Weather: Storm Alerts As UK Set For 'Hurricane'

Forecasters are increasingly confident a storm packing hurricane-speed gusts of more than 80mph will hit Britain.

A Met office image shows a forecast for the storm on Monday

Severe weather alerts are in place for England and Wales, with an amber warning, meaning "be prepared", in place for southern counties.

The storm, which is moving across the Atlantic Ocean, would need to buffet the UK with sustained winds for it to be scientifically classed as a hurricane.

Forecasts show how the storm might develop and move towards the UK

Met Office spokeswoman Nicola Maxey said the storm could cause structural damage, trees and power cables to come down and transport problems on Monday morning.

"We have been tracking the probable course of the storm and we are tracking it further north than we had thought earlier," she said.

The Met Office website shows amber and yellow alerts for Monday

"We have also revised the speed for gusts of wind up to 70 to 80mph inland, with the possibility of speeds in excess of 80mph in exposed coastal areas."

Atlantic storms of this type usually develop further west across the ocean, losing strength by the time they reach the UK and Ireland.

This one is unusual in that it is expected to appear much closer to land, potentially moving across the country while it is in its most powerful phase.

Some have compared its potential to the Great Storm of 1987 and record-breaking gales in south Wales in 1989.

Sky weather presenter Jo Wheeler said: "Late October is notorious for strong storms, with a wind gust of 124mph recorded in the Vale of Glamorgan in 1989.

"Should this storm achieve its potential, it is likely to bring down trees and cause damage to roads and buildings, possibly causing major transport disruption and power cuts."

The storm's trajectory is unclear but there are fears it may wreak havoc in England and Wales if it hits land.

If it does, it is likely to batter Wales and the South West before sweeping east and touching most of the country.

However, there is a chance it could miss land completely, sweeping instead through the English Channel.

The storm is expected to strike two weeks later than the Great Storm of 1987, which left a trail of destruction on October 15 and 16.

There are already fears the storm may compare to the Great Storm of 1987

Forecasters famously failed to predict its severity before it flattened trees, knocked out power and left 22 people dead in England and France.

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Recruitment Drive For 11,000 New Army Reserves

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

One of the largest military recruitment events of its kind will be held in London today to help the Ministry of Defence increase the number of Reserve forces.

Hundreds of soldiers, sailors and airmen from London-based Reserve regiments will take part in the day at Horse Guards Parade. It will include a parachute jump from a Lynx helicopter by four Reservists.

As part of plans for 'Future Force 2020', the government is hoping to increase the number of the Army Reserve from its current size of 19,000 to 30,000.

The Air Force Auxiliary is to expand to 1,800 personnel and the Navy's Maritime Reserve to 3,100. These recruits will offset large redundancies for regular servicemen and women in all three services. The Army will shrink to 82,000 soldiers from 110,000.

It is a plan that has been widely criticised from a number of corners, and there is considerable doubt over the ability of the military to hit the recruitment targets.

A gunner from the Royal Artillery prepares to fire his light artillery gun

The most up-to-date figures will be released next month, but it's generally thought that only a few hundred new recruits have signed up this year, well short of the numbers needed.

As part of the plans, the name of the Territorial Army is changing to Reserve Force in keeping with the new image.

£1.8bn has been committed over 10 years to supplement training and equipment for Reserve soldiers in order that will receive the same level of kit as their regular counterparts.

The number of overseas training exercises will increase to 22 per year from seven last year. But this, and any operational deployments, would put increased strain on small businesses.

To compensate for that, the Ministry of Defence is offering a financial package to any companies losing staff to Reservist duty. This would allow them to recruit temporary replacement workers.

A gunner from the Royal Artillery carries a high explosive shell

Speaking ahead of the recruitment event, the Defence Secretary Philip Hammond defended the controversial plans for the Reserve force.

"We are completely revitalising our Reserve Forces, growing their trained strength with fresh incentives, better pay and more opportunities for working and training alongside Regulars," he said.

"This exhibition highlights just how many fantastic opportunities there are for anyone looking for a rewarding, challenging and exciting second career."

Reservists will be expected to operate alongside their regular colleagues and perform the same role regardless of their part-time nature.

