Leveson: McCann Urges PM To Remember Victims

Gerry McCann has firmly pressed the Prime Minister to pass a new press law and urged him not to ignore the stories of the Leveson inquiry victims.

The father of missing Madeleine McCann said it was time for politicians to "do the right thing" and that if they did not do so his evidence would have been "almost useless".

Speaking the day after Lord Justice Leveson presented his proposals for a new watchdog, backed by law, Mr McCann said that the victims of press intrusion had given evidence to the inquiry so others would not suffer the same fate.

He said: "I think the only reason we went to Leveson was to effect change and if Leveson's report isn't implemented in full then I would say that giving evidence for all of the victims has been almost useless.

Hugh Grant, Gerry McCann and Chris Jefferies in Westminster this afternoon

"For almost all the victims, the reason they were there was to stop other, ordinary people who were caught up in the most unfortunate circumstances suffering unnecessarily beyond what's happened to them.

"And I feel if Leveson is implemented we will be some way on that route."

In evidence to the inquiry last year, Mr McCann's wife, Kate, said she felt like "climbing into a hole and not coming out" after the personal diary she started in the wake of her daughter's disappearance was printed in the News Of The World.

The victims of phone hacking and press intrusion have launched an e-petition calling for all of Lord Justice Leveson's proposals for regulating the press to be implemented.

The actor Hugh Grant, Mr McCann and Chris Jefferies, a retired school teacher who won damages from eight newspapers who had linked him with the murder of Joanna Yeates in Bristol in December 2010, kicked off the Hacked Off campaign.

Mr Cameron has accepted a new independent watchdog is needed but rejected the call for new legislation to back it.

Lord Justice Leveson unveiled his proposals for press reform on Thursday

This has put him on a collision course with his coalition partners, the opposition and victims of press intrusion.

Earlier, Culture Secretary Maria Miller insisted the "principles" of Lord Justice Leveson's recommendations to reform the press could be met without statutory backing.

Ms Miller said the coalition was drafting new legislation to prove why the Prime Minister has "grave misgivings" about the idea and how it could curb "freedom of speech".

She told Sky News: "I feel very strongly you should have grave concerns about putting in place a piece of legislation which could have the effect in the long term of really bringing into question the ability to maintain freedom of speech in this country.

"But also on a practical level, we don't think it is necessary to have that statutory underpinning to achieve the objectives which we all agree on, which is to have strong, tough, independent self-regulation which is something that we need in this country to address the problems we have experienced in recent years."

Trevor Kavanagh, associate editor of The Sun, also warned such a move would be "the first step down the road to state intervention in the operation of newspapers".

"I think what the Prime Minister is doing is trying to safeguard freedom of the press. It is a hard won, hard fought for right and a freedom which dates back 300 years," he told Sky News.

On Thursday, Lord Justice Leveson condemned the "culture of reckless and outrageous journalism" that dominated sections of the press for decades as he unveiled the findings of his 16-month inquiry.

Labour's Ed Miliband speaking in the Commons after the report is unveiled

The Appeal Court judge called for a new watchdog with statutory underpinning to be given the power to require prominent apologies and impose fines of as much as £1m.

The three party leaders held talks on Thursday night and the negotiations will reconvene "soon". But the prospect of the consensus Mr Cameron says he wants to achieve appeared distant as all three parties continued to look at the fine detail of the 2,400-page report.

Lord Justice Leveson's inquiry was prompted by the disclosure that News Of The World journalists hacked the phone of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler.

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Whooping Cough Deaths: Mum Tells Of Heartache

The parents of a baby who died from whooping cough have told of their heartache amid the biggest outbreak of the disease in 20 years.

Jon and Helen Parsons spoke out as health officials revealed that three babies had died in October.

The total number of babies under the age of three months who have died as a result of the infectious disease this year now stands at 13, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) said.

The number of confirmed cases in England and Wales this year is now 7,728.

The HPA said 1,614 cases of whooping cough were reported in England and Wales in October. In 2011, the total number of cases was 819.

In a move to combat the outbreak, health officials recently announced that all pregnant women are to be vaccinated against the infection.

Health officials say all pregnant women should be vaccinated

Jon Parsons, whose daughter died of the disease recently aged seven weeks, said he agreed with the vaccination scheme.

"I came home from work one night and she was not feeding at all," Mr Parsons told Sky News.

"We decided to go to the doctor's the next day because we were bothered about her being dehydrated.

"Over the next few days she went steadily downhill, until three weeks later unfortunately she passed away."

Jon's wife Helen, who is now pregnant again, said the benefits of having the vaccination far outweighed the risks.

"It never crossed my mind that she would get something like that - it's an old-fashioned disease," Mrs Parsons said.

Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame Sally Davies, the Government's principal medical adviser, said mothers-to-be will be offered the vaccination to protect their newborn babies.

Youngsters cannot receive the jab until they are two months old. Vaccinating their mothers before they are born will boost their immunity until they reach the age when they can have the injection themselves, she said.

Women across the UK who are between 28 and 38 weeks pregnant are being offered the vaccination.

Increases in whooping cough are usually seen every three to four years. The last rise in the number of confirmed cases was recorded in 2008.

Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, consultant epidemiologist for immunisation at the HPA, said: "We strongly recommend all pregnant women take up the offer of vaccination."

In the very young, whooping cough can be a serious illness and can lead to death in some cases.

Babies and children can often make a distressing "whoop" sound while gasping for air after a coughing fit.

Professor David Salisbury, director of immunisation at the Department of Health, said: "Whooping cough is highly contagious and infants are particularly vulnerable."

He said there had been nearly 400 cases of the disease in children under three months old this year.

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PM: No Need For New Law On Press Regulation

David Cameron has sparked a major political row by expressing his "serious concerns and misgivings" about press regulation backed by law.

The Prime Minister broadly welcomed the principles of Lord Justice Leveson's 2,000-page report, in which the judge called for a new watchdog to curb press "havoc".

Mr Cameron agreed that keeping the status quo was not an option and said the press should be given a deadline to implement a new regulatory system.

But he was accused of "betrayal" by campaigners after rejecting the central recommendation that the regime would need to be supported by statute in order to command public confidence.

However, the Government is drafting legislation based on the report but only "to show it would not work", Downing Street sources said.

Lord Justice Leveson outlining his proposals

Mr Cameron's stance puts him on a collision course with his own deputy Nick Clegg and Labour leader Ed Miliband, who both endorsed the call for a regulator backed by law.

He said: "For the first time, we would have crossed the Rubicon, writing elements of press regulation into the law of the land.

"We should, I believe, be wary of any legislation which has the potential to infringe free speech and a free press.

"In this House, which has been a bulwark of democracy for centuries, we should think very, very carefully before crossing this line.

"The danger is that this would create a vehicle for politicians, whether today or some time in the future, to impose regulation and obligations on the press."

In an extraordinary move, Mr Clegg delivered his own statement after he and Mr Cameron failed to agree on a joint Government response.

Calling for action "without delay", he said: "Changing the law is the only way to give us all the assurance that the new regulator isn't just independent for a few months or years, but is independent for good."

Bob and Sally Dowler arriving to read the report

Mr Miliband insisted: "We should put our trust in Lord Justice Leveson's recommendations."

Lord Justice Leveson's plans would see the Press Complaints Commission replaced with a new, independent self-regulatory body overseen by media watchdog Ofcom.

Newspapers would be expected to sign up to the new system voluntarily, with "convincing incentives" to persuade them. They would face fines of up to £1m if they went on to break the rules.

The new regulator should be governed by an independent board appointed without any influence from industry or government and run under the oversight of media watchdog Ofcom.

But any involvement of Ofcom will mean new legislation, a move fiercely opposed by the press and many politicians amid fears of restrictions on free speech.

Kate McCann at the QEII centre

The findings come 16 months after Lord Justice Leveson was asked to investigate the press and after months of evidence from celebrities, politicians, media figures and the police.

Mr Cameron set up the probe following national outrage at revelations that the News Of The World hired a private detective to hack murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler's phone.

Lord Justice Leveson said he had overseen the most concentrated look at the British press ever which had laid bare how it had repeatedly flouted its own rules.

He stressed that his aim was not to restrict the freedom of the press but declared: "There must be change."

"There have been too many times when, chasing the story, parts of the press have acted as if its own code, which it wrote, simply did not exist," he said.

"This has caused real hardship, and on occasion, wreaked havoc with the lives of innocent people whose rights and liberties have been disdained.

"This is not just the famous but ordinary members of the public, caught up in events (many of them truly tragic) far larger than they could cope with but made much, much worse by press behaviour that, at times, can only be described as outrageous."

The judge dismissed the idea that events such as the hacking scandal at the News Of The World were "aberrations that do not reflect the culture, practices or ethics of the press as a whole".

He criticised editors for failing to be embarrassed at the level of intrusion and highlighted the use of covert surveillance, "blagging" and deception.

Hacked Off campaigners insist it is now "time for action"

"There has been a recklessness in prioritising sensational stories, almost irrespective of the harm that the stories may cause and the rights of those who would be affected," he said.

Celebrities were treated as "fair game" and newspapers adopted a "significant and reckless disregard for accuracy", he added.

He also concluded that politicians of all parties had developed "too close a relationship with the press in a way which has not been in the public interest".

He noted that Mr Cameron went to "great lengths" to woo Rupert Murdoch's News International newspaper empire before the last general election.

He did dismiss the idea there had been any deal of newspaper support in return of policy favours but said the link created a "public perception" problem.

The report recommended more transparency about meetings between journalists and politicians but it cleared former culture secretary Jeremy Hunt over his handling of the bid by News Corp to take over BSkyB.

Max Mosley said it would be "astonishing" if the proposals were ignored

The Metropolitan Police, which has faced criticism for its original investigation into phone hacking in 2006, was also largely exonerated.

Lord Justice Leveson concluded that police had made poor decisions that were poorly executed but said the force's integrity was not challenged and there was no extensive evidence of police corruption.

In response, Met Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe said: "I have already taken decisive action to address issues that emerged at the Public Inquiry concerning the Metropolitan Police. Our priority now is the victims of phone-hacking and making sure they get justice."

The Leveson report says it is essential that the new press regulatory system is supported in law, but stresses that this is different to statutory regulation of the press.

