Savile: Report Reveals Full Scale Of Sex Abuse

Jimmy Savile Abuse Report: Timeline

Updated: 11:45am UK, Friday 11 January 2013

The police and NSPCC report on the Jimmy Savile abuse scandal follows a lengthy investgation sparked by a television documentary.

This is how the case unfolded:

October 29, 2011

:: Veteran DJ and broadcaster Jimmy Savile is found dead in his home in Roundhay, Leeds, after a spell in hospital with a suspected bout of pneumonia. He was 84.

September 30, 2012

:: It emerges allegations about Savile will be made in a new ITV documentary due to be aired on October 3.

October 1

:: Surrey Police confirm Savile was interviewed in 2007 over allegations dating back to the 1970s but was released without charge.

October 2

:: An historic rape allegation made against Savile is referred to Scotland Yard. It is also revealed that Jersey and Surrey police investigated accusations about alleged abuse in two children's homes, but decided there was not enough evidence to proceed.

:: The BBC says it will make direct contact with police to provide full support over the "disturbing allegations".

:: Newsnight editor Peter Rippon says the show dropped a story about allegations against Savile because it "had not established any institutional failure" on behalf of the police or Crown Prosecution Service. Mr Rippon writes on a BBC blog it was "totally untrue" he came under any pressure to drop the story.

October 3

:: Sussex Police confirm that in 2008 a woman reported she had been indecently assaulted by Savile in Worthing, West Sussex, in 1970, but did not want to co-operate with any inquiry or prosecution.

:: Exposure: The Other Side Of Jimmy Savile is shown on ITV1. In it, five women claim they were indecently assaulted by him when they were schoolgirls in the late 1960s and 1970s.

October 9

:: Comedian Freddie Starr denies any wrongdoing in relation to claims he groped a teenager following the recording of one of Savile's shows.

:: Scotland Yard reveals it is looking at 120 lines of inquiry and as many as 25 victims. Commander Peter Spindler says allegations span four decades and abuse was on a "national scale". He says the inquiry, dubbed Operation Yewtree, will only become a criminal investigation if there is evidence against living individuals.

October 11

:: Allegations emerge that Savile abused children at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire and Leeds General Hospital.

October 12

:: BBC director general George Entwistle offers a "profound and heartfelt apology" to alleged victims as he announces two inquiries - one into potential failings over the handling of the abandoned Newsnight investigation, and a second into the "culture and practices of the BBC during the years Savile worked here".

October 13

:: The Department of Health says it will carry out an investigation into how Savile was appointed to lead a "taskforce" at Broadmoor in 1988.

:: Police say Savile's alleged catalogue of abuse could have spanned six decades and included around 60 victims.

October 19

:: A leaked internal email casts doubt on the BBC's stated reason for cancelling a Newsnight investigation into sexual abuse by Savile, The Times says.

:: Scotland Yard announces that Operation Yewtree is now a formal criminal investigation involving other living people.

October 22

:: The BBC announces that Newsnight editor Peter Rippon has stepped aside "with immediate effect". It says his explanation as to why the show dropped its investigation was "inaccurate or incomplete in some respects".

:: The Crown Prosecution Service say Surrey Police passed a file to them in 2009 based on a complaint made by "a woman who said she had witnessed an indecent assault by Jimmy Savile in the 1970s".

The force found evidence of "three further potential offences" by Savile but evidence showed none of the alleged victims would support a prosecution.

October 25

:: Scotland Yard says it is investigating in excess of 400 lines of inquiry involving 300 victims, of whom all except two are women. Commander Peter Spindler says Savile is one of the most prolific sex offenders in recent history and the inquiry into his abuse will be a "watershed" investigation into sex crime.

October 26

:: It emerges that seven alleged victims of Savile made complaints to four separate police forces - Surrey, London, Sussex and Jersey - while the disgraced television presenter was alive, but it was decided no further action should be taken.

October 28

:: Former pop star Gary Glitter is arrested by officers working on Operation Yewtree. He is bailed to return in mid-December.

November 1

:: Comedian Freddie Starr is arrested in connection with the Savile abuse investigation. He is released on bail.

November 2

:: Freddie Starr returns for further questioning and is later bailed again.

November 11

:: Former BBC producer Wilfred De'ath is arrested at an address in Cambridge but later insists he was the victim of mistaken identity.

