Smokers Who Quit 'Live Up To A Decade Longer'

By Nick Martin, Sky News Correspondent

The largest ever study of the hazards of smoking amongst women has revealed that those who give up by middle age can extend their lives by more than a decade.

The research, published in the medical journal The Lancet today, shows that women who stop smoking before the age of 30 slash their chances of a smoke-related death by 97%.

In one of the biggest studies of its kind more than 1.3m women were recruited between 1996 and 2001.

Those who were still smokers after three years were nearly three times as likely as non-smokers to die over the next nine years, the study revealed.

Professor Sir Richard Peto from the University of Oxford, who co-wrote the report, said: "If women smoke like men, they die like men.

"But whether they are men or women, smokers who stop before reaching middle age will, on average, gain about an extra 10 years of life."

Leanne Dixon, 21, a customer service assistant from Manchester, started smoking when she was 13.

"These statistics really make me think," she told Sky News.

"I've thought about giving up for ages but never have. But it makes you think that you have to stop while you're young."

Alyson Aston and her friend Lyn Faulkner started smoking at the age of 15. Now in their 40s, they say giving up is not an option.

"It's not these statistics that make me want to give up, it's the cost," said Ms Aston.

Ms Faulkner added: "I think a lot about giving up but I don't have the will power.

"But when you think about living an extra 10 years, it really is a long time."

Those who have had a brush with cancer have a cautionary tale to tell.

June Atherton, 66, used to smoke 60 cigarettes a day. She gave up at the age of 50 but was diagnosed with lung cancer 10 years later.

She said: "I stop young women in the street and tell them that they're killing themselves by smoking. They think I'm mad but it's an important message."

Paula Chadwick, chief executive of the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, told Sky News: "This is important research and tells us that stopping as early as you can will prolong your life.

"More women are being diagnosed with lung cancer and we need to bring those figures down by supporting those who want to give up and making sure the young don't start."

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US Child Killings: Police Search Nanny's Home

Police are searching the US home of a nanny suspected of murdering two children in her care.

Yoselyn  Ortega remains in a critical condition in hospital after apparently slitting her own throat, moments after stabbing Leo Krim and his sister, six-year-old Lucia.

Police are investigating whether Ortega had sought psychiatric support in the weeks leading up to the tragedy.

Leo and Lucia were found by their distraught mother, Marina, dying of knife wounds in the bathtub of their luxurious Upper West Side apartment near Central Park.

Mrs Krim had returned to the flat with her three-year-old daughter Nessie, whom she had taken for a swimming lesson.

Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said the investigation has yet to reveal anything amiss in the household before the slayings.

Detectives were today searching Ortega's home in Washington Heights, a working-class neighborhood north of where she worked and near Harlem.

It emerged that Ortega had worked for the Krims as a nanny for two years and there dis not appear to be any problems.

A Web journal kept by the children's mother spoke lovingly about travelling to the Dominican Republic last February to stay at the home of Ortega's sister.

"We met Josie's amazing familia!!! And the Dominican Republic is a wonderful country!!" she wrote.

Pictures posted on the blog showed the two families posing together for a happy photo, with Ortega hugging Nessie, their cheeks pressed together.

Mrs Krim's husband, Kevin Krim, a CNBC digital media executive, wrote that Ortega's family had nicknamed Nessie "Rapida y Furiosa," (or Fast and Furious), for her energy.

There are tens of thousands of nannies working in New York City, but reports of serious violence by caregivers against children are exceedingly rare.

Across the street from the building where the Krims lived, several nannies with children in pushchairs stood as if stricken, watching police officers milling around the entrance.

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Trainee Teachers Face Tough New Tests

Prospective teachers will have to sit new tougher tests in English, maths and reasoning before they can start training.

The changes will see calculators banned from maths tests, and pass marks in English and maths raised.

Education Secretary Michael Gove said the "rigorous selection" of trainee teachers was key to raising school standards.

All trainee teachers currently have to pass basic skills tests in literacy and numeracy. However, until this September they were allowed unlimited resits.

