Nigella Case Lifted Lid On Lavish Lifestyle

By Ian Woods, Sky News Correspondent

When they called in the police to arrest the sisters who used to clean their home, Charles Saatchi and Nigella Lawson could never have imagined that so much of their dirty laundry would be aired in public.

To members of the public with only a passing interest in the case, it must have appeared that it was the now divorced couple who were on trial rather than their former employees.

The Grillo sisters may have been in the dock, but their trial lifted the lid on their employers' lifestyle and the disintegration of their marriage.

The court heard details of lavish spending by both the accused and the family they worked for. It was never clear exactly how much Francesca and Elisabetta Grillo were accused of spending. Estimates of around £300,000 to £700,000 were mentioned, but such was the lack of oversight of spending of household spending that nobody could be sure what was spent on behalf of family members and how much the sisters had spent on themselves.

A jury found the Grillo sisters not guilty of fraud

The Grillos never disputed spending the money, though they argued that some items attributed to them were actually for members of the household. They insisted everything was authorised and known about by either Ms Lawson or Mr Saatchi.

That included numerous personal holidays to New York, Prague, Venice, Berlin and Paris. The sisters maintained they were given permission to buy themselves gifts as a reward for their hard work.

Eighteen months ago, when the levels of expenditure first came to light, Ms Lawson appeared to have all the ingredients for domestic bliss. She was the TV cook known to millions of viewers; her husband was the man who made millions of pounds from advertising and art collecting.

This incident led to Mr Saatchi accepting a police caution. Pic: Jean-Paul

But a year later they were famous for something quite different - an incident in a Mayfair restaurant captured by a photographer which led to Mr Saatchi accepting a police caution, and led to Ms Lawson seeking a divorce. There were two photographs in particular which were discussed during the trial. One pictured Mr Saatchi with his hands around his wife's throat, the other showed him pinching her nose.

That incident led to Ms Lawson and her assistants dubbed Team Cupcake to move out of Mr Saatchi's home in Chelsea. It also led the Grillo sisters to bring new information to the police. They said Ms Lawson was a regular drug user, information the defence would use to try to undermine her credibility as a witness.

Ms Lawson found herself in the role of the accused. When Mr Saatchi heard about the allegations, he sent her an angry email entitled Higella.

An email Charles Saatchi sent to Nigella Lawson was read in court

"I can only laugh at your sorry depravity," it said. "Of course now the Grillos will get off on the basis that you … were so off your head on drugs that you allowed the sisters to spend whatever they liked and yes I believe every word the Grillos have said, who after all only stole money.

"I'm sure it was all great fun and now everything is perfect - bravo, you have become a celebrity hostess on a global TV game show. And you got the pass you desired, free to heartily enjoy all the drugs you want, forever. Classy."

During his evidence to the jury, Mr Saatchi said he was "bereft" that a private email had been made public. It entered the public domain because Ms Lawson considered it threatening and forwarded it to her lawyers. They in turn informed the Crown Prosecution Service, and it became part of the evidence in the trial. The Judge Robin Johnson took the unusual step of permitting it to be aired in the media even before a jury in the trial had been sworn in.

In court, he backtracked a little. He had believed the drug allegations but he had no proof. "Over this whole period she was writing books very successfully. I have never, never seen any evidence of Nigella taking drugs," he said.

When Ms Lawson came to court to give evidence she admitted having used cocaine and cannabis but denied she was addicted.

"If I was taking drugs to the extent you say I wouldn't be able to stand up here today," she said. "Regular cocaine users do not look like this. They are scrawny and unhealthy. If you think I would sabotage my health and leave my children orphans, you are wrong."

She said she first used cocaine while married to her terminally ill husband John Diamond in 2001, and once while depressed in 2010. She admitted more regular use of cannabis, including the fact that she smoked joints in front of her teenage children.

But she hit back at her ex-husband, accusing him of intimate terrorism. And she said she did not have a drug problem, telling the court: "I have a life problem."

"I was having a very very difficult time," she said. "I felt subjected to intimate terrorism by Mr Saatchi. I felt totally shamed isolated and in fear. A friend offered it to me and I took it. It completely spooked me."

She was furious that as a witness in the case she had no right to introduce evidence about her own reputation which had taken such a hammering.

Everyone, it seemed, had a opinion on the central characters, including the Prime Minister. His pro-Nigella comments in an interview held up proceedings and drew criticism from the judge.

Ms Lawson insisted she was not addicted to drugs

We can now report that Judge Robin Johnson was asked to throw out the case because the defence argued the comments meant their clients could not get a fair trial. The judge allowed it to continue but rebuked public figures for commenting on trials which were still in progress.

There was other drama behind the scenes which could not be reported while the trial was in progress. Elisabetta Grillo, or Lisa as she was usually called, collapsed while the jury were deliberating over their verdict.

Her barrister Anthony Metzer told reporters she was not breathing. She has a history of claustrophobia and panic attacks. Paramedics were called and neither she nor her sister were able to be in court when the jury were being sent home for the night.

And there were frequent terse spats between Mr Metzer and the judge, particularly over the drugs issue. Their relationship appeared to be so strained that the judge warned the jury not to take it into account when reaching their verdicts.

If Mr Saatchi had his way this would never have come to trial. He initially thought the sisters had simply been naughty. He did not want to fire them, but he did want them to pay a penance by working on a reduced salary. It was Ms Lawson who was unforgiving and insisted on calling the police.

But having heard evidence of years of household spending which went largely unchecked, the jury acquitted the sisters of fraud. It is Ms Lawson and Mr Saatchi who have paid a high price, and not just for designer clothes and luxuries. Their reputations have been scrutinised and criticised in the court of public opinion.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Nigella Lawson 'Disappointed' After PAs Cleared

Nigella Case 'Lifted Lid On Lavish Lifestyle'

Updated: 3:42pm UK, Friday 20 December 2013

By Ian Woods, Sky News Correspondent

When they called in the police to arrest the sisters who used to clean their home, Charles Saatchi and Nigella Lawson could never have imagined that so much of their dirty laundry would be aired in public.

To members of the public with only a passing interest in the case, it must have appeared that it was the now divorced couple who were on trial rather than their former employees.

The Grillo sisters may have been in the dock, but their trial lifted the lid on their employers' lifestyle and the disintegration of their marriage.

The court heard details of lavish spending by both the accused and the family they worked for. It was never clear exactly how much Francesca and Elisabetta Grillo were accused of spending. Estimates of around £300,000 to £700,000 were mentioned, but such was the lack of oversight of spending of household spending that nobody could be sure what was spent on behalf of family members and how much the sisters had spent on themselves.

