Brit Held Over Threats To Kill 200 US Students

Detectives are questioning a British man in connection with alleged threats to shoot dead 200 children at a US school.

Sky Tyne and Wear reported Northumbria Police arrested Reece Elliott, 24, from South Shields, on Friday on suspicion of making threats to kill.

An anonymous post made on Wednesday on a Facebook memorial page set up for a deceased student threatened a mass killing spree, saying: "I'm gonna kill hopefully at least 200 before I kill myself."

Elliott is being held at South Shields police station.

Homeland Security in the US has been informed, and the threats led schools in Warren County, Tennessee, to tighten security.

Some reports said as many as 3,000 students did not attend classes the next day.

The post said: "My father has three guns. I'm planning on killing him first and putting him in a dumpster. Then I'm taking the motor and I'm going in fast.

"I'm gonna kill hopefully at least 200 before I kill myself."

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation spokesperson Kristin Helm said its cyber crime agents are helping in the investigation and the source of the post had not been identified.

It is not yet known whether any potential prosecution will be brought in England or the US, or both.

Warren County Schools tightened security following the threats

A spokeswoman for Northumbria Police said: "At 2.12pm on Friday February 8, police received notification that a man had posted threatening information on Facebook.

"A 24-year-old man from South Shields has been arrested on suspicion of threats to kill and is currently in custody.

"The message is believed to have been posted on Wednesday. There is nothing to suggest it posed any physical threat to any school either here or in America."

Bobby Cox, director of Warren County Schools in Tennessee, said: "As most of you are aware we received notice of violent threats directed at Warren County High School late Wednesday evening, February 6.

"We put an action plan together with the local authorities to ensure the safety of our schools and our campuses across the system.

"We wanted to make sure that we had all the facts before we sent a mass message out via our calling system to you.

"Currently the Sheriff's Department is working with the TBI and Homeland Security to trace down the person who posted this message.

"We have increased the presence of Police and Sheriff's Deputies in our schools today and tomorrow and all schools will limit access into each building to ensure the safety of our staff and students."

The Chattanooga Times Free Press reported police officers were posted to 11 schools in the area.

In December, gunman Adam Lanza killed 27 when he opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

He died at the scene and the body of his mother, Nancy Lanza, was found at his family home. She had been shot in the face.

14.43 | 0 komentar | Read More

Horsemeat Scandal: Aldi Takes Meals Off Shelves

Who's In Charge Of Keeping Food Safe?

Updated: 1:38pm UK, Friday 08 February 2013

There are a number of different agencies responsible for food labelling and safety in the UK.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is responsible for food standards legislation in England that is principally non-safety, and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) monitors standards that are safety based.

Food Standards Agency:

The FSA, a non-ministerial government department, is responsible for protecting public health in relation to food.

This includes food safety and hygiene, labelling for safety and allergies and food law enforcement.

It aims to:

1) make sure foods produced or sold in the UK are safe to eat

2) ensure imported food is safe to eat

3) make sure food producers and caterers give priority to consumer interests in relation to food

4) give consumers the information and understanding they need to make informed choices about where and what they eat

5) make sure regulation is effective, risk-based and proportionate, is clear about the responsibilities of food business operators, and protects consumers and their interests from fraud and other risks

6) ensure enforcement is effective, consistent, risk-based and proportionate and is focused on improving public health.

In the wake of the horsemeat scandal the FSA announced it is demanding a more comprehensive testing programme from food businesses.

Chief executive Catherine Brown said: 'Following our investigations into Findus products, the FSA is now requiring a more robust response from the food industry in order to demonstrate that the food it sells and serves is what it says it is on the label.

"We are demanding that food businesses conduct authenticity tests on all beef products, such as beef burgers, meatballs and lasagne, and provide the results to the FSA. The tests will be for the presence of significant levels of horsemeat."

There are separate FSAs for Scotland, Wales and the Irish Republic.

Defra:

In July 2010 food labelling was transferred from the FSA to Defra.

Food standards legislation sets out specific requirements for the labelling, composition and, in some cases, safety parameters for specific high value foodstuffs which are potentially at risk of being misleadingly substituted with lower quality alternatives.

The legislation makes sure consumers are not misled as to the nature of food products when it is sold to them.