In a stark warning, however, the judge warned that Ofcom could be used as a "backstop" regulator if the industry refused to cooperate with his system.

Protesters dressed as David Cameron and Rupert Murdoch

He expressed hope that a cross-party consensus on his recommendations could be achieved but this hope already appears dashed following the leaders' contrasting statements.

MPs on all sides are divided about how to proceed, with many insisting that any form of law governing the press would be a step too far.

The fact that Mr Clegg and Mr Cameron failed to hammer out a joint coalition response is an early indication of the likely parliamentary conflict ahead.

Key figures who took part in the inquiry, which has cost the taxpayer up to £6m, gathered at the QEII centre in London to read the report in advance of its official publication.

They included Bob and Sally Dowler, Kate McCann, actor Hugh Grant, former F1 boss Max Mosley and ex-deputy prime minister John Prescott.

Grant later reacted angrily to Mr Cameron's response, declaring on Twitter that the "buzzword is betrayal".

At a press conference, Hacked Off campaigners accused the Prime Minister of ripping the "heart and soul" out of the report.

Solicitor Mark Lewis, who represents the Dowler family, claimed Mr Cameron had failing the victims of phone hacking.

"Cautious optimism lasted for about 45 minutes and then the Prime Minister spoke and said he is not going to implement a report that he instigated," he said.

Downing Street later stressed that Mr Cameron had not ruled out enacting legislation but that he felt it was a "very, very big step" and wanted to test if it was necessary first.

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Rotherham By-Election: Labour Secures Victory

Labour has held onto Rotherham in a parliamentary by-election which saw a surge towards the UK Independence Party and disastrous results for both coalition parties.

Conservatives finished fifth behind not only UKIP but also the British National Party and Respect while Tory candidate Simon Wilson only held onto his deposit by a whisker.

Liberal Democrat Michael Beckett came eighth and lost his deposit, trailing behind the English Democrats and an independent.

Labour's Sarah Champion won comfortably with 9,866 votes, a majority of 5,218 (24.46%) over UKIP.

The by-election was triggered by the resignation of Denis MacShane

The party's majority in a seat it has held since 1933 was marginally down on the 27.9% it recorded in the 2010 general election.

The Rotherham by-election was one of three staged in Labour-held seats on Thursday.

Labour's Andy McDonald held the seat of Middlesbrough with a large majority of 8,211, while the party also kept the Croydon North constituency.

The Rotherham poll was forced by the resignation of Denis MacShane in the wake of a report condemning him for abusing parliamentary expenses.

Labour described Ms Champion as a "clean break" candidate following the scandal surrounding Mr MacShane, and she becomes the first ever woman MP for the seat.

After the result was announced, Ms Champion urged the Government to "get Rotherham back to work".

"I've never stood for election before but when I see the damage David Cameron is doing to Rotherham I cannot stand and watch," she said.

She said she was not a career politician and will serve "not for what I can get out of it but what I can put into it".

On a turnout of 21,330 (33.63%), UKIP recorded its best ever by-election result with 4,648 votes (21.79%).

Jubilant UKIP leader Nigel Farage said: "Our previous best ever by-election result a fortnight ago was 14.3% and this one is comfortably over 20%. Whichever way you look at it, UKIP is on the rise."

More follows...

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Cyril Smith: Former MP 'Abused Me As A Child'

By Mike McCarthy, North of England Correspondent

A victim of sexual abuse has told Sky News that the former MP Sir Cyril Smith assaulted him on the premises of a council-run residential special school.

In his first television interview, Chris Marshall says he was a nine-year-old boy at Knowl View school in Rochdale when he was taken to a room and abused by Smith.

The claims come a day after police acknowledged for the first time that Smith, who died in 2010, sexually and physically abused young boys in the 1960s.

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg said: "I am deeply shocked and horrified by these terrible allegations and my thoughts are with the victims who had the courage to speak out.

"These allegations should gave been more thoroughly and more properly investigated at the time. It's very bad that they were not.

"And of course any new allegations must now be looked at very closely by the police because the victim deserve nothing less."

Mr Marshall, who is now 40, has waived his anonymity in the hope that other victims will speak out.

He said: "It was late at night. A member of staff came in and took me from my bed, took me downstairs to a flat that was in the bottom of Ashworth (dormitory) and I was taken in the room.

"There was another pupil and there were two men in there ... one that we called 'The Fat Man' and we were asked to do oral sex.

Smith was the MP for Rochdale between 1972 and 1992

"He did it to us, we did it to them. I was there - it seemed like a long time and then I was sent back up to my dormitory."

Through tears, Mr Marshall said: "I was probably about nine. I blanked it out for so long. I don't know what I was thinking. I just knew it wasn't right and I didn't want to be there. I just wanted to go home."

Smith was a governor at the school and allegedly had his own set of keys.

Mr Marshall said that throughout his life he has suffered depression and trauma as a result of his ordeal.

He told Sky News he believed there were many people still in positions of authority who were aware of the abuse but did nothing to stop it.

Mr Marshall's former housemaster at Knowl View school, Martin Digan, has said he alerted the authorities on many occasions but was "given the brush off".

He is urging the authorities to take action against those in authority who "swept the abuse under the carpet".

