Patients 'Failed' By NHS Complaints System

A health watchdog has accused the NHS of letting down patients who complain about their care.

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's investigation looked into 150 complaints regarding allegations that patients had died or suffered avoidable harm because of failings in their care.

It found that 28 of the 150 cases should have been investigated by the NHS as a Serious Untoward Incident (SUI), which is triggered to allow doctors to learn from past mistakes.

But in the vast majority of these cases (71%) the hospital failed to carry out an SUI.

Families interviewed for the review complained they felt "belittled" and "misled" by medical staff who failed to listen to their concerns or give them straight answers.

Video: NHS Shake-Up 'Disastrous'

Patients groups said the findings are "worrying" and suggest the lessons from recent hospital scandals have not been learnt.

Ombudsman Dame Julie Mellor said: "Investigations weren't carried out when they should have been and when they were carried out they did not find out or explain why failings happened.

"When people make a complaint that they have been seriously harmed they should expect it to be taken seriously and thoroughly investigated."

In one case highlighted, a one-day-old baby, identified only as Baby F, was left with permanent brain damage because two doctors and a nurse made "serious mistakes" during blood transfusions.

Video: Row Over Hospital Major Incidents

But the hospital's SUI investigation was "fundamentally flawed and did not identify glaring errors in the conduct and recording of the transfusion and ignored obvious explanations for what happened", the ombudsman found.

Dr Katherine Rake, chief executive of Healthwatch England, said: "Our research shows that tens of thousands of people every year are being failed by the NHS and yet never report it because they have no faith the complaints system will make any difference.

"Even worse, fewer than half of those that do find the energy and courage to raise their concerns ever hear the words 'I'm sorry'.

"What we need is a complete overhaul of the complaints system that ensures every incident is properly investigated and learnt from, and that those affected are treated with the dignity they deserve."

Video: Five Challenges To Fix A&E

A Department of Health spokesman said the NHS acknowledges that "listening to patients and staff is absolutely vital to improving care".

He added: "That's why we've made hospitals legally obliged to apologise to patients when mistakes do happen, introduced complaints handling as a crucial element of tougher hospital inspections and asked Robert Francis to produce an independent report on how to create a more open NHS culture."

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Tax Havens Face Blacklist Threat From Labour

By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent

Tax havens such as Bermuda, Jersey and Guernsey will have six months to open their books or face international blacklisting if Labour wins the General Election in May, Ed Miliband has vowed.

The Labour leader has accused David Cameron of failing to follow through on demands that all overseas territories and crown dependencies adopt transparency measures being introduced in the UK.

Agreement on action to expose the owners of "shell companies" used to evade tax was hailed by Mr Cameron as a key achievement of the G8 summit in Northern Ireland in 2013.

He said then: "The UK is today leading the way by committing to create a central registry of company ownership.

"Each and every one of our overseas territories and crown dependencies has agreed to sign up to the multi-lateral convention on information exchange to exchange information automatically with the UK and to produce action plans on beneficial ownership."

Video: Top Firm 'Promoted Tax Avoidance'

But so far, according to Mr Miliband, none of the countries around the world over which Britain retains sovereignty has accepted the Prime Minister's appeal to them to "move forward together in raising standards of transparency" and some have ruled out reform.

Among the 10 countries whose leaders were called to No. 10, Bermuda has rejected calls to make public the companies registered there.

So too have the Cayman Islands. Gibraltar has taken no further action. Neither has Guernsey or the Isle of Man.

In a letter to the leaders of the overseas territories and crown dependencies, Mr Miliband put them "on notice" that, if elected in May, his government would refer any that failed to produce publicly accessible central registers of beneficial ownership - who profits from a company - to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

"I am writing to put you on notice that a Labour government will not allow this situation of delay and secrecy to continue," he wrote.

Video: Is Miliband Anti-Business?

"Labour will act on tax avoidance where the Tories will not," he added, ending protection from international scrutiny and requesting OECD blacklisting.

Mr Miliband, accused this week of being anti-business, told The Guardian: "There is nothing pro-business about defending tax avoidance.

"More than 18 months have passed since David Cameron promised to shine a light on the tax havens in UK overseas territories and crown dependencies - and their affairs are still shrouded in darkness.