In an interview last month, Andrew Cameron, the Chief Executive of Combat Stress, warned that reservists are twice as likely to suffer mental health problems and predicted a growth in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) cases if the Reserve Force was expanded.

The Ministry of Defence references other countries, such as the United States, which has a large and successful Reserve element to its military.

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Alps Murders: Mystery Of Missing UK Passports

French investigators have still not found the UK passports of two family members who were murdered in the French Alps, adding to the mystery surrounding the case.

 Saad al Hilli, a 50-year-old British-Iraqi businessman, was found dead in a bullet-riddled BMW on a mountain road near Annecy in September last year.

His wife Iqbal, 47, and her mother Suhaila al Allaf, 74, were also killed, as well as passing cyclist Sylvain Mollier.

His daughter Zainab, seven at the time, recovered after being shot and her sister Zeena, who was four, was found unhurt hiding beneath her mother's body.

Saad al Hilli was killed with his wife and mother-in-law

Eric Maillaud, the prosecutor in charge of the case, said: "We never found the British passports of the al Hilli couple. Investigators searched absolutely everywhere, on the bodies, in the family caravan, in the house in Claygate (in the UK).

"Given the timing (of the killings), it's not impossible that the killer took the two passports ... but that would have been tight."

Investigators also looked for the passports in police stations, hotels and lost property offices along the route that the al Hilli family took on their holiday from the northern French city of Calais to Annecy.

"It only adds to the complexity of the investigation," Mr Maillaud said, adding that surprisingly, Mr al Hilli had ID papers on him belonging to his late father.

Brother Zaid al Hilli has protested his innocence

The revelation came after the brother of Mr al Hilli, who was arrested in June on suspicion of masterminding the killings, admitted the pair had fallen out over their father's inheritance but repeated his claim he had nothing to do with the murders.

Zaid al Hilli told The Sunday Times newspaper: "I have told the police from the beginning that I am an open book. I have nothing to hide."

The 54-year-old suggested that Mr Mollier, the cyclist, could actually have been the target for the attack.

He also accused French police of failing to carry out a proper investigation and claimed investigators were covering up the real motive for the murders to protect "very powerful local people".

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UK Economy 'May Have Grown By Up To 1%'

Carney Unveils Liquidity Boost

Updated: 8:39pm UK, Thursday 24 October 2013

By Ed Conway, Economics Editor

The Bank of England Governor has unveiled a major overhaul of the way the Bank pumps cash into the markets.

In a speech on Thursday evening to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Financial Times, Mark Carney revealed that the Bank will be making major changes to the terms under which the Bank provides cash to Britain's financial system.

Though the overhaul itself is unlikely to be noticed by bank customers, policymakers hope that it will help encourage lenders to provide more cash for those who want to borrow.

One of the key ways in which the Bank controls the UK economy, borrowing rates and financial stability is by lending private banks cash in exchange for assets.

However, over the course of the financial crisis it came under fire for offering this so-called liquidity at high prices and in exchange for only the best-quality assets.

Mr Carney said that the Bank intended to cut the charges for one such facility - the Index Long-Term Repo - and to allow banks to leave collateral of less-stringent quality in exchange for cash.

Whereas previously only high quality assets were acceptable, in future, lesser-quality investments such as mortgage-backed securities will be allowed.

The Bank will also make the terms of its discount window, an emergency short-term lending facility – more generous.

Mr Carney said: "Our facilities are not ornamental. They are there to be used by banks to access money and high-quality collateral. We are offering money and collateral for longer terms.

"The range of assets we will accept in exchange will be wider, extending to raw loans and, in fact, any asset of which we are capable of assessing the risks. And using our facilities will be cheaper. In some cases the fees are being more than halved."

The speech comes only hours ahead of the official announcement of Britain's latest gross domestic product figures.

The Governor indicated that while he was cheered by the recovering economy, the improvement in GDP, which is expected to be strong, was not as broad based as some had hoped. 

He said: "The economy has picked up over the last couple of quarters. We expect the second half to be stronger than the first half, as indicated in our minutes that came out earlier this week.

"We will find out, I'm not so foolish as to try to give a prediction of a number that's going to come out in less than 24 hours so why don't we wait for the GDP report."

