Downing Street flat's £30k refit

27 May 2011 Last updated at 16:54 GMT By Ross Hawkins Political correspondent, BBC News The inside of the newly revamped flat was revealed in a photograph this week The prime minister spent the full ?30,000 of taxpayers' money available to him to refurbish his official flat in the last financial year, Downing Street has confirmed.

Officials say no public money was spent on furniture, fittings or accessories.

It went instead on electrical works and plumbing, structural alterations, and painting and decorating.

Labour MP Tom Watson said the ?30,000 grant was a "hidden bonus for the PM" for a flat he lives in rent-free.

Downing Street said any cost of renovations above the ?30,000 budget was paid for by the Camerons themselves.

Earlier this week the White House released a picture of Samantha Cameron and Michelle Obama in the recently renovated flat above Number 11 Downing Street, where the PM and his family live.

The picture showed, for the first time, the newly installed kitchen.

Labour MP Mr Watson told the BBC: "Good Prime Ministers lead by example. David Cameron says the public sector should tighten belts and come clean where taxpayers' money is spent. Yet when it comes to the Downing Street flat, we see a refusal to answer even basic questions on costs. He has now been forced to admit it cost at least ?30,000 to refurbish his grace and favour home - more than a policeman's salary. Are we really all in this together?"

Downing Street sources said former Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown spent between ?28,150 and ?29,389 of the annual budget for refurbishing the PM's residence during his time in office.

Figures from the Cabinet Office show a total of ?683,102 has been spent refurbishing and renovating Number 10 since the general election.

A spokeswoman said a modernisation programme was launched in 2006 under the last government to address structural repairs in Downing Street.

Figures for previous years show almost ?1.5m was spent in 1996/1997, ?1.3m in 2007/08 and ?802,658 in 2001/02 maintaining the Downing Street estate, although these figures may include work on Numbers 10, 11 and 12.

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'Lucky' Miliband marries partner Justine

27 May 2011 Last updated at 13:10 GMT Ed Miliband and his new wife Justine

Labour leader Ed Miliband has married long-term partner Justine Thornton in a private ceremony in Nottinghamshire.

The civil ceremony took place in a luxury hotel attended by about 50 guests, including his brother David.

Mr Miliband met Ms Thornton, an environmental lawyer, in 2005 and they were engaged in March.

Before the wedding, Mr Miliband said he felt like "the luckiest guy in the world" and he was "really looking forward" to the nuptials.

'Great day'

After tying the knot in the Langar Hall country hotel near Nottingham, at a ceremony attended by family members and friends, the couple posted for pictures outside the venue.

Ms Thornton wore an ivory, empire line dress designed by Temperley while Mr Miliband wore a slate grey suit from Aquascutum.

The 25-minute ceremony included readings from Louis de Bernieres' best-selling novel Captain Corelli's Mandolin and I Carry Your Heart With Me, a poem by the American writer EE Cummings and a variety of music.

The couple used traditional wedding vows although they omitted the promise to "obey".

Following the ceremony Mr Miliband's brother, former foreign secretary David Miliband, wrote on Twitter: "Great day for Ed and Justine. They look very happy - congratulations from all the Milibands."

The Labour leader, 41, has broken with the tradition of having a best man and both he and Ms Thornton are giving speeches at the reception.

Instead of buying presents, they suggested guests give donations to children's charity Barnardo's and to Methodist Homes for the Aged.

'Right time'

Mr Miliband had faced questions about his status as an unmarried father after becoming opposition leader last September.

He told interviewers marriage was "a very important institution" but asked whether he felt it would be important, were he to become prime minister, he said he felt people were "pretty relaxed" about the issue.

But it emerged in March he had proposed last year and he told his local paper it was the "right time" for the couple to tie the knot.

Ahead of the ceremony on Friday, Mr Miliband wrote on the micro-blogging site Twitter: "Thanks for all the good wishes. Really looking forward to the day. Feel like the luckiest guy in the world to be marrying Justine."

The couple are due to take a five-day honeymoon in an undisclosed location.

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Nazi uniform ban at WWII events

27 May 2011 Last updated at 11:46 GMT The annual event is popular, attracting about 10,000 visitors Railway bosses have banned World War II re-enactors from wearing Nazi regalia during a 1940s wartime weekend.

About 10,000 people are expected at the East Lancashire Railway (ELR) event in Bury, Greater Manchester this weekend.

With a large Jewish population in the borough, organisers have said they do not want to cause offence to any visitors or local residents.

Anyone wearing a German or Axis officer uniform to the event will be asked to leave, a spokeswoman said.

Previous events have attracted bad publicity for a "small handful" of people turning up in German or Axis officer uniforms, the railway said.

'No swastikas'

"There is a large Jewish community on our doorstep in Prestwich, so obviously there was concerns raised about seeing people dressed up in German officers' uniforms.

"Clearly we don't wish to offend anyone so this year we have taken quite a clear stance towards that and are saying all wearing or German officer or Axis uniforms are banned.

Many visitors dress up and take part in battle re-enactments

"That doesn't mean you cant come dressed up and obviously a normal soldier's uniform is fine.

"It's the officers showing the swastika or the SS insignia that is really what we don't want to see."

The spokeswoman said the decision followed representations from the Jewish community in the area.

No-one from the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester could be reached for comment.

The award-winning event is now in its 13th year and attracts visitors and WWII history enthusiasts from across the north west.

The three-day programme, which starts on Saturday, covers the full 12-mile line from Bury to Heywood and Rawtenstall and includes live battle re-enactments, an authentic military camp, 1940s fashion stalls, afternoon tea dances and musicians.

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Pensioner 'kept like prisoner'

27 May 2011 Last updated at 16:37 GMT The case was heard at the High Court A court has placed a restraining order on a carer accused of maltreating her elderly step-mother.

The High Court heard how the 74-year-old was kept like a prisoner in her own home by her step-daughter.

It was revealed that the victim, who has learning difficulties, lost contact with her family six years ago.

When her brother and sister finally found her she was thin, frail and living in "solitary confinement".

Along with a restraining order, Mr Justice Weir said the defendant had seven days to produce all financial statements and documents belonging to both herself and the woman she claimed to be caring for.

The judge heard that the victim had re-married after meeting her second husband in a nursing home.

Within one month the step-daughter had arranged to remove the couple from the home and told the victim's siblings that she was going to live with their sister in England.

However, they later discovered the elderly woman living in a house in Northern Ireland. She was confined to a kitchen, with no TV or telephone.

The court heard how the victim had been told her brother and sister had died, and was often heard crying by neighbours.

Mr Justice Weir ordered that no names or addresses could be reported in order to give the woman breathing space to recover.

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Stately home murder suspect hunt

27 May 2011 Last updated at 18:18 GMT Martin Collett had been in a relationship Angela Hoyt Police have searched the grounds of a stately home in Hertfordshire for a man suspected of murdering his former partner.

The body of 34-year-old Red Cross worker Angela Hoyt was found at her home in Glebeland, Hatfield on Tuesday.

About 30 officers searched the grounds of Hatfield House after reported sightings of Martin Collett, 35.

Police believe he has connections in a number of places including Southampton, Bristol and Stratford-upon-Avon.

They had earlier said Mr Collett could be anywhere in the UK.

Det Ch Insp Mark Ross of the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit thanked members of the public who had given the force information.

He added: "Understandably this is an extremely difficult time for Angela's family and it is vitally important we trace Martin Collett as soon as possible."

Ms Hoyt's family in Canada alerted police following concerns about her which led officers to break into her home.

She is thought to have died between 22 and 24 May.

Ms Hoyt was born in Windsor, Ontario, and moved to the UK in 1999.

Angela Hoyt had been working for the Red Cross in Pakistan

She is survived by her parents, Barb and Dwight Hoyt, her identical twin sister Ami Watanabe and Ami's husband Garry, and niece and nephew Tori and Kai.

In a statement released through Hertfordshire Police, Ms Hoyt's family said: "Angela was a very ambitious and driven girl.

"She had a passion for human rights and wanted to use her work to help improve the lives of those less fortunate. She had strong opinions and convictions."

'Thoughtful treasures'

Ms Hoyt had recently returned from a three-month role in Pakistan as part of her work with the International Committee of the Red Cross.

She had been working as a public affairs and communications adviser for the organisation since February 2008.

Her family added: "Her niece and nephew were a great source of pride and she was an awesome aunt to them.

"She always picked up very thoughtful treasures for them on her travels. She was very close to her parents and twin sister.

"Angela had an infectious smile; it lit up the room."

Officers have not released any further details about how Ms Hoyt died.

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What could happen to rogue tweeters?

23 May 2011 Last updated at 13:10 GMT By Jon Kelly BBC News Magazine Wicked whispers... But how dangerous could tweeting really be? A footballer whose identity is protected by an injunction has been named by legions of ordinary Twitter users. What could happen to them?

To its enthusiasts, it is a haven of free speech - while detractors lambast it as an online Wild West.

The social networking site Twitter has found itself at the centre of the debate around the balance between open expression and privacy.

While newspapers, broadcasters and other mainstream media outlets have been bound by gagging orders, a multitude of tweets have been posted by ordinary users circulating information covered by court injunctions or so-called super-injunctions.

This intensified when a footballer, who can only be identified as CTB, obtained a High Court order asking Twitter to hand over details of users who had revealed his identity.

Within hours, hundreds more Twitter users responded by naming the player, who is taking action against ex-Big Brother star Imogen Thomas and the Sun newspaper.

The tweeters are clearly confident that they are beyond the reach of the legal system. But are they?

In theory, if a court establishes that they have breached a court order, they would be guilty of contempt of court under the law of England and Wales and liable to an unlimited fine or even a two-year prison sentence.

