Theresa May Accused Of Bungling Over Inquiry

In an interview explaining why she has become the second child abuse inquiry head to quit before starting work, Fiona Woolf blamed "negative comment and innuendo".

Yet in her resignation letter to Theresa May, the lawyer and Lord Mayor of London said she was standing aside because she wouldn't have "widespread victim support".

Both are true. And it's probably also true she never wanted the job in the first place. She obviously wouldn't have been appointed if Baroness Butler-Sloss - the Home Secretary's first choice - hadn't quit.

Baroness Butler-Sloss withdrew because her late brother, Michael Havers, was Attorney General at the time of the original abuse allegations in the 80s.

Groups representing victims said they could not support Mrs Woolf

Now Mrs Woolf has gone because she's pally with Leon Brittan, the home secretary at the time, and his wife Diana.

The seven drafts of correspondence published by Keith Vaz, chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee of MPs, revealed five dinner parties, three at her house and two at the Brittans' (who live in the same street), coffee mornings, sitting on a panel with Lady Brittan and sponsoring her for a fun run.

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1. Gallery: The Redrafted Letter At Centre Of Woolf Row

   A letter from Fiona Woolf to the Home Secretary referring to her links to Leon Brittan went through several drafts.

2. Chair of the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee Keith Vaz criticised Mrs Woolf, saying the final version showed a more "detached" relationship with the Brittans than the first one. For example, it stressed there were a number of other people present at dinner parties.

3. Mr Vaz had said Mrs Woolf's appointment had been "chaotic" and she should decide whether she wishes to remain as chair of the inquiry. It was confirmed on Friday afternoon that she would be stepping down

Very cosy. No wonder Mr Vaz - who can congratulate himself on another high-profile scalp - said the appointments process was "chaotic" and the Labour MP and anti-child abuse campaigner Simon Danczuk has accused the Home Office of "colluding in a cover-up".

All of which means the Home Secretary will have some tough questions to answer when she makes her statement to MPs on this fiasco on Monday.

Mr Vaz, for a start, says Mrs Woolf's friendship with the Brittans should have been checked out before, not after, she was appointed.

Mrs May says she plans to meet survivors' groups. They would say - and did say after their meeting with relatively junior civil servants at Westminster - that she should have done that much earlier.

Video: Survivors To 'Fight Tooth And Nail'

Labour's Yvette Cooper made the same criticism of the Home Secretary.

Mrs May also says she is going to consult with "relevant parliamentarians". I assume she means Yvette Cooper and MPs like Mr Danczuk, as well as the all-powerful Mr Vaz.

But her critics will say it's all a bit late now. The Home Secretary stands accused of bungle after bungle in this whole messy affair.

And while the politicians bicker and argue, the inquiry still hasn't started and the continuing delay is adding to the distress of the victims.

Video: Victims 'Relieved' As Woolf Quits

If it takes as long to find the next inquiry head as it took to find Mrs Woolf - six weeks - that will take us almost to the end of the year and probably means the inquiry won't start until 2015.

As for Mr Vaz, he obviously can't call the late Geoffrey Dickens, who's said to have handed Leon Brittan a dossier of allegations in 1983, or the deceased Michael Havers.

But why haven't he and his Home Affairs Select Committee called Lord Brittan to give evidence?

Surely he could clear up the "negative comment and innuendo" referred to by Fiona Woolf.

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Search Begins For New Child Abuse Inquiry Chair

The search is under way for a new head of the inquiry into historical child sex abuse after Fiona Woolf became the second chairwoman to quit.

Mrs Woolf stepped down on Friday after victims' groups told Home Office officials they were "unanimous" in the view that she should go.

They had raised concerns over Mrs Woolf's social links with former Home Secretary Lord Brittan, who is likely to be called to give evidence to the inquiry.

Mrs May is expected to brief the House of Commons on Monday

Her predecessor, Lady Butler-Sloss, resigned in July after similar questions were raised over her ties to prominent figures associated with the investigation.