Jim Taylor, Chief Executive, Rochdale Borough Council said: "If anyone has any information relating to this enquiry I advise them to contact Greater Manchester Police who are investigating the abuse allegations about Cyril Smith.

"We are co-operating fully with their investigation and any relevant council records will be given straight to the police."

Smith, who was elected MP for Rochdale in 1972, was dogged by rumours of abuse throughout his career but charges were never brought.

But both Greater Manchester Police and the Crown Prosecution Service have now said if Smith had been accused today he would be charged and prosecuted.

Smith served as the Liberal and later Liberal Democrat MP for Rochdale between 1972 and 1992.

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Pensioner Dies After Stones Thrown At House

Four boys have been arrested by detectives investigating the death of a pensioner after youths hurled stones at her house.

Joyce Moulson, 84, collapsed around 10 minutes after her terraced home in Bradford was attacked on Tuesday night.

She was taken to Bradford Royal Infirmary but was pronounced dead soon after she arrived.

Four boys - two aged 12 and two aged 13 - have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and are being held in custody.

Local residents described Mrs Moulson as "a lovely old lady who always had time for you".

A friend and close neighbour said: "She was helpful, chatty and always had time for you and a tale to tell."

The woman, who asked not to be named, added: "She was just a lovely old lady. I heard the kids outside last night and basically ignored it because I'm so used to it now."

Nicola Taylor, 29, who lives on the other side of the road, said: "It's devastating. She must've been really, really scared.

"There's always a lot of kids hanging round on the corner. It's quite scary. We were really worried when we heard what had happened."

Another neighbour, Laura Schofield, 26, said: "I heard sirens last night but that's just a normal thing here."

Julie Taylor, who owns a shop near Mrs Moulson's house in Fair Road, said: "Youths are always jumping on the wall outside her house and in the garden. Some of them have no respect.

"I didn't know her personally but used to see her coming and going from her house. I'm shocked."

Police are patrolling the Wibsey area of Bradford following the incident, which happened at around 6pm.

Officers are also studying CCTV footage, a police spokesman said.

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Flooding Hits Welsh City As Woman Found Dead

Emergency services have been evacuating residents after 500 people were urged to leave their homes in North Wales as a river burst past flood defences.

In the small city of St Asaph, the River Elwy reached a record high of 14ft 3in (4.35m), making it more than 3ft (1m) deeper than its previous record of 11ft 4in (3.47m) in November 2009.

Residents say they do not remember the area flooding so badly since the 1960s. Some have used canoes to salvage as many possessions as they could carry.

Police have said the body of an elderly woman was recovered from a flooded property in the city, though there are no suspicious circumstances and the death is currently being treated as unexplained.

Residents have been evacuated in St Asaph

Since last Wednesday, around 900 people in England and Wales have fled their water-logged homes after heavy rain left many properties uninhabitable and also caused road and rail chaos.

The torrential downpours spread overnight from the South West to North Wales and northern England, with the Environment Agency issuing about 170 flood warnings and 190 flood alerts across the UK.

There are also two severe flood warnings - meaning a potential danger to life - for the River Elwy in St Asaph and at the A55 to Rhuddlan.

Tina Bailey and her family are rescued in Maisemore, Gloucestershire

Resident Vincent Jones was asked to leave his home in the early hours of the morning. He said: "I had a knock at 12.30am to say there was an imminent flood, and then at 4.30am we were told to leave.

"When I left, within an hour the water had engulfed us. I put some personal possessions upstairs and made sure we took the children to safety. My sister-in-law on the other side of St Asaph has taken the kids in.

"I'm absolutely devastated. I don't have insurance. It doesn't bear thinking about at the minute. My kids are safe, we'll just have to plod on and sort it out one way or another."

Rising groundwater levels are also threatening to leave homes in Winterbourne Abbas, Dorset, under water.

On the roads, there was disruption for thousands of drivers, while train services were subject to hold-ups in the West Country. The North East also experienced rail problems, with buses having to replace trains on some routes.

The continued flood risk comes after claims hundreds of thousands of homes may be left without flood cover due to a row between ministers and the insurance industry over how future flooding bills would be covered.

Hotel owner Charlie Ryan and his dog leave their home in St Asaph

Up to 200,000 high-risk properties are at risk of being priced out of affordable cover when a deal struck in 2000 between the then Labour government and insurers ends next summer.

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) had claimed that talks about a "safety net" deal to ensure those in flood-risk areas can continue to afford their policies were at "crisis point".

The Government has been in discussions for two years but as yet an agreement has not been reached.

Prime Minister David Cameron said: "I'm sure we will do a deal. We need to take a tough approach frankly and it's important insurance companies do what they are meant to, which is provide insurance to households and we are going to make sure that happens."

Mr Cameron was speaking after he met householders in the village of Buckfastleigh, Devon, which was struck by flash flooding at the weekend.

He said: "It is obviously very traumatic when communities are hit by flooding like this but what I found are people are incredibly steadfast and have behaved incredibly bravely at handling the flood and now we need to help them with the recovery.

"We have to make sure their insurance pays out, make sure the Environment Agency puts in place good flood defences, make sure there are better warning schemes."

PM David Cameron visited an operations centre in Gloucestershire

Graeme Trudgill from the British Insurance Brokers' Association said the solution could lie in insurers themselves being insured.