It also makes the playing field level for food producers, so they have established standards they can work to when producing well known or traditional foodstuffs.

Most legislation on food standards is developed in Europe, with full involvement from UK Government officials.

Secondary legislation is then used to either implement the requirements or put in place enforcement powers, depending on the nature of the European legislation

Meat:

For a range of meat products there is legislation setting out specific compositional and labelling requirements.

The rules set out minimum meat content requirements for certain meat products sold using reserved descriptions such as sausages, burgers, corned beef, meat pies, pasties, etc.

In addition, there are very specific labelling rules for certain meat products that look like a cut, joint, slice, portion or carcass of meat.

Where any added water over certain limits as well as any added ingredients of different animal species to the rest of the meat must be mentioned in the name of the food.

Department of Health:

The DoH takes the lead on nutrition labelling police in England.

In October 2012 it announced proposals for front-of-pack nutrition labelling that displays how much fat, saturated fat, salt, sugar and calories foods contain.

This is colour-coded and shows a guideline daily amount.

The advertising of food is regulated by the Advertising Standards Authority.

14.43 | 0 komentar | Read More

Child Poverty In UK: 'The Bigger Picture'

By Emma Birchley, East of England Correspondent

As many as 2.3 million children are not being included in official poverty statistics despite living "materially deprived" lives, according to a new report.

Households are currently deemed to be living below the poverty line if the money coming in is less than 60% of the average income.

But the think tank Policy Exchange says that definition is too narrow and that social deprivation should also be considered.

"It doesn't matter if you are just above the line or below the line," said the head of economics and social policy at the organisation, Matthew Oakley .

"If you have poor education, poor housing, you're struggling with family life, there's debt in the household, we should be trying to help these families... Just focusing on income clearly isn't enough."

Ruth Woodgate lives with her two daughters in the Nelson ward of Great Yarmouth, where nearly half of all children suffer poverty.

With £209 coming in each week, they are living way below the poverty line. All too often she relies on her bowl of coppers to find enough money for a loaf of bread.

"I find I'm constantly having to fight with myself not to feel bad about things because I know it isn't my fault, but the way I feel not having the money to do what I want to do for my children, to provide what I want for my children, makes me feel I'm a failure."

How child poverty is classified is being reviewed by the Government

Policy Exchange accuses politicians of increasing handouts to those not in work simply to push them above the poverty line, rather than helping them find work.

Ms Woodgate agrees: "I think it's a silly, silly mistake to make really because it's not dealing with the issues. It's just throwing money at the situation and that's not always what is needed.

"I don't need handouts, I need a job. People with alcohol and drug dependency issues don't need money, they need help to get off it."

The Government is reviewing how child poverty is classified and a consultation launched by Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith ends next week.

Responding to the report, Mr Duncan Smith said: "This is exactly why we are consulting on a wider measure to capture the root causes of poverty, which include worklessness, educational failure and family breakdown.

"It is not just about money. Despite billions of pounds being paid out in tax credits in the past decade, the focus on income alone has not transformed people's lives.

"To have any real impact on tackling child poverty, we have to have a better understanding of what it means to live in poverty in the first place."

But not everyone wants a new definition. There is concern from some charities that what is an internationally recognised understanding of poverty could soon be ditched.

14.43 | 0 komentar | Read More

Findus Beef Lasagne Meals 100% Horsemeat

Tests on Findus beef lasagne have revealed that some of the ready meals were made entirely from horsemeat.

Findus analysed 18 of its beef lasagne products and found 11 meals contained between 60% and 100% horsemeat, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) said.

There is no evidence to suggest the horsemeat found in the Findus beef lasagne is a food safety risk, the FSA said.

However, the agency has ordered urgent tests on the lasagne for the veterinary drug phenylbutazone. Meat from animals treated with "bute" is not allowed to enter the food chain in Britain as it may pose a risk to human health.

All food companies have been told to test their beef products, with the FSA saying it was "highly likely" that criminal activity was to blame for the contamination.

Consumers who have purchased the ready meals - produced by French food supplier Comigel on behalf of Findus - have been advised by the FSA not to eat them and return them to the shop they were bought from.

Retail giant Tesco and discount chain Aldi have already withdrawn a range of ready meals produced by Comigel over fears they contained contaminated meat.

