Clifford Jailed For Eight Years For Sex Crimes

The Letter Read Out In Court

Updated: 7:13pm UK, Wednesday 12 March 2014

The letter allgedly written by a witness to Max Clifford containing allegations of sexual assault.

"It has taken me 35 years to write this letter so I hope that it will reach you, I believe that it will.

"As anyone who opens this email/letter should realise just how important and significant this correspondence is to pass it to you

"Too dangerous to fall into the wrong hands, too serious not to inform you of its existence. You will not be surprised by it as you have often said that you are amazed that things haven't surfaced.

"I wondered if you remember, as I do the child sexual abuse you engaged in? befriending my parents, flattering their daughter and talking of an acting/modelling career, offices near Bond Street, they were impressed even though no one had heard of you

"Conversations with your friend Tommy Steele, wasn't it squash you played? Julie Christie and the new Star Wars film that was soon to hit the cinema.

"Lots of famous names, places and yet still down to earth the local lad made good.

"Recommending restaurants, funny stories, to gain their trust, The abuse started in your office, you sat behind your desk eventually persuading me to strip convincing me, my protesting was ridiculous and childish.

"Don't you want to be grown up, you took pleasure in degrading me, visiting me at home taking me out to meet fictious people, abusing me instead and returning me to my home with a story, so that my parents didn't become suspicious.

"Names of people we had met, places we had been to so they would be fooled their daughter was in safe hands and not those of a paedophile.

"The abuse continued, a friend's flat where you wanted me to act out a scene, you raped me, you blackmailed me with lies about photographs that had been taken, fooled me into believing that you were somehow protecting me by stopping them from being published.

"Even inventing another person who telephoned and continued with the pretence, and demanded that I talked dirty to them, what was his name ? That's right Max, pretending to be Terry.....

"I had no one to turn to. You were very clever A+ in grooming children! how proud you must be. What chance did I have ? You made my life a living hell up until the point I was even contemplating suicide.

"You got worried then and backed off. Too dangerous for you. You might have been found out.

"You repulsed me then as you do now. Wearing the mask of someone who has values, hiding behind charity work, trying to cleanse yourself of the guilt you must feel perhaps and stating that you don't have sympathy for paedophiles.

"You pretend to be normal but you know inside you are not and you will never escape that shame. It must feel horrible to know that the real you is so vile and repulsive.

"It must be frustrating that you have no one to talk to about that. Perhaps you will even try to clear the memories. Almost fooling yourself that you are a good person now.

"Better than that convinced yourself almost that it didn't happen or does it continue. Are you still abusing children ?

"I remember driving, pulling up behind you at traffic lights in Raynes Park, you in your yellow Jag, so obvious that it was you.

"What to do ? Wanting to get out of the car, confront you, let you know that I still remember wanting everyone to know - the real disgusting creature that you are.

"I wonder what your daughter would think of you if she knew. Perhaps she does know and it's a secret that you share. How terrifying for you, knowing that you have so much to lose.

"She was a child when I was a child, perhaps you abused her to or did you draw the line there ?

"Perhaps you made excuses, fed her a line and you think she's fooled as well. If she does suspect, maybe she is not ready to face the reality, too painful too horrific, every little girls worse nightmare.

"Of course, one day she will find out the truth, and perhaps you won't be around to beg forgiveness or feed her the excuses or blame someone else. What an awful memory she will be left with.

"I truly feel huge sympathy for her. I can't imagine how unbearable it would be to find out that your father was a paedophile. It would probably ruin her life and certainly make her doubt everything about your relationship.

"You may have gotten away with it for tears but inside you can't escape from the monster that you are. A repulsive vile reality. That terrible festering secret of yours which burdens you, your secret not my secret.

"The hypocrisy of your life you say you can't bear hypocrisy and that is what spurs you on, when you yourself are a hypocrite worse than any of those you seek to shame. A peaedophile that publicly condemns other paedophiles to divert attention.

