Solidarity For Murdered Briton's Family

By Mike McCarthy, North of England Correspondent

In the Greater Manchester street where Alan Henning lived the number of yellow ribbons have been growing steadily in the past few weeks.

They are tied to gates, lampposts and door-knockers in an expression of community solidarity with the taxi driver's family.

One neighbour told Sky News: "We feel so helpless but the least we can do is let Alan's wife and children know our hearts are with them."

Few words or gestures can provide comfort to the family of the father-of-two now, but so deep is the sense of local support that they are sure to be surrounded by heartfelt goodwill and sympathy.

Mrs Henning pleaded with IS militants to spare her husband's life

Just days ago Mr Henning's wife Barbara made a direct appeal to his captors to spare her husband's life. 

Her plea came after she had received an audio message in which her husband begged for his life.

Video: Family Appeals 'Were Last Resort'

Mrs Henning said: "I ask Islamic State please release him, we need him back home."

She added: "Some say wrong time, wrong place. Alan was volunteering with his Muslim friends to help the people of Syria. He was in the right place doing the right thing."

Mrs Henning said the family were at a loss as to why those leading IS could not open their hearts and minds to the truth about Alan's humanitarian motives for going to Syria.

Video: Brit IS Hostage Had 'Heart Of Gold'

She told news channels: "Surely those who wish to be seen as a state will act in a statesmanlike way by showing mercy and providing clemency."

A few days earlier in 47-year-old Mr Henning's home town of Eccles, hundreds of people gathered for a prayer vigil in the local town hall.

At the event he was described as a compassionate and caring man who was willing to give up his own family Christmas to help others less fortunate in Syria.

Video: IS Hostage Alan Henning Beheaded

Many signed a book of prayers for his family. 

On the same evening a group of friends and neighbours gathered in the darkness on a nearby recreation ground.

They stood in silence as the name "Alan" was formed in candles on the ground.

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1. Gallery: Profile: Alan Henning

   Alan Henning, 47, was born in Salford, Greater Manchester. Friends gave him the nickname "gadget" due to his love of technology

2. He was married for 23 years and he had a teenage son and daughter

3. He worked as a self-employed taxi driver

4. Mr Henning saw the plight of Syrian people and volunteered with a Muslim charity. He had been to the region at least three times

5. He drove life-saving medical equipment from the UK to Syria in old ambulances. He left in December 2013 to make the 4,000-mile trip

6. He was kidnapped by IS in Syria by masked men. He may have been held in Ad Dana near Aleppo, then Raqqa

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PM Vows To 'Hunt Down' Alan Henning Murderers

David Cameron has promised to hunt down the terrorist murderers of the aid worker Alan Henning after jihadists posted video of him being beheaded online.

The Prime Minister said the murder was "brutal" and revealed "just how barbaric and repulsive these terrorists are".

A video lasting for one minute and 11 seconds and titled "Another Message To America And It's Allies", was posted on YouTube on Friday evening.

It shows Mr Henning, a taxi-driver who was captured on an aid mission in Syria in December, kneeling in front of a knife-wielding militant in a desert setting before being beheaded in front of the camera.

The masked killer, who speaks with a British accent and is believed to be the man responsible for previous beheadings, makes a direct statement to Mr Cameron: "The blood of David Haines was on your hands, Cameron. Alan Henning will also be slaughtered, but his blood is on the hands of the British Parliament."

Video: IS Hostage Alan Henning Beheaded

At the end of the video another hostage - a former US soldier - is paraded in front of the cameras.

The hostage is believed to be Peter Edward Kassig who had returned to the region as a charity worker, after serving in Iraq in 2007.

The militant in the video says Mr Kassig will be the next victim. 

Video: Islamic State: Audio Of Threat

Mr Cameron said: "The brutal murder of Alan Henning by ISIL shows just how barbaric and repulsive these terrorists are.

"My thoughts and prayers tonight are with Alan's wife Barbara, their children and all those who loved him.

"Alan had gone to Syria to help get aid to people of all faiths in their hour of need.

Video: Terry Waite: Beheading 'Tragic'

"The fact that he was taken hostage when trying to help others and now murdered demonstrates that there are no limits to the depravity of these ISIL terrorists.

