Sir Bobby's cancer charity legacy

31 July 2011 Last updated at 08:21 GMT Sir Bobby died on 31 July 2009 The family of football legend Sir Bobby Robson has said he would have been proud at the ongoing work of the cancer charity he founded.

Speaking on the second anniversary of his father's death, Mark Robson has said they were grateful to the public for its ongoing support.

Set up in 2008, the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation has raised more than ?3.5m.

Achievements include the creation of a new medical research centre at Newcastle's Freeman Hospital.

The County Durham-born former England, Newcastle, and Ipswich manager died on 31 July 2009 after his fifth battle against the disease.

Mark Robson said: "It's incredible how great the support and feeling for dad still is.

"Dad described the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation as his legacy to help other people fighting cancer and that's just what it is.

'Great pride'

"In addition to what we've already funded, the medical trustees of the charity are investigating some very promising new pieces of cancer equipment and potentially funding additional research personnel.

"It's something my mum, my brothers and I take great pride in."

He added his father would be "touched and proud at the ongoing work in his name".

"We do feel we are achieving something for him," he said.

"I can't think of a better way to remember him than to help the experts find more effective ways to combat cancer.

"He would like that."

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Regular flying ends at RAF base

31 July 2011 Last updated at 02:30 GMT RAF Kinloss was home to Nimrod surveillance aircraft Regular flying operations are coming to an end at RAF Kinloss.

Aviation facilities will be maintained until the RAF leaves the Moray station in 2013.

Defence Secretary Liam Fox announced earlier this month that nearby RAF Lossiemouth will be the only air base retained in Scotland.

Kinloss, along with RAF Leuchars in Fife, will become a base for the army as a result of changes Mr Fox described as a "coherent long-term strategy".

RAF Kinloss was home to Nimrod surveillance aircraft before all of those stationed there were retired in 2010.

The overall effect of the moves announced by the defence secretary will be to increase the number of service personnel based in Scotland.

At the time of the announcement, Mr Fox said: "The overall package I have announced today is good news for our armed forces and means that they can look forward to the future with renewed confidence."

RAF Kinloss began life in 1939 as a pilot training school.

It had been constructed in less than a year, as Britain prepared for the looming conflict in Europe.

Links with the local community were marked in 1962 by the station being given the freedom of the burgh of Forres, the first military unit to have been given the honour in the burgh's 1,400 year history.

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Father becomes third fire victim

30 July 2011 Last updated at 12:58 GMT Thomas Sharkey Snr was being treated at Glasgow's Royal Infirmary A father who escaped a deliberate house fire which killed his two children has died in hospital.

Thomas Sharkey Snr, 55, died six days after Thomas Jnr, 21, and his sister Bridget, eight. The flat fire broke out in Helensburgh, in Dunbartonshire, early last Sunday.

More than 50 police officers are investigating what is now being treated as a triple murder inquiry.

Thomas Snr, 55, and his wife Angela, 46, were both taken to hospital.

Mr Sharkey died at Glasgow Royal Infirmary on Saturday morning.

He had initially been unaware of the deaths of his children, but his condition had improved enough for him to be informed on Tuesday.

The fire at the Sharkey family home in Helensburgh's Scott Court broke out at about 05:00 on Sunday.

Thomas Sharkey Jnr died in the blaze, while his sister Bridget died later in hospital.

Mr Sharkey was informed of the deaths of Bridget and Thomas Jnr

In a statement, Mrs Sharkey's sister said the family had been left "shattered, devastated and angry".

Strathclyde Police have set up an incident room, dedicated phone line and email address for their murder inquiry.

The officer in charge of the investigation, Det Ch Insp Anne McKerchar, said officers had been encouraged by the response from the public, who were "clearly appalled at this cowardly and despicable crime".

"We are continuing to conduct door-to-door inquiries and are following a number of lines of inquiry," she said.

"We have always said that the key to this investigation will be someone in the community who knows who did this and the people in Helensburgh have responded to our call in great numbers."

The inquiry number for people to call is 01389 822162. The dedicated email address is: operationendeavour@strathclyde.pnn.police.uk

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Naming places after famous people

29 July 2011 Last updated at 10:55 GMT By Clare Spencer BBC News This week the city fathers of Aberdeen, Washington, decided it might not be wise to name a bridge after Kurt Cobain. So what are the perils and pitfalls of renaming things after famous people?

There are some very famous places named after famous people. A famous renaming can quickly erase what went before.

How many foreigners flying into New York's JFK airport remember it used to be Idlewild airport?

We name places after people to recognise their achievements. Alexander the Great liked to found cities and name them after himself, in honour of his own achievements. But mostly it's done by other people.

Every act of naming is pregnant with meaning. In the 1980s, the UK had a wave of renaming places after Nelson Mandela. With then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher reportedly regarding Mandela as a terrorist, such namings were often by more left-wing councils and groups. The trend was immortalised in the sitcom Only Fools and Horses for the block of flats the Trotters lived in.

Continue reading the main story

It is about remembering the specific person but it is also about making sure there is a greater democracy in how cities look”

End Quote Derek Alderman Geographer Today, of course, Mandela is an uncontroversial figure, hailed from all parts of the political spectrum.

A similar flurry of renaming streets after Martin Luther King has happened in the US.

But many figures are inherently more controversial.

It's easy to see why Aberdeen decided to hold off on honouring Kurt Cobain. A great musician to some may be seen by others as a drug user who falls short of role model status. Instead the bridge will now stay as Young Street Bridge. But it's still named after a person - Alexander Young who built the first saw mill.

Attitudes to people can change over time. It used to be common to name streets after notables of the British Empire. In 2002, efforts were made to change the name of a street housing a large Sikh temple in Southall, west London. Havelock Road was named after Sir Henry Havelock, who was prominent during the Indian Mutiny of 1857.

Some have even suggested that Liverpool's Penny Lane, made famous by the Beatles, is insensitive. It commemorates James Penny, an 18th Century slave trader.

Kurt Cobain is a controversial figure to some

The point is that attitudes change over time, says Derek Alderman, professor of geography at East Carolina University. He has been tracking the US streets named after Martin Luther King. So far he's counted over 900.

For Alderman, addresses are an everyday reminder of people's history in a way a museum can't be. "Think about all the times you use a street name in a day from catching a cab to putting it in your GPS."

In this way it can do much more than a monument and, he suggests, it is a cheaper option.

And older names are useful because they "force people to talk about their history".

People's reputations are constantly being reassessed, adds Alderman. He notes George Washington, once celebrated as presiding over the creation of the US constitution, is now also criticised by some for his association with slaves. He observes a trend in avoiding naming schools in the US after people in order to stay away from controversy.

But the debate, for Alderman, gives an opportunity to work out what the popular view of a person is. "If a city decides they are going to name a park after [Kurt] Cobain they will talk about why that person is important. In doing so they are going to talk about that person's legacy and so they have to come to a consensus about the meaning of that person."

Martin Luther King, on the other hand, has his own national holiday

Location names for Alderman can have political motivations. "Renaming a street is about claiming a certain voice, and a certain power over how your city looks. It is about remembering the specific person but it is also about making sure there is a greater democracy in how cities look."

Liam Scott-Smith at think tank New Local Government Network goes one step further. He thinks naming a place after someone can "reward good behaviour". This recognition, he thinks, could create a virtuous circle where people aim to get this kind of recognition.

Scott-Smith's think tank started a campaign in 2008 for more British roads to be renamed after modern people. Their report at the time claimed Britain is far behind America and France in doing this. But he says it should be encouraged for local celebrities to be named as "you have a strong affinity with someone in the area and that builds civic pride".

He does warn against fads, though, confessing that at the time the report was launched they suggested naming roads after David Beckham.

Remember Downing?

Figures can rise and fall in the public consciousness. Leeds University's student union once had a section called the Harvey Milk Bar, but many of the 18-year-olds arriving there for the first time would have been unaware of the life of the assassinated, gay 1970s San Francisco politician. After Sean Penn's recent high-profile movie, knowledge of Milk's life will have again spread.

Others maintain a steady level of fame. The officials who named streets in Italy, the Netherlands and Spain after George Orwell seem on safe ground.

Others can disappear into obscurity. How many people stopped in London's Whitehall, would be able to tell you much about the life of George Downing, after whom Downing Street is named?

Etymologist Tania Styles says that the people cities, towns and villages are named after have been forgotten over time without much consequence. That's because, she says, place names become a labelling function and the name "may as well be arbitrary".

Historians have struggled to find the Padda after whom Paddington is named, or indeed the Bucca who gave us Buckingham.

But she warns that nowadays the associations of the names will persist much longer. "In this day and age I can't imagine that kind of information will be forgotten."

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PM 'must come clean' over Murdoch

31 July 2011 Last updated at 06:37 GMT Full details of meetings with the Murdochs and other media chiefs have now been released Prime Minister David Cameron and his senior colleagues must "come clean" over their dealings with the Murdoch family, Labour has said.

The party has sent letters to Cabinet ministers, containing more than 50 questions it claims have still not been addressed by the coalition.

It comes in the wake of the phone-hacking scandal.

A Downing Street spokesman said: "We moved quickly to publish all meetings with editors and proprietors."

But Labour is asking what discussions key ministers had with the Murdochs about their attempt to take full control of BSkyB.

The bid collapsed following intense pressure at the height of the hacking revelations.

Labour has demanded Mr Cameron reveals "the dates, nature and content of the discussions" he had with James or Rupert Murdoch as well as ex-News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks about the deal.