"We're looking at a re-insurance solution to provide insurance for the insurance companies. We're confident that next year there will be some broker solutions in place."

Flood levels are continuing to rise in the worst hit areas across the UK despite the forecast of drier spells.

Sky's weather producer Joanna Robinson said: "After the recent wet spell, it's much drier now and in fact there'll be little rain over the next few days.

"The weather may have improved, but there'll be an on-going risk of flooding as the recent rain works its way through the river systems.

"Large slow responding rivers like the Thames, Trent and Severn have yet to peak in some places, but they should over the next 48 hours."

A resident collects her belongings in Willington, central England

Robinson added: "High ground water levels will be an issue in places too, particularly in Dorset. The next few days look mostly dry, apart from some coastal showers, but it'll turn much colder with an increasing risk of ice due to overnight frosts."

Across the UK, three people have died in the flooding and around 900 homes have been evacuated following a weekend of almost non-stop rain.

There is still a risk of flooding, as the heavy rain in northern England and Wales moves southwards. But the wind and rain are expected to ease over the next few days which are expected to be drier, with freezing temperatures taking hold of the UK instead.

The EA remains particularly concerned about the River Thames, Trent and the Severn, as well as the Northamptonshire area.

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Alcohol: Ministers To Propose Minimum Pricing

By Thomas Moore, Health Correspondent

Cut-price alcohol deals could be banned in a new attempt by the Government to curb binge drinking.

The Home Office is expected to outline plans including a new minimum price for alcohol and an end to bulk-buy discounts.

It will launch a public consultation on the minimum price, thought to range from 40p to 50p per unit of alcohol.

At a unit price of 50p, the cheapest bottle of wine would rise in cost from around £3 to just under £5.

But Emily Robinson of Alcohol Concern said the "pocket-money prices" charged for booze have a long-term cost for the nation's health.

"Young people say it is cheaper to get drunk than go to the cinema," she said.

"So this is a measure that will target that group of people. It won't affect moderate drinkers much at all.

"And this is already costing us money. As taxpayers we are paying for the high costs in terms of policing, admissions to A&E and councils that have to clear up the mess."

Researchers at the University of Sheffield have studied the effect of setting a minimum price.

David Cameron is thought to support a minimum price policy of 40p a unit

Charging at least 50p a unit would reduce the number of crimes by 42,500 in the first year.

After 10 years the policy would have prevented 15,000 deaths and 481,000 hospital admissions.

And it would save £9.7bn in its first decade, the research shows.

But the Wine and Spirit Trade Association said there was no "real world" evidence that minimum pricing would work.

Spokesman Miles Beale said the measure was unfair.

"Minimum pricing is not targeted at all," he said. "The vast majority of us are responsible drinkers but it will apply to us nonetheless.

"If a minimum price of 50p was introduced then 74% of products on supermarket shelves would go up in price."

However, one of the 'big four' supermarkets has come out in support of minimum pricing.

Morrisons Finance Director Richard Pennycook told Jeff Randall Live: "The Government is doing something that everybody who sells alcohol has to comply with.

"That means we're all in the same boat and if they've taken the view that this is an important fiscal measure, one which is related to consumer health, then we are very supportive of it."

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Weather: Northern England Hit By Flooding

The heavy rain that has brought misery to thousands has spread from the South West to North Wales and Northern England.

There are almost 200 flood warnings in place across England and Wales and nearly 300 less serious flood alerts following a weekend of almost non-stop pouring rain that left at least 800 homes swamped with water.

There are also two flood alerts are in place in Scotland - in the Scottish borders and Edinburgh and Lothians.

A soldier carries a sandbag in Catterick, North Yorkshire

Parts of South West England were particularly badly hit, now people in the North and North Wales are struggling to keeps floods at bay as an inch of rain fell across parts of Cumbria, Durham and North Yorkshire on Monday.

A further 25 to 35mm is expected over north-east England overnight.

Sky's weather producer Joanna Robinson said: "North Wales will be another area that will see rainfall amounts really adding up, with 60mm possible by tomorrow morning.

Residents load sandbags onto a trolley elsewhere in the town

"Tuesday will turn drier at last, as the rain eases south across England and Wales during the morning."

In North Yorkshire, residents of Richmondshire have been offered emergency sandbags to protect their homes from floodwater.

On the outskirts of Darlington, County Durham, the River Skerne was reported to have burst its banks, while pumps were being used to keep parts of the A66 open in the area.

A man rows through a car park in Keynsham, Somerset

Days of rain and strong winds have left three people dead, forced hundreds from their homes and brought chaos to the roads.

A 21-year-old woman was killed in Western Way, Exeter, after becoming trapped under a fallen tree which injured two others.

Inspector Andrew Webber of Devon and Cornwall Police told Sky News that the dead woman had been living in a small tent sheltered against a wall at the roadside.

A homeless woman died after being crushed by a tree in Exeter

"It was a very large oak tree that had been there for ... many years. Obviously we've had lots of heavy weather, it's been raining an awful lot, and the tree for whatever reason came down."

Her death follows that of a man on Thursday, who died when his car became wedged under a bridge near a ford in Rectory Fields, Chew Stoke, Somerset.

A 50-year-old man, named as Kevin Wilkinson, also died after falling into a canal in Watford on Saturday.

