also write to the other gentleman that went to help in recognition of his efforts too."

Duke of Edinburgh leaves hospital

The Duke of Edinburgh waved as he left Papworth Hospital

The Duke of Edinburgh has left hospital four nights after having a coronary stent fitted.

The prince, who smiled and waved to reporters as he left, has now returned to the Royal Family's Sandringham estate in Norfolk.
The 90-year-old had been in Papworth Hospital since Friday after being admitted following chest pains.
Prince Philip missed the royal Christmas celebrations and had to sit out the traditional Boxing Day shoot.
He sat upright and smiled broadly as he left the hospital.
In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: "On departure, Prince Philip thanked the staff at Papworth for the excellent care he has received during his stay.
"He is very much looking forward to rejoining his family."
Buckingham Palace also said no decision had been taken on how soon the Duke would resume public engagements or whether he would attend Sunday's service at St Mary Magdalene church on the Sandringham estate.

He left with a wave and feeling "very cheerful" according to Buckingham Palace.
What we don't know, of course, is what the doctors have told the Duke. Has he left hospital with a completely clean bill of health, or have the doctors concluded that he must now make substantial changes to his working routine?
That is something the Duke will resist. He may be 90 years old but he still regards it as his duty (and his wish) to support his wife in every way he can.
The Queen relies on his presence and his companionship, and any change in his ability to accompany her on her public duties would be a significant blow to her.
Next year is, of course, the year of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the monarch has made it clear that she wants to visit as many different parts of the UK as possible.
These programmes, together with the health of the Queen and the Duke, are very much in mind.
Officials are only too well aware that they are a couple who are of the generation which prefers to put duty first.
But the events of the past few days have brought home to people that no-one is invincible, and that there is a need now to treat the health and wellbeing of this couple as even more of a priority.

The prince is said to have been advised by doctors to rest.

BBC royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell said the prince had participated in more than 300 engagements in the last 12 months.
The Duke's next formal engagement is not until 17 January when he is due to attend a dinner at the Scott Polar Research Institute at the University of Cambridge.
He was unable to attend the Christmas Day service at the church or lead the Royal Family's shooting party on Boxing Day, as would usually be the case.
This year the prince was under doctor's orders not to leave his bed while he was kept under observation.
On his arrival at Papworth doctors discovered a blocked artery and went ahead with a "minimally invasive procedure of coronary stenting", which was declared a success.
Stenting involves inserting a tube called a stent into an artery, to improve blood flow.
It was the most serious health scare suffered by the normally spry nonagenarian.
He usually accompanies the 85-year-old monarch and in the autumn he travelled to Australia on a 11-day official visit to Perth, Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane.
Scores of police officers combed the grounds of the hospital in the early hours of this morning in preparation for the Duke's departure.

Osborne to address MPs on Vickers' report into banking

 

Mr Osborne will give a statement to Parliament after the government publishes its response to the report

Chancellor George Osborne is expected to announce to MPs that he will legislate to separate retail banking from more risky investment activities.

The move was recommended by Sir John Vickers in his report into banking, launched after the financial crisis.
Business Secretary Vince Cable told the BBC on Sunday that the government would accept the report "in full".
However, BBC Business Editor Robert Peston has learned that reform may not be the 100% as originally billed.
In one key area the banking industry has succeeded in getting the Treasury to water down one of Vickers' recommendations, he said.
This is the proposal that the biggest UK banks should have enough capital plus loans that could be converted into cash to cope with losses equal to one fifth of the size of their total balance sheet.
As Robert Peston understands it, HSBC has successfully argued that it would be disproportionately expensive for it to do this. In HSBC's case they are much bigger outside the UK than inside.
If they had to raise up to 20% of their global balance sheet they would have to raise huge amounts of expensive new capital or loans. The Treasury is to soften the blow. It will do this by requiring the big banks to raise capital and loans equivalent to 20% of that part of their balance sheet, which British tax payers would have to support in a crisis.
Banking overhaul However, our correspondent said Sir John Vickers and his commissioners had been successful in achieving most of their aims, and the UK's financial system will be overhauled.
"Our banks will in the coming five years be forced to undergo significant financial, cultural and managerial reconstruction."
Labour's shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna said the recommendations needed to be implemented in full. He told the BBC it was important that Britain had a system that could provide businesses with the credit they needed.
"Now, we still have short-term issues with the access to credit that businesses are facing, they're having problems with, and we need to make sure that it's not watered down. Which is one of the reasons we've said that the chancellor should ask Sir John Vickers to come back in twelve months' time and report on progress of implementation of those recommendations."

