NHS 'hiding' food dissatisfaction

26 August 2013 Last updated at 20:11 ET By Dominic Hughes Health correspondent, BBC News

NHS hospitals in England are hiding patient dissatisfaction with the food they serve, campaigners say.

The Campaign for Better Hospital Food said NHS Trusts routinely rated their own food highly.

But patient surveys showed nearly half of people were dissatisfied with what they were offered to eat.

The campaigners want mandatory standards introduced for hospital food, like those which already exist for prisons and schools.

In the past, NHS staff in England have carried out annual assessments of the quality of hospital food.

In 2011 they rated nearly 98% of meals as "good" or "excellent".

The inspection system is now changing, but the Campaign for Better Hospital Food points to a survey of more than 64,000 patients carried out by the regulator, the Care Quality Commission, earlier this year.

In that survey just 55% of patients said the food they had been served was "good".

'Sorry state'

Continue reading the main story

We recognise that there is too much variation across the country"

End Quote Department of Health in England

Alex Jackson, co-ordinator of the Campaign for Better Hospital Food, said existing policies that regulate food served in prisons and schools should be extended to hospitals.

"It is time for the government to come clean about the sorry state of hospital food in England and set mandatory standards for patient meals.

"This would only involve extending an existing policy which has seen it set mandatory standards for prison food and food served in government departments, to go alongside those that already exist for school food.

"Surely patients recovering in hospital have the same right to good food as government ministers, school kids and prisoners?"

Campaigners point to hospitals such as Darlington Memorial, where the award-winning food is locally sourced and cooked on site.

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Inside Darlington Memorial Hospital's award-winning kitchen

Through buying in bulk and cutting down on waste, the hospital manages to stick to a very tight budget of around £2.60 per patient per day.

Data from the Care Quality Commission shows that 12 of the 20 hospitals serving the worst food use meals prepared by private catering companies.

But 14 of the 20 hospitals with the best food employ catering staff who prepare and cook the food from scratch.

Patient Concern called the survey findings "shocking".

It called for protected cash for hospitals to be spent on better meals.

Roger Goss, co-director of Patient Concern, said: "If managements are deliberately misleading us on hospital food, on what else are we being misled? Patient safety? Quality of care?"

In a statement, a spokesman for the Department of Health in England said there were many examples of good food across the NHS.

"But we recognise that there is too much variation across the country - that is why we have implemented a tough new inspection programme.

"We support the principle of food standards but do not think that legislation is the right way to proceed.

"We believe that the best decisions on hospital food are those taken locally by chefs and catering managers."

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Sex offender restrictions proposed

26 August 2013 Last updated at 21:02 ET By Dominic Casciani Home affairs correspondent, BBC News

Charities and an MP are campaigning for tougher restrictions on sex offenders, saying the system is not preventing the grooming and exploitation of children.

The "Childhood Lost" campaign says police also need powers to restrict suspects who have not been convicted.

Nicola Blackwood MP is tabling an amendment to a bill to create Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Orders, similar to anti-social behaviour orders.

The Home Office said that it would consider the campaign's proposals.

The UK has a range of powers designed to control sex offenders, including a general requirement that they inform the authorities of their whereabouts.

'Failing victims'

The main restrictive power, the Sexual Offences Prevention Order (Sopo), can curtail a convicted offender's movements, such as by banning them from parks or from near schools.

But critics say it is hard to impose conditions if they are not immediately sought during sentencing, and impossible for the police to seek to restrict the behaviour of a suspect who hasn't been convicted.

Continue reading the main story

• 64,000 registered sex offenders in England and Wales as of July 2013
• 2,600 Sexual Offences Prevention Orders imposed 2011-12
• 50 Foreign Travel Orders imposed 2005-12

Source: Childhood Lost

Police forces rarely seek Foreign Travel Orders against offenders who go overseas to abuse children because the courts can only ban travel in limited circumstances.

Ms Blackwood said that the proposed Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Order, to be introduced as an amendment to the Antisocial Behaviour Bill, could simplify the current system and allow police to pursue grooming gangs more vigorously.

The Oxford West and Abingdon MP said she was backing the campaign in the wake of the shocking scale of grooming in her own constituency, exposed in a major trial earlier this year.

The men at the heart of that sex grooming ring - and others like it in other cities - spent weeks and months grooming vulnerable girls before trafficking them into a life of prostitution.