Figures showed that around 98% of trainees passed the tests, potentially calling into question the level of challenge.

Candidates have already been limited to two resits for each test from this September, and the pass mark has been raised.

Now a panel of head teachers and education experts has recommended that the tests are toughened-up further.

The Government has said it will accept the panel's recommendations in full.

Education Secretary Michael Gove has backed the overhaul

Following the changes, candidates will have to achieve separate passes in English, mathematics and reasoning in order to be able to start teacher training.

Mr Gove said: "The evidence from around the world is clear - rigorous selection of trainee teachers is key to raising the quality and standing of the teaching profession.

"These changes will mean that parents can be confident that we have the best teachers coming into our classrooms.

"Above all, it will help ensure we raise standards in our schools and close the attainment gap between the rich and poor."

The panel's chairman, Sally Coates, said: "We believe that the whole selection process needs to be sufficiently rigorous to ensure that anyone who gains a place on a course of initial teacher training would be highly likely to succeed in that training, and go on to make an excellent teacher."

Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat education minister David Laws has criticised teachers for leaving children with "depressing low expectations" of what they can achieve in life.

He said too many children were led to believe that top exam grades, places at elite universities and professional careers were beyond them.

"Teachers, colleges, careers advisers have a role and a responsibility to aim for the stars and to encourage people to believe they can reach the top in education and employment," Mr Laws told The Daily Telegraph.

"That's not happening as much as it should do at the moment."

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Police Reveal Scale Of Savile's Alleged Abuse

Jimmy Savile has been described as one of the most "prolific" sex attackers ever, with police taking evidence from 300 alleged victims.

Commander Peter Spindler said officers are following more than 400 lines of inquiry linked to the victims, of whom all except two are women.

It comes after the chairman of the BBC Trust, Lord Patten, said the scandal had damaged the corporation's reputation.

He said that the weight of evidence against the late DJ was overwhelming and added: "We have to believe what they are saying because they are all saying the same thing independently."

The officer said Savile was "undoubtedly" one of the most prolific sex offenders of recent history.

The team working on the investigation into the allegations has now been trebled to include 30 officers.

BBC director general George Entwistle has apologised for Savile's abuse

Investigators have so far spoken to 130 people who have come forward, and 114 allegations of sexual assault have emerged - the vast majority against Savile.

Officers are using a "triage" approach, first making contact with victims by phone to get initial details of their allegations, Cmdr Spindler said.

He told a news conference that most of the allegations are linked to Savile, but some involve others who may have acted with him.

The inquiry will be a "watershed" moment in the investigation of child abuse, he added.

Lord Patten said the allegations of abuse while on BBC premises were "awful".

He told Sky News: "My overall concern is about all those women and some men who've been abused over the years, think that they haven't been listened to not least apparently recently by the BBC.

BBC star Esther Rantzen voiced her concerns about Savile

"They've gone through terrible torments and then nobody has taken what they say seriously.

"It's a terrible way for people to have had to spend their lives. That for me gives this crisis a particular horror."

Sky Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt said that police have not found any evidence that a paedophile ring was in operation at any institution associated with Savile.

Cmdr Spindler also revealed that a retired police officer had been in touch to say he had investigated Savile in the 1980s while based in west London but he had not had the evidence to proceed.

It is believed the allegation was of an indecent assault on BBC premises but officers have still not found the original file.

According to Cmdr Spindler, Savile had been protected during his reign of abuse because "children or young people" had not felt "empowered to speak out".

Meanwhile, a solicitor acting on behalf of victims of Savile has launched claims against the late celebrity's estate on behalf of clients.

Alan Collins, a partner and specialist in abuse work at law firm Pannone, said: "Much has been written and said about possible actions against the BBC and it is true that claims may be brought against them and other organisations Savile was involved with.

"However, if he was acting as an individual, it is possible to take action against Sir Jimmy Savile's estate because he was a wealthy man and there will be assets to claim against.

