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Girls 'Keen On Syria' Barred From Leaving UK

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 21 Maret 2015 | 14.43

Five teenage girls who are said to have shown an interest in going to Syria have been barred by a High Court judge from travelling abroad.

The two 15-year-olds and three 16-year-olds were made wards of court by Mr Justice Hayden.

The judge's decision prevents them from leaving the jurisdiction of England and Wales.

He made the ruling at a hearing in London after Tower Hamlets local authority raised concerns.

The judge, who said the girls could not be identified, also made orders removing their passports and those of a number of adults involved in their care.

Mr Justice Hayden said he made the order involving the adults because of evidence that, in at least one other case, young girls had travelled on passports belonging to members of their family.

More importantly, there was evidence suggesting the family members in the case had not been full and frank with social services, and that the girls had been moving to a more radicalised position.

He said: "It seems to me that that must have been known to the parents and they deliberately did not share it with the authorities who were keen to protect these vulnerable young girls."

The judge, who made a similar order in relation to a 16-year-old boy earlier this week, admitted it was a "draconian" step, as was the removal of a passport.

He said: "But the risk contemplated here is as grave as it can be for it is common knowledge that so many have lost their lives in Syria and so many have gone knowing that would be likely."

The girls and adults concerned, who were not in court, can challenge the emergency ruling at a future date if they wish.

Three girls who attended Bethnal Green Academy in east London disappeared last month and are believed to have travelled to Syria to join Islamic State militants.

Shamima Begum, Amira Abase, both 15, and Kadiza Sultana, 16, took flights to Istanbul in February.

The schoolgirls are thought to be staying at a house in the IS stronghold of al Raqqa, Sky sources have said.

Their disappearance led to criticism from Turkey's deputy prime minister, who said officials had not been given enough warning about them going missing.

Three young British men suspected of planning to join IS militants in Syria were arrested in Turkey earlier this week.

CCTV video of the teenagers was taken at an airport in Istanbul just before they were stopped allegedly heading to the Syria border.

The trio, two aged 17 and one aged 19, were arrested and flown back to the UK but have since been released on bail.

Security services estimate 600 Britons have gone to Syria or Iraq to join militant groups, including Mohammed Emwazi, also known as "Jihadi John", who has appeared in several IS beheading videos.


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Senior Lib Dem Quits Over New Fundraising Row

The Liberal Democrats have called in a standards watchdog following allegations that a donation "bought" access to Nick Clegg.

The party has referred the matter to the Electoral Commission after it allegedly accepted the gift from the 'stepfather' of a Daily Telegraph journalist posing as a businessman.

It is claimed that Lib Dem peer Lord Strasburger was secretly filmed discussing how to keep the donation secret by sidestepping disclosure rules.

Nick Clegg has also reportedly been filmed by Channel 4's Dispatches programme meeting the undercover reporter.

It comes as the party's former chief fundraiser Ibrahim Taguri stands accused of bypassing party funding laws and has stepped down as an election candidate while the claims are looked into.

A Lib Dem spokesman said: "It is common practice for senior party figures from all parties to meet with potential and current donors.

"Dispatches has raised important questions about one particular donation, which the party is taking seriously.

"The Party had no reason to believe that the donation was made by anyone other than the person who signed the cheque.

"When we were alerted to the claim that this donation may, without our knowledge, have been made on someone else's behalf, we referred this matter to the Electoral Commission, and requested their advice on whether the donation should be handed to the Commission or returned to the donor.

"We shall comply fully with their investigation and any recommendations they may make as a result.

"The party has also introduced an additional level of scrutiny to donations to the federal party, over and above legal requirements. This will apply with immediate effect."

Lord Strasburger has resigned the Lib Dem whip in the House of Lords while an investigation takes place and he has accused Channel 4 of "entrapment".

He said: "In the last few months I have been very active in the House of Lords fighting to protect the freedom of the press, but I never had in mind the sort of cynical and contrived entrapment-style journalism to which I have been personally subjected by Channel 4.