Ms Blackwood said: "As an Oxford MP, I have seen for myself the appalling devastation caused by child sexual exploitation. Victims were not only targeted by abusers but also failed by those supposed to protect them. That must end now.

"The current prevention orders do not give police the tools they need to prevent child sexual abuse. The law is still failing victims."

Hearsay evidence

Under the campaign's proposals, police chiefs could seek an order using hearsay evidence and other intelligence about a suspected offender, even if the apparent victim is too afraid to co-operate.

The court could then ban a suspect from any activity linked to abuse - such as having children in their cars, or entering areas where they are known to target them. Individuals would face up to five years in jail if they break the order.

A Home Office spokesman said: "Whilst we have some of the toughest powers in the world to deal with sex offenders, we keep them under constant review and will consider proposals like this.

"We are already looking to improve the use and effectiveness of Foreign Travel Orders and other measures to put further protections in place."

The coalition of charities behind Childhood Lost also wants each area to have a dedicated child sexual exploitation centre to identify and protect victims. It also wants ministers to have the power to publish internal local council reports into serious failures by social services.

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China confirms arrest of Briton

27 August 2013 Last updated at 02:23 ET

Police in China have confirmed the arrest of a British investigator and his wife over the alleged illegal trafficking of personal data.

Peter Humphrey and his American wife, Yu Yingzeng, broke the law on at least 10 occasions, state media report.

State-run CCTV showed two people, handcuffed, with their faces blurred.

Mr Humphrey, 57, is the founder of ChinaWhys, a risk management firm that provides services to multinationals. He is also a former journalist.

The company's website says that it specialises in "discreet risk mitigation solutions, consulting and investigation services to corporate clients in matters of high sensitivity across Greater China and the Asia Pacific".

His wife, Yu Yingzeng, 60, is the firm's general manager.

The couple were arrested on 16 August, state-run Xinhua news agency said, quoting police in Shanghai.

According to state media, the couple sold personal information to clients through research companies.

Police told state media the information included addresses, family members and car and home ownership records.

The man on the CCTV report was quoted as saying: "I deeply regret this matter and I apologise to the Chinese government."

UK diplomats confirmed Mr Humphrey's arrest last week, but gave no details of the allegations.

Among Mr Humphrey's clients was reportedly the British pharmaceutical firm, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), says the BBC's Martin Patience in Beijing.

But in its reports, state-run media made no mention of the company, our correspondent adds.

Last month, GSK was accused by Chinese authorities of directing up to £320m through travel agencies to facilitate bribes to doctors and officials. Several GSK employees have been detained over the last few weeks.

The firm said it would fully co-operate with Chinese authorities.

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Businesses 'not convinced' by HS2

27 August 2013 Last updated at 03:00 ET

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The IoD's Director General describes HS2 as "one grand folly"

A leading business lobby group has called on the government to abandon its controversial high-speed rail project.

The Institute of Directors (IoD) said a survey of its members showed businesses were unconvinced by the economic case for HS2.

The IoD's director general, Simon Walker, described the project as "one grand folly".

In response the government said the HS2 project was forecast to generate billions in economic benefits.

HS2, which stands for High Speed Two, is intended to allow trains to run at 250mph (400km/h) from London to Birmingham from 2026, with branches to Manchester and Leeds via Sheffield planned by 2032.

The government says it expects the project to cost £42.6bn. But the Institute of Economic Affairs, a think tank, has suggested it could rise to more than £80bn.

The Department for Transport (DfT) also claims the project will generate £50bn in benefits to the UK economy, helping job creation and creating investment opportunities.

Continue reading the main story

It is time for the government to look at a thousand smaller projects instead of falling for one grand folly"

End Quote Simon Walker Director general, Institute of Directors

But the IoD said a survey of its members showed that just 27% felt the project represented good value for money.

Costs 'critical'

Some 70% said the scheme would have no impact on the productivity of their business.

Fewer than half (41%) rated HS2 as important to their business - that is down from 54% in a similar survey conducted in August 2011.

"Businesses up and down the country know value for money when they see it, and our research shows that they don't see it in the government's case for HS2," said Mr Walker.

"Overall there appears to be little enthusiasm amongst IoD members, not even in the regions where the benefits are supposed to be strongest.

"We agree with the need for key infrastructure spending, but the business case for HS2 simply is not there... it is time for the government to look at a thousand smaller projects instead of falling for one grand folly."