The race is now on to find a suitable replacement as Home Secretary Theresa May faces criticism over the two failed appointments.

Video: Woolf Quits Child Abuse Inquiry

Chairman of the Commons Home Affairs Committee, Keith Vaz, told Sky News: "This has been a chaotic process.

"One would have expected the Government to have learnt from the first resignation of Lady Butler-Sloss, (and) to have consulted widely, to have done their due diligence and then to have presented to parliament and the public the name of the new chair.

"All they've succeeded in doing is delay the start of this inquiry, and frankly embarrass Fiona Woolf, who has had to resign because of the whole process that has been involved in her appointment."

Mrs May is expected to face some tough questions from MPs when she makes a statement to Parliament on Monday outlining the next steps in the process.

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1. Gallery: The Redrafted Letter At Centre Of Woolf Row

   A letter from Fiona Woolf to the Home Secretary referring to her links to Leon Brittan went through several drafts.

2. Chair of the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee Keith Vaz criticised Mrs Woolf, saying the final version showed a more "detached" relationship with the Brittans than the first one. For example, it stressed there were a number of other people present at dinner parties.

3. Mr Vaz had said Mrs Woolf's appointment had been "chaotic" and she should decide whether she wishes to remain as chair of the inquiry. It was confirmed on Friday afternoon that she would be stepping down

Labour leader Ed Miliband said Mrs May needs to explain why simple background checks were not done ahead of Mrs Woolf's appointment.

"It seems inexplicable, given what happened to the first head of the inquiry, that some basic questions were not asked of Fiona Woolf, before she was appointed, about her connections," he said.

"Theresa May has some explaining to do. To lose one chair is a misfortune but to lose two is total carelessness on her part."

Mrs Woolf came under increasing criticism following claims a letter setting out her contacts with the Lord and Lady Britton was redrafted seven times, with guidance from Home Office officials, before being sent to the Home Secretary.

Video: Woolf Resignation: 'Very Damaging'

Announcing her resignation she said: "Ever since the issues first arose, I've been worrying about the negative perceptions and there's been a lot of negative comment and innuendo and that has been getting in the way as well.

"I was determined that the inquiry got to the bottom of the issues for them and if I don't command their confidence to run the panel fairly and impartially then I need to get out of the way."

Mrs Woolf was appointed last month to chair the inquiry, which was launched earlier this year to examine whether alleged abuse by politicians and other powerful figures between the 1970s and 1990s was swept under the carpet.

She replaced Lady Butler-Sloss, who stepped down after her suitability was called into question, due to the fact her late brother, Lord Havers, was attorney general during the period when many of the alleged offences are said to have taken place.

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Fresh Scandal Over Historical Sex Abuse Inquiry

The head of an official inquiry into historical child sex abuse is under renewed pressure over her links to a Tory grandee at the centre of cover-up allegations.

Fiona Woolf has faced calls to resign over her familiarity with former home secretary Lord Brittan, who denies failing to act on a dossier of paedophilia claims he received while in office in the 1980s.

But Home Affairs Select Committee chairman Keith Vaz claims a letter Mrs Woolf wrote to Home Secretary Theresa May was rewritten, with Home Office assistance, seven times to downplay her links to Lord and Lady Brittan.

Mr Vaz said: "It is extraordinary that Mrs Woolf did not even write the first draft of her letter which was supposed to detail her own personal experiences.

Lord Brittan denies acting on the dossier of paedophilia allegations

"The letter then underwent seven drafts with a multiplicity of editors. The final version gave a sense of greater detachment between Lord and Lady Brittan and Mrs Woolf than her previous attempts."

As well as dining with the Brittans at home five times, Mrs Woolf has met Lady Brittan for coffee, sat on a prize-giving panel with her, and sponsored her £50 for a fun run.

Video: July: Sex Abuse Inquiry Judge Quits

It has also been revealed that Mrs Woolf lived on the same London street as Lord Brittan for a decade.

