UK Police To Probe Thailand Tourist Murders

British police officers are to travel to Thailand to help investigate the murders of tourists David Miller and Hannah Witheridge.

Detectives from the UK were cleared to work on the case after Thailand's military ruler dropped objections to their involvement.

The agreement came after David Cameron and General Prayuth Chan-ocha discussed controversy surrounding the Thai-led investigation of the killings at a summit in Milan.

The British officers are expected to seek independent checks of DNA samples seen as key to the case against two Burmese men accused of the crime.

There has been concern over the treatment of two Burmese suspects

They are also expected to examine claims by the two migrant workers that they have been mistreated by the Thai authorities.

Mr Miller, 24, and Ms Witheridge, 23, were found dead last month on a beach on Koh Tao, an island in Thailand's Surat Thani province.

Video: Sept 19: CCTV Of Murder Victim

Court proceedings have reportedly started against the two suspects amid international concern about the investigation, including from the Foreign Office and human rights groups.

The Thai leader had previously rejected offers of help and insisted the UK no longer had "any more doubts" about the quality of the investigation following ambassador-level talks.

But sources said he agreed to a British police delegation when pressed on the issue by the Prime Minister at the Asia Europe Meeting in Italy.

A diplomatic source said: "Obviously it is for the Thai authorities to lead and carry out that judicial process. 

"But it is important that it is fair and transparent and that both of the families can be reassured that it is the murderers that have been brought to justice.

Video: Oct 3: Thai Murder Suspects Paraded

"What the PM secured this morning was agreement from the Thai PM that we can send some British police investigators to Koh Tao to work with the Royal Thai Police on this."

The Burmese men who have been charged with the killings were paraded in front of the media after apparently making confessions which were later withdrawn.

The pair have reportedly been charged with three offences - conspiracy to murder, conspiracy to rape and robbery.

Thai police denied reports that the Burmese embassy had formally retracted their confessions amid claims the pair were tortured.

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Anger At Claims Paramedics Left Body By Bins

MPs and campaigners have demanded an investigation into claims paramedics dumped a man's body beside rubbish bins so they could finish work on time.

The East of England Ambulance Service has apologised over allegations the body of a man, believed to be James Harrison, was mistreated.

The claims came to light after a whistleblower contacted a newspaper claiming the 32-year-old's body was left on the floor at Ely ambulance station for an hour instead of being taken to a mortuary at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.

An ambulance crew had been sent to pick up the body after Mr Harrison collapsed and died near his home in Littleport, Cambridgeshire, on 24 September. 

MP Peter Bone said the alleged incident sounded 'appalling'

Peter Bone, the Conservative MP for Wellingborough, described the alleged incident as "appalling" and called for an investigation "at the highest level".

He told the Daily Mail: "I've never heard anything like it.

"It seems to be neglect of duty and needs to be looked at the highest level. I hope it is just an appalling one-off.

"It would be extremely worrying if it was a systematic practice for staff at the end of their shift."

North East Cambridgeshire MP Stephen Barclay also called for a "full investigation".

Kathryn Murphy of the Patients Association said: "I would hope that the appropriate measures are taken against the individuals who made such an inhumane decision at such a sensitive time."

The ambulance service has apologised but refused to confirm any details regarding the incident.

Chief executive Anthony Marsh said the trust is "working with the family" to find out what happened.

"We are very sorry for what happened and have launched a thorough investigation," he added.

"This involves working with the family and everyone who responded to the patient."

A spokesman for the service said: "The incident happened on September 24.

"We were called at 5.13am and sent an ambulance, paramedic officers and a community first responder to the patient who was unresponsive."

Cambridgeshire Police confirmed the death was not being treated as suspicious and the case was passed to the coroner.

An inquest was opened and adjourned and will resume on 14 January.

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Man Dazzled Helicopter Crew With Laser Pen

A man who dazzled a police helicopter crew with a laser pen during a late night party has been given a suspended prison sentence after he admitted endangering an aircraft.

Chris Vowles was with friends in the back garden of a house in Kitts Green, Birmingham, when he targeted the helicopter on 31 July.

