Connors Family Found Guilty Of Forced Labour

Five members of the same traveller family who made their staff perform humiliating tasks have been found guilty of forced labour.

William Connors, 52, his wife Mary, 48, their sons John, 29, and James, 20, and their son-in-law Miles Connors, 24, were all convicted of conspiracy to require a person to perform forced or compulsory labour between April 2010 and March 2011.

Bristol Crown Court heard how the Connors would pick up the men - many of whom were homeless or drug addicts - to work for them as labourers.

Jurors were told the victims lived in squalid caravans on traveller sites as they moved around the country working on the Connors' paving and patio businesses.

Prosecutors said the men were paid as little as £5 a day for their work, which included emptying the buckets used as toilets by their bosses, and were forced to scavenge from dustbins for food.

The inside of a caravan occupied by two people who worked for the Connors

Some workers were beaten with broom handles, belts, a rake and a shovel, and one had a hosepipe forced down his throat, it was claimed.

By contrast, the court heard, their employers lived in large, well-equipped caravans, enjoyed holidays in Dubai, Mexico and the Caribbean and drove luxury cars, including a Rolls-Royce, a Mercedes A-Class and a Mini convertible.

Prosecutor Christopher Quinlan QC said: "It was a clear and unequivocal demonstration of control and dominance of one set - the family - over another.

"If you compare and contrast the lifestyles of the workers and bosses it is like comparing a Maserati with a clapped-out Zephyr."

Police began investigating the Connors following the discovery of a worker's decomposed body in a garden shed close to one of the family's caravan sites.

A fellow worker contacted officers in 2009 to say he had been recruited by William and Mary while living on the streets of Cheltenham.

He told detectives he had his identity documents taken from him, was rarely paid, received little food and lived with other workers in the same situation.

When the Connors family was placed under covert surveillance the following year, police recorded evidence of the men being assaulted.

Caravan sites in Gloucestershire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire were raided in March 2011 and 19 men were rescued.

The Connors said their workers were "free agents" who were able to come and go as they pleased.

William and Mary insisted they were "good Samaritans" who provided vulnerable people with food, work and accommodation.

All five defendants had faced a second charge of conspiracy to hold another person in servitude but the judge ordered the jury to find them not guilty of that offence.

They are due to be sentenced on Monday.

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Witches Coven: Child Sex Abuse Pair Jailed

Two men have been jailed for a total of 32 years after sexually abusing several children as part of a witches' coven in Cornwall during the 1970s.

Peter Petrauske, 72, and Jack Kemp, 69, were said to have donned ceremonial robes and pagan paraphernalia before abusing young girls.

Police believe one of their victims may have been as young as three.

During the three-week trial at Truro Crown Court, sex abuse victims said they were given money and sweets to buy their silence.

Petrauske, who described himself as the high priest of a white witches' coven in St Ives, Cornwall, was convicted of one count of rape, one count of aiding and abetting an attempt to rape, and one count of indecent assault, all by unanimous verdict.

Kemp was unanimously found guilty of indecent assault and indecency with a child, as well as seven other sexual offences by a majority verdict.

Jailing Kemp for 14 years and Petrauske for 18, Judge Graham Cottle told them: "The offences range from the extremely serious to the truly horrifying.

"(The trial) has featured ritualistic, sickening abuse of young, young children.

"The scars left are so obvious that it would seem extremely unlikely that either of them have any real prospect of recovery."

The child abuse was only investigated further by police last year when Kemp was arrested in connection with another incident, causing rumours to spread around his home town of Falmouth and prompting the alleged victims of the historic offences to contact detectives.

Petrauske was backed up by female members of the coven who said that, while children were occasionally present, nudity never played a part in the ceremonies.

One female friend also described him as "a gentleman".

Kemp denied any involvement in paganism, saying it "wasn't his cup of tea", and said he was the victim of a bizarre conspiracy.

He said the girls were wrong to name him in the case.

Witnesses also named murdered pagan Peter Solheim and notorious Cornish paedophile Stan Pirie as among their abusers.

Solheim was a 56-year-old parish councillor whose body was found five miles off the Lizard Peninsula, Cornwall, by fishermen on June 18, 2004. He had been drugged and mutilated with a machete or an axe.

Kemp was cleared of five charges, while Petrauske was also found not guilty of one count.

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Savile Revelations Spark NSPCC Abuse Campaign

The NSPCC has launched a campaign in a bid to prevent people thinking sexual abuse is a problem from the past following the Jimmy Savile abuse revelations.