Continue reading the main story A super-injunction is the most powerful type of injunctionIt stops anyone publishing information about the applicant which is said to be confidential or private - but also prevents anyone from reporting that the injunction itself even exists Since January 2010 two super-injunctions have been granted. One was overturned on appeal and the second was only enforced for seven daysIn practice, however, legal analyst Joshua Rozenberg expects tweeters would find safety in numbers if enough of them defied an injunction at once.

"Certainly they are at risk, but clearly if there are a lot of them there's little chance of them being prosecuted," Rozenberg suggests.

"I'm sure the attorney general would think very carefully before launching contempt proceedings against ordinary Twitter users in these circumstances - although if there was one individual who could be seen to have instigated the whole thing, that would be very different."

Nonetheless, Rozenberg cautions that the law's application in relation to social networking sites is in its early stages and is still being tested in the courts.

Indeed, having a large enough following or a connection to the mainstream media may heighten a tweeter's likelihood of being singled out. The attorney general is being asked to consider prosecuting a journalist who allegedly broke a privacy order on Twitter.

Imogen Thomas's identity was not protected in the CTB

Nor should Twitter users assume they can write what they like with impunity, says media law consultant David Banks, co-author of McNae's Essential Law for Journalists.

Banks says courts tend to view tweets as publications, not as private conversations - a distinction which he fears many users do not appreciate.

He cites the case of Paul Chambers, who was prosecuted for posting a Twitter message about blowing up an airport. Chambers and his supporters insisted he was joking but he was found guilty of "sending a menacing electronic communication".

But Banks says the footballer's High Court bid to compel Twitter to reveal the real-life identities of users who breached the order will be difficult to enforce.

For a start, Twitter is incorporated in California, where the constitutional right to freedom of expression outweighs concerns over privacy. In addition, online publishers in the US are covered by the Communications Decency Act, which says web companies are not liable for what their users post.

Likewise, the Glasgow-based Sunday Herald became the first UK newspaper to name the footballer following legal advice that the injunction did not apply in Scotland.

Ultimately, however, Banks believes that it is not the letter of the law that protects ordinary Twitter users, but the sheer difficulty of singling out and tracking down so many offenders.

"When you've got hundreds and thousands of people tweeting the same thing, the likelihood of a prosecution is very slight," he adds.

"It's the whole 'I am Spartacus' effect - you have to think about the practicalities of successfully taking action against so many people."

Prime Minister David Cameron has said the situation is "unsustainable", suggesting the law may have to be revisited. The power of Twitter, it seems, has not yet been fully realised.

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Giggs misses training for Man Utd

Venue: Wembley Stadium, LondonDate: Saturday, 28 MayKick-off: 1945 BSTCoverage: Live commentary on BBC Radio 5 live & BBC Sport website, live TV coverage on ITV1 and Sky Sports 1Barca better now than in '09 - Ferguson

Manchester United midfielder Ryan Giggs missed Tuesday morning's open training session ahead of Saturday's Champions League final against Barcelona.

Giggs has been identified in Parliament as the married footballer named on Twitter as having an injunction over an alleged affair with a reality TV star.

The 37-year-old Welshman is not thought to be injured.

When asked about Giggs's importance to United, manager Sir Alex Ferguson said: "All the players are important to us."

Defender Rafael, midfielder Paul Scholes, goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar and striker Dimitar Berbatov also sat out the training session, which was watched by around 200 reporters.

United were beaten 2-0 by Barcelona the last time the sides met in European football's top club competition - the 2009 Champions League final - but Ferguson preferred to reflect on their two-legged semi-final from 2008, when his side kept clean sheets in both matches on their way to a 1-0 aggregate win.

"We showed fantastic concentration in those two ties," said Ferguson, whose side went on to beat Chelsea on penalties in the final.

"That is the key for us. It is an important issue in terms of Saturday."

Ferguson also acknowledged the threat of Barcelona's diminutive striker Lionel Messi, who has scored 52 goals this season and netted Barca's second in the 2009 final.

"We have played against Barcelona three times with Messi in the team," the Scot continued.

"But there is always a solution to every good player. Hopefully we can find one on Saturday.

"They have other good players though, and so do we. That is why it is such an appealing game."

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Mother held over deaths of sons

24 May 2011 Last updated at 14:21 GMT A woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the sudden deaths of her two children in Southampton.

Her two-year-old son died in January while his four-year-old brother died last month.

Post-mortem tests proved inconclusive on both children and police are awaiting further results to establish exactly how the boys died.

The 25-year-old mother, from Southampton, has been questioned and released on bail until August.

A report has been submitted to the coroner, police added.

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Ash plume hits Scottish flights

24 May 2011 Last updated at 15:02 GMT Some airlines cancelled flights, while others decided to continue operating

Severe disruption at Scottish airports caused by drifting volcanic ash from Iceland is set to continue into at least the early evening.

Thousands of passengers have been affected after airlines suspended services in and out of Scotland, with ash forecast until 1900 BST.

At 1600 BST, Edinburgh Airport confirmed that there would be no more flights on Tuesday.

It said a statement would be issued later about Wednesday's flights.

Ryanair had earlier checked in passengers at Edinburgh Airport, where it told the management it intended to fly its six scheduled flights in the afternoon and evening.

But passengers who were on board have now been taken off and Ryanair has cancelled the flights. Airlines require final approval from the CAA to take off.

Ryanair had disputed whether the ash "red zone" in Scottish airspace existed, after carrying out a test flight.

But the CAA said the flight had not gone through the high contamination area.

Airport managers in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen said the flights situation was very fluid and urged passengers to contact their airlines.

Met Office projection of the ash cloud

Airports had been warned the ash plume would cover the central belt by early morning but it was now expected to drift over Edinburgh, Glasgow and Prestwick during the afternoon.

Air traffic control organisation Nats said Scotland could be affected until at least 1900 BST.

Aberdeen Airport said it expected to be out of the high density ash area from 1300 BST and it intends to resume operations.

"There will be residual delays and cancellations throughout the day as it takes time for operations to recover," an airport spokesman said.

Glasgow Airport advised all customers to check with their airline for updates, with significant disruption anticipated as high concentrations of ash was expected to enter its airspace between 1300 BST and 1900 BST. Some passengers were being taken to Manchester by bus.

Amanda McMillan, managing director of the airport, told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme: "For us the priority is to work with the airlines and understand from them what flight schedule they intend to operate and then run the airport around that flight schedule."

Ms McMillan said a "huge review", including revised protocols, after volcanic ash disrupted UK airspace last year meant planning to handle the impact took place throughout the night with airlines.

Passenger Pat Gribbon, from Renfrew, was due to travel to Majorca from Glasgow for a holiday with his wife, Rita.

He said: "Everyone has been very helpful. It's just a question of waiting. I suppose it's just one of those things. No-one can help it, but it is frustrating. I feel sorry for people with kids."

Transport Minister Keith Brown said the Scottish government's resilience team had been meeting to assess the situation. He will also be taking part in the meeting of the UK government's Cobra emergency committee.

He said: "The ash cloud from the Grimsvotn volcano is bringing disruption to Scottish airports and based on information from the air industry, there is the possibility of significant disruption to flights arriving and departing from Scottish airports as move through the afternoon and into the evening.

"We advise all members of the public planning air travel to check with their airlines for latest advice related to the impact of volcanic ash before setting out."

Residents in parts of the Highlands have reported ash settling on cars

Highlands and Islands Airports said all morning flights to and from Inverness had been cancelled with disruption also affecting many of island airports.

Residents in the Highlands, including Inverness, Caithness and Sutherland, have reported finding their cars covered in a fine covering of brown ash.

Ryanair has objected to an order from Irish officials to ground its morning flights to and from Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen on safety grounds.

The company said it had operated a one hour "verification flight" up to 41,000ft in the "red zone" of Scottish airspace, between Prestwick, Inverness, Aberdeen and Edinburgh.

A spokesman said: "There was no visible volcanic ash cloud or any other presence of volcanic ash and the post-flight inspection revealed no evidence of volcanic ash on the airframe, wings or engines.

Continue reading the main story

The CAA can confirm that at no time did a Ryanair flight enter the notified area of high contamination ash over Scotland this morning”

End Quote CAA spokesperson "The absence of any volcanic ash in the atmosphere supports Ryanair's stated view that there is no safety threat to aircraft in this mythical 'red zone' which is another misguided invention by the UK Met Office and the CAA."

However, UK government sources questioned whether the Ryanair flight went through the ash cloud, after it was tracked on radar.

A source told the BBC that the aircraft did not go through the "red zone", where ash is at its most dense, and did not have measuring equipment on board.

A CAA spokesperson said: "The CAA can confirm that at no time did a Ryanair flight enter the notified area of high contamination ash over Scotland this morning."

Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary told BBC Radio Scotland: "Bureaucrats are covering their arses. We flew through the ash cloud at 41,000ft for an hour-and-a-half."

Flight cancellations come just over a year after another volcanic eruption in Iceland caused widespread disruption across Europe, including the closure of UK airspace, amid concerns about the damage volcanic ash could cause to engine aircraft.

This year, in the UK, the decision on whether to fly or not in ash cloud conditions is down to individual airlines, although they have to apply to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for final approval.

A number of airlines are choosing not to fly through Scottish airspace on Tuesday:

British Airways has cancelled all flights to and from Glasgow and Edinburgh on TuesdayKLM cancelled flights to and from Aberdeen, Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Newcastle as well as flights from Durham Tees Valley AirportEasyJet cancelled flights to and from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Aberdeen through until 1900 BST. It hopes to operate an Aberdeen-Luton flight laterRyanair said it was going ahead with flights from Edinburgh after its test flight, but then cancelled all Scottish flightsFlybe cancelled flights to and from Aberdeen and Inverness but it expected to resume these in the afternoonBMI said flights to and from Aberdeen were subject to delay, but all services in and out of Glasgow and Edinburgh on Tuesday were cancelled. It hopes to resume flights on Wednesday Glasgow-based Loganair has cancelled a large number flights. Only inter-island routes in Orkney are unaffected, with a small number flights to Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles also expected to fly in the afternoonEastern Airways will not be operating any services in or out of Scottish airspace

Since last year, the CAA has graded ash levels as low, medium or high, and airlines are notified if levels reach medium or high.

