Plebgate Police Officer Admits Misconduct

A police officer involved in the Plebgate scandal has pleaded guilty in court to misconduct in public office.

PC Keith Wallis has admitted sending an email in which he lied when he said he had witnessed an incident between the former Chief Whip Andrew Mitchell and a police officer at the gates of Downing Street in 2012.

During the incident, Mr Mitchell was alleged to have called the officer a "****ing pleb" after they became embroiled in an argument when the PC refused to let him cycle through the main gates.

Details of the row appeared in national newspapers and Mr Mitchell was forced to resign.

The Tory MP has always maintained that he never used the word "pleb" - the word judged to have caused the political damage - but admitted swearing during the altercation with PC Toby Rowland.

Mr Mitchell with his bike at the gates of Downing Street

Following the incident Wallis, a member of the Metropolitan Police Diplomatic Protection Group, sent an email to the deputy chief whip John Randall, who was his MP, saying he had been sightseeing in the capital when he saw the row.

Wallis sent the email from a private address but it was quickly established that he was a serving officer and that he was not present at the gates of Downing Street during the incident.

At the Old Bailey today, Wallis, 53, of West Drayton, pleaded guilty to misconduct and the court heard that he would offer his resignation from the police force. He will be sentenced on February 6.

Andrew Mitchell at a press conference in November

Mr Mitchell, MP for Sutton Coldfield, said: "I am pleased that justice has been done in a criminal court today.

"It is very sad and worrying for all of us that a serving police officer should have behaved in this way. There remain many questions unanswered, in particular why PC Wallis wrote this email and who else was involved in this process."

Prime Minister David Cameron said: "It is completely unacceptable for a serving police officer to falsify an account of any incident.

"Andrew Mitchell has consistently denied the version of events presented in the email and I welcome the fact that the officer concerned has now pleaded guilty."

The case and the subsequent police investigation into the incident have been acknowledged by the Metropolitan force to have significantly damaged the public trust in it.

Mr Mitchell's resignation letter to David Cameron

The guilty plea comes as the Met is facing a fierce backlash over the case of Mark Duggan, who was shot dead by officers on the streets of Tottenham and whose killing sparked the London riots in 2011.

An inquest jury this week concluded Mr Duggan was lawfully shot but there remain significant questions over the police handling of the case and claims regarding collusion over the evidence of officers.

Speaking after the guilty plea, Met Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe said: "This investigation has been a ruthless search for the truth as at the heart of this are extremely damaging allegations that officers have lied and falsified statements against a Cabinet Minister.

"The evidence against PC Wallis was such that he has entered a guilty plea.

"To lie about witnessing something and provide a false account falls way below the standards that I and PC Wallis's colleagues expect of police officers.

"His actions have also negatively impacted upon public trust and confidence in the integrity of police officers.

"I would also like to apologise to Mr Mitchell that an MPS officer clearly lied about seeing him behaving in a certain manner. I will be writing to him offering to meet and apologise in person.

"I expect my officers to serve the public without fear or favour. Where officers break the law, they must expect to be held to account and answer for what they have done."

The investigation into the Plebgate incident has cost the public more than £300,000 and involved 1,100 statements being taken and 439 exhibits seized.

Mr Mitchell has always claimed he was "stitched up" and that he was a victim of police revenge for Government-led cuts.

In November, the Crown Prosecution Service announced that it had no evidence to suggest that PC Rowland was involved in any wrong-doing and there is nothing to suggest he knew about the Wallis email.

Last month the officer announced he was suing Mr Mitchell for libel over comments made in the fall-out of the Downing Street incident.

Mr Mitchell announced in March that he was suing The Sun for libel over the original story.

In total, 11 officers face disciplinary proceedings in relation to the Plebgate story and risk losing their jobs.

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Thames Homes Flooded As River Bursts Banks

Homeowners along the River Thames face mopping up operations after the River Thames burst its banks on Friday.

Parts of the river, stretching from Buscot in Oxfordshire to Bourne End in Buckinghamshire, were under flood warnings as heavy rain over recent days caused river levels to rise.

Ground floors and gardens along the River Thames are under water

Residents were warned on Thursday to expect flooding, with many moving belongings to prevent damage.

Images captured homes close to the banks of the river underwater, with flood waters causing damage to ground floors and gardens.

People use a boat to get around

Affected areas included Marlow and Cookham in Buckinghamshire, as well as Shiplake and Wargrave in Berkshire and parts of south Oxford.

The Environment Agency (EA) has 94 flood warnings in place - meaning immediate action is required due to expected flooding - the majority of them in the South East.

Homes in Marlow, Cookham, Shiplake and Wargrave have flooded

Although there is not expected to be significant rainfall over the weekend, the EA said there remained a medium risk of further flooding - mainly in the South - where groundwater levels are high and surface run-off continues to enter already swollen rivers.