The Grillos never disputed spending the money, though they argued that some items attributed to them were actually for members of the household. They insisted everything was authorised and known about by either Ms Lawson or Mr Saatchi.

That included numerous personal holidays to New York, Prague, Venice, Berlin and Paris. The sisters maintained they were given permission to buy themselves gifts as a reward for their hard work.

Eighteen months ago, when the levels of expenditure first came to light, Ms Lawson appeared to have all the ingredients for domestic bliss. She was the TV cook known to millions of viewers; her husband was the man who made millions of pounds from advertising and art collecting.

But a year later they were famous for something quite different - an incident in a Mayfair restaurant captured by a photographer which led to Mr Saatchi accepting a police caution, and led to Ms Lawson seeking a divorce. There were two photographs in particular which were discussed during the trial. One pictured Mr Saatchi with his hands around his wife's throat, the other showed him pinching her nose.

That incident led to Ms Lawson and her assistants dubbed Team Cupcake to move out of Mr Saatchi's home in Chelsea. It also led the Grillo sisters to bring new information to the police. They said Ms Lawson was a regular drug user, information the defence would use to try to undermine her credibility as a witness.

Ms Lawson found herself in the role of the accused. When Mr Saatchi heard about the allegations, he sent her an angry email entitled Higella.

"I can only laugh at your sorry depravity," it said. "Of course now the Grillos will get off on the basis that you … were so off your head on drugs that you allowed the sisters to spend whatever they liked and yes I believe every word the Grillos have said, who after all only stole money.

"I'm sure it was all great fun and now everything is perfect - bravo, you have become a celebrity hostess on a global TV game show. And you got the pass you desired, free to heartily enjoy all the drugs you want, forever. Classy."

During his evidence to the jury, Mr Saatchi said he was "bereft" that a private email had been made public. It entered the public domain because Ms Lawson considered it threatening and forwarded it to her lawyers. They in turn informed the Crown Prosecution Service, and it became part of the evidence in the trial. The Judge Robin Johnson took the unusual step of permitting it to be aired in the media even before a jury in the trial had been sworn in.

In court, he backtracked a little. He had believed the drug allegations but he had no proof. "Over this whole period she was writing books very successfully. I have never, never seen any evidence of Nigella taking drugs," he said.

When Ms Lawson came to court to give evidence she admitted having used cocaine and cannabis but denied she was addicted.

"If I was taking drugs to the extent you say I wouldn't be able to stand up here today," she said. "Regular cocaine users do not look like this. They are scrawny and unhealthy. If you think I would sabotage my health and leave my children orphans, you are wrong."

She said she first used cocaine while married to her terminally ill husband John Diamond in 2001, and once while depressed in 2010. She admitted more regular use of cannabis, including the fact that she smoked joints in front of her teenage children.

But she hit back at her ex-husband, accusing him of intimate terrorism. And she said she did not have a drug problem, telling the court: "I have a life problem."

"I was having a very very difficult time," she said. "I felt subjected to intimate terrorism by Mr Saatchi. I felt totally shamed isolated and in fear. A friend offered it to me and I took it. It completely spooked me."

She was furious that as a witness in the case she had no right to introduce evidence about her own reputation which had taken such a hammering.

Everyone, it seemed, had a opinion on the central characters, including the Prime Minister. His pro-Nigella comments in an interview held up proceedings and drew criticism from the judge.

We can now report that Judge Robin Johnson was asked to throw out the case because the defence argued the comments meant their clients could not get a fair trial. The judge allowed it to continue but rebuked public figures for commenting on trials which were still in progress.

There was other drama behind the scenes which could not be reported while the trial was in progress. Elisabetta Grillo, or Lisa as she was usually called, collapsed while the jury were deliberating over their verdict.

Her barrister Anthony Metzer told reporters she was not breathing. She has a history of claustrophobia and panic attacks. Paramedics were called and neither she nor her sister were able to be in court when the jury were being sent home for the night.

And there were frequent terse spats between Mr Metzer and the judge, particularly over the drugs issue. Their relationship appeared to be so strained that the judge warned the jury not to take it into account when reaching their verdicts.

If Mr Saatchi had his way this would never have come to trial. He initially thought the sisters had simply been naughty. He did not want to fire them, but he did want them to pay a penance by working on a reduced salary. It was Ms Lawson who was unforgiving and insisted on calling the police.

But having heard evidence of years of household spending which went largely unchecked, the jury acquitted the sisters of fraud. It is Ms Lawson and Mr Saatchi who have paid a high price, and not just for designer clothes and luxuries. Their reputations have been scrutinised and criticised in the court of public opinion.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Apollo Theatre Collapse Injures Dozens

Dozens of people have been injured, some seriously, after part of the ceiling at London's Apollo Theatre collapsed during a performance.

Fire crews and 25 ambulances are at the scene and some casualties have been removed on stretchers.

London Fire Brigade said people had initially been trapped after "heavy rafters and ornate plaster fell from the roof".

Eyewitnesses said theatre-goers left the building crying and coughing, and that some were bleeding.

Stretchers carried out some of the more seriously injured

Seventy-six people were treated after the ceiling collapse, according to the London Ambulance Service.

Seven were taken to hospital with serious injuries, and another 51 were "low priority" cases.

Assistant director Kevin Brown said all the casualties were conscious and breathing and there were no life-threatening injuries.

Chief Superintendent Paul Rickett, of the Metropolitan Police, said there was "no suggestion at this stage that (the collapse) was as a result of a criminal act".

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time was playing to more than 700 people when the ceiling came down - around 30 to 40 minutes into the performance.

More than 80 were described as "walking wounded"

Eyewitnesses said they heard loud creaking prior to the collapse, which left the auditorium engulfed by thick dust.

Martin Bostock, who was in the theatre, told Sky News: "I was in the stalls with my family in the early stages of the show.

"I think the front part of the balcony fell down. At first we thought it was part of the show, it was very dramatic.

"We got out with cuts and bruises, I think most people did."

Simon Usborne, also watching the performance, told Sky News: "A huge crack happened ... and then my whole view of the stage was obscured by a huge cloud of dust.

Some people were initially trapped by debris but all have now been freed

"I think everything in the front row of the stalls and the dress circle would have been showered with debris."

Mr Usborne said people were being treated for head injuries.

"There are a lot of people with blood on their faces," he added.