:: BBC director general George Entwistle resigns after an "unacceptable" Newsnight broadcast into child abuse in North Wales wrongly implicates a former senior Conservative politician.

November 15

:: Former Radio 1 DJ Dave Lee Travis is arrested on suspicion of sexual offences. Police say the allegations do not directly involve Savile, and are classed under the strand of their investigation termed "others". Mr Travis denies any wrongdoing, saying: "This is nothing to do with kids."

November 29

:: A man in his 80s, from Berkshire, is arrested and questioned by detectives investigating the Savile abuse scandal after attending police premises in south London by appointment. Scotland Yard says he is being treated as part of the investigation that does not directly relate to Savile.

December 6

:: PR guru Max Clifford is arrested at his Surrey home on suspicion of sexual offences and taken to Belgravia police station in central London for questioning. Clifford tells reporters: "These allegations are damaging and totally untrue."

December 10

:: A man in his 60s, from London, is arrested on suspicion of sexual offences and taken to a south London police station. Scotland Yard says he falls under the strand of the investigation termed "others". He is later bailed until January.

December 12

:: Scotland Yard says 31 rape allegations have been made against Savile - out of a total of 450 complaints. It adds 589 people have come forward with information relating to the scandal.

December 19

:: Former BBC radio producer Ted Beston, 76, is arrested in London on suspicion of sexual offences and vehemently denies the allegations the following day.

January 2, 2013

:: Former TV presenter Jim Davidson is arrested but "vigorously denies" allegations of sexual offences made against him by two women. A 53-year-old man is also arrested. Police say the allegations are not directly related to Savile and both men are bailed until March.

January 11

:: The police and NSPCC report on the Jimmy Savile abuse scandal is published.

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Two Stabbed To Death In Birmingham City Centre

Two men have died after a double stabbing in Birmingham city centre, West Midlands police have said.

One victim is thought to have been stabbed outside a Sainsbury's store in Martineau Place, while the other was found slumped near a Boots store in Union Street with fatal injuries.

Officers administered first aid on both men - thought to be in their 40s - but both were pronounced dead at the scene just before 6pm.

Police have arrested a man in connection with the incident.

Inspector David Keen said: "Two men have suffered fatal injuries - these have been inflicted in the heart of the city at a busy time when workers and shoppers would be heading home.

"There are potentially hundreds of witnesses, either people who saw the stabbings or the offender leaving the scene, and I'd urge people to get in touch immediately - they could have vital information.

"A large police presence was quickly on the scene and a man was arrested swiftly."

Forensics and search experts have cordoned off several scenes in and around Union Street to preserve evidence.

A spokeswoman for West Midlands Ambulance Service said: "Crews arrived to find two men who had been stabbed and were being given excellent first aid by police officers and passers-by.

"Both men went into cardiac arrest. Crews and the team of medics administered advanced life support to both men but sadly, despite the best efforts, nothing could be done to save them and they were confirmed dead on scene."

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101.

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School Shooting As Gun Control Measures Considered

A 16-year-old student was critically wounded in a shooting at a high school in California, as Vice President Joe Biden said he would provide the president with recommendations to curb gun violence in the next five days.

A victim with serious injuries was airlifted on Thursday morning from Taft Union High School, about 120 miles north of Los Angeles, to hospital in nearby Bakersfield. The victim's condition was unknown.

Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood said the suspected gunman, a student at the school, shot one teen with a shotgun and tried to shoot a second student but missed. He said a teacher suffered a minor pellet wound to the head but declined medical treatment.

Mr Youngblood said the teacher and another staff member talked to the shooter and convinced him to put the gun down. The suspect was arrested about 20 minutes after the shooting.

He said: "The heroics of these two people goes without saying: to stand there and face someone who has a shotgun, who's already discharged it and shot a student, that speaks volumes for these two young men, and what they may have prevented."

Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords with husband Mark Kelly

Local news media reported receiving phone calls from people who were hidden in closets inside the school.

Mr Biden has been meeting groups ranging from victims of gun violence to members of America's powerful gun lobby as the country considers its response to the Newtown school massacre, which left 26 people dead.

"I have committed to him I will have his recommendations to him by Tuesday," Biden said on Thursday, ahead of a meeting with sportsman and hunting organisations.