"I am a retired businessman, I am not a career politician... In a purely voluntary capacity, I have been helping the party with fundraising. I have gained no personal benefit in doing so.

"Whatever Channel 4 may say in their Dispatches programme, I do not think I have committed any offence. 

"Having said that, I believe that we should all be accountable for what we do, so I have invited the Electoral Commission to carry out an investigation into my actions."


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Abuse Videos In Smith's Car Were 'Hushed Up'

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 20 Maret 2015 | 14.43

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

A cold case team is investigating why police officers failed to take action after pulling over shamed MP Cyril Smith and discovering a stash of child abuse videos while he was travelling along the M1 in the 1980s.

Senior officers within Northamptonshire Police have vowed to find the officers who stopped Smith's vehicle and discover who put pressure on them not to take it further.

The revelation first came to light in a book by current MP for Rochdale Simon Danczuk in which it was highlighted as an example of Smith's "untouchable" status.

Mr Danczuk said: "I'm pleased the police have decided to act because they may help shine a light on who was helping cover-up for Cyril Smith.

"We know that Smith kept being let off any charges but we still need to trace where the patronage was coming from.

"Northamptonshire Police may well now help identify who was supporting Smith." 

The suspicion among other former senior police officers is that Cyril Smith was being protected because he was part of abuse networks within Westminster, as well as around Greater Manchester.

Several former detectives have explained in recent days how they had gathered the evidence to prosecute the late Liberal MP but were closed down by mysterious senior officers they did not know.

Assistant Chief Constable Ivan Balhatchet said: "Detectives in Northamptonshire Police's Cold Case Team are currently making inquiries to establish the nature of the circumstances surrounding the disclosures made in the book.

"We would encourage anyone who knows anything about the claims in the book relating to alleged events in Northamptonshire to come forward and tell us."

The IPCC is overseeing an investigation into police misconduct in the 1970s and 1980s where officers are accused of being part of a cover-up that protected high profile child abusers including politicians, judges and other VIPs in London.

Scotland Yard detectives are currently investigating widespread claims of child abuse, including allegations three boys may have been murdered by abusers.


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Teenager Dies After Being Hit By Police Car

A 16-year-old boy has died after he was struck by a police car in Birmingham.

Harry Kirkham was hit by the patrol vehicle as he crossed Sutton New Road in Erdington after leaving a church with friends at around 9pm on Wednesday.

West Midlands Police said the officer driving the Peugeot patrol car was not believed to have been answering an emergency call at the time of the collision.

The officer driving the vehicle, who is based in Sutton Coldfield, provided first aid at the scene.

He is said to be "traumatised" and is being questioned by members of his force's professional standards department.

Chief Inspector Neil Hobson said in a statement: "No parent should have to lose a child, particularly in such tragic circumstances.

"This evening our thoughts are with Harry's family following their tragic loss.

"As Harry was hit by a police car, West Midlands Police has informed the Independent Police Complaints Commission, who continue to be updated."

CCTV footage which may have captured the moment Harry was struck is being reviewed.

:: Anyone in the area at the time of the collision who has not contacted police should call officers on 101.


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Claudia Lawrence Mystery Has Dark Undercurrents

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 19 Maret 2015 | 14.43

The question of what happened to York University cook Claudia Lawrence is simultaneously a family tragedy, a thorn in the side of North Yorkshire Police, and one of the country's most intriguing unsolved crimes.

Claudia, 35 and apparently single, is assumed to have been murdered after failing to turn up to work in March 2009, leaving no obvious clues about what had happened to her.

In the six years she has been missing there have been just two arrests and no charges.

It is little wonder that people are asking if the police have run out of ideas.

So is the recent renewed police activity around her former home, and the claim that more arrests could be imminent, just an attempt to silence the critics, or are the police on to something?

And why are there so many undercurrents to the mystery, with some people still unwilling to talk to journalists, and others issuing warnings or threats?

To find the answers you have to look at the history of the investigation and at the police team trying to move it forward.