"It is imperative that action is taken promptly in order to advance clients' claims which arise from their allegations of sexual abuse."

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Afghanistan: Two UK Servicemen Killed

A Royal Marine Commando and a soldier from 3 Medical Regiment have been killed in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

They had been on patrol in the Nahr-e Saraj district.

Major Laurence Roche, the spokesman for Task Force Helmand, said: "I am extremely sorry to announce the deaths of a Royal Marine from 40 Commando and a soldier from 3 Medical Regiment serving with Task Force Helmand.

"This is dreadful news for all of us serving in Afghanistan. Our sincere condolences go to their families, friends and colleagues at this time of grief."

Next of kin have been informed.

It is understood that the Taliban has issued a statement in Afghanistan suggesting the incident was a "green on blue attack" - carried out by insurgents in Afghan uniforms, but the details are still unclear.

Both appeared to have been killed by gunshot wounds, according to reports, but the details have not yet been confirmed.

Their deaths take the total number of UK service members to have died since operations in Afghanistan began in October 2001 to 435.

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GDP Boosted By Olympics But Outlook Gloomy

The longest double-dip recession since the 1950s is expected to be declared over when official figures are released this morning.

However economists are warnings about the underlying health of the economy.

Gross domestic product (GDP) - a broad measure for the total economy - is predicted by City experts to have grown 0.6% between July and September, ending three consecutive quarters of declining output.

But the bounce-back in the third quarter will be largely driven by one-off factors, such as clawed-back activity lost to the extra bank holiday for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and a slight lift from the Olympics.

But looking through the "distortions", some economists have warned the UK is far from out of the economic woods and can expect growth to slow in subsequent quarters.

Howard Archer, chief UK and European economist at IHS Global Insight, warned any recovery was looking "fragile, feeble and far from guaranteed".

The figure, published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), is a preliminary estimate based on the output side of the economy and is subject to revisions.

The economy shrank by 0.4% in the second quarter, according to the ONS, which was revised up gradually from an initial estimate of a 0.7% decline.

The UK has been battling against sluggish consumer spending, Government cuts and high unemployment, while the struggling eurozone has hit exports.

Even though underlying growth is considered to be weak, analysts said the recovery has been helped by lower inflation, recent gains in employment and an edging up of earnings growth.

The economy is also expected to continue growing in the fourth quarter from October to December but at a much slower rate, with predictions coming in around the 0.3% mark.

The Bank of England is expected to pump further emergency support into the economy next month through its quantitative easing programme, which hit £375bn in July.

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Woman 'Set Herself On Fire In Staged KKK Attack'

A Louisiana woman who told police she was subjected to a racist attack in which three men set her alight and scrawled KKK on her car was lying, investigators have said.

"The wounds were self-inflicted," Kyle Hanrahan, a spokesman for the FBI's Louisiana bureau said.

Sharmeka Moffitt, 20, was seriously burned in the incident and remains in critical condition.

She called police from a park in the town of Winnsboro on Sunday night and told them three men in white hoodies doused her with a flammable liquid and ignited it.

The letters KKK, for the white supremacist organisation Ku Klux Klan, and a racial slur were scrawled on her car in what appeared to be toothpaste.

According to local media, investigators decided the burns were self-inflicted after finding Ms Moffitt's fingerprints on a cigarette lighters and lighter fluid.

Louisiana's KATC News reported her family had issued a statement saying: "Our family is devastated to learn the circumstances surrounding our daughter's injuries.

"While this was not the resolution we had expected, it is a resolution, and we appreciate the thorough investigation by the local and state police as well as federal agencies.

"We are sincerely sorry for any problems this may have caused and wish to express our appreciation for the outpouring of love, prayers and support we have received from friends, acquaintances, church organisations and government officials."

The FBI was called in to assist local authorities because the incident was initially considered a possible hate crime.

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Obesity: New Food Labelling System Planned

A new food labelling system that is consistent across all superrmarkets will make it easier for shoppers to spot the healthiest foods, the government is to announce.