Findus UK has already started a full recall of its lasagne products. It withdrew its 320g, 360g and 500g lasagne meals from supermarket shelves as a precautionary measure earlier this week.

It came after Comigel alerted Findus and Aldi that their products "do not conform to specification".

It advised them to remove Findus beef lasagne and Aldi's Today's Special frozen beef lasagne and Today's Special frozen spaghetti bolognese.

Shoppers who have bought the product can get a full refund, says Findus

Findus UK apologised to customers "for any inconvenience caused" - and said anyone who bought the affected lasagne products could get a full refund.

A spokesman said: "We understand this is a very sensitive subject for consumers and we would like to reassure you we have reacted immediately. We do not believe this to be a food safety issue.

"We are confident that we have fully resolved this supply chain issue. Fully compliant beef lasagne will be in stores again soon."

Tesco also decided to withdraw its Everyday Value spaghetti bolognese, which is produced at the same Comigel site.

A Tesco spokesman said: "We are aware of the results of the Findus tests and we will of course assist Findus with their recall process.

"Tests on our frozen Everyday Value spaghetti bolognese product are ongoing under our new DNA testing programme. We will inform our customers of the results as soon as possible."

The FSA, Defra and the Department of Health are working with businesses and trade bodies to enforce food safety and assess whether there are significant levels of improperly described meat in a whole series of processed beef products in the UK, including supplies to schools and hospitals.

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said: "The presence of unauthorised ingredients cannot be tolerated ... the responsibility and for the safety and authenticity of food lies with those who produce it, and who sell or provide it to the final consumer."

Labour has accused ministers of being "asleep on the job" and has called for a police investigation into what it believes is fraud.

Shadow environment secretary Mary Creagh said she was "shocked and appalled" by the latest revelations.

She told Sky News: "The time has come for government ministers to pull their heads out of the sand and to take some swift action.

"We have had three weeks of damaging revelations about what is happening in the meat industry ... there is evidence that criminal gangs are involved in this, and frankly I cannot believe that the Government hasn't called in the police to investigate this in the UK.

"I don't see how we get to the bottom of it without getting in specialist teams and working out who is behind this fraud and why it is happening."

People must have confidence that the food they buy is properly labelled, legal and safe to eat, she added.

Anyone who has purchased a Findus beef lasagne can call the firm's UK customer care line on 0800 132584, those in the Republic of Ireland, 1800 800500, or email careline@findus.co.uk for a full refund.

14.43 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Neglected' Pensioner's Death Investigated

Police are investigating the death of a pensioner who was left without care in her own home for nine days.

Gloria Foster, 81, was found suffering from dehydration and starvation after going without the four daily visits she was supposed to have.

She had been receiving help in her own home in Banstead, Surrey, from Carefirst24. But Surrey County Council became responsible for her care after a number of its workers were arrested last month following a UK Border Agency (UKBA) raid.

Surrey Police said officers are now looking into the circumstances surrounding the incident after Mrs Foster died in hospital on Monday.

Ms Foster was found starving at her home in Banstead, Surrey

Sky News reporter Charlotte Lomas-Farley said Ms Foster, who had no family, had been receiving care for four years and had deteriorated rapidly.

She said: "Neighbours who knew Gloria well said they're deeply shocked at the news of her death.

"They said she was a quiet lady who kept herself to herself but was also independent as she could be."

A police spokesman said: "Concerns surrounding Gloria's care were raised to Surrey Police at the end of January by staff at the hospital where she died on Monday, February 4, and officers are now looking into the circumstances surrounding her death.

"The Surrey Safeguarding Adults Board has also been convened and they are conducting a parallel investigation."

A spokesman for UKBA said it met local authorities ahead of the raid to warn them of what they were going to do so they could arrange alternative care for the company's clients.

Its officers arrested six people, including a Mauritian man and a Filipino man and woman, on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and conspiracy to assist foreign nationals at Carefirst24's headquarters in Upper Mulgrave Road, Sutton, on January 15 and at a separate south London address the day before.

All those arrested were later bailed until various dates in April.

14.43 | 0 komentar | Read More

Solar Superstorm: UK 'Must Brace For Threat'

Britain must do more to prepare for a once-in-a-century "solar superstorm", according to experts.

