Live child abuse images warning

1 July 2013 Last updated at 20:08 ET

Images showing child sex abuse - including those streamed from live webcams - are increasingly available on the internet, experts warn.

The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre received reports relating to 70,000 indecent images in 2012 - twice as many as in 2011.

Ceop received 8,000 reports of obscene material being downloaded or shared in the UK.

An estimated 50,000 UK web users are involved in distributing abuse images.

Live streaming had been identified as an emerging threat, it said. Offenders had been found to be targeting vulnerable families overseas, particularly in parts of the developing world.

Children were then forced to engage in sexual activity on live webcams in exchange for payment to the family or criminals. Ceop said that online video services such as Skype were among those being exploited to transmit live images of abuse.

Ceop said many abusers were hiding their actions deep in the "hidden internet" by using encrypted networks and other secure methods to distribute images. These methods made it harder for law enforcement agencies to trace abusers.

"The use of the hidden internet in the UK and beyond is expected to continue increasing throughout 2013, possibly reaching 20,000 daily UK users by the end of the year," said the report.

Continue reading the main story

It is essential that every dot is joined up if the most vulnerable in our society are to be protected"

End Quote Javed Khan Victim Support

"Ceop assesses that the networking and sense of 'safe' community that occurs within the hidden internet and the relative sophistication of offenders within that environment stimulates the production of [indecent images of children] on both a commercial and non-commercial basis."

'Searching questions'

Peter Davies, chief executive of Ceop, said: "Our assessment shows that, sadly, there are still too many children at risk and too many people who would cause them serious harm. We should all practise zero tolerance to child sexual exploitation and abuse."

An NSPCC spokeswoman said that evidence from police in England and Wales indicated there were 20,000 sexual offences against children every year.

"However, we believe this is far from the true situation as many cases are never revealed," said the spokesman.

Independent charity Victim Support, meanwhile, said the police service must "ask itself some searching questions".

"Its first priority is to prevent and detect crime," chief executive Javed Khan said.

There were "inconsistencies in the way forces collect, record and categorise child sex abuse offences", he added.

"It is essential that every dot is joined up if the most vulnerable in our society are to be protected.

"Every police force must therefore contribute fully and consistently to the national intelligence picture - only then will we have a true picture of the scale of the problem."

Policing and Criminal Justice Minister Damian Green said: "These figures are deeply troubling and show how our understanding of child sexual exploitation has greatly improved in recent years.

"But more needs to be done. Ceop is doing excellent work and we will see its capability strengthened when it is transferred to the National Crime Agency later this year.

"I am leading a new Home Office group which is urgently looking at how we better identify those at risk."

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Firms' confidence 'at six-year high'

2 July 2013 Last updated at 03:19 ET

Business confidence in the UK is at its highest level since 2007, the latest economic survey from a leading business group has suggested.

The quarterly survey from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) is the latest indication that the UK's economic recovery is strengthening.

The BCC said export sales had grown by their fastest rate since it began publishing its survey in 1989.

It now expects GDP to grow by 0.6% in the second quarter of 2013.

That is significantly more positive than its previous forecast, where it predicted growth of 0.9% for the whole year.

"The UK upturn is slowly strengthening," said David Kern, the BCC's chief economist, citing strong export data as particular cause for optimism.

"The remarkable export balances show that the service sector is capable of increasing its trade surplus over time and can work to reduce our overall trade deficit," he said.

"Developing the export potential of this sector is critical to long-term prosperity."

The BCC said the number of businesses looking to export had increased in the face of a flat domestic market, and exporters were increasingly looking to the rest of the world outside Europe.

'False dawns' warning

The survey adds to a slew of recent positive data suggesting the UK economy is beginning to strengthen after a long and slow recovery from the global financial crisis.

On Monday, purchasing managers' index data suggested UK manufacturing grew at its fastest rate in two years in June, while Bank of England figures showed that mortgage approvals hit a three-and-a-half-year high in May.

Last week, official data showed the services sector, which accounts for about three-quarters of the economy, is continuing to grow.