"The Curious Incident of the Dog In The Night-Time is pretty popular with families and they have left in tears, they are pretty distraught."

Another witness, William Rolt, said: "Everyone who was in there wanted to get out as quickly as possible but you couldn't see anything it was pitch black in there.

"It was complete pandemonium."

The ceiling collapse reportedly took place as a reference was made to waves crashing on Brighton rocks, with some in the audience believing the noise was part of the show.

Forty walking wounded were taken to the nearby Gielgud Theatre for treatment and London buses also took some people to hospital.

Emergency services arrived within minutes, according to one witness

Hannah - who was sitting in the balcony - told Sky News that the incident happened without much warning.

She said: "The first few rows started getting up very quickly and the ceiling just came down".

Dee Kearney told Sky News: "We were two to three rows from the stage ... and then the actor turned round and said 'Watch out!'

"We immediately thought it was part of the play - then what we felt was a loud bang and debris falling on us."

Prime Minister David Cameron paid tribute to rescue crews, writing on Twitter: "I've been updated regularly on the Apollo incident. I'm grateful for the fast work of the emergency services in helping the injured."

Sky News' Darren McCaffrey said people had been asked to leave nearby restaurants and theatres.

Structural engineers and fire crews are expected to spend most of the night assessing the safety of the Apollo.

The theatre - a Grade II listed building - was completed in 1901 and seats 755 people.

A spokesman for Nimax Theatres, which owns the Apollo, described the ceiling collapse as a "shocking and upsetting incident", adding that their "thoughts are with the audience and staff".

An investigation into the cause was under way, he added.

A district surveyor from Westminster City Council is expected to carry out a structural assessment of the building during overnight.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Adebolajo's Brother Refuses To Condemn Murder

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

The brother of Woolwich killer Michael Adebolajo has refused to condemn the murder of Lee Rigby.

Jeremiah Adebolajo told Sky News: "My brother's blood is no more expensive than the blood of an Afghan child, and I think Lee Rigby's blood is no more expensive than an Iraqi child."

When asked if he had any regrets over the murder in Woolwich, Mr Adebolajo replied: "My main regret is that foreign troops are in the land of the Muslims."

Like his brother, Mr Adebolajo believes the foreign policies of the UK and US justify direct action against British soldiers, who they believe are "enemy combatants".

The brothers grew up in Romford, Essex, with their parents and sisters.

Adebolajo was intercepted by Kenyan military trying to enter Somalia

Mr Adebolajo said: "We had a fairly ordinary upbringing. We grew up as any other Nigerian young men do I guess in east London, nothing extraordinary.

"My parents were protestant Christians. As you can imagine with most African parents, they consider religion to be something of great importance and we were no different."

Of his brother he said: "He was always concerned I guess with morality. He was a happy guy, he's a bit of a joker.

"A very athletic individual. He loves sports, football. He is an Arsenal fan."

Michael Adebolajo converted to Islam in his first year at the University of Greenwich, his brother said.

His brother said: "I don't think that there was a particular moment when he said 'I have become a Muslim'.

Lee Rigby was murdered in Woolwich on May 22

"It was a gradual change we saw in him in which he became more devoted, more practising."

Michael Adebolajo started joining street protests. In 2006 he was arrested and jailed for 51 days for assaulting two police officers when a demonstration turned violent outside the Old Bailey.

His brother, who also converted, rejects the assumption that Adebolajo was radicalised by prominent figures such as Anjem Choudray.

Jeremiah Adebolajo said: "The media have taken this line that we have a disenfranchised young Christian boy who was radicalised by these bogeymen figures, Anjem Choudary, Omar Bakri, it is a simplistic narrative.

"The truth is they had no ideological influence over my brother, none at all."

In 2010, Michael Adebolajo left his family in London and travelled to Kenya hoping to get into Somalia.

Adebolajo and Adebowale will be sentenced in January

It is widely reported he was trying to join al Shabaab but was intercepted by the Kenyan military and then deported back to the UK.

The British security services had a hand in his repatriation to Britain and were trying to recruit Adebolajo to work with them.

His brother said: "I think the public have a right to ask the security services why they brought him back when he wanted to live there under Islamic law."

Jeremiah Adebolajo also now lives abroad working as an English teacher at a university in Saudi Arabia, but has returned to London for the trial at the Old Bailey.

He has visited his brother inside HMP Belmarsh several times, most recently last Saturday.

Mr Adebolajo claimed that Michael was attacked by prison officers who knocked out the killer's front teeth during his time in prison.

He said: "It was five guys who attacked him. One of the reasons he doesn't want to get them (his teeth) fixed is because he doesn't want to hide it.

"My brother is the kind of guy that if we were young we would have a fight, he could get your teeth knocked out so it is not a huge major big deal."

On Thursday, the union for prison workers, POA, said in a statement that all five officers had been exonerated with the Crown Prosecution Service deciding there was no case to answer.

When challenged about the murder of Lee Rigby, Mr Adebolajo said he understood the condemnation of the public but added "we have to think about the reasons for these actions".

He said: "The young lady in Afghanistan who was raped and killed and burned alive by American soldiers, do you think her parents felt something similar to the parents of Lee Rigby?

"There is a danger in dehumanising Afghanistanis.

"My brother is under no illusion that his actions are going to have an overarching effect on foreign policy. He considers himself a soldier."

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Falling Tree Kills Woman As High Winds Hit

A woman has died and thousands are without power as stormy weather batters Ireland and areas of the western UK.

The 23-year-old woman was killed after a tree fell on her car in Mullingar, County Westmeath at about 4pm. She was taken to an Irish hospital but later pronounced dead.

Coastguards and an RAF helicopter have also suspended a search in "very poor" conditions after a man fell overboard from a cargo ship on the River Trent.

The 45-year-old - understood to not be wearing a life jacket - became entangled in ropes, according to a coastguard spokeswoman.

The roof of Cork's Kent station partially collapsed

"We have now stood the search down for the night, and will continue searching during tomorrow," said Humber Coastguard watch manager Mike Puplett.

A man was also seriously injured on the A45 in Warwickshire after a "large tree" fell on a car, according to West Midlands Ambulance Service.

Meanwhile, more than 17,000 people were left without power late on Wednesday night.

Around 12,000 in Ireland, 3,500 in Cumbria and Lancashire, 1,000 in Northern Ireland and nearly 900 in Neath, south Wales were cut off after damage to power lines.