The party is also attempting to keep up the pressure on Mr Cameron and his colleagues about Andy Coulson, the former News of the World editor who then worked as Downing Street communications chief for two-and-a-half years.

The letter calls on the Prime Minister to reveal if he spoke to Mr Coulson following his arrest.

'Tangled web'

Shadow culture secretary Ivan Lewis said: "The signs are that David Cameron still does not get it.

"David Cameron and George Osborne treated warnings about Andy Coulson with contempt and failed to put a proper distance between themselves and senior News Corp executives during the consideration of the BSkyB bid.

"A tangled web of their own making will not go away until they and their cabinet colleagues give full and frank answers to legitimate questions."

It has previously been reported that Mr Cameron had 26 separate meetings with executives from Mr Murdoch's companies since last May's election.

Labour leader Ed Miliband had 15 meetings or social contacts with News International executives over the same period, while Chancellor George Osborne had 16.

Mr Cameron has ordered all ministerial meetings with media proprietors, senior editors and executives be published.

It comes amid fears that politicians have become too close to the Murdoch empire.

Mr Cameron, Mr Miliband and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg published a list of their meetings earlier this month.

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DVT linked to video gamer's death

30 July 2011 Last updated at 15:44 GMT Chris Staniforth would spend up to 12 hours playing on the console. A man whose son died after playing video games for long periods is campaigning for greater awareness of the risk posed by their excessive use.

Chris Staniforth, 20, who would play his console for up to 12 hours, died in May from deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

His father David believes the condition may have been triggered by long gaming sessions.

DVT can form during long periods of immobility and can kill if the clots travel to the lungs.

Computer records showed his son would sometimes play online on his Xbox for periods up to 12 hours.

The coroner said a clot formed in Chris' left calf before moving to his lungs.

Once there, it caused a fatal blockage, known as a pulmonary embolism.

Mr Staniforth said: "After my research I saw there was no difference to Chris sitting at a desk on his Xbox and someone on a long-haul flight.

"Sitting still is literally the danger zone. Chris loved to play and would stay up all night.

"Millions of people worldwide are playing these games for hours, and there is a risk."

While Mr Staniforth has no problem with games consoles, he wants to highlight the heightened risk of DVT associated with being immobile, and is in the process of setting up a website.

In a statement, Microsoft, who manufacture the Xbox console, said: 'We have always encouraged responsible game play through our education campaigns such as Play Smart, Play Safe.

"We recommend that gamers take periodic breaks to exercise as well as make time for other pursuits."

David Staniforth calls for greater awareness of DVT after the death of his son, Chris

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NHS funds 'moved to rich areas'

31 July 2011 Last updated at 08:32 GMT The Department of Health says NHS spending will rise in real terms this year Labour is accusing the government of moving NHS spending in England away from poorer areas towards richer parts of the country.

It says this is because of changes to the funding for primary care trusts.

For years, areas which have higher incidences of poor health have been given a higher per-capita funding but this weighting is set to be reduced.

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley called the claims "nonsense" and said all areas were getting budget increases.

He said NHS spending was going up in real terms across England as a whole and that Labour would not have matched that commitment if it had won the election.

"We're not taking money away from any parts of England, we're increasing the budget for the health service in England," said Mr Lansley.

"The average increase in each primary care trust is 3%, compared to [its] provision the previous year.

"The minimum increase is two and a half percent, and actually the minimum increase is going to Kingston upon Thames in London, which is hardly a poor area."

Labour, however, says the changes will mean less well-off areas such as Manchester and Tower Hamlets in east London losing out in the allocation of health funding, while more prosperous parts of the country - such as Surrey and Hampshire - will benefit.

Its claims are based on an assessment of funding changes made by public health bodies in Manchester.

Shadow health minister, Diane Abbott, stood by the report and said the NHS was under pressure because of a "misconceived reorganisation" by the Conservative-led government.

"A responsible government, which cared about health and equalities, that cared about the health of the poor, would not be taking money away from inner city areas.

"This isn't politics. This is about people's lives. This is about how quickly you can expect to get an operation, whether you get it as quickly as possible, whether you're made to wait artificially long - 15 weeks - rather than as quickly as possible."

The government said the funding changes were based on independent advice and that Labour's figures were misleading.

The Department of Health said the primary care budgets in Surrey and Tower Hamlets would, in fact, increase this year by a similar amount.

It added that a greater emphasis on the prevention of illness in future would assist those living in poorer parts of England.

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Inspector faces child sex charges

31 July 2011 Last updated at 08:34 GMT A Nottinghamshire police officer has been charged with two counts of sexual offences against a child.

Inspector Russell Dew, 44, based at Mansfield police station, is accused of sexual activity with a child in Newark, Nottinghamshire, over the past year.

The officer was arrested on Thursday and will appear at Sheffield Magistrates' Court on Monday.

The BBC understands the alleged victim was 13 years old at the time of the offences.

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Home nations learn World Cup draw

Watch the European section of the World Cup draw

England will face Montenegro, Ukraine, Poland, Moldova, and San Marino in Group H when they bid to qualify for the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil.

Scotland and Wales were drawn together in Group A, and will play Croatia, Serbia, Belgium, and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

Northern Ireland are up against Portugal, Russia, Israel, Azerbaijan and Luxembourg in Group F.

Only group winners are guaranteed a place at the tournament.

With 13 places available in Brazil for European teams, the eight-best second-placed teams will play-off against each other to go through.

Continue reading the main story

It is not an easy draw. You have to be really, really focused and play every game like a final - but that will be another manager's job

England manager Fabio Capello

The Republic of Ireland were drawn against Germany, Sweden, Austria, Faroe Islands and Kazakhstan in Group C, while France and world champions Spain are in a five-team group - the only European group without six teams - along with Belarus, Georgia and Finland.

"Three years is a long time and 2014 isn't now," said France coach Laurent Blanc. "Spain are currently the best team there is but we don't know if that will be the case in two or three years' time.

"You have to go up against the best if you want to achieve something at a World Cup."

In the qualifying process for the 2014 World Cup, 203 teams will play an eventual 824 matches across the globe.

The draws for the Africa, Asia, Oceania and the North, Central America and Caribbean regions also took place in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday, although no draw was made for South America as its nine teams qualify through a one-group championship.

The finals will take place between 12 June and 13 July, and a decision on whether to introduce goal-line technology will be taken at next March's meeting of the International FA Board, the game's lawmakers.

Continue reading the main story The total of 203 teams vying for one of 31 World Cup spots in Brazil surpasses the 200 who participated four years agoThe only associations not to have signed up to compete for 2014 qualification are Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Guam and MauritaniaFifa would not draw Azerbaijan and Armenia together, nor Russia and Georgia, because of political conflicts which they said could lead to fan violence during matchesGermany has been the most successful team in the last six World Cup qualifying campaigns, with only two losses in 74 matches

England manager Fabio Capello was present at the draw, although he is set to move on next summer after the conclusion of the European Championships.

Montenegro drew 0-0 with England at Wembley in October in their qualifier for Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine.

"It is not an easy draw," said Capello. "You have to be really, really focused and play every game like a final - but that will be another manager's job.

"We know Montenegro very well and we have to play against them again. Poland are improving and will be really focused and will be tough opponents. With Ukraine I remember the game we lost against them in the last match during the qualification for South Africa. Moldova are not so strong, and San Marino the same."

Wales manager Gary Speed said: "It's obviously a tough draw. It's a really tough group, but it could have been worse. There are no weak teams in the group. It's one of those groups where everyone can beat anyone."

Scotland boss Craig Levein admitted he had hoped to miss Speed's side in the draw, saying: "I would have rather avoided Wales because obviously it brings in that home international rivalry, which we probably could have done without.

"We have recent good experience of playing Wales, when we won against them over in Dublin recently, but also not so long ago we lost 3-0 to Wales, so it's a bit of a mixed bag."

Northern Ireland manager Nigel Worthington said of Group F: "It looks a reasonably tough group, but it could have been worse. There is a fair bit of travelling but you have to deal with that."

Find the 2014 World Cup preliminary draw in full here (external site).

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Adlington claims World 800m gold

Venue: Shanghai, ChinaDates: 16-31 JulyCoverage: Selected live coverage and daily highlights [of swimming phase] on BBC Two, Red Button, BBC Radio 5 live sports extra & online (UK only); reports on BBC Radio 5 live and website; watch again on iPlayer Superb Adlington wins gold

Rebecca Adlington produced a sprint finish to win the 800m freestyle at the World Championships in Shanghai.

The 22-year-old - who won silver in the 400m last week - was behind with 100m to go but overhauled Lotte Friis.

Adlington had never won a world title but held on to claim Britain's fourth medal of the meeting.

Earlier Michael Phelps won his 25th world title by winning the 100m butterfly in 50.71 seconds ahead of Konrad Czerniak and Tyler McGill.

Double Olympic champion Adlington and Friis were together from the start before the Danish swimmer made a break after 500m.

Continue reading the main story

That was one of the most exciting races I have ever seen and it is very unusual for an 800m race to finish so close. The girls will have been in agony so for Becky to find a sprint finish was amazing

Karen Pickering BBC Radio 5 Live commentator

World record holder Adlington was 0.65 seconds behind with two lengths remaining but managed to sprint clear to win in a time of eight minutes 17.51 seconds.

She told BBC Sport: "Lottie is always such a strong competitor that I knew it was going to be a battle.

"I'm so glad I've added to my collection. She is just an absolute competitor and always there battling.

"Next year it will be the two of us again but hopefully I'll have the crowd behind me.