However, there are still concerns that the recovery could yet be derailed.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, BCC director general John Longworth said there had been "false dawns" of recovery before, where business expansion had been choked off by banks being unwilling to lend the money required.

He also said inflation remained a worry among businesses.

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Firefighters still at lantern blaze

2 July 2013 Last updated at 04:01 ET

About 60 firefighters remain at a fire involving 100,000 tonnes of plastic recycling material, thought to have been sparked by a Chinese lantern.

Plant machinery has been used to break up the bales of plastic to get to the seat of the fire.

More than 200 firefighters attended the blaze, which began on Sunday night. Three were taken to hospital.

Fire chiefs have now called for an "urgent review" into the use of Chinese lanterns.

Investigators established a lantern, captured on CCTV falling on to the site, was to blame for the blaze.

The blaze, which covered an area of about 90,000 sq m, was described by the fire service as one of the biggest it had dealt with in the West Midlands. Most of the fire has been extinguished but about 10 per cent of the site is still alight.

The service said £6m damage had been caused to the Dartmouth Road site by the fire which was the 15th of its kind at a waste recycling site in the region this year.

'Wisps of smoke'

West Midlands Fire Service area commander Steve Vincent, said crews had made "good progress" tackling the fire.

"It's been quite arduous for our firefighters overnight because there's still lots of plastic to dig out to make sure we can get to the bottom because it burns underneath," he said.

"Seeing it from afar you'll just see wisps of smoke but there's lots of activity going on on the site to get this completely put out.

"We've still got two high-volume pumping units which are taking water from the canals and one of those is from Staffordshire."

The service hopes to partially re-open some of the roads.

"The longer we leave these roads closed business are losing money and that can affect our wider communities," he said.

Lanterns ban

Following calls from the region's chief fire officer, Vij Randeniya, for a review to be conducted into the use of Chinese lanterns, the Liberal Democrats president has said they should be banned.

Tim Farron, MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, said: "There's been a lot of concern in rural areas and the farming community about the impact on livestock, on crops for many years and now we have an incident like this in an urban area.

"I think the evidence does point to a ban."

Police said Dartmouth Road, Halfords Lane and Brasshouse Lane are still closed to traffic.

Nearby Galton Valley Primary School, in Brasshouse Lane, is closed for a second consecutive day because of the road closures.

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Stabbed boy police find woman's body

2 July 2013 Last updated at 04:10 ET

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murdering an elderly woman and the attempted murder of a boy at a park.

The nine-year-old boy was attacked on Monday at the Carnegie Skate Park in Shipley. He is said to be stable and is expected to undergo surgery later.

Police later found the body of 84-year-old Louisa Denby at her home on Prospect Mount. She had been stabbed.

A 26-year-old Shipley man, who police said was related to the woman, is being held in connection with both crimes.

West Yorkshire Police said the suspect was arrested after being spotted by a member of the public on Westfield Lane, Idle at about 04:10 BST.

'Massive police presence'

Another 26-year-old man is also being held in connection with Ms Denby's murder.

A further three local men aged 18, 24 and 29 are being held in connection with the boy's stabbing.

All five men are in police custody.

Shipley councillor Vanda Greenwood, who was born in the area, said: "I have never known anything so horrific as this... it's just terrible."

She said there was a "massive police presence" in the area.

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Ministers offer legal aid concession

2 July 2013 Last updated at 04:27 ET

Ministers have offered a concession in their overhaul of legal aid in England and Wales, which will allow defendants in criminal cases to still choose their own solicitor.

The U-turn comes amid opposition from the legal profession to a plan to introduce competitive tendering, based on price, for legal aid awards.

Ministers said it was clear client choice was seen as "fundamental".

The Law Society and Bar Council welcomed the move.

The government is planning to cut £220m from the annual criminal case legal aid budget in England and Wales.

Legal aid costs taxpayers about £2bn every year and criminal defence makes up more than half of the expenditure, a situation which ministers say is unsustainable in the current financial climate.