Play in Man Utd's game with Stoke was suspended for a time beacuse of hail

Winds of 70-80mph were forecast in Northern Ireland and the west coast of Scotland, where an orange "be prepared" warning is in place.

South-west England and much of western Wales are under a less severe "be aware" warning from the Met Office, with gusts of between 50 to 70mph possible.

The Environment Agency has issued 24 flood warnings and 116 flood alerts, most clustered in the west of the UK, but some in central and eastern areas.

Get Live Updates on the stormy weather

However, the most serious threat is in Ireland.

The country's weather service, Met Eireann, has issued a "Status Red" severe weather warning for counties Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo.

It means that people should "take action to protect themselves and/or their properties".

Gusts of 75mph to 93mph (120 to 150 km/h) are forecast in those counties, as well as high seas in coastal areas.

An orange warning is in place for counties Cavan and Clare, and a yellow alert for Leinster, Monaghan, Roscommon, Tipperary and Waterford.

The roof of the Kent railway station in Cork, Ireland, also partially collapsed on Wednesday, leaving a passenger with minor injuries.

One Twitter user, Anna Leonard, posted: "The weather is so bad in Ireland. A woman is dead in Mullingar because of the wind. Ridiculous. Prayers with those affected!"

Elsewhere in England, Cumbria Police said roofs had been blown off a property in Seaton and the Moota Hotel on the A595, leading to road closures.

Trains between Leatherhead and Guildford, and to and from London Paddington and Liverpool Street were also experiencing delays.

Football matches were also affected by the weather.

Sheffield Wednesday's home game against Wigan was abandoned in the second half because of a waterlogged pitch and Manchester United's game with Stoke was temporarily halted by a hail storm.

The wind is expected to ease on Thursday with a forecast of sunshine and heavy showers, some wintry.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

 

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Jayden Parkinson: Police Find Body In A Grave

Police searching for missing teenager Jayden Parkinson say they have found a body in a cemetery grave in Didcot, Oxfordshire.

The 17-year-old disappeared on December 3 after she was last seen leaving the town's railway station.

Formal identification of the body has yet to take place but police believe the remains are of the missing teenager.

In a statement, Thames Valley Police said: "We can confirm that we have found a body in a recently disturbed grave in the cemetery of All Saints Church, Didcot.

"The body is believed to be that of missing teenager Jayden Parkinson. A formal identification has yet to take place.

Police made the discovery in All Saints Church in Didcot

"Jayden's family has been informed and is being supported by specially trained officers.

"Our thoughts are with them at this extremely difficult and distressing time."

Officers and forensic scientists are continuing to work at the cemetery.

More than 100 uniformed officers and detectives have been working on the case, backed up by specialists from the National Crime Agency, since she disappeared.

Ben Blakely leaves court charged with Jayden's murder

On Wednesday, the man leading the investigation, Detective Chief Superintendent Andy Murray, said police had received "significant and highly relevant information" which led their search efforts to a specific grave in the churchyard.

Jayden's former boyfriend, 22-year-old Ben Blakeley, of Reading, has appeared at Oxford Crown Court charged with her murder and perverting the course of justice.

A 17-year-old youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has also been charged with perverting the course of justice between December 3 and December 10 by assisting in the disposal of Jayden's body and other evidence.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Jayden Parkinson: Police Find Body In A Grave

Police searching for missing teenager Jayden Parkinson say they have found a body in a cemetery grave in Didcot, Oxfordshire.

The 17-year-old disappeared on December 3 after she was last seen leaving the town's railway station.

Formal identification of the body has yet to take place but police believe the remains are of the missing teenager.

In a statement, Thames Valley Police said: "We can confirm that we have found a body in a recently disturbed grave in the cemetery of All Saints Church, Didcot.

"The body is believed to be that of missing teenager Jayden Parkinson. A formal identification has yet to take place.

Police made the discovery in All Saints Church in Didcot

"Jayden's family has been informed and is being supported by specially trained officers.

"Our thoughts are with them at this extremely difficult and distressing time."

Officers and forensic scientists are continuing to work at the cemetery.

More than 100 uniformed officers and detectives have been working on the case, backed up by specialists from the National Crime Agency, since she disappeared.

Ben Blakely leaves court charged with Jayden's murder

On Wednesday, the man leading the investigation, Detective Chief Superintendent Andy Murray, said police had received "significant and highly relevant information" which led their search efforts to a specific grave in the churchyard.

Jayden's former boyfriend, 22-year-old Ben Blakeley, of Reading, has appeared at Oxford Crown Court charged with her murder and perverting the course of justice.

A 17-year-old youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has also been charged with perverting the course of justice between December 3 and December 10 by assisting in the disposal of Jayden's body and other evidence.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

09.51 | 0 komentar | Read More

Falling Tree Kills Woman As High Winds Hit

A woman has died and thousands are without power as stormy weather batters Ireland and areas of the western UK.

The 23-year-old woman was killed after a tree fell on her car in Mullingar, County Westmeath at about 4pm. She was taken to an Irish hospital but later pronounced dead.

Coastguards and an RAF helicopter have also suspended a search in "very poor" conditions after a man fell overboard from a cargo ship on the River Trent.

The 45-year-old - understood to not be wearing a life jacket - became entangled in ropes, according to a coastguard spokeswoman.

The roof of Cork's Kent station partially collapsed

"We have now stood the search down for the night, and will continue searching during tomorrow," said Humber Coastguard watch manager Mike Puplett.

A man was also seriously injured on the A45 in Warwickshire after a "large tree" fell on a car, according to West Midlands Ambulance Service.

Meanwhile, more than 17,000 people were left without power late on Wednesday night.

Around 12,000 in Ireland, 3,500 in Cumbria and Lancashire, 1,000 in Northern Ireland and nearly 900 in Neath, south Wales were cut off after damage to power lines.

Play in Man Utd's game with Stoke was suspended for a time beacuse of hail

Winds of 70-80mph were forecast in Northern Ireland and the west coast of Scotland, where an orange "be prepared" warning is in place.

South-west England and much of western Wales are under a less severe "be aware" warning from the Met Office, with gusts of between 50 to 70mph possible.

The Environment Agency has issued 24 flood warnings and 116 flood alerts, most clustered in the west of the UK, but some in central and eastern areas.

Get Live Updates on the stormy weather

However, the most serious threat is in Ireland.

The country's weather service, Met Eireann, has issued a "Status Red" severe weather warning for counties Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo.

It means that people should "take action to protect themselves and/or their properties".