All British aircraft can fly in medium-density ash but the airlines need to consider whether to fly, according to risk assessments.

A CAA spokesman said the current cloud could "potentially" cause serious disruption as charts showed that the ash density below 35,000ft had reached the highest level at more than 4,000 microgrammes per cubic metre.

The Foreign Office is advising passengers to remain in regular contact with their travel agent or airline for the latest news on the status of flights and bookings.

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Thousands face ash flight delays

24 May 2011 Last updated at 15:51 GMT Eurocontrol's Brian Flynn explains how the ash cloud is being monitored as passengers wait at airports in northern Europe

Thousands of passengers have had their flights cancelled because of drifting ash from an Icelandic volcano.

Airports affected include Londonderry, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Prestwick, Durham Tees Valley, Newcastle and Carlisle, air traffic services company Nats said.

The UK's emergency response committee, Cobra, met to discuss the knock-on effects of the ash cloud.

Air traffic management body Eurocontrol said about 500 flights were cancelled across Europe on Tuesday.

UK air traffic control service Nats said the ash cloud would continue to affect flights from some airports in Scotland and northern England from 1900 BST on Tuesday until 0100 BST on Wednesday.

Transport Secretary Philip Hammond, who led the Cobra talks, said although there would be widespread disruption for Scottish airports, it was unlikely to last long.

"At the moment the model suggests that disruption later in the week is likely to be limited, but of course the weather patterns are changing all the time," he said.

The Met Office said the ash had reached northern Scotland and would spread across much of the UK by the end of the day.

But forecasters said changing wind patterns made it hard to predict its exact path and concentrations would vary between regions.

The following airlines have announced cancellations:

British Airways will not operate any flights to and from Glasgow, Edinburgh and Newcastle on TuesdayKLM cancelled flights to and from Aberdeen, Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Newcastle as well as from Durham Tees Valley AirportAer Lingus cancelled 12 flights to and from Glasgow, Aberdeen and EdinburghFlybe cancelled 11 flights to and from ScotlandBMI has cancelled all flights from Edinburgh and Glasgow for the rest of TuesdayLoganair, based in Glasgow, has cancelled 38 flights. Only inter-island routes in Orkney are unaffectedEastern Airways will not be operating any services in or out of Scottish airspaceEasyjet has cancelled flights to and from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Aberdeen and Newcastle until 1900 BSTRyanair has cancelled all flights to and from Scotland for the rest of Tuesday

Minor air traffic disruptions were also reported in Norway and a small part of Denmark.

Despite later cancelling its flights, the Irish carrier Ryanair claimed it had made a test flight through ash over Scotland and challenged a ruling some flights should be grounded.

Ryanair said its 90-minute flight at 41,000ft showed there was "no visible volcanic ash cloud or evidence of ash on the airframe, wings or engines".

Ryanair said the "red zone" over Scottish airspace where ash has been classified "high-density" was invented by the Met Office and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Continue reading the main story During last year's disruption, the advice was for planes to avoid the ash at all costsSince then, the CAA has worked towards a better understanding of what engines can takeThere are now three recognised levels of ash concentrationLow: 0 to 0.002 grammes per cubic metreMedium: 0.002 to 0.004 grammes per cubic metreHigh: Over 0.004 grammes per cubic metreThere are no restrictions on flying in low ash concentrationHowever if an airline wants planes to fly through medium or high concentration ash, it must put forward a "safety case" to its aviation authority showing it has assessed whether the aircraft will be able to copeThe safety case includes information from a series of tests and from consultations between the airlines and plane manufacturersBut a CAA spokesperson said: "The CAA can confirm that at no time did a Ryanair flight enter the notified area of high contamination ash over Scotland this morning."

BBC transport correspondent Richard Scott said the CAA confirmed Ryanair were being, at best, "misleading".

The cancellations come just over a year after another volcanic eruption in Iceland caused widespread disruption across Europe, including the closure of UK airspace, amid concerns about the damage volcanic ash could cause to engine aircraft.

This year, in the UK, the decision on whether to fly or not in ash cloud conditions is down to individual airlines subject to aviation authority approval.

The CAA said procedures were "totally different" to last year and although no airlines had applied to fly in high-density ash, some had applied for, and been given, permission to fly in medium ash.

The Grimsvotn volcano in Vatnajokull National Park began erupting on Saturday and closed Iceland's airspace for a period.

Experts say the eruption is on a different scale to the one last year and ash particles are larger and, as a result, fall to the ground more quickly.

Frances Tuke, from travel industry body Abta, urged passengers to contact their airlines, which he said had legal obligations to their customers.

He said passengers could have a claim under European "denied boarding" regulations.

These state that if a flight is cancelled or delayed for more than five hours, passengers are entitled to be either re-routed, given a replacement flight, or a refund.

Since last year, the CAA has graded ash levels as low, medium or high, and airlines are notified if levels reach medium or high.

All British aircraft can fly in medium-density ash but the airlines need to consider whether to fly, according to risk assessments.

The Foreign Office is advising passengers to remain in regular contact with their travel agent or airline for the latest news on the status of flights and bookings.

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Davis wins 1975 conviction appeal

24 May 2011 Last updated at 12:09 GMT George Davis: "This is a bitter sweet moment for me."

A man who continually denied involvement in an armed robbery has won an appeal against his conviction.

George Davis was jailed for 20 years for armed robbery and wounding, after a raid in April 1974 at the then London Electricity Board, in Essex.

Three appeal court judges allowed the conviction challenge brought by Davis, who is now 69, and lives in London.

Davis, who said he was not seeking compensation, was delighted but described it as a bitter-sweet moment.

Evidence to show the convictions were unsafe "had been in the hands of the authorities since 1977", lawyers said.

The convictions were referred to the Court of Appeal by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), an independent body which investigates possible miscarriages of justice.

Announcing the decision Lord Justice Hughes said "new material affecting the identifications of the two policemen at the scene of the robbery is of considerable significance".

George Davis's case attracted widespread attention

He said: "We do not know whether Davis was guilty or not, but his conviction cannot be said to be safe."

After the ruling, Davis said in a statement: "I am, of course, delighted that my conviction has been quashed.

"I have been protesting my innocence since 1974."

Davis was tried, along with three other defendants, in 1975 but was the only one found guilty.

He was sentenced to 20 years in prison but released the following year after the then Home Secretary Roy Jenkins said there was serious doubt about his identification.

Lord Hughes said this was done on the basis he (Mr Jenkins) was "satisfied that the identification evidence has been seriously weakened" but he did not "have the evidence of innocence to justify recommending a free pardon".

He said the Court of Appeal was in "a similar state of ignorance whether or not the defendant committed this robbery and we are unable positively to exonerate him".

During the 1970s, Davis's case attracted widespread attention with punk band Sham 69 writing a song about him.

His campaigners insisted he was the victim of mistaken identity and had not taken part in the robbery in which a police officer was shot in the leg and injured.

Roger Daltrey, frontman of The Who, wore a T-shirt proclaiming Davis's innocence, with the convicted man's name daubed across railway and road bridges.

Davis said: "I have made it clear that I have no intention of seeking compensation for my wrongful conviction.

"I have pursued this appeal for all these years because I wanted all those people who worked for, and helped, the campaign in the 1970s to know that their support was justified."

The appeal was heard in February before Lord Justice Hughes, Mr Justice Henriques and Mrs Justice Macur.

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UK borrowing reaches April record

24 May 2011 Last updated at 10:11 GMT April's borrowing figure was higher than analysts expected The UK saw its worst April public sector net borrowing on record last month as tax receipts fell, the Office for National Statistics said.

Public borrowing, excluding financial interventions such as bank bail-outs, hit ?10bn, compared with ?7.3bn the previous year.

The ONS said tax receipts in April last year were boosted by a one-off bank payroll tax which raised ?3.5bn.

April's figure was higher than many analysts' expectations of about ?6.5bn.

Economists said the figures were a surprising disappointment.

"The public finances have got off to a pretty bad start this year," said Hetal Mehta, at Daiwa Capital Markets. She warned that the position could worsen if economic growth was weaker than expected.

Samuel Tombs, at Capital Economics, said he believed the government would struggle to meet its borrowing forecasts this year.

Continue reading the main story Hugh Pym Chief economics correspondent, BBC News

On the face of it these are embarrassing figures for the government - embarking on a deficit reduction programme, they have begun the financial year with record borrowing.

The government borrowed nearly ?10bn in April, up from just over ?7bn a year earlier.

But the Treasury argues that whereas the April 2010 figures benefited from the one-off bank bonus tax payment - the new bank levy is spread more evenly across the year.

And there was brighter news for George Osborne with last year's borrowing total now revised down by ?2bn.

However, he added: "Nonetheless, these are just one set of figures and the trend in borrowing should improve as more of the spending cuts kick in later this year."

There was some good news for the government as borrowing figures for the year to March 2011 were revised downwards to ?139.4bn, from ?141.1bn.

The revision was mainly due to the tax take being boosted from a rise in VAT to 20% from 17.5%, said the ONS.

But the higher-than-expected borrowing in April pushed the government's debt to a record ?910.1bn, or 60.1% of GDP.

A spokesman for the Treasury said: "One-off factors affected borrowing, but it is clear from the downward revision to last year's borrowing figures that the government's deficit reduction strategy is making headway in dealing with our unsustainable deficit."