He added that the cost-benefit analysis was conducted before laptops and tablet computers became commonplace, and as a result suggested time spent on trains was wasted.

"The fact is more than half our members say they spend all of their time on trains working," Mr Walker told the BBC's Today programme. "For many of them it's as productive as the time they spend in the office."

HS2 has divided opinion, even among the business community. The British Chambers of Commerce, another business lobby group, said it remained supportive of the project, though a spokesperson told the BBC it was "critical" that costs were kept under control.

The CBI has also voiced lukewarm support. Director general John Cridland said it supported HS2 "in principle" but that "it must be demonstrably clear that the benefits outweigh the costs".

A DfT spokesman said the HS2 Growth Taskforce would "work with city and business leaders to ensure we are capitalising on every opportunity to help regeneration, job creation, investment opportunities and in building a skilled UK economy".

Without HS2, he said, "our existing rail network will be full by the mid-2020s at a cost to passengers and businesses up and down country".

'Building monuments'

The project has the backing of the major political parties, but is opposed by many backbench MPs.

Labour has placed a £50bn cap on the cost of the project.

In an interview with the Sunday Times, shadow transport secretary Maria Eagle said her party continued to support the project but its backing was conditional on costs being kept under control.

"I am not willing to see this project start draining money from other vital rail projects - it's got to be delivered within the current budget," she said.

"Nobody who is delivering it should be under any illusions that I will allow it to go up and up."

The IoD's survey included 1,323 members, surveyed online earlier this month.

Simon Walker said smaller infrastructure projects would do more to boost businesses and suggested HS2 was about political legacy as much as economic benefits.

"Politicians love building monuments to themselves," he told the BBC.

But Alison Munro, the chief executive of HS2 Ltd, the company charged with delivering the high-speed network, said HS2 was the only way to bring about a "transformational change".

"While smaller schemes may have higher benefit cost ratios, by their very nature they only make small improvements to capacity and often just move the bottleneck elsewhere on the network," she said.

"There is no other alternative that delivers the benefits of HS2."

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Badger cull begins amid protests

27 August 2013 Last updated at 04:54 ET

A controversial badger cull in Somerset is under way despite protests, the National Farmers' Union has confirmed.

About 5,000 badgers are expected to be killed in controlled shootings over six weeks in Somerset and Gloucestershire, in an attempt to control TB in cattle.

Supporters say the cull is necessary to tackle bovine TB, which can be spread from infected badgers, but opponents say it is inhumane and ineffective.

The RSPCA said it was "saddened" and anti-cull protesters have held a vigil.

It is understood the cull in Gloucestershire will start later this week.

In a letter to members, National Farmers' Union President Peter Kendall said: "I am writing to let you know that the first pilot badger control operations have begun.

"This is an important step not just for cattle farmers but for the whole farming industry.

"I know that many of you reading this will have suffered the misery of dealing with TB on farm - some of you for decades - and I hope now you will feel that something is finally being done to stem the cycle of infection between cattle and badgers.

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Jeremy Cooke reports on a night-time vigil amid the pilot cull

"I hope that when time shows that these culls have reduced TB in cattle - just as has happened in Ireland - that even more people will understand that while sad, these culls are absolutely necessary."

'Completely unscientific'

But an activist from Forthampton near Tewkesbury, who would only give her name as Lynne, said the cull was "utterly unacceptable" and described it as the "extermination of the badger on British soil".

Continue reading the main story

England's badger cull

• Badgers are being shot by marksmen in the South West as part of measures to protect cattle from bovine tuberculosis (TB)
• Badgers are thought to pass on the disease to cattle through their urine, faeces or through droplet infection, in farmyards or in pastures
• However, the extent of their role in the spread of bovine TB is not clear since the cows can also pass on the disease
• Defra scientists estimate that culling badgers could reduce the number of new cases of TB in herds by 12% to 16% over nine years

"We're planning a call-out of the whole country and expect people from all walks of life to come down to do all that they can to save lives," she said.

"There will be a mix of both interfering with the cull and protest walks wearing fluorescent vests."

Lynne said she did not believe the cull represented the democratic point of view and that it was "completely unscientific".

"Whether domestic or wild, they have a right to live as much as we do," she said.

"When badgers flee the cull zone, infected badgers may go into free zones."