Gusts of 75mph to 93mph (120 to 150 km/h) are forecast in those counties, as well as high seas in coastal areas.

An orange warning is in place for counties Cavan and Clare, and a yellow alert for Leinster, Monaghan, Roscommon, Tipperary and Waterford.

The roof of the Kent railway station in Cork, Ireland, also partially collapsed on Wednesday, leaving a passenger with minor injuries.

One Twitter user, Anna Leonard, posted: "The weather is so bad in Ireland. A woman is dead in Mullingar because of the wind. Ridiculous. Prayers with those affected!"

Elsewhere in England, Cumbria Police said roofs had been blown off a property in Seaton and the Moota Hotel on the A595, leading to road closures.

Trains between Leatherhead and Guildford, and to and from London Paddington and Liverpool Street were also experiencing delays.

Football matches were also affected by the weather.

Sheffield Wednesday's home game against Wigan was abandoned in the second half because of a waterlogged pitch and Manchester United's game with Stoke was temporarily halted by a hail storm.

The wind is expected to ease on Thursday with a forecast of sunshine and heavy showers, some wintry.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

 

09.51 | 0 komentar | Read More

Syria 'Murdered' British Doctor, Says Minister

By Joe Tidy, Sky News Reporter

A British doctor who died while being held by Syrian authorities was effectively murdered, a Foreign Office minister has said.

Dr Abbas Khan, 32, an orthopaedic surgeon from Streatham, south London, had been held in Syria for more than a year but died only days before he expected to be released.

He was seized by government troops in the rebel-held city of Aleppo after entering the country on a humanitarian mission without a visa.

Foreign Office minister Hugh Robertson said: "There is no excuse whatsoever for the treatment that he has suffered by the Syrian authorities who have in effect murdered a British national who was in their country to help people injured during their civil war."

Sara Khan, one of the doctor's six siblings, told Sky News that a Syrian official had told them a "ridiculous story" that Abbas had taken his own life.

The family were expecting him to be released in the coming days after MP George Galloway had negotiated with Syrian authorities.

Dr Khan in the operating theatre

"Last week, George Galloway called us and said we could go and collect him," Ms Khan told Sky News.

"We thought this Friday was to be the day. The deputy foreign minister of Syria called my mum to say they were going to let him go. We were so happy, we started decorating and preparing for his return.

"Then we heard from the prison that he had been taken away. Officials said it was just a final step in the process. We were sceptical.

"He went on Friday and on Monday we got a call from a security service official to say he was dead. Syrians are calling it a case of suicide - the statement released a ridiculous story of how he killed himself."

Dr Khan's sister said the family was "absolutely shocked and devastated" at the "callous crime".

"If they'd have killed him straight away I'd almost understand and accept it, but we had hope. He was due to be back with us in four days. I could never have asked for a better brother. He was an amazing person.

"He was caught up in a political row and it's unfair."

Dr Khan with his son. Pic: FreeAbbasKhan/Facebook

Mr Galloway, MP for Bradford West, called Mr Khan's death "heartbreaking" and said he had been preparing to fly to Syria to bring him home.

"I think we will have to wait for clarification on how exactly he died," said Mr Galloway.

"But this is heartbreaking and devastating news for his family who have been working so hard for so long to secure his release, particularly because his freedom had been agreed and he was due to return with me in the next few days.

"My sincere condolences go out to his family whose pain is unbearable."

Sara Khan told Sky News: "My brother is my hero. He didn't die in a normal way, he died trying to make a difference.

"Some could say he was naive for going out there and risking his life but he went out there because he knew his skills could help.

Dr Khan leaves behind a wife and two children

"He did something that he believed in and made an example for other people to do things. It's so brutal out there. Before the war, Aleppo had 1500 general surgeons - now there are only four."

Talking about his arrest on November 22, 2012, she said: "When he was taken we were grateful in a way because we knew what we were dealing with. We thought 'OK, now we can get him back'.

"We overestimated how well the regime would treat him. We'd spoken to other prisoners who'd been released and they were OK. My brother's a fully grown man so we thought he'd be OK."

She added: "We didn't get any information from the Foreign Office until June but we knew by then he'd been taken. They said we are going to look after him. Nothing happened - nobody went to see him.

"My mum went to Damascus and continuously banged on doors to find out whether he was. She took a suitcase with her - almost full of his favourite biscuits.

"Months later, she was allowed to see him at the Ministry of Justice in Syria where they brought him shackled in front of her. She didn't even recognise him, he'd lost almost half his weight and had scars all over his body and he was missing finger nails.

The doctor was caught up a political row, his sister said

"He was moved in August to a civil prison - low security almost like an open prison. He seemed to be comfortable and began teaching English to others. My mum saw him regularly at this point.

"The authorities ended up charging him with fixing the bones of the opposition but he denied treating with prejudice. He never would have done that. The trial kept getting put back."

Earlier, the Foreign Office confirmed it was investigating the reports of Dr Khan's death.

A statement said: "We are extremely concerned by reports that Dr Khan has died in detention in Syria and are urgently seeking confirmation from the Syrian authorities.

"If these tragic reports are true, responsibility for Dr Khan's death lies with them and we will be pressing for answers about what happened.

"We have consistently sought consular access to Dr Khan and information on his detention, directly and through the Russians, Czechs and others.

"All UK consular services in Syria were suspended some time ago and we continue to advise against all travel to Syria."

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Syria: Sky News Gains Access To UK Jihadists

By Stuart Ramsay, Chief Correspondent

Sky News has gained the first access to a previously unknown brigade of exclusively British jihadists fighting in Syria.

Until now, the existence of this UK brigade has been kept a secret, but it reveals that British security services have hugely underestimated the scale of UK nationals involved in the bloodshed.

In a series of wide-ranging and frank interviews, the jihadists, who have asked Sky News to protect their identities for fear of a backlash against their families in the UK, reveal that hundreds of young men from Britain have joined the fight against Bashar al Assad's government and that "at least" four die each month.

They also claim that the UK remains the largest single source of private fundraising for jihadi fighters, outdoing countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE.

In the interviews, carried out by US journalist and Muslim convert, Bilal Abdul Kareem, exclusively for Sky News, the Islamic fighters insist they have no intention of attacking UK targets or waging jihad on British soil.

One of the men, identified as Mustafa, is asked directly if he is part of al Qaeda and why he insists on hiding his identity.

"I'm not part of al Qaeda, and I've never been a part of al Qaeda - ever,"  he says.