Mr Biden said the recommendations would be ideas gleaned from the various groups he has been meeting with in recent weeks. 

Adam Lanza and his mother, Nancy Lanza

He hinted that his ideas could include new restrictions on high capacity ammunition magazines and more comprehensive background checks for gun buyers.

The Vice President also talked with representatives from the National Rifle Association, which opposes reforms like the reinstatement of an assault weapons ban - and has called for armed guards in all US schools.

After the meeting, NRA officials said the discussion was more about demonising the Second Amendment than about keeping students safe and that they "will not allow law-abiding gun owners to be blamed for the acts of criminals and madmen".

Biden and other White House officials have also met mental health advocates to try to figure out how to make it harder for disturbed people to get firearms.

On Wednesday Mr Biden said Mr Obama may take executive action intended to prevent gun attacks.

Mr Biden's involvement in this task force comes in response to the December massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, where 20 children and six staff members were killed by a 20-year-old gunman. 

Adam Lanza walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14 after killing his mother, Nancy Lanza, at her home. He later killed himself.

He had taken his mother's guns, including a rifle which fires 20 to 30 rounds at a fast pace.

The AR-15 style rifle Lanza used is America's most popular rifle. It is also the weapon most commonly used in mass shootings in the US and is the same as the one used by the gunman in the cinema shooting in Aurora, Colorado.

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Jimmy Savile 'Abused Dying Hospice Patients'

By Martin Brunt, Crime Correspondent

Jimmy Savile sexually abused dying hospice patients, detectives are expected to reveal.

The late TV star also used the cover of his charity work to attack victims at many hospitals around the country, according to a dossier to be published by Scotland Yard.

It marks the end of the police investigation into allegations against Savile alone.

Prosecutors are also expected to offer an explanation over why Savile was never charged after some complaints were investigated during his life.

In the 10-week inquiry launched in October, after a TV documentary exposed Savile as predatory and prolific paedophile, 450 people claimed they were his victims.

Detectives had already revealed that they have formally recorded 31 rape allegations and a total of 199 crimes, mostly of sex abuse, across 17 police force areas.

Peter Saunders, of the National Association for People Abused in Childhood, said: "Savile is one of the worst offenders in history.

"I'd put him alongside killers such ad Fred West, Harold Shipman and the Moors Murderers, because he killed his victims' spirit and soul.

"Everywhere he went was an opportunity to commit his vile crimes against the most vulnerable victims in the most inappropriate places, hospitals, hospices, schools and children's homes."

The inquiry in Savile's crimes was launched in October

He added: "Although Savile will never face justice, the police investigation has allowed people to speak up where they didn't before and free themselves of their burden."

It is thought that a Department of Health investigation into Savile's abuse at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Leeds General Infirmary and Broadmoor - where he was a volunteer worker and allowed unprecedented access - will be expanded because of allegations from many other health establishments.

Broadmoor patient Steven George said: "For those who had gone while he was still living to the police they must be absolutely furious and there were I understand quite a few, I experienced the same almost cynical laughter when I tried to report him when he was alive and I hated that.

"But I would keep on reporting and I think victims need to come forward."

Scotland Yard has closed the part of  Operation Yewtree that investigated claims of crimes committed by Savile alone, but continues to examine allegations of Savile offending with others, and suspects with no connection with him.

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Tappin: Extradited Brit Jailed For Arms Dealing

British businessman Christopher Tappin has been jailed for 33 months for trying to buy missile parts and resell them to Iran.

US District Judge David Briones, who sentenced Tappin, said he would recommend that the Department of Justice approve any request by Tappin to be transferred to the UK. He was also fined $11,357 (£7,089).

The 65-year-old, from Orpington, Kent, tried to buy missile batteries from undercover US agents with the intention of exporting them to Iran without obtaining a licence.

"These batteries are used to make Hark missiles operational and Tappin admitted that he submitted false shipping documentation to circumvent US export control regulations," said US attorney Robert Pitman.

Outside court, Tappin, said: "I have accepted the plea agreement offered by the US government and confirmed by the court today.

"As part of the agreement both the US government and the British government have offered to support my repatriation to Britain at the earliest opportunity. I look forward to returning home to be near my friends and family and especially my sick wife."