Government spending in April was 5% higher than a year ago at ?54.1bn.

Restoring stability

David Kern, chief economist at the British Chambers of Commerce, said it was clear that the government's plans to reduce the deficit by more than ?20bn over the year was proving difficult.

But he said the government must press on with its plans. "The fragility of the economic recovery is creating a difficult backdrop, but the government must not deviate from its strategy to restore stability in the UK's public finances," he said.

"Businesses support the measures being taken to reduce the deficit, and the emphasis should be on spending cuts rather than tax increases," Mr Kern said.

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Tory MEP attacked over Clarke row

24 May 2011 Last updated at 15:25 GMT Tory MEP Roger Helmer has courted controversy in the past A Tory MEP has been criticised after saying some rape victims "share part of the responsibility" for their attacks.

Roger Helmer said a woman opting not to have sex with her boyfriend after going to bed with him had "established reasonable expectations in his mind".

He also argued Ken Clarke was "unfairly treated" when he appeared to suggest some rapes were worse than others.

The Tories disowned the MEP's comments and said they "did not reflect" the justice secretary's earlier remarks.

Mr Clarke last week faced calls to resign by Labour leader Ed Miliband after he appeared to suggest in a BBC interview that some rapes were more serious than others.

'Different motives'

He later clarified the remarks and apologised if they had been misunderstood. He was due to have a private meeting on Tuesday with a rape victim who criticised his policies on BBC Radio 5 Live.

Mr Helmer, an outspoken member of the European Parliament, defended Mr Clarke in a blog entry entitled "badly phrased but basically right", saying the justice secretary had been "very unfairly treated" by sections of the media.

"While agreeing that rape is always wrong, never defensible, that no means no, he is also saying that the term covers a variety of circumstances and motivations and degrees of culpability and that sentencing policy should reflect that," he wrote.

"Surely this proposition is so self-evident that it is difficult to see what all the fuss is about."

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While agreeing that rape is always wrong, never defensible, that no means no, he (Ken Clarke) is also saying that the term covers a variety of circumstances and motivations and degrees of culpability”

End Quote Roger Helmer MEP While all rapists deserved to be convicted, the MEP suggested that different "rape scenarios" involved different levels of culpability as far as the assailant was concerned and should incur different punishments.

He differentiated between what he said was "stranger-rape" in which a woman is randomly attacked, raped and left unconscious, and "date rape" in which a woman says no to sex with her boyfriend having got into bed with him but "the man is unable to restrain himself and carries on".

"Whereas in the first case, I'd again be happy to hang the guy, I think that most right-thinking people would expect a much lighter sentence in the second case," he added.

"Rape is always wrong but not always equally culpable."

The MEP then proceeded to make comments which he said would "certainly get me vilified".

"While in the first case, the blame is squarely on the perpetrator and does not attach to the victim, in the second case the victim surely shares a part of the responsibility, if only for establishing reasonable expectations in her boyfriend's mind."

'Outrageous'

The MEP's remarks have been attacked across the political spectrum.

Tory MP Louise Bagshawe said Mr Helmer "speaks for himself alone" while Labour frontbencher Caroline Flint said the remarks were "outrageous" and called on the MEP to retract them.

In a statement, the Conservatives said "this is clearly not the view of the Conservative Party or the UK delegation in the European Parliament and does not reflect the comments made by Ken Clarke".

Five Tory MPs declined to back Mr Clarke in a debate on Monday on plans to halve the prison terms of criminals who plead guilty early on while one called for him to quit so the Conservatives can restore its reputation as a "party of law and order".

Mr Clarke insisted he had no plans to cut sentences for convicted criminals and that judges would still have discretion to set appropriate sentences. He accused Labour of "pathetic" bandwagon jumping.

The proposals, contained in a Green Paper, are still under consideration, but had been backed by Prime Minister David Cameron, the justice secretary added.

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Teenagers' murderer loses appeal

24 May 2011 Last updated at 11:13 GMT David McIlwaine and Andrew Robb were murdered in County Armagh The Court of Appeal has dismissed the appeal of a man convicted of the murder of two teenagers in County Armagh.

Stephen Leslie Brown, 30, was found guilty in 2009 of the murders of David McIlwaine and Andrew Robb.

The victims' mutilated bodies were found on an isolated country road near Tandragee, in February 2000.

Brown's appeal was based on the reliance of the evidence of Mark Burcombe, who admitted a lesser charge over the murders.

Counsel for Brown contended that the trial judge erred by not rejecting Burcombe's evidence in light of a number of alleged inconsistencies and falsehoods.

However, Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan said: "The meticulous and careful manner in which the learned trial judge reviewed the detail of Burcombe's evidence and assessed him as a witness demonstrated the rigorous scrutiny which was required.

"We conclude, therefore, that we do not consider that the reliance by the trial judge on the evidence of Burcombe was unsafe, nor did it engender any unease in respect of the conclusions reached."

Burcombe claimed in evidence that he saw Brown repeatedly knife David McIlwaine as he lay on the ground.

In his appeal, Brown also submitted that even if Burcombe's evidence was accepted it did not follow that he should have been convicted of the murder of Andrew Robb.

'Abundant material'

Brown claimed there was no eyewitness evidence of that murder and that there was no direct evidence that he had a knife at the time of the attack.

The Court of Appeal rejected this submission.

The Lord Chief Justice said this was a case where there was abundant material to support the conclusion that Brown was voluntarily present at the scene of the murder.

Burcombe's evidence identified another man - Noel Dillon, who has since killed himself - as being involved with Brown in the murders.

The Lord Chief Justice said: "Brown had driven the car in which the deceased were taken to a remote and isolated spot. Robb was then taken off by Brown and Dillon to a quiet part of the country road where he was the subject of a vicious and savage attack.

"The injuries sustained by Robb reveal the ferocity of the attack. The direct attack was carried out by one or both of Brown and Dillon.

"Both came swaggering back towards the car after the attack at which point Brown launched a vicious attack upon McIlwaine.

"He then encouraged Dillon to cut his throat. Brown then himself further attacked McIlwaine with the knife as he lay on the road and thereafter disposed of the knife."

He added that that Brown and Dillon knew or believed that they were encouraging each other.

While it was not possible to attribute specific actions to either of them, their subsequent behaviour was a clear indicator of their approval of the method of attack on Robb and their intention to kill.

Mr McIlwaine, 18, and Mr Robb, 19, - who had no paramilitary connections - were murdered after Mr Robb allegedly made derogatory remarks about UVF commander Richard Jameson who had been shot dead two weeks previously.

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Schoolboy hitman

24 May 2011 Last updated at 10:01 GMT By Chris Summers BBC News The victim died in her mother's arms

Two people have been jailed for life for the murder of a young woman who was shot dead at point blank range and died in her mother's arms.

Detectives were shocked to learn her killer was a 15-year-old schoolboy, who was paid only ?200.

When the young mother was shot dead on the eve of her son's ninth birthday detectives were initially baffled.

Gulistan Subasi, 26, lived in Turkey but had returned to London to see her son, who was living with relatives of her estranged husband.

Fortunately a CCTV camera had caught the killing on camera.

The footage shows Santre Sanchez Gayle ringing the doorbell and waiting calmly and patiently for Ms Subasi to open the door before blasting her from point blank range with a sawn-off shotgun.

Off camera she collapsed and died in the arms of her mother, Dondu.

Police were shocked at the killer's tender age

Hooded and hiding his face from the camera, the assassin gave the impression of being an experienced professional hitman.

Which is why Det Ch Insp Jackie Sebire and her team were so shocked when they discovered he was a schoolboy.

She said: "When we saw the CCTV we all thought it was a professional hitman. There was no hesitation and he shows no nerves. It did not look like a 15-year-old boy."

A minicab driver who unwittingly took the killer to and from the crime scene in Clapton, east London, later testified that Gayle - streetname "Riot" - appeared totally normal when he got back into the taxi.

Initally police were baffled by the murder. Det Insp Chalmers said: "We absolutely did not have a clue. We were at a dead end."

However, the teenager killer bragged about the killing to friends in Willesden, north-west London, and it was this loose talk which unlocked the case.

Izak Billy, 21, a member of the Kensal Green Boys (KGB) gang in north-west London, had been threatening to kill a teenager called Ryan Hatunga.

Mr Hatunga told police that Billy - a drug dealer with the street name Iceman - had threatened to shoot him because he knew about the murder of "a Turkish woman".

Mr Hatunga made a statement that the killer had confessed to carrying out the shooting and that he had been taken there by taxi, and that a security grille covered the door of the victim's flat.

Gulistan Subasi died almost instantly after answering the door of her mother's flat

Det Insp Chalmers said: "When I heard about the grille I knew only the killer could have known about that. We had never revealed that."

In a second statement Mr Hatunga said the killer had told him his payment for the murder had been just ?200.

But Det Insp Chalmers said: "I think he thought he was going to get more money for it.

"My gut feeling is that the money was an element, but there must have been a lot of peer pressure, kudos, [and] an attempt to impress older members of the gang."

He said of the killer: "He is not a very bright lad. He did not have good schooling or much parental control.

"He was easily manipulated. In many ways he himself is a victim."

Ms Subasi was estranged from Serdar Ozbek - the father of her son. She was due to get married in Turkey that summer, and had mentioned regaining custody of her son.

This was said in court to have been the motive for her killing.

Calls from Turkey

Det Ch Insp Sebire said it took a lot of detective work to fit the pieces together.

Police examined hundreds of mobile phone records, eventually focussing on a flurry of calls in the days running up to the murder.

"That call is the contract being put out on Gulistan and within hours Billy has spoken to [the killer] and he is on his way over to do a recce," says Det Insp Chalmers.