"We will do all we can to hunt down these murderers and bring them to justice."

US President Barack Obama condemned the "brutal" murder, saying the United States would bring those responsible to justice.

Video: Eccles Pastor: "It's Gut-wrenching"

"Standing together with a broad coalition of allies and partners, we will continue taking decisive action to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL," he said in a statement.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg wrote on Twitter: "Barbaric actions of ISIL are held in complete contempt. We are resolved to defeat this evil."

British Muslims also joined condemnation of the murder as a "despicable and offensive act" which showed IS had "no regard for Islam".

Video: Family Appeals 'Were Last Resort'

Dr Shuja Shafi, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain, said: "Alan was a friend of Muslims, and he will be mourned by Muslims.

"Alan Henning's murderers have clearly gone against that spirit of Islam. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family."

Mr Henning was previously seen at the end of a video released last month following the beheading of fellow British captive David Haines.

Video: Alan Henning 'Was Clearly Innocent'

Mr Haines' brother, Mike, wrote on Facebook last night: "Tonight saw the death of Alan Henning at the hands of ISIL. Alan like David had a proven history of humanitarian work. Our hearts and prayers go to his family, our love too."

Meanwhile, another video has emerged purportedly showing a wounded Islamic State fighter with a British accent.

In the video the fighter taunts Mr Cameron and other coalition leaders to send troops on the ground rather than "bomb us from the skies".

Video: 'IS Call To Send Ground Troops'

The footage has not been authenticated, and it is not clear when or where it was filmed.

:: Full coverage now on Sky News – watch Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202, Freeview 132.

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1. Gallery: Profile: Alan Henning

   Alan Henning, 47, was born in Salford, Greater Manchester. Friends gave him the nickname "gadget" due to his love of technology

2. He was married for 23 years and he had a teenage son and daughter

3. He worked as a self-employed taxi driver

4. Mr Henning saw the plight of Syrian people and volunteered with a Muslim charity. He had been to the region at least three times

5. He drove life-saving medical equipment from the UK to Syria in old ambulances. He left in December 2013 to make the 4,000-mile trip

6. He was kidnapped by IS in Syria by masked men. He may have been held in Ad Dana near Aleppo, then Raqqa

Video: Wife Pleaded For Henning's Release

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Thai Murders: Two Men Admit Killing Britons

Two Burmese men have confessed to the murders of British backpackers Hannah Witheridge and David Miller in Thailand, police have said.

Mr Miller, 24, from Jersey, died from drowning and a blow to the head, while Miss Witheridge, 23, from Great Yarmouth, died from head wounds on Sairee beach last month.

Their semi-naked bodies were found on the southern island of Koh Tao, near where they were staying, in the early hours of September 15.

A garden hoe with Miss Witheridge's blood on it was discovered nearby, and investigators have been searching for a blunt metal object used on Mr Miller.

A CCTV image of Ms Witheridge shortly before the killings

Thai National police chief Somyot Poompanmoung said: "Two Myanmar suspects have confessed to killing the pair.

"DNA test results (from the two men) confirmed that the same DNA was found in the body of the (female) victim."

Video: David Miller Seen On CCTV

He added that their DNA matched traces found at the scene of the killings.

Provincial police chief Kiattipong Khaosamang said the two men had also admitted raping Miss Witheridge. "Both raped the female victim," he said.

Thai police have collected DNA samples from more than 100 men on the island.

Police had originally said they believed three men were involved in the attack - two who raped and killed Miss Witheridge, while a third man watched.

A third Burmese man remains in detention and is being questioned on suspicion of involvement.

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1. Gallery: Thailand Beach Murders

   The family of Hannah Witheridge in Thailand. Miss Witheridge was killed alongside David Miller on a beach on Koh Tao

2. Police outside the Ware family home on Jersey. Christopher and James Ware, who were childhood friends of Mr Miller, have been questioned in Thailand as part of the investigation

3. The pair suffered "gruesome" injuries, according to police

4. The victims were staying in this hotel

5. Thai police at the scene of the beach attack

Police have been under pressure to solve the case that has threatened to damage the country's tourism industry

On Tuesday, the country's tourism minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul announced plans to issue tourists with wristbands in the wake of the murders to help identify those who run into trouble.