The former president of the Kent Golf Union had fought extradition for two years until being denied a petition to take the case to Britain's Supreme Court.

Tappin then reached a plea agreement that opened the door for him to serve part of his sentence in Britain.

Tappin, pictured with his wife Elaine in February last year

Tappin's wife, Elaine, said she hoped the businessman would have "the mental fortitude to cope with whatever lies before him in the months and years to come".

On November 1, 2012, Tappin pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting the illegal export of defence articles.

He admitted that from December 2005 to January 2007, he knowingly aided and abetted others, including his Cyprus-based business associate Robert Frederick Gibson and Robert Caldwell in an illegal attempt to export zinc/silver oxide reserve batteries to Iran.

These particular batteries, a special component of the Hawk Air Defence Missile, are designated as a defence article on the US Munitions List and require a licence or written authorisation from the US State Department for export from the US.

Tappin's extradition to the US in February 2012 touched a nerve in Britain, where many believe extradition arrangements with the US are unfairly weighted against British citizens.

Mrs Tappin, who suffers from chronic illness Churg-Strauss Syndrome, was unable to attend the court in Texas.

Following the sentencing, she said: "Now I can begin to see light at the end of this long dark tunnel - but remain frustrated that Chris' extradition was granted in the first place.

"Being returned to a US prison will be dreadful for him. He is learning to live with the regrets - it is a chastening experience after a 45-year unblemished business career."

Gibson, a British national, pleaded guilty in April 2007 and was sentenced to 24 months in prison. Caldwell, from Oregon, was found guilty in July of that year and received a 20-month sentence.

After he was brought to Texas, Tappin was held at the Otero County Jail for about two months, where he initially was put in solitary confinement at his request.

Tappin was later released on bail and has since lived near his lawyer's house in a gated community in Houston.

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Saudi Arabia Beheads Young Sri Lankan Maid

A young Sri Lankan housemaid has been beheaded in Saudi Arabia for killing a baby who was in her care.

Rizana Nafeek had denied strangling the 4-month-old baby in 2005 and the execution came despite global appeals to call it off because she was only 17 at the time.

Rights groups said the death sentence was a violation of international codes governing the rights of minors.

Appeals by the Sri Lankan government were also rejected and Nafeek was executed in the town of Dawadmy, near the capital Riyadh, on Wednesday morning.

A Sri Lankan woman protesting against the death sentence

In a statement the Saudi interior ministry said the maid had been found guilty of smothering the infant to death after an argument with the child's mother, her employer.

Sri Lanka's president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, had made a series of personal appeals to try to stop the execution and grant a pardon to the maid.

Afterwards, the president said he and his government "deplored" the beheading.

Saudi households are highly dependent on housemaids from African and South Asian countries. There have been reported cases of domestic abuse in which families mistreat their maids, who have then attacked the children of their employers.

Condemning the execution, Human Rights Watch senior women's rights researcher Nisha Varia said: "Saudi Arabia is one of just three countries that executes people for crimes they committed as children.

"In executing Rizana Nafeek, Saudi authorities demonstrated callous disregard for basic humanity as well as Saudi Arabia's international legal obligations."

Saudi is an absolute monarchy that follows the strict Wahhabi school of Islam and applies Sharia (Islamic) law. Judges base decisions on their own interpretation of Sharia rather than on a written legal code or on precedent.

Amnesty International, in a statement before the execution, said that it appeared Nafeek had no access to lawyers either during her pre-trial interrogation or at her trial in 2007.

This is the second execution of the year in Saudi Arabia after a Syrian was beheaded on Tuesday for drug trafficking.

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Christmas Eve Murder: Man, 21, Arrested

A 21-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of Alan Greaves, the church organist who died after being attacked on his way to midnight mass on Christmas Eve.

The 68-year-old father-of-four suffered serious head injuries during the assault and died three days later in hospital.

South Yorkshire Police said the arrest came after an "excellent" public response to an appeal made by detectives on Monday.

CCTV footage of two men filmed just before the attack close to Mr Greaves' home was also released.

More than 50 police officers have been working on the case.

A spokesman for South Yorkshire Police said: "Following yesterday's media appeal by senior investigating officer Detective Superintendent Matt Fenwick, and an excellent public response, a 21-year-old man from the High Green area of Sheffield has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of Alan Greaves.