Izaak Billy, known as Iceman, cajoled Gayle into carrying out the murder

Billy, understood to have received ?2,000 for his part in the contract killing, arranged for the killer to be shown the flat and may have obtained the murder weapon.

At 2020 GMT on 22 March 2010 there was a knock on the door of the home in Clapton.

In a witness statement Ms Subasi's mother later said: "I said, 'No, daughter, we don't know who is at the door, I will answer the door'.

"But she didn't listen to me."

Det Insp Chalmers said he believed Ms Subasi might have opened the door because she hoped it might be someone bringing her son to see her on the eve of his birthday.

She had bought him a present and was desperate to see him.

After working out the conspiracy the police eventually rounded up their suspects.

Killers in the family

Mr Ozbek was cleared of murder, as were Paul Nicalaou, 29, of Tottenham and Leigh Bryan, 25, of Hornsey.

Gayle was jailed for life and must serve a minimum of 20 years.

Billy, 22, of Willesden, was given life and must serve 22 years.

It can now be revealed that Gayle was related to two other young men who are in jail serving life sentences for unconnected murders.

His half-brother was Lloywen Carty, who in December 2006 was locked up for a minimum of 30 years for the murder of 27-year-old Lee Subaran at the Notting Hill Carnival.

A month earlier Carty's half-brother Donnel Carty, was given a life sentence for murdering City lawyer Tom ap Rhys Pryce, during a botched mugging in Kensal Green.

Chris.Summers-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk

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Oranges and sunshine

24 May 2011 Last updated at 11:17 GMT Many of the children were told a life of adventure awaited them in Australia Of all the stories that I have covered in Australia, few have been as moving or enraging as the treatment of the British child migrants.

It was also the story where I probably came closest to crossing the line that separates journalism from advocacy. At the time, victims were pressing for an apology from the British government, which ultimately came to be delivered by the then prime minister, Gordon Brown, in February last year.

Yet how could one not be angered by the treatment of more than 150,000 children who were forcibly relocated from Britain to corners of its empire and commonwealth - a practice that continued until the late 1960s? More than 7,000 children were shipped to Australia, and many were tricked into thinking they were embarking on a life of adventure and abundance.

Many ended up in orphanages and institutions where they were treated harshly and in many instances physically and sexually abused. Some were told they were orphans, the cruellest of fictions, since often their parents were still alive.

Many parents were informed by officials that their children had been adopted by British families, when they had actually been shipped abroad - castaways of the empire.

I well remember writing this story, and thinking that I must have got things terribly wrong. It was simply too bad to be true. But the sin was of omission. The piece merely scratched at the surface, and told the stories of only a few child migrants and highlighted just a few instances of abuse.

Many child migrants were promised oranges and sunshine on arrival in Australia, which is the title of a new film chronicling their plight that goes on general release next month - it has been out for a few months in Britain already.

It follows the story of Margaret Humphreys, the Nottingham social worker who first became aware of the problem when a child migrant contacted her from Sydney in the hope of retracing her British parents.

Official denial

Disbelief at the treatment of the children quickly turns to outrage when she realises how many youngsters were affected and how little successive British and Australian governments had done to assist them - or even publicly acknowledge their existence. The policy in both hemispheres was one of official denial.

Emily Watson (pictured with Hugo Weaving) plays social worker Margaret Humphreys

Margaret Humphreys, who is played by the actress Emily Watson in the film, has essentially ended up commuting between Nottingham and Australia for the past three decades.

Documenting the full extent of the problem - the most Herculean of tasks given the numbers involved - exposing criminal abuse, counselling the victims and reuniting separated families has become her life's work. Emily Watson captures her sensitivity, steeliness and bravery - for there were times when her safety was at risk.

Her husband, Merv, who played a key role in the investigation, also emerges as a hero. So, too, does Nottinghamshire County Council, which helped fund their early work.

Two of Australia's finest actors, Hugo Weaver and David Wenham, play child migrants struggling, in their very different ways, to make sense of the deception and mistreatment that scarred them so profoundly.

As an aside, Adelaide doubles as Perth in the 1980s, because the capital of Western Australia looks so shiny and new.

I saw the movie at its Sydney premiere on Monday night, and it's a very affecting piece of cinema. Directing his first film, Jim Loach - the son of Ken - has done a fine job. I should have taken tissues, and would urge you to do so.

For those unaware of the story of the child migrants - it was little known until the Observer newspaper in Britain shone a spotlight on the Humphreys work in 1987 - the film will be deeply upsetting. For those who know the story, Oranges and Sunshine still has the capacity to shock.

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Murray advances into second round

By Piers Newbery
BBC Sport at Roland Garros Venue: Roland Garros, ParisDate: 22 May-5 JuneCoverage: Watch live on BBC Red Button/online (UK only) & text commentary (#bbctennis) on BBC Sport website from 1000 BST; daily highlights programme on BBC Two; updates & commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live/5 live sports extra Murray's serve helped to blow away the crowd favourite Prodon from Paris Andy Murray made it through the first round of the French Open in straight sets but it was not the most comfortable of starts for Britain's number one.

Murray, the fourth seed, beat French qualifier Eric Prodon 6-4 6-1 6-3 and will face Italian Simone Bolelli in round two on Thursday.

The 24-year-old Scot has suffered some surprising defeats this year and had been at pains before his opener at Roland Garros to avoid talk of a mismatch, but the formbook suggested otherwise.

Prodon was playing his first ever match in the main draw of a Grand Slam at the age of 29 and had never previously beaten a player inside the world's top 100.

And although he might have had the support of the home crowd, the scheduling did him no favours as the usually vibrant Court Suzanne Lenglen was hardly a cauldron at 1100 local time.

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He changed the rhythm and the pace of the ball a lot, so I was finding it tough and was annoyed with the way I was moving

Andy Murray

Still, it was the biggest match of Prodon's life and he at least made an impression, with Murray sure to remember the Frenchman's drop shot for some time to come.

Three in the opening game had Murray scrambling unsuccessfully, only for Prodon to miss a backhand on break point, but a huge forehand winner in the following game served notice that he knew his way around a clay court.

Murray was the class act, however, and when he broke for 3-1 after a couple of Prodon errors, the story of the match appeared to be in place.

This was one of those scratchy, irritable days for Murray though and when serving for the set he almost gave it away, a double fault handing Prodon two break-back points and the Frenchman converting the first with a brilliant drop shot.

Murray reacted immediately, stepping up the aggression on his return of serve to force a set point in game 10 and taking it when Prodon sent a backhand wide.

The second set was over within 25 minutes after Murray grabbed the first break in a lengthy game four, and with the winners starting to flow he looked ready to close out the match swiftly, but the frustrated outbursts and glances to his player's box continued.

He appeared to know before anyone else that there was another twist to come and two errors allowed Prodon to break for 3-1 in the second set, enlivening the now considerably fuller stadium.

But it was a final flourish for the world number 124 rather than the start of a fightback and, again, Murray went through the gears when necessary, reeling off five games in a row to secure a scoreline that looked a lot more straightforward than much of the action.

"It was a tough match," Murray said afterwards. "There was no rhythm really to the match. He didn't want to have any long rallies so he was hitting a lot of drop shots.

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It's a miracle that I finished the match and played three sets with nothing in my stomach since last night. Of course it is frustrating, I really wanted to play a real match against him

Eric Prodon

"He changed the rhythm and the pace of the ball a lot, so I was finding it tough and was annoyed with the way I was moving.

"I was hitting the ball well, especially towards the end of the match, and served well but there weren't any good rallies really because they were all pretty short.

"I was told going in he's very unpredictable. That's why it was a difficult match and just a quite frustrating one to play, because even though I was in front, all of the points were just really scrappy until the end when I went behind."

Asked specifically about the number of drop shots Prodon played, Murray admitted: "The way I was dealing with them, I would have kept hitting them too.

"I hardly won a point when he had a drop shot today. I was getting to most of them, just not really doing much with them, so I'll do some work on that tomorrow on the practice court."

Prodon consulted the doctor at various times during the match and revealed afterwards that, as well as struggling with ongoing abdominal pain, he was also suffering from suspected gastroenteritis.

The Frenchman stated: "It's a miracle that I finished the match and played three sets with nothing in my stomach since last night. Of course it is frustrating. He's a good player and I really wanted to play a real match against him.

"I succeeded sometimes to do a few good things. But it felt frustrating to not be able to deliver during this kind of match."

Prodon felt his unfamiliarity was an advantage at the start of the match but he conceded he could not find the consistency to exploit Murray's lapses.

"I felt he was a bit tense to begin with," he added. "Like any other big player, when they walk on court in the first round, it's never too easy. They need to find their landmarks, discover who the opponent is, because he didn't know me.

"But once he started finding his way around, he released his shots during the second set. Even in the third set I managed to gather some energy to try to destabilise him. But he came back into the match very quickly because I was not consistent enough."

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'No decision' on UK helicopters

24 May 2011 Last updated at 14:40 GMT France is said to be deploying Tigre and Gazelle helicopters No decision has been made on whether to deploy UK Apache helicopters to Libya, the government has said, contradicting claims by a French minister.

French Defence Minister Gerard Longuet said on Monday that Britain would follow France in using attack helicopters against Col Gaddafi.

But UK defence minister Nick Harvey contradicted Mr Longuet's claim.

His clarification came after Labour tabled an urgent question about the reported "escalation" of the mission.

Mr Longuet told reporters at an EU meeting on Monday: "The British, who have assets similar to ours, will also commit. The sooner the better is what the British think."

But Mr Harvey told the Commons: "My understanding is that the French have indeed taken a decision to deploy their attack helicopters in Libya.

"I state again for the avoidance of all doubt: no such decision has been taken by the United Kingdom.