The children's charity is worried that due to many of Savile's victims being abused in the 1970s and 80s, people may believe sexual abuse is not as common now as it was then.

The charity also fears that people still don't know where to turn for help or that they will hesitate to report child abuse until they feel 100% certain.

Peter Watt, director of the NSPCC helpline, said: "By bravely speaking out, Savile's victims have done a great public service in raising awareness of child sex abuse and its long-lasting, devastating effect on victims.

"Our advert aims to remind people that child abuse remains a widespread problem and children are still abused today.

"To end their suffering and bring their abusers to justice we must all act now. Savile's victims waited decades to be heard and helped. We can't let this happen again.

"With this advert we want to send out a clear message about how vitally important it is to act on your suspicions and that the NSPCC is here to help you do this.

"Our trained counsellors will discuss your concerns and the best course of action."

Some 589 people have come forward with information relating to the Savile scandal, with a total of 450 complaints against the the BBC presenter and DJ himself, mainly alleging sexual abuse, Scotland Yard said.

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Kids At Risk Of Rickets Due To Lack Of Vitamin D

Doctors fear a return of the 19th century disease rickets as the number of children suffering from vitamin D deficiencies increases.

There has been a four-fold increase in the bone disease - which has been relatively uncommon in the UK since the 19th century - over the last 15 years.

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) said poor intake of vitamin D is also resulting in higher incidences of diabetes, tuberculosis and multiple sclerosis.

Doctors have called for widely available and low-cost supplements and the fortification of foods with vitamin D to stem the problem across the UK.

Professor Mitch Blair, officer for health promotion at the RCPCH, said: "We know vitamin D deficiency is a growing problem - and localised research reveals startlingly high levels of vitamin deficiency amongst certain groups including children.

"People can only get a fraction (10%) of their recommended daily amount of vitamin D through food and very little from sunlight.

"So getting out in the sun more or eating more oily fish isn't going to solve the problem.

"Lack of vitamin D is related to a plethora of serious illnesses in children and adults that could be prevented through relatively simple steps such as taking supplements."

The RCPCH said there needed to be a greater knowledge among healthcare professionals and better public awareness about Vitamin D-related disease.

Vitamin D deficiency is thought to affect a quarter of children across the UK.

:: Rickets is a softening of bones in children due to deficiency or impaired metabolism of vitamin D, phosphorus or calcium, potentially leading to fractures and deformity.

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Two Charged After Boy Dies From Drug Overdose

Two people have been charged with manslaughter for the death of a toddler who died from a heroin overdose in Wolverhampton.

A 29-year-old man and 33-year-old woman have been accused of causing or allowing the death of 23-month-old Daniel Jones earlier this year.

He was pronounced dead by paramedics who responded to a call to a house in the city at 6.15am on May 29.

Daniel's death was initially treated as unexplained by police but recent forensic tests showed he died from a heroin overdose.

The suspects were detained by police in Penn, Wolverhampton on Wednesday and are due to appear at the magistrates' court today.

More follows...

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HMV Warns Of Banking Agreement Breach

HMV has warned that uncertainties facing the business mean it is likely to breach its banking covenant in January.

The high street stalwart - which sells CDs, DVDs, games, music players - said it was in "constructive discussions" with banks about its performance.

Total sales at HMV fell 13.5%, while like-for-like sales were down 10.2% in the six months to October 27.

It reported a loss before tax of £37.3m - an improvement on the £48.1m loss over the same period the year before.

But the the 91 year-old company said its net debt increased to £176.1m from £163.7m.

More follows...

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Ex-Royal Butler: 'Max Clifford Sold Me Out'

By David Bowden, Sky News Senior Correspondent

Just days after being questioned by police in connection with alleged sex offences, which he says are completely untrue, Sky News has learned that Max Clifford is being sued by one of his former clients for alleged breach of confidentiality - accusations the publicist denies.

Princess Diana's butler Paul Burrell claims he hired Mr Clifford in a bid to limit bad press coverage about him a decade ago, but now the former royal servant alleges that rather than stopping stories Mr Clifford passed them on to The News of the World.

His lawyer Mark Lewis says Paul Burrell claims that Mr Clifford asked him to write down personal details which he feared might be uncovered by the media so that he could deal with them if they appeared, but instead of keeping the details confidential it is alleged Mr Clifford faxed the hand written documents to the News of the World.

He said: "The police say they raided the News of the World's offices and there is a fax header there showing that things were sent from Max Clifford Associates to the News of the World concerning Paul Burrell. Paul's own notes, Paul's own handwriting that he'd given to Max suddenly finds itself at the News of the World."