"I don't think I can do the 200m in London as I don't have enough speed. I want to work on the 400 and 800m, they are the ones I prefer.

"But hopefully I will get a spot on the 4 x 200m relay team."

Phelps was only third at the halfway stage of his final but powered back down the second 50m to take his third gold of the week.

Defending champion Liam Tancock won his semi-final of the 50m backstroke in 24.62 seconds to qualify fastest for Sunday's final.

The Brit told BBC Sport: "I want to come here and race fast in every race and now I've got my spot in the final.

"It is a very tough field and medals could come from every lane but I am in there with a shot."

Adlington thanks supporters after gold win

Fran Halsall, who finished joint-fourth in the 100m, comfortably qualified for Sunday's 50m freestyle final after finishing second in her semi-final behind Herasimenia Ranomi Kromowidjojo.

Halsall was only able to resume training in March after undergoing ankle surgery last December.

Kate Haywood missed out on a place in the 50m breaststroke final by 0.02 seconds after finishing fifth in her semi-final, which was won by Russian Yuliya Efimova.

Lizzie Simmonds finished seventh in her 200m backstroke final which was won by 16-year-old American Melissa Franklin.

Continue reading the main story

Adlington will be under huge pressure in London as defending Olympic champion and now World Champion but she has shown that she can handle it.

Karen Pickering

Inge Dekker won the women's 50m butterfly in a time of 25.71 seconds while Brazilian Cesar Cielo Filho defended his 50m freestyle in 21.52 seconds.

Daniel Fogg could only manage the 14th fastest time in the 1500m freestyle heats, finishing in 15 minutes, 13.39 seconds. China's Sun Yang led the way in 14:48.13.

The women's 4x100m medley relay team, consisting of Haywood, Georgia Davies, Jemma Lowe and Amy Smith, finished sixth as winners the United States narrowly missed out on a world record.

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Round-the-world yachts leave city

31 July 2011 Last updated at 04:29 GMT The Geraldton Western Australia is one of 10 yachts aiming to win Ten identical yachts are set to sail from Southampton to begin the 40,000-mile Clipper round-the-world race.

The Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious will wave off the fleet on Sunday afternoon.

More than 500 amateur sailors from 40 countries will take turns to sail the yachts across six continents.

Nearly half of those taking part had no sailing experience before beginning their training for the race, which takes nearly a year to complete.

Among them is Martin Woodcock, from Fleet, Hampshire, who said: "Clipper have set it up as a race, which is a key part of the whole thing.

"It's not a jolly around the world for a bunch of amateurs. There's no great prize at the end of it, but obviously there's the kudos.

"This kind of opportunity is a very rare thing for an amateur sailor."

'Lifelong dream'

Another taking part is Lucia Ainsworth, 45, originally from Brighouse, West Yorkshire, who has given up her job at Lloyds Banking Group in London.

She has joined the Gold Coast Australia yacht skippered by Rich Hewson for the first half of the race.

"To take part in this, the greatest amateur yacht race, will fulfil my lifelong dream to sail across oceans," she said.

Lucia Ainsworth wanted to inspire her young relatives by taking part

"I have resigned from my job and taken a year out not only to take part in the race but to travel in Australia and New Zealand.

"As well as fulfilling my own ambitions I wanted to inspire my young nephews and nieces."

The yachts will sail with HMS Illustrious at 13:30 BST in time for the start of the race, off the Royal Yacht Squadron Line in Cowes at 16:30 BST.

The founder and chairman of the Clipper Race is Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, who was the first man to sail solo and non-stop around the world.

He spoke to the crews on the eve of the race and said: "Remember how powerful the sea is, treat it with huge respect at all times and that way you will come back safely.

"This first leg alone is more than 6,000 miles which is the equivalent to two years for an average sailor. So you're going to become very experienced sailors very quickly."

The competition is the world's longest yacht race, with participants taking almost a year to circumnavigate the globe.

The fleet of 10 identical 68ft (20m) ocean racing yachts and 10 skippers are supplied by the race organisers. Each yacht is sponsored by a city, region or country.

Participants, many of whom are sailing novices, come from all walks of life and undergo a four-stage training programme to prepare them for the gruelling journey.

The first leg will involve crews sailing from Europe to Brazil.

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The ice cream van cometh

29 July 2011 Last updated at 00:52 GMT

The distant sound of approaching chimes, the promise of a soft gloopy cornet, and reaching the front of the queue by the sliding window - there is little doubt that the ice cream van has charmed its way into modern British cultural life.

For BBC Radio 4, sound designer Jim Carey jumped into the colourful world of all things ice cream - and on his journey met some well-known van fans - comedian Johnny Vegas, Status Quo's Francis Rossi, and elusive artist Banksy.

Continue reading the main story To see the enhanced content on this page, you need to have JavaScript enabled and Adobe Flash installed. The Ice Cream Van Cometh can be heard on BBC Radio 4 at 1030 BST on Saturday 30 July - and on the BBC iPlayer.

Audio by Loftus Audio/Inventive Audio. Images courtesy Whitby Morrison, Jim Carey, Emelia Brindisi, Getty Images, PA and Christie Goodwin.

Includes music by Henry Reser and Status Quo. Slideshow production by Paul Kerley. Publication date 29 July 2011.

Related:

Ice cream - Radio 4's The Food Programme

Ice cream recipes - BBC Food

More audio slideshows:

Rural visions of England

The English at play

The Beatles in the USA

Wellcome Trust at 75 - Henry's story

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Pipe bomb found in Crossgar alert

31 July 2011 Last updated at 08:46 GMT Police cordoned off an area of Crossgar on Saturday morning A pipe bomb has been discovered in a County Down village after a security alert on Saturday.

People living near the scene of the alert at Drumnaconagher Road, Crossgar, were asked to leave their homes after a suspicious object was found.

Army bomb experts carried out a controlled explosion and confirmed it was a pipe bomb.

Meanwhile, the Army removed a suspected firearm at Blackstown Road in Crumlin on Friday evening.

A police spokesperson said the item was found wrapped in bed linen.

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Huhne interviewed again by police

22 July 2011 Last updated at 14:48 GMT Mr Huhne has denied the allegations about a speeding offence in 2003 Chris Huhne and estranged wife Vicky Pryce have been interviewed for a second time at police stations in Essex over speeding offence allegations.

Essex Police say a file will be prepared and submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service, paving the way for a possible prosecution.

Officers are investigating claims Mr Huhne had asked Ms Pryce to accept penalty points on his behalf.

The Lib Dem energy secretary says the allegations are "simply incorrect".

The pair were interviewed by police last month over the claims he persuaded her to accept a three-point penalty on his behalf in March 2003 so he could avoid a driving ban.

Both Prime Minister David Cameron and his deputy, the Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg, have rejected calls for Mr Huhne to resign.

Mr Huhne and Ms Pryce were questioned after officers obtained a court order to take possession of a tape recording in which the ex-couple apparently discuss the case.

Last month, The Sunday Times reported it had been ordered by a judge at Chelmsford Crown Court to hand the tape - features a conversation between Mr Huhne and Ms Pryce - to Essex Police.

The paper said it was considering an appeal.

Images of Ms Pryce's driving licence have emerged indicating she received points for an offence in the Essex area on the date in question.

But she is thought to have told police she was at an event in London at the time and it was Mr Huhne who was at the wheel.

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Hunt for missing diver called off

23 July 2011 Last updated at 09:22 GMT The search for a missing diver off the Dorset coast has been called off.

The man, believed to be 64 years old, went missing about 16 miles south east of Portland while on a dive trip with the diving catamaran Skindeeper.

The skipper alerted coastguards shortly before 11:00 BST on Friday when the diver failed to surface.

The coastguard confirmed a "highly concentrated" search by lifeboats, a UK Border Agency vessel and a Fisheries Protection plane was unsuccessful.

Dorset Police are liaising with the diver's family.

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Fabulous Freuds

By Rebecca Cafe BBC News The art world has been mourning the death of Lucian Freud, arguably one of the UK's most highly regarded and respected artists. Lucian was not only a great artist but he came from a family which has excelled and continues to do so in many different professions.

The most famous Freud was Sigmund, the figurehead of the family, and one of the great thinkers in modern history. As founder of the discipline of psychoanalysis, he created an entirely new approach to understanding - and treating - the unconscious mind.

But since his death in 1939, his offspring to this day have carried on the family name to great heights in a variety of fields.

In politics, David Freud - now Lord Freud - is the current parliamentary undersecretary of state for work and pensions, while Matthew Freud is an influential public relations chief who is married to Elizabeth Murdoch, daughter of media mogul Rupert.

Sigmund Freud "encouraged creativity and independent thought" in his children

In the arts, Lucian Freud's heritage lives on with his daughters Bella and Esther, who are famed for being a highly-regarded fashion designer and novelist respectively.

Another prominent family member no longer with us was Sir Clement, Sigmund's grandson who had a varied career as a culinary expert, humorist, columnist, broadcaster and Liberal MP.

But the Freuds are not the only family whose achievements put the average family to shame.

There is the Redgrave acting dynasty, headed by Michael, his children Vanessa, Corin and Lynn and grandchildren Jemma Redgrave and Natasha and Joely Richardson.

In the US, political dynasties have become the norm - headed of course by the Kennedy and Bush families.

But the Freuds are unusual in that their achievements are in such a wide range of fields.

'Golden child'

According to Ivan Ward, deputy director of the Freud Museum, this may be because of the ideas first espoused by Sigmund Freud and his belief in independent thought as well as the importance of being told from an early age that you are special.