"That may be good enough for him, but it will not satisfy me, or the incoming Labour government

"And it is costing everyone who relies on our schools, our hospitals, our roads and our railways. It is costing everyone who pays their fair share of taxes, including millions of British businesses."

Video: #AskTheLeaders Highlights: Labour

But a Conservative party spokesman said: "People should judge Ed Miliband by his record, not his rhetoric.

"For 13 years - including when he was an adviser in the Treasury - Labour did absolutely nothing to tackle tax avoidance. This shows that Ed Miliband is simply too weak to deliver on what he promises.

"In contrast, we are tackling the problem head-on. David Cameron put tax dodging at the top of the global agenda at the UK's G8 summit, securing major new international rules to ensure that companies pay what they owe."

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E-Cigarettes Are Harmful To Lungs - Study

E-cigarettes contain toxic chemicals which could damage the lungs and immune system, scientists have discovered.

Experiments carried out on mice found e-cigarette fumes harmed the animals' lungs and made them more susceptible to respiratory infections.

Chemicals generated by the nicotine devices also weakened the immune system's response to viruses and bacteria, causing some mice to die.

Researchers found e-cigarette vapour contains "free radical" toxins similar to those found in air pollution and cigarette smoke.

Although the study said they generated just 1% of the amount of free radicals in tobacco smoke, these molecules can damage DNA and cell membranes.

The study was carried out by scientists at John Hopkins University in Baltimore.

Professor Shyam Biswai said: "Our findings suggest that e-cigarettes are not neutral in terms of the effects on the lungs.

E-cigarette sales could overtake cigarette sales in the US within 10 years

"We have observed that they increase the susceptibility to respiratory infections in the mouse models.

"This warrants further study in susceptible individuals, such as COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder) patients who have switched from cigarettes to e-cigarettes, or to new users of e-cigarettes who may have never used cigarettes."

The study exposed mice to e-cigarette vapour equivalent to doses inhaled by humans for a period of two weeks.

Researchers then infected the mice with pneumonia bacteria or the flu virus.

The results showed the infected mice were far more likely to develop a weakened immune system.

Co-author of the report Dr Thomas Sussan said: "E-cigarette vapour alone produced mild effects on the lungs, including inflammation and protein damage.

"However, when this exposure was followed by a bacterial or viral infection, the harmful effects of e-cigarette exposure became even more pronounced.

"The e-cigarette exposure inhibited the ability of mice to clear the bacteria from their lungs, and the viral infection led to increased weight loss and death, indicative of an impaired immune response."

Results of the study have been published in the online journal Public Library of Science ONE.

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GP Patients To Be Asked For Proof Of Nationality

Patients will have to prove their nationality when registering for a GP following a fresh crackdown on migrants accessing the NHS.

The Department of Health plans to launch pilots of the scheme later this year, in an effort to help recover the costs of primary care for migrants from their home countries.

According to GPs' magazine Pulse, everyone enrolling at surgeries in the 10 areas involved in the pilots will be asked for a valid European Health Insurance Card, which entitles holders to state-provided healthcare in European Economic Area (EEA) countries.

A spokesperson for the DoH said: "We are absolutely committed to improving the way the NHS recovers costs from international visitors for primary care.

"We're now planning to pilot different ways of doing this effectively without burdening busy GPs."

Health tourism is estimated to cost the UK around £2bn each year despite the fact that only residents with "indefinite leave to remain" in the country are entitled to free healthcare.

Pulse reports that the General Practitioners Committee (GPC) is working with the DoH on the plans.

It adds that a GPC briefing paper under the heading of "charging for primary care" says the Government will launch two new consultations in the spring.

According to Pulse, the note says: "Two consultations will be launched in the Spring to look further at extensions to charging.

"There are plans to start an EHIC pilot in primary care, to encourage the collection of EHICs, increase identification of chargeable patients and increase the engagement of GPs with the cost-recovery programme generally.

"GPC will be involved with a view to starting the pilot as early as possible."

Health secretary Jeremy Hunt announced plans last year to charge 150% of the cost to patients from outside the EU who seek NHS treatment.

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Man Shot Dead On West London Street

A murder investigation has been launched after a 38-year-old man was shot dead on a street in Uxbridge, west London.

Police were called by London Ambulance Service to Vine Lane following reports of a shooting shortly before 7pm.