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Stroke Rates Among Young 'A Wake-Up Call'

Stroke rates are soaring among young and middle-aged people around the world, a study has shown.

In 20 years, the number of strokes afflicting people aged 20 to 64 rose by a quarter, researchers found.

Strokes suffered by this age group now make up 31% of the global total, compared with 25% prior to 1990.

For the first time, researchers also studied stroke rates among children and young people aged 20 and under.

They found that each year more than 83,000 people in this age group were affected by strokes, 0.5% of the total number of cases.

If the current trend continues, the amount of disability, illness and premature death caused by strokes is expected to double worldwide by 2030.

Stroke Association chief executive Jon Barrick described the research as a "wake-up call to governments across the globe".

The findings, from a major analysis of stroke burden around the world, are published in the latest issue of The Lancet medical journal.

The research forms part of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010, a systematic analysis of data on major diseases and causes of ill health in 50 countries.

Broadcaster Andrew Marr has returned to work since suffering a stroke at 53

The results reveal stark differences between the rich and poor.

Between 1990 and 2010, strokes were associated with 46% more disability and illness and 42% more deaths in poorer than in richer countries.

In high income countries, stroke rates fell by 12% over the two decades.

Lifestyle risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure and unhealthy diet were thought to play a role in increasing stroke burden in low to middle-income countries.

Lead scientist Professor Valery Feigin, director of the National Institute for Stroke and Applied Neurosciences at AUT University in New Zealand, said: "The worldwide stroke burden is growing very fast.

"There is now an urgent need for culturally acceptable and affordable stroke prevention, management and rehabilitation strategies to be developed and implemented worldwide."

Each year, around 152,000 occur in the UK, costing the NHS an estimated £3.7bn.

Mr Barrick said at least half could be prevented by simple lifestyle changes, such as taking more exercise.

Italy striker Antonio Cassano was 29 when he had a suspected stroke in 2009

While the study showed a reduction in first-time stroke and stroke death rates in the UK, a British person was still more likely to die from a stroke than someone living in France, Germany or the US.

"The report reveals a shocking disparity between rich and poor, where death rates from stroke are up to 10 times higher in lower income countries," Mr Barrick said.

"Closer to home, within the UK, the number of people dying from stroke is around three times higher in the most economically deprived areas, compared to the least deprived.

"To help close this health inequality gap, we need more investment in stroke prevention and research."

He added: "Rising obesity and diabetes rates, coupled with sedentary and unhealthy lifestyles, could wipe out the improvements we've seen in reducing stroke mortality in the UK, putting even more pressure on our limited NHS resources.

"This is a stark warning. We urgently need to address this global stroke crisis by prioritising stroke prevention and investment into stroke research."

A second study published in The Lancet Global Health showed that in 2010, three-fifths of the global disability and more than half of deaths due to stroke were the result of bleeding in the brain.

This type of stroke, known as a haemorrhagic stroke, is deadlier than more common ischaemic strokes that cut blood supply to the brain.

It is also more associated with high blood pressure and unhealthy lifestyle.

Most of those affected by a haemorrhagic stroke are people younger than 75 and those living in low to middle-income countries.

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Grangemouth Plant Closure U-Turn Is Possible

The owner of the Grangemouth petrochemicals plant says it could reverse Wednesday's decision to close it if "substantive" talks today yield union concessions.

Sources at Ineos were speaking to Sky News ahead of a meeting with Unite which began at 8am but they insisted that any agreement on re-opening the chemical side of the operation at the peace talks would have to be rubber-stamped by a full meeting of Ineos shareholders.

The company had announced that it could not continue to operate the loss-making petrochemicals division - leaving 800 jobs at risk at the plant with many more contractors facing the axe too.

Ineos also confirmed that while it was not planning to close down the oil refinery, which produces 80% of Scotland's fuel supplies, it would remain shut for now pending reassurances from Unite that there would be no strike action.

The union yesterday accused Ineos owner Jim Ratcliffe of deliberately engineering the chemical plant's closure.

It said it had put what it called a "plan to save jobs" to the company yesterday and Unite's Scottish secretary Pat Rafferty added: "The ball is now in the court of Jim Ratcliffe and the respective governments in Edinburgh and Westminster and we await their responses."