"A double bluff ! How many others like me are there out there ?  I shudder to think of all those opportunities that you had/have to groom children. All the time wearing that mask, shame on you.

"Part of the reason that I am writing to you is that my counsellor has recommend it as part of my therapy. I am undecided how much it will help or where we go from here....."

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Ukraine Activists Start Deadly Odessa Fire

At least 31 people have died after a building in the Ukrainian city of Odessa was set on fire during clashes between protesters.

Police said some people inside the trade union building were overcome by smoke and others were killed jumping from windows as they tried to escape.

Pro-Russian and pro-Kiev activists fought running battles as the southern port city saw some of its worst violence since President Victor Yanukovych was ousted in February.

The fire started as the Kiev government launched a major offensive against pro-Russian activists who have seized government buildings in the east of the country.

A pro-Russian activist fires a gun during clashes with rivals

Russia said it was "outraged" by the day's events in Odessa and denounced the "criminal irresponsibility" of the pro-Western authorities in Kiev.

Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement that it called on Ukraine and its "Western backers to end the anarchy and take responsibility for the Ukranian people".

It added that Moscow viewed the "tragic events" as a sign of Kiev's "criminal irresponsibility".

At an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council, the UK accused Moscow of "breathtaking" hypocrisy over the latest clashes.

A protester throws a petrol bomb at the trade union building in Odessa

The UK's ambassador to the UN Sir Mark Lyall Grant said Russia had "funded, equipped and directed" some of those involved in the insurgency.

"Many" pro-Russian separatists were said to have been killed as the Ukrainian army took control of checkpoints around Slavyansk.

Two Ukrainian soldiers - from the airborne brigade - were also killed as two military helicopters were shot down, acting president Oleksandr Turchynov said.

People wait for rescue on an upper-storey ledge during the fire

Russia said Kiev's offensive against the insurgents had "destroyed" the two-week-old Geneva agreement on cooling Ukraine's crisis.

The Ukrainian Security Service said one of the helicopters was shot down with a surface-to-air missile, adding that the sophisticated weapon undermined Russia's claims that Slavyansk was simply under the control of armed locals.

Russia has tens of thousands of troops in areas near Ukraine's border, and Kiev claims it neighbouring country is preparing to invade and that it is stoking the unrest in the east.

Moscow denies the allegations, but has warned Russia would respond to attacks on Russian citizens or interests in the east, where insurgents have seized government buildings in around a dozen cities in towns.

Unlike eastern Ukraine, Odessa had remained largely untroubled since Mr Yanukovych was toppled.

But clashes erupted late on Friday between pro-Russians and government supporters in the key port on the Black Sea coast, 330 miles from the turmoil in the east.

Police said the deadly fire broke out in a trade union building Friday, but did not give details on how it started. Earlier, police said at least three people had died in a clash between the two sides.

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Peaches Geldof Death: Heroin 'Likely Contributed'

Heroin is likely to have contributed to the death of writer, model and TV presenter Peaches Geldof, an inquest has heard.

The 25-year-old was found slumped across a bed in a spare bedroom by her husband Tom Cohen on Monday, April 7.

The musician had arrived at their home in Wrotham, Kent, with his mother, and thought Peaches was asleep.

He found their 11-month-old son Phaedra, who Peaches had been looking after, and called to his mother to ring emergency services.

The inquest in Gravesend, Kent, also heard Peaches' father Sir Bob Geldof formally identified her body.

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Fotheringham said a post-mortem examination was inconclusive, prompting further tests.

The picture Peaches posted with her mother

But he told the 10-minute hearing: "Forensic samples have been examined and results concluded there was recent use of heroin and that the levels identified were likely to have played a role in her death."

He said Mr Cohen, 23, went with his two sons to spend the weekend at his parents' house in south-east London.

"This is a normal occurrence which enables Peaches and Thomas to complete work in their respective careers," he said.

Peaches spent Saturday afternoon until Sunday morning on her own at home.