UK jihadists say they are no threat to Britain

"I'm not a terrorist in any way. If people could see how much goodness we have in our hearts, how much mercy we have for people and how much you know we are driven by compassion to help other people they wouldn't think that we were terrorists.

"But this is a line that they have been fed and there are people that benefit from pushing that narrative about us, so I protect my identity."

This denial follows warnings from the heads of the UK's security services that young men travelling to Syria risk being radicalised before returning home to carry out terror attacks in Britain.

Fighting on a mountain top in the northeast of the country, these men look like hardcore jihadists, but when they speak they are pure Brits.

They joke and laugh between themselves, sometimes comparing the now ubiquitous "selfies".

But they hardly speak any Arabic and are dependent on one of their number to give orders on the battlefield.

Like British soldiers, they discuss kit and the best things to buy for jihad. In one exchange a young man, advised to buy new binoculars, naively asks if eBay will deliver.

"No man," one of the more seasoned fighters laughs in reply, shaking his head, "eBay won't deliver here man."

It is pure comedy. The men insist they have a moral obligation to help in Syria because of the outside world's refusal to intervene in the near three-year-old civil war, and deny they are terrorists.

"When you see atrocities carried out like what you see from the images that you see from Syria, then really as a human being, you know morally there should be an obligation just being part of the human race to defend such people," one of the brigade's leaders told Sky News.

The Britons say they were angered by the lack of international intervention

"But if morals can't, if that's not enough to motivate you, our religion demands for us that people that cannot defend themselves, that somebody needs to get up and respond to their call. Ethically, it's the only right thing to do," he said during a pause in the fighting.

The armed opposition to President Assad in the north of the country is now being waged almost exclusively by a myriad of jihadist groups supported by a significant number of foreign fighters from the USA, Canada, Northern Europe, North Africa and the former Soviet republics of Chechnya and Dagestan.

The British contingent say their numbers are increasing daily and social networking sites are helping to organise the influx into Syria.

They know that returning to their families in the UK will be extremely difficult from now on, but in reality they probably won't get the chance - the fighting footsoldier's life expectancy in Syria is very short once serious combat begins.

This committed group buck many stereotypes used to describe the Islamist fighters in Syria.

Whether anyone agrees or disagrees with them is not in itself relevant, not yet at least, as this is the first time we have ever heard them speak.

In response to Sky's exclusive report, the Foreign Office issued a statement saying: "Some people who travel from the UK to Syria for jihadist fighting will pose a security threat when they return."

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Diana Death: 'No Evidence' SAS Involved

The Concluding Summary

Updated: 7:47pm UK, Monday 16 December 2013

Scopinq Exercise re: Diana, Princess of Wales and Mr Dodi Al Fayed

Format note: As a result of the significant public and press interest in this investigation, this concluding report is written in such a format as to allow it to be released into the public domain when appropriate.

As such, it provides clear conclusions drawn from the scoping exercise, and talks in some detail about the nature and extent of that scoping.

In order to respect privacy, and in part for legal reasons, it does not name any individuals that were spoken to as a part of the scoping.

As a result of information received on 16 August 2013, the Metropolitan Police Service Specialist Crime and Operations Command commenced a scoping exercise to assess the credibility and relevance of allegations that members, or former members, of the Special Air Service (SAS) were involved in the circumstances leading to the deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales, Mr. Dodi Al Fayed, and Mr. Henri Paul on 31st August 1997 in Paris, France.

The circumstances of those deaths were thoroughly investigated by the Metropolitan Police Service at the time and were examined in detail during 2007 and 2008 in inquests into the deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales and Mr. Dodi Al Fayed led by Lord Justice Scott Baker at The Royal Courts of Justice.

On 7th April 2008 the jury delivered verdicts of 'unlawful killing, grossly negligent driving of the following vehicles and of the Mercedes"

Over the past three months, a team comprising of seven MPS Officers has undertaken the work to scope the information that has been provided, and to test its veracity. That team has included a Detective Chief Superintendent, a Detective Chief Inspector and a Detective Sergeant who have a detailed knowledge of the previous investigation and the subsequent judicial process.

Additionally, a further four officers with no prior involvement (Detective Superintendent. two Detective Inspectors and a Detective Constable) have been part of the team pursuing viable lines of enquiry with an open and objective approach.

Due to the unique nature of the circumstances and depite the limited nature of the originating information, the work has been undertaken to a very detailed level of scrutiny and probing, and has been overseen by Deputy Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt. He has had no prior involvement In the case.

As part of the scoping exercise the team has liaised closely with West Mercia Police Dyfed Powys Police. West Midlands Police, the Royal Military Police, the Ministry of Defence and Special Forces Directorate. All of these bodies have given full co-operation and assistance.

In addition the team has liaised with the legal representatives of witnesses and family members Officers on the team have also reviewed additional investigations and information that have been deemed relevant to the scoping exercise, despite not having been part of the originating information.

This has included one specific piece of information suggesting that a similar comment had been made by a person unrelated to the initial information. This has been fully examined, and the same conclusions have been reached about this information, as have been drawn about the originating information.

As part of this scoping exercise the team has been given unprecedented access to Special Forces Directorate records and have taken eight statements.

Within the accounts provided, contradictions exist as to whether individuals did or did not, make claims or assertions that people associated with The Special Air Service had some involvement in the deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales, Mr Dodi Al Fayed, and Mr. Henri Paul.

It is not possible to prove conclusively what was, or was not said. It is, however, very clear that in the extraordinary publicity and conjecture that followed the deaths and the inquests, there will have been those who, for whatever motivation, will have sought to demonstrate particular inside knowledge, or to claim some form of kudos or recognition.

The Detective Superintendent on the team has personally examined The Special Forces Directorate records, and has been given unprecedented access to all documents that it was necessary to examine as part of the scoping.

This has confirmed that for the material time period, there was no relevant operation, assignment, intelligence gathering or deployment that had any links to Paris, and no evidence to support a claim that there was any involvement of The Special Air Service Regiment in any plot to cause the deaths.

Much has been made in the media of the so-called 'black box' at Hereford, through which, it is alleged, unofficial tasking can be made for serving or former members of the regiment. No evidence whatsoever has been found to support the existence of such a box, notwithstanding the fact that this story now appears to have passed into 'folk-lore'.

Formal statements have been provided by both the Director Special Forces, and the Commanding Officer of 22 Special Air Service Regiment who categorically deny the existence of such a box. The conclusion of the scoping exercise is that no such box or tasking arrangements exist.