But Mr Clifford has issued a robust response.

"The claims made by Mr Burrell have no merit. His allegations are opportunistic and are denied," he said.

"It is an affront to common sense to suggest that Mr Burrell, who has sold stories to the newspapers, made countless appearances on TV and has even written a book about his dealings with the royal family, now feels able to claim that any information he provided was confidential.

"We will defend these claims in court and will be asking the judge at the earliest opportunity to strike out these claims as having no prospect of success and an abuse of process."

Mr Clifford has made a very successful, very lucrative and high profile career managing the publicity of some of the world's biggest stars and he has often spoken to the media on a range of PR issues.

If he was to have sold out one of his clients in the way Mr Burrell alleges then that lucrative career would be badly damaged.

Whatever the truth of these allegations, the coming together of the former butler to the one time most famous woman in the world and the publicist to the stars is bound to create a lot of interest.

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Weather: Fog And Ice Hit Dozens Of Flights

Freezing fog has descended on parts of the UK, forcing airports to cancel flights - and more delays are expected.

Heathrow Airport has said more than 60 flights due to take off on Wednesday have been scrapped.

A spokesman said further cancellations were likely as adverse conditions affecting large swathes of the country worsen.

Cancelled flights include trips to Warsaw, Nice, Stockholm, Aberdeen and several German cities.

There are also disruptions and cancellations at London City Airport and passengers are being urged to contact airlines to check details.

Monday night into Tuesday was one of the coldest nights of the year, with the mercury plummeting to as low as minus 10C (14F), with Scotland worst affected.

And after another bitterly cold night, much of the country has been waking up to sub-zero temperatures today.

Areas including central England, Wales and East Anglia have been hit by fog, which was expected to spread through the night before the weather gets worse later today.

Motorists are being warned to take care as visibility is reduced to as low as 100 metres, while icy patches are also a risk.

Forecasters expect rain and snow on higher ground. Milder weather is expected later in the week, but rain could lead to local flooding on Friday.

• Is your area affected by adverse weather? Get in touch here.

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Radio Prank Nurse: Post-Mortem Examination Due

A post-mortem examination is due to be held later on the nurse who apparently took her own life after she fell victim to a prank call made to the hospital treating the Duchess of Cambridge.

Tributes have been paid to Jacintha Saldanha, who was found dead on Friday days after she was tricked by two Australian radio hosts who called the King Edward VII Hospital in central London.

She transferred the presenters, believing they were the Queen and the Prince of Wales, to a colleague who divulged details about Kate's treatment for severe morning sickness.

Ms Saldanha, 46, from Bristol, was found dead in a block of nurses' flats close to the hospital, where she stayed while working in London.

MP Keith Vaz met her family on Monday and said they had been "devastated" by the loss of a "loving mother and a loving wife".

Flanked by Ms Saldanha's husband Benedict Barboza and her two teenage children, Mr Vaz said: "They miss her every moment of every day, but they are really grateful to the support of the British public and to the public overseas for the messages of support and kindness."

Ms Saldanha's family have been left "devastated" by their loss

Mr Vaz has called for the hospital to provide the family with more support and to hold an inquiry.

His criticism came after the DJs behind the call, Mel Greig and Michael Christian, broke their silence about the nurse's death.

Interviewed on Australian TV networks, the 2Day FM presenters said there had been a "tragic turn of events no-one could have predicted or expected".

A tearful Greig told Today Tonight on Australia's Channel Seven: "There's nothing that can make me feel worse than what I feel right now. And for what I feel for the family."

Police in London have contacted their Australian counterparts with a view to interviewing the pair ahead of an inquest into Ms Saldanha's death.

In response to Mr Vaz's criticism the hospital said its chief executive John Lofthouse had spoken to the nurse's husband on Friday by phone and offered to meet him whenever he wanted.

Southern Cross Austereo, the parent company of 2Day FM, has suspended advertising on the Sydney radio station until further notice, ended Greig and Christian's Hot 30 show and suspended prank calls across the company.

Mr Christian and Ms Greig have spoken emotionally about the tragedy

Rhys Holleran, the chief executive of the firm, has said the station called the hospital five times to discuss what it had recorded before going to air.

Under Australian regulations, the permission of anyone on the receiving end of a radio prank must be sought before the call can be broadcast.

But the hospital denied on Monday that anyone within its senior management or media unit was contacted.

Mr Holleran insisted the appropriate checks were conducted before the pre-recorded item was broadcast, and defended the presenters in an interview late on Monday with Australia's Ten Network.