Sigmund, who was Jewish, lived in Germany during Nazi rule when systematic anti-Semitic torture was being carried out.

According to Mr Ward, the sense of conflict of living in opposition was something which inspired Sigmund's independence of thought.

"The upheaval of having to leave Vienna, and the Holocaust where four of his sisters died in concentration camps - all those things would have had an impact," he said.

"He was the oldest boy, and his mother used to call him the 'golden child', so there was a sense of being the favourite and the oldest boy in a Jewish family pushed him on to his achievements.

"How it gets transmitted to following generations is hard to say."

As a father, Sigmund was "tolerant and encouraged creativity and the ability to think", said Mr Ward.

"Try and picture the scene of Freud with his children when they were small; he's trying to establish himself and he's struggling and working all hours.. it's hard to say he spent a lot of time with his children, he probably didn't.

"But you get the feeling that when he did, he treated them with a seriousness and complexity that some people don't think about when it comes to relating to children."

And in Sigmund's own words: "If a man has been his mother's undisputed darling, he retains throughout life the triumphant feeling; the confidence in success, which not seldom brings actual success along with it."

'Responsive genes'

But do genetics play a role in a family's success?

Marcus Pembrey, a professor of paediatric genetics at University College London, said that although genetics can influence things like intelligence, it does not do it directly.

"Genetic differences between genes make them highly responsive to environment but whether this is a good thing depends on the environment," he said.

"If it's one where there's underachievement then they will adopt that and achieve nothing, so it works for better and worse."

He said the Freuds probably have genes which are highly responsive to the environment around them so as their family is full of people who have distinctive achievements, children in the early years of development pick up on this.

Esther is a successful novelist while her sister Bella is a respected fashion designer

Tim Spector, a professor of genetic epidemiology and director of the department of twin research at King's College in London, argues that genetics do have a role to play in success but not usually in the same profession.

"Identical twins rarely succeed in the same fields," he said.

"For success, you need a basic minimal IQ - which is 60% genetic - but also the environment which usually includes a role model and teacher or family to drive you.

"You also need motivation and the will to practise hard from an early age. These traits are partly genetic but can be improved with training."

According to family relationship therapist Julia Armstrong, the first seven years are key times in a person's development as things such as parents, friendships and schooling all have an impact.

"If at that point a person is given the permission to shine, there is a natural expectation that life is going to offer opportunities.

"We've all got the capacity to be whatever we want to be, and nature depends on that being encouraged, so if a child's preference or talent is recognised, then they are more likely to grow into their creative self."

She said a child in a successful family can go in one of two directions - they can excel once they discover what their own talent may be, or they can feel the pressure and go the other way and not live up to expectations.

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Police chiefs issue drugs warning

22 July 2011 Last updated at 23:12 GMT PMMA is a stimulant, similar in its effect to ecstasy A highly-toxic class-A drug is being sold in Scotland, according to senior police officers.

ParaMethoxyMethylAmphetamine (PMMA) has been found in tablets which look like ecstasy.

The substance has also been found in drugs being sold as "legal highs" in Scotland.

The Association of Chief Police Officers Scotland said it had recovered quantities of PMMA after a series of raids.

It has been produced in pink tablets with a Rolex crown logo, and in white tablets with a four-leaf clover logo.

PMMA has also been recovered in powder form and police said it may also be present in other products and tablets.

Det Insp Tommy Crombie, of the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency, said: "PMMA is a stimulant similar to ecstasy but it is not as potent.

"Users... may be tempted to take more tablets to achieve the desired effect, increasing the risk of a potentially fatal overdose.

"I would strongly advise drug users to avoid such products and follow harm reduction advice where necessary."

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Live - England v India

Live video scorecard with TMS commentary - England v India (NB video scorecard only available to UK users, TMS commentary available worldwide)

News updates from the third day's play at Lord's

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Elite athletes boost Snowdon race

23 July 2011 Last updated at 11:01 GMT This year is the first time the race has been included in the Skyrunner World Series for elite mountain runners Five hundred competitors from around the world are limbering up for the International Snowdon Race.

It is the 36th year the event has been held but it is first time it has been included in the Skyrunner World Series, so has attracted more elite athletes.

Hundreds of spectators are expected to line the route to cheer on the runners from 14:00 BST on Saturday.

The 10 mile (16km) race sees runners go from Llanberis up to Snowdon's summit and then back down again.

Ifan Richards, one of four runners representing Wales, completed the course in 1 hour 16 min last year.

"It's a really good race because it's a really good atmosphere, the villagers of Llanberis and the race committee have really gone to town on promoting the event and getting it up to a really high standard," he told BBC Radio Wales.

"The calibre of runners this year is quite high with the inclusion of the Skyrunner Series.

"It's a global series for elite mountain runners so it's going to be a quick one today, I think."

The Snowdon event replaces the Ben Nevis Race as the UK's Skyrunner World Series trial race.

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Divers renew mine detonation bid

17 July 2011 Last updated at 02:34 GMT Royal Navy divers will make a second attempt later to blow up a live World War II mine which was dredged up off the Essex coast.

The 2,000lb (900kg) German parachute mine was found on Friday eight miles off Clacton.

It was due to be detonated on Saturday but became detached from its markers in 90ft (27m) of water.

Severe weather and poor visibility hampered divers trying to move it. They are expected to try again at 0700 BST.

'Destructive force'

On Saturday the Navy said it was using sonar to locate the mine which is believed to have fallen about 30m to the sea bed as it was being lowered from the dredger to a flotation device.

With the worsening weather and visibility, the RNLI's Walton and Frinton lifeboat brought the Navy team back to shore.

A Navy spokesman said: "They know where the mine is. They put it down on the sea bed and they won't lose track of it."

Stewart Oxley, a spokesman for RNLI Walton and Frinton, said the mine was "in remarkably good condition" and that it was still "a viable destructive force".

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Queen of Sports

16 July 2011 Last updated at 10:05 GMT By Gillian Marles BBC Scotland business reporter Vivien Kyles said all the profits from racing and other events at Hamilton go back into the business At Hamilton Park Racecourse, its chief executive, Vivien Kyles, is gearing up for one of the biggest events of the year.

However, it is not a major race meet but a concert by former boy band Westlife on 23 July. It is Hamilton's biggest signing to date and all part of the strategy of its chief executive Vivien Kyles.

She took over the running of the course in 2008 and her plans included making the course pay on the 140 or so days in a year when there wasn't a racing fixture.

Vivien has always been a bit of a trailblazer. She took over at Hamilton Park after a spell as chief executive of Livingston Football Club - one of the few women to head up a football club not just in this country but in the world.

She said: "I probably miss the joys and frustrations we used to have on a Saturday just before the game - standing on front of the white board and asking why they are not using a certain player on the wing because he's faster - that's just the frustrated football manager in me but I certainly don't miss driving home after being beaten 5-nil."

Surprisingly, she had never been to the races before her appointment, although she admits to having had a flutter on the Grand National.

Her priority has been to make the course pay during a time of great change in the world of racing.

"It is a changed model," she said. "The money used to be made solely on the race days and there was a lot of central funding which came from the levy - that's the government tax that takes place in the bookmakers.

"We used to get levy figures northwards of about ?750,000 six years ago and now we get about ?240,000, so that's a ?0.5m drop in our revenue streams."

The racecourse has had success in attracting other events. In 2008 there were eight weddings - this year there will be about 30.

Funeral teas

Vivien said there was a surprising diversity of functions booking the course: "We do a lot of private parties, exhibitions, dinners, funeral teas even - people are looking for something that's a wee bit different.

"So it is trying to make Hamilton Park a business and complement what's going on in the track."

Outside activities now contribute between 35 - 40% of the course's income so racing is still very much at the core of the business.

The average punter will spend ?40 during the day on a flutter and some food and drink. For the evening it's usually more than ?100 and in hospitality it can be much more than that.

Profits from all the activities are ploughed back in to the business and this year that is likely to be 50% more than the previous year.

"We are owned by a racing trust," Vivien said.

"So unlike some of the groups within the racing circuit we're not looking to pay dividends out to people - there's no shareholders cracking the whip (no pun intended) so what I have the luxury of doing is reinvesting the profits we make back into the racecourse and that predominately means putting the profits in the prize money."

The interview with Vivien Kyles can be heard on BBC Radio Scotland's 'Business Scotland' programme on Sunday 17 July at 1005 BST. Business Scotland is available by podcast.

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Eight people rescued from cliffs

16 July 2011 Last updated at 21:53 GMT

Three adults and five children had to be rescued by helicopter after scaling cliffs in Somerset to escape the incoming tide.

The group were at Brean Down, near Burnham-On-Sea, when they were forced to climb up by the rising water.

A rescue helicopter from RAF Chivenor in Devon was sent to the scene with two RNLI lifeboats and the Burnham-On-Sea coastguard rescue team.

The alarm was raised at 1915 BST on Saturday and they were found at 1945.

The helicopter winched all eight on board taking them to a nearby field where they were met by the coastguard rescue team.

It is understood that nobody required hospital treatment.

Swansea Coastguard watch manager David Hughes said anyone going out for a walk along the coast should "always prepare by checking the tide times".

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Wenger angry at Mancini comments

Nasri is with the Arsenal squad on their pre-season tour of Asia Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has criticised Roberto Mancini after the Manchester City boss said he was hopeful of signing midfielder Samir Nasri by the end of the month.

The 24-year-old has a year left on his Arsenal contract and the London club are keen to keep his services.