The man pulled from his car by David Dunn

Thousands of motorists have had to be rescued from water-logged roads over the past few days.

The dramatic moment that David Dunn rescued a pensioner from his car was caught on camera.

The elderly man had driven into deep flood water in Keynsham, Somerset, on Sunday, and his vehicle began floating down a swollen river.

Mr Dunn and his son Cameron drove their vehicle into the water and pulled him through the car's window. The pensioner was wet and shaken but otherwise unhurt.

A car is partially submerged in standing water in Ruishton, Somerset

Northamptonshire Police said another pensioner had to rescued from his car after becoming trapped in flood waters under a railway bridge.

He was spotted by a passer-by who told police that the water was level with his sun visor.

A police spokesman said officers found the car and rescued the man, who received medical treatment and was later arrested on suspicion of drink-driving.

Homes are left flooded on Cheats Road in Ruishton

Some reports have suggested that homeowners in flood-prone areas are at risk of losing insurance cover unless the Government steps in to help the industry.

But Environment Secretary Owen Paterson has derided reports that the Government was struggling to secure a new deal with flood insurers for vulnerable homes as "complete nonsense".

Both the RAC and AA breakdown services reported surges in flood-related call-outs as roads and highways across the country have been closed due to perilous standing water.

Hay bales stand in flood water in fields surrounding the Glastonbury Tor

But that has not deterred many motorists from taking their chances.

In Warwickshire three people became stranded on the roof of a four-wheel drive after deciding to go off-road driving.

Police issued a post on Twitter to say the men had been shouting abuse at those who tried to come to their aid. They were eventually rescued by boat.

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Govt Failing On Its Key Environmental Pledges

The Government is failing on its key environmental targets, including action on flooding, according to a report by leading charities.

Ministers are failing to improve flood defences and prevent unnecessary building in areas at high risk of flooding, it found.

The Nature Check report comes amid a spate of bad weather across the country, with a week of torrential rain resulting in widespread flooding in the South West, the Midlands, Wales and Northern England.

Experts warned not enough money is being spent on flood defences and called for a greater alignment between flood management and other policies such as protecting nature.

They also called for a halt to building on flood plains, unless vital and approved by the Environment Agency.

The traffic light assessment by Wildlife and Countryside Link, which includes 38 groups, also gave the Government a "red" for failing to introduce a carefully managed and science-led badger control policy to tackle TB in cattle and to bring in a ban on wild animals in circuses.

Two badger cull pilots have been delayed until next summer because of costs

The Government was also judged to have failed on its pledge to ensure marine conservation measures were brought in.

The report found the Government was only fully delivering on two international-focused commitments: to oppose the resumption of commercial whaling and pressing for a ban on ivory sales.

The remaining pledges scored an amber grade, including action to protect wildlife and promote green spaces, to reform the water industry to improve competition and conservation and maintain the green belt.

Progress on reviewing the direction of forestry and woodland policy, creating a presumption in favour of sustainable development in planning and reforming the planning system to give more control to communities were commended.

But environmental and wildlife groups warned that without renewed political will and action, the Government was in danger of slipping backwards again.

A sell-off of state-owned woodland was abandoned last year

Only 17% of people polled for the organisations said they thought the Coalition was the "greenest government ever", as pledged by Prime Minister David Cameron when he came to power in 2010.

Dr Elaine King, director of Link, said: "The Government lags behind public opinion on the environment, as the attempt to sell off our forests demonstrated. It needs to catch up.

"A healthy environment - and the public benefits it brings - is a critical part of everyone's quality of life, not an optional add-on.

"The Government's continued use of rhetoric that promotes growth over the environment is a worrying sign that the fragile progress made so far may not last.

"We want to see the Government recognise the value of nature and ensure that all departments recognise that the natural environment underpins sustainable growth."

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Floods: Drivers Warned Against 'Risking Lives'

Rescue services have told drivers to stop motoring into flood waters as strong winds and heavy rains bring chaos to the country's roads.

Emergency crews said that motorists must remember that while their vehicles may be four-wheel drives, they are not "amphibious".

According to the West Midlands Ambulance Service there has been a surprisingly high number of call-outs to 4x4 vehicles as people try to find short cuts away from flooded roads across country.

In Warwickshire three people became stranded on the roof of a four-wheel drive after deciding to go off-road driving.

Police issued a post on Twitter to say the men had been shouting abuse at those who tried to come to their aid. They were eventually rescued by boat.

A car becomes completely submerged after attempting to cross a ford

Nathan Hudson, of West Midlands Ambulance Service, said: "People who attempt to pass through flooded roads are not only putting their own lives at risk, but also the lives of the emergency services staff who have to rescue them. 

"A little bit of common sense from the public will ensure that no one's life is put in any unnecessary danger.

There are 100 road restrictions in place across the country and the AA said it had attended more than 10,000 breakdowns by 7.45pm, 613 of which were cars that had driven into flood water.

David Burness, the AA's head of special operations said the calls were coming in at a rate of 1,000 an hour.

"It's a cumulative thing as the ground is so saturated now and river levels so high that any additional rainfall causes widespread problems," he said.