"Inquiries are continuing and the investigation team wish to reiterate their appeal to the community of Sheffield to continue to come forward with information."

Two men were detained last month in connection with Mr Greaves' murder and bailed pending further inquiries.

Last week, Crimestoppers put up a £10,000 reward to help find those responsible for his death.

At a service after her husband's death, Mr Greaves' widow Maureen said she had wept over the "evil that has been done".

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Cyber Attack Threat: UK Armed Forces Warned

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

The UK's armed forces are now so dependent on information and communication technology that they could be a "fatally compromised" by sustained cyber attacks.

The Defence Select Committee has produced a report that questions the military's contingency plans and urges the Government to do more to address the threat.

"It is our view that cyber security is a sufficiently urgent, significant and complex activity to warrant increased ministerial attention," said committee chairman James Arbuthnot MP.

"The Government needs to put in place - as it has not yet done - mechanisms, people, education, skills, thinking and policies which take into account both the opportunities and the vulnerabilities which cyberspace presents."

Cabinet Secretary Francis Maude is the minister responsible for cyber security but the report recommends that more ministers should engage and take on responsibility.

"Unless we have a really vigorous approach to defending against the sort of cyber attacks that are developing at a rather quick rate day by day minute by minute second by second, unless we have a really vigorous approach we are at risk of our armed forces as well as the whole of the rest of the government infrastructure being compromised," Mr Arbuthnot told Sky News.

GCHQ is considered a world leader

Dr Andrew Murrison, the Minister for International Security Strategy, has defended the Government's efforts.

He said: "There's no complacency and we will continue in a very rapidly evolving field to make sure we do absolutely everything to reduce the chance of there being a significant attack here."

GCHQ, the Government's communications headquarters, is considered a world leader.

Under the Strategic Defence and Security Review in 2010, £650m was allocated to a new cyber security programme.

It showed significant recognition of the threat but in truth no budget can ever be big enough. According to the Boston Consulting Group, the UK is the best prepared country to face a cyber-attack.

But countries like Israel, China and the United States are well advanced and are bettering their systems at a quicker pace.

Major General Jonathan Shaw, the former head of the Defence Cyber Security Programme, told Sky News that the UK competes favourably.

He said: "The way that British government is organised and the security side is actually extremely effective at coping with threats.

"It's a very collegiate atmosphere and the ability of GCHQ to spread their knowledge across government actually gives us a real advantage over someone like the United States which has a much more stove pipe government system."

What is not known is how offensive the UK's strategy is. The Government is clear about the threat it faces but declines to speak about any aggressive action it takes against states regarded as hostile.

The Defence Select Committee's report should be seen as an attempt to reinvigorate the military and government's efforts not as an outright criticism of what has been done.

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Belfast Violence: Baton Rounds Fired At Rioters

Police have fired baton rounds and deployed water cannon on rioters as violence linked to the Union Flag row flared in east Belfast again.

The fifth successive night of trouble in the area came after hundreds of loyalists staged a largely peaceful protest at Belfast City Hall.

The disorder erupted as around 250 demonstrators from east Belfast returned from the city centre past a volatile community interface at the republican Short Strand.

Police said a number of missiles were thrown at the protesters from the Short Strand area, where around 70 youths had gathered.

The trouble soon spiralled from there as police moved up the adjacent Newtownards Road to separate rival factions.

The disturbances occurred after protesters headed home

Officers were attacked with petrol bombs, paint bombs, fireworks and heavy masonry while rioters damaged vehicles with hatchets and sledge hammers.

Protesters constructed a barricade in the middle of the road and set it on fire.

Police also received reports of an attempted car hi-jacking in the nearby Templemore Avenue area and attempted lorry hi-jacking in the Albertbridge Road area.

Police deployed water cannon and five baton rounds were fired. Calm was eventually restored.

The earlier demonstration at Belfast City Hall came as the council met for the first time since its controversial decision to limit the flying of the flag on the roof.

Loyalist protests have been continuing across Northern Ireland since early December in response to the vote by Belfast councillors to only fly the flag above City Hall on designated days instead of all year round.

Loyalists set up burning barricades during a fifth night of violence

The first of these days is this Wednesday, when the flag will be raised to mark the birthday of the Duchess of Cambridge.