"Throughout this period she maintained telephone contact with family and friends, including contact with Thomas' mother to arrange a family activity, but this was cancelled," DCI Fotheringham said.

"Peaches maintained contact with family and friends throughout Sunday and at 5pm Thomas's father Keith Cohen took the youngest child, Phaedra, back to Wrotham and spent half an hour with Peaches before leaving the child with her."

The last contact with Peaches is believed to have been at 7.45pm on the Sunday when she had a telephone conversation with a friend.

Peaches' funeral was held in the village of Davington

DCI Fotheringham said: "All of the friends and family who had contact with Peaches during this period described how she seemed her normal self and was making plans for the future, including a family outing for her sons for the following weekend.

"There was no cause for concern."

Mr Cohen tried to contact his wife on Monday morning and then drove to the family home with his mother, Sue, and 23-month-old son Astala, arriving at around 1.30pm.

"Thomas entered the property and located Peaches in the spare bedroom," DCI Fotheringham said.

"She was located on the edge of the bed with one leg hanging down to the floor and the other leg tucked underneath her. She was slumped across the bed."

The hearing was adjourned until July 23, when a fuller inquest will take place.

Hours before she died, Peaches posted a picture of her as a youngster with her mother.

Paula Yates died from an accidental heroin overdose in 2000 at the age of 41.

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British Fighters Filmed In Syria 'War Crime'

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2:18am UK, Friday 02 May 2014

The fighters involved in this 'execution' video are thought to be British

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Arrest: McConville Was One Of 'Disappeared'

Jean McConville was abducted by an IRA gang of up to 12 men and women at her Belfast home in 1972 after being accused of spying for the British.

The 37-year-old was taken from her home at Divis Flats at gunpoint and shot in the back of the head.

Her murder was one of the most notorious incidents during the Troubles.

A funeral was held for Mrs McConville in 2003

For years she was one of the so-called Disappeared, those abducted and killed by republican paramilitaries during this period and buried in unmarked graves.

Mrs McConville's children were told their mother had abandoned them.

It was not until August 2003 that her remains were found over the border in the Republic of Ireland, on Shelling Hill beach in County Louth - 50 miles from her home.

The IRA had admitted responsibility for her killing in 1999, although no one has ever been charged with her murder.

The claim that Mrs McConville was an informer was dismissed after an official investigation by the Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman.

She was held at one or more houses before being shot and buried in secret.

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Gerry Adams Arrested By Police Over Murder

Gerry Adams has been arrested by Northern Ireland police and questioned over the 1972 murder of Jean McConville.

The 65-year-old Sinn Fein President, a former MP for West Belfast, went to Antrim police station for an arranged meeting with officers.

Sky sources say Mr Adams will remain at the station overnight and his interview will resume in the morning.

He issued a statement after the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) announced an arrest had been made.

In it, Mr Adams said he was "innocent of any part" in the killing of the widow and mother of ten, who was taken from her home by an IRA gang.

Jean McConville was murdered in 1972

Mr Adams has always denied membership of the IRA.

"I believe that the killing of Jean McConville and the secret burial of her body was wrong and a grievous injustice to her and her family," he said.

"Well publicised, malicious allegations have been made against me. I reject these."

Police can hold Mr Adams for 24 hours before releasing him, charging him or applying for more time to question him.

Mr Adams has rejected allegations made by former republican colleagues that he had a role in ordering the IRA killing.

No one has ever been charged with the murder.

There have been a series of arrests in connection with the investigation in recent weeks.

These came after a court in the US ordered a university in Boston to hand over recorded interviews with veteran republicans in which they discussed the murder.

Last month, 77-year-old Ivor Bell was charged with aiding and abetting the murder. Five others have been detained and questioned by detectives.

From 2001 Boston College interviewed a number of former paramilitaries - both republican and loyalist - as part of a five-year study on the Troubles on the understanding transcripts would not be published until after their deaths.

That was overturned by the court ruling last year.

Mrs McConville was dragged away from her children in her home in the Divis flats, west Belfast, by an IRA gang of up to 12 men and women after she was accused of passing information to the British Army.