"We do not make any comments on players who are under contract in other clubs," said Wenger.

"These comments are not allowed and Roberto Mancini should be informed."

Mancini said on Saturday he was keen to sign both Nasri and Atletico Madrid's Argentine striker Sergio Aguero.

Asked if an offer had been made for Nasri, the Italian told Sky Sports News: "I don't know in this moment, I don't know the situation but for Nasri it is difficult.

"I hope that we can buy because we need other players, and I hope that this player can arrive before the end of the month.

"Samir is under contract with Arsenal. Also for Samir it depends on many things."

Continue reading the main story Joined Marseille's academy at the age of nine in 1996Made his debut for Marseille in September 2004First played for France in March 2007Part of the France squad for Euro 2008Signed for Arsenal for a fee of around ?12m in July 2008Missed out on the France squad for the 2010 World CupHas scored 18 Premier League goals for the Gunners

Despite the speculation over his future, Nasri is on the Gunners' pre-season tour of Asia and started Saturday's friendly against Hangzhou, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

It is thought that Wenger is prepared to lose the France international on a free transfer next summer rather than sell him now.

A bid of almost ?20m from Manchester United for the former Marseilles man was rejected in June.

But Wenger, 61, is angry with Mancini's public declaration of interest in his player.

"I don't spend my time on what other people say. We are focused on playing our football," said the Frenchman.

"They are against the basic rules of football.

"What we want is respect. It is time football in England came back to these basic rules."

City's move for Aguero could depend on his international team-mate Carlos Tevez getting his wish and moving away from Manchester.

Brazilian side Corinthians failed in a ?35m bid for the City captain and are understood to have come back with an offer of ?39m, although the FA Cup holders are believed to be holding out for a fee of around ?50m.

Aguero has already expressed an interest in a move to England but has also been linked with a move to Atletico's city rivals Real Madrid, as well as Juventus.

Mancini added: "Aguero is a player that can play for Manchester City because he is young and he is a good player like Carlos. He can score a lot of goals and can play with Mario [Balotelli], with Edin [Dzeko]. It could be [that he joins]."

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Troop pull-out 'may be dangerous'

17 July 2011 Last updated at 02:31 GMT The MoD is criticised for failing to warn ministers of a change in tactics in Helmand in 2006 Pulling British troops out prematurely from Afghanistan could "dangerously weaken" remaining forces, MPs said.

The Commons Defence Committee said David Cameron's plan to withdraw by the end of 2014 could undermine the international coalition's strategy.

And the MPs said they were still not yet convinced the troops now in Afghanistan had sufficient helicopters.

Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox said while there was "still much to do", the pull-out target was achievable.

On a visit earlier this month to Afghanistan, the prime minister announced the withdrawal of 500 troops, cutting total force numbers to 9,000 by September 2012.

He said he wants British soldiers to end combat operations in the country by 2014.

This week, coalition troops began the formal process of transfer of power to Afghan control - due to be completed by the end of 2014.

But in their report, the MPs say there are still concerns about how ready the Afghan national army and police are to take over security and that withdrawal of British troops must depend on the situation on the ground.

They also said that the government's scope for any more troop reductions was "necessarily limited" in the short term, as a more significant withdrawal would have to involve a complete battle group - a "dangerous move".

"It is important that the government's clear determination to withdraw combat forces should not undermine the military strategy by causing the Afghan population to fear that the international coalition might abandon them or by allowing the Taliban and others to think that all they have to do is bide their time until International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) withdraws," the report said.

'Fighting for their lives'

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is criticised for failing to warn ministers of the dangers facing troops when they were first deployed to Helmand province in 2006 under Tony Blair's government - a time when British soldiers were still fighting in Iraq.

The MPs say that for three years British forces lacked the necessary numbers and equipment after senior commanders in the UK told the then defence secretary John (now Lord) Reid that those on the ground had what they needed.

Continue reading the main story

What happened here left our troops exposed and at risk in a way that was really unacceptable. ”

End Quote James Arbuthnot Defence committee chairman The MPs said it appeared "unlikely" commanders had sought ministerial authorisation for a change of tactics which saw British troops "fighting for their lives".

This tactical change should have gone to cabinet for endorsement, the MPs said.

"We are disturbed by the fact that the secretary of state was being told that commanders on the ground were content with the support they were being given in Helmand when clearly they were not.

"We regard it as unacceptable that hard pressed forces in such a difficult operation as Helmand should have been denied the necessary support to carry out the mission from the outset, and that this shortage had not been brought to the attention of ministers."

Committee chairman James Arbuthnot MP said: "What happened here left our troops exposed and at risk in a way that was really unacceptable.

"That has to be put right; there's got to be better communication between the military and politicians - the military have got to be absolutely careful not to suppress warnings from commanders on the ground."

'Mistakes made'

The MPs also said they are still not convinced that troops now in Afghanistan have enough helicopters after previous assurances from the government were later proved wrong.

David Cameron has said he wants British soldiers to end combat operations in the country by 2014.

Responding to the report, Dr Fox said it was clear that mistakes had been made in the lead-up to and during the deployment to Helmand in 2006.

He said troop levels had increased since 2009, as had the number of helicopters available to Isaf forces.

He added that Isaf was now ahead of targets to build and train the Afghan army and police.

"While there is much still to do, we are on track to achieve our target of ending UK combat operations in Afghanistan by 2015," he said.

"We will not abandon Afghanistan and as the prime minister has made clear the UK will work to further develop the ability of Afghans to look after their own affairs by leading the Afghan National Army Officer Academy amongst other things.

"My highest priority is ensuring that our service personnel are given all the support and equipment they need to do the job asked of them."

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Papers 'broke privacy law before'

17 July 2011 Last updated at 00:10 GMT Alex Salmond said newspapers have previously broken data protection laws The Scottish government is to urge the public inquiry into phone hacking and media regulation to consider a 2006 report on privacy laws being broken.

The first minister highlighted the Operation Motorman report after he was asked by UK Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt to comment on the inquiry's remit.

Alex Salmond said the study revealed about 3,000 cases of various newspapers breaking data protection laws.

He added that questions remained over why no action was taken then.

The Information Commissioner's report exposed an extensive illegal trade in confidential personal information and made recommendations to government and industry.

Mr Salmond said: "We will submit the Scottish government's full response to the UK government's draft terms of reference on Monday, and trust that it will secure a positive response so that the inquiry can be comprehensive and thorough in the public interest."

Prime Minister David Cameron has asked Lord Justice Leveson to oversee the public inquiry after a phone-hacking scandal, led to the closure of the UK's biggest-selling newspaper, the News of the World.

Continue reading the main story

If the SNP have nothing to hide then Alex Salmond must speak out and convince the public there has been no quid pro quo for Rupert Murdoch's support of the SNP”

End Quote Paul Martin Scottish Labour Meanwhile, Scottish Labour claimed there were unanswered questions over the SNP's links with News International - the newspaper's owner.

The party published a list of 25 questions, including asking when the first minister last met with News International chairman James Murdoch, as well as how much the SNP has spent on advertising with the company in the past four years.

Scottish Labour's business manager Paul Martin said: "Throughout the entire phone hacking scandal Alex Salmond has ditched his usual megaphone diplomacy and has been uncharacteristically silent.

"Alex Salmond has desperately attempted to come across as whiter than white by keeping schtum and resorting to his default position of blaming Westminster.

"He would clearly rather we all ignored the fact that he personally met with James Murdoch, wined and dined the editor of the Scottish News of the World and provided free articles and advertising to News International newspapers worth thousands of pounds."

He called on Alex Salmond to speak out and convince the public there had been "no quid pro quo for Rupert Murdoch's support of the SNP".

'Embarrassing nonsense'

The SNP condemned Labour's attack.

A party spokesman said: "This is embarrassing nonsense from Paul Martin - he obviously doesn't let the facts get in the way of a bad press release.

"For example, the first minister was on record at a press conference last week calling on Rebekah Brooks to step down, and also gave numerous broadcast interviews supporting the Commons motion - of which the SNP was a co-sponsor - calling on News Corp's BSkyB bid to be withdrawn.

"Instead of engaging in smear, the key question Paul Martin has to answer is why the last Labour government did precisely nothing about the Operation Motorman report published by the Information Commissioner in 2006, revealing over 3,000 cases of a range of newspapers breaking data protection laws."

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Five accused 'intent on revenge'

16 July 2011 Last updated at 12:13 GMT Five men have been charged over the attack Five men arrested in connection with a gang rape and assault that lasted over 12 hours, had nothing to do with the actual attack, a court has heard.

In fact, police feared the five were intent on revenge for that assault.

The men from Lithuania were charged with possessing an offensive weapon and conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm in court in Lisburn on Saturday.

The court was told two of the men had gone to police to provide information about a sex assault on Wednesday.

A police officer said the five were arrested as they were carrying out searches at 2230 BST on 14 July at Tandragee Road, Portadown.

A 6in knife, and two metal poles were found in the men's car, police said.

The driver of the car told police they intended to get those who assaulted their friend.

He was referring to a serious gang rape and assault at Dingwell Park, Lurgan, on Wednesday 13 July in which a man and a woman were seriously injured.

The five men are Deividas Miskinis, 27, of Mourneview Street; Dainius Ulevicius, 24, from St John's Crescent, Vytautas Petryia, 19, from the Tandragee Road; Aurimus Kliavga, 25, from Clonavon Avenue, all in Portadown and Donatas Endrikaitis, 21, from Park Road, Craigavon.