Asked if anyone in authority above the hosts was at the station when the call was made, he said: "I think that it is important that these two individuals did not recklessly just decide to put something to air."

He said the "went through a process", without going into details.

Ms Saldanha was originally from Mangalore in southwest India, according to reports, and her teenage children are said to be daughter Lisha, 14, and son Junal, 16.

Scotland Yard said the post-mortem examination would be held at Westminster Mortuary and it was likely an inquest would be opened and adjourned at Westminster Coroner's Court later this week.

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Gay Marriage A 'Disaster' For Tories, Says MP

By Enda Brady, Sky News Correspondent

Pushing ahead with legislation for gay marriage in church would be a "disaster" for the Conservative Party, an MP has warned.

Stewart Jackson, MP for Peterborough, spoke out ahead of Government plans to pave the way for same-sex equality laws that could see gay marriages allowed in church as soon as 2014.

He told Sky News: "I believe this is a mistake. It's a very divisive issue and an unnecessary piece of legislation.

"It is fundamentally an un-Conservative policy and if (Prime Minister David Cameron) presses ahead with this it will be a disaster for the party and the country."

Stewart Jackson opposes legislation

When the vote happens next year, MPs are likely to be allowed to decide according to their conscience, rather than their party.

Mr Cameron has promised a change in the law in England and Wales by the next election - May 2015 at the latest.

The news has been widely welcomed by the gay community, with one leading vicar hailing it as a "breakthrough".

Reverend Sharon Ferguson, chief executive of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement, said: "It has been a real rollercoaster of emotions, but this is brilliant news.

"We are all God's children and he loves us all equally. So why shouldn't I be able to marry the person I love in church?"

She added: "It takes a good year to plan a good wedding, so we'd better get planning."

Mr Cameron is facing fierce criticism from some Tory MPs over the legislation, which is due to be unveiled this lunchtime by Culture Secretary Maria Miller.

As many as 130 backbenchers are tipped to oppose him in the vote.

The measures will grant religious groups the right to stage same-sex civil marriages in places of worship if they want to but will offer a guarantee so that no institution is forced.

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HMS Audacious: New Super Submarine For Navy

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

A £1.2bn contract has been agreed to build a new submarine for the Royal Navy.

The deal, awarded by the Ministry of Defence to BAE Systems, will safeguard 3,000 jobs at the company's Barrow shipyard in Cumbria.

The submarine, to be called HMS Audacious, will be the fourth of seven Astute Class boats being built for the Navy. It will join Astute, Ambush and Artful in the growing fleet.

The first two submarines, Astute and Ambush, are currently undergoing sea trials to test their systems ahead of full service. These trials assess their ability to dive to deep depths and fire missiles.

A further £1.5bn has also been committed to three submarines yet to be built, which will complete the fleet. It will allow vital preliminary work to start.

Commenting on the announcement, Rear Admiral Simon Lister, the MoD's director of submarines, said: "The Astute Class will become the jewel in the crown of the Royal Navy's Submarine Service and boasts much greater firepower and more advanced sonar and communications than ever before.

Audacious is the fourth of seven Astute submarines being built for the Navy

"These submarines represent a huge leap forward in technology and will operate all over the world with the Royal Navy.

"These boats provide the optimum capability a submarine can offer in land strike, strategic intelligence gathering, anti-submarine and surface ship warfare, and protection of the strategic deterrent."

The Astute class submarines are powered by nuclear energy which means they never need to refuel. In theory they can stay underwater forever, only re-surfacing to take on supplies for the crew.

They are fitted with the most advanced sonar systems available and are quieter than older submarines. The sonar system has the processing power of 2,000 laptops and can spot and track ships 3,000 miles away.

At around 320ft (97 metres) from bow to stern they are about 50% bigger than the Royal Navy's current Trafalgar Class submarines. They carry on board a mix of Spearfish torpedoes and Tomahawk land-attack missiles.

The submarines will also make their own oxygen from seawater. 

The money is coming from a pre-allocated budget. In the Autumn Statement the Chancellor said the MoD could have more time to spend about £1bn that it has yet to use from this year's budget.

It was thought that the Treasury might request the money be returned, but George Osborne has allowed the department a period of flexibility.

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DNA Database: £100m Bid To Cut Cancer Deaths

David Cameron is to unveil plans for a DNA database that could one day hold the genetic details of every person in Britain.

A £100m project will see 100,000 patients with cancer and rare diseases having their DNA fully mapped as part of a drive to revolutionise NHS treatment.