An investigation by the Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman later rejected any claims that she was an informer.

The 37-year-old was shot in the back of the head and she became one of the "Disappeared" - someone abducted and killed by republican paramilitaries and left in unmarked graves - after her body was buried 50 miles from her home.

The IRA did not admit to carrying out her murder until 1999 and her remains were not discovered until August 2003 on Shelling Hill beach in Co Louth - the area Mr Adams now represents in Ireland's parliament.

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Leeds Teacher Died From Multiple Stab Wounds

A post-mortem examination has found a much-loved teacher killed at a Leeds school died from multiple stab wounds.

Ann Maguire, 61, who taught at Corpus Christi Catholic College for more than 40 years, had been due to retire in September.

Police said they would interview the 15-year-old held in connection with her death today.

Ms Maquire was due to retire from teaching in September

Due to his age, officers said this would have to be handled sensitively.

The students who witnessed the incident are being interviewed by specialist officers.

The authorities have also stressed the fatal stabbing is an isolated incident.

Headteacher Steve Mort and pupils lay flowers in honour of Ms Maguire

Detective Superintendent Simon Buldon said: "This is clearly an unprecedented and tragic incident that's left the school and wider community in a state of shock."

The school's chair of governors Martin Dowling said: "This has been a shocking but isolated incident.

"Ann was a wonderful, dedicated teacher and will be remembered fondly by all of us."

School head Steve Mort said: "Ann Maguire was a wonderful, caring individual. She was an outstanding teacher and an outstanding leader.

"She'd been a cornerstone of the school community for 40 years, she'd touched the hearts of three generations of pupils."

Mr Mort also did not think detectors were necessary, adding that the school was a "safe environment".

The school community has been stunned by the murder of the popular teacher

He added: "And I think ultimately Ann Maguire herself, if she was asked that question, would strongly oppose any suggestion that we should have metal detectors in this school."

The school opened as normal on Tuesday to allow staff and students to remember Mrs Maguire, and support each other.

Children began arriving early to add tributes to the more than 200 bouquets of flowers that cover the railings outside the gates.

Monsignor Paul Fisher conducted a mass at Corpus Christ Catholic Church

Mrs Maguire was also remembered at a service in the neighbouring Corpus Christi Church.

Monsignor Paul Fisher said: "Today we pray for the light of hope: hope for ourselves that eventually we will come to terms with what has happened.

"We offer prayer too for the family of the man who unfortunately did what he did."

Some 30 pupils are understood to have witnessed the killing

Officers were called to the school just before noon on Monday after a report a member of staff had been stabbed. A knife was recovered from the scene.

Around 30 pupils witnessed Mrs Maguire, who is believed have two grown-up daughters, being stabbed repeatedly in class.

Some reported hearing screams as other members of staff rushed to her classroom and restrained her attacker.

Pupils arrive at Corpus Christi College which opened as normal this morning

Her death is the first time a teacher has been stabbed to death in a British classroom.

Head teacher Philip Lawrence was murdered outside a school in Maida Vale, London, in 1995 when he went to help a pupil who was being attacked.

A recent Sky News investigation revealed almost 1,000 pupils were caught with weapons including guns, axes and a meat cleaver in schools in the last three years.

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School Teacher Stabbing: Tributes At Memorial

By Gerard Tubb, North of England Correspondent

The Tuesday morning mass held at Corpus Christi church, next to the Catholic school where teacher Ann Maguire was stabbed to death on Monday, was packed.

As a testament to her popularity among generations in the local community, the usually sparse congregation was swelled by hundreds of pupils past and present who came to pay their respects.

There were few tears at the service.

Instead, many of the teenagers said they were there to celebrate a teacher who had helped them personally in both their school work and their lives.

One of the many handwritten tributes to school teacher Ann Maguire

Parish priest Monsignor Paul Fisher offered prayers for Mrs Maguire and her family, telling the congregation: "Today we pray for the light of hope - hope for ourselves that we will eventually come to terms with what has happened."