There were undoubtedly mistakes made in the spring of 2009. For months after Claudia vanished the entire publicity effort of Detective Superintendent Ray Galloway's investigation showed her with the wrong colour hair, while detectives allowed the misleading narrative that Claudia was an unassuming young woman to run away with them and never really recovered from the belated attempt to correct it.

The truth - that her relationships involved what Mr Galloway eventually described as "complexity and mystery" - was not made public until three months after she disappeared, many weeks after they had built up what one described to me as a "rogues' gallery" of some of the men she had been involved with.

With a continued insistence from Claudia's family and friends, from whom it seems she hid much of her private life, that the police were wrong, and with many locals knowing differently all along, it set the tone for mistrust and conflict.

To be fair the police did not know what they were walking into: Claudia apparently lived a significant part of her life in secret and her parents had endured such a bitter divorce that to this day they have never made a joint appeal over their daughter's disappearance.

Meanwhile, journalists were finding the story hard to tell. For a privately-educated daughter of a country solicitor Claudia had some unusual acquaintances and this remains the only missing person case where I've been warned off or threatened - not once, but twice.

Journalists and the police alike have found it hard to break the silence surrounding some of her relationships.

Fast forward five years and following the retirement of Ray Galloway a new police team has relaunched the investigation.

Detective Superintendent Dai Malyn, the senior investigating officer, has described the investigation as engrossing and quickly said he had "spotted things" to work on. 

Detective Chief Superintendent Simon Mason, the force's head of crime, knows the Police and Crime Commissioner wants a result.

Neither give the impression of police officers who would spin lines for publicity or conduct stunts to make themselves look busy.

So far they've arrested two men, with one released without charge and the other still on bail on suspicion of perverting the course of justice.

They have re-examined Claudia's house, carried out a much-publicised fingertip search outside and re-interviewed key individuals and in doing so they have created a buzz which might yet solve the crime.

Det Supt Malyn is now talking about new leads, continuing obstruction, cover-ups and lies by some people and the possibility of more arrests soon.

But he's a realist too: "Ultimately we may not be able to prove what happened to Claudia, or be able to find her," he admitted this week.

There is a feeling among Claudia's family and the reporters who have covered this case from the start that if North Yorkshire Police fail to solve this crime it will not be for the want of trying.


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Missing Claudia: CCTV Screening Near Her Home

By Gerard Tubb, North of England Correspondent

The six-year investigation into what happened to missing York cook Claudia Lawrence has taken a new direction with police hinting they could be close to making more arrests.

In a carefully choreographed event close to her home in the Heworth area of the city, detectives invited locals to the screening of previously unreleased CCTV pictures and issued a warning that those with information should speak up.

North Yorkshire Police initially thought Claudia, 35, had no boyfriend when she went missing in March 2009, but discovered she apparently hid relationships from her family and friends.

Despite a massive police operation, no evidence of Claudia has ever been found and no-one was arrested until the investigation was re-launched with a new team of detectives in 2013.

Senior investigating officer Detective Superintendent Dai Malyn has said he believes some people are lying to him.

"If I reach the point where we believe people continue to obstruct this investigation or assist or cover up for the person or persons responsible, they will be arrested," he said in a statement.

A man who was arrested last year on suspicion of murdering Claudia has since been released without charge while another man remains on police bail on suspicion of perverting the course of justice.

The CCTV footage, displayed on a large screen for six hours, shows someone walking along the lane that leads to the back of Claudia Lawrence's home a short while before her last known contact with anyone.

The same person returns with what appears to be a bag over their shoulder and pauses to let someone else pass by before continuing.

Detectives hope someone can identify the two people and were filming those who turned up to view the video.

Claudia's father Peter Lawrence held a news conference on the sixth anniversary of the day she was last seen and gave his support to the police operation.

"It just really hurts so much and it galls me that someone out there knows what has happened to Claudia and has not said anything," he said.

"All we can hope is that we find out what happened to Claudia. If she was murdered as the police believe then I want to be able to bury her."

Det Supt Malyn said further arrests could follow "in the coming weeks and months".