More than 60 police officers have been injured in flag-related unrest in the last five weeks, with around 100 people arrested.

On Monday night, two males and two females were arrested in east Belfast for riot and public order offences.

Earlier in the day Northern Ireland Chief Constable Matt Baggott claimed senior members of the paramilitary Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) had been orchestrating the street violence in east Belfast.

Mr Baggott said there was no evidence that the organisation's leadership endorsed their actions.

He also made a direct appeal to protesters on the streets of Belfast to stop demonstrations or ensure they are peaceful.

Chief Constable Matt Baggott said children as young as 10 have been charged

In a news conference at Police Service of Northern Ireland headquarters in Belfast, Mr Baggott said: "I would like everybody involved in these protests now to take a step back.

"My ambition is that the protests will come to an end, although you appreciate that the police are not in control of that.

"But if not, at the very least those involved in the protests should be off the road, not causing obstruction, absolutely condemning violence and ensuring that these young people are not involved.

"And that requires a concerted effort from politicians and those who have put themselves up as organisers acting together and from parents and responsible members of the community.

"At the moment there is a lack of control, which for me is very worrying."

Loyalist flag protestors outside City Hall on Monday

Loyalists involved in the protests have claimed police have been too heavy-handed in their approach.

The violence in east Belfast has also been fuelled by protests taking place close to an interface where loyalist and nationalist residents live on opposite sides of a peace wall.

Loyalists support Northern Ireland remaining as part of the UK, but nationalists generally support a united Ireland.

The protests bring large numbers of people onto the streets in the area where relations between residents are traditionally tense. 

A forum has been set up to try to give those involved in the protests another way to voice their concerns other than demonstrating.

It has been acknowledged that the flag protests have unearthed deeper concerns within loyalist communities. 

People living in these areas have said they feel they have been left behind by the peace process and are not benefiting from the political changes since the Good Friday Agreement.

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Online Sales Fail To Boost 'Sluggish' December

By Ursula Errington, Business Reporter

Strong online sales in December have failed to boost what has been described as an "underwhelming and sluggish" Christmas on the high street.

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said retail sales for the month were up just 1.5% compared to the Christmas period in 2011.

However Internet sales rose by almost 18%.

If the online contribution to total year-on-year sales growth is stripped out, it shows that high street trading stagnated compared to last Christmas.

"Online retail still accounts for a relatively small part of total sales," said BRC Director General, Helen Dickinson.

The outlook for British retailers for 2013 year is 'subdued'

"But in December it played a disproportionately larger role in driving non-food sales.

"Shoppers took advantage of the investment many retailers have made in making their websites easier to use across multiple devices, in flexibility of delivery options as click-and-collect came of age, and in security - they now feel much more comfortable putting their credit card numbers into their mobile phones."     

Pimlico-based florist, Rosemary Watkins, knew it would be a tough December for the shop she has worked in for three years but it was worse than she imagined.

They closed early on December 24 and in the run-up to Christmas they hardly saw what could be termed as Christmas trade.

"We had the shop ready from the first week in December," she told Sky News. "But what we anticipated would happen, didn't happen.

"We were lucky to sell what we did. We had to stop buying stock as it's perishable; you can't hold onto it. If it's this bad here in SW1 I can't imagine what it's like in other parts of the country."   

The survey reveals shoppers are increasingly confident buying good online

Footfall was down considerably on last year largely because of bad weather and consumers buying more in one go, thereby reducing the opportunity to browse and be tempted to buy.

But perhaps the most influential factor was the shift towards the internet. It appears fewer shoppers were searching in stores first, before going online.

Pharmacy owner Nishma Hirani is just a few doors down from Rosemary's florist. She has decided to focus on internet sales of perfume and her higher-end health and beauty products for Christmas 2013.

She also intends to modify how much stock she carries in the run up to next Christmas. The BRC survey showed that generally, retailers bought in less stock and held off offering heavy discounts in order to keep their margins up.

But optimistic Nishma did not do that. Buoyed by solid sales in last year's difficult climate, she bought a lot of stock and is now stuck with it.

Surrounded by perfumes bearing sale stickers she explained: "Last year people were buying four or five bottles of perfume at a time but this year they only bought one or two - not bulk buying.