Ineos argued it was left with no alternative but to close the petrochemical business, which makes products used in the manufacture of household goods such as plastic packaging.

The firm cited a failure to persuade its staff to accept a survival plan, which included a pay freeze, ending of a final salary pension scheme and other changes to terms and conditions.

Ineos said white-collar workers such as admin staff had backed the plan but workers represented by Unite had rejected it.

Politicians had urged the two sides to resume talks to prevent the closure, while efforts are expected to continue to find a potential buyer in case the peace efforts fail.

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MPs Call For Council Parking Charge Reports

Councils should publish annual parking-charge reports to show where revenue comes from and where it is being used, according to MPs.

Louise Ellman, the chairman of the House of Commons Transport Committee, said the use of parking charges and fines specifically to raise revenue was "neither acceptable nor legal".

Launching a report into parking enforcement in England, Mrs Ellman said: "There is a deep-rooted public perception that parking enforcement is used as a cash cow, so it's essential local authorities apply stringent transparency."

The committee said local authorities in England had a collective parking surplus of hundreds of millions of pounds, but the exact amount was subject to debate.

There is suspicion parking fines off-set council spending shortfalls

It said the Local Government Association had reported a surplus from parking of £411m in 2011/12, while the RAC Foundation believed the figure to be higher at £565m.

Net income from parking services including pay and display charges and fines is expected to rise 5.6% from £601m in 2012/13 to £635m in 2013/14.

Mrs Ellman said: "Annual parking accounts would allow the public to see how much local revenue is derived from the enforcement of fines and what proportion of this come from parking charges.

"It's right that parking charges be determined locally, but hard to justify fines that substantially exceed penalties for more serious offences like speeding.

"Central government should freeze the maximum penalty charge and develop differential fines for less serious parking violations."

Councils claim parking revenue is spent on vital transport improvements

In 2006 some 3,568,462 parking tickets were issued by 160 councils in England (outside London) and Wales. This increased by 21% in 2010/11 to 4,319,708.

But in London the number of PCNs issued over the same period fell 20% from 5,185,772 to 4,131,708.

Councillor Peter Box, chairman of the Local Government Association's economy and transport board, said: "As this report recognises, parking controls are not being used by councils to raise revenue.

"They are essential for keeping motorists and pedestrians safe, traffic flowing, and ensure people can park near their homes and local shops.

"Councils always look to be open and transparent with residents on their parking policies. Many already publish annual reports and adopt a common-sense approach to regulation that includes grace periods for motorists.

"Local authorities are working hard to try and boost trade and keep high streets vibrant through parking incentives such as free short-stay, cheaper evenings and free Sundays.

"Any income they make from charges and fines is spent on running parking services, fixing potholes and providing subsidised travel to children and the elderly."

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Man Charged With Kidnapping His Two Children

Police have charged a 40-year-old man with kidnapping his two children from a hotel room in Stoke-on-Trent on Friday.

Saleem Tahir is alleged to have entered  the room where his two-year-old daughter, Na'ilah, and 10-month-old son, Sulaimon Khan, were staying with their mother on Friday, before taking the youngsters.

Following a major investigation, the children were found safe and well in a guest house near to Derby town centre at around 7pm on Monday and have since been reunited with their mother.

Tahir's mother, Denise Smith-Sellars, 67, was also arrested on Monday and has been released on police bail pending further inquiries.

Tahir is due to appear before magistrates in Cannock this morning charged with two offences of kidnap.

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Prince George Christening: Archbishop's Message

By Paul Harrison, Royal Correspondent

The Archbishop of Canterbury has spoken for the first time about the christening of Prince George and the moment he will mark the future king's forehead with the sign of the cross.

In a message released by Lambeth Palace, the Most Reverend Justin Welby spoke of the "great times" the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will have as parents in the years to come.

The 45-minute christening will take place on Wednesday at 3pm at the Chapel Royal within St James's Palace.

The Chapel Royal at St James's Palace

The ceremony will be conducted by the Archbishop in what he called a celebration of "the next hugely important moment" in Prince George's life.

He said: "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have had so much advice they could probably fill a house with it.