The project, to take place in England over the next three to five years, is aimed at saving thousands of lives - but there are concerns that it could pose risks to privacy.

The Prime Minister said he wanted to "push the boundaries" by introducing mainstream genetic sequencing for the first time.

"Britain has often led the world in scientific breakthroughs and medical innovations, from the first CT scan and test-tube baby through to decoding DNA," Mr Cameron said.

"By unlocking the power of DNA data, the NHS will lead the global race for better tests, better drugs and above all better care.

Doctors hope the database will help reduce cancer deaths

"We are turning an important scientific breakthrough into a potentially life-saving reality for NHS patients across the country.

"If we get this right, we could transform how we diagnose and treat our most complex diseases not only here but across the world, while enabling our best scientists to discover the next wonder drug or breakthrough technology."

Some critics of the project, known as the "UK genome plan", have voiced concerns about how the data will be used and shared with third parties, including with commercial organisations such as drug companies.

GeneWatch, a campaign group fighting for genetic science and technologies to be used in the public interest, has said anyone with access to the database could use the genetic codes to identify and track every individual on it and their relatives.

But Downing Street stressed that the genome sequencing would be entirely voluntary and patients will be able to opt out without affecting their NHS care. It added the data would be "completely anonymised before it is stored".

The Government's Chief Medical Officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies, said the NHS already analysed single genes in cancer tests and to check patients' risk of suffering side effects from treatment.

"At the moment, these tests focus on diseases caused by changes in a single gene," she said.

"This funding opens up the possibility of being able to look at the three billion DNA pieces in each of us so we can get a greater understanding of the complex relationship between our genes and lifestyle."

The £100m, which comes from existing NHS budgets, will go on training genetic scientists, mapping patients' DNA, and creating systems for handling the information.

The project that first sequenced a human genome in 2000 cost around £500m, but technical advances mean the bill has dropped dramatically to under £1,000 per person.

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Boy Killed By 'Teen Driver' At Caravan Site

A seven-year-old boy has died after being hit by a BMW car allegedly driven by a teenager at a caravan site.

A 16-year-old boy is being questioned by police after being arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.

The accident happened at the Shirenewton caravan site, east of Cardiff, south Wales, at around 3pm on Saturday.

"A seven-year-old boy from the caravan site was apparently in collision with a red BMW 3 series estate," a South Wales Police spokesman said.

"The boy was taken to the University Hospital of Wales where he later died from his injuries. Specially trained police officers are supporting the family.

"A 16-year-old youth from the area, who is believed to have been driving the BMW at the time, has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and is in custody and inquiries are ongoing."

Anybody who witnessed the incident or who has any information is asked to contact the police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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Top Tories Launch Gay Marriage Campaign

London Mayor Boris Johnson and Education Secretary Michael Gove are among more than a dozen senior Conservatives who have launched a new group to campaign for gay marriage.

David Cameron supports the plans to allow same-sex weddings to be held in places of worship and has promised a free vote, but more than 100 Tory MPs are expected to oppose the change in the Commons next year.

The new group has been put together by Nick Herbert, the former police minister who resigned from the Government in September's reshuffle.

As well as Mr Johnson and Mr Gove, it includes Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin, who is Catholic, Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt, an evangelical Christian, former Tory ministers Lord Fowler and Nicholas Soames and Scottish Conservatives leader Ruth Davidson.

In a letter to The Sunday Telegraph announcing the formation of the group, the 19 declared: "Marriage should be open to all, regardless of sexuality.

"We recognise that civil partnerships were an important step forward in giving legal recognition to same sex couples.

"But civil partnerships are not marriages, which express a particular and universally understood commitment."

Former police minister Nick Herbert is spearheading the campaign

Mr Herbert, who is in a civil partnership, said changing the law was "the right thing to do".

"It is precisely because marriage is such a uniquely important institution that we should ensure that all couples who want to enter into it, regardless of their sexuality, can do so," he added.

"Conservatives who believe in marriage should feel this most strongly."

However, Mr Herbert insisted it would be wrong to "compel religious organisations to marry same-sex couples against their will" and called for legal "safeguards" to prevent it.

Under the proposals, due to be fleshed out this week, churches and other venues will be allowed to "opt in" to holding civil marriage ceremonies.

Ministers will offer a guarantee that no institution will be forced to marry gay people on their premises - but Tory MPs and religious groups have questioned whether it would stand up to challenges under the Human Rights Act.

Legislation is expected to be introduced before Easter, and could take effect about a year later - with the first ceremonies likely be held in spring 2014.

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