"We kept our stock quite high but we just didn't find it was moving as quick as we would have liked it too."

Overall, the BRCs outlook for this year is subdued. They have said their members expect the hard times to continue but not worsen, with this "bumping along the bottom" effect to continue for perhaps years to come.

KPMG's Head of Retail, David McCorquodale, said: "While consumer confidence remains low, shoppers will tighten their belts and rein in their spending, making life difficult for the average UK retailer.

"There will be no boom and it's likely more than a few will go bust".

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Teenage Girl Killed In Police Pursuit Crash

A 13-year-old girl has died in a crash involving a car which was being pursued by police in south east London.

The teenager was travelling with her mother, father and brother in Ilderton Road, New Cross, on Sunday evening when their Volkswagen Polo and a Peugeot 308 that was being chased by a marked police car collided.

The girl, who was in the rear of the car, died at the scene from her injuries, Scotland Yard said.

Her parents and brother were taken to hospital and their injuries were not thought to be serious.

The male driver of the Peugeot was arrested and taken into custody. A female passenger was taken to hospital suffering from minor injuries.

The incident happened just before 6.30pm and police, ambulance and fire crews attended.

The Metropolitan Police said the pursuing police car had its blue lights and sirens on when the collision happened.

Commander Tony Eastaugh said: "An innocent family are now dealing with the tragic loss of a loved one.

"The Metropolitan Police has now begun a thorough investigation into the circumstances of this terrible incident. The thoughts of our staff and officers are with the family at this time."

Traffic police and officers from the Directorate of Professional Standards are now investigating, the force said.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission has also been informed and an investigator was at the scene assessing the circumstances of the collision.

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Cameron And Clegg: 'Coalition Is 'Steadfast'

David Cameron and Nick Clegg will describe their coalition as "steadfast and united" as they mark the halfway point in their power-sharing Government.

The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister will make a rare joint appearance later today to set their new priorities for the next two-and-a-half years.

The raft of pledges will include childcare bills, infrastructure investment and help towards care costs for the elderly.

They will insist their "sense of shared purpose" on the big issues has grown over time as they publish a mid-term review that looks back at how successful the Government has been in meeting its coalition agreement promises and commits them to further reforms.

In a joint forward to the report, the PM and Deputy Prime Minister wrote: "We are dealing with the deficit, rebuilding the economy, reforming welfare and education and supporting hard-working families through tough times. And on all of these key aims, our parties, after 32 months of coalition, remain steadfast and united.

"Of course there have been some issues on which we have not seen eye to eye and no doubt there will be more. That is the nature of coalition. But on the things that matter most - the big structural reforms needed to secure our country's long-term future - our resolve and sense of shared purpose have, if anything, grown over time."

The coalition's new priorities are expected to include childcare costs

Details of some policy pledges in review, which aides insist is not a re-launch, are still being thrashed out and announcements fleshing out the proposals are expected to be rolled out in the coming months at a rate of almost one a week.

One of the first is expected to focus on extra help for families struggling to meet childcare costs.

Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg are considering a scheme that would allow families to claim up to £2,000 per child every year from their tax bills to cover the cost of child minders and nurseries, according to reports.

It could mean working women becoming entitled to claim a flat-rate tax allowance to help cover the costly bills in move that would replace the £700m voucher and allowances scheme, it adds.

The joint forward states: "Today, at the halfway point in this parliament, we are taking stock of the progress we have made in implementing the coalition agreement that we signed in May 2010. But we are also initiating a new set of reforms, building on those already under way, to secure our country's future and help people realise their ambitions.

The coalition is also expected to focus on 'dignity in old age'

"We will support working families with their childcare costs. We will build more houses and make the dream of home ownership a reality for more people.

"We will set out plans for long-term investment in Britain's transport infrastructure. We will set out two big reforms to provide dignity in old age: an improved state pension that rewards saving, and more help with the costs of long-term care."

The two leaders list welfare reforms, tougher school standards, council tax freezes, protecting the NHS from spending cuts and help with energy bills, fuel duty cuts and increases in the personal income tax allowance among the Government's achievements.

They add: "Two-and-a-half years ago, our parties came together in the national interest and formed a coalition at a time of real economic danger. The deficit was spiralling out of control, confidence was plummeting, and the world was looking to Britain with growing anxiety about our ability to service our debts.