Party curfews and restrictions on where they can be held are also being considered, as well as the idea of introducing a "buddy system" - pairing tourists with a local minder.

"The next step would be some sort of electronic tracking device, but this has not yet been discussed in detail," said the minister.

However, the Phuket Gazette reported the wristband idea had been dismissed by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

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£3 Pill To Help Curb Drinkers' Cravings

Around 600,000 people in England and Wales who drink have half a bottle of wine a day are to be offered the first drug ever to be licensed to help reduce alcohol consumption.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) recommended the nalmefene tablet's use after trials showed it cut drinking by 61% over six months when used with counselling.

Experts claim the drug, which costs £3 a pill, could save as many as 1,854 lives over five years and prevent 43,074 alcohol-related diseases and injuries.

Nalmefene, also known as Selincro, is the only licensed medicine which helps people reduce their drinking rather than aiding them to stop drinking altogether.

Severe alcoholics and those who are able to cut down without help would not be eligible for the drug.

It is administered orally once a day and is taken when people feel the urge to drink.

It works by blocking the part of the brain which gives drinkers pleasure from alcohol, stopping them from wanting more than one drink.

Men drinking three to four pints of beer would be eligible for the drug

Men would qualify to receive the treatment if they consume 7.5 units of alcohol per day - around three to four pints of standard strength lager.

It would be offered to women who consume five units a day, which amounts to around half a bottle of wine.

Video: Female Drink-Driver Number Doubles

Professor Carole Longson, at Nice health technology evaluation centre, said: "Alcohol dependence is a serious issue for many people.

"Those who could be prescribed nalmefene have already taken the first big steps by visiting their doctor, engaging with support services and taking part in therapy programmes.

"We are pleased to be able to recommend the use of nalmefene to support people further in their efforts to fight alcohol dependence.

"When used alongside psychosocial support, nalmefene is clinically and cost effective for the NHS compared with psychosocial support alone."

A final decision to roll out the drug on the NHS in England at a cost of £288m a year will be taken in November.

It has been provided to patients in Scotland since October last year.

Video: Thousands Drinking During Pregnancy

Video: New Report On Drinking And Health

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Children As Young As 11 Caught Drink-Driving

Children as young as 11 have been caught drinking and driving, according to police records.

An 11-year-old was stopped in the Thames Valley area in 2011 and several 12-year-olds were apprehended in Scotland in 2012 and in Manchester in 2008.

An average of 1,000 under-18s have been convicted of drink-driving every year since 2008, according to figures obtained by in-car camera provider Nextbase.

Every week since 2008, an average of five drink-drivers under the age of 18 have been caught, the figures also revealed.

All 43 police forces in the UK have stopped under-18 drink-drivers between 2008 and 2013, with figures from Freedom of Information requests revealing the worst area in England for offenders was Greater Manchester, with 409 people arrested over the period.

Other hotspots included Scotland with 718 offenders, Hampshire with 276 and Devon and Cornwall with 241.

Nextbase said the overall number of underage drink-drive arrests had fallen year-on-year, but a number of areas including South Yorkshire, Northumbria and Kent had seen a rise.

A Department of Transport spokesman said: "Under-age driving is illegal and no person under the age of 17 should be driving a car.

"We have tough laws in place to tackle those caught driving without a licence.

"Drink-driving is a menace that costs lives, and the Government is strengthening the law to help police crack down on this problem."

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McCanns Targeted By 'Venomous' Internet Trolls

By Martin Brunt, Crime Correspondent

The Metropolitan Police is investigating a catalogue of vile internet abuse targeting the family of Madeleine McCann including death threats, Sky News can reveal.

Officers are in talks with the Crown Prosecution Service after being handed a dossier of more than 80 pages of Tweets, Facebook posts and messages on online forums aimed at Kate and Gerry McCann.

Over the past few years hundreds of shocking messages have been posted by 'trolls' who believe - despite no evidence - that the McCanns had some involvement in the disappearance of their daughter in Portugal in 2007.

These include suggestions that the McCanns should be tortured and killed and calls for them to "burn in hell".

Some messages are even directed at Madeleine's younger siblings, now aged nine.