'Greater certainty'

The government wants to see fewer but bigger organisations providing legal aid as part of a streamlined system in which those earning more than £37,500 would not have automatic access to state support.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

I have heard clearly from the Law Society and other respondents that they regard client choice as fundamental to the effective delivery of criminal legal aid"

End Quote Chris Grayling Justice Secretary

But the Bar Council has argued this would result in the end of the long-held right of a defendant to choose a legal aid solicitor and people would effectively be allocated a representative on the basis of cost.

A senior judge warned last month people with disabilities would not be able to choose a lawyer who understood their condition, and those involved in complex cases would not be able to seek out specialists.

An online petition against the plans received over 100,000 signatures - the threshold required potentially to force a parliamentary debate.

Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said he was now prepared to reconsider the original proposal as long as what emerged still met the "core objectives" of his overall reforms to create a more cost-effective and efficient system.

"The rationale for proposing this change was to give greater certainty of case volume for providers, making it easier and more predictable for them to organise their businesses," he said in a letter to Commons Justice Committee chairman Sir Alan Beith.

"It is not a policy objective in its own right. However, I have heard clearly from the Law Society and other respondents that they regard client choice as fundamental to the effective delivery of criminal legal aid.

"I am therefore looking again at this issue and expect to make changes to allow a choice of solicitor for clients receiving criminal legal aid."

Mr Grayling said he was also prepared to consider arguments for a gradual consolidation of legal aid providers in order to preserve quality of representation and prevent "advice deserts" in certain areas.

Continue reading the main story

Original legal aid changes

• Proposals introduce price-related tendering to represent defendants
• Ends current position where legally-aided defendants can choose a solicitor
• Critics say defendants will not get a fair trial if they need specialist advice in complicated cases such as fraud
• Expert law firms in particular areas say they will go out of business
• Government says reform is needed to cut legal aid bill
• Other proposals include axing legal aid for cases relating to prison conditions

"As I have consistently made clear, this is a genuine consultation," he added. "I have made clear throughout that I am open to alternative proposals that meet the same objectives, including delivering the same level of savings."

But the justice secretary said his department's settlement in the recent Spending Review - which will see it have to make a further 10% cuts in 2015-16 - should "leave no-one in any doubt" about the need for savings in legal aid.

The Law Society, which represents solicitors, said the the move was "great news".

"Client choice is important not just as a matter of principle but also as a matter of practicality," president Lucy Scott-Moncrieff told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"If people can choose their lawyer then lawyers will make every effort to attract work by doing their job as well as they can."

And the Bar Council said the concession was a "significant victory" for opponents of the government's wider proposals.

"We welcome the government's change of heart on this, but we hope it is also listening to the many voices which are clear that price competitive tendering in any form is not a suitable mechanism for allocating legal aid contracts," Maura McGowan QC, chairwoman of the council, said.

"Legal aid contracts should not just go to the bidders who are willing to do the work for the lowest price."

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Marriage tax break plan 'due soon'

30 June 2013 Last updated at 17:23 ET

David Cameron has said the government will bring forward proposals for a transferable tax allowance for married couples and civil partners "shortly".

The BBC understands it will happen some time in the autumn.

Mr Cameron has been under pressure from Tory backbenchers to honour a plan for tax breaks made in the 2010 manifesto.

But Labour oppose the idea and the Lib Dems were given a specific opt-out in the coalition agreement which means they do not have to support it.

Under plans being considered, wives and husbands who do not work and pay no income tax would be able to transfer part of their annual tax-free allowance to their spouse if their partner earns less than the higher rate of tax, which currently kicks in for people earning £41,451 or more.

In 2010, the Tories said it would make four million married couples and civil partners £150 a year better off.

'Close vote'

No detail is yet clear about the amount of transferable allowance proposed now, but it would only apply to basic rate taxpayers and may not be in force before the next election.

Continue reading the main story

The government is going to do this itself, very shortly"

End Quote David Cameron

It is understood that the proposals could be unveiled to Parliament at the time of the Autumn Statement, around the end of November.

Mr Cameron said: "The point is that we are going to be putting in place the marriage tax proposal in law.