The victim, found with gunshot wounds, was pronounced dead at the scene an hour later.

Officers are in the process of informing next of kin and a post-mortem examination will be held in due course.

Scotland Yard said no arrests have been made and inquiries are ongoing.

Local road closures remain in place.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0208 358 0300 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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One In Two Britons Will Get Cancer, Say Experts

By David Bowden, Senior Correspondent

One in two people in the UK will get cancer at some point in their lives, according to the latest forecast by experts.

Cancer Research UK announced the new figure - which replaces the longstanding previous estimate of one in three - as it warned the country faces a "crisis" if it does not plan ahead.

The charity says the increase in cases is largely attributed to people living longer, but that the number of people surviving the disease has never been higher.

Professor Peter Sasieni, from Queen Mary University of London, is the author of the study published in the British Journal of Cancer that produced the figure.

"Cancer is a disease of old age," he said.

Video: 25 Cancer Treatments Cut In England

"The longer you live the more likely you are to get cancer and we think two thirds of the increase is because of increased longevity, the other third is because cancer rates are actually increasing."

While Cancer Research UK said there will "never be one single magic bullet" to cure all cancers, it called for a boost to public health and the NHS to meet looming demands for better diagnostics, treatments and earlier diagnosis.

The country's cancer survival rate has doubled over the last 40 years and around half of patients now survive the illness for more than 10 years.

The lifetime cancer risk for women (47.55%) is lower than that of men (53.5%), while the combined lifetime risk is 50.5%.

In 1980 the combined risk was 27.2%, in 1990 it was 32.7%, in 2000 it was 37.1% and in 2010 it was 41.8%.

Video: Most Cancers Down To Bad Luck

Harpal Kumar, Cancer Research UK's chief executive, said: "We're living longer and that means we're more likely to develop a range of age-related health issues.

"We need to plan ahead to make sure the NHS is fit to cope. If the NHS doesn't act and invest now, we will face a crisis in the future - with outcomes from cancer going backwards.

"There will never be one single magic bullet that treats ... cures all cancers.

"I cannot foresee a time when that's going to be the case. But already we're able to cure a number of cancers now."

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MPs To Decide If Babies Can Have Three Parents

By Thomas Moore, Health and Science Correspondent

Britain could today become the first country in the world to legalise the creation of IVF babies with DNA from three different people.

MPs will debate the controversial technique that involves changing the genetic material passed down the generations.

The new regulations MPs will debate "make provision to enable mitochondrial donation" under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act.

It would allow women to have children without passing on serious and incurable diseases of the mitochondria, tiny power generators found in almost every cell.

Opponents question the technique's safety and warn it could lead to "designer" babies.

Video: 3-Parent Embryos: How Does It Work?

But Prof Dame Sally Davies, England's Chief Medical Officer, says the technique would prevent great suffering.

"The 37 genes in the mitochondria are for energy making. They do not make us who we are or what we are.

"Yet children born with defective ones often don't live a year or two.

"Others get gradual deterioration of muscles, heart, kidneys, vision and brain and die in their late teens and early 20s."

Mitochondrial donation has been pioneered by scientists at Newcastle University.

They propose using standard IVF techniques to fertilise an egg from an affected woman and another from a donor.

They would then remove from the affected embryo the nucleus, which contains 99.9% of the parents' DNA, and leave behind the defective mitochondria.

At the same time they would remove the nucleus from the donated embryo.

Video: Home DNA Test Goes On Sale

Finally they would transplant the nucleus containing the parents' genes into the donated embryo, which would then be implanted in the mother's womb.

It's estimated that 2,500 women in the UK are affected by mitochondrial diseases and could use the technique.

But David King, of Human Genetics Alert, urged MPs not to allow the technique.

"This is not about protecting embryos but about protecting children from the severe health risks of these unnecessary techniques and protecting everyone from the eugenic designer baby future that will follow from this.

"These diseases can be prevented through conventional egg donation - a reliable method that doesn't risk the child's health. All that these dangerous experimental techniques add is that that they allow the mother to be a genetic parent, which is not a medical benefit for anyone."

The technique has already been cleared by scientific and ethics watchdogs. The public have also been consulted and broadly supported its use.