Parts of Dorset and Wiltshire are also at risk of flooding, with warnings of possible travel disruption.

David Cameron visits flooded homes in his Witney constituency

David Cameron visited flooded homes in his Witney constituency on Friday.

It comes as climate experts backed the Prime Minister's comments on the increase of "abnormal" weather events and their link to climate change.

Flood warnings along the River Thames. Pic: Environment Agency

Mr Cameron made the comments this week as communities around the UK dealt with the aftermath of a succession of storms in December.

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Mark Duggan's Aunt 'Shocked And Bewildered'

Mark Duggan's aunt has told Sky News her family will pursue a judicial review after a jury concluded he had been killed lawfully by police.

Carole Duggan said of her family: "We feel shocked, bewildered, upset, confused even", and added: "We just did not expect that result."

"We were hoping for unlawful killing but in reality we were thinking maybe an open verdict.

"But when they came back with lawful killing it was a blow to the family."

It comes as the police watchdog, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), said it was hoping to hold an "urgent" meeting with the family next week.

Ms Duggan was earlier critical of the organisation, saying: "If the IPCC in the beginning had done a thorough investigation, the jury may have come to a different conclusion."

She said of the inquest into his death: "It must have been difficult for the jury to undergo that for three months, days in, day out so we have to give them their due in that sense.

There was anger among Mr Duggan's supporters at the jury's conclusion

"But it (the conclusion) wasn't right."

The family is planning to hold a vigil on Saturday in Tottenham, north London, where he was shot in August 2011, to remember him.

Ms Duggan, who on Wednesday claimed her nephew was "executed", said: "It's a peaceful vigil to respect Mark and highlight the fact he didn't get justice."

In the days after his death, there were riots in Tottenham which spread to other areas of London and further afield to cities in England.

Ms Duggan told Sky News: "We're sick of hearing the Duggan family being linked with the 2011 uprising.

"My family had nothing at all to do with those uprisings. People that took part probably had grievances with the police."

The jury concluded on Wednesday that Mr Duggan, 29, had been killed lawfully despite not holding a gun at the time.

Jurors said they believed he had a gun with him in a taxi immediately before police stopped the vehicle but threw it over railings in the moments before he was shot by a marksman.

The conclusion of the inquest led to anger from Mr Duggan's supporters and family both inside and outside London's Royal Courts of Justice.

Jurors said they believed Mark Duggan threw the gun away before he was shot

Ms Duggan said: "We're going to go for a judicial review. I think that's the standard practice. And from there, any avenue. We're not going anywhere. We need justice to be served."

David Cameron has appealed for a calm response to the inquest verdict.

The Prime Minister said he hoped people would respect the "proper judicial process" and welcomed the stance taken by Ms Duggan, who said she wanted "no more violence".

The Met is trying to rebuild trust over the controversial killing, with Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe meeting community leaders over how to improve relationships with the force.

He told Sky News he understands the inquest verdict is "distressing" and "confusing" to his family.

And he thanked them "for expressing their desire to pursue their case peacefully, and discouraging further demonstrations or protests".

Firearms officers will trial the use of body-worn video cameras to improve public confidence in the wake of the Mr Duggan's killing, it has emerged.

Senior officers want to use the camera technology from April, to avoid the dispute and uncertainty which has dogged the Duggan investigation.

Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley said: "There are great benefits to having these incidents on video. Look at the Lee Rigby case - everyone knows what happened.

"We don't need all these different opinions and conjecture - it's much easier to get to the facts."

Mr Rowley will appear before the Home Affairs Select Committee next Tuesday to discuss Mr Duggan's death.

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Parking Tickets: Five-Minute Grace Period Plan

By Tadhg Enright, Sky News Reporter

A five-minute grace period for motorists who overstay their parking is on a list of proposals being considered by the Government to make parking enforcement fairer.

Many councils say they already allow motorists to stay for a few minutes longer before writing a ticket but it is a grey area which would be cleared up if written into law.

Transport Minister Robert Goodwill said: "The Government is committed to reining in over-zealous parking enforcement and unjust parking practices. It is not fair to motorists and needs to stop.

"We have also recently launched a public consultation proposing a number of changes to make sure local authorities are not short-changing motorists and operate in a fair manner.

"These changes could see the end of CCTV being used for on-street parking, unnecessary yellow lines and the introduction of compulsory 'grace periods' at the end of paid on-street parking."

The proposed changes follow a report by MPs on the Transport Select Committee into problems with parking enforcement that give motorists the perception that fines are imposed simply to raise revenue for local authorities.