"My message to them would be 'what a treat, what an amazing gift, what wonderful times you will have'.

"A few months ago millions of people around the world celebrated the birth of Prince George.

The ceremony will be a private family occasion and an historic event

"Now we're celebrating the next hugely important moment, which is his christening."

The Chapel Royal has been the setting for historic royal occasions ever since the reign of Henry VIII, such as the marriage of Queen Victoria in 1840.

Beneath the ornate Hans Holbein ceiling, the third-in-line to the throne and future supreme governor of the Church of England will be christened George Alexander Louis.

The Eton-educated Archbishop said: "I will mark Prince George with the sign of the cross on his forehead and that's exactly what every priest always does every single baptism.

Kate and William have 'great times' ahead, according to the Archbishop

"It's an extraordinary moment because that is the sign by which we understand this person belongs to God.

"There'll be great times, there'll be tough times - there always are with children.

"Through christening you are bringing God into the middle of it all and I know that when he's in the middle of it all, somehow, it's held in his hands, and that's extraordinary."

Mr Welby also talked about how Prince George's baptism means he joins almost 2,000 million people around the world in what he calls the "family of the Church".

A gold proof kilo coin worth £50,000 struck to commemorate the event

But Prince George is entering a family that is dwindling in number.

Both Anglican and Catholic Churches have seen a steady decline in the numbers choosing to christen their children in recent decades.

Reverend Sally Hitchiner, who has worked alongside Mr Welby in the past, told Sky News: "I don't think it's an entirely bad thing.

"My experiences as a priest are that people I meet coming forward to have their child christened tend to be more sincere.

"There tends to be a genuine interest in faith and I always think that being honest in front of your newborn child is a good thing."

She believes William, Kate and of course Prince George, are in safe hands.

She said of the Archbishop: "He's actually quite normal.

"He makes a joke when things are funny and he's not afraid to smile if something goes wrong.

"I would imagine his welcome would be very warm and very personal."

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Energy Regulator Moves To Protect Fixed Rates

The energy regulator has confirmed new rules governing fixed rate energy deals while announcing an £8.5m penalty against Scottish Power over misleading sales techniques.

Ofgem said Scottish Power would pay £7.5m to benefit vulnerable customers and establish a £1m customer compensation fund  for breaching the terms of its market licence between October 2009 and January 2012.

It said Scottish Power provided customers with inaccurate estimations of annual charges and comparisons with their current supplier both on the doorstep and over the phone.

The settlement, the company said, meant that more than 140,000 people on the Warm Home Discount scheme would automatically receive payments of around £50 each.

Scottish Power accepted the failings but said it had now rectified the problems. It stopped door-to-door selling in 2011.

The penalty comes at a sensitive time for the big six energy firms - under fire from customers over inflation-busting increases to bills ahead of winter while politicians scrap over intervention in the market.

To date, three of the firms have announced average rises of between 8 and 11%.

As part of moves to ensure the market acts fairly, Ofgem said new rules were now in force meaning energy suppliers were banned from increasing prices on fixed term tariffs over the course of a contract and banned from automatically rolling householders on to another fixed term offer when their current one ended.

From December 31, firms will have to cut the number of tariffs they offer customer to just four for gas or electricity while from March companies will have to show the cheapest tariff they offer on every customers' bill.

Andrew Wright, Ofgem's chief executive, said: "Ofgem is resetting the energy market in consumers' favour to make it simpler, clear and fairer.

"Today's extra protection for consumers on fixed prices is just one of a range of reforms we are bringing in over the next six months to hold energy companies to higher standards.

"If suppliers fail to deliver, then Ofgem stands ready to take enforcement action to protect consumers.

"In an era of rising prices it is vital that competition works as effectively as possible. Our reforms seek to give consumers the tools they need to find the best energy deal for them and to ensure that suppliers have to treat them fairly.

"Ofgem is going to make it easier for consumers to "vote with their feet" and for new suppliers to enter the market and take on the Big Six.

Now we are looking for energy suppliers to pick up the baton and put their efforts into restoring consumer trust.

"Encouragingly suppliers have shown a willingness to start on this journey by signing up to our reforms and are now acting to implement them."