Even though the banks may disagree, it looks as if their expensive and intensive lobbying to get the Vickers report watered down has come to very little. Their only success has been the time frame. Banks will not be forced to partially split their investment banking divisions from their retail or High Street divisions until 2019 at the latest.
But apart from that, banks will have to begin a process to completely rearrange their corporate affairs and raise billions in additional capital, which non-UK based banks will not have to do.
Barclays boss Bob Diamond claims that the reforms will end up costing the entire banking industry up to £7bn. Before we all wipe our crocodile tears away, let's not forget who might ultimately pay for that in higher interest rates and lower borrowing amounts? You and me.

In the UK, the financial crisis started with Northern Rock being bailed out by the taxpayer, but went on to include both Lloyds and RBS receiving substantial sums of public money.

The Independent Commission on Banking was set up by the coalition Government last year to review the financial sector after the crisis.
It published its report in September and looked into ways of avoiding such bank failures in the future.
The report said it would "make it easier and less costly to resolve banks that get into trouble".
It recommended that a bank's retail business should be ring-fenced from its investment business, with this and other recommendations being implemented by 2019.
Mr Cable seems to be sticking to this timetable, promising on Sunday that "primary legislation will be done in this parliament".
He told the The Andrew Marr Show: "Our big banks were at the very centre of the financial crisis, what the Europeans call Anglo-Saxon financial capitalism. It needs reform."
Mr Osborne will give a statement to Parliament after the government publishes its response to the report.

Pair 'attempted £5,000 Coleen Rooney blackmail'

 

Coleen Rooney lost her mobile phone at a Black Eyed Peas concert last year

 

Coleen Rooney was subjected to a £5,000 blackmail plot involving hundreds of personal family photos on her mobile phone, a jury has been told.

Jennifer Green, 25, and Steven Malcolm, 42, from Manchester, deny demanding the cash from the wife of Manchester United footballer Wayne Rooney.
Both were arrested after Mrs Rooney's phone went missing at a concert at the MEN Arena in Manchester in May 2010.
The trial at Manchester Crown Court is expected to last a week.
Ms Green's partner, Lee Platt, has admitted handling stolen goods and blackmail, the jury was told.
Deborah Gould, prosecuting, said: "The prosecution case is that these two defendants together with Lee Platt, who is the partner of Jennifer Green, came into possession of the camera and the memory card and then sought by unlawful means to make money out of the situation."
Ms Gould said the defendants Ms Green, of Heaton Park Road, Blackley, and Mr Malcolm, of Silkin Court, acted as a gang.
She said they contacted Manchester United Football Club trying to extract £1,000 from Coleen Rooney's agent for return of the memory card and the photographs
.

 

Jennifer Green and Steven Malcolm deny demanding the money

She added: "Following some unpleasant publicity about Wayne Rooney, they then decided to up the ante and increased the amount of their demand to £5,000.
"They approached various media outlets including Hello magazine, The Sun and (Daily) Star with a view to selling them, these private stolen images.
"After Hello magazine informed Wayne Rooney's agent, a man called Paul Stretford, of the approach, the police were informed and decided to deploy an undercover police officer who pretended to be Coleen and Wayne Rooney's publicity agent."
The court heard the officer pretended he wanted to buy back the camera and contact was made with the gang.
The officer arranged to meet Mr Malcolm in the Marriott Hotel in Manchester city centre.
"When he arrived for the meeting, Steven Malcolm was in possession of a black folder which contained 11 sheets," Ms Gould said.
"Upon which were printed about 400 thumbnail-sized images which had come from the memory card contained within Coleen Rooney's stolen camera."
Police later found the fingerprints of Ms Green and her partner Lee Platt on pages within the folder, the jury was told.
Ms Gould said the pair, along with Mr Malcolm, were part of the plot to extract money from Mrs Rooney.
The trial continues.

Nick Clegg warns European veto 'bad for Britain'

Nick Clegg says he is 'bitterly disappointed' by Mr Cameron's veto

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg says David Cameron's veto of EU treaty changes was "bad for Britain" and could leave it "isolated and marginalised".

But he blamed French and German "intransigence" and pressure from Eurosceptic Conservatives for putting the PM in "a very difficult position".
Initially Mr Clegg said the coalition was united over the use of the veto.
But he told the BBC he had "made it clear" to Mr Cameron it was "untenable" for him to welcome the move.
Sources close to Mr Clegg have told the BBC he "couldn't believe it" when he was told the summit in Brussels had "spectacularly unravelled".
The prime minister blocked changes to the EU's Lisbon Treaty at an EU summit, arguing that the proposed changes were not in the UK's interest.
It now looks likely that all 26 other members of the European Union will agree to a new "accord" setting out tougher budget rules aimed at preventing a repeat of the current eurozone crisis.
'Bitterly disappointed' As leader of the Liberal Democrats, Mr Clegg is far more pro-European than his Conservative coalition colleagues.