Video: McCanns Targeted By Internet Trolls

Manipulated images involving the McCanns - many of them graphic - are also in wide circulation online.

One troll - who uses the Twitter identity "Sweepyface" and has posted dozens of anti-McCann messages using the #mccann hashtag - was confronted by Sky News.

When asked about her use of social media to attack the couple, she replied: "I'm entitled to."

The dossier - compiled by members of the public alarmed at the online treatment of the McCanns and shown to Sky News - calls on police and MPs to act to crack down on such abuse.

Video: McCanns Abused On Social Media

The Met wrote to the campaigners: "In consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service and the McCann family the material will now be assessed and decisions made as to what further action if any should be undertaken."

Among the messages identified in the dossier is an exchange on a message board which reads: "These 2 should burn in hell"; "I will supply the petrol"; "I'll supply the lighter - happily".

Other posts include: "We need some numbers for some assassins on taps", "I hope that the McCanns are living in total misery" and "I want to see them smashed up the back of a bus or trampled by horses".

In one of her tweets "Sweepyface" called for the McCanns to suffer "for the rest of their miserable lives".

Video: Sky's Martin Brunt On McCann Abuse

In addition to threats and abuse, several trolls have claimed to live nearby to the McCanns in Leicestershire and reported on their movements.

The campaigner spearheading the appeal - who has asked to remain anonymous - told Sky News: "We're very worried that it's only going to take somebody to act out of some of these discussions, some of the threats that have been made, and we couldn't live with ourselves if that happened and we had done nothing."

Author Anthony Summers, whose book Looking for Madeleine was published last month, said: "There is a campaign of hatred against the parents.

"It is venomous and vitriolic, most of it done by cowards. We are taken aback by the extent of the sheer evil behind it all."

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Alice Gross: 'Now A Murder Investigation'

Police searching for missing teenager Alice Gross have found a body in the River Brent in west London.

Detectives hunting for the 14-year-old, who disappeared nearly five weeks ago after leaving her home in Hanwell, said there had been "significant efforts" to hide the human remains.

Scotland Yard Commander Graham McNulty said: "This is now a murder investigation and I need the public's help to find whoever is responsible."

The body has been removed from the scene and Alice's family have been informed.

Video: Alice Police Find Body In River

Mr McNulty said: "Our work at this scene is crucial to make sure we capture all of the available evidence, to establish who is responsible for this dreadful crime.

"I can confirm significant efforts were made to conceal the body."

He added: "We are unable to make a formal identification at this stage, but clearly this news is devastating for everyone involved in the search for Alice.

"At this time my thoughts are with Alice's family and friends."

Video: Alice's Movements Reconstructed

Thanking the local community for their support during the investigation, he said: "This discovery will have a significant impact throughout the borough."

Alice was last seen on CCTV walking along the towpath next to the Grand Union Canal as it passes under Trumpers Way at 4.26pm on August 28. She has not been seen since.

Her disappearance sparked a huge police search - the Met's largest since the 7/7 bombings.

Hundreds of officers from several forces around the country have been involved in the investigation, while the RAF was also drafted in to help identify new search areas.

Video: Missing Girl's Parents' Anguish

Footage from 300 CCTV cameras within a six-square-mile radius was examined, while police also staged a reconstruction of the  the teenager's last-known movements in a bid to jog people's memory.

Mr McNulty said the search of the river was carried out as part of the investigation into Alice's disappearance.

Police have not said exactly where the body was found.

The River Brent runs a short distance from Hanwell and the towpath next to the Grand Union Canal where Alice was last seen on CCTV.

Video: Latvia Asked For Help Over Alice

Convicted murderer Arnis Zalkalns, who was filmed cycling along the same route behind Alice, has emerged as the prime suspect in the case.

The Latvian builder was reported missing within days of her disappearance, but police stressed he was just "one line of enquiry".

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Timeline: The Month-Long Search For Alice

Scotland Yard has so far followed more than 700 lines of enquiry and spoken to more than 1,000 people during the search for Alice Gross.

The operation included a reconstruction of Alice's last known movements, which led to 150 calls to police from member of the public.

Here is a timeline of the operation to find the 14-year-old schoolgirl after she went missing on 28 August.