The crew were left disorientated as they were hit by the beam several times as they prepared for a surveillance mission.

Using thermal imaging cameras, they picked out Vowles as he laughed and toasted the prank with friends. The group could be seen gesturing toward the helicopter and raising their beer bottles.

Police on the ground were sent to their location and the 23-year-old shop worker, from Sandwell, was arrested on suspicion of acting recklessly in a manner likely to endanger an aircraft.

Thermal imaging cameras picked out Vowles at a party with friends

Footage from the helicopter showed Vowles attempt to the throw the laser pen over a fence.

He was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court to seven months in prison, suspended for two years. He was also ordered to carry out 250 hours of unpaid work, and pay a £100 victim surcharge and £300 court costs.

Martin Knowles, West Midlands region National Police Air Service (NPAS) manager, said it was a deliberate act.

He said: "The demeanour of the people in the garden illustrates the attitude of many people - laughing and joking and believing their actions were somehow harmless fun.

"But aiming a laser pen at any aircraft, be it a police helicopter, air ambulance or commercial plane, can have disastrous consequences - it's certainly no laughing matter."

NPAS pilot Andy Shanks said he had been targeted "countless" times by laser pens during his 33-year flying career.

He said: "It's disorientating, makes it impossible to focus on the instrument panel and is extremely dangerous as even a momentary loss of control can be crucial.

"In a worst case scenario crew members struck in the eye can suffer eye damage - that happened recently to an observation officer in Ripley who suffered retina damage after being hit with the laser whilst looking through binoculars."

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Rapist Footballer To Be Released From Prison

A petition to to block footballer Ched Evans from playing for Sheffield United has reached almost 150,000.

It is believed the striker has been released from prison after serving half of a five-year sentence.

Evans, who denied raping a 19-year-old in his hotel room, was jailed in April 2012 following the incident in Rhyl, North Wales.

The 25-year-old Welsh international admitted having sex with the woman, who told the jury she had no memory of the incident.

Sheffield United has not yet said whether he will be allowed to play for them again.

Earlier this week, manager Nigel Clough said: "We have had one or two discussions, we are awaiting a decision and the owners will make that in good time."

The online petition urged the Bramall Lane club not to welcome him back, but many fans have called for him to be rehabilitated.

The prosecution said the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was too drunk to consent to sexual intercourse.

Port Vale defender Clayton McDonald also admitted having sex with the victim but was found not guilty of the same charge.

Earlier this week,TV presenter Judy Finnigan apologised after she said on the ITV show Loose Women that his crime was "not violent" and did not cause "bodily harm".

Evans' case is due to be looked at by the Criminal Case Review Commission in the coming weeks.

The striker scored 48 goals in 113 games for Sheffield United before his imprisonment, including 35 in 42 games during the 2011/12 campaign which was cut short for him due to his trial and conviction.

He has been capped 13 times for Wales.

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British Ebola Nurse To Return To West Africa

British ebola survivor Will Pooley is preparing to return to West Africa to provide medical support in the fight against the epidemic.

He is among the first wave of volunteers from the NHS and Public Health England who have begun training ahead of possible deployment to Sierra Leone. 

The nurse, from Suffolk, said it was "something I need to do".

Mr Pooley worked at a hospice in Freetown, Sierra Leone, before moving to an ebola centre in Kenema where he was infected with the disease.

Some 4,493 people have died from the current ebola outbreak

He was flown home to Britain and admitted to an isolation unit at the Royal Free Hospital in north London where he was given the experimental ebola drug ZMapp and recovered from the illness.

"There is still a lot of work to do out there and I am in the same or better position than when I chose to go out before," he said.

"It does not seem likely that I will contract it again but it will still be the same question in my mind as it was the first time. It was an easy decision at that time and it is the same now."

Of his friends and family who have already seen the trauma he went through after contracting the illness, he said: "They are always going to be worried. They are very supportive."

Other British volunteers have been asking him what it is like to have ebola and about his experience treating it.