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Alcohol Poll: Half Of Kids See Parents Drunk

Almost half of 10 to 14-year-olds have seen their parents drunk, according to new research.

A survey by the industry-funded charity Drinkaware found 46% had seen their parents drunk, with 29% saying they had seen it on more than one occasion.

The poll of 1,000 parents and their children also found 42% of parents admitting their child had seen them or their partner drunk.

But 72% of parents said they felt very confident talking to their child about drinking and 75% believed they were best placed to do so.

Elaine Hindal, chief executive of Drinkaware, said: "While setting rules about alcohol and speaking to children about the risks is a positive step, equally important is that parents understand their significant influence as role models and feel confident to set a good example.

"Children are aware of alcohol from a young age.

"Estimates suggest that around one in three children under 16 in the UK live with an adult binge-drinker, and studies show that the odds of a teenager getting drunk double if they have seen their parents drunk - even if only on a few occasions.

"Understanding the impact of what parents say as well as what they do is important, as both can shape children's attitudes towards alcohol."

Public opinion is mixed on the streets.

In Chester in Cheshire, a mother told Sky News she has no concerns about drinking in front of her family.

"Yes, they have seen me drunk, being silly and doing silly things ... but it doesn't worry me at all," she said.

"I have a teenage daughter who is old enough to drink, but I wouldn't offer to buy her one. I don't encourage her to drink at all."

But a father said he would never get drunk in front of his children because he wanted to set a good example.

He told Sky News: "I normally have a drink after they have gone to bed. However, they have seen me drink, but they have never seen me drunk."

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Maria Mystery: Roma Couple Due In Court

A Roma couple accused of abducting a blonde, blue-eyed girl are due to appear in court later.

The youngster was discovered living in a Gypsy camp near the Greek town of Farsala on Wednesday after a raid by police who were looking for drugs and weapons.

A prosecutor who accompanied police on the raid thought it odd that the girl, known as Maria, did not look like her darker-skinned "parents".

A bedroom in the Roma house where Maria was found

DNA tests confirmed the couple are not the girl's biological parents, and Greek authorities have put out a worldwide appeal to help identify the four-year-old and find her real family.

As Maria is being cared for in Athens by the charity Smile Of The Child, the Roma community in Farsala is said to be anxious about the attention the case is attracting.

The alarm was raised when a prosecutor spotted a blonde child in the house

In a country already devastated by economic crisis, the Roma in the camp make a living selling fruit, carpets, blankets, baskets and shoes at local markets.

They are already considered by some to be social outcasts, thieves and beggars, and now they are worried they will be wrongfully stigmatised as kidnappers and child traffickers.

Ben Needham before he went missing in 1991 and how he might look today

The president of the local Roma community, Babis Dimitriou, said he hoped there would not be a backlash following Maria's discovery.

"There are no transactions involving children here," he said, adding that the couple cared for the little girl "even better than for their own children".

Roma stand next to the house where Maria lived in Farsala, central Greece

The Roma in Farsala insist their community is not involved in abductions or trafficking.

But police say they are aware of "dozens" of such cases involving Bulgarian Roma in Greece.

Lieutenant General Vassilis Halatsis said: "We know these cases exist, but they involve Bulgarians, not Greeks like us."

The Roma community in the town number about 2,000

Local resident Christos Lioupis said: "After this event, the police have been searching everyone. Isn't this racist?"

Meanwhile, South Yorkshire Police have said there appears to be "no direct correlation" between the discovery of Maria and the disappearance of British boy Ben Needham, who was 21 months old when he went missing on the Greek island of Kos in 1991.

The community insists they are not child-traffickers or kidnappers

The force said: "The case of Ben Needham continues to be investigated by the Greek authorities and South Yorkshire Police continues to support his family."

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Inmates Bullied Into Converting To Islam

By Mark White, Home Affairs Correspondent

Sky News has learned that increasing numbers of British inmates are being bullied into converting to Islam while in jail.

The Prison Officers Association says it is symptomatic of the growing power and influence of Muslim gangs in prison.

However, there are also concerns that some of those converts could be radicalised by more extremist elements in prison.

Sky News spoke to one young woman who said her brother was being bullied by members of a Muslim gang, who were trying to force him into converting to Islam.