A detective objected to bail saying police feared that if released, the men would commit further offences and interfere with the investigation into a rape and physical assault which happened on July 13.

She said two of the men provided information but within hours, police on mobile patrol spoke to Mr Miskinis who was driving the car who told them they were "going to get the men" who comitted the assaults.

When the car was searched, the police uncovered the weapons.

"Police believe that the defendants were going to take justice into their own hands," she said.

A solicitor said the men had clear criminal records and were in fact intent on assisting the police investigation.

If they had intended to take justice into their own hands, it was unlikely they would have gone to the police station beforehand, the solicitor argued.

All five were granted bail.

The magistrate said this was a highly unusual case.

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Scotland provides east Africa aid

16 July 2011 Last updated at 23:10 GMT The money will help drought-hit areas of Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya and South Sudan Aid agencies working in east Africa have been urged to apply for funding from the Scottish government.

A total of ?500,000 has been made available from the international development fund for work in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and South Sudan.

More than 10 million people are said to be at risk from conflict and from the worst drought in the region for almost 60 years.

There are reports of 1,300 people a day coming to Kenya's Dadaab refugee camp.

External Affairs Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: "As a compassionate nation, we are deeply saddened by these unfolding events.

"Scotland has many aid agencies working in the affected areas, striving to provide help and relief to those suffering.

"This funding will go directly to support these Scottish organisations and will ensure help is given swiftly and directly to those most in need."

She said the government was working closely with the Disasters Emergency Committee.

Eligible organisations must have a presence in Scotland and experience of working in the countries affected.

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Major search for missing teenager

16 July 2011 Last updated at 11:05 GMT A teenager who went missing overnight after falling from a pier in Donegal had been enjoying a birthday celebration.

The 17-year-old man, believed to be from Derry, fell into the water at Rathmullan pier, Donegal at about 0130 BST on Saturday.

Irish police, the coastguard and lifeboat crews have taken part in overnight searches along the lough.

The youth's family are keeping watch at the pier where he was last seen.

Joe Joyce from Lough Swilly RNLI said an extensive search was carried out overnight fro Rathmullan to Ramelton and Letterkenny.

The coastguard helicopter joined in.

"Conditions were not great. There was a lot of cloud cover and mist. We did a number of parallel searches along the lough using flares to illuminate the area," he said.

"The coastguard and the helicopter were there using infra red technology to detect the person.

"We searched all night."

A diving club and local people are helping look for the missing man.

"I believe it was just a birthday celebration that went wrong," Mr Joyce said.

"I know the family are there on the pier keeping watch."

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Mitchell beats Murray in thriller

By Nabil Hassan
BBC SPORT Mitchell (l) inflicted the only career defeat on Murray on Saturday Kevin Mitchell claimed the vacant WBO inter-continental lightweight title with a superb victory over the previously unbeaten John Murray.

Manchester's Murray seemed to shading the fight in the opening five rounds but a change in tactics swung the contest Mitchell's way.

Mitchell rocked Murray with a left in the seventh but the bell saved him.

But the 26-year-old finished the job a round later, flooring Murray before the fight was eventually stopped.

It was a sensational victory for the Dagenham fighter, who had been out of the ring for over a year following his third-round defeat to Michael Katsidis - his only career loss.

Mitchell admitted following that defeat that he had then lost his way, but this victory is proof that he is now back on track.

He made the better start to the fight and was the more accurate of the two fighters with his punches. In particular his left-hand uppercut had more snap than Murray's.

Mitchell again made a strong start to the second and looked in control of the round until a fierce right-hook from Murray rocked the challenger. It spurred Murray on and a further barrage on his opponent shaded the round in his favour.

Mitchell - sensing he was being dragged into a toe-to-toe brawl - started to move around the ring and box behind the jab, but Manchester's Murray eventually closed off the ring and caught up with him, catching his opponent with several fierce shots.

Murray, 26, continued to be the aggressor in the fourth round, landing more punches than his opponent but it was Mitchell who was landing the quality shots in what was becoming a fascinating contest.

The pace and volume of punches was starting to take its toll on Mitchell in the fifth as the fight started to swing firmly in Murray's favour. It was the best round of the fight for the Manchester man who seemed unconcerned by Mitchell's punches and whose pace was relentless throughout.

But Mitchell looked to have cleared his head in the sixth, with Murray reduced to short bursts, and he finally started to show his boxing ability and reverted to the 'box and run' game plan that served him so well against Breidis Prescott in 2009.

The Dagenham fighter continued to grow in confidence, throwing several accurate combinations in the seventh and a huge right hand, left-uppercut combination by Mitchell late in the round rocked Murray to the core and only the bell saved him from being knocked out.

Mitchell went after his man at the start of the eighth and despite a fierce left from the Manchester fighter a huge left sent Murray to the canvas.

Murray, who was shaky as he rose to his feet, was lucky to be able to continue but seconds later the fight was over as Mitchell sent in another combination that saw the contest stopped by the referee.

Earlier, Ricky Burns with a first-round victory against Nicky Cook who appeared to injure his back in trying to avoid a punch while Tony Bellew added the vacant British light-heavyweight title to his Commonwealth belt.

Bellew could be in line for a fight against WBO champion Nathan Cleverly having had to pull out of one contest against the Welshman after failing to make the weight having been brought in as a late replacement.

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SNP concern at imminent RAF cuts

16 July 2011 Last updated at 23:05 GMT Closures could mean a cut in RAF personnel of up to 74%, the Scottish government claims The Ministry of Defence could be about to announce "massive and disproportionate" RAF cuts in Scotland, according to the Scottish government.

The SNP said it believed an announcement on plans to close a second Scottish military airbase was imminent.

Under a UK government review, RAF Kinloss is already to be axed with the cancellation of the Nimrod contract.

Concern remains over the fates of Lossiemouth and Leuchars.

Westminster SNP leader Angus Robertson said the joint closure of RAF Kinloss and RAF Lossiemouth would constitute a 74% cut in RAF personnel in Scotland.

The joint closure of RAF Kinloss and RAF Leuchars would constitute a 53% cut, he added.

"Our defence communities are braced for bad news, they have been treated appallingly by the UK government throughout this process, and they now deserve certainty over their future," he said.

Continue reading the main story

No other part of the country is facing such devastation and Prime Minister Cameron needs to understand this”

End Quote Ewan McGregor Actor "There is no strategic or defence reason why the Ministry of Defence should consider massive and disproportionate cuts to the RAF in Scotland, while concentrating basing, spending and manpower in the south of England.

"Given Scotland's geographic location and the increasing importance of the high north it makes no sense for Whitehall to make swinging cuts to capability, personnel and bases.

"How can a cut of up to 74% in Scotland be justified?"

Mr Robertson contrasted Scotland's situation with Nordic countries, claiming they had similar strategic priorities and yet maintained more airbases and more aircraft.

Actor Ewan McGregor and his brother Colin, who is a former Tornado pilot, have added their voices to the appeal to save RAF Lossiemouth.

'No sense'

Trainspotting and Moulin Rouge star Ewan, who is originally from Crieff, said: "It is simply unimaginable for RAF Lossiemouth to be closed as an airbase in addition to RAF Kinloss only a few miles away.

"No other part of the country is facing such devastation and Prime Minister Cameron needs to understand this.

"Anyone who has been to the north of Scotland understands how important this is.

"Having had the good fortune to fly in a Tornado with Colin I know how critical the retention of RAF Lossiemouth is for the whole region."

His brother, who has just returned from Afghanistan where he visited 617 Squadron, added: "RAF Lossiemouth is the most capable military airbase in northern Europe and it makes no sense to close it."

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Reputation in tatters

By Alastair Eykyn
BBC Sport rugby union commentator The RFU has been split apart by recent events Throughout its colourful history, the Rugby Football Union has proved itself world class when it comes to internecine warfare. The latest splurge of bloodletting, though, has shocked even seasoned RFU watchers.

To see the hierarchy of English rugby fighting like rats in a sack has been deeply unedifying if you happen to care about the sport. It must be deeply confusing even if you do not.

One RFU Council member was heard to remark recently that the governing body was "even managing to make Fifa look good". The reputation of the RFU is in tatters, and it is entirely of their own making.

The most recent episode played out last Sunday. It was a blockbuster, even by their standards. The 61 members of the RFU Council had gathered to discuss the findings of a report that they had commissioned.

The RFU's Disciplinary Officer, Judge Jeff Blackett, had been asked to investigate the chaotic events of the preceding months: the recruitment - and sacking - of John Steele as chief executive, and the flawed attempts to appoint a performance director. Blackett led a four-man panel.

The investigation involved more than 65 one-to-one interviews and written submissions, and more than 100 RFU documents. He had promised a "warts and all" investigation.

I have obtained a copy of the report, and the findings are highly critical of the role played by the RFU Management Board, but especially of the chairman Martyn Thomas. Blackett concluded that there had been a breakdown of trust within the RFU, and that Thomas was persistently leaking information outside Twickenham.

He recommended Thomas resign as chairman, along with every member of the management board, except Bill Beaumont.

Thomas did step down, but retained his role as acting chief executive. The board survived a vote of no confidence by the council members.

Perhaps the most staggering chapter of this tale occurred during Blackett's presentation of his findings to the council. The Judge was interrupted by an email from Martyn Thomas's lawyers, threatening a defamation suit, should the report be made public.

Thomas considered himself the victim of a witch-hunt, and later said the decision to prevent its publication was in part down to the short time that the council and the board had been given to digest it.