He alluded only briefly to the horror of what happened just a few hundred yards away in the school's languages block.

"We offer prayers too for the family of the man who unfortunately did what he did," he said.

Prayers were also said for the family of the boy who stabbed the teacher

Pupils walking back from the service passed the hundreds of flowers lining the pavement underneath the school railings.

One message, written by a boy preparing for exams, appeared to sum up the attitude of many in the school community.

It read: "To Mrs Maguire. Thank you for everything you have done for me. I will put all my effort into my exams for you. Rest in peace."

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Pupils Pay Tribute To 'Inspirational' Teacher

Pupils at the Leeds school where a popular teacher was fatally stabbed have paid tribute to an "inspirational woman".

A 15-year-old pupil from Corpus Christi Catholic College is being held by police in connection with the killing of a woman name locally as Anne Maguire.

But students of the 61-year-old victim, who taught generations of children for up to four decades, left flowers in her honour outside the school while others posted messages on social media.

Anne Maguire with pupils in 2012

Among those gathering outside the scene of the stabbing was Nicola Davies, who broke down as she tried to explain why she had driven 40 miles from Goole to pay her respects.

Mrs Davies, who left the school in 1996, said: "She was just amazing. She was such an incredible lady. It's just so heartbreaking, it really is."

Others laying flowers hugged each other as they placed notes against the metal railings.

Laying flowers, former pupil Aine Arnold, 17, said: "It's more like losing a family member than losing a teacher.

"As long as we were happy, she was happy. She would do anything for you.

"She helped me personally a lot. She's going to be such a loss to the school. Hers were one of those lessons you didn't want to miss.

"She was just lovely. She was wonderful. I am devastated."

Meanwhile, hundreds of messages were posted on twitter by those who knew Mrs Maguire.

Nicola Davies drove 40 miles to pay her respects to her former teacher

Freya Rose wrote: "Wouldn't have made it through high school without Mrs Maguire , such an inspirational woman , rest in peace."

Ross Meston tweeted: "I remember the day Mrs Maguire give me the application form for my apprenticeship. She'll never know the difference she made to my life."

Another twitter user, with the username Swolbraham Lincoln, wrote: "She was one of the only teachers who actually gave everyone a second chance she never wrote anyone off. An amazing person rip Mrs Maguire."

Ozza Murt tweeted: "RIP Mrs Maguire, she was Mrs Corpus a full life affecting thousands and propelling people to better lives."

And Elliott Benn, wrote on his twitter account: "RIP Mrs Maguire. One of the nicest teachers I've ever had. Genuinely lovely woman who loved doing her job."

Abby Warwick tweeted: "Never known a teacher as dedicated to every one of her students as Mrs Maguire, she honestly cared so much."

Lucy Melia wrote on her twitter page: "Everybody has got nothing but pure love for Mrs Maguire, still haven't met anyone else like her she was the heart of that school."

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Teacher Stabbed To Death At Leeds School

School Pupils Caught With Weapons

Updated: 12:07am UK, Wednesday 23 April 2014

By Afua Hirsch, Social Affairs and Education Editor

Almost 1,000 pupils were caught with weapons including guns, axes and a meat cleaver in schools in the last three years, a Sky News investigation has found.

New figures show 981 children have had weapons confiscated on school premises since 2011.

They include at least 80 primary school children, the youngest of whom was an eight-year-old caught with a knife.

Some 36 pupils were found with an assortment of guns, including two hand guns, seven air-powered weapons and 27 BB guns.

Of those found with weapons, 329 caught with items including an axe, a cut-throat razor and a stun gun were charged with a criminal offence.

One 18-year-old, who is taking part in a young offender's programme in London, said: "I carried a weapon ... but only because of the environment I was in.

"My generation is a bit wild ... so it's a normal thing to carry a weapon because you know everyone else is. It's making it fair, basically."