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Hillsborough Chief: My Failure 'Caused' Deaths

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 18 Maret 2015 | 14.43

The police officer in charge at Hillsborough has agreed that his failure to close a tunnel "was the direct cause of the deaths of 96 people".

David Duckenfield made the admission during his sixth day of questioning at the inquests into the 1989 tragedy.

Asked if his failure to close a tunnel through which Liverpool fans flowed into packed pens was "the direct cause of the deaths of 96 persons in the Hillsborough tragedy", he replied: "Yes, sir."

Paul Greaney QC, representing the Police Federation, put it to the 70-year-old: "Do you agree that never mind a competent match commander, it might only take a child of average intelligence to realise what the consequences of your actions might be?"

Mr Duckenfield replied: "I did not think of it on the day, sir, because of the pressure I was under."

As many as 2,000 supporters entered Gate C, many of whom headed straight for the tunnel in question.

Mr Duckenfield argued he had "no idea" supporters would head through the tunnel.

The retired chief superintendent of South Yorkshire Police admitted there was a "state of shock" in the control room and that he "froze", but denied claims he "bottled it" as the disaster unfolded in the Leppings Lane end.

The inquests have heard how Mr Duckenfield told the 1989 Taylor Inquiry that he made the right decisions on the day - but he now accepts he made some "grave" errors.

Mr Duckenfield has previously said he suffered post-traumatic stress - but here he declined to go into "personal circumstances".

He conceded he may have been "confused" when he gave evidence at the original inquiry into the disaster, which occurred at the start of an FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest on 15 April, 1989.


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Missing Claudia: Detectives Chasing New Leads

Police searching for missing chef Claudia Lawrence are "actively pursuing new leads" and may make further arrests shortly.

Detective Superintendent Dai Malyn of North Yorkshire Police was speaking on the sixth anniversary of her disappearance.

He said his team had made "significant progress" since the force began reviewing the case in 2013.

Miss Lawrence was last seen on Wednesday 18 March 2009 and was reported missing by her father two days later.

He contacted police after she failed to turn up for her 6am shift at York University.

Officers believe the 35-year-old was murdered.

A number of fresh searches have been carried out since 2013, including a detailed re-examination of her house in the Heworth area of York and the alleyway at the rear.

A 60-year-old man, arrested last year in connection with her disappearance, was released without charge, while a 47-year-old man remains on bail on suspicion of perverting the course of justice.

Det Supt Malyn said: "In the months since we started our review, we have made very significant progress.

"In the coming weeks and months we may make additional arrests as we continue to develop our lines of inquiry.

"In the light of information that has only recently come to the fore, we are actively pursuing what are rightly described as new leads."

Mr Malyn warned anyone withholding information about their relationship with Miss Lawrence or events in the days before her disappearance to come forward or risk being arrested.

He added: "Six years have passed since Claudia disappeared. For her loved ones, the pain caused by her absence and the circumstances of her disappearance has not faded.

"Ultimately, we may not be able to prove what happened to Claudia, or be able to find her. But that will not be for lack of determination, tenacity and meticulous detective work."


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One-Year-Old Boy Killed After Truck Hits Wall

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 17 Maret 2015 | 14.43

A one-year-old boy has been killed after a recovery truck crashed into a wall in Birmingham, West Midlands Police say.

Officers were called to Queens Road in the Stechford area of the city at around 5pm on Monday following a report a recovery truck had hit a wall which then fell on to the child.

The boy suffered a serious head injury and was pronounced dead at the scene.

He has not been formally identified.

Investigators are working to establish what happened, and the road is likely to be closed for some time between Sedgemere Road and Broadstone Road.

Inspector Paul Bennett said: "This is a very tragic set of circumstances - words cannot describe what his family are going through and our thoughts are with them at this time.

"Specialist officers will be supporting the boy's family and - as with all serious and fatal collisions - an investigation has been launched to establish the cause."

West Midlands Ambulance Service said there had been desperate efforts to save the boy.

A spokesman said: "A rapid response vehicle was on scene within four minutes of the call and was backed up by an ambulance, a paramedic officer, an emergency doctor and the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance.