The former chief executive of the RFU, Francis Baron is stunned by the events of the last few weeks. "The Board is in a state of total denial. Nobody is accepting responsibility. When there is a horrendous sequence of events on your watch, then you do the honourable thing."

Baron also has strident views regarding Thomas's decision to threaten legal action against Blackett. "It's clearly ludicrous for an organisation to appoint a panel to produce an objective report, and then to suppress its publication by the threat of legal proceedings.

It would be like the Board of News International objecting to the publication of the Judge's report into phone hacking, simply because it criticises them."

Judge Blackett took several days to consider his own (unpaid) position, questioning whether his integrity had been impugned. He has decided to continue as disciplinary officer, which is one piece of good news for the RFU, given the regard in which he is held throughout the game and across the legal profession.

So where next for the RFU?

Strong leadership is required, from people in permanent posts. We are told that protocol dictates a minimum of 60 days before a new chairman can be elected, which means that we can expect a delay of closer to three months.

Continue reading the main story June 2010 - John Steele appointed RFU chief executiveMarch 2011 - Appointment of new performance director delayedApril 2011 - Job description of performance director downgraded to exclude overseeing of England team12th May 2011 - Job description reversed19th May 2011 - Sir Clive Woodward withdraws from performance director process25th May 2011 - Peter Baines, RFU governance committee chairman, leads review into process of performance director recruitment9th June 2011 - Steele resigns as chief executive after nine months15th June 2011 - RFU inquiry into Steele's exit, led by disciplinary officer Jeff Blackett29th June 2011 - Board chairman Martyn Thomas asked to continue as acting chief executive10th July 2011 - RFU Council member meeting assesses inquiry findings

The process of recruiting a new chief executive will take much longer. A time frame of up to nine months has been mentioned. That means that the Rugby World Cup will take place in New Zealand without any executive posts filled at Twickenham.

Arguably more significant is that in October, the union will face the embarrassment of being handed the hosting rights to the 2015 tournament without a permanent chairman or chief executive in place.

Baron is concerned that the International Rugby Board might even be considering stripping England of those hosting rights.

"They must be thinking that England's governing body can't manage its own business, and will be worried about risking the RFU managing the 2015 tournament. That would be horrendous. The Blackett report must be published, and the recommendations have to be implemented. Only then can we show that we can manage our own affairs properly."

Martin Johnson is about to lead his England team into a World Cup campaign. How much the recent shenanigans at Twickenham will have unsettled him and his squad is hard to quantify.

The players are unlikely to be affected by boardroom politics, but they must be thoroughly bemused at the way events have unfolded. Johnson himself has remained silent throughout.

No doubt that famous brow has furrowed disapprovingly on a number of occasions in the last few months. He is effectively without a boss, but perhaps he likes it that way. Johnson's contract as England manager concludes at the end of the World Cup campaign.

Clearly, his future will depend on his success or failure in New Zealand. A semi-final place or better, and he will most likely continue. Failure to qualify from the pool stages, and there would be a number of interesting discussions to be had and decisions to be made.

Who would make those decisions though? Martyn Thomas, the rejected chairman but still acting chief executive? The question alone indicates the tangled mess that the RFU has made for itself.

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Church of TED

16 July 2011 Last updated at 08:07 GMT By Jane Wakefield Technology reporter, TEDGlobal, Edinburgh A dancing robot took centre stage at TEDGlobal this year There aren't many places where you get to see a dancing robot and a woman dressed in a black suit threaded with mushroom spores on the same stage, but that is just a normal day at TEDGlobal.

Beyond the eclectic nature of its speakers, the conference is unusual in many ways and has become something of a cult for its followers - appropriately known as TEDsters.

There is both a big and little TED. The first is held in the glamorous location of Long Beach, California. The second has been taking place in Edinburgh this week, after several years in Oxford.

Delegates can watch the show in chill-out pods

Delegates love the coolness of the event; to borrow from a well-known beer commercial - if Apple did conferences it would probably be something very like TED.

It is something of an elitist club - attendees pay ?5000 for the privilege of watching speakers talk about technology, entertainment and design.

Those three subjects make up the acronym TED but these days the talks are much wider.

Politics, history, economics and ecology were all on agenda in Edinburgh, with China's meteoric rise to power proving a major talking point.

Opera singer Danielle de Niese moved the audience

Nadia Al-Sakkaf, editor-in-chief of the Yemen Times, gave a moving speech about her desire for a democratic Yemen.

Philip Blond, architect of the Big Society idea talked about how society was broken, although there was little insight into how his big idea was going to fix it.

Meanwhile philosopher Alain de Botton talked about the need for religion 2.0 - with one particularly enthusiastic Tedster suggesting later that TED itself could be the new church.

Intermingled with the speakers was dance, opera and music performances.

Social experiment

This mix of intellect and emotion seems to be a defining feature of TED, which also offers its high-powered, wealthy audience a range of social and cultural distractions, including this year a launch party at Edinburgh Castle.

Delegates are invited to pick a badge based on their mood

There is also a sense of being part of a huge social experiment. They are encouraged to network furiously in case "the person that can change your life is sitting next to you".

Where other conferences offer delegates a feedback form, TED invites the audience to select a badge that most reflects their mood. Options include 'My ideas were challenged', "I was inspired and acted on it" and "What am I doing here?".

The badges are housed in plastic tubes and at the end of the week TED will assess which was the most popular. Current winner at the time of writing - "I said what I believe".

TED began life as an elitist club for Silicon Valley entrepreneurs until it was bought by British publisher Chris Anderson in 2001 and turned into a non-profit organisation dedicated to ideas worth spreading.

He angered some TED purists by agreeing to post videos of all the speakers online for free after the conference. It has opened the event out to a much wider audience and has spawned TEDx, localised independent conferences set up by volunteers around the world.

This summer TED is also pondering how it can spread its ideas in schools and an announcement on TED ED is due in the autumn.

Despite the changing nature of the organisation, the conference remains a curiously closed experience. Tweeting is not allowed in the auditorium and there are no question-and-answer sessions to let the audience challenge speakers.

But TEDsters, as befits members of a cult, hold little truck with criticism. They embrace the week-long event as an oasis of intellectual and emotionally stimulation.

Mushroom death Artist Jae Rhim Lee wants people to take a more ecological approach to death

Cutting-edge tech remains at the heart of TED.

The dancing robot did more than just prove that it could move with great elegance. Rezero, as it is known, is part of a family of ballbot robots whose design offers a range of real world applications, from guides around museums to intelligent trolleys in hospitals.

Net activist Rebecca MacKinnon gave a call to arms speech about preserving the internet from censorship, including the self-imposed censorship of corporates operating in China. Meanwhile security expert Mikko Hypponen spoke of the need to embrace rather than arrest hackers.

On the final day, pilot Anna Mracek Dietrich unveiled her flying car - or roadable aircraft as she prefers to call it. The craft, complete with folding wings, could be on the road by the end of this year.

And the mushroom suit? Artist Jae Rhim Lee wants to spread the idea of decompiculture - which encourages people to allow their dead bodies to be eaten by mushrooms as an altogether more organic way of dying.

She has, apparently, already got some volunteers although whether the TEDsters will be putting their bodies forward is doubtful. They seem too keen to embrace life and all it has to offer.

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Pledge as cruise firm halts trade

16 July 2011 Last updated at 10:44 GMT Gill's Cruise Centre's premises in Cardiff Thousands of people booked onto cruises have been told they will still be able to go on holiday after a Cardiff-based travel company stopped trading.

Gill's Cruise Centre took bookings for operators including P&O, Cunard and Royal Caribbean.

Travel association Abta says it has withdrawn the firm's membership due to "a financial failure".

Gill's could not be contacted for comment and its website said it could not accept new booking queries.

Customer Brian Jenkins said he had visited the company's shop in Cardiff on Friday after hearing they were facing potential financial problems.

The company, which has two premises in Cardiff and one in London, was established in 1957

Mr Jenkins said he was hopeful that the trip he had booked for his wife and himself to the Norwegian fjords will still be going ahead.

"I'm going to ring P&O to clarify there are no problems as soon as I get home," he added.

Abta, which represents travel companies, said any cruise booked through Gill's would be honoured and was fully financially protected.

Customers were advised that they could expect to hear from their cruise line. Any who wanted to contact their cruise line could do so by using details on their confirmation invoice.

Continue reading the main story

Gill's is the most recent in a long list of travel companies that have suffered as a result of the economic downturn”

End Quote Rochelle Turner Which? Travel It said people who may have booked their flight and cruise directly with Gill's under their Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (Atol) licence should contact the Civil Aviation Authority.

If the cruise and flight have been booked with different suppliers they were advised to contact the cruise company.

A message on Gill's website said it regretted that it was unable to accept new booking inquiries.

It added: "Our existing clients with queries should telephone our client service department on 0845 460 6094."

The company is described on its website as "family-owned and established in 1957".

Booking advice

It has a sales office in Paddington Central, London, while in Cardiff it has a client services team based at Llanishen and a retail centre in Rhiwbina.

One company no longer working with Gill's is Carnival UK, which includes P&O Cruises, Cunard, Princess Cruises and Seabourn Cruises.

Carnival UK's sales and customer services director Giles Hawke said his company severed the agency relationship with Gill's earlier in the week week because of increasing concerns about its financial position.

He added that if customers had booked a Carnival cruise with Gill's their holiday was safe.

Rochelle Turner, head of research for Which? Travel, said the travel industry had been through some turbulent times over the past two years.

"Gill's is the most recent in a long list of travel companies that have suffered as a result of the economic downturn," she said.