In her written explanation, Mrs Woolf had claimed she had no "social contact" with the Brittans since 23 April last year - but a photograph has surfaced showing her chatting to Lady Brittan at a prize-giving last October.

Commenting on the photograph, Mrs Woolf said she did not recall having any "substantial interaction" with Lady Brittan that night. 

Labour MP Simon Danczuk, who has campaigned on the issue of child sexual abuse, accused the Home Office of "colluding in covering up" Mrs Woolf's links with the Brittans.

He added on LBC Radio: "I think she should go now, it is the final nail, I don't think she will be able to survive this."

Mrs Woolf was appointed last month to chair the inquiry, which was launched earlier this year to examine whether alleged abuse by politicians and other powerful figures between the 1970s and 1990s was swept under the carpet.

The first person appointed to lead the investigation, Baroness Butler-Sloss, had to quit because her late brother, Lord Havers, was attorney general during much of the period in question.

Mr Vaz said: "The lessons of the Butler-Sloss appointment and resignation have not been learned."

Video: July: May Announces Abuse Review

The Labour MP added that his committee would decide next week whether Mrs Woolf should be recalled to give further evidence.

Mrs Woolf has insisted her panel will be "thorough, will pull no punches and show no favours".

And the Home Office said it remained confident in Mrs Woolf and her panel.

"Fiona Woolf wrote to the Home Secretary to disclose anything she thought might cast doubt on her impartiality as chairman of the independent panel inquiry into child sexual abuse," a Home Office spokesman said.

"Her letter to the Home Affairs Select Committee further demonstrates her commitment to openness and transparency in the course of her duties.

"The panel inquiry was established in order to determine the extent to which institutions have taken seriously their duty of care towards children, and recent reports into child abuse in Rotherham and Greater Manchester demonstrate the importance of this work."

But Alison Millar, a solicitor representing alleged abuse victims, has called for her to be replaced.

"The full extent of her relationship with Lord and Lady Brittan, which is still not entirely clear, only slowly unravels through these draft letters sent between Mrs Woolf and the Home Office," said Ms Millar.

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One Missing After Blaze At Fireworks Factory

One person remains missing after an explosion sparked a large blaze at a fireworks factory in Staffordshire.

A specialist team will search the SP Fireworks premises today in the wake of the fire, which also saw two people taken to the major trauma centre at University Hospital North Staffordshire.

Search and rescue workers will begin their operation after the premises is deemed to be safe to enter, a spokesman for the Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service said.

"The search and rescue team will make an assessment as to the safety of the building, and a search of the premises will take place in daylight hours," the spokesman said.

Worried residents reported hearing a loud bang and seeing smoke coming from the premises in Tilcon Avenue, Stafford, on Thursday evening.

Video: Witness Tells Of Fireworks Blast

The fire service said the blaze "escalated" at one point, before later being brought under control.

Some 50 firefighters, eight engines and four specialist appliances were called to the scene. There was "significant damage" to the building caused by the fire.

One man aged in his 40s was treated for serious burns, while another in his 60s had a back injury and suffered smoke inhalation.

Two women - one in her 40s, the other in her 50s - were assessed for smoke inhalation.

Police said a cordon was put in place around the factory to protect the public, and residents in the Baswich area were urged to remain indoors.

A spokesman for Staffordshire Police said: "On Friday we will continue to investigate this incident and work to ensure everyone is accounted for.

"Sadly at this stage we believe there is a person unaccounted for and our focus remains tracing those at the factory shortly before the explosion.

"A joint investigation into the incident is already under way, which will work to establish the cause and circumstances immediately before the fire."

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Child Grooming 'Normal' In Parts Of Manchester

By Nick Martin, North of England Correspondent

Child sexual exploitation is a "real and ongoing problem" that has become "normal" in some parts of Greater Manchester, according to a new report.

It suggests that youngsters are exposed to an increasing amount of explicit music and pornography which it is claimed is fuelling the problem. 