Campaigners warned the scale of the problem is likely to be much worse, as 21 of the UK's 52 police forces did not supply figures requested under the Freedom of Information Act.

Data from West Midlands Police, which alone recovered weapons from 538 people during the same period, was not included because it also accounts for colleges and universities.

The figures raise questions about whether schools and the Government have failed to tackle the problem.

Jayne Walmsley, whose son Luke was murdered at a Lincolnshire school in 2003 aged 14, said: "Something is happening to the society we live in.

"We need to think and educate these kids. It's got to stop. We've got to do something about it."

Patrick Regan, CEO of charity XLP, which was founded in response to a school stabbing, added: "There's a culture of fear that needs to be broken down."

The Government said it had given teachers powers to take action if they suspect a pupil has brought a weapon into school.

"Teachers can now search pupils without consent, confiscate prohibited items and use force to remove disruptive pupils from the classroom when necessary," a spokesman for the Department for Education said.

"We've also given heads the final say on expulsions by removing the right of appeal panels to put pupils back in the classroom."

However, Chris Douglas, a youth worker with St Giles Trust, which engages with young people caught up in crime, warned the use of weapons is a growing problem.

"We're not hearing about stabbings because they're becoming more common," he said.

Last year, a study by UCL and charity Kids Company found half the young people working with the organisation had seen someone shot or stabbed in their community in the past year.

In 2009, the then-Government announced new measures to curb the problem of weapons in schools after a spate of attacks against children.

There were plans to introduce airport-style metal detectors as part of a violent crime action plan.

But campaigners are concerned the issue has disappeared from public discourse, leaving children vulnerable.

"Sometimes it's a bit like banging your head on a brick wall," Mrs Walmsley said.

"Schools won't admit to the problem because all they want is more pupils for more money."

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Afghanistan Helicopter Crash Victims Named

Tributes have been paid to the five British servicemen killed in a Lynx helicopter crash in southern Afghanistan.

The victims included Captain Thomas Clarke, Warrant Officer Spencer Faulkner and Corporal James Walters from the Army Air Corps.

They were all based at RAF Odiham in Hampshire, along with Flight Lieutenant Rakesh Chauhan from the Royal Air Force, who also died, said the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

Lance Corporal Oliver Thomas of the Intelligence Corps was another victim.

An investigation is taking place into why the aircraft crashed on Saturday morning in the Takhta Pul district of Kandahar, 30 miles from the Pakistan border.

The crash site has been cordoned off and the wreckage will be inspected.

The MoD has denied Taliban claims that insurgents shot down the helicopter, and initial investigations indicated a "tragic accident" during the routine flight rather than enemy action.

Captain Clarke, 30, from Cowbridge, Wales, was described by his commanding officer as a "fantastic young officer, full of life and immensely committed to his soldiers and friends".

The helicopter involved in the crash was a Lynx (file pic)

He added: "In the short time he had served in the unit he had proven to be an exceptional aviator and forthright leader who always placed himself at the centre of squadron life."

Captain Clarke's family said: "Tom brought so much happiness and love to everyone he knew with his sparkling blue eyes and cheeky smile. He had an absolute passion for life and was the best part of us; we are all poorer today without him."

Warrant Officer Faulkner, 38, was an "experienced aviator, loving husband and hugely dedicated father to two children" who had been deployed to Afghanistan on numerous occasions.

His commanding officer said he had been "a stalwart of the squadron for many years" and "consistently displayed the guile, leadership and bravery so closely associated with his squadron".

"The loss of a warrant officer of his calibre and commitment will leave a huge void in the close knit fabric of the unit."

His family said: "Spen was a loving husband to Cally and devoted father to Natasha and Jack, and will be greatly missed. A huge gap has been left in our hearts forever. He has been tragically taken away whilst serving his Country, a job he loved. God rest his soul".

Corporal Walters, 36, was a "highly competent" crewman, deploying to Afghanistan on a number of occasions.

Flowers have been left at RAF Odiham following the tragedy

His commanding officer said: "Corporal James Walters, or 'Bungle' as he was known, was a hugely committed soldier who had served with distinction throughout the Army Air Corps.