Dr Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust, the UK's biggest research charity, said: "The Government is right to ask Parliament to support regulations that will allow the law to catch up with public and scientific opinion, and we urge MPs and peers to vote for them."

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CCTV Footage Exposes Slaughterhouse Cruelty

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Video: Animal Cruelty In Abbatoir

By Hind Hassan, Sky News Reporter

Campaigners and MPs are calling for CCTV cameras at every abattoir after footage revealed extreme animal cruelty at a halal slaughterhouse.

Secretly recorded video shows sheep being kicked, thrown and punched at Bowood Lamb abattoir in Thirsk, North Yorkshire.

The filming was carried out by animal rights group Animal Aid, who smuggled cameras into the site and filmed footage over three days in December.

In the video, one of the workers stands on the neck of one animal, while another worker hacks a sheep to death - contrary to Islamic guidelines.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) says it has suspended the operating licences of four of the slaughter men and is now conducting an investigation.

1/8

1. Gallery: Halal Slaughterhouse Investigation

   Four slaughtermen have had their operating licences suspended after an animal rights group used hidden cameras to film the alleged mistreatment of animals at a halal slaughterhouse

Animal Aid claims the footage shows a worker hacking and sawing at animals' throats, in direct contravention of Islamic practice

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The footage is also believed to show staff taunting and frightening animals by waving knives, smacking them on the head and shouting at them. Click through to see more images.

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Conservative MP Henry Smith will call for mandatory CCTV in slaughterhouses during a House of Commons debate.

He told Sky News it would allow for "an independent assessment and so that those carrying out that role know that the system is monitored to prevent cruelty taking place".

The MP for Crawley said: "Already many abattoirs, particularly ones that supply the big supermarkets like Tesco and Waitrose, have a system of CCTV to ensure animal welfare standards are maintained.

"So what I'm asking for is that is extended across all slaughterhouses in the UK. It's not something that is very expensive or burdensome but actually could end a lot of unnecessary suffering and abuse of livestock in the food production process."

Slaughterhouses in the UK are required to stun animals before they are killed to minimise pain, but Muslim and Jewish slaughterhouses are exempt due to religious requirements.

Halal meat must be prepared in accordance with Islamic law. Like Jewish kosher meat, it requires the animal to be slaughtered and the blood drained.

Both religions dictate that it should be done with a surgically sharp knife and in one uninterrupted sweep.

Masood Butt, from The Association of Non Stun Abattoirs (ANSA), which represents the halal meat industry, said: "Islam has absolutely clear guidelines about treating animals within a slaughterhouse or outside a slaughterhouse and that is to be kind and merciful to them and respecting their care and not to cause pain or suffering to the animal unnecessarily.

"For example, Islam says you are not allowed to slaughter an animal in front of an other animal.

"You are not allowed to deprive them from food or water. You have to provide enough space for them to lie down or walk about.

"Islam has clear guidelines not to slaughter babies in front of their mother and if they have done so they are not only not following the laws of animal welfare in the UK, but they are also not following the rules in Islam."

The Muslim Council of Britain said it is appalled at reports of animal mistreatment.

A spokesman said: "Animal cruelty is wrong and criminal wherever it may occur.

"That it is being carried out in halal slaughter makes it even more incredulous. Animal welfare should be observed by all slaughterhouses.

"The findings certainly are abhorrent in Islamic practice, and the abattoir must be subject to the full force of the law."

In a statement The FSA said: "There is no excuse for treating animals in the way shown on the video and we are therefore investigating the footage with a view to prosecution."

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We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.

Video: Animal Cruelty In Abbatoir

By Hind Hassan, Sky News Reporter

Campaigners and MPs are calling for CCTV cameras at every abattoir after footage revealed extreme animal cruelty at a halal slaughterhouse.

Secretly recorded video shows sheep being kicked, thrown and punched at Bowood Lamb abattoir in Thirsk, North Yorkshire.

The filming was carried out by animal rights group Animal Aid, who smuggled cameras into the site and filmed footage over three days in December.

In the video, one of the workers stands on the neck of one animal, while another worker hacks a sheep to death - contrary to Islamic guidelines.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) says it has suspended the operating licences of four of the slaughter men and is now conducting an investigation.