The independent report by Ann Coffey, Labour MP for Stockport, was commissioned by Tony Lloyd, the Greater Manchester Police and Crime Commissioner, in response to a number of high-profile child exploitation cases.

Home Secretary Theresa May described its findings as "shocking".

In 2012, nine Asian men were jailed for grooming girls with alcohol, drugs and gifts before forcing them to have sex with multiple men.

Video: Dec 2013: MP Criticises Police

The case led to claims the authorities had ignored the problem for reasons of "political correctness".

Ms Coffey said: "My observations will make painful reading for those who hoped that Rochdale was an isolated case. This is a real and ongoing problem.

"I have been concerned about the number of people who have told me that in some neighbourhoods child sexual exploitation had become the new social norm.

"This social norm has perhaps been fuelled by the increased sexualisation of children and young people and an explosion of explicit music videos and the normalisation of quasi-pornographic images.

"Sexting, selfies, Instagram and the like have given rise to new social norms and changed expectations of sexual entitlement, and with it a confused understanding of what constitutes consent."

Some schoolgirls told her they were regularly approached by older men in the street and urged to get into cars on their way home from school.

The problem will not be tackled unless there is a "sea change" in public attitudes away from a culture of blaming children and young people for bringing about their own sexual exploitation, the report claimed.

Nicola Pomfrey first became the victim of exploitation from the age of 14. She said the man she was with controlled every aspect of her life. 

She told Sky News: "It felt like we were friends at first, he kept buying me food and cigarettes. Then it turned into a relationship.

"But as time went on I felt like I was trapped, there was no-one I could turn to and I became isolated from friends and family.

Video: Sep 2012: Handling Of Abuse Slammed

"I was vulnerable, I needed the attention and I got it from the wrong place.

"At the time I didn't feel like telling the police, or a social worker or a teacher would do any good. I suppose I didn't think they would believe that I was a victim."

Home Secretary Theresa May said a public consultation would be held on whether teachers, doctors and other officials should have a duty to report any suspicions - or face the law.

"This is yet another disturbing report which highlights unacceptable failings by authorities at a local level to ensure the protection of children," said Mrs May.

"The report's findings about the scale of child sexual exploitation and attitudes towards it are particularly alarming."

Hayley Harewood, chief executive of Oldham-based charity Keep Our Girls Safe, which helps around 200 young girls at risk of sexual exploitation, agreed with the report's findings.

"It is true that in some areas child sexual exploitation is normal. It is often the first experience many girls have in terms of a relationship," she said.

"On most occasions the girls don't realise what's happening to them until it is too late and they are trapped."

The 148-page report, titled Real Voices - Child Sexual Exploitation In Greater Manchester, recommends a radical new approach to tackling the problem led by young people, which recognises that the police, justice system and children's services alone cannot succeed in protecting children.

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Father Of Murdered Schoolgirl Sarah Payne Dies

Tributes have been paid to Michael Payne, father of the murdered schoolgirl Sarah, after he died at the age of 45.

Mr Payne, who developed a drinking problem after his daughter was abducted and killed near her grandparents' home in West Sussex, was found dead at his home in Maidstone, Kent, on Monday.

His daughter, Charlotte, posted a picture of her father on Facebook alongside a message saying she was "heartbroken".

"No matter what happened and how many mistakes we all made. You will always be my daddy," she wrote.

She later added: "I'm sorry I couldn't save you dad. I hope you have finally found your peace and happiness."

Sarah Payne was eight when she was abducted and murdered

Her brother, Lee, wrote: "Dad, you had your demons and troubles but you had a good heart and was a decent man!

"I hope now you have found peace at last! RIP, you will be missed. We are all heartbroken."

A Kent Police spokesman said: "Police attended an address in Brishing Lane in Maidstone on the evening of 27 October and found the occupant, a 45 year-old man, had died at the property.

"The death is not being treated as suspicious. A report will be prepared for the coroner."