"We will be announcing plans for that in this Parliament, quite shortly in fact."

BBC political correspondent Gary O'Donoghue said putting a timescale on the proposal should help the government head off an attempt made this week by one of its own backbenchers, former minister Tim Loughton, to amend the finance bill in favour of such an allowance.

But with Labour against the idea, and the Lib Dems allowed to abstain on it, any vote in the future would be very close, he added.

The prime minister said he had not seen Mr Loughton's proposed change to the Finance Bill, but added: "I don't think that the amendment is in line with the plans that we have.

"The government is going to do this itself, very shortly, so I think we should let the government get on with it, itself."

The Tory manifesto said recognising marriage and civil partnerships in the tax system would "send an important signal that we value couples and the commitment that people make when they get married".

But Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has called the proposals "patronising drivel that belong in the Edwardian age".

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Cameron 'can't stop MPs' pay rise'

1 July 2013 Last updated at 03:53 ET

David Cameron has been warned he will not be able to block plans for a big pay rise for MPs, the BBC understands.

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority is expected to say backbench MPs' £66,000 salaries should increase to more than £70,000 from the election.

Prime Minister David Cameron has said such a plan would be "unthinkable".

But the BBC's Nick Robinson said the PM could not block the recommendations and advisers had warned him MPs would reject any bid to do so in the Commons.

Our correspondent added that the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority's (Ipsa) recommendation would be "likely to cause outrage from voters at a time when there is significant pay restraint in the public and private sectors".

'Show restraint'

Ipsa, which was set up as an independent body to regulate MPs' pay and pensions in the wake of the expenses scandal, is expected to announce its initial recommendations this month.

Continue reading the main story

What must have seemed a good idea at the time of the MPs' expenses scandal is now giving the prime minister a political migraine"

End Quote

MPs and members of the public will be able to take part in a consultation before Ipsa publishes its final plans - expected in the autumn - which would then come into force without the need for further legislation.

Reports in several newspapers this weekend suggest its initial recommendations will call for a rise of about 15% in the basic salary of a backbench MP from £66,396 to a sum closer to £75,000. MPs would, however, have to pay much higher contributions towards their pensions.

Speaking in Pakistan, Mr Cameron said he did not know what Ipsa would say but added: "Whatever Ipsa recommends, we can't see the cost of politics or Westminster going up. We should see the cost of Westminster go down.

"Anything would be unthinkable unless the cost of politics was frozen and cut, so I'll wait and see what Ipsa have to say. What I said to Ipsa was that restraint is necessary."

The government could propose a motion calling for Ipsa's recommendations to be ignored, but Nick Robinson said this could "undermine the independence of the new system" and would be unlikely to win enough support from MPs.

And the Mail on Sunday reported that a source close to Labour leader Ed Miliband had said: "We will view any rise for MPs in the light of the current climate of economic austerity.

"It has to be seen in the context of the decision to limit public sector workers' pay increases to 1% and the fact that some private sector workers have had their pay cut."

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has also urged restraint.

The Commons voted against a 1% pay rise in 2011 and last year agreed to extend the pay freeze into 2013.

But in an anonymous online survey of 100 MPs conducted for Ipsa - the results of which were published in January - 69% said they were underpaid.

The average level suggested for the appropriate level of pay was £86,250.

Matthew Sinclair, of the Taxpayers' Alliance, which campaigns for lower taxes, said there would be public outrage should the rises go ahead.

He said: "MPs are already very well paid both in terms of European politicians and the average salary in this country.

"It would be particularly egregious for politicians to be handed a whopping great pay rise while hard-pressed taxpayers tighten their own belts.

"Ipsa must recognise that its own polling shows the public simply do not support an increase, nor would it be consistent for MPs to take a rise while rightly freezing pay elsewhere in the public sector."

Labour MP Keith Vaz told BBC Breakfast that while the public and press should give their views, MPs should not be getting involved on the issue of their pay.

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'Cut police pensions' for misconduct

1 July 2013 Last updated at 03:55 ET

Police officers who commit serious misconduct should have their pensions docked, a group of MPs has said.