Following the NFU announcement, Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said: "We know that despite the strict controls we already have in place, we won't get on top of this terrible disease until we start dealing with the infection in badgers as well as in cattle. That's the clear lesson from Australia, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland and the USA.

"That is why these pilot culls are so important. We have to use every tool in the box because TB is so difficult to eradicate and it is spreading rapidly.

"If we had a workable vaccine we would use it.

"A vaccine is at least 10 years off."

'Sensible policies'

Mr Paterson denied suggestions from anti-cull campaigners that the government was simply trying to appease the farming community.

"I've been looking at this since 2000 - and the bacterium spreads from animals to humans," he said.

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Owen Paterson MP: "It is pointless vaccinating existing diseased animals"

"We're following successful and sensible policies in other countries.

"In the Republic of Ireland the disease was rocketing until they began to cull. Now there's a significant reduction in the disease.

"I want to end up with healthy cattle living alongside healthy wildlife."

Dominic Dyer, of Care for the Wild, which opposes the cull, said the badger population like any other would go through good and bad times.

"There's no scientific or economic justification for the cull and it may make the spread (of TB) worse not better.

"This is killing without protection - they're not even testing (the culled animals) for TB and they're only monitoring the cull of a small number.

"It's an absolute scandal."

'Misguided attempt'

The RSPCA said it was "deeply saddened to learn that the pilot badger cull has begun and that hundreds of animals are now being shot in parts of Somerset and Gloucestershire".

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

It is an absolute scandal"

End Quote Dominic Dyer Care for the Wild

Chief executive Gavin Grant referred to the cull as a "misguided attempt to control bovine TB in cattle" and said the organisation was "seriously concerned that the methods being used to kill the badgers are not humane".

"As we speak thousands of innocent animals are being culled in our countryside - and we do not know the extent of their suffering or how humane the methods being used to kill them are.

"It is very likely that many of them are lying injured, suffering a painful death.

"The most tragic thing is that this suffering is so needless.

"Science has shown that this cull is not the answer to bovine TB in cattle. In fact, it could make things a lot worse.

"Vaccination and better bio-security are the only sustainable and true ways forward."

High-velocity rifles

Police officers were earlier sent to parts of Gloucestershire to "provide reassurance" after speculation the cull was imminent.

And Avon and Somerset Chief Constable Nick Gargan said his force had been preparing for the start of the cull for some time.

"There's been a good relationship between Avon and Somerset Constabulary and our neighbours Gloucestershire Police, as well as the Home Office and Defra," he said.

"It's their call not ours, but we understand we have a supporting role in ensuring that this democratically-elected government can push its programme forward... and similarly to ensure that people who want to protest within the law are able to do so."

The cull will involve the animals being shot in the open by marksmen using high-velocity rifles. The badgers will not be trapped in cages first.

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'Lost' Dambusters photos revealed

27 August 2013 Last updated at 05:00 ET

Photographs of all the men who took part in the Dambusters raid have been published for the first time.

The operation, on 16 May 1943, saw RAF bombers break two large dams in Germany using experimental "bouncing" bombs.

A 1955 film sealed its place as one of the most famous episodes of World War II.

Started as part of the 70th anniversary of the attack in May, the online gallery has been put together by the BBC, helped by Dambusters enthusiasts.

The dams of the Ruhr Valley were selected for attack as it was hoped the resulting flood would swamp the numerous factories downstream.

Flying from Lincolnshire across occupied Europe at tree-top height, 19 planes with seven-man crews braved anti-aircraft fire, power cables and mountainous terrain to drop the extraordinary four-tonne skipping depth charge.

But eight planes were lost, 53 men died and three were captured. Another 32 died in later operations.

True story

David Robertson, chairman of the 617 Squadron Association, said: " We believe this is the first time that there has been such a record of the crews who flew on Operation Chastise.

Continue reading the main story

Analysis

Greig Watson BBC News

---

The original idea was to show the human face of a story which is now close to mythology.

It is easy to talk about the cost of the raids and the youth of the crews but to see the faces, to almost look into their eyes, really brings home their sacrifice and bravery.

My thanks goes out to all the families and organisations across the globe who have allowed us to publish this lasting tribute to those who took part in one of the most famous and fascinating events of World War II.

"It is a most fitting commemoration of the men whose skill, courage, determination and airmanship has gone down in the annals of air warfare as one of the most remarkable operations of World War II."