Mr Payne split from his wife Sara in 2003 after 18 years together, blaming the difficulties of coping with the loss of their daughter in 2000.

Roy Whiting was convicted of Sarah's murder

Speaking at the time, Mrs Payne told the News of the World: "We know we're not the same people we once were - and everyone knows the awful reason why."

Mr Payne told the newspaper he felt guilty for being unable to protect his daughter and this had put strain on his marriage.

Mrs Payne became a child protection campaigner after her daughter's death.

Sarah's Law, which allows parents to check whether people with access to their children are sex offenders, was introduced in 2011.

That same year Mr Payne was jailed after pleading guilty to glassing his brother Stephen following a heavy drinking session during which both men drank around three litres of cider each and a bottle of vodka.

Sentencing him, Judge Jeremy Carey said he had the "deepest sympathy" for his loss, but the offence warranted a jail sentence.

Convicted paedophile Roy Whiting is serving a life sentence for the eight-year-old's murder.

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Huge Supercomputer To Boost Weather Forecasts

A 140-ton supercomputer that can perform more than 16,000 trillion calculations per second is set to give the UK its most accurate weather forecasts ever.

The £97m machine will be fired up at the Met Office next year and will crunch data at a blistering rate using the memory equivalent to 120,000 top-end smartphones.

It will be 13 times more powerful than the current system, making it one of the world's fastest high performance computers (HPCs).

Met Office's chief executive Rob Varley said the machine would be a "step change", allowing hourly updates and highly detailed forecasts for areas as small as 300m.

Supercomputers can handle trillions of calculations per second

For example, it will allow airports to pinpoint the timing and extent of fog disruption far more effectively.

The Cray XC40 system will weigh the same as 11 double decker buses and is expected to be split between Met Office Headquarters in Exeter and a new purpose-built building at the city's Science Park.

Some £2bn of benefits are expected, according to forecasters, because it will allow the public and businesses to better plan for extreme weather, such as this year's floods in the south of England.

"The new supercomputer, together with improved observations, science and modelling, will deliver better forecasts and advice to support UK business, the public and government, " said Mr Varley.

The system should help people prepare better for extreme weather

"It will help to make the UK more resilient to high impact weather and other environmental risks."

The boss of supercomputer company Cray, Peter Ungaro, said he was "truly honoured" to get the contract - the biggest international deal in its history.

The first phase of the system will be operational in September 2015 and it will reach full capacity in 2017.

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Lloyds Cuts 9,000 Jobs And 200 Branches

Lloyds Banking Group has confirmed 9,000 job losses and 200 branch closures as it moves to bolster its digital banking offering.

The bank - part-owned by the taxpayer - said the cuts would take place over the next three years as customers habits continued to shift towards online banking services.

Lloyds had previously shed 45,000 jobs since its bailout at the height of the banking crisis.

The news was contained in its latest results which showed a nine-month profit before tax of £1.61bn - flat on the same period last year.

Lloyds said the figure included an extra £900m provision for the costs associated with the payment protection insurance mis-selling scandal.

Sky News reported on Monday night that Lloyds and other major banks were all planning to put aside extra funds, giving them a combined provision of more than £22bn.

Lloyds accounts for half the total.

The job cuts announced by Lloyds represent around 10% of its current workforce of 88,000 and form part of its plans to "digitise" the bank, adding that it wants to simplify the business and be more efficient.

Earlier this year, the British Bankers' Association published research showing that UK-based customers conducted almost 40 million mobile and internet banking transactions each week in 2013, a huge increase on the previous year.

The branch closures will mainly affect urban areas where there are already high concentrations of Lloyds branches.

Chief executive Antonio Horta-Osorio said: "Over the last three years the successful delivery of our strategy has ensured that we have become a safe, highly efficient, UK-focused retail and commercial bank.

"The next phase of our strategy will use these strong foundations as a basis for meeting the rapidly-changing needs of our customers, and sets out how we will grow the business in a way that will deliver increasing and sustainable returns for our shareholders."