The Government is being urged by the Royal Academy of Engineering to set up a UK Space Weather Board to help cope with a massive radiation blast from the Sun.

Such an explosion could trigger black-outs, knock out one in 10 satellites, and disrupt aircraft and GPS systems.

Statistically a solar superstorm is likely to occur every 100 to 200 years.

Although solar weather events happen regularly, the Earth has not experienced a superstorm since the start of the space age.

The last true superstorm, known as the Carrington event occurred in 1859, when Earth was hit by a tidal wave of energetic particles following a large solar flare.

Induced currents caused by the blast sent sparks flying from telegraph pylons and caused fires. Around the world, night skies were lit up by magnificent aurora displays.

Solar storms light up the night sky with aurora displays

But at that time there were no satellites in orbit or sensitive microchips in the path of the particles.

Experts now warn that another solar superstorm on the scale of the Carrington event is "inevitable" and Britain should be prepared, although the effects are not expected to be cataclysmic.

Professor Paul Cannon, who chaired the Academy's working group on extreme solar weather, said: "Our message is: don't panic, but do prepare - a solar superstorm will happen one day and we need to be ready for it."

With sat-navs likely to be rendered useless in such an event, his advice to motorists was "make sure you continue to keep a map in your car".

Space engineer Keith Ryden, from the University of Surrey, another member of the working group, said flights would be disrupted by failing microchips, but he added: "We're not talking about aircraft dropping out of the sky."

A solar superstorm would have proved lethal for the Apollo astronauts had one occurred when they were on the Moon.

Currently an ageing satellite called Advanced Composition Explorer (Ace) provides around 15 minutes warning of a Coronal Mass Ejection - a huge plasma cloud of charged particles that causes the most damage during a solar storm.

Scientists are concerned about what will happen if Ace fails. A replacement for Ace, called Discover, is due to be launched by the American space agency Nasa in 2014.

14.43 | 0 komentar | Read More

Alan Greaves: Funeral For Attacked Organist

By Tom Parmenter, Sky Correspondent

The widow of a man who was killed on his way to midnight mass has told Sky News they had a "truly wonderful marriage".

Church organist Alan Greaves, 68, was attacked on Christmas Eve as he made the short walk from his home to his church in Sheffield.

Speaking ahead of his funeral, Maureen Greaves said: "His death was a very great shock and I wasn't prepared for it. I wasn't expecting him to die.

"The fact that the community have responded so well has been a comfort.

"He truly was a gentleman and he was someone whose love and compassion came over very clearly to people."

The couple both worked for Church Army and gave up huge amounts of time helping and supporting others.

Just weeks before his death, Mr Greaves had helped establish a new food bank project for those in need in South Yorkshire.

His widow said: "Obviously the house is full of memories. One of the saddest memories is that the piano has fallen silent.

"It is not something I'm going to get rid of, I will keep it and Alan's two daughters can play the piano and one day one of them might inherit it."

The couple got married in Sheffield in 1972 and had four children together.

The couple were married for 40 years

Mrs Greaves added: "I can look back on 40 years that have been really truly wonderful, even with all its disappointments and things that happen in any marriage.

"It wasn't a perfect marriage, but it was a marriage that was perfect in the fact that we stayed in love with each other."

Since the murder, the family has been touched by the groundswell of support from people affected by his death.

Mrs Greaves said: "It has been very overwhelming and humbling.

"Whenever I have walked on the streets people have come to me to give me a hug to say how sorry they are and especially to ask if they can do anything for me.

"Some people that have done that I know well - others have been complete strangers."

She has written the eulogy to her husband and plans to read it at his funeral at St Saviour's Church in the High Green area of Sheffield.

Two men have been charged with murder.

Jonathon Bowling, 22, and 21-year-old Ashley Foster have both been remanded in custody as the case goes through the courts.

14.43 | 0 komentar | Read More

Poverty Blamed For Increase In Child Neglect

Nine out of 10 teachers, police officers and social workers come into contact with children they suspect are being neglected - but 40% feel powerless to intervene, according to new research.

The report by Action for Children also reveals that members of the public who would like to see more support when reporting such concerns has almost doubled in three years to 44%.

The study found that a third of the public who had concerns about a child did not tell anyone - mainly because they did not think they had enough evidence - while 15% were worried of repercussions.