John Sweetman, author of The Dambusters Raid and The Official Dambusters Experience, said wartime secrecy and the "simplified" story told in the film had lead to many myths springing up about the operation.

"But research has made some of the story clearer," he explained. "The inexperience of some crews, the group effort to make the bombs work, the impact on the German war industry.

"Even now, there is lots we don't know, particularly in the frantic last days and hours leading up to the raids, when crucial decisions were made.

"The story, hopefully, will continue to be discovered."

'Difficult process'

One of the surprises, and challenges, encountered by the project were the large gaps in the official photographic archives.

Curator of photographs at the Imperial War Museum (IWM), Ian Carter, explained that 125,000 men flew with the RAF and many lasted just a matter of weeks.

"All this meant that very few individuals were actually recorded by the official RAF photographers," he said.

"Of course, some men took unofficial snaps on their own cameras, and we have examples within IWM's collection, but many more remain in private hands.

"Researching their whereabouts is a far more difficult and lengthy process, as the BBC researchers have found out."

'Terrible danger'

Peter Elliott, head of archives at the Royal Air Force Museum, added even when photographs were taken, many were lost.

"At the end of the war bases were closing and men were leaving or dead and a lot must have seemed pointless to store.

Continue reading the main story

'So exciting'

Charles Foster Dambusters researcher

---

When I was asked to help with the gallery I thought it was a great idea.

It was a chance to collect the pictures we knew were out there and perhaps find those which were missing.

I knew we could get about 90% of the pictures but the rest were likely to be tricky. So when the last of the photos were located I was just so pleased, it was so exciting.

Having read the names of these men so often, suddenly they had faces.

"It's always good to be able to put a face to a name, especially if it's something notable like the Dambusters and people ought to be able to commemorate those involved properly.

"But it happens the other way too - many museums have countless pictures with no names to go with them. I've see many, many images of young men, standing next to their aircraft and we have no idea who they were - which is rather sad."

Douglas Radcliffe, secretary of the Bomber Command Association, recalled Dambuster pilot David Shannon was keen to put the raid in context.

"He would talk about the dams but would then slide the conversation towards all the other raids he took part in, some immensely costly.

"And it is important to remember all those other crews, who took part in less famous raids, who also served and also deserve our respect."

Mike Gibson, the nephew of Guy Gibson, who won the Victoria Cross for leading the dams raid, felt the public attitude towards bomber crews had see-sawed from admiration to cynicism and back again.

He added: "People have come to appreciate what these men went through, living on bases knowing they would have to fly into terrible danger again and again and again, that the odds were against them. Who could sustain that today?

"To some extent I think the Dambusters have come to represent all of the men who flew. It's hard to envisage the thousands who went out in hundreds of planes but the men of the dams raid can be related to.

"And now we can see them all."

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UK draws up Syria 'action plan'

27 August 2013 Last updated at 05:27 ET

The UK is drawing up contingency plans for military action in response to the chemical weapons attack in Syria, Downing Street has said.

David Cameron will also consider a recall of Parliament when he returns to No 10 later on Tuesday.

MPs from all parties have demanded they be consulted before any move to support military action is taken.

The suspected chemical attack took place on Wednesday near Damascus, and reportedly killed more than 300 people.

Syrian rebels say the Assad government was responsible, but it blames rebel forces - saying footage of the attack was "fabricated".

'International law'

A No 10 spokesman said the UK was considering a "proportionate response" to the attack after UN weapons inspectors visited five sites around Damascus on Monday to try to ascertain what happened.

The BBC's Carole Walker said the government believed there was evidence pointing to the Assad government being behind the attack.

Continue reading the main story

Analysis

Whitehall officials say no firm decision is likely to be taken on how Britain will respond to last week's alleged chemical attack in Syria until at least Wednesday.

That is when David Cameron will be chairing a session of the National Security Council, attended by military and intelligence chiefs and senior ministers. It follows intense consultations between London and Washington, with Downing Street keen to stress the two countries are acting in concert.

Any military response, if it's decided on, is most likely to be confined to a one-off or limited guided missile strikes on selected Syrian military targets using Tomahawk cruise missiles fired from US Navy warships stationed hundreds of miles away in the eastern Mediterranean.

US vessels there are reported to have about 400 such missiles onboard, while a Royal Navy submarine in the region can also carry cruise missiles.