1/8

1. Gallery: Halal Slaughterhouse Investigation

   Four slaughtermen have had their operating licences suspended after an animal rights group used hidden cameras to film the alleged mistreatment of animals at a halal slaughterhouse

Animal Aid claims the footage shows a worker hacking and sawing at animals' throats, in direct contravention of Islamic practice

]]>

The footage is also believed to show staff taunting and frightening animals by waving knives, smacking them on the head and shouting at them. Click through to see more images.

]]>

]]>

]]>

Conservative MP Henry Smith will call for mandatory CCTV in slaughterhouses during a House of Commons debate.

He told Sky News it would allow for "an independent assessment and so that those carrying out that role know that the system is monitored to prevent cruelty taking place".

The MP for Crawley said: "Already many abattoirs, particularly ones that supply the big supermarkets like Tesco and Waitrose, have a system of CCTV to ensure animal welfare standards are maintained.

"So what I'm asking for is that is extended across all slaughterhouses in the UK. It's not something that is very expensive or burdensome but actually could end a lot of unnecessary suffering and abuse of livestock in the food production process."

Slaughterhouses in the UK are required to stun animals before they are killed to minimise pain, but Muslim and Jewish slaughterhouses are exempt due to religious requirements.

Halal meat must be prepared in accordance with Islamic law. Like Jewish kosher meat, it requires the animal to be slaughtered and the blood drained.

Both religions dictate that it should be done with a surgically sharp knife and in one uninterrupted sweep.

Masood Butt, from The Association of Non Stun Abattoirs (ANSA), which represents the halal meat industry, said: "Islam has absolutely clear guidelines about treating animals within a slaughterhouse or outside a slaughterhouse and that is to be kind and merciful to them and respecting their care and not to cause pain or suffering to the animal unnecessarily.

"For example, Islam says you are not allowed to slaughter an animal in front of an other animal.

"You are not allowed to deprive them from food or water. You have to provide enough space for them to lie down or walk about.

"Islam has clear guidelines not to slaughter babies in front of their mother and if they have done so they are not only not following the laws of animal welfare in the UK, but they are also not following the rules in Islam."

The Muslim Council of Britain said it is appalled at reports of animal mistreatment.

A spokesman said: "Animal cruelty is wrong and criminal wherever it may occur.

"That it is being carried out in halal slaughter makes it even more incredulous. Animal welfare should be observed by all slaughterhouses.

"The findings certainly are abhorrent in Islamic practice, and the abattoir must be subject to the full force of the law."

In a statement The FSA said: "There is no excuse for treating animals in the way shown on the video and we are therefore investigating the footage with a view to prosecution."

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5. Rory McIlroy To Tee Off In £13m Legal Battle

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Cameron's 'All-Out War' On Mediocre Schools

Headteachers at coasting primary and secondary state schools face being sacked in an "all-out war on mediocrity", David Cameron is to announce today.

In a speech later, the Prime Minister will say that any English school assessed as requiring improvement by Ofsted will be put under new leadership unless it can show it has plans in place to bring about rapid change.

Coasting schools will also automatically be considered for academy status.

The country's best headteachers, backed by high-performing neighbouring schools or expert sponsors will take over the running of the schools.

They will be expected to introduce reforms to boost results that could involve new discipline policies or changes in personnel, such as removing headteachers.

The move comes as part of a Conservative manifesto commitment to give all children a good start in life, regardless of where they are from.

Video: Morgan: 'Stop Worrying Parents'

Mr Cameron said: "As parents we're hardwired to want the best for our kids. No one wants their child to go to a failing school - and no one wants to them to go to a coasting school either.

"So this party is clear. Just enough is not good enough. That means no more sink schools - and no more 'bog standard' schools either. We're waging an all-out war on mediocrity, and our aim is this: the best start in life for every child, wherever they're from - no excuses."

Eton-educated Mr Cameron has previously insisted he wants to spread the advantages he enjoyed to "every child in Britain" and pledged to end the education "lottery".

Video: Ofsted's Secondary Schools Warning

The reforms build on existing powers that allow failing schools to be converted into academies.

Around 1,200 schools have been turned into made the transition, mostly under the coalition.

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Alan Barnes Meets Woman Behind £250K Campaign

A disabled pensioner who was mugged outside his home has met the campaigner who raised more than £250,000 to support him.