Some 14% of professionals have reported a rise in suspected child neglect over the past year and of these, nearly three-quarters believed a deterioration in parenting skills was a contributing factor to the increase.

Lisa Nandy: 'These figures may be the tip of the iceberg'

Two-thirds believed greater poverty was to blame and more than half blamed family breakdowns.

The report is one of the most comprehensive reviews into child neglect; the second in an annual series by the University of Stirling. Six thousand members of the public, a range of professionals and 27 local authorities took part in the research.

Dame Clare Tickell, the charity's chief executive, said: "It is of grave concern that one in every 10 children could be suffering neglect.

"We know that early help has the potential to transform the lives of children and families, yet today's report tells us that the public aren't being given the know-how they need and professionals' best efforts are being hindered by stretched budgets and a lack of resources.

"With more and more families struggling, vulnerable children are falling through the cracks of a child protection system that is failing some of those who need it most - sometimes with tragic consequences."

Action for Children is calling on the Government to introduce a web-site with a post code function to enable the public to seek the most appropriate help at the earliest opportunity for children they are worried about.

The charity is also asking the Government to meet its commitment to putting measures in place to support professionals to make decisions whether and when to intervene.

Shadow minister for children and young people, Lisa Nandy said: "It's shocking that so many more children are facing neglect and ill-treatment than this time last year.

"Over the last 12 months we've seen a sharp rise in factors that put stress on families, like poverty and homelessness.

"At the same time the Government is cutting funding to local councils, piling more pressure on social workers who are already struggling with record numbers of children being taken into care.

"These figures may just be the tip of the iceberg. This report should act as a wake-up call."

14.43 | 0 komentar | Read More

Stem Cell Advance In Britain: 3D Printing

By James Matthews, Scotland Correspondent

Scientists have taken a step closer to creating artificial human organs and using them for transplants after 3D printing produced clusters of stem cells.

In the short term, the technique could be used to generate tissue for drug-testing currently carried out on animals.

The 3D printing technology relies on an adjustable "microvalve", which builds up layers of human embryonic stem cells.

Such cells, which originate from early stage embryos, are blank slates with the potential to become any type of tissue in the body.

In the long term, the new printing technique could pave the way for those cells to be incorporated into transplant-ready laboratory-made organs and tissues, said researchers at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh

The technique's breakthrough is in its gentle handling of the delicate cells which gives them a greater chance to thrive, they said.

Lead scientist Dr Will Shu told Sky News: "We found that the valve-based printing is gentle enough to maintain high stem cell viability".

Lead scientist Dr Will Shu

He also said it was "accurate enough to produce spheroids of uniform size and, most importantly, the printed human embryo stem cells maintained their pluripotency - the ability to differentiate into any other cell type".

Taking a cell from a patient and using it in the 3D printing process should enable scientists to implant the generated tissue back into the patient without triggering an immune response.

Jason King, of the stem cell biotech company Roslin Cellab, which participated in the research said: "Normally, laboratories grow cells in 2D but some cell types have been printed in 3D.

"However, up to now, human stem cell cultures have been too sensitive to manipulate in this way.

"This is a scientific development which we hope and believe will have immensely valuable long-term implications for reliable, animal-free drug-testing and, in the longer term, to provide organs for transplant on demand, without the need for donation and without the problems of immune suppression and potential organ rejection."

The scientists behind the breakthrough estimate that the 3D printing technology could lead to a 'production line' of artificial organs in 10 years' time, at the earliest.

14.43 | 0 komentar | Read More

Average Household Water Bill To Rise By 3.5%

The average household water and sewerage bill in England and Wales is set to increase by 3.5%.

The average cost of a water and sewerage bill will rise to £388.

Customers in the South East face the biggest rise of  £23 a year.

The South West is close behind with a £22 increase, while families in Yorkshire will pay around £12 more a year.

Customers' bills are helping to pay for a £25bn investment programme to improve the water supply. 

More follows...

14.43 | 0 komentar | Read More

Most-Wanted Foreign Criminals Hiding In UK

A most-wanted list of high-risk foreign criminals believed to be hiding in Britain - including three suspected murderers and an accused rapist - has been released.

The list of 17 criminals wanted by authorities in other European countries who are thought to be in the UK has been unveiled by Scotland Yard and Crimestoppers.