The woman did not want to be identified for fear of reprisals against her brother, who is serving a sentence in excess of 10 years in a high security prison in England.

She said: "He just looks like a broken man ... he's tearful on visits. I'm just really scared for him."

She also claimed the bullying had taken a more violent turn: "He's been physically assaulted. He's had black eyes. 

"In the showers, he got threatened with a knife. He's not going to back down. He's not going to convert for anyone."

She added: "He just spends his time in hiding in his cell. He's got at least another five years to serve. I don't know how much longer he can hold out."

Official sources acknowledge forced conversions are a problem in the country's prisons.

How large the problem is remains unclear, as inmates are often afraid to report such intimidation for fear of reprisals.

Joe Chapman is a former prison officer, who now acts as a prison law consultant travelling to jails throughout England and Wales.

He believes the problem is on the increase.

I think it could be a huge problem. Previously I'd probably only worked in about a dozen or so prisons as an officer," Mr Chapman said.

"But this job takes me to 40 or 50 over the year, throughout the country. It's become obvious to me that it's a growing problem.

"About half a dozen of my clients have directly reported problems with being forced to convert ... those that weren't Muslim when they came in and those that were and have been forced to look at more radical ideas about their faith."

It is the potential route to extremism which will be of most concern to the authorities.

There is no automatic pathway, but Jihadist groups do focus on the vulnerable - and new converts in the prison environment offer them a captive audience.

Former Home Secretary Lord Reid told Sky News: "When they arrive in prison, inmates often feel isolated, lacking in identity. 

"They don't have family groups and kinships around them. On top of that, very often there's a need for protection, a feeling that you've arrived in prison, you're on your own but there are people who appear like you, who give you a set of beliefs but also the protection of being in a gang. 

"It is a very, very fertile ground for recruitment and proselytization and radicalisation in prison."

There are currently around 11,200 Muslims in prison in England and Wales.

That figure is about  13% of the total prison population and is far higher than in the wider community, where Muslims make up less than 5% of the population.

Around a third of Muslim inmates will have converted in prison, but sources say most are willing converts.

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Teens Arrested Over University Sex Attacks

Two teenagers have been arrested over a string of sex attacks near Manchester University.

Two youths aged 14 and 18 were arrested on suspicion of sexual assault and later released on police bail.

They must return to a police station later today to be questioned further by officers.

Two assaults happened within 15 minutes of each other, and there was a third around two weeks later.

Police said the victims were deeply traumatised by the attacks, which a senior officer said were "not a practical joke".

Police had earlier released an efit of the youngster they were looking for in connection with the attacks.

Detective Chief Inspector Colin Larkin said: "These crimes have shocked everyone and I am pleased to say that we have now made two arrests.

"I would like to thank members of the public and the media for their support and the information they have provided and as a result, we are now in a position where two people are in custody and are being questioned.

"However, we still remain in the early days of this investigation and there is still a lot of work to be done.

"I want to reassure the community that, whilst we have made arrests, we will continue to investigate these appalling incidents so we so can establish all the facts and who is responsible.

"I would continue to appeal to anyone who either has information about these three attacks or has information about any other incidents of this nature to come forward."

The first two attacks took place on Saturday September 21.

A 27-year-old woman was approached from behind and grabbed in Lloyd Street North at 6.15pm before she screamed and the offender ran off.

The next incident followed in Oxford Road, close to the old BBC building, when a 21-year-old woman was approached by a boy who made lewd comments.

She carried on walking along Moss Lane East and was sexually assaulted by her assailant, who was described as a young Asian boy aged about 12 and wearing green jeans and glasses.

The third attack took place at the Manchester Science Park in Lloyd Street North at about 2.15pm on Saturday October 5.

A 32-year-old woman was approached by two young boys and sexually assaulted by one of them described as Asian, 12 to 13 years old, of slim build, and with a small frame. He was wearing baggy trousers and carrying a rucksack on his back.

She pushed the boy away but he approached her again and sexually assaulted her for a second time before running off towards Pencroft Way together with the second boy, who was also of Asian appearance.

Anyone with information is asked to phone police on 0161 856 4223 or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

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