Labels will include information on guideline daily amounts (GDAs), be colour coded with a traffic light system and use the words "high", "medium" or "low" to inform people about how much fat, saturated fat, salt, sugar and calories are inside.

Food nutrionist Nicole Berberian told Sky News: "The main thing that you notice at the moment is that labels are different for each different supplier.

"They could be on the front, they could be on the side, they could be colour-coded, they could be randomly colour-coded, so its very difficult to know what to look for.

"What we are trying to do is get a uniformed system, so consumers know where to look, what to look for and when they are looking they will know straight away at a glance what it means."

Health minister Anna Soubry said: "By having a consistent system we will all be able to see at a glance what is in our food. This will help us all choose healthier options and control our calorie intake.

"Obesity and poor diet cost the NHS billions of pounds every year. Making small changes to our diet can have a big impact on our health and could stop us getting serious illnesses, such as heart disease, later in life."

Obesity has more than tripled in the last 25 years and more than 60% of adults are now either obese or overweight. about 30% of children are also considered overweight or obese.

Obesity, which is a major risk factor for diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cancer and heart disease, costs the NHS an estimated £5bn each year, and costs the wider economy billions more, according to the Department of Health.

Peter Hollins, chief executive at the British Heart Foundation, said the announcement was "a quantum leap" forward for for public health.

"It's now down to each and every retailer and manufacturer to step up and introduce these consistent front of pack food labels, including traffic light colours, so shoppers can make healthy food choices at a glance," he said.

The new label is expected to be in use by next summer but the design is still to be decided.

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Hacking: Mirror Papers Face Legal Claims

By David Bowden, Senior Correspondent

Newspapers belonging to Trinity Mirror are for the first time to face legal claims for phone hacking, Sky News has learned.

Until now the only company to be sued for illegally snooping on voicemail messages was News Group Newspapers, publishers of the now-defunct News of the World.

The latest claims allege that the mobile phone messages of the former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson, Abbie Gibson, former nanny to the Beckham children, ex-Manchester City star Garry Flitcroft and actress Shobna Gulati were all listened to by Mirror group journalists.

Lawyer Mark Lewis: 'We will show there is a smoking bullet'

There have been allegations that hacking was going on at the Mirror titles before, but the publisher of papers including the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and People has always strenuously denied any wrongdoing and there have, as yet, been no legal actions.

Now solicitor Mark Lewis has lodged claims on behalf of his clients.

Piers Morgan: 'No reason to believe (hacking) was going on'

He says that unlike the News of the World hacking cases, where police found a list of alleged victims in a notebook belonging to private investigator Glen Mulcaire, there is no paper trail this time round.

"There might not be a documentary smoking gun, but we will show there is a smoking bullet, the consequence of the actions," said Mr Lewis.

The former editor of the Daily Mirror, Piers Morgan, wrote a number of articles alleging phone hacking was prevalent in Fleet Street, but told the Leveson Inquiry he had never sanctioned it when he was an editor.

"My own evidence is I had no reason or knowledge to believe it was going on," he told the inquiry earlier this year.

In the summer, Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Sue Akers, in charge of investigating any criminal aspects of the cases, told MPs she believed there were more than a thousand victims of phone hacking.

Scores of claims have been made against the News of the World and many of the cases have been settled already with payouts totalling millions of pounds.

The most high profile case involved the hacking of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler's phone and cost the paper £3m.

Actress Sienna Miller reportedly received £100,000 and her former boyfriend, Jude Law, is also among the many celebrities to have won a substantial payout from News Group.

Politicians including former deputy prime minister John Prescott and Respect MP George Galloway have also been paid compensation.

This latest revelation that hacking was allegedly going on at a rival newspaper group will, temporarily at least, take the spotlight off the wrong doing at the News of the World.

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Jimmy Savile: BBC Boss Faces MPs Over Scandal

The BBC has broadcast an investigation which raises questions "at the highest level" of the organisation about the decisions made over allegations involving Jimmy Savile.