As is inevitable during such a scoping exercise, other information and allegations emerge as a result of the attendant publicity, which are not directly related to the matter at hand. Where appropriate, these have been referred to the Police Force for the relevant UK jurisdiction.

Information that has been received from members of the public that did appear to be relevant to the circumstances of the deaths has been systematically reviewed. None has been found to be genuinely 'new' relevant evidence.

Throughout this scoping exercise, every reasonable line of enquiry has been objectively pursued in order to fully evaluate any evidence that might be available to support this extremely serious allegation.

The strong conclusion of the scoping exercise is that whilst there is a possibility that the alleged comments (referring to SAS involvement in the deaths) may have been made, there is absolutely no credible evidence to support a theory that such claims had any basis in fact.

No credible evidence has been found to support any assertion or claim that members or former members of The Special Air Service Regiment were in any way involved in the three deaths.

There is no doubt that with the level of public interest in this case, there will continue to be a considerable level of theorizing and speculation.

Based on a thorough scoping exercise by experienced and senior detectives, the conclusion is that there is no evidence that would cause The Metropolitan Police Service to refer matters back to the Coroner, and that there is no evidential basis to justify a re-opening of the investigation into the deaths.

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Peer 'Earns £300 For 40 Minutes Of Work'

A peer jailed for expenses fraud has defended regularly "clocking in" to claim a £300 daily attendance allowance despite spending less than 40 minutes inside the House of Lords.

Lord Hanningfield - who served nine weeks of a nine-month jail sentence in 2011 for falsely claiming £28,000 in parliamentary expenses - suggested it was normal practice.

He also said as many as 50 other peers have done the same.

The money went on "entertaining, meeting people, employing people", he said, adding that he was a "full-time peer" who needed to be able to pay his electricity bill and buy food.

There is no suggestion the former Conservative broke any rules, but he faces calls from a Labour MP for him to be investigated by parliamentary authorities.

John Mann MP said: "There needs to be a full investigation into how he has been allowed to get away with it. We need to give the House of Lords a proper and transparent spring cleaning."

The Daily Mirror said on 11 of 19 days that it monitored the peer's movements in July, he travelled to Westminster from his home in Essex but spent less than 40 minutes in the Lords before returning.

The shortest attendance during the month was 21 minutes and the longest more than five hours, it said - with a total of £5,700 claimed in attendance allowance over the month and £471 in travel costs.

Lord Hanningfield told the newspaper: "Lots of peers go in and check in for their expenses, but they are using their expenses for a lot of things, entertaining, meeting people, employing people."

He added: "Clocking in and out of Parliament is only part of being a peer.

"By the time I have people at home to help, time I have people in the House of Lords to help me, I spend something like £150 a day on expenses, so I don't really make any profit."

He told the newspaper: "I can name 50 that do it. I see the same people go in and out as I do. I don't want to be persecuted."

The former leader of Essex County Council, who was stripped of the Tory whip in 2010, said that in July he had been "trying to get myself back on track" after suffering a breakdown because of the expenses scandal.

Kevin Maguire, associate editor at The Daily Mirror, said that Lord Hanningfield should name any other peers who also "clock in".

"He says he could name 50 other peers who do exactly the same as he does," Mr Maguire told Sky News.

"Well, come on Lord Hanningfield, name them. I think the public has right to know. Because they're claiming £300 a day tax free. And if they're not working, they shouldn't be paid."

A guide for peers on claiming the £300 daily allowance says that it is available to those "who certify that they have carried out appropriate Parliamentary work".

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Peter O'Toole: Lawrence Of Arabia Star Dies

Actor Peter O'Toole, who shot to fame in the Oscar-winning epic Lawrence of Arabia, has died, aged 81.

The acclaimed leading man died yesterday at the Wellington hospital in London after a long illness, his agent Steve Kenis said.

"He was one of a kind in the very best sense and a giant in his field," Mr Kenis said.

O'Toole enjoyed a long stage and film career and was nominated for an Oscar eight times. He did not win but received a special Oscar from his peers for his contribution to film.

He was best known for his 1962 role in the epic David Lean film Lawrence Of Arabia. 

After O'Toole's first best-actor nomination for British adventurer TE Lawrence followed Oscar nominations for 1964's Becket, 1968's The Lion In Winter, 1969's Goodbye, Mr Chips, 1972's The Ruling Class, 1980's The Stunt Man and 1982's My Favourite Year.

Peter O'Toole with his son Lorcan and daughter Kate in 2007

In the latter film, O'Toole played a dissolute actor preoccupied with drink and debauchery, seemingly a tailor-made role for a star known in his early years for epic carousing with such fellow party animals as Richard Burton, Richard Harris and Peter Finch.

O'Toole's last Oscar nomination was for Best Actor in the 2006 movie Venus. He won an honorary Oscar in 2003 for his numerous memorable roles.

He went into acting after serving in the Royal Navy, studying at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

His early stage successes included the lead in Hamlet and Shylock in The Merchant of Venice.

However, he did win four Golden Globes, a Bafta and an Emmy.

O'Toole studies for his role of TE Lawrence in 1962

The Irish president Michael D Higgins, a personal friend, paid tribute, saying: "I have heard with great sadness of the passing of Peter O'Toole this weekend. Ireland, and the world, has lost one of the giants of film and theatre.

"In a long list of leading roles on stage and in film, Peter brought an extraordinary standard to bear as an actor.

"He was unsurpassed for the grace he brought to every performance on and off the stage."

His daughter, Kate O'Toole, said: "His family are very appreciative and completely overwhelmed by the outpouring of real love and affection being expressed towards him, and to us, during this unhappy time. Thank you all, from the bottom of our hearts."

Asking for time to grieve privately, she said: "In due course there will be a memorial filled with song and good cheer, as he would have wished.

The actor arriving for the 2003 Oscars where he received an honorary award

"Thank you all again for your beautiful tributes - keep them coming."

O'Toole announced his retirement from acting in July 2012, saying: "It is time for me to chuck in the sponge. To retire from films and stage.

"The heart for it has gone out of me. It won't come back."

He said his career had brought him "public support, emotional fulfilment and material comfort".

O'Toole in Macbeth at the Old Vic in London in 1981

He said: "It has brought me together with fine people, good companions with whom I've shared the inevitable lot of all actors - flops and hits."

O'Toole was married to the actress Sian Phillips for 20 years until 1979. They had two children, Kate and Patricia. He later had a son, Lorcan, by Karen Brown.