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Protest against town smoking ban

16 July 2011 Last updated at 19:07 GMT UKIP leader Nigel Farage said the ban could be the "final nail in the coffin" for Stony Stratford's pubs About 200 people have attended a protest against plans to ban smoking in open places in a Buckinghamshire town, according to organisers.

Councillor Paul Bartlett has proposed a new by-law to outlaw smoking in any public place in Stony Stratford.

Among those who spoke against the ban was UKIP leader Nigel Farage, who said it could stop people coming to the town, affecting local businesses.

Town councillors will be voting on the proposal on Tuesday.

If the plan is approved, smokers who light up in public in Stony Stratford could face on-the-spot fines.

Mr Bartlett has said the town, near Milton Keynes, is "blighted by cigarette butts".

Some local publicans have said a total ban on smoking would have a huge impact on their trade and Mr Farage, who is an MEP for Buckinghamshire, echoed their views in a meeting at the Vaults Bar in the town.

He said: "We have already seen the horrific impact the smoking ban has had to the pub trade which has resulted in hundreds of pubs across the UK shutting down.

"If this new proposal in Stony goes through it will mean no more 'popping out for a smoke'.

"I have been listening to the concerns from the local business community and they believe that this will have a negative impact on the place.

"For local pubs it could well be the final nail in their coffin. For other businesses they feel people will simply stop coming to Stony."

The meeting was followed by a "mass light up" by smokers opposed to the proposed ban.

If Stony Stratford Town Council votes in favour of the scheme at Tuesday's meeting it would have to ask Milton Keynes Council to use its powers to introduce the necessary by-law.

If implemented, the ban would be enforced by police community support officers.

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Clash of the press titans

14 July 2011 Last updated at 12:48 GMT By Peter Jackson and Tom de Castella BBC News Press barons down the ages were prone to inflate their power, historians say The actions of Rupert Murdoch's newspaper group have drawn the wrath of Westminster, but this is not the first time that politicians have done battle with mighty press barons.

When the Times flexed its considerable muscle at the ruling classes of the mid-19th century, it was enough to turn the politicians' faces the shade of a modern-day red-top.

Known as the Thunderer, it was arguably the most influential daily in the world, of which Abraham Lincoln said: "I don't know of anything which has more power, except perhaps the Mississippi."

When press titans have tried to push their own political agenda, power struggles have occasionally erupted, sometimes in spectacular fashion.

Baldwin disliked the insolence of the press barons

Historian Dr Piers Brendon has described UK press magnates as "mad, bad, dangerous-to-know beasts in the newspaper jungle who did what they wanted". He may well have had Lords Rothermere and Beaverbrook in mind.

The respective owners of the Daily Mail and Daily Express arguably held a tighter grip on the news agenda than modern-day magnates. These tycoons were free from the diluting influence of TV, radio and other media.

The Express covered the entire spectrum of classes and in the 1930s was the first paper to have a circulation of two million - a huge total at the time.

In 1930 the barons almost ousted former Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin as leader of the Conservative party by running two separate campaigns against him on the issue of empire free trade.

Baldwin favoured protectionism whilst the two Lords wanted the British Empire to become a free trade bloc, setting them on a political collision course.

Continue reading the main story

The model for press barons is William Randolph Hearst. He owned almost 30 papers throughout America and was satirised in the movie Citizen Kane.

He's credited with the invention of tabloid journalism in the 1890s when his New York Journal began a bitter circulation war with Joseph Pulitzer's New York World. He also had a reputation as a warmonger.

"You furnish the pictures and I'll furnish the war," goes an apocryphal instruction he was supposed to have sent in a telegram to an illustrator in Havana.

Hearst's papers pioneered big headlines, lots of pictures, cartoons, crime and xenophobia.

Nothing's really changed, says Chris Horrie, author of Tabloid Nation, the barons still follow his lead. "They all want to be Hearst. You start wars, select presidents and in the end go mad."

When Beaverbrook formed the Empire Free Trade Crusade, a campaigning political party, and started running by-election candidates alongside Rothermere, Baldwin snapped.

On 17 March 1931 he delivered his now famous speech at the Queens Hall in London, some of which was supplied by his cousin Rudyard Kipling.

"Their newspapers are not newspapers in the ordinary acceptance of the term, they are engines of propaganda for the constantly changing policies, desires, personal wishes, personal likes and personal dislikes of two men," he thundered.

"What the proprietorship of these papers is aiming at is power, but power without responsibility, the prerogative of the harlot throughout the ages."

Dr Brendon, author of The Life and Death of the Press Baron, says the use of Kipling's phrase "harlot" was genuinely shocking at the time, and enough to shut the barons up.

He says Beaverbrook had openly admitted running his newspapers to promote his own political agenda, and was unapologetic.

A year earlier, Rothermere refused to support Baldwin unless he provided him with the names of at least eight out of 10 of his future cabinet should he be elected.

Baldwin replied: "A more preposterous and insolent demand was never made on a leader of any political party. I repudiate it with contempt and I will fight that attempt at domination to the end."

King was the nephew of Northcliffe and Rothermere

Cecil King is notorious for trying to bring down the government of Harold Wilson with a front page.

He was chairman of the Daily Mirror's parent group during the 1960s when the paper sold over five million copies. By 1968 he had become disillusioned with Wilson's government and moved to topple the prime minister.

On 10 May, he went over the head of Mirror editor Hugh Cudlipp and ran a front page with the headline "Enough is enough."

Geoffrey Goodman, a former assistant editor of the Daily Mirror, described it in the Guardian as a "sensational piece written and signed by King demanding Wilson's dismissal by his own government and removal from 10 Downing Street".

Mr Wilson has lost all credibility: all authority, Cecil King wrote

But the move backfired. When King called a meeting of those he hoped to recruit for his national government, they reacted to his plan by calling him a traitor and storming out.

And the Mirror Group board responded by sacking King and replacing him with Cudlipp. "It was a mad idea," says Roy Greenslade, who wrote about the episode in his book Press Gang.

The genesis of King's anger with Wilson was a sense of injustice, Greenslade believes. He had wanted a cabinet post when Wilson's government was elected in 1964.

He also viewed Wilson's policies as too left wing. In the end, his behaviour was continuing a venerable family tradition. King's mother was the daughter of Lord Northcliffe.

"There was something in the genes," Greenslade says. "It all goes back to Northcliffe."

Northcliffe was the first of the great buccaneering press barons of the 20th century

"In terms of the press baronetcy, Northcliffe is number one," says Roy Greenslade.

Born Alfred Harmsworth in Ireland, he was a pioneer of tabloid newspapers. With younger brother Harold - later the first Lord Rothermere - he launched the mass market Daily Mail and later bought the Times.

The former became the highest selling newspaper in the land, while the latter gave him a direct line to the British establishment.

Continue reading the main story

Northcliffe became obsessed with Perrier water and Bolsheviks, Cecil King believed he could foresee the future, and ex-Daily Mirror owner Robert Maxwell reportedly once holed up in a penthouse suite organising world peace via phone calls to Mother Teresa.

Indeed the telephone is the weapon of choice for press barons, says Piers Brendon.

Beaverbrook would ring up editors in the middle of the night, while entwined with a giggling lover.

Maxwell was a "great brute who liked to act as God on five telephones".

Source: Ian Jack, Chris Horrie, Piers Brendon

Before World War I his papers demanded a strongly anti-German line, prompting the Daily Star to declare: "Next to the Kaiser, Lord Northcliffe has done more than any living man to bring about the war".

By this point, his newspapers accounted for half of those sold in London. In 1915 the Times seriously undermined PM Herbert Asquith, paving the way for Northcliffe favourite David Lloyd George to replace him in Downing Street the following year.

Lloyd George responded by offering him a seat in cabinet. Northcliffe declined and instead took up the post of director of propaganda.

"He had the masses with the Daily Mail and the ruling classes with the Times," Greenslade says.

For a time the vast circulation of his papers gave him unrivalled power.

For sheer political influence, he was surpassed by Lord Beaverbrook, Greenslade believes. But Northcliffe remains a towering figure in the history of newspaper proprietors.

He is credited with the line: "News is what somebody somewhere wants to suppress, everything else is advertising". (A variant of this is also attributed to US newspaper baron William Randolph Hearst.)

The cartoonist Max Beerbohm portrayed him struggling to restrain his tabloid instincts, with the line: "'Help! Again I feel the demons of sensationalism rising within me! Hold me fast!'" His legacy lives on today in the form of Northcliffe House in Kensington, home to the Daily Mail.

Beaverbrook was born in Canada and published his first newspaper as a teenager

In the austere years following World War II, Labour Prime Minister Clement Attlee used a different method to tackle a hostile press - flatly ignoring them.

It was a tactic that proved highly successful, according to Dr Brendon, as it allowed him to focus on policies such as establishing the welfare state and nationalising major industries.

By now, Express owner Lord Beaverbrook - the first baron of Fleet Street - presided over the world's largest selling newspaper with a circulation approaching four million.

He had a reputation to be able to make or break almost anyone.

Historian and author Richard Heller says Attlee was so removed from the media that he had to be persuaded by his press secretary, Francis Williams, to install a tape machine at Number 10 to monitor breaking news.

Williams only sold the idea to cricket fanatic Attlee on the basis that it would give him access to the latest scores, Heller says.

One day when Attlee was checking the scores he was horrified to notice that the machine was also clattering out political news, the historian adds.

"Francis," Attlee said, "My cricket machine's gone wrong. It's putting out stuff about the government."

Williams replied: "I know, prime minister, I put it there."

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