The Panorama programme was broadcast just hours before BBC Director General George Entwistle appears before MPs in the morning about the scandal that has been described as the corporation's "biggest crisis in 50 years".

The editor of Newsnight, Peter Rippon, has "stepped aside" because of the controversy, after the broadcaster said his version of why a report into the star was cancelled, was inaccurate and incomplete.

In an ironic twist, the Panorama team has been investigating its own colleagues, revealing fresh evidence about what the BBC knew of Savile's decades of child abuse and its inquiry into why Newsnight decided not to broadcast its report on the scandal, sparking allegations of a cover-up.

Newsnight editor Peter Rippon has "stepped aside"

Panorama examined why corporation bosses - including the director general - gave different explanations of why the Newsnight edition was dropped and what it was about.

Mr Rippon maintains the piece - which was due to run last December - was pulled for editorial reasons, and not because the potentially damaging revelations coincided with a planned tribute to the star.

But the hour-long documentary heard from Newsnight producer Meirion Jones and reporter Liz MacKean, who both claim they had interviewed at least four alleged victims of Savile - and confirmed with Surrey Police that officers had investigated sex abuse complaints against the Jim'll Fix It star in 2007.

The journalists said that, when they told bosses the Crown Prosecution Service did not charge Savile because of insufficient evidence, they were told to end the investigation - and the show was withdrawn.

The programme also called into question Mr Entwistle's handling of the crisis in the days after it broke.

The abuse stories about Savile only fully emerged after ITV broadcast a documentary at the start of this month, sparking controversy at the BBC over losing its scoop and leading to the cover-up allegations.

John Whittingdale, chairman of the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee, which will take evidence from Mr Entwistle later, said they would want to know why he did not seek more information about the Newsnight investigation.

Mr Whittingdale said the most important question was why the Newsnight segment was dropped. He told Sky News: "Whilst Panorama say there is no evidence the editor was leant on from outside, the explanations originally given look very thin today."

Panorama said it had failed to find evidence of a "BBC cover-up" over the Newsnight decision.

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BBC 'In Crisis' Over Jimmy Savile Scandal

The BBC is said to be facing "its worst crisis for 50 years", as a documentary lifts the lid on the extent to which senior managers of the corporation were aware of the Jimmy Savile abuse claims.

A special edition of Panorama reveals fresh evidence about what the BBC knew of Savile's decades of child abuse and its investigation into why Newsnight spiked its probe into the scandal, sparking allegations of a cover-up.

The BBC flagship programme, which airs tonight, examines why corporation chiefs - including the Director General - gave different explanations why Newsnight was dropped and what it was about.

Newsnight editor Peter Rippon maintains the piece - which was due to run last December - was pulled for editorial reasons, and not because the potentially damaging revelations coincided with a planned tribute to the star.

But the hour-long documentary will hear from Newsnight producer Meirion Jones and reporter Liz MacKean, who both claim they had interviewed at least four alleged victims of Savile - and confirmed with Surrey Police that they had investigated sex abuse complaints against the Jim'll Fix It star in 2007.

They say that when they told bosses the Crown Prosecution Service did not charge Savile because of insufficient evidence, they were told to end the investigation - and the show was withdrawn.

The programme also calls into question Director General George Entwistle's handling of the crisis in the days after it broke.

Questions over how Director General George Entwistle has handled the crisis

On October 5, Mr Entwistle wrote an email to all staff about the crisis the corporation found itself engulfed in, saying "the BBC Newsnight programme investigated Surrey Police's enquiry into Jimmy Savile towards the end of 2011".

But Meirion Jones sent an email reply to Mr Entwistle on the same day taking issue with his account.

He wrote: "George - one note - the investigation was into whether Jimmy Savile was a paedophile - I know because it was my investigation. We didn't know that Surrey police had investigated Jimmy Savile - no-one did - that was what we found when we investigated and interviewed his victims."

The abuse stories about Savile only fully emerged after ITV broadcast a documentary at the start of this month - sparking mayhem at the BBC over losing its scoop and leading to the cover-up allegations.