He said: "That is the reason I am here - tonight is about giving them a bit of insight in to what work and life is like out there at the moment.

"People are interested and people have a right to know about it if they are considering going out there.

"I know my mum and dad are worried but they support me because they know this is something I have to do.

Passengers on Amber Vinson's flight are being hunted by US authorities

"My potential immunity is very reassuring for them, or at least it should be, and I will be returning in a more organised fashion than when I was out there originally."

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recorded 8,914 cases of ebola but WHO assistant director-general Bruce Aylward has warned the number of new cases is likely to hit 5,000-10,000 a week by early December.

In the US, the race is on to track down passengers who shared a flight with a nurse diagnosed with ebola in Texas.

Amber Vinson, 29, was on board a flight from Cleveland, Ohio, to Dallas-Fort Worth on 13 October, the day before she fell ill.

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Report: Mistakes Costing The NHS £2.5bn A Year

The NHS is spending as much as £2.5bn a year on paying for mistakes, according to a new report.

Consultants Frontier Economics found the extra treatment required, extra beds being taken up, extra nursing time, as well as a huge compensation bill, costs the taxpayer a fortune.

Between £1bn and £2.5bn is spent annually on rectifying errors that have resulted in someone being put in greater danger, the consultants found.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt will make a speech later setting out why action is needed to reduce the waste from mistakes.

He will say that a culture change is what is needed to tackle the problem that leads to errors being made.

Video: NHS Staff Strike Over Pay

But the Royal College of Nursing is arguing that any poor care is the result of understaffing on wards, which it says is caused by Government policy.

Last year the NHS spent £1.3bn on payouts to people who had sued over poor patient care.

The four most common problems, according to the Department of Health, are falls and trips, bed ulcers, urinary infections caused by poorly fitted catheters and deep vein thrombosis.

Video: Vow To End Year-Long Hospital Waits

People who end up having to be treated for those conditions cost the NHS an extra £200m a year in extra care alone.

Mr Hunt will tell staff at Birmingham Children's Hospital: "I want every director of every hospital trust to understand the impact this harm is having not just on their patients but also on their finances.

"And I want every nurse in the country to understand that if we work together to make the NHS the safest healthcare organisation in the world, we could potentially release resources for additional nurses, additional training and additional time to care.

Video: £1000 A Day Nurses Working In NHS

"It would be tempting to set up a new target or issue a new ministerial decree. But that would be a mistake. Because the culture change we need to develop has to come from inside."

Dr Peter Carter, chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing, said the Government needed to invest in more staff before patient care could be improved.

He said: "Every nurse's first priority is patient safety, and they are well aware of the effects of poor care.

Video: Hospital Safe Staffing Levels Drive

"Though these proposals are well intended, logic suggests that you need to invest in additional staff first, and then you will find that your short term investment leads to longer-term savings."

Anna Bradley, chair of patients' watchdog Healthwatch England, said: "The principle behind this initiative is absolutely right - what is good for patients is ultimately often cheaper for the system.

"To make this work we need a compassionate and effective complaints system that addresses people's concerns when things go wrong and works with them to improve services for the future."

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'Blair May Have Been Terror Suspect Target'

Former prime minister Tony Blair could have been the target of a terror attack, the jury in a secret trial has heard.

Erol Incedal, who is accused of preparing acts of terrorism and possessing a document called how to make a bomb on a memory card, was arrested in September last year, the court heard.

His black Mercedes was searched and the jury was told a number of significant items were found including a piece of paper with the address of a home owned by Mr Blair and his wife, Cherie, written on it.

The paper was found inside a Versace sunglasses case, the jury heard, and during the search of the car it was bugged by officers.

The prosecution told the jury it was not clear 26-year-old Incedal had set out a specific target but that he may have been intending to launch either a Mumbai-style attack or to hit a high-profile individual.

Prosecutor Richard Whittam QC told the court: "Count 1 does not suggest that Erol Incedal had settled on a specific target or a particular methodology but in the context of the case as a whole and the evidence that I am going to come to, you may think that this address does have some significance."