But Russia, Syria and Iran have all issued strong warnings against any Western military action.

But she said Downing Street was stressing that no decisions had been taken on any response and any course of action would be "in compliance with international law".

Mr Cameron is to chair a meeting of the National Security Council - attended by military and intelligence chiefs and senior ministers - on Wednesday to discuss potential responses.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, meanwhile, has cancelled a visit to Afghanistan.

The Labour Party and several Conservative MPs have insisted the prime minister must explain the objectives and legal basis for military action to Parliament before it happens.

Although the Commons voted on UK military intervention in Iraq in 2003 and Libya in 2011, there is no legal obligation for the government to get parliamentary approval before committing British forces.

The prime minister has the final say on deploying British troops in conflicts, using Royal Prerogative powers.

'Blank cheque'

For Labour, shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander said it was right to consider all options but he was "not prepared to write the government a blank cheque" with regards to committing British forces.

He told BBC Breakfast the prime minister needed to bring Parliament back and set out his strategic objectives for any military action in Syria and MPs should be allowed to vote on this.

"Is it a broad objective of changing the civil war or trying to remove (President) Bashar al-Assad or is it a more limited objective of trying to degrade his capability to use these weapons with impunity?" he asked.

Downing Street said the government would decide "whether the timetable for our response means it will be necessary to recall MPs sooner than Monday", when they had been due to return to Westminster from their summer break.

More than 60 MPs have signed a parliamentary motion calling for the House of Commons to be recalled later this week.

Conservative MP Adam Holloway said Parliament must be consulted but he doubted whether MPs would sanction any military action, since intervention was not in the UK's national security interest and would be "pure foolishness".

"We must have a clear purpose to any military intervention," he told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme. "It was ever thus."

The situation in Syria was not "clear cut", he added, as there were "appalling things going on on both sides."

'Firm response'

It is understood the most likely military response to Wednesday's suspected chemical weapons attack would be a one-off or limited guided missile strikes on Syrian military targets fired from US Navy warships.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

It could easily turn into a regional war with Lebanon, Israel and all the surrounding nations in this and then possibly a world war with China and Russia"

End Quote Paul Flynn Labour MP

Mr Cameron spoke to a number of foreign leaders over the bank holiday weekend, including US President Barack Obama and his French and German counterparts.

He and Mr Obama agreed the need for a "firm response" from the international community to the attack.

Mr Cameron used a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin to tell him there was "little doubt" a chemical weapons attack had been carried out by President Bashar al-Assad's regime, Downing Street said.

But Mr Putin told him they had no evidence an attack had taken place or who was responsible, it added.

'Fabricated' footage

Russia, a key ally of Syria, has warned any intervention without a UN mandate would be "a grave violation of international law".

The UN Security Council is made up of 15 states, including five permanent members - China, Russia, France, the US and the UK - who have the power to veto any resolution.

UK Foreign Secretary William Hague has told the BBC it would be possible for the UK and its allies to respond without the UN's unanimous backing.

But Labour MP Paul Flynn warned: "It could easily turn into a regional war with Lebanon, Israel and all the surrounding nations in this and then possibly a world war with China and Russia."

Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Tony Blair has said enduring controversy over the decision to invade Iraq in 2003 should not stop politicians from helping the Syrian people.

Avoiding military intervention could result in "a nightmare scenario" for the West in the Middle East, he wrote in the Times.

• 01:15: 21 August (10:15 GMT 20 Aug): Facebook pages of Syrian opposition report heavy fighting in rebel-held eastern districts of the Ghouta, the agricultural belt around Damascus
• 02:45: Opposition posts Facebook report of "chemical shelling" in Ein Tarma area of the Ghouta
• 02:47: Second opposition report says chemical weapons used in Zamalka area of the Ghouta
• Unverified video footage shows people being treated on pavements in the dark and in a makeshift hospital
• Reports say chemical weapons were used in Ghouta towns of Irbin, Jobar, Zamalka and Ein Tarma as well as in Muadhamiya to the west, but this is not confirmed
• Syrian government acknowledges military offensive in the Ghouta but denies chemical weapons use

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Mother died of chest gunshot wound

25 August 2013 Last updated at 17:38 ET

A mother fatally wounded while out celebrating her birthday in north London died of a gunshot wound to the chest, a post-mortem examination found.