"Ambulance staff carried out advanced life support but sadly nothing could be done to save him and he was confirmed dead at the scene."

:: Anyone with information about what happened should call police on 101 and ask for the Collision Investigation Unit quoting log 1637 16/3/2015.


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'Jihadi Bride' Denies Recruiting Girls To IS

The parents of a so-called "jihadi bride" from Scotland have said their daughter denies recruiting three London girls to the cause of Islamic State.

Aqsa Mahmood, 20, left her home in Glasgow in November 2013, and married an IS militant in Syria shortly afterwards.

Her father told Sky News they were in touch with their daughter, who says she did not contact three teenagers from Bethnal Green before they fled their homes, apparently to join Islamic State.

"They talked about those three girls - that she recruited them," said Muzaffar Mahmood.

"On 21 February she sent me a text that she doesn't even know their names. How can she recruit them?"

Kadiza Sultana, 16, Shamima Begum, 15, and Amira Abase, 15, flew to Istanbul on 17 February and are feared to have continued to Syria to become "jihadi brides".

The girls' families issued a statement on Sunday, saying they were feeling their absence "more acutely on Mothers Day" and were praying for their "immediate safe return".

They all attended Bethnal Green Academy in east London, but are now believed to be staying in a house in the IS militants' stronghold Raqqa.

Meanwhile three British teenagers suspected of attempting to join Islamic State have been released on bail.

A man aged 19 and two 17-year-old boys, all from northwest London, were arrested on Saturday night on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts after returning to the UK, police said.

They were apprehended at Sabiha Gokcen airport in the Turkish city of Istanbul.

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  1. Gallery: Three Schoolgirls From East London Missing

    These pictures were taken from Kadiza Sultana (l) and Shamima Begum's (r) Twitter accounts

Kadiza and Shamima are feared to be on their way to Syria with a third girl, 15-year-old Amira Abase

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Six Key 'Leaks' Ahead Of Wednesday's Budget

Written By Unknown on Senin, 16 Maret 2015 | 14.43

Here are the six main points that have emerged about the likely content of Wednesday's pre-election Budget.

1: Pensions Giveaway

Up to five million people will be able to sell their retirement annuities for cash without facing a hefty tax bill, according to an authoritative and reliable briefing reported by Sky News, other broadcast media and the Sunday papers.

2: North-South Divide

George Osborne will promise a "truly national recovery", with measures to boost the English regions such as investment in infrastructure, science, energy and housing. This was revealed by the Chancellor in an article for The Sun on Sunday.

3: 'No Gimmicks'

Appearing on BBC One's Andrew Marr Show, Mr Osborne declared: "No giveaways, no gimmicks. A Budget for the long term. Everything we do in this Budget has to be paid for. That has been the central argument I've made all along."

4: Tax Cuts

A rise in the income tax threshold from £10,600 to £11,000 has been widely predicted for some weeks and was reported in The Sunday Telegraph and The Sun on Sunday. A rise in the 40% tax threshold from £41,865 to £50,000 was reported in the Sunday People.

5: Inheritance Tax

A signal that the Tory election manifesto will include a pledge to raise the threshold from £325,000 was reported in the Sunday Express. "We've said on the record it's one for the election, in the manifesto," a senior source told Sky News.

6: Beer And Baccy

A cut in the duty on beer and cider is expected, meaning 1p or 2p off a pint, a move campaigned strongly for by Tory MPs.

Another 16p is expected off a bottle of spirits, as well as a freeze on wine duty; and 28p on a pack of 20 cigarettes - reported in The Sun on Sunday.


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Syria-Bound UK Teenagers Released On Bail

Three British teenagers suspected of attempting to join Islamic State have been released on bail.

A man aged 19 and two 17-year-old boys, all from northwest London, were arrested on Saturday night on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts after returning to the UK, police said.

They were apprehended at Sabiha Gokcen airport in the Turkish city of Istanbul.

It is believed they travelled from England to Spain before flying on to the country.

A Met police spokesman said: "Officers alerted the Turkish authorities who were able to intercept all three males, preventing travel to Syria.