:: 28 August

Alice leaves her home in Hanwell, west London, at 1pm. The last sighting of her was made at 4.26pm as she walked along the canal beneath Trumpers Way, heading towards Hanwell.

:: 1 September

Alice's family appeal for her to get in touch, saying they miss her "desperately".

Horse-mounted police search wasteland near the River Brent

:: 3 September

The search operation comes under the command of Scotland Yard's homicide and major crime squad.

:: 4 September

CCTV footage is released showing the last sighting of Alice. Police reveal they have discovered a rucksack she was carrying, with shoes inside.

Alice's family renew their appeals for help. Her mother, Rosalind Hodgkiss, says: "We'd like to say to Alice first of all that we miss her, that we love her and that she's not in any trouble, and we want to know that she's safe. We just want her to come home."

:: 6 September

Police arrest a 25-year-old man in Ealing on suspicion of murder.

A reconstruction of Alice's last movements

:: 7 September

A second man, aged 51, is arrested on suspicion of murder. Police say the two arrests are independent of each other.

:: 8 September

Police are given more time to question the first suspect, and release the second suspect with no further action to be taken.

:: 16 September

Detectives reveal they are searching for 41-year-old Latvian builder Arnis Zalkalns in relation to Alice's disappearance.

He was last seen at his home in Ealing, west London, on September 3.

The 25-year-old arrested on suspicion of murder is told he will face no further action.

The schoolgirl was last seen on August 28

:: 18 September

Zalkalns is named as an official suspect in Alice's disappearance.

Detectives stress there is "no evidence that Alice is not alive and no evidence that Alice has come to harm".

:: 19 September

Searches are carried out at Zalkalns' home in Ealing. Police also search a second home where Zalkalns previously lived, and remove a mountain bike.

:: 20 September

Scotland Yard says the search for Alice is the biggest search operations since the 7/7 bombings in 2005.

Hundreds of police have been involved in the search operation

:: 22 September

Police confirm they have formally requested details of the Latvian murder conviction against Zalkalns.

:: 23 September

Detectives travel to Latvia in their search for Alice and prime suspect Zalkalns.

A knife recovered during a search of waterways is sent for forensic analysis.

:: 24 September

Police remove a mountain bike during a forensic search

The investigation has so far followed 729 lines of enquiry, spoken to 1,067 people and had more than 1,000 calls. There have been no confirmed sightings since Alice's disappearance.

:: 25 September

An emotional plea is made by Alice's family for her to return home. Police also stage a reconstruction of her final movements.

:: 29 September

The search area moves to a National Trust-owned estate near where Alice was last seen.

:: 30 September

Search teams discover a body in the River Brent.

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British 'Islamic State Recruiter' Arrested

A British man has been arrested in Bangladesh on suspicion of recruiting people to fight alongside Islamic State militants in Syria.

Samiun Rahman, who is from London, arrived in the country in February to find fighters for both IS and the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, according to Monirul Islam, joint commissioner of the Detective and Criminal Intelligence Division (DCID).

"He has plans to recruit and send a team from Bangladesh to fight in Syria," Commissioner Monirul said.

Islamic State fighters have seized large parts of Iraq and Syria

Rahman, whose parents are from a town northeast of the capital Dhaka, has confessed to trying to recruit fighters for the groups, police said, although it is not clear if his efforts were successful.

He told police he had joined the Nusra Front in Syria last September and fought with the group until December 2013.

Police say Rahman returned to Britain at some point and visited other countries to recruit jihadis before going to Bangladesh to do the same.

Foreigners have travelled to Iraq and Syria to fight with IS

IS has seized large parts of Iraq and Syria in recent months, and fighting is reportedly continuing around the capital, Baghdad.

An explosion at a makeshift IS hospital has killed at least three fighters in Baquba, Diyala province on Monday, according to Sky sources.

There has also been intense fighting between Kurdish rebels and IS militants close to the Turkish border.

The US has been conducting airstrikes in Iraq since last month in a bid to reverse IS gains, and recently expanded their campaign to neighbouring Syria.

Britain joined the mission last week when MPs approved military action against the Islamists in Iraq.