The deputy prime minister claimed the outcome would have been different if he had been prime minister at the talks as he would not have to worry about Eurosceptic backbenchers”

He told the BBC's Andrew Marr programme: "I'm bitterly disappointed by the outcome of last week's summit, precisely because I think now there is a danger that the UK will be isolated and marginalised within the European Union.

"I don't think that's good for jobs, in the City or elsewhere, I don't think it's good for growth or for families up and down the country."
He said he would now be doing "everything I can to ensure this setback does not become a permanent divide".
The deputy PM said he had learned of the veto in a phone call from the prime minister at 0400 GMT, shortly before Mr Cameron gave a press conference announcing it publicly.
Asked what his reaction had been, the Lib Dem leader said: "I said this was bad for Britain.
"I made it clear that it was untenable for me to welcome it."
'Unacceptable' demands The new accord will hold eurozone members to strict budgetary rules including:

• a cap of 0.5% of GDP on countries' annual structural deficits
• "automatic consequences" for countries whose public deficit exceeds 3% of GDP
• a requirement to submit their national budgets to the European Commission, which will have the power to request that they be revised

Mr Cameron has said he was seeking certain "safeguards" from Europe on protection of the single market and the UK's financial services industry.

Businesses are now desperate to hear a positive statement from Mr Cameron about how the UK's position in the single market can somehow be buttressed”

But French President Nicolas Sarkozy called those demands "unacceptable".

Mr Clegg said unwillingness to negotiate from France and Germany, combined with "outright antagonism to all things European" from parts of the Conservative Party, had left Mr Cameron in a difficult position.
"He couldn't come back to London empty-handed because self evidently, if he'd done so, he wouldn't have been able to get whatever had been agreed through the House of Commons so all we would have had would have been a delayed crisis."
On Friday, a spokesman for Mr Clegg said he had been "consulted throughout" the 10 hours of unsuccessful negotiations in Brussels - a claim backed up by Foreign Secretary William Hague.
He told the BBC the Lib Dem leader was fully "signed up" to the decision to veto the proposed treaty.
'Better way forward' Mr Cameron will make a statement in the House of Commons on his decision on Monday - and the Labour leader called on him to use it to "explain why he did something was so bad for Britain and bad for British jobs".
"He did this because the Eurosceptic wing of the Conservative Party has effectively taken over and that isn't good for the national interest," Ed Miliband said.
"What I say to Liberal Democrats and others is that we will work with anybody who thinks this position can not stand. We must find a better way forward for Britain."

Every time the bond markets twitch I can see the finger being pointed at those awful Anglo Saxons in the City of London”

Nigel Farage UK Independence Party

Mr Hague insisted Britain was "not marginalised", and told Sky News that while "everybody knows" that the Tories and Lib Dems had different views on Europe, the negotiating position taken by Mr Cameron "was agreed in advance" with Mr Clegg's party.

But Lib Dem peer Lord Oakeshott said his party's Business Secretary Vince Cable had "given a very serious warning last Monday in the cabinet against elevating these financial regulation points into a make or break deal".
Asked about Labour's allegation that Mr Cameron did not genuinely want to reach a deal in Brussels, Lord Oakeshott told the BBC's Politics Show he believed "a walk-out quite suited him".
Mr Cameron and his Chancellor George Osborne have insisted the veto was in part to protect the City of London from excessive intervention by Europe, but Labour and the UK Independence Party have both warned that actually no additional safeguards for it were achieved.
UKIP leader Nigel Farage said the City was "under very serious threat" of "retribution", adding: "Every time the bond markets twitch I can see the finger being pointed at those awful Anglo Saxons in the City of London."
The BBC's business correspondent Joe Lynam said it was not yet clear whether the City would be better or worse off in the long term.
But he said there was a risk that British banks could be affected by deals done by the remaining 26 EU member states which cannot be blocked as unanimity is no longer required except in the case of taxation.

Sacked police chief attacked family

---

A police investigation is under way after a former police officer killed his wife and one of his children before taking his own life