The address of a home owned by the Blairs was found in Incedal's car

He added: "You will hear that he was actively engaged with another or others who were abroad. The prosecution case is that such engagement was for an act, or acts of terrorism, either against a limited number of individuals of significance, or a more wide-ranging, an indiscriminate attack such as the one in Mumbai."

In 2008 Pakistani terrorists launched co-ordinated bombing and shooting attacks at venues across Mumbai lasting four days and killing 164 people.

The case is the first major terror trial to be heard almost entirely in secret, with only a few journalists admitted but unable to report on the proceedings on the grounds of national security.

Parts of the trial will be heard in public after newspapers and campaign groups fought a court ruling it should be held completely in secret, however, the majority of it will still be held behind closed doors.

Speaking ahead of the trial, the judge told the jury they must set their emotions aside and decide on their verdicts in a "cool and dispassionate" way.

Incedal denies the charges against him.

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NHS Alcohol-Related Admissions Near '10 Million'

By Frazer Maude, North Of England Correspondent

Almost 10 million people a year are receiving NHS treatment because of alcohol, according to new figures.

The report compiled by Alcohol Concern shows the number and cost of treatments for illness and injury caused directly by drinking, like binge-fuelled trips to A&E or liver disease.

It also shows the cost of conditions in which alcohol is a significant factor.

A new online map highlights the total number of alcohol-related NHS admissions hit almost 10 million in England during 2012-13.

While A&E admissions accounted for six in every 10 alcohol-related hospital visits, inpatient admissions were responsible for almost two thirds of the total cost burden.

In England as a whole the figures suggest that drinking is attributable for almost half of all head and neck cancer inpatient admissions at a cost to the NHS of £65.3m.

A&E admissions accounted for six in every 10 alcohol-related visits

Just over 13% of all malignant breast neoplasm admissions were attributable to alcohol, costing the NHS £27.1m.

In total 9.6 million people in England are now drinking in excess of Government guidelines, with 2.4 million of those classed as high risk.

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1. Gallery: Men & Women: Alcohol Guidance

   Women's bodies, in general, process alcohol at a slower rate than men's, says Drink Aware

2. Alcohol can affect women's fertility, create a greater risk of breast cancer and increase some side-effects of the menopause

3. The NHS estimates that around 4% of UK women show signs of alcoholism

4. Alcohol daily guidelines for women are 2-3 units of alcohol, equivalent to a 175 ml glass of wine

5. Alcohol daily guidelines for men are no more than of 3-4 units of alcohol, equivalent to a pint and a half of 4% beer

Commenting on the data, Alcohol Concern Chief Executive Jackie Ballard said: "The NHS is now facing an intolerable strain from alcohol-related illnesses.

"We need to ensure adequate alcohol care pathways are prioritised and appropriate services are put in place to ease this burden."

Dr Carsten Grimm, Clinical Lead for the Alcohol Service in Kirklees, Yorkshire, said: "It is vital that people understand the full consequences of drinking at unsafe levels can have on their health.

Video: Alcohol NHS Impact Regional Guide

"With almost 10 million alcohol-related hospital admissions, we can see just how serious an impact unsafe levels of alcohol consumption is having on our health system."

A Department of Health statement said the Government is well aware of the costs caused by drinking.

"We know that alcohol-fuelled harm costs society about £21bn a year and are determined to reduce this burden to taxpayers. The rise in admissions is very concerning and we are taking action to tackle cheap and harmful alcohol.

Video: Pill Could Cut Desire For Alcohol

"We have given local authorities £8.2m over three years to tackle health issues in their communities like harmful drinking.

"We are working with industry to promote drinking within recommended guidelines and responsible drinking through local schemes, and are already making headway by removing a billion units from the market over four years." 

Video: 'We've Seen Liver Disease Double'

Video: New Report On Drinking And Health

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Google Bombarded With Requests To Delete Info

Google says it has received 18,304 requests from Britons asking it to remove information about their past under the EU's 'right to be forgotten' legislation.