Chairperson Louise Ellman MP told Sky News: "People get very concerned when they're paying out penalty charges. Sometimes they think that they were misled and that signs were not clear. 

"And often they believe that those charges are levied for the purpose of raising revenue. It would actually be illegal to do that so councils have to be much more transparent about what money they raise."

The Government is also planning to make signage clearer so motorists do not get confused about local parking enforcement rules.

Councils will have to prepare annual reports in which they reveal how much income they make from parking charges and fines.

They will also be reminded that parking fines are not a "cash cow" and should not be used to raise money for council spending.

Cllr David Simmonds, Chair of the Local Government Association, told Sky News: "Local councils receive about £500m a year in income from motorists for parking and penalty charges, all of which is spent on roads and transport. 

"The Treasury received about £45bn a year in taxes from motorists of which about £10bn goes back into transport so it's pretty clear that the taxpayer isn't getting as great a deal from central government as they are from local government."

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Duggan Verdict: Mark Was Executed, Say Family

The family of Mark Duggan have vowed to fight for justice in his name, saying the 29-year-old was "executed" by police on the streets of Tottenham.

The comments come after an inquest jury found Mr Duggan was lawfully killed when he was shot in August 2011, despite not holding a gun at the time.

Speaking outside London's Royal Courts of Justice, Mr Duggan's aunt Carole Duggan said: "The majority of people in this country know that Mark was executed. He was executed and we still believe that.

"We're going to fight until we have no breath in our body: for justice, for Mark, for his children, for all of those deaths in custody. We are not giving up. No justice, no peace."

The jury concluded that Mr Duggan was lawfully killed. They said they believed he had a gun with him in the taxi immediately before police stopped the vehicle in August 2011, but that he threw it over railings as soon as he left the cab.

When he was shot dead by police moments later he did not have a gun in his hand. 

The conclusion of the inquest led to angry scenes both inside and outside the court.

An aerial shot shows the taxi in which Mr Duggan was travelling

Supporters of the Duggan family shouted abuse at the jurors and reportedly smashed a court door.

Outside, shouts of "no justice, no peace" could be heard as angry supporters voiced their outrage at the finding.

The family's solicitor Marcia Willis Stewart described the conclusion as "a perverse judgment".

"The jury found that he had no gun in his hand and yet he was gunned down. For us that's an unlawful killing.

"The family are in a state of shock and we would ask that you respect their shock. They can't believe that this has been the outcome. No gun in his hand and yet he was killed."

There were further angry scenes as Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley gave a statement to the media gathered outside the court. 

His statement was drowned out amid the shouts of Mr Duggan's supporters, who called out "Who killed Mark Duggan? The police killed Mark Duggan."

In the statement issued through Scotland Yard later, Mr Rowley said: "No officer sets out at the start of the day to run an operation that results in someone dying.

"So our sympathy today is with Mark Duggan's family. They have lost a loved one.

"But the task our officers face in making split-second decisions when confronting armed criminals means there is a risk - a very small risk - that this will happen.

"Armed criminals have shot dead more than 50 people in London in the last three-and-a-half years. We send out well-trained, professional armed officers thousands of times a year to combat this threat, only firing shots once or twice.

"These careful tactics have significantly reduced gun crime."

Responding to the inquest's finding, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) Deputy Chair and Commissioner Rachel Cerfontyne said: ""Our investigation is open and ongoing.

"I have always said that we would consider any new evidence emerging from the inquest and we are now doing so."

Tottenham MP David Lammy, whose constituency was at the heart of the 2011 London riots, said "further clarification" was needed over Mr Duggan's death.

The Labour politician said questions had to be answered to allow the relationship between the community and police to heal. 

A photograph of the taxi's interior released as evidence at the inquest

"The jury found that a number of key errors were made by Operation Trident and Soca officers in the hours leading up to the shooting.

"There are fundamental and lingering issues that the Independent Police Complaints Commission investigation - now reopened - must attempt to clarify.

"These questions must be answered not just for the sake of the Duggan family but to diffuse the confusion, conjecture and suspicion that continue to surround the events of that August evening.

"The Duggan family's sorrow and anger was palpable in court this afternoon and it is a feeling that will inevitably be reflected in the wider community.

"Further clarification on the events surrounding Mark Duggan's shooting is essential to enable the relationship between the community and the police to move forward."

London Mayor Boris Johnson said the inquest had been a "difficult and tragic case for all involved".

"This has been a difficult and tragic case for all involved and my sympathy today is with Mark Duggan's family. They have lost a loved one and it's right that Assistant Commissioner Rowley has offered to meet with them," he said.

"On any given day highly trained Metropolitan Police firearms officers can and do face life threatening situations in which they have to make instant judgements under incredible pressure, and yet in the last four years, having responded thousands of times, they have discharged their weapons on just six occasions.