It is the third Operation Sunfire campaign and includes the search for 32-year-old Dritan Rexhepi, who is wanted over a double murder in Albania and has links to London, Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire.

Edvinas Judinskas, 19, is accused of murder in his native Lithuania over an attack where a gang forced their way in to a flat and beat the occupant to death with a metal rod and wooden chair leg.

He has links to Woolwich in south-east London, Reading and Greater Manchester - specifically Bury and Bolton.

The list also includes Evaldas Rabikauskas, 29, who is wanted in Lithuania for the rape of a teenager in 2007 and has links to Hackney in north London and Potters Bar in Hertfordshire.

Wanted: Pawel Jakob Chmielorz, Svetlana Mironenkova and Karol Koczmara

Director of operations for Crimestoppers Roger Critchell said: "The purpose of Operation Sunfire is to track down and arrest murderers, violent robbers, drug traffickers and other criminals hiding in the UK.

"Crimestoppers is supporting this Metropolitan Police operation so that these individuals can be put before the extradition courts to face justice abroad and no longer be a threat to this country.

"Non-national fugitives hiding overseas in countries such as this are a threat to local communities as they most often remain involved in criminal activity and are a danger to those around them. We want these criminals off British soil and back to the countries where they have committed these heinous crimes so that justice may be served."

Detective Sergeant Peter Rance, who is leading the operation, warned the public not to approach the fugitives.

He said: "Today I'm asking the public, do you recognise these faces? Maybe you know where these people live, work or socialise?

"They are wanted to face justice for a multitude of crimes in other countries and it is in the UK's interests to help find them.

"If you have any information about these people, please call Crimestoppers (anonymously on 0800 555 111) so we can arrest them. If you see them call 999 and do not approach them."

14.43 | 0 komentar | Read More

Undercover Police 'Stole' Dead Children's IDs

Undercover police officers working for the Metropolitan Police assumed the identities of dead children and were issued fake passports in their names, it has been claimed.

Britain's largest police force allegedly carried out the practice for three decades without consulting or informing the children's parents.

According to a report in The Guardian, officers would scan national birth and death records to find the identities to use for undercover work infiltrating protest groups.

The newspaper claimed the technique was adopted to lend credibility to officers working undercover and provide them with a back story while spying. It said some officers had used the identities for 10 years.

It is claimed as many as 80 officers used such identities between 1968 and 1994.

Scotland Yard said a formal complaint had been made but that the Metropolitan police would not "currently" authorise such a system.

One officer told the newspaper that he felt like he was "stomping on the grave" of the four-year-old boy whose identity he adopted.

He said: "A part of me was thinking about how I would feel if someone was taking the names and details of my dead son for something like this."

Keith Vaz said the practice would "distress" families of the dead children

Another told how he had adopted the identity of an eight-year-old boy who died from leukaemia in 1968.

Another third officer, who used the identity of a child car crash victim, said he was conscious the parents would "still be grief-stricken" but argued his actions could be justified because they were for the "greater good".

The officers worked for the Special Demonstration Squad (SDS), which was apparently disbanded in 2008.

Keith Vaz, the chairman of parliament's home affairs select committee, which will hear evidence about undercover policing on Tuesday, said he was shocked at the "gruesome" practice.

He told the Guardian: "It will only cause enormous distress to families who will discover what has happened concerning the identities of their dead children."

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "A formal complaint has been received which is being investigated by the Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS) and we appreciate the concerns that have been raised.

"The DPS inquiry is taking place in conjunction with Operation Herne's investigation into the wider issue of past arrangements for undercover identities used by Special Demonstration Squad (SDS) officers.

"We can confirm that the practice referred to in the complaint is not something that would currently be authorised in the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)."

14.43 | 0 komentar | Read More

Stafford Hospital Inquiry Will Demand Changes

By David Crabtree, Sky News Correspondent

A report into the quality of care provided by one NHS Trust will call for sweeping changes to how the nation's hospitals are run and regulated.

Hospitals could face fines or be closed down for falling foul of new standards, while patient organisations could be given stronger powers to make sure their voices are heard.

The recommendations will be made by Robert Francis QC, who chaired an independent public inquiry into patient care at Stafford Hospital and will publish his findings this week.