The submissions came from more than 6,000 people who asked the search engine to erase links to more than 60,000 websites.

Altogether just over 145,000 requests have been made to Google by people across Europe wanting to improve their reputations.

That is an average of 1,000 a day since last May when the process began.

The controversial 'right to be forgotten' law covers the 28 countries in the EU, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

Video: Assange: Google Is Like The NSA

According to Google, the highest number of requests have come from France (29,010), followed by Germany (25,078) and then Britain.

Altogether the submissions covered more than 497,000 web links, of which 42% - more than 200,000 - have been jettisoned.

Among all websites, Facebook's social network has had the most links erased so far - 3,332 - while Google's own YouTube video site has had nearly 2,400 removed.

Video: Google Desert Street View Launched

Even when blocked from Google's search results in Europe, however, content can still appear in listings posted in other parts of the world, including the US.

Under the new law EU citizens can request that links to "inadequate, irrelevant or no longer relevant" information be removed from Google search results.

In short, Google must remove articles if the impact on the individual's privacy is greater than the public's right to find it, the European Union Court of Justice found.

Video: Google Launches Delivery Drone

The legislation has been widely criticised for allowing murderers, rapists and paedophiles to bury information about their past and for undermining freedom of speech.

It followed a landmark case brought by a Spanish man who complained that an auction notice of his repossessed home on Google's search results infringed his privacy.

Google has given examples of links which have been deleted including one to old article about the murder of a woman's husband in Italy. This was removed because the story mentioned the wife.

Video: Jimmy Wales: 'Don't Use Google'

The company says it has turned down requests from financial professionals seeking to remove links to material describing arrests or convictions for past misconduct.

It also rejected a demand from a "media professional" in the UK to erase four links to embarrassing content.

There are fears the whitewashing of search results could extend beyond the EU after a Japanese judge ruled Google should remove information that suggested a man once had ties to a criminal organisation.

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British Troops Back In Iraq To Help Beat IS

The Ministry of Defence has said a "small specialist team" of UK soldiers are in Iraq and working near the front line of the fight between the Islamic State (IS) and Kurdish fighters.

Based near the Kurdish capital of Irbil in the north, they are training peshmerga forces in the use of heavy machine guns the UK supplied to them in September.

The Sunday Times reported that the soldiers were from the 2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment, which is based in Cyprus.

An MoD spokeswoman said: "The Government has previously made clear its intention to provide training to the peshmerga as part of the continued effort to assist in the fight against Isil (IS).

UK troops are training Kurdish peshmerga forces in the use of UK arms

"The Defence Secretary has approved the deployment of a small specialist team of non-combat Army trainers which is now in the Irbil area providing instruction on operating, employing and maintaining the heavy machine guns that were gifted by the UK last month."

British troops invaded Iraq in March 2003 to overthrow Saddam Hussein.

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1. Gallery: The Moment RAF Jet Attacks IS Truck

   The RAF carried out its first airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Iraq on 1 October, 2014 (All pictures: MoD)

2. Tornados destroyed a heavy weapon position, which was attacking Kurdish forces, and an armed pick-up truck (pictured). The red circle shows the path of the missile fired at the vehicle

3. The strikes were the first since MPs voted to support aerial raids in Iraq last Friday

4. The targets were in the northwest of Iraq

5. The moment the truck, which had a mounted machine gun, was destroyed by a Brimstone missile

6. A plume of smoke rose above the area

7. The strike was successful, according to an initial assessment, said Defence Secretary Michael Fallon

8. The Tornados safely returned to their base at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus after the sortie

9. Six of the GR4 fighter jets are based on the island in the Mediterranean

10. The aircraft began their combat missions on Saturday

The last British combat troops from the war left in April 2009, with a small number staying on to train Iraqi forces until 2011.

RAF Tornado fighter jets have been involved in US-led bombing raids on IS fighters for the past two weeks.

But there is strong resistance among British politicians to any ground troop involvement in fighting against the Islamist group, which controls vast areas of Iraq and Syria.

Video: RAF Jets Attack Targets In Iraq

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