"Londoners should feel assured that the police do an incredible job keeping this city safe."

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Mark Duggan Inquest: Police Chief Heckled

Furious Mark Duggan supporters drowned out police chief Mark Rowley as he read a statement which defended the armed officer who killed the 29-year-old.

Security staff protected the Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner as protesters chanted insults including "racists", "scum" and "murderers".

Mr Duggan was shot dead by armed police in Tottenham in summer 2011, sparking rioting in London that eventually spread to other cities.

The angry scenes came after an inquest jury found Mr Duggan was unarmed when he was shot dead but was still killed using lawful force.

The jury said they believed he had a gun in the taxi immediately before police stopped the vehicle in August 2011, but that he threw the weapon over railings as soon as he left the cab - and before an armed officer fired the fatal shot.

A photo of Mr Duggan's clothing was shown at the inquest

Assistant Commissioner Rowley later issued a statement defending the "split-second decisions" made by officers and expressing sympathy with Mr Duggan's family.

He said: "Mark Duggan had a gun ... our officer had an honest and reasonable belief that Mark Duggan still had the gun when he shot him."

He also offered to meet the family in person.

Screams and shouts of "rubbish" and "he was murdered" were heard inside London's Royal Courts of Justice when the verdict was delivered on Wednesday afternoon.

Some supporters of Mr Duggan stormed out of the courtroom, others had to be restrained, and a door was reportedly smashed in.

Carole Duggan, Mr Duggan's aunt, told reporters outside court: "He was executed and we still believe that.

Carole Duggan: 'We are going to fight until we have no breath in our body'

"We are going to fight until we have no breath in our body for justice for Mark, for his children, for all the deaths in custody."

The family's lawyer, Marcia Willis Stewart, said they were "in a state of shock" and called the outcome a "perverse judgement".

Police intelligence in 2011 had suggested Mr Duggan was a gang member involved in gun and drugs crimes.

On the day he was killed, officers believed he had just collected a gun from east London.

However, the jury of seven women and three men also decided that police had not done enough to collect and react to intelligence about those claims.

A firearms officer shot Mr Duggan twice when he emerged from a minicab that police had 'hard stopped' in Tottenham, north London, on August 4, 2011.

One bullet went through his arm, the other hit his chest and killed him.

The handgun was a major point of contention in the inquest

At the centre of the inquest was the issue of a handgun, found, said police, 10 to 20 feet from Mr Duggan's body and on the other side of park railings.

In heated exchanges with the Duggan family lawyer, police denied suggestions they had planted the gun.

The weapon was wrapped in a sock.

Neither had any trace of Mr Duggan's DNA or fingerprints, but his prints were found on a shoebox police said had been used to carry the gun inside the minicab.

One witness, Witness B, told jurors Mr Duggan was "definitely" holding a phone in his hand when he was killed.

But the police marksman who fired the shots, granted anonymity, told the inquest he had "an honestly held belief" that the suspect had a gun and was about to shoot him.

Mr Duggan's death prompted rioting in Tottenham, which eventually spread to other areas of the capital and beyond.

The inquest was shown a dummy pinpointing where the shots hit Mr Duggan

The Independent Police Complaints Commission is still investigating the incident.

In an interim statement in August, it said it had so far found no evidence of criminality by police officers.

But Mr Duggan's family has said it has not been kept fully informed of the investigation's progress and condemned the IPCC for suggesting early on that Mr Duggan, a father of six, had died in "a shoot-out with police".

Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley's statement expressed condolences to the family but also defended the tactics of armed police.

He said: "No officer sets out at the start of the day to run an operation that results in someone dying. So our sympathy today is with Mark Duggan's family. They have lost a loved one.

"But the task our officers face in making split-second decisions when confronting armed criminals means there is a risk - a very small risk - that this will happen.

"Armed criminals have shot dead more than 50 people in London in the last three and a half years.

"We send out well-trained, professional armed officers thousands of times a year to combat this threat, only firing shots once or twice. These careful tactics have significantly reduced gun crime."

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Sheffield: Family Jailed Over 'Slave' Beatings

Three members of a family have been jailed for keeping a vulnerable man as a "slave" and subjecting him to daily beatings.

Ice cream man David Rooke, 44, was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in jail after admitting falsely imprisoning and assaulting 34-year-old Craig Kinsella.

The family had used him like a "punchbag", said the judge at Sheffield Crown Court.

Disturbing CCTV of the family beating Mr Kinsella was shown in court.

The abuse took place over a six-week period between May and July 2013 and the court heard how Mr Kinsella was kept in "grotesque" conditions in a garage, had to use a bucket for a toilet, and scavenged for food in bins.