Seamus Peter O'Toole was born on August 2, 1932 but his place of birth remains a mystery. No living person is sure whether it was Connemara, Dublin, or Leeds, where he was brought up. 

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Jayden Parkinson: Man Charged With Murder

A 22-year-old man has been charged with the murder of Oxfordshire teenager Jayden Parkinson, police have said.

Ben Blakeley, of Christchurch Road, Reading, has also been charged with perverting the course of justice.

He has been remanded in custody to appear at Oxford Magistrates' Court later this morning.

A 17-year-old boy, who was also arrested on suspicion of murder, remains in police custody.

Jayden has been missing for nearly two weeks and is thought to have been killed.

She was last seen leaving Didcot Parkway train station, in Oxfordshire, at 4.27pm on December 3 - and did not return home that evening as planned.

The police search is continuing

Specialist search teams backed by helicopters and police dogs have continued searching an area of farmland just outside the village of Upton, near Didcot, where they appear to be focusing on a small patch of woodland near the church.

The police's inquiry team has now grown to more than 100 officers as the force tries to discover what has happened to the teenager.

Oxfordshire police commander Superintendent Christian Bunt said officers were also continuing to sift a grassy area of wasteland in the Lydalls Road area of Didcot.

Residential addresses have also been searched and a recycling bin was earlier removed for further examination.

Supt Bunt thanked the public for their help with the inquiry so far, but urged people not to carry out their own searches as these could prove a risk to the ongoing police investigation.

Jayden was living in a hostel in Oxford before she disappeared

Jayden recently left home in Didcot to live in Oxford.

In a heartfelt plea, her mother Samantha Shrewsbury posted a message on social media site Facebook on Sunday saying: "My baby, my princess, my heart is so heavy, baby girl.

"I just want to see you walk through my door with a 'ta-dar'. I need you little lady, my heart feels so empty without you."

Police have pieced together her movements in the run-up to her disappearance, and believe she walked up Oxford's High Street through the town centre, arriving at the train station at 4.07pm, where she then boarded a train to Didcot.

The very last sighting of her is when she left Didcot train station at about 4.27pm.

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Mandela Funeral: Mourners Angry At Procession

Tribal Traditions At Mandela Burial

Updated: 11:05am UK, Saturday 14 December 2013

By Alex Crawford, Special Correspondent, in Qunu

He is Qunu's most famous son and the return of Nelson Mandela's body to his ancestral homeland is not just for sentimental reasons - it is part of Xhosa tradition that those who pass away are returned to the soil from where they came.

This weekend sees a stark shift in tempo, organisation and ceremony as the state funeral meshes with the centuries-old traditions of Mr Mandela's countrymen and women in the rural Eastern Cape.

"We feel very represented by Nelson Mandela," Mandisi Tshaka, a young Xhosa man, resplendent in his traditional robes and big beaded necklace, told me.

"Everyone in the world knows the Xhosa tribe because of him and we're saluting him."

The South African government has announced the former president's state funeral is a "first for the country" and means full military ceremonial honours will be laid on and led by the armed forces.

There will be 21-gun salutes and a fly-over by the South African Air Force.

But there is a strong importance being put on performing the Xhosa rites as Mr Mandela is laid to rest.

There will be a ritual slaughtering of an ox in the early hours before receiving his body at Mthatha airport in the Eastern Cape.

The AbaThembu king, Buyelekhaya Dalindyebo, is expected to lead a group of traditional leaders as well as Mandela elders in welcoming him home to the village of Qunu, where he spent much of his childhood.

Xhosa custom dictates a welcome ritual is performed to ensure the ancestors are informed of the arrival of Mr Mandela's remains.

Mr Mandela will be called on by his praise name Dlibhunga and the AbaThembu king will shout this three times as he greets the body when he arrives home.

Despite the pomp and ceremony of the state funeral, there will be equal, if not more, importance put on the traditional Xhosa burial rituals to ensure the man they call Madiba has an easy transition into the afterworld.

The Xhosa king, Zwelonke Sigcau, told Sky News: "The Xhosa people believe Nelson Mandela is not leaving us. It is just his body which is going into the ground. His spirit will remain."

In the African culture many believe a dead person's spirit lives on beyond death and joins other ancestors who guide, help and protect the living.

It is a belief which greatly helps alleviate the pain felt by the loss of a loved one - and Mr Mandela may assume even greater importance amongst his people because of his exalted status as a spiritual ancestor now.

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Jayden Parkinson: Police Launch Murder Inquiry

Police investigating the disappearance of teenager Jayden Parkinson now believe she was murdered.

Jayden, 17, from Oxford, was last seen leaving Didcot Parkway train station at 4.27pm on December 3 - and did not return home that evening as planned.

In a news conference this afternoon, Detective Chief Superintendent Andy Murray revealed that police have upgraded the case to a murder investigation and are looking for a man who was seen in an open field near Upton on December 9 at 2am.

"The father in me would like to think that Jayden is still out there, but I'm afraid the detective in me leads me to conclude that Jayden may well have been murdered," said Mr Murray. 

Jayden Parkinson has been missing for 12 days

The man spotted in Upton was carrying a large suitcase in the rural area and notably struggling to "manage" the heavy case.

"This man was having difficulty wheeling that suitcase," said Mr Murray.

He said the same man was seen in Didcot around 30 minutes later with the same suitcase, and police are appealing for sightings of the man or the case. 

The man is described as a white male in his early 20s, with short dark hair and of medium to slim build. 

The case was approximately 3ft long and 2ft wide, likely a pale blue colour, and had an extendable handle and wheels, said Mr Murray. 

A Sky graphic of the man and suitcase based on police descriptions

Police said a recycling bin has been recovered as part of the investigation from the former Crown Pub in Queensway in Didcot. 

An address in Abbott Road, Didcot, is also cordoned off by police while a search is carried out on the property.

Thames Valley Police are currently holding two people - a 22-year-old man and 17-year-old boy - in relation to the case.

Police said earlier this week that the 22-year-old was in a relationship with Jayden. 

Jayden was living with her mother in Didcot until November this year, when she found herself homeless.

Didcot and Upton

The teenager relocated to an Oxford service called One Foot Forward, which offers assisted and supported accommodation for young people.

Police said Jayden has made no financial transactions, or accessed the internet or her phone since she went missing 12 days ago.

A team of 50 detectives are currently assisting with the case and specialist teams will be scouring the Upton area for the next week.

Anyone with information has been urged to contact Thames Valley Police on 101 and quote URN 542 10/12, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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