The Home Affairs Select Committee also called for a new code of ethics for all officers in England and Wales.

Its report comes after the "plebgate" affair and a series of allegations about the conduct of undercover police.

The Police Federation said integrity in policing was "paramount", but it was yet to be convinced a new code of ethics would make a difference.

The committee said there were currently at least eight investigations under way as a result of police failings, which had so far cost £23m.

And last week, it was alleged that undercover Metropolitan Police officers attempted to smear the family of Stephen Lawrence in the wake of his murder.

'Nose clean'

The MPs recommended that the recently-formed professional standards body, the College of Policing, should "establish a scale of fines which should be docked from officers' pensions in cases of the most grave misconduct".

Continue reading the main story

Police under scrutiny

The MPs cite a number of investigations currently ongoing into suspected police failings, including:

• Operation Alice - into the plebgate affair involving former minister Andrew Mitchell
• Hillsborough - into an alleged cover-up of police misconduct after the disaster
• Cleveland - into a series of cases of "alleged corruption and incompetence" at the force
• Operation Herne - into the conduct of undercover officers within the Met Police
• Operation Elveden - into alleged corrupt payments by journalists to police and other public officials
• "Gaming the crime statistics" - into whether forces have been manipulating the crime recording figures to make themselves appear more successful

One officer told the committee that colleagues tempted to commit wrongdoing often weighed up what they stood to lose and their pension was seen as a big financial incentive to "keep your nose clean".

But the committee said it had learned of numerous cases where police officers facing corruption allegations had retired to avoid disciplinary proceedings and had suffered no financial penalty.

It cited the example of Sir Norman Bettison, former chief constable of West Yorkshire, who stepped down while facing a disciplinary investigation for gross misconduct charges relating to the Hillsborough disaster.

The report said there was currently no way to prevent such resignations, although the government is planning to change the system so that all disciplinary hearings will be taken to their conclusions even if the officer in question resigns or retires.

The committee also recommended that the College of Policing introduce a new code of ethics, and require all new officers to obtain a Certificate in Knowledge of Policing.

Labour MP and committee chairman Keith Vaz said the code should be like that in place for doctors.

"There are a minority of officers involved in inappropriate activities - corruption, incompetence... We need a code of ethics, integrity, and we need to make sure that there are sufficient sanctions for those who breach that code.

"Basically we want it to be like the Hippocratic oath for doctors, where there is an unshakable faith in the honesty, integrity and transparency of our police force."

He added: "The era of Dixon of Dock Green is totally over. We have new 21st Century challenges for our police service and what the public expect - as we've seen with the Stephen Lawrence case and the latest revelations about undercover agents - is the highest level of probity."

'Highest standards'

A Home Office spokeswoman said the government had already announced "a package of integrity measures to tackle misconduct and promote transparency and a more open culture in the police".

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

There will be considerable cost in creating yet another discipline body within the College of Policing"

End Quote Spokeswoman Police Federation

"Under these measures, the College of Policing will publish a new code of ethics and create a single set of professional standards."

From April this year, all regular recruits to the Met Police are required to achieve the Certificate of Knowledge of Policing, which covers skills like dealing with victims and witnesses, and arresting and interviewing suspects.

College of Policing chief executive Chief Constable Alex Marshall said it was working with forces to encourage a wider roll-out of that requirement.

A spokeswoman for the Police Federation of England and Wales, which represents rank-and-file officers, said it remained to be convinced "that creating a new code of ethics would be any more effective than that which already exists and one that we believe already demands the highest standards of each and every police officer".

"Further, there will be considerable cost in creating yet another discipline body within the College of Policing, along with forces themselves, the IPCC and the HMIC."

She added: "Integrity in policing is paramount, but knee-jerk reactions to historic cases and those involving an extremely small minority of the 134,000 officers who police this country with absolute commitment should not dictate future policy making."

The MPs' report also recommends that all forces publish details of misconduct hearings and their outcomes on their websites - a practice recently introduced by Scotland Yard.