David Rooke admitted false imprisonment and five counts of ABH

Rooke's wife Donna, 40, was jailed for four months for battery, while their son Jamie, 19, received four-and-a-half years for five counts of actual bodily harm and affray.

"He was just your punchbag, all three of you. If you were in a bad mood you would just go and kick and punch Craig Kinsella," said Judge Kelson.

"It is staggering that this is happening in our society, absolutely staggering. It is almost unbelievable."

Police found Mr Kinsella in a shocking physical state after responding to reports of a man being abused outside the Rooke house on July 6 last year.

David Rooke's son, Jamie, was jailed for more than four years

He had a broken right arm, a fractured rib, extreme bruising to his back and around his kidney, a fractured chin and cuts, as well as lumps and bruises on his head and legs.

Prosecutors said Mr Kinsella was beaten with weapons that included a pick-axe handle and crowbar.

They said he was so scared of the beatings he would work from 7.30am to midnight for no money, cleaning the family's garden and vans.

Mr Kinsella had learning difficulties, and had first worked for the family a number of years ago, receiving £40 a week so he could keep claiming benefits.

Donna Rooke admitted a charge of battery and received four months in jail

David Rooke was also ordered to pay Mr Kinsella £15,000 that police found in his home.

Detective Inspector Vicky Short, who led the investigation, said: "It is hard to understand how any human being could treat an individual in such a grotesque, callous and inhuman manner.

"I am confident that if we had not received that phone call that day last July we would have been investigating a murder."

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US Helicopter Crashes Off North Norfolk Coast

Four crew members have died after a US military helicopter crashed in Norfolk during a training mission.

The Pave Hawk was taking part in a low-flying exercise when it came down in Cley-next-the-Sea at around 7pm on Tuesday.

The aircraft was carrying ammunition at the time of the crash, and police are investigating if it poses any risk to the public.

A 400-metre cordon has been set up around the site, which was at a nature reserve, and residents were allowed to stay in their homes, although pedestrians and motorists were cleared from the scene.

The helicopter was based at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk.

The military helicopter crashed in Cley Next The Sea in North Norfolk

The 48th Air Wing of the US Air Force based at RAF Lakenheath said on Twitter: "We can confirm that one of our HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters was involved in an incident during a training mission outside Cley-Next-The-Sea."

Around a dozen emergency vehicles from the fire brigade, coastguard and police are at the scene.

Cley artist Rachel Lockwood said: "We had never seen so many police cars and fire engines, so went to have a look.

"The beach road to Cley is sealed off. There are lots of fire engines near the Dun Cow pub at Salthouse.

"A helicopter is hovering over the marsh with a light beaming down."

The Norfolk Wildlife Trust said the helicopter crashed on the shingle bank at the Cley Marshes nature reserve.

Two US HH-60 Pave-Hawk helicopters seen flying in France in 2010

A spokesman for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) said: "We were asked for three lifeboats to respond to reports that an aircraft had possibly ditched in the sea.

"Lifeboats Wells, Sheringham and Cromer were launched at the request of the coastguard but were stood down when it was confirmed that the aircraft had come down over land."

A derivative of the more famous Black Hawk helicopter, the Pave Hawk gets its name from the PAVE acronym standing for Precision Avionics Vectoring Equipment.

They are used for combat search and rescue, mainly to recover downed aircrew or other isolated personnel.

They have a four-man crew and can carry up to 12 troops.

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Storms: UK Hit By More Flooding And Chaos

Britain is being battered again by storms and gale force winds - bringing flooding and travel chaos to many parts of the UK.

Stormy seas have caused problems in southwest coastal regions, and forecasters say there will be more violent weather over the next few days.

Inland, some villages on the Somerset Levels have been cut off, with residents in Muchelney, near Somerton, being supplied by boat.

Muchelney in Somerset has been cut off, and many of the houses are flooded

In a statement to the Commons, Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said seven people had died and 1,700 homes had been flooded in England.

He said one million homes have so far been protected by flood defences, but there was a likelihood of more flooding "for some time to come" in Dorset and Wiltshire.

Three severe flood warnings are in place in Dorset

As gusts of up to 70mph hit western coasts, people were urged to remain vigilant and stay away from coastal roads, promenades and jetties with 25ft-high waves crashing on to beaches.

There are fears the next high tides will bring further coastal flooding.

Red areas show the flood warnings in place in Scotland

Aberystwyth seafront - including 600 rooms of the university's student halls of residence facing the beach - was evacuated and rescue centres set up as high tides battered the coastline.

Aberystwyth seafront has been evacuated because of the storm

Sky's Mike McCarthy, at the scene, said: "The worst predictions are being realised. We have seen waves bringing rocks and stones forward over the fencing."