"On Saturday, March 14 the three males returned to the UK and at approximately 11.10pm were arrested on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts contrary to section five of the Terrorism Act 2006.

"They have been bailed to return to a central London police station pending further enquiries."

The trio have not been named, but Sky sources in Turkey say the initials of the men are GH, MNG, and MA.

The Met police said counter-terrorism officers were alerted on Friday that two 17-year-olds from northwest London had gone missing and were believed to be travelling to Syria. Inquiries revealed they had gone with a third male, aged 19.

Reports suggested their families told police they were missing and believed to be travelling to Syria.

Scotland Yard declined to say exactly how long in total they had been away from home.

The developments point to a new level of cooperation between the UK and Turkish police forces, which has faced criticism after three British schoolgirls travelled to Syria to join IS.

Kadiza Sultana, 16, Shamima Begum, 15, and Amira Abase, 15, flew to Istanbul on 17 February and are feared to have continued to Syria to become so-called "jihadi brides".

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  1. Gallery: Three Schoolgirls From East London Missing

    These pictures were taken from Kadiza Sultana (l) and Shamima Begum's (r) Twitter accounts

Kadiza and Shamima are feared to be on their way to Syria with a third girl, 15-year-old Amira Abase

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Budget: Osborne To Extend Pension Freedoms

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 15 Maret 2015 | 14.43

Chancellor George Osborne is expected to extend pension freedoms to some five million people who have already purchased an annuity.

The change - due to be announced in Wednesday's Budget - will remove limits on buying and selling existing annuities.

The reform lets people cash in their annuity without incurring heavy tax penalties.

It also allows pensioners the same access to their retirement funds as the Chancellor announced last year for people who have yet to take their pensions.

Under those changes, from 6 April people can cash in their pension savings when they retire, rather than purchase an annuity.

With just weeks to go before the General Election, the announcement is expected to be popular with elderly voters.

The Chancellor is also reportedly considering cutting inheritance tax in a move which could allow millions to pass on their homes to their children tax free.

The Sunday Express reports that Mr Osborne is considering raising the death tax threshold from £325,000 to £1m, or abolishing the tax for a main family home.

The reform will either be announced in the Budget or as part of the Conservative manifesto, according to the newspaper.

Mr Osborne is expected to say on Wednesday that his Budget will deliver "a truly national recovery".

The Chancellor will outline measures to invest in industries around Britain, not just in London and the South East.

The measures are expected to include increased support for regional technology clusters and investment in the chemical sector in the North East.

Writing in The Sun On Sunday, Mr Osborne said: "We mustn't go back to the bad old days of just relying on the City of London for growth.

"New analysis shows that if all parts of England outside London and the South East grew at the national average then the UK economy as a whole could be an extra £90bn bigger by 2030.

"And it can be done. Between 2010 and 2013 Yorkshire and the Humber alone created more jobs than the whole of France, and in the South West over the last year someone has got a new job every 10 minutes."


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End Of Life Care Should Be Free, Say MPs

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

End of life care should be made available free of charge, MPs have concluded.

A report by the Health Select Committee found that acute and community care for people reaching the end of their lives varies around the UK and has called for long-term sustainable funding for hospices.

Report author Dr Sarah Wollaston MP said: "There are unacceptable levels of variation in the care that people receive and this needs to be addressed so that high quality end of life care is available to everyone regardless of their age, medical condition or where they live.

"We must make sure that specialist palliative care expertise is accessible within hospitals and community settings as well as within our hospices."

In patient Vera Clark, 87, is currently being treated for lung and heart problems at the highly rated Hospice of St Francis in Berkhamsted, Herts.

Her son Brian, who visits her every day, told Sky News: "We do feel lucky that she is where she is, it makes such a difference knowing she is in the right place."

Hospice director Dr Ros Taylor, who is also national director of Hospice UK, explained that some patients still get lost within the NHS system.

"There isn't the confidence of nurses and young doctors in hospital to have those conversations to recognise that somebody might be towards the end of their life, so the planning doesn't happen and people die waiting to leave hospital," she said.


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