A senior police officer killed his wife and six-year-old girl in a frenzied attack on his family days after being sacked.
Tobias Day, 37, left his two other children with serious injuries before killing himself, detectives believe.
The horror attack at his semi-detached home is believed to have been fuelled by his dismissal by Leicestershire Police last Thursday for misusing force computer systems.
Neighbours and colleagues spoke of their shock over the "respected" former inspector as police confirmed he was fired for "matters concerning honesty and integrity".
Day killed his teacher wife Samantha and his youngest daughter Genevieve, and attacked Kimberley, 15, and Adam, 13, before taking his own life on Thursday. The two surviving children are in serious but stable conditions at the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham.
Residents on the Days' quiet residential street in Melton Mowbray were said to have heard screams coming from their home. As officers said they were not looking for anyone else over the attacks, well-wishers laid flowers and balloons near the family home.
Neighbour Gavin Lucas said Day was well-known in the area. He said: "I saw Toby out jogging and with his children. He was a good bloke, always said hello. I wouldn't have expected this from him."
Ivan Stafford, chairman of Leicestershire Police Federation, spoke of his shock, saying Day had been "a very capable and respected inspector".
"It's absolutely tragic what has happened," he said. "It's been a real shock to the country and to Melton. It has had a huge impact on the force and it is important we have time to get to grips with what's happened."
The Independent Police Complaints Commission is assessing the circumstances of his sacking before a decision is made over a formal external investigation. The police watchdog is not understood to have been told of any complaints to police surrounding the family's welfare after Day's sacking.

Travel disruption as winds sweep south from Scotland

Road and rail travel has been disrupted today as treacherous weather conditions sweep south across the country from Scotland to Merseyside and Wales.

Strong winds batter Glasgow and the coastline at Blackpool  

Scotland is bearing the brunt of the bad weather, with schools in many parts closed and winds of up to 100mph expected.

But forecasters said low pressure over the Western Isles was causing strong gusts as far south as Merseyside and north Wales.

Coastal areas will be hardest hit and winds have already reached 54mph in Crosby, near Southport, and 56mph in Hawarden, Deeside, with speeds expected to peak at around 65mph today.

The Highways Agency has issued an "amber alert" in north-west England, warning that the worst wind conditions can be expected in Cumbria. Officials have closed the A66 between Scotch Corner and Penrith to high-sided vehicles.

A spokesman said: "Drivers of these vehicles should seek alternative trans-Pennine routes including the A69 and M62 as well as the A65.

"The Highways Agency has set signs across the regional motorway network, including the M6 to advise drivers of the restriction."
The East Coast train company said there were extended journey times on its services north of Edinburgh due to 50mph speed restrictions, while some services between London and Newcastle were also expected to be slower than normal.
Services operated by the CrossCountry, First TransPennine Express and Virgin train companies were also affected by the speed restrictions as well as flooding which hit services in the Penrith area of Cumbria.
The Erskine Bridge, linking Renfrewshire and Dunbartonshire across the River Clyde, was closed as high winds hit. The Forth Road Bridge, spanning the Firth of Forth between Edinburgh and Fife, was also shut.
Forecasters expect four inches of snow to fall in the Midlands tomorrow as the Government prepares to issue its first big freeze warning of the winter.
Blizzards, drifts and black ice are expected, and independent forecasters predicted snow as far south as the Chilterns.

Michael Barrymore admits cocaine possession

Entertainer Michael Barrymore has pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine at Ealing Magistrates' Court

Entertainer Michael Barrymore has admitted possessing cocaine that was found in his pocket after police approached his car in London.

Barrymore, 59, was detained in the early hours of 22 November after his Citroen DS3 hit a kerb in Acton.
The former host of programmes like Strike It Lucky and My Kind Of People was fined a total of £780 at Ealing Magistrates' Court.
A charge of being drunk and disorderly was withdrawn at the hearing.
Barrymore, born Michael Parker, was held after officers on routine patrol noticed damage to the Citroen, at the junction of The Vale and Dordrecht Road.
The court heard he swore at officers during an angry rant, saying: "Don't you think I've had enough... from you lot over the years?
"I know the law."

This is not part of a general lifestyle that Mr Parker is living”

Richard Gowthorpe Michael Barrymore's lawyer

After he was arrested he was seen trying to conceal a white substance in his mouth, prosecutor Sally Peters said.

A small white rock was found in his trouser pocket and Barrymore tested positive for cocaine at a police station.
He was told the fine would have been higher had he not pleaded guilty.
Barrymore's lawyer, Richard Gowthorpe, said he only had a "a very small amount" of the drug and apologised to police for his behaviour.
"In many ways it's a sad day for Mr Parker to be before the courts and he's pleaded guilty to this offence," said Mr Gowthorpe.
"Certainly he will be punished to a degree by the conviction itself.
"This behaviour is wholly out of character. This is not part of a general lifestyle that Mr Parker is living."
'Good progress' Mr Gowthorpe told the court Barrymore is no longer using drugs and had sought help after the incident, with which he was making "very good progress".
Drug worker Andrew De Cruze said: "He's undergoing cognitive behavioural therapy.
"It's something Mr Parker has found very helpful and is willing to engage further in that process.
"I would say Mr Parker is doing everything he can do address the issues."
Barrymore was also said to be receiving treatment for alcoholism.