Alan Barnes, 67, said it felt "magic" to meet beautician Katie Cutler, who set up an online fundraising page after reading about the attack.

The 21-year-old's campaign went viral and has raised more than 500 times its original £500 target in just three days.

Mr Barnes said: "I didn't expect anything - it's hard to figure out what to think really."

The fundraising campaign passed the £200K mark on Sunday

Ms Cutler said: "It's like a dream."

Mr Barnes, who has disabilities from birth after his mother contracted German measles when she was pregnant, broke his collarbone when he was pushed over by his attacker.

People were moved to help after hearing that Mr Barnes - who is 4ft 6ins tall and weighs less than six stone - was too afraid to return to his home in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear.

Following reports of the attack, which police described as "disgraceful", Ms Cutler set up the Help Alan Barnes online donation page on the crowdfunding platform GoFundMe.

She wrote: "I was so upset that anyone could target a disabled pensioner and be so cruel.

"We can't take away what has happened but with a little donation we can make the future a prettier one and help towards the cost of his new home. Thank you all."

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Missing Mum: Body Suffered 'Violent Assault'

The body of a woman believed to be missing mother-of-four Samantha Henderson was violently attacked around the head and neck, a post-mortem examination has shown.

Detectives say they are "confident" the body, which was found in a lake at Ham Common in Poole, Dorset, on Friday, is that of Ms Henderson.

The 25-year-old, who has children aged six, four, two and one, was last seen leaving Corfe Castle Primary School on 21 January at 3pm.

She was reported missing the next morning.

Police still want to hear from anyone who saw Ms Henderson's car

Ms Henderson's boyfriend Dominic Isom, 27, of Corfe Castle, has pleaded not guilty to her murder.

He has been remanded in custody and is due to stand trial in July.

Detective Inspector Neil Devoto, of Dorset Police's major crime investigation team, said: "This afternoon a post mortem was carried out on the body recovered in Hamworthy.

"It confirmed that the victim had suffered a violent assault that appears to have been focused on her head and neck.

"Detectives are confident the body is that of Samantha Henderson, the 25-year-old mother-of-four from Corfe Castle missing since last week.

"The coroner is aware of the death and formal identification by her next of kin is expected to take place this weekend.

"Although we have recovered a body and a man is charged with murder, it is still vital that people come forward with any information that could help us build a picture of exactly what happened."

Police still want to hear from anyone who saw Ms Henderson's blue Peugeot 307 estate car with the registration HV04 ZFM in the Corfe Castle or Ham Common areas from 3pm on the day she was last seen.

Mr Devoto, who is leading the inquiry, said: "Samantha's death has understandably shocked local people, who have rallied around her family, friends and neighbours in both Corfe Castle and her original home town of Poole.

"Her close family are being supported and regularly updated by specially trained family liaison officers.

"They have asked for privacy at this sad time.

"I would like to thank the public for their ongoing support to officers carrying out this investigation and their patience while we conduct searches.

"Their continued caution on social media is also appreciated and important, as inappropriate comments could cause further hurt to her family or potentially prejudice future criminal proceedings."

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Viral Campaign Raises £200K For Mugging Victim

Donations for a disabled pensioner who was mugged outside his home have reached more than £200,000.

After reading about the mugging of 67-year-old Alan Barnes, beautician Katie Cutler set up an online fundraising page that went viral and has raised 400 times its original £500 target in just two days.

Mr Barnes, who has disabilities from birth after his mother contracted German measles when she was pregnant, broke his collarbone when he was pushed over by his attacker.

People were moved to help after hearing that Mr Barnes was too afraid to return to his home in Low Fell, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear.

Following reports of the attack, which police described as "disgraceful", Ms Cutler set up the Help Alan Barnes online donation page on the crowdfunding platform GoFundMe.

She wrote: "I was so upset that anyone could target a disabled pensioner and be so cruel.

"We can't take away what has happened but with a little donation we can make the future a prettier one and help towards the cost of his new home. Thank you all."

One online contributor, Lorraine Susan, said: "I really hope this fund helps him get settled somewhere nice & safe.

"At least he knows there are literally thousands on his side."

Mr Barnes is a well-known figure in Low Fell and is renowned for being able to quickly calculate how many days old someone is from their date of birth.

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