And it calls for Home Office plans for a chief constables' register of interests - and a register of dismissed officers - to be implemented immediately.

Among the eight ongoing investigations currently being held into alleged police failings are Operation Alice - concerning the plebgate affair involving former minister Andrew Mitchell - and Operation Elveden, into alleged corrupt payments between police officers and journalists.

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Firefighters tackle 'largest blaze'

1 July 2013 Last updated at 04:03 ET Continue reading the main story

Firefighters tackling a blaze involving 100,000 tonnes of plastic recycling material and a factory unit say it is the largest fire seen in the West Midlands.

The fire service said 200 firefighters were at the scene in Smethwick.

Three firefighters have been taken to hospital after tackling the fire at the Jayplas depot in Dartmouth Road.

Birmingham International Airport has been alerted because a plume of smoke is rising 6,000ft into the air.

There is currently no impact on flights.

The incident is on an industrial estate, but the closest residents are being advised to keep windows closed.

The fire service said Dartmouth Road, Halfords Lane and Brasshouse Lane were closed to traffic and that the fire was likely to cause congestion in the area.

It also urged motorists to avoid junction one of the M5 if possible.

'Loud bangs'

Area commander Steve Vincent said emergency services were called to the fire at about 23:00 BST on Sunday.

Mr Vincent said: "We haven't evacuated any of the local residents because this is mainly an industrial area but we have had some minor injuries to some of our firefighters at the scene.

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Some 200 firefighters have attended the scene off Dartmouth Road

"We're working with other emergency services and they're all safely being treated.

"We will have major congestion in this area because we will be fighting this fire for the next few days.

"This is the largest fire that we've had in the West Midlands. It is a major fire and we've got support from surrounding fire brigades to help us deal with this."

The fire service said its control centre had received more than 200 calls about the blaze and urged people to call 999 only if really necessary.

An ambulance service spokesman said they had treated "nine patients for injuries received at the scene".

"Three of these patients were later conveyed to a local hospital as a precautionary measure," he added.

Eye-witness Jack Awal said he could see the fire from his home a couple of miles away in Handsworth.

He said: "I heard a loud bang and went outside to see what it was.

"I immediately recognised where the smoke was coming from. I knew it had to be a factory.

"It was like a scene from a movie. There were so many large explosions and loud bangs. It was like a firework display - there were loud crackles and bangs every few seconds."

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Dead mum 'told police of sex attack'

1 July 2013 Last updated at 04:25 ET

A mother-of-two who was found "brutally murdered" at her home had reported her former partner for a "serious sexual offence", police have said.

Linzi Ashton's body was found on Saturday evening at the house in Westbourne Road in Winton, Salford.

Greater Manchester Police said the 25-year-old had reported Michael Cope, 28, in April. She also made an allegation of assault against him in May.

Mr Cope is wanted by police in connection with Ms Ashton's death.

Ms Ashton, whose body was found by a relative, had daughters aged seven and two.

A Home Office post-mortem examination to establish the cause of death has yet to take place.

Det Ch Supt Darren Shenton said Ms Ashton had been "brutally murdered" and that she had visible injuries to her head and face.

He said that he believed Mr Cope was in Salford and that police would take a "particularly dim view of anyone who provides assistance" to him.

'Enhanced scrutiny'

The Greater Manchester force has referred the case to the Independent Police Complaints Commission because of the reports it received about the couple.

Assistant Chief Constable Terry Sweeney said the force would "rightly come under enhanced scrutiny" because of the reports.

The force has previously faced criticism for its failure to protect victims of domestic violence.

In the case of Clare Wood, who made several complaints to police before she was strangled and burnt by a violent and obsessive ex-boyfriend in Salford in 2009, the IPCC concluded there had been "individual and systemic" failures by the force.

Her death led to the inception of the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (DVDS), a scheme nicknamed Clare's Law after Ms Wood, which gives people the right to ask police if their partner has a history of domestic violence.

The force is currently involved in a year-long trial of the scheme, which is due to conclude in September.

GMP revealed last week that it had so far received 90 applications for information from people or agencies and it had made 53 disclosures.

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