Student Millie Farmer, 19, said 12ft waves had crashed on to the promenade, ripping up paving slabs and leaving debris scattered on the front.

More flooding is expected in Dorset

The severe weather also took its toll on the transport network and there was more disruption for commuters with roads closed and trains delayed or cancelled in areas.

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Southern Railway services between Horsham and Dorking in Surrey will be out of action until early February after a landslip in Ockley.

A rock fall in Porthcothan Bay, Cornwall

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning - meaning "be aware" - for heavy rain, along with hail and thunder, in southern and western parts of Scotland, across Northern Ireland, north Wales, northwest and northeast England and the South.

With the ground already saturated following recent storms, the Environment Agency (EA) has issued three severe flood warnings.

All are in Dorset - one is near Bournemouth, another at Preston Beach in Weymouth, and the third is in the Chiswell area of Chesil Beach.

A large wave hits a train travelling through Dawlish in Devon

There are also more than 300 flood warnings and alerts covering every region in England and Wales.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has 12 flood warnings and 11 flood alerts in place.

This is the latest storm front to hit Britain

Sky News weather producer Christopher England said: "There will be widespread heavy showers this evening, but southern and eastern Britain will be mainly dry.

"Strong winds gusting to over 60mph in the South and West will bring a risk of further coastal flooding during high tide."

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Newborn Baby's Body Found Dumped In Rubbish

The body of a newborn girl has been found dumped in a biomedical waste disposal truck at a hospital in India.

The child died in the early hours of Monday morning and her family paid the privately-owned Mata Chanan Devi Hospital 1,500 rupees (£15) to keep her body in a mortuary overnight.

However it was missing when the family returned to collect it at around 10am.

Ashok Kumar, the newborn's uncle, said: "We asked for it and it wasn't there.

The child had been treated at the Mata Chanan Devi Hospital

"One of the hospital staff suddenly ran towards a truck collecting biomedical waste. He looked in the garbage bags and found her there."

The hospital has denied medical negligence, and the hospital's medical superintendent Dr Nidhi Sareen has promised to conduct an internal inquiry.

Delhi's chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said: "Dumping a newborn's body into the garbage is cruel and inhuman. We'll investigate the matter and take action against the guilty."

The hospital's biomedical waste storage site

According to some reports, it is thought that the hospital staff mistook the newborn's body as an amputated limb and dumped it into the truck.

Rajesh Kumar Verma, the newborn's father, said his daughter was born prematurely at Khanna Nursing Home in Janakpuri at 1.30pm on Sunday.

The family said she had swelling in her head and the doctors advised them to take her to the hospital.

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Britain Braced For More Floods And Chaos

A violent storm brewing in the Atlantic is set to bring more flooding and travel chaos tomorrow as Britain returns to work after the Christmas holidays.

The weather conditions that brought misery over the festive period continued to prove treacherous at the weekend - with a 47-year-old man becoming the third person to die in the storms.

The unnamed man died when his mobility scooter fell into the swollen River Thames at Osney Lock, Oxford, at 6.30pm on Saturday.

The scene where the man on his mobility scooter fell into the river

A search is continuing for an 18-year-old student who went missing after heading out to take photos of the storms.

Harry Martin was last seen on Thursday afternoon leaving his home in Newton Ferrers, near Plymouth.

Forecasters are warning gusts of up to 70mph will hit western coasts at around 3am today.

A severe flood warning is in place near Bournemouth

As winds whip up rough seas in the Atlantic, it could lead to even further coastal flooding with 10-metre-high waves possible for southwest England, Wales, and western Scotland.

Harry Martin went missing in the storms

The Met Office has issued a yellow warning - meaning "be aware" - for heavy rain overnight in southern parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland, southern Wales, north-east England and the South.

Up to 40mm of rain could fall in higher ground.

The Environment Agency (EA) has issued one severe flood warning - near Bournemouth, Dorset - and more than 80 flood warnings covering every region.

It urged communities in Dorset and Oxfordshire to prepare for "significant flooding" in the lower reaches of the Thames, Dorset Stour and Frome rivers.

More flooding is expected on the Somerset Levels and rivers in the South East, including the Severn, remain "very high" after recent rainfall.

The EA says some 220 properties have been flooded so far, miles of coastline have been battered and roads and fields across the country left under water.

A yellow warning has been issued for the whole of west Britain

The severe weather has already taken its toll on the transport network - with more disruption expected for morning commuters.

Southern Railway services between Horsham and Dorking in Surrey will be out of action until early February after a landslip in Ockley.

And there is likely to be trouble on the roads, with the RAC expecting today to be one of the busiest days of the year for breakdowns, with 11,000 call-outs expected.

People in Wales are bracing themselves for more flooding and damage after the worst storms in 15 years battered the coastline on Friday.