Panorama said it has failed to find evidence of a "BBC cover-up" over the Newsnight decision.

In a statement, it said: "Peter Rippon has always maintained the story was pulled for 'editorial reasons' and not because of a potentially embarrassing clash with planned BBC tributes to Savile over Christmas.

"Panorama has found no evidence to contradict that view."

But the BBC's veteran foreign affairs editor John Simpson said of the fallout: "This is the worst crisis that I can remember in my nearly 50 years at the BBC. I don't think the BBC has handled it terribly well.

"I mean I think it's better to just come out right at the start and say we're going to open everything up and then we're going to show everybody everything.

"All we have as an organisation is the trust of the people the people that watch us and listen to us and if we don't have that, if we start to lose that, that's very dangerous I think for the BBC."

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Man Charged With Hit-And-Run Murder

A 31-year-old man will appear in court charged with the murder of a mother of three who died in a hit-and-run attack in Cardiff.

The man, whom police have not named, has also been charged with 13 counts of attempted murder and four counts of assault, as well as dangerous driving.

The charges were announced just hours after hundreds of people grieved for Karina Menzies, 31, at a church service in the city.

She was killed on Friday when she was hit by a white van outside Ely Fire Station.

Senior investigating officer Detective Superintendent Paul Hurley said: "South Wales Police has been overwhelmed by the support we have received from the community.

"We wish to express our sincere thanks to the many people who have come forward to give information, provide witness accounts, and offer both CCTV and mobile phone footage of Friday's traumatic and tragic events.

"While a man has been charged, the investigation is still very much ongoing and we still appeal for anyone with information to contact the incident room at Cardiff Central Police Station.

"Our thoughts this evening, as they have been all weekend, are with the family of Karina Menzies."

Candles were lit for the victims at a Cardiff church

The man will appear at Cardiff Magistrates' Court.

Hundreds of people gathered to share their grief at a poignant church and prayer service on Sunday.

The raw emotion in the Welsh capital was evident as 200 people visited the murder scene  to hold a minute's silence for Ms Menzies.

Reverend Jan Gould led a special service at Church of the Resurrection in Ely.

The vicar, who broke down during her morning service at the church, told a packed congregation from the pulpit: "Whether we've personally known one or more of the victims of Friday's terrible events, or whether we are here as a member of this community simply wanting to show solidarity, there can be no one who has not been profoundly affected by what has happened here this week.

"This must surely be perhaps the deepest grief we have shared as a community.

"This grief, of Karina's tragic death ... has broken the heart of our community, and the healing work that is now to be done will take a very, very long time.

"We will never be the same again as a community - for how can we not be changed after such a tragedy."

In her service this evening, Ms Gould pleaded with her congregation to respond to the events with love.

She told the 600 strong congregation: "The only way that we can move forward into the future with hope, is by responding to this suffering the same way Jesus did - with love.

"Not malice, not hatred, not revenge. Not taking the law into our own hands - that's what our justice system is for."

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Prayers For Hit-And-Run Dead And Injured

A church service will be held today for the victims of a series of hit and run attacks in Cardiff, which left a mother of three dead and 13 others badly injured.

Karina Menzies, 32, was killed after she was knocked down during one of the collisions outside a fire station in the Ely area of the city.

Fourteen people were injured in the crashes in total. Nine remain in hospital. Five are children and two adults remain in a critical condition.

Meanwhile, detectives are continuing to question a 31-year-old man on suspicion of murder after a white van collided with pedestrians on the streets of the Welsh capital.

Officers are also appealing for information about a mystery car seen driving on the wrong side of the road shortly before the crashes.

The black Renault Clio was seen on Western Avenue, not far from Cowbridge Road West, where one crash happened.

Adam and Annie Lewis were walking with their daughter when they were hit

CCTV images show the moment a white van - swerved across 4 lanes of traffic - mounted the kerb and crashed into a couple and their 2 year old daughter on Friday afternoon.

Detective Superintendent Paul Hurley confirmed reports that the suspect left his vehicle and physically assaulted people between the crashes and also carried a weapon.