Up to 1,200 people may have died needlessly between 2005 and 2009, and the organisations and individuals who were in charge at the time will face severe criticism.

A previous report by Mr Francis condemned the hospital, saying the most basic elements of care were neglected.

Patients were left lying in soiled sheets and some remained unwashed for up to a month, while pain relief was provided late or not at all.

He said some patients were discharged before it was appropriate, only to be readmitted shortly afterwards, while food and drinks were left out of reach of patients, who were forced to rely on family members for their care.

The inquiry into what went wrong at Stafford Hospital has cost £11m

The previous report found the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust was obsessed with targets, cost cutting and processes.

After its publication in 2010, patients and families called for a full independent public inquiry, the results of which are now imminent.

Julie Bailey, who led the fight for the inquiry after her mother died at the hospital, said: "This is about making sure that this is never allowed to happen again.

"This is to make sure that each hospital is safe and that each person who puts their loved ones into a hospital can be sure they are getting proper care and not being neglected or in a place which is dangerously out of control.

"It has been a long and tough road to get this public inquiry. I hope those involved are duly criticised and that in the future, proper regulations are put into place to make sure that patients come before targets and costs."

Complaints continue to be made at Stafford Hospital. Only last week it emerged that a baby had been found with a dummy taped to his mouth in an intensive care unit.

Doreen Duff died in Stafford Hospital five years ago

James Duff lost his wife Doreen at the hospital in 2008. She suffered a stroke and lost the use of her left side before she was admitted.

"When she came out, she was paralysed from the neck down," Mr Duff said. "She couldn't speak and everything had gone. That was all down to lack of care at Stafford Hospital.

"After all that has gone on and what the relatives have been through, it is still going on. Complaints are still being made about Stafford Hospital."

The NHS Trust has defended itself against allegations of recent bad practice.

Dr Charles Spencer, the trust's medical director, apologised for past events which he said were unacceptable.

However, he added: "We have made huge changes to treatments at Stafford and Cannock Hospitals in the last four years.

"That is recognised by the fact that we are among the 20 safest hospitals in the country for patient mortality. Our infections are down our patient satisfaction is up."

14.44 | 0 komentar | Read More

Blackpool Stab Death: Teen 'Received Threat'

A 16-year-old girl whose body was found burning in an alley had recently received a death threat in an email, a friend of the teen has told Sky News.

Sasha Marsden's body was set on fire after she had died from stab wounds to the head and face, a post-mortem examination has found.

Herr friend, Stephanie Kyle, told Sky News of a threat received by Sasha, which she said police had been told about.

"She got an email saying her time was going to come very soon," she said.

"Obviously this happened, and she's gone and ... we don't know why."

Police released this image of Sasha

Police cordoned off the area in South Shore, Blackpool, after her body was discovered at 9pm on Thursday.

A 22-year-old man was arrested nearby and police have been granted more time to question him.

A woman aged 20 was also held but later released without charge.

A police spokesman said: "Following the death of Sasha Marsden, a Home Office post-mortem examination has been carried out and has found that Sasha died as a result of receiving significant stab wounds to the head and face.

"It also showed that attempts were made to set the body on fire and this was after Sasha had died.

The teenager was on a childcare course at college

"The results have been shared with the family, and specially trained officers are continuing to support them."

On Friday, crime scene investigators carried out forensic searches of the alley behind Kirby Road and at the Grafton House bed-and-breakfast hotel on the same road, which is a few streets off the Promenade.

Carl Evans, owner of the nearby Kimber Guest House, told Sky News he spotted the fire when he walked out into his back garden on Thursday evening.

"I heard the alarms going and saw the smoke, but I thought it was just someone burning rubbish," he said.

The crime scene in Blackpool has been cordoned off by police

He added that some residents had attempted to put out the flames before realising it was a body on fire.

"The lass two doors up said someone seemed to have put something out - like a mannequin - but it turned out to be the body of a 16-year-old girl."

Sasha was in the first year of a childcare course at Blackpool and The Fylde College and lived with her parents in nearby Staining.

Paying tribute, Mandy Pritchard, head of the college's school for society, health and childhood, said she was "a friendly, considerate individual who cared about her fellow students".

Numerous tributes were paid to the youngster on a Facebook page set up in her memory.

14.44 | 0 komentar | Read More