'Tactical shift'

"It is an option we are considering and there is absolutely no sense in which it is true to say that we have kept Parliament in the dark about a decision."

The use of helicopters would not represent an escalation of the mission, he insisted, but only a "tactical shift" to improve the ability to strike moving targets more precisely.

BBC defence correspondent Caroline Wyatt said the UK's Apache attack helicopters could deploy from HMS Ocean, the Royal Navy's largest warship.

Experts say the helicopters are able to identity targets quickly, but they are more vulnerable than the strike aircraft.

Nato jets have been targeting Col Gaddafi's military infrastructure, but have been unable to stop the fighting on the ground.

Late on Monday, several massive explosions were heard in the capital, Tripoli, including close to Col Gaddafi's Bab al-Aziziya compound.

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Cameron defies Clegg on Ashcroft

24 May 2011 Last updated at 16:08 GMT Lord Ashcroft was made a peer in 2000 David Cameron gave a government advisory post to Conservative donor Lord Ashcroft despite objections from Nick Clegg, the BBC understands.

The peer and former Tory deputy chairman will lead a review of the UK's military bases in Cyprus.

But he has come under fire from Labour and Lib Dem MPs, including the deputy prime minister, over his tax status.

A source said Mr Clegg made it clear he was "not keen" on the appointment, but the prime minister chose to go ahead.

In a statement, Defence Secretary Liam Fox confirmed that Lord Ashcroft would undertake the role of senior independent advisor to the review of the Cyprus bases.

He will work alongside Conservative MP and former Army officer Patrick Mercer.

Government sources say Lord Ashcroft's appointment is unpaid, short term and advisory only. The study, due to be completed by the end of 2011, is part of the strategic defence review.

More than 3,000 UK personnel are stationed in two bases, Akrotiri and Dhekelia, on the Mediterranean island.

'To the wall'

In the run up to last year's general election, Lord Ashcroft was the subject of fierce criticism from Mr Clegg.

The future deputy PM said it was "wholly wrong" that someone "seeking to influence the outcome of the general election" sought to pay taxes "only partially" in the UK.

The peer confirmed in March that he did have so-called "non-dom" status, but later renounced it in order to keep his seat in the Lords.

A non-dom is someone who is resident in the UK but not domiciled in the UK for tax purposes - although they will pay some UK tax, they will not be fully taxed in the UK on their interests overseas.

Following the announcement of Lord Ashcroft's appointment, a senior Liberal Democrat source told the BBC: "We knew about it, but we were not keen.

"The prime minister made it clear he really wanted to do this, but it was not the appointment we would have made.

"You cannot go to the wall on every single appointment, but we made it clear we were not keen."

Lord Ashcroft has donated more than ?4m to the party in recent years, much of which has been spent on campaigns by Tory candidates in marginal seats.

There had been speculation for a number of years that he was a "non-dom", but both he and the Conservatives had previously refused to clarify the matter.

He was appointed a peer in 2000 by then Conservative leader William Hague.

'Sinister'

Lord Ashcroft has longstanding connections with the military and was heavily involved in the Imperial War Museum.

He also owns the world's largest collection of Victoria Crosses - Britain's highest military honour.

But BBC News Channel's chief political correspondent Laura Kuenssberg said his appointment would inevitably be controversial, particularly among Liberal Democrat MPs, many of whom are now in government.

One of those angry at the decision was Lord Oakeshott, former Lib Dem Treasury spokesman in the Lords.

"Even [President] Obama's visit cant hide this sinister news, which Liberal Democrats will find deeply offensive," he told the BBC.

"Lord Ashcroft's qualifications for this task are his collection of old Victoria Crosses, years of private plane and yacht rides with William Hague, and a decade of vast Tory donations as a secret non dom.

"The government has still not brought in the simple order needed to ban non-dom donations to political parties under the 2009 Political Parties and Elections Act. The Queen's Speech promised to remove big money from politics, not reward big donors.

"What on earth is his hold over Cameron and Hague?"

For Labour, Shadow Defence Secretary Jim Murphy said: "People will be surprised that such a contentious and controversial character has been put in charge of something as strategically important as British bases in Cyprus.

"The Tories' major donor should not write government policy. Many in the Armed Forces will be bewildered by this decision.

"There needs to be ministerial involvement in this. Military expertise, not the self interest of the coalition parties, must drive the study."

The strategic defence review was announced by the government in October 2010 and set out ways to cut defence spending by 8% over four years.

Among the plans was a commitment to bring home some 20,000 UK personnel currently stationed in Germany by 2020.

The bases in Cyprus are used to give the UK a foothold at a strategic point in the Mediterranean, and the MoD describes RAF Akrotiri in particular as "an important staging post for military aircraft".

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Giggs row MP denies flouting law

24 May 2011 Last updated at 16:02 GMT Mr Hemming named Ryan Giggs in the Commons John Hemming has denied accusations that he abused parliamentary privilege by naming the footballer at the centre of a super-injunctions row.

The Lib Dem MP argued he had not used privilege at all as he could have named Ryan Giggs outside the Commons - because his name was already public.

But Labour's John Cryer suggested it had been an "act of gross opportunism by a politician on an ego trip".

MPs are protected from prosecution over statements made in Parliament.

Birmingham Yardley MP Mr Hemming named Giggs on Monday as the footballer who had used a super-injunction to hide an alleged affair.

But some of his fellow parliamentarians have questioned whether it was an appropriate use of parliamentary privilege to expose a footballer.

'Above the law'

On Tuesday Labour's Stella Creasy asked Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg: "Could the deputy prime minister update the House on discussions he has had with government and party colleagues on the circumstances in which Parliamentarians should be above the rule of law?"

Mr Clegg replied: "I don't think anyone should be above the rule of law and if we don't like the law we should act as legislators to change the law and not flout it."

Labour MP Mr Cryer went further, telling MPs on Tuesday: "I think a lot of people in [the Commons] and outside find it very difficult to to see exactly what the public interest is in naming that footballer, apart from an act of gross opportunism by a politician on an ego trip."

He asked that the Speaker "reiterate the traditional attitudes of the House towards this kind of gross abuse of privilege".

Commons Speaker John Bercow rebuked Mr Hemming on Monday, telling him that "occasions such as this are occasions for raising the issues of principle involved, not seeking to flout for whatever purpose".

But on Tuesday, Mr Hemming denied he had used parliamentary privilege at all - arguing Giggs's name was already in the public domain, having been published on the internet, and that he would not have been prosecuted for contempt of court if he had named him outside Parliament.

"Privilege is an important issue and it does need to be used responsibly," he said.

"To have abused privilege I had to use it in the first instance, no one has evidenced to me the basis upon which it would have been contempt of court for me to make the speech I made yesterday (Monday) outside the House - and if it wasn't contempt of court outside the House it can not be an abuse of privilege."

'Judge and jury'

The footballer's lawyers have also obtained a High Court order asking Twitter to reveal details of users who had revealed his identity after thousands named him.

Mr Hemming has argued it was that move which prompted him to take action on Monday.

He told MPs he had a "long term concern about secrecy in court processes", adding he was concerned that legal action had been "kicked off against users of Twitter": "Someone should not be able to hide behind anonymity to take action against others."

But he admitted he had not seen the injunction in the Giggs case - Conservative MP Adam Afriyie asked him: "Why he thinks he is the judge and jury on whether or not certain people under court order should be named in this place?"

Mr Hemming is not the only Lib Dem to reveal details of injunctions in Parliament. Last week Lord Stoneham - acting on behalf of Lord Oakshott - also revealed details of the privacy order made in the Fred Goodwin case in the House of Lords.

Conservative backbencher Peter Bone, who told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "John Hemming has had a long history of campaigning against super injunctions and secrecy and if he feels he wants to do that then he has an absolute right - within the rules and regulations of the House of Commons."

But he noted that the Commons Speaker did "jump in and suggest he was a little more careful about what he said".

Last week the most senior judge in England and Wales, Lord Judge, questioned "whether it's a very good idea for our law makers to be flouting a court order just because they disagree with a court order, or for that matter, because they disagree with the law of privacy which Parliament has created".

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Queen greets Obama on state visit

24 May 2011 Last updated at 16:20 GMT The Queen welcomes President Obama to Buckingham Palace

The Queen has greeted US President Barack Obama, and his wife Michelle, at the start of his first UK state visit.

The Obamas also met Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall and spent 20 minutes with newlyweds the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

They have laid a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey and will attend a state banquet at Buckingham Palace.

It came after David Cameron and Mr Obama spoke of "essential" UK-US ties.

'Common interests'

In a joint article in the Times, Mr Obama and Mr Cameron said of their countries' relationship: "Ours is not just a special relationship, it is an essential relationship - for us and for the world.

Continue reading the main story James Landale Deputy political editor, BBC News

Whenever a US president comes here there is always a slightly tortuous debate on whether or not the relationship is still special or not.

Both sides have decided the best way of avoiding that debate is to come up with a new wording entirely. They have a new adjective. It is now an essential relationship.

In a joint article for the Times newspaper, the prime minister and the president say the relationship between their countries was based originally on what they called emotional connections, sentiment and the ties of people and culture but now it thrives on common interests and shared values.

So what they are trying to focus on here now is more business-like pragmatism rather than any idea of appealing to the mythology of past historic links.

"When the United States and Britain stand together, our people and people around the world can become more secure and more prosperous.

"The reason it thrives is because it advances our common interests and shared values. It is a perfect alignment of what we both need and what we both believe."

The presidential pair's visit to Westminster Abbey included an impromptu meeting with choirboys, when Mr Obama was teased by his wife for his lack of singing talent.

"He insisted on speaking to each one of them and shaking their hands," the Dean, Dr John Hall said.