More follows...

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Doctors Recruited In Battle To Keep Young Safe

By Lisa Dowd, Sky News Correspondent

Family doctors are being urged to look out for signs of radicalisation, child trafficking and cyber-bullying in their younger patients.

GPs are being sent a 'toolkit' of information by children's charity the NSPCC and the Royal College of General Practitioners to help them make informed and confident decisions about safeguarding youngsters.

"I would like to say we never see cases of abuse but we have seen cases in the surgery recently - some have involved cyber-bullying," said Dr Trish Wildbore, from the Hazelwood Surgery in Coleshill, north Warwickshire.

"What we've found over time is the way people insult or abuse others changes with technology.

"On a recent course of lectures I went on I was horrified to find there's a child trafficking hotspot just a couple of miles from the surgery. Obviously that's quite alarming."

Doctors are also being urged to be on the look out for child trafficking

Further north, in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, the scale of child sexual exploitation was missed or ignored by healthcare professionals and others.

A report found at least 1,400 youngsters had been abused over a 16-year period.

Video: 'Lawless Jungle' Of Online Abuse

While the search for victims and perpetrators has widened to other areas, so too has the definition of abuse to include forced marriage and female genital mutilation.

The long list of ailments GPs deal with is being extended to reflect other problems in a changing society.

RCGP chair Maureen Baker said: "Children and young people, today, are facing unprecedented pressures from all angles at a younger and younger age.

"The arrival of the internet and social media has opened up so many opportunities but has also brought many threats, including cyber-bullying, sexting, and revenge porn.

Video: 'I Had No Idea I Was In England'

"Because of the anonymity offered by the internet, many children and young people run a higher risk of being harmed or exploited.

"A consultation with a GP may be the only time that young people can be alone with a trusted adult and we have a number of roles to play in providing understanding, compassion and support."

But patients have mixed views.

"I think doctors generally are already quite busy and it's already hard to try and get appointments," said Brian Griffiths, from Coleshill.

Video: Brits 'At Forefront' Of IS Conflict

"And I'm not sure they're the right people to do this. Cyber-bullying? I'm not sure how a doctor's going to pick that up really."

But Helen Brownsword disagreed. She said: "I think it's a good thing.

"Doctors have got a heavy workload anyway but in the society we live and the things, particularly at a young age, children are into - the internet, that sort of thing - I think the more awareness we make in schools, the doctors, the better."

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Lords Consider Drone Laws Over Privacy Fears

By Tom Cheshire, Technology Correspondent

A House of Lords committee will hear from drone safety experts on Monday about whether legislation needs updating.

The committee is investigating the civil use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and is expected to report its findings in 2015.

The popularity of drones has surged as the technology has improved, leading to a consumer boom in cheaper, simpler models.

Among the questions the committee will seek answers to are the implications of drones for air traffic control, and whether drones will be affected by current data protection legislation.

Earlier this week, a report led by the former head of GCHQ and conducted by the University of Birmingham's Institute for Conflict, Cooperation and Security said that UAVs pose "significant safety, security and privacy concerns".

Video: Debate Over Paparazzi Tactics

It warned they could also be exploited by burglars, train robbers, poachers and the paparazzi.

But the report also said drones could bring "significant benefits". The commercial drone market is estimated to be worth £7.5bn over the next decade.

Jennifer Gibson, a legal expert on UAVs, told Sky News: "Parliament needs to step up. They need to make sure that outdated laws - which historically were used for things like CCTV cameras or manned aircraft - are updated to address this unmanned threat that is coming and can be used by the average person on the street, or by police forces.

Video: Dubai To Get Drone Deliveries

"There need to be codes of conduct, we need to have discussions about what privacy means in this new world where you can fly something up to someone's window.

"We need to have decisions around how to protect ourselves from the potential use of this in a threatening way."

This week also saw the first UAV conference held in London.

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