"This government's most urgent job was to restore stability in our public finances and confidence in the British economy. In just two years we have cut the deficit by a quarter and have set out a credible path towards our goal to balance the current budget over the economic cycle."

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Man Arrested After Shots Fired In NI Clashes

A man has been arrested in Belfast on suspicion of attempted murder after gunshots were fired during clashes between loyalist and nationalist protesters.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) confirmed the arrest of the 38-year-old man.

Sky sources revealed that pictures from a PSNI helicopter prompted the detention of the suspect.

Police said a further four men have been charged with a number of public order offences, while another two men remain in custody after being arrested on Saturday afternoon.

Officers were pelted with rocks, fireworks and fire bombs as violence continued into the evening and advised motorists to avoid the area.

Earlier in the day police used water cannon amid disturbances in the Lower Newtownards Road area of east Belfast.

The violence followed a tense but peaceful march by loyalists who had been demonstrating against restrictions on the flying of the Union Flag over City Hall.

Police used water cannon to extinguish the fires

Sky sources said loyalist members of the clergy are actively trying to diffuse the local tension.

Sky News Ireland Correspondent David Blevins said the loyalists apparently came under attack as they passed a nationalist area, following the march.

It is the third day of clashes between opposing sides in various parts of Belfast.

"There is the potential for the violence to intensify," Blevins said.

"And the gunshots from with the loyalist area is a very worrying development.

"The clashes between police and loyalists came after the officers were accused of brutality after the march."

The disturbances occurred after protesters headed home

Saturday's disturbances follow running battles overnight which saw petrol bombs, fireworks and ball bearings thrown at officers in riot gear, injuring nine of them.

The officers were injured from elements within a crowd of up to 300 people, in what they called "a sustained attack".

A PSNI spokesman said 18 arrests were made after the public disorder in the Castlereagh Street and Templemore Avenue areas.

Some 30 petrol bombs were thrown at police officers as they dealt with riots on Friday night.

There were also protests in the Robbs Road area of Dundonald, near Ulster Hospital, and in the O'Neill Road area of Newtonabbey, where there was reportedly an attempt to hijack a bus, plus a raid on a commercial premises by masked men.

The latest violence comes after 10 police officers were also injured on Thursday during a demonstration against the decision to reduce the number of days the Union Flag is flown from City Hall.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Child Benefit Payment Cut-Off For Families

By Emma Birchley, East of England Correspondent

Child benefit payments to more than a million people are due to be cut from Monday, as part of the Government's plan to reduce spending.

If either parent earns £50,000 then payments are to be reduced on a sliding scale, with those on a salary of £60,000 or more losing it altogether.

Treasury minister David Gauke said it was a decision that had to be made to save the taxpayer as much as £1.5bn a year.

"Everybody has got to make a contribution, we're reducing benefits and we've made some cuts in benefits," he said.

"But it's right that those who are earning more than average, those who are in fact in the top 10-15%  of earners, make that contribution."

As many as 300,000 of the 1.1 million who will see changes to their child benefit are yet to have received a letter from the Government informing them of the cuts.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has said it had been unable to contact everyone as it held incomplete data on some customers following changes to their income, relationship status, or address.

Child benefit is currently £20.30 a week for the first child and an additional £13.40 for each child after that.

For a family with two children and one parent earning more than £60,000 it means losing £1,752 per year.

But if both parents earn £49,000, the benefit will be unaffected.

Mother Mel Smith will be among the parents to lose out

Those expecting to lose payment have until the end of today to opt out of receiving the money by filling in a form on the HMRC website.

Otherwise they will continue to receive the handout and have to complete self-assessment forms to repay it in tax.

Mel Smith has two young children and does not work, but her husband's salary level means they will lose all of their child benefit.

"It doesn't seem fair when we only have one income," she said.

But while taking with one hand the Government is considering ways to give with the other.

It is thought new proposals may include allowing families to offset some of their childcare costs against their tax, making it easier for mothers like Mel to return to work.

"I would seriously consider going back to work full time if that were introduced," she said.

"It would be better for me to do full time really than part time but again you have to weigh up whether it works out as a family."

It is estimated that around one million women are missing from the workforce because of the price of childcare, which amounts to almost 27% of the average family income.

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