"With further heavy rain and high winds this afternoon and tomorrow, people in the affected areas really need to think twice before travelling - it really is bad out there and it's just not worth the risk."

Homes flooded on Cheats Road in the Somerset village of Ruishton

Meanwhile, police in Devon were forced to put up barriers for crowd control and warn the public to stay away after scores of people turned out to watch as the embankment of the Grand Western Canal collapsed.

The Environment Agency has one severe weather warning, which means danger to life, in place in the South West. There are 223 flood warnings in place across the country, and 273 less serious flood alerts.

David Cameron said the scenes from across the country were "shocking" and pledged that all flood victims would get the help they needed.

In a tweet he wrote: "Shocking scenes of flooding in Cornwall and around the country. Govt will help ensure everything is being done to help."

More than 800 homes across the country have been flooded with the South West and the Midlands bearing the brunt of the bad weather. Nearly 71,000 properties have been told they could be at risk, according to the Environment Agency.

A submerged car outside homes in Malmesbury

In Lostwithiel residents piled sandbags at their doors as they feared the River Fowey would burst its banks overnight. Sky News' Charlotte Lomas said that the Cornish town was bracing for more heavy rain.

"It won't take much to increase river levels again and yet again there will be another danger of heavy flooding here," she said.

Jo Wheeler, Sky News Weather Presenter, said: "The heaviest rain has now moved north, and there'll be a period of some hours before further wet weather is likely.

"Meanwhile, the storm system has taken the wettest weather into central, eastern and northern parts of England."

"And the strongest winds are to the south and east of the system, with gale force gusts for eastern England, East Anglia and the south-east.  These blustery conditions will also abate as the low pressure system clears away into the North Sea."

A homeless women in Exeter died after being crushed by a tree

In Exeter, a 21-year-old homeless woman was killed on Saturday night when the shelter in which she was sleeping was hit by a falling tree.

Inspector Andrew Webber of Devon and Cornwall Police told Sky News that the dead woman had been living in a small tent sheltered against a wall at the roadside.

"It was a very large oak tree that had been there for ... many years. Obviously we've had lots of heavy weather, it's been raining an awful lot, and the tree for whatever reason came down."

In Cambridgeshire, a 70-year-old man died after his car plunged into a river near Earith on Saturday night, however, the police said it was not a weather-related accident.

Flood waters in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, reached 3ft in places and firefighters worked to rescue people from their flooded homes.

Network Rail said trains were likely to be suspended between Exeter and Bristol until Monday. Landslips at Honiton and Dawlish have led to the cancellation of a number of train services.

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Gas Worker's Blunder Caused Strip Club Blast

An explosion which flattened a strip club in Springfield, Massachusetts, has been blamed on a gas worker who accidentally pierced a high-pressure pipeline while looking for a leak.

The blast levelled the Scores Gentlemen's Club on Friday evening, and blew out the windows of dozens more buildings up to three blocks away.

Eighteen people were hurt. Most of the injured were part of a group of gas workers, firefighters and police officers who ducked for cover behind a lorry just before the blast.

Officials said it was a miracle no one was killed.

State Fire Marshal Stephen Coan confirmed the explosion was caused by "human error".

He said a Columbia Gas company worker was responding to reports of a gas leak when he damaged the underground pipe with a  metal probe.

The explosion damaged buildings in a three-block radius

A flood of gas then built up in a building that housed the strip club, and a spark touched off the blast, Mr Coan said.

Preliminary reports showed the blast damaged 42 buildings in the vicinity and 115 residential units.

Three buildings were immediately condemned, while 24 others require additional inspections by structural engineers to determine whether they are safe.

The building that housed the Scores Gentleman's Club was completely destroyed and a children's day care centre next door was heavily damaged.

Several buildings were evacuated after the gas pipe was ruptured.

The injured were mostly gas workers, police officers and firefighters

Springfield Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant praised the actions of firefighters.

"The firefighters did an excellent job evacuating the area which certainly prevented additional civilian injuries and saved many lives," he said.

Columbia Gas said it planned to open a claims centre for residents and businesses affected by the explosion.

Company officials have been co-operating with investigators and have determined there are no more gas leaks in the area.

Springfield, which is 90 miles (145km) west of Boston and has about 150,000 residents, is the largest city in western Massachusetts.

The city is still recovering from a tornado that caused extensive damage in June 2011.

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PM 'Open-Minded' On Leveson's Media Report

David Cameron is said to be keeping an "open mind" about the future regulation of the press and will make no decisions before he has seen Lord Justice Leveson's much-anticipated report.

Downing Street has rejected any suggestion that the Prime Minister has already decided to rule out full-blown state regulation following reports he is heading for a showdown with Lord Leveson when he delivers his report into the findings about the British press.

The Mail On Sunday claimed Mr Cameron would back a new, tougher model of self-regulation to replace the Press Complaints Commission - but with the threat that a statutory system could be brought in later if matters do not improve.

The Leveson report is supposed to be shrouded in secrecy until its publication on Thursday.

Mr Cameron and some other senior Government figures will have access to it on Wednesday so that he can make a substantive response when it is released.

"The Prime Minister is open-minded about Lord Justice Leveson's report and will read it in full before he makes any decision about what to do," a spokesman said.