Tewkesbury is underwater due to floods again

Aberystwyth University is evacuating students who live in halls of residence facing the seafront as more strong winds approach.

Sky News weather producer Jo Robinson said: "As the UK returns to work after the Christmas and New Year holidays, some travel disruption is likely on Britain's roads and railways.

"Also, there's likely to be more flooding, with coastal areas at greatest risk as winds gust up to 70mph in the West.

"The storm system out in the Atlantic has whipped up the sea creating a large swell which is heading towards us early on Monday morning, so that combined with strong winds could cause flooding at high tide.

"The spring tides are past their peak now, but the high-tide waters are still likely to cause concern."

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HMP Oakwood: 'Serious Disorder' At Prison

Serious disorder has reportedly broken out in a wing of a jail run by security firm G4S.

Up to 60 inmates are believed to have been involved in the "ongoing incident" at Oakwood Prison, which a company spokesman said has now been contained.

Weapons may have been involved, according to Sky's Home Affairs Correspondent Mark White.

Extra resources were brought it to try and contain the disorder, including 'tornado' squads of prison officers wearing riot gear who are specially trained in public order.

It is not known what triggered the problem at HMP Oakwood, in Featherstone, near Wolverhampton.

The jail was the scene of a number of rooftop protests last year.

The G4S spokesman said: "We can confirm that there is an ongoing incident taking place on a wing at Oakwood prison.

"The situation is contained and we are applying standard procedures to manage the incident."

White said: "We understand it has been a serious incident."

He added: "It may still be going on in the wing. But as far as the wider prison is concerned, the disorder has been contained to that wing."

A spokesman for Staffordshire Police said the force was aware of the incident and was offering support and assistance to G4S.

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Cameron's Pledge To Guarantee State Pensions

Voters 'Won't Back Tories' In 2015

Updated: 1:13am UK, Sunday 05 January 2014

More than a third of people who voted Conservative in the last general election say they would not vote for the party in the next election, according to a poll carried out by Lord Ashcroft.

The former Tory Party deputy chairman's findings revealed around half of the 'defectors' had switched allegiance to the UK Independence Party, with a fifth aligning themselves with Labour or the Lib Dems and a third undecided.

But in a more positive message for the Tories, 56% of those 'defectors' believe David Cameron is the best of the three main party leaders and say their preferred outcome in 2015 would be a Conservative majority.

The poll showed the 'defectors' significantly outweigh the number of new backers from other parties since 2010, making it more difficult for David Cameron to win an overall majority in 2015.

Commentary on the research, Lord Ashcroft said: "This research shows it is far from impossible for the Tories to win outright. But to do so they will need the votes of everyone who supported for them last time, plus practically everyone who is even prepared to think about doing so next time."

The poll found many voters in all camps gave at least a grudging recognition that the coalition had done well in dealing with the economy.

Mr Cameron and George Osborne were more trusted than Ed Miliband and Ed Balls to manage the economy in the country's best interests by a margin of 57% to 43%.

But it would be "hard" to persuade people that they were feeling the benefits of improved growth rates in their own lives given that the Government had no scope for large giveaways.

In fact a small majority 54% said they expected no improvement or a slight worsening in the economy over the next one or two years - with 46% anticipating a significant improvement.

The findings are from Project Blueprint: Phase 4, the latest round of Lord Ashcroft's research into the Tories' prospects of winning the next election outright.

The Tory peer said the Conservatives need to offer a clear direction to win the next election, not simply highlighting Labour's weaknesses and relying on progress achieved since 2010.

"Drawing a contrast with Labour and highlighting progress on welfare, immigration and the macro economy, important though they are, will only take the Tories so far," he said.

"It needs to be clearer what would be on offer under a new Conservative government. It is one thing to say don't turn back, but we also need to know where we're going."

The poll interviewed 8,053 adults online between November 4 and 10.

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Weather: Dozens Join Search For Missing Teen

More than 100 volunteers are searching for an 18-year-old student who went missing after heading out to take photos of the latest storms.

Harry Martin was last seen on Thursday afternoon leaving his home in Newton Ferrers, near Plymouth, to take pictures of the bad weather.

The search came as extensive flood warnings remained in place on Saturday, a day after high winds and high tides combined to batter Britain's coastal communities and leave flood plains submerged.

Police, the Coastguard, Plymouth's RNLI lifeboat, and the coastal rescue helicopter based at RNAS Culdrose were called in as the search for Harry continued on Saturday.

Aberystwyth sea front has been left with hole in the wall

A spokesman for Devon and Cornwall Police said: "Specialist search dogs and members of the public are continuing to search for Harry. This will continue throughout today.