Although RAF Tornados have flown a number of missions over northern Iraq since then, they have yet to fire any missiles.

Kurdish peshmerga fighters in position in Jalawla

But, a former IS fighter has told Sky News the airstrikes are backfiring, bringing extremist groups closer together.

A key part of the effort against IS are the Kurdish peshmerga battling the group in the north.

A peshmerga commander has also told Sky's Stuart Ramsey that airstrikes alone will not be enough to defeat the group.

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GP Practices Face Closure Over Dangerous Care

By Thomas Moore, Health Correspondent

Up to 200 GP practices across England face the threat of closure for providing potentially dangerous care to thousands of patients, the chief inspector of family doctors has warned.

In his first major broadcast interview, Professor Steve Field told Sky News that a handful of surgeries would be shut down straight away after being found guilty of "serious failings".

And he said scores more would be given a year to improve - or face being closed down as well.

The warning comes as the Conservatives promise to invest an extra £100m a year to provide seven-day GP cover.

Prof Field said most severe problems were found in single doctor practices

Prof Field, the Chief Inspector of GPs for the Care Quality Commission (CQC), said preliminary inspections suggested that up to 200 of the 8,000 practices in England are failing.

Problems included:

:: Late referrals for patients suspected of suffering from cancer, with potentially fatal consequences

:: Wrong medicines being prescribed to patients

:: Over-prescription of antibiotics

:: Child vaccinations not being stored in fridges, putting hundreds at risk

:: Out of date and unhygienic premises

:: Staff shortages and "chaotic management"

Prof Field said that the most severe problems were found in isolated, single doctor practices. "The writing is on the walls" for these type of practices, he said.

Up to 200 GP practices across England are facing the threat of closure

In many of these cases he said the problems had been known about for years, but authorities had not acted.

Prof Field's team have been carrying out pilot checks on surgeries for the past year.

Last December it was revealed that one such check had found maggots at a surgery in Nottinghamshire.

Prof Field said that preliminary results following this process suggested that 2% were failing with large variations in standards of care.

He added that when the inspections were first launched almost one third of practices were struggling to achieve all of the basic standards.

That number had now dropped to below 20%, he said.

Prof Field vowed to act against unsafe surgeries even if politicians protested at the closure of their local practices.

"While there is a small number of practices which are very worrying - probably looking at only about 2% - they can affect hundreds or thousands of patients potentially. So this is very serious.

Many other practices will be given a year to improve

"For the small number of practices [providing unsafe care] they will either improve or they will cease to practice. We will remove their registration."

Prof Field said that the 160 to 200 surgeries found to be failing would be given extra support from NHS England to help them improve.

"Unfortunately there are some ... which have gone on for years failing and people haven't drawn a line and said enough is enough. For those we will take urgent action.

"General Practice is the jewel in our crown and we're undermined by a small percentage of GPs who are not providing the care our patients deserve."

All 8,000 practices in England face inspections from next month and the CQC's findings will be published under a new Ofsted-style regime.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chair of BMA GP committee, said: "We know that  a lot of GPs are working in an environment that is extremely difficult and challenging, in premises that are not fit for purpose.

"And yet they cannot find another place to work in because there are no funds to relocate them. It would not be right to criticise or blame them for factors outside their control."

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Cameron Wants To Make Case For Syria Airstrikes

A day after RAF fighter jets joined the mission to beat Islamic State in Iraq, David Cameron has said he also wants to make the case for targeting Syria.

In an interview with the Sunday Times, the Prime Minister revealed he would argue that targeting Syria is both legal and appropriate.

"There are complications but there aren't legal difficulties," he said.

He said he would respond to the challenge thrown down by Ed Miliband to seek a UN resolution supporting attacks in Syria, if only to show that his request is impossible.

"We have to demonstrate to people that we'd like a UN security council resolution but it's very difficult to get one and to demonstrate that what we propose is legal. Attempts have been made but there's the existence of a Russian veto."

His comments come as two former senior military commanders have questioned Mr Cameron's policy of isolated air attacks.

Lord Richards of Herstmonceux, a former head of the UK military who stepped down as chief of the defence staff last year, said a campaign involving ground troops would be needed to crush IS.