"Respected and well liked, he was always a mentor and friend to the less experienced members of the Unit. Never afraid to face the challenges of operations in Afghanistan, he served with immense skill and bravery.  A huge character, the loss of Bungle has devastated the squadron."

His family said: "We cannot begin to comprehend the tragic loss of a beautiful and loving husband, daddy, son, and brother. James has left a huge hole in all our hearts."

Flight Lieutenant Chauhan, 29, from Birmingham, was on his third tour of duty in Afghanistan as an intelligence officer when he died.

His commanding officer said he was "a hugely influential and well respected officer whose enthusiasm and professionalism permeated every aspect of his work. Charming, funny and sharp as a tack, he was immensely proud of his role and of his service."

He added he was an "exceptional officer, he clearly had a bright future ahead of him. His loss has devastated the station."

Lance Corporal Thomas, 26, who was from Brecon in Powys, Mid-Wales, volunteered to be mobilised from the Army Reserves for deployment to Afghanistan and arrived last December to be part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

His commanding officer said: "This tragic incident has taken a young, enthusiastic and highly capable Intelligence Corps soldier away from us and his loss is deeply felt by all members of the unit and the Intelligence Corps as a whole."

His family said: "Oliver was a truly amazing person, living his life to the full, while fulfilling some of his many dreams and adventures. He was very much loved and will be greatly missed by his grieving family and friends."

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Children Over Five 'Wearing Nappies In Class'

By Afua Hirsch, Social Affairs and Education Editor

Children are still wearing nappies in class after the age of five in hundreds of schools across the country, a Sky News investigation has found.

Teachers have reported pupils as old as 15 who have no medical conditions or developmental issues, but who are unable to use the toilet on their own.

In what is believed to be the first survey of its kind, Sky News commissioned the National Foundation for Educational Research to ask head teachers and staff in England about their experiences of children coming to schools wearing nappies.

Almost one in 10 heads and senior staff who responded said in the past year a child aged between five and seven had worn a nappy to school.

The figure was 5% for classroom teachers.

Almost one in 20 heads and senior staff said that in the last year a child aged seven to 11 had worn a nappy to school.

And 1% of classroom teachers surveyed had experience of older children in nappies.

The survey was completed by 602 teachers in primary schools and 561 teachers in secondary schools.

The figures suggest that head teachers and senior staff at a substantial number of England's 16,000 primary schools have experience in the past 12 months of at least one pupil above the age of five still wearing nappies.

There has been growing evidence in recent years that increasing numbers of children are starting school in nappies.

But this is the first research to suggest the problem extends beyond the Reception year.

And experts say it is not just pupils from deprived backgrounds who are not being toilet trained, but those who have working parents too busy to address the issue.

Anne-Marie Middleton, a deputy head teacher from Dover, says many pupils are too embarrassed to admit they still wear nappies.

She said: "We're seeing more and more children wearing nappies. We find that more and more children have an issue with toilet (training) further up the school.

Ms Middleton says that the busy lives of parents are often at the root of the problem, with pupils arriving at school without many basic skills including toileting, or being able to use a knife and fork.

Janet Marsh says it is an 'incredibly serious situation'

Janet Marsh runs a programme at a Kent school to try to help pupils toilet train.

She said she knew of 14 or 15 year olds without medical problems who still had toilet-training issues.

"It's an incredibly serious situation," she said.

"There are children who miss 25% of their education in Reception because they're being taken out to be changed. How are they going to catch up?"

Asked if teachers are being asked to do too much by expecting them to act as surrogate parents, Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Education, replied: "I do think hard about how much we ask of teachers, because we do ask a lot."

Mr Gove said the Government needed to support frontline teachers and listen to their concerns.

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Helicopter Crash: Five UK Service Members Die

Five military personnel killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan were UK service members, the Ministry of Defence confirms.

They died when their Lynx aircraft crashed during a routine flight in Kandahar province in the south on Saturday.