"He said that he liked to think he could sing and Mrs Obama said 'Well, he can't really, he can dance'."

Mr Obama briefly met the prime minister in Downing Street ahead of talks on Wednesday. They then left together for a surprise visit to the Globe Academy in Southwark, south London.

The leaders' talks are likely to focus on the Middle East and the ongoing conflict in Libya.

David and Samantha Cameron greet Barack and Michelle Obama

In their article, they also vowed not to abandon the protesters fighting for democracy in Arab countries, writing that they would "stand with those who want to bring light into dark, support those who seek freedom in place of repression, aid those laying the building blocks of democracy.

"We will not stand by as their aspirations get crushed in a hail of bombs, bullets and mortar fire.

"We are reluctant to use force, but when our interests and values come together, we know we have a responsibility to act."

BBC diplomatic correspondent Bridget Kendall said the two countries were anxious to play up their closeness.

"Security is the secret glue at the core of the special relationship, and that bond is being strengthened," our correspondent said.

"Behind the flags and formalities, be sure there are tensions, but in this era of tightened budgets and sudden crises, there's a new eagerness to work together."

Mr Obama arrived in the UK from the Republic of Ireland a day ahead of schedule on Monday, to avoid any disruption from a volcanic ash cloud.

After the president was welcomed by Prince Charles and his wife at the US ambassador's residence Winfield House in Regent's Park, his cavalcade made its way to Buckingham Palace where he joined the Queen.

They briefly met the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge before moving to the palace gardens where there was a ceremonial welcome, including a 41-gun salute.

There was an exchange of gifts, with the Obamas presenting the Queen with a collection of memorabilia and photographs from her parents' 1939 visit to the US.

They also received a selection of letters from the royal achives, between past US presidents and English monarchs.

When President Obama was shown letters and artefacts charting Britain's loss of the American colonies, he joked: "That was only a temporary blip in the relationship."

The royal newlyweds spent 20 minutes with the Obamas, but will not attend the state banquet

Michelle Obama was also given an antique brooch made of gold and red coral in the form of roses.

Number 10 barbecue

The Obamas have now returned to Buckingham Palace, where they are due to meet Labour leader Ed Miliband.

In the evening there will be a state banquet at the palace, where they will stay overnight.

Charles Anson, former press secretary to the Queen, told the BBC the banquet would be a "glittering" affair and one that was "full of warmth" as well as formality.

Wednesday's itinerary will include talks with the prime minister before Mr Obama is joined by his wife and British and American military veterans for a barbecue at Number 10.

They will visit the Houses of Parliament and give a speech about US foreign policy to MPs in Westminster Hall, before a return banquet at Winfield House, where the Queen will formally say farewell.

The state visit to the UK is the 101st to be hosted by the Queen but only the third involving a US president in 100 years. The last US president to visit officially was George Bush in 2003.

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UKIP MEP defects to Conservatives

24 May 2011 Last updated at 16:07 GMT Mr Campbell Bannerman has rejoined the Conservatives after seven years in UKIP One of the most senior figures in the UK Independence Party, David Campbell Bannerman, has defected to the Tories.

Mr Campbell Bannerman, one of UKIP's 12 MEPs in the European Parliament and deputy leader, lost out to Nigel Farage in a leadership contest in November.

He said he had been "impressed" by David Cameron's leadership while UKIP was beset by "internal fighting" and was not a "credible" political force.

UKIP said the MEP had "put career before principle" and should resign.

Mr Campbell Bannerman left the Conservatives for UKIP in 2004, accusing the party - at the time led by Michael Howard - of a "two-faced" policy on Europe and was elected an MEP in 2009.

The MEP's return to the Tories comes just weeks after one of its other MEPs, Marta Andreasen, called for Mr Farage to stand down after what she said were "dismal" results in English council elections.

'Recent failings'

UKIP failed to increase its number of councillors despite Mr Farage claiming it was on course for significant gains.

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UKIP has confirmed it is not a serious, credible, fully-fledged political party but merely a pressure group”

End Quote David Campbell Bannerman Conservative MEP Explaining his decision to swap sides, Mr Campbell Bannerman - MEP for the East of England - said UKIP had become "obsessed with single issue politics, internal fighting and shouting from the sidelines".

"With the recent failings in domestic elections, the ditching of policies and the lack of any credible plan, UKIP has confirmed it is not a serious, credible, fully-fledged political party but merely a pressure group," he said.

The MEP said he still supported the UK leaving the EU - in direct conflict with official Conservative policy - but it was better for the UK to "fight its corner" to get as much out of the 27-member union as possible.

He added: "I have been pleased with the robust stance taken by David Cameron and Conservative MEPs over the EU Budget negotiations and I believe that it is Conservative MEPs who are working hard to defend Britain's interests."

Mr Campbell Bannerman will join the European Conservatives and Reformists Group within the European Parliament which the Conservatives controversially joined in 2009 after leaving the European People's Party.

Foreign Secretary William Hague said Mr Campbell Bannerman would make a "valuable" contribution to their work.

"The Conservative Party is bringing in people who want to work in the national interest to sort out Britain's problems," he said.

'Some nerve'

But UKIP said Mr Campbell Bannerman was "obviously disappointed" by his performance in last year's leadership election, in which he came a distant second to Mr Farage.

"It is clear that David Campbell Bannerman has decided to put career before principle," a party spokesman said.

"David has expressed his admiration for David Cameron, who has announced that he will not give the people of this country a referendum on Europe because he believes we should stay in. He has some nerve criticising UKIP's credibility."

The party said Mr Campbell Bannerman had agreed, when he was chosen as a candidate in 2008, to represent UKIP for the full five-year parliamentary term or stand down.

"We call on him to resign so that we can get a real Eurosceptic to take his place," the spokesman added.

As recently as last June, Mr Campbell Bannerman criticised Mr Cameron's record on Europe telling the Guardian newspaper that the "British people face higher prices all because this coalition has not got the stomach to either get our rebate back or suspend EU payments until it has its accounts signed off".

Before joining UKIP in 2004, Mr Campbell Bannerman was a Conservative activist and former special adviser to the Conservative Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Patrick Mayhew.

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Energy plan protesters at Senedd

24 May 2011 Last updated at 12:29 GMT Protesters say there should be a ban on any further wind farm construction until planning guidance is reviewed

Around 1,500 people objecting to controversial power and wind energy plans in mid Wales have gathered for a protest in Cardiff Bay.

Four campaigners against a network of pylons have ended a six-day walk from Welshpool, Powys, and have been joined at the Senedd by wind farm opponents.

Dozens of pylons, some measuring 154ft (47m), and a substation are earmarked to connect with about 10 wind farms.

The Welsh Government said it was determined to cut carbon emissions.

Politicians from the four main parties in mid and west Wales, including Montgomeryshire MP Glyn Davies, who called for the protest, were addressing the crowd in Cardiff Bay, and three petitions will be handed to the Welsh Government.

Protesters are opposing plans for dozens of pylons and a substation

In 2005 the Welsh Government unveiled seven areas across mid and south Wales, known as Tan 8, which had been chosen for wind farm development.

In mid Wales, it could mean a line of 50 metre (164ft) pylons carrying 400,000 volt electricity cables from Montgomeryshire to near Shrewsbury.

Tan 8 was part of the UK Government's energy policy to increase the amount of electricity from renewable sources to 10% by 2010, but Wales has exceeded this and produces about 13%.

'Economic error'

Mr Davies compared the plan to the flooding of Tryweryn, near Bala, where a reservoir was created in the 1960s to provide water for Liverpool.

"If the assembly members who are here now allow this project to go ahead we want them to know that in half a century they will be remembered," he said.

"This is our Tryweryn and we are going to fight and they will be remembered if they carry on."

Continue reading the main story

We believe a small number of wind farms clustered in strategic areas is better than a large number of smaller wind farms across Wales”

End Quote Welsh Government spokesman Addressing the protesters, weather presenter Sian Lloyd added: "Some people in this rather attractive building here want to destroy magnificent mid Wales.

"Are we going to let them turn rural Wales into one gigantic power plant?"

The Welsh Government said it was "determined to see Wales cut its carbon emissions and use more renewable energy".

A spokesman added: "As well as wind - biomass, marine and micro generation sources, all have their part to play.

"Our planning policy, informed by independent research, identifies seven areas for the development of wind farms to minimise the proliferation of large scale wind farms. We believe a small number of wind farms clustered in strategic areas is better than a large number of smaller wind farms across Wales."

He said all planning applications for wind farms were subject to a strict planning process which considered "their impact on the environment, and local community".

Green solution

Nick Larder, 54, one of the four campaigners who started walking from Welshpool last Thursday, said they had received "massive support" along the route.

"There are lots of green solutions out there, but wind power is nothing to do with a green solution," he added.

Fellow walker Ifan Davies, 29, said: "Wind power only works on a local scale. It doesn't work on a national scale."

The National Grid urged people to take part in the public consultation process which has been extended until 20 June.

Wind turbines have long faced criticism from some local people, but complaints have grown since plans were unveiled for a 19-acre substation in Powys, and dozens of pylons.

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Bitter-sweet

24 May 2011 Last updated at 12:59 GMT By Andy Dangerfield BBC News, London Mr Davis said his successful appeal would not have been possible without his campaigners' support Punk band Sham 69 wrote a song about him, The Who's Roger Daltrey wore a T-shirt declaring his innocence and his name became part of criminal folklore.

During the 1970s, George Davis's name was painted across road and railway bridges as his case attracted widespread attention.

His supporters insisted he was the victim of mistaken identity and had not taken part in a robbery in Essex in 1974 in which a police officer was shot in the leg and injured.

Nearly 40 years on, they have reason to celebrate. Mr Davis, 69, has won his appeal against his conviction.