"Ultimately you need a land army to achieve the objectives we've set ourselves - all air will do is destroy elements of Isis, it won't achieve our strategic goal," he told the Sunday Times.

"The only way to defeat Isis is to take back land they are occupying which means a conventional military operation. The only way to do it effectively is to use western armies but I understand the political resistance."

Richard Williams, a former commanding officer of the SAS who served in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan, wrote in the Independent on Sunday the deployment of RAF bombers was a "military sugar rush" that "risks looking fearful and half-cocked".

Lieutenant Colonel Williams said the sending in of RAF bombers had "taken on a military and political significance out of all proportion to their real military value".

He wrote: "They provide us and our leaders, desperate to do something, with a military sugar rush, to be followed inevitably in six months' time with the 'war-downer' reality that things are not going as we wish them to, and that the long-term costs of our involvement are escalating, in ways that will need to be explained, or hidden, during a general election."

On Saturday, two RAF Tornado GR4 fighter bombers carried out their first sortie over Iraq since Parliament gave the green light for airstrikes on IS militants without finding any targets to attack.

RAF crew at the base on Saturday morning

They returned to their base at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus at the end of a seven-hour mission with their weapons payload intact.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "Although on this occasion no targets were identified as requiring immediate air attack by our aircraft, the intelligence gathered by the Tornados' highly sophisticated surveillance equipment will be invaluable to the Iraqi authorities and their coalition partners in developing the best possible understanding of Isil's disposition and help acquire potential targets for future operations, either by aircraft or Iraqi ground forces."

Ministers had cautioned not to expect a campaign of "shock and awe" and that after weeks of US airstrikes in the area it could take time to identify new targets.

A member of the aircrew prepares to depart on the first mission. Pic: MOD

Mr Cameron insisted the involvement of RAF combat aircraft showed Britain was there to "play our part" in the international coalition being assembled against IS.

"We are one part of a large international coalition," the Prime Minister said during a visit to Didcot, Oxfordshire, ahead of the Conservative Party conference.

"But the crucial part of that coalition is that it is led by the Iraqi government, the legitimate government of Iraq, and its security forces. We are there to play our part and help deal with this appalling terrorist organisation."

:: Sky's Dermot Murnaghan will be talking live to Defence Secretary Michael Fallon from 10am this morning. Watch on Sky News Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202 and Freeview 132.

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RAF Helps Search For Missing Teen Alice Gross

The RAF has been helping in the search for missing teenager Alice Gross, Scotland Yard has confirmed.

Along with more than a dozen police forces across the country, the air force has provided support with "aerial analysis" pinpointing places to focus the hunt for the 14-year-old, who disappeared five weeks ago.

The 14-year-old disappeared five weeks ago

And thousands of runners taking part in the Ealing Half-Marathon are set to wear yellow ribbons to raise awareness of Alice's disappearance.

Ribbons have also been tied to trees and fences along the route, which runs close to where Alice was last seen.

Kelvin Walker, race director for the event, told Sky News: "We thought it would be a really good idea to give some runners bows to run around the course.

"The course is now covered in ribbons and it's quite an emotional sight to see, so we're just really happy to be involved in helping them."

Police will continue a search of scrubland near the Grand Union Canal

The schoolgirl, from Hanwell, disappeared a month ago on 28 August. She was filmed on CCTV walking along the towpath of the Grand Union Canal towards Hanwell at 4.26pm, but has not been seen since.

On Saturday, police revealed that footage from 300 CCTV cameras is now being analysed, taken from a six-square-mile radius.

And officers will continue to search scrubland along the towpath near the canal.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "We can confirm that as part of the search operation, the RAF has provided assistance in the form of aerial analysis to identify potential areas of interest to officers.

"This continues to be a massive investigation.

"A range of officers and staff from across the Met are taking part in the ever-expanding search for Alice."

Police received 150 phone calls after staging a reconstruction of Alice's last known movements.

Convicted murderer Arnis Zalkalns, the prime suspect in her disappearance, who has also vanished, was filmed cycling the same route behind the teenager.

But police stress the Latvian, who was also accused of molesting a 14-year-old girl in 2009, was just "one line of inquiry".

A reward of up to £20,000 is being offered for anyone who has information that leads police to find Alice.

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