Three of the servicemen killed were from the Army Air Corps, based at RAF Odiham in Hampshire, the MoD said.

One was a Royal Air Force serviceman also based at RAF Odiham.

One was a member of the Army Reserve from 3 Military Intelligence Battalion, based in London.

Next of kin of all five servicemen have been informed.

Major General Richard Felton, Commander Joint Helicopter Command, said: "It is with great sadness that we must confirm that five UK service personnel have been killed in this incident which, at this early stage, would appear to have been a tragic accident.

The aircraft went down in the Takhta Pul district of Kandahar

"Events like this, whilst mercifully rare, remind us of the risks our personnel face in their work in Afghanistan as we approach the conclusion of the combat mission later this year.

"Our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those who have lost their lives."

Prime Minister David Cameron said his "heart goes out to the families and friends of those killed in this terrible tragedy".

Kandahar provincial police spokesman Zia Durrani said the helicopter went down in the Takhta Pul district of Kandahar province, around 30 miles from the Pakistan border - and that it was not attacked by militants.

"It was doing military exercises and crashed as a result of technical fault," he said.

Lynx helicopters are deployed for a wide variety of operations

The helicopter involved was a Westland Lynx, an aircraft with a range of uses including transport and resupply.

The aircraft normally carries a crew of three, including a pilot, co-pilot and gunner. It is thought the other two military personnel on board could have been travelling as passengers.

Defence analyst Paul Beaver said: "It is difficult to speculate on what has happened. It could be weather related, it could be dust or it could have been trying to avoid birds, for example, or it could be some kind of mechanical failure.

"There is a whole range of possible causes."

The deaths bring the total number of UK service personnel to have been killed in Afghanistan to 453.

It is thought to be the third deadliest incident involving British forces in the war and the worst air disaster since September 2006, when 14 service personnel were killed in a Nimrod surveillance aircraft which exploded mid-air.

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South Korean PM Resigns Over Ferry Disaster

South Korea's Prime Minister has resigned over the government's handling of the ferry disaster that has left more than 300 people dead or missing.

Chung Hong-won said: "As I saw grieving families suffering with the pain of losing their loved ones and the sadness and resentment of the public, I thought I should take all responsibility as prime minister.

"There have been so many varieties of irregularities that have continued in every corner of our society and practices that have gone wrong.

"I hope these deep-rooted evils get corrected this time and this kind of accident never happens again."

A total of 115 passengers remain missing after the Sewol ferry sank on a trip from the port on Incheon to the holiday island of Jeju on April 16.

More than 100 passengers remain missing

The death toll stands at 187.

The resignation has to be accepted by President Park Geun-hye.

Executive power largely rests with the president, so Mr Chung's offer appears to be largely symbolic.

Mr Chung was booed and had a water bottle thrown at him when he visited distraught parents the day after the tragedy.

There has been anger at the slow pace of the recovery mission and the frequent changes in information provided by the government.

A relative of one of those on board cries as she waits for news

There have also been several reports in the South Korean media of bodies going to the wrong families, with the error sometimes being identified only after remains had been taken to a funeral home.

A total of 325 out of the 476 people on board were high school students. Around 250 are either confirmed or presumed dead.

The children on board were told to stay put in their cabins while they waited for further orders.

Divers are continuing to search for bodies believed to be trapped in the sunken vessel, but poor weather conditions and a powerful swell are complicating efforts.

Despite waves of up to nine feet (three metres) and near gale-force winds, 93 divers are trying to get into the ferry.

Search teams are battling harsh conditions in the hunt for bodies

A coastguard spokesman said: "The situation is very difficult due to the weather, but we are continuing search efforts, using the occasional calmer periods."

Around a quarter of the bodies recovered have been found in waters outside the vessel, and there are fears some of those who are missing might have drifted from the wreck.

On Saturday four more crew members were arrested.

All 15 members of the crew are in custody and face charges ranging from criminal negligence to abandoning passengers.

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