"Over 100 members of the public have volunteered to assist with searches in the local area of Newton Ferrers.

"We would ask any members of the public wishing to assist in our search to attend Noss Mayo village hall in order that officers can co-ordinate the search.

"We advise the public not to put themselves at risk."

Two people have already died in the storms.

Scores of people attended Noss Mayo villlage hall to join a police search

A 27-year-old man from Surrey was found on Porthleven Sands beach in Cornwall after he was swept out to sea on New Year's Eve night, and a woman died after being rescued from the sea in Croyde Bay, north Devon.

Police said another man had to be pulled from the sea in Newquay, Cornwall, at about 4.30am on Saturday after ignoring warnings about the fierce storms.

The ferocious weather has left widespread damage.

Prime Minister David Cameron has praised the efforts of emergency services and the Environment Agency.

"Great work by emergency services & @EnvAgency helping people flooded. 200000 properties have been protected by flood defences in last 36hrs," he posted on Twitter.

University student Millie Farmer said the promenade in Aberystwyth, west Wales, was a "complete mess" after giant waves smashed the sea front.

Barmouth sea front in west Wales also suffered damage

She estimated that the damage would cost hundreds of thousands of pounds.

The high waves forced around 100 people living close to the seafront to seek shelter on higher ground, with many taking shelter in rest centres.

Not far away, rail lines in north Wales were left buckled by the power of the sea and a road collapsed in Amroth, Pembrokeshire.

Natural Resources Wales said the storm was the worst to have affected the south and west Wales coastline in 15 years.

High tides and large waves also flooded streets in Looe in Cornwall and Salcombe and Kingsbridge in Devon.

A man and child were almost swept away by a huge wave at Mullion Cove in Cornwall as they peered over the sea wall to watch the raging sea.

The worst affected area is the Severn Estuary

Elsewhere in Cornwall vehicles driving on a coastal road were swamped and almost washed away by a tidal surge.

The hundreds of spectators flocking to view areas hit by high waves and flooding prompted the Environment Agency to issue a warning, urging people to stay away.

Residents in Chiswell and Portland in Weymouth, Dorset, were evacuated ahead of high tide on Friday night and a siren also sounded on Saturday repeating the warning.

Homes have already been flooded inland across the UK as well after rivers from Cornwall to Scotland burst their banks.

The worst affected areas are the Severn Estuary in Gloucestershire and the River Stour in Dorset.

Red flood warnings and yellow flood alerts in the south west

The danger has been created by a combination of the effects of widespread heavy rain mixed with exceptionally high tides along the west of the UK.

Water levels at the part of the River Severn affected by tidal flows are approaching the highs of 2007 that left huge areas inundated.

The Environment Agency say that defences put in place after the 2007 floods are largely holding up so far.

A spokesperson said most recent estimates suggest that around 90 properties have flooded since yesterday, bringing the total number of properties flooded to around 220.

Whitby and South Shields are among the areas at risk in the North

But they added that continued heavy rain and high tides are leaving several areas around the UK, both on the coast and inland, still at risk of flooding.

Forecasters warned the bad weather conditions will continue over the next few days, with many areas already saturated.

Up to 30mm (1.2ins) of rain is forecast in southeast England on Saturday and similar amounts on higher ground on Sunday.

On Friday, it emerged that Scotland had suffered its wettest December on record.

The Met Office has also revealed the month was the UK's "stormiest" (meaning it endured the largest number of Atlantic storms) since 1969.

Weather watchers risk a soaking at Westward Ho!, Devon. Pic: Chris Wileman

Sky News weather presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said: "Outbreaks of rain will push up from the south and spread northwards, but by this afternoon further rain will follow in behind, where it may linger across East Anglia and south-east England.

"Here we could see around 20-30mm of rain fall in just 6 hours, so the greatest risk of flooding will be across these areas.

"Tomorrow more rain is expected from the south-west, spreading across most of the UK and the Republic of Ireland."

:: Send us your weather photos or video to news@sky.com or text your pictures to 84501. But don't take unnecessary risks.

Other areas that have been hit by the latest bout of flooding are the south coasts of Devon and Cornwall, and parts of Dorset and Wales.

The Thames Barrier was shut for three hours on Saturday morning and was due to close again on Saturday afternoon to protect the capital from flooding.

Rough seas caused part of a cliff at Rock-A-Nore, outside Hastings in East Sussex, to collapse.

A canoeist on Worcester racecourse. Pic by Dave Key

Around 100 flood warnings remained in place across the UK.

Numerous transport services and routes have been hit by the storms.

Trains were cancelled in Wales and the south and southwest of England and several roads and bridges close to the coast have been subject to restrictions.

Dozens of lower-league football matches across the UK have been postponed because of the weather or water-logged pitches.

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