It is believed the weapon was a steering wheel lock.

The officer said: "We are aware the suspect assaulted people outside his vehicle," and he added police were "looking to identify and recover" the weapon.

He said no firearm was involved and there was no suggestion anyone had been stabbed.

Father Adam Lewis (top), mother Annie (right) and two-year-old Amelia-May

The horrific events began when police received calls about an incident in Crossways Road in Ely at 3.30pm.

This was soon followed by other reports of hit-and-run collisions in several locations in the west of the city, including Grand Avenue, Cowbridge Road West and the Leckwith Retail Park.

There was no full registration details for the Clio but officers said it carried an 05 plate.

Seventy officers are working on the investigation.

Floral tributes were laid at the scene where Ms Menzies was killed.

Among those paying their respects was local Labour MP Kevin Brennan.

He said: "Karina was a well-liked mother who had three children. One of her children is disabled and is currently on a dream holiday in Florida."

Police were called to five locations in Cardiff

Ely sub-postmaster Shady Taha, 29, had just served two girls aged about 10 and a woman in her mid-20s moments before one of the hit-and-runs in Grand Avenue, immediately outside a row of shops.

He said: "All of a sudden I heard a bang. I looked out and across the road one girl was on the floor and the other girl was screaming. I heard a van speed off but I did not see it."

Lynda Paterson, who lives in Cowbridge Road West, described the scene outside her house as chaotic.

"I was going to pick my children up from school and I could see there were police and someone was lying on the floor, on the pavement."

Other eyewitnesses said pedestrians were deliberately targeted by someone driving a white van.

The white van pictured after being stopped by police

The crime scenes included Ely fire station, an area near the Merrie Harrier pub in Llandough on the outskirts of Cardiff, where the suspect was arrested, and Leckwith Retail Park - next to the Cardiff City Stadium.

There were also unconfirmed reports that officers were investigating whether the attacker was involved in a domestic incident before the rampage.

A key part of the inquiry is focused on establishing who owns the white van.

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Tebbit: Cameron 'Incompetent' Over Mitchell Row

David Cameron has been criticised by Conservative grandee Lord Tebbit following Andrew Mitchell's resignation as chief whip.

He said the Prime Minister had allowed "this dog of a coalition Government" to look incompetent.

Accused of calling police officers "plebs" when they would not let him leave Downing Street on his bicycle through the main gates, Mr Mitchell finally quit his Cabinet post on Friday.

Despite the unequivocal support of Mr Cameron, Mr Mitchell admitted that the ongoing row had made his position untenable.

Writing in The Observer, Lord Tebbit said: "This dog of a coalition Government has let itself be given a bad name and now anybody can beat it.

"It has let itself be called a Government of unfeeling toffs. Past governments have had far more real Tory toffs: prime ministers Alec Douglas-Home and Harold Macmillan, or even in Thatcher's day, Whitelaw, Soames, Hailsham, Carrington, Gowrie, Joseph, Avon, Trenchard and plenty more, without incurring similar abuse."

He added: "The abiding sin of the Government is not that some ministers are rich, but that it seems unable to manage its affairs competently."

Andrew Mitchell resigned on Friday

A Cabinet minister in Margaret Thatcher's government, Lord Tebbit said Mr Cameron needed to impose "some managerial discipline not just on his colleagues but on himself".

The criticism comes amid reports that Mr Mitchell decided to step down after younger Tory MPs from the 2010 intake made clear their hostility when Parliament returned this week.

Many were dismayed that the row dragged on for so long and that Mr Mitchell - who did not attend the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham earlier this month - had not been sacked by the PM.

It has been a disastrous week for Mr Cameron following Mr Mitchell's decision to quit and reports George Osborne tried to sit in a first class train carriage with only a standard ticket - claims which have been firmly rejected by the Chancellor.

He will attempt to shore up his authority and move on from recent events in a speech next week in which he will call for a new "tough but intelligent" approach to law and order.

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