Victims of press intrusion are calling for an independent regulator, backed up by law, while editors fear that statutory regulation could serve only to limit press freedom.

The Prime Minister himself gave evidence to the inquiry

Mr Cameron set up the inquiry in July last year in response to revelations that the News Of The World (NOTW) commissioned a private detective to hack murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler's phone after she disappeared in 2002.

This Thursday's report follows the first part of the Leveson Inquiry looking at the culture, practices and ethics of the press, and will include recommendations for press regulation.

Members of campaign group Hacked Off, including victims of press intrusion, want an independent regulator - possibly backed up by law to ensure newspapers comply.

Hacked Off director Professor Brian Cathcart said they wanted "something effective that will make a difference" - probably backed by law to give it the necessary "clout" - but said if the chairman found a way of doing that without law, they would be happy as long as it was effective.

Lord Justice Leveson's report will be published on Thursday

But Bob Satchwell, executive director of the Society Of Editors, called for "proportionality", saying he hoped Lord Justice Leveson had not only taken the "headline evidence" into account.

"Some of the points that came out were absolutely dreadful and nobody is trying to hide away from the fact that there were some pieces of behaviour in some parts of the press that were quite appalling," he said.

"But it's got to be seen in context - we want to see some proportionality."

Former Crimewatch presenter Jacqui Hames, who was placed under NOTW surveillance along with her husband, said victims wanted to "draw a line under all this".

"We want to be able to trust our journalists again and pick up our newspapers and be confident that what we're reading is accurate and it hasn't been obtained illegally or at the detriment of somebody's life," she said.

"We have a fantastic historical tradition of newspapers and journalism in this country and I would love to see that restored.

"It's a fantastic opportunity to look to the future so that in 50 years' time people will look back and see this as a pivotal moment and a restoration of faith in our free press."

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Floods: 'Threat To Life And Property' In Cornwall

Residents have been told to flee their homes as floodwater and torrential rain cause "serious threats to life and property" in southwest England.

The Environment Agency has warned of a potential threat to life due to the flooding of three rivers in Cornwall.

Severe flood warnings have been issued for Helston, Polperro and Perranporth, as rivers threaten to burst their banks.

At Polperro, south Cornwall, the level of the River Pol has been recorded at 0.26 metres. The typical level is between 0.00 metres and 0.25 metres.

Special "rest centres" have been set up in the worst-hit villages, allowing families to shelter overnight as floodwater surges through the rural West Country.

Emergency services and rescue crews have met council bosses in an effort to spread the message about the danger to life and property, following nearly four days of rainfall.

Across the region, roads were closed for safety reasons and others were impassable as rain saturated highways, and debris blocked lanes.

Rising floodwaters in Millbrook, Cornwall (Pic: Matt Skinner)

Devon and Cornwall Police have warned people not to go to flood affected areas, adding that the worst of the rain appeared to be moving away from Cornwall towards Devon.

Sergeant Gary Watts tweeted: "Severe means risk to life. Please pay heed!"

"Flash flooding can take you by surprise and kill. If you have to be out don't take risks."

Cornwall Council announced on Twitter that the river had burst its banks at Ladock, and warned local residents to take precautions.

Severe warnings are also in place at Bolingey Stream from Bolingey to Perranporth, and at the River Cober, in Helston.

Emergency teams have been working to shore up defences, deploy temporary barriers, monitor river levels, clear blockages from watercourses and pump-out flood water from towns.

The rest of Britain is also bracing itself for more flooding and travel disruption, with forecasters predicting further heavy downpours.

A deep area of low pressure has moved in, bringing more heavy rain to areas already badly hit by Thursday's downpours.

Sky weather producer Joanna Robinson said: "England and Wales could see 15 to 25mm quite widely, with up to 60mm possible in some spots.

"Between 6am and 6pm today 47mm of rain had already fallen at St Mary's (Isles of Scilly), 28mm at Culdrose and Plymouth and 17mm at Exeter and Bournemouth.

"We can expect 30 to 40mm of rain quite widely across south Wales and the West Country by tomorrow morning, with up to 60mm locally, particularly across Devon and Cornwall. 

Floodwaters surge through Penzance, Cornwall

"Elsewhere across England and Wales there will be up to 25mm of rain, with lower amounts across Scotland, but local flooding remains a risk there after such a wet week.

"Gusts up to 70mph are expected for coastal areas of south-east England overnight, with inland gusts of 60mph. There is also the potential for some damage, particularly as the ground is saturated.

"It will be very windy across other southern areas, but the south-east is likely to see the strongest winds."

Network Rail said trains were likely to be suspended between Exeter and Bristol until Monday.

The latest downpours came after the majority of the UK was battered by storms on Thursday, leaving hundreds of drivers stranded and thousands of homes without power.

More than 100 people had to be evacuated as winds reached more than 86mph.

An elderly man also died after becoming trapped in his 4x4 in floods in Chew Stoke in Somerset.

Three other people had a lucky escape after their car was swept down a swollen river in Warwickshire.

The vehicle was carried more than 500 metres before a farmer managed to pull it to the water's edge.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: "Two elderly females and one male were treated for shock and hypothermia by ambulance crews."

In Torquay, Devon, several homes were evacuated after a landslide. Part of a cliff face was hit by a landslip after netting was washed away.

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