Friend 'ecstatic'

The former minicab driver, who lives in London, said the ruling was "a bitter-sweet moment".

Mr Davis, who had always claimed he had been falsely identified, said: "I am, of course, delighted that my conviction has been quashed," he said.

"I have pursued this appeal for all these years because I wanted all those people who worked for, and helped, the campaign in the 1970s to know that their support was justified."

Rose-Marie Davis, former wife of George, had to be cut from chains in Fleet Street

His loyal friend Peter Etchells, who was formerly known as Peter Chappell, said: "I'm ecstatic for the people that believed in me - and there were thousands of them, tens of thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands of people in this country - believed in the message that I was putting out."

During the 1970s, Mr Davis's friends, family and former wife, Rose, embarked on a high-profile bid to expose what they believed was a miscarriage of justice.

His supporters wore countless badges and T-shirts branding the words: "George Davis Is Innocent OK."

Punk band Sham 69 wrote a song of the same name.

To attract media attention, campaigners chained themselves across Fleet Street.

Meanwhile, Mr Etchells drove his lorry into the front doors or up the steps of the offices of many national newspapers.

'Telling truth'

To attract more attention still, he then drove into the gates of Buckingham Palace.

In 1975, campaigners, calling for Mr Davis's release vandalised the pitch at Headingley cricket ground in Leeds.

They dug holes in the pitch and poured oil over one end of the wicket.

The walls surrounding the ground were also daubed with slogans demanding Mr Davis' release.

Graffiti appeared on road and railway bridges following George Davis's conviction

The next day the pitch's groundsman George Cawthray said: "When I first saw the damage it did not sink in. I was amazed."

The campaigners' actions led to the final match between England and Australia being abandoned and declared a draw robbing England of the chance to win back the Ashes.

But the campaign may have paid off.

Home Secretary Roy Jenkins said there was serious doubt about Mr Davis's identification and asked for a review of the case. In May, 1976, he was released.

But it has taken more than three decades for Mr Davis to successfully win his appeal.

"!t should not have taken 36 long years for me to be able to stand here like this," he said.

"This would not have been possible without the help of my good friend Peter Chappell [now Peter Etchells] and his wife Shirley, my late ex-wife and all of those people who worked with the campaign," he added.

Mr Etchells said: "They didn't know that George Davis was innocent, but they believed in me.

"I want to say to all those people - serious people, workers, progressive people in the middle class -I want to say to them all 'thank you very much and I was telling the truth'."

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Pirates film plunders box office

24 May 2011 Last updated at 12:28 GMT Penelope Cruz, right, joins Johnny Depp, left, in the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean film The fourth instalment in The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has become the biggest UK box office opener so far this year.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides made ?11.6m during its first weekend.

But it made less in its first few days than the previous Pirates film, At World's End, which took ?13.4m four years ago.

Fast and Furious 5 stayed at number two on the chart, with takings of ?537,617.

Thor dropped from top spot to number three while Insidious remained at four.

The two other new entries in the top 10 were thriller Blitz, starring Jason Statham and Paddy Considine, and comedy drama Win Win.

The fourth Pirates film took slightly more in its opening weekend than the second movie, Dead Man's Chest, which took ?11.4m in 2006.

On Stranger Tides stars Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz and Ian McShane.

Figures courtesy of Screen International

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Animal detectives

24 May 2011 Last updated at 10:21 GMT Dozens of swans have been slaughtered around the UK this year, a serial cat killer is on the loose in Norfolk, and over the past three decades hundreds of horses have been mutilated. But how is serial animal violence investigated, asks Tom de Castella.

Most people have seen enough television shows and read enough newspaper reports to know what happens when a murder investigation starts.

The crime scene is sealed off, forensic officers move in looking for fingerprints and DNA evidence, detectives go door- to-door. But what's the procedure for investigators when the victim of a killing is an animal?

Every month gruesome cases come to light. Swans are regularly in the firing line. At least 40 of the birds were killed by humans in Somerset during the first three months of the year.

Killers John Duffy and David Mulcahy are believed to have tortured animals

In the last 10 days four men have been arrested over the shooting of eight swans near Stoke-on-Trent. And last week a man was convicted at Harrogate Magistrates' Court for killing a swan with a shotgun.

Meanwhile the number of cats killed around one street in the Norfolk village of Harleston has risen to at least 10 in the past four years. And since the 1980s there have been hundreds, possibly thousands, of horses slashed, mutilated and sexually assaulted across Britain. In Essex this month a Shetland pony was sexually assaulted and then hacked to death. So how do the RSPCA investigate such violent sprees?

Without witnesses, killings are difficult to crack, says Andy Shipp, a senior prosecution case manager at the charity. "It's pretty rare to just have a dead animal. Unless you've got something else to go on, you're up against it."

Inspectors often employ common police procedures. At the crime scene they take photographs of the dead or injured animal and collect forensic evidence for fingerprinting and DNA testing.

Shipp recalls a case in Staffordshire where a cow was found alive with a crossbow bolt through its head. The local inspector tracked down the killer by collecting DNA evidence from a discarded bolt in the field. The DNA matched up to a young man on the DNA register and he was successfully prosecuted.

Continue reading the main story

Dr Gary Macpherson, consultant forensic clinical psychologist

Animal cruelty is widely known in psychology as a "red flag" indicator of psychopathy and future aggressive behaviour. Animal crime involves a callous disregard for living creatures and a lack of empathy which may translate into the way an offender views human beings.

There is a wealth of evidence to show that psychopathic individuals in particular have a history of cruelty and sadistic acts to animals. I have encountered offenders with a history of cruelty to animals.

There's no hard and fast rule about degrees of cruelty. I presume that the closer the animal is to the human hierarchy the worse it is.

There are multiple reasons why a person chooses to engage in animal cruelty - psychological reasons or reasons related to mental illness or 'hearing voices'.

In a few cases it's sheer sadistic badness.

A post-mortem examination is carried out by an animal pathologist to establish cause of death, although it may not ascertain precise details, such as which poison has been used.

Collars and microchips can lead investigators to the owner. CCTV footage is another tool that can capture crucial evidence, such as when a woman in Coventry dumped a cat into a wheelie bin.

Inspectors looking for witnesses carry out door-to-door inquiries and if all else fails the RSPCA will make an appeal via the local press.

In extreme cases - such as the killing of swans in Somerset - the RSPCA works closely with police. There have been no convictions for the killings but a man has been charged with the unlawful possession of a shotgun.

The RSPCA can also bring in its own Special Operations Unit, a plain clothes team with expertise in surveillance and forensics used to tackle dog fighting and badger digging.

According to Barry Fryer, chief superintendent of the unit, forensics is becoming increasingly important. "If a man has got badger blood on his jeans we can compare it with an animal at the crime scene. Our database will show the odds of those two samples being the same and link it to the criminals."

Fingerprinting is one avenue for evidence gathering

Soil on boots can also be traced to a specific area as can pollen - the latter a technique used in the Soham murder trial to link Ian Huntley to the ditch where his victims were dumped.

But most investigations are hardly hi-tech, says Simon Evans, an RSPCA inspector in the Rhondda Valley. Unlike the TV show CSI, there are no white protective suits - RSPCA inspectors wear nothing more exotic than gloves. Neither do they carry out psychological profiling of suspects.

"You rely on that person making a mistake and being seen or leaving DNA at the scene," he says. "When people come forward with information it's like a ray of light."

An RSPCA inspector is already hunting the Norfolk cat killer.

When animals are poisoned - as with most of the cats in Harleston - the key is to track down the "bait station", Evans says. In a similar case, he came across a piece of chicken floating in a poison made from a common household product. His task was then to prove that the chicken was put in intentionally as bait.

Continue reading the main story May: Two adults and 6 cygnets were shot dead at a Stoke-on-Trent nature reserveMan convicted at Harrogate Magistrates' Court for killing a swanA Shetland pony sexually assaulted and hacked to death in Essex. Four people arrestedApril: Tenth cat killed in four years in Norfolk village of Harleston, two others missing presumed deadMarch: Death toll of swans killed in Somerset reaches 40February: Eight swans shot dead in Somerset2010: The Daily Mail reports that 33 cats have been killed in a three year period in Stogursey and Bridgwater in Somerset2009: Golden eagle found dead in the Cairngorms after being poisoned. At least 32 birds of prey shot dead during the year and 81 poisoned.In 12 years he estimates he's brought about the convictions of a dozen people. Most crimes are unsolved.

He remembers the case of a greyhound found close to death on a mountainside, having been shot in the head with a stun gun. Evans managed to track the dog down to an unlicensed racetrack in the area, where staff put him in touch with the greyhound's owner.

It turned out that the dog had broken its leg and the owner had given someone ?10 to shoot it. The hired killer claimed to have shot it dead but had only stunned it and dumped it with a hole in its head on the mountain. The man was tried, convicted and imprisoned.

But six months in prison is the maximum sentence for animal cruelty, which some animal lovers feel is insufficient. Sir Terry Pratchett, who has offered a ?10,000 reward for catching whoever is behind the Somerset swan killings, believes the law is too lenient for serious animal cruelty.

"People who do this sort of thing to an animal are probably a danger to people as well. I don't think the punishment will fit the crime," he said.

For Evans the outcome of the greyhound case was a "triumph", which makes the painstaking work worthwhile. "These people aren't normal - the anger and malice they exhibit can be disturbing. When you go to court and the person gets sent to prison it's fantastic."

The motive for animal killings is often not clear, but one category of deaths is often attributed to disgruntled farmers and gamekeepers. The RSPB's most up-to-date figures reveal that in 2009 32 birds of prey were shot and 81 poisoned.

Whatever species is involved, the tenacity of investigators pursuing culprits despite a lack of evidence remains the same.

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