Nursery teacher Sabrina Moss, 24, from Neasden, died in hospital after she was shot at 04:12 BST on Saturday in Kilburn High Road.

A second woman injured in the shooting, also 24, is still being treated in hospital.

She is now said to be in a stable and non life-threatening condition.

Two people arrested in connection with the shooting have been released without charge.

'Wrong place'

Ms Moss's parents, John and Andrea Moss, said in a statement earlier: "Our family has been devastated by this horrific incident that has changed our lives forever.

"Sabrina was a fun-loving girl who made friends wherever she went.

"She was a lovely daughter and a perfect mother to her young son, whom she adored.

"She cherished working as a nursery teacher and treasured working with the children, who undoubtedly will miss her dearly."

Detectives from the Met police's Homicide and Major Crime Command have said they believe the women "were caught in the wrong place at the wrong time".

The post-mortem examination on Ms Moss, who leaves behind a four-year-old son, was carried out at Northwick Park Hospital Mortuary.

An incident room has been set up at Hendon police station, which can be contacted on 0208 358 0300. Witnesses can also contact Crimestoppers.

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Former army colonel killed in Kenya

25 August 2013 Last updated at 17:59 ET

Police in Kenya are investigating the murder of a former British army colonel who was killed by an armed gang at his home near Nanyuki, Laikipia.

David Parkinson and his wife were attacked after the gang of suspected robbers, armed with machetes and a gun, smashed their way into the house in the early hours of Sunday, police said.

Mrs Parkinson escaped after hiding in a strong room.

Mr Parkinson, an ex-commander of a base in the area, managed a cattle ranch.

Senior investigating officer Marius Tum, of Laikipia East police, said about five gang members had gained entry to the house by smashing a glass door just before 01:00 local time on Sunday and found the couple sleeping.

During the ensuing confrontation, Mr Parkinson's hand was cut severely and he was fatally wounded, Mr Tum added.

He said the attackers had tied Mrs Parkinson up with rope.

"But she managed to hide in one of the strong rooms to which they could not gain access," Mr Tum said.

"David remained lying on the floor. When she was sure they had left, she came out of the strong room to discover that David had died."

Police said the gang had escaped with a small haul including Mrs Parkinson's telephone, a small amount of cash from her purse, a laptop computer and a silver statuette.

Detectives investigating the murder have arrested a suspect from a nearby village, according to Kenya's Daily Nation newspaper.

A former lieutenant colonel in the Parachute Regiment, Mr Parkinson was awarded an OBE in 1998.

He left the British army a decade ago to focus on conservation and community work in Kenya.

He was previously deputy director of Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, which made headlines after Prince William proposed to Kate Middleton there in October 2010.

More recently, he managed the Lolldaiga Hills wildlife and livestock ranch which also hosts British troops on training exercises.

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Stop being anti-car, councils told

25 August 2013 Last updated at 19:52 ET

Councils in England should provide more parking spaces in town centres and cut down on speed humps, the secretary of state for communities has said.

New planning guidance will also say councils should ensure parking charges do not "undermine" local economies.

"Draconian" parking policies and "over-zealous traffic wardens" had driven motorists into internet retailers and out-of-town stores, Eric Pickles said.

Councils said such intervention made it harder for them to meet local needs.

The guidance, which is due to be published this week, says: "The quality of parking in town centres is important; it should be convenient, safe and secure.

"Parking charges should be appropriate and not undermine the vitality of town centres and local shops, and parking enforcement should be proportionate."

It urges councils to ensure that street furniture including lighting, railings, litter bins, paving and fountains are "well designed and sensitively placed".

"Unnecessary clutter and physical constraints such as parking bollards and road humps should be avoided," it adds.

'Economic damage'

"Draconian Town Hall parking policies and street clutter can make driving into town centres unnecessarily stressful and actually create more congestion because of lack of places to park," Mr Pickles said.

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Creating more spaces in town and city centres where there is no room for them is simply not the way to draw more shoppers"

End Quote Local Government Association

"Anti-car measures are driving motorists into the arms of internet retailers and out of town superstores, taking their custom with them.

"Over-zealous parking wardens have inflicting real damage on local economies and given many towns and councils a bad name.

"Town Halls need to ditch their anti-car dogma. Making it easier to park will help support local shops, local jobs and tourism."

But a spokesman for the Local Government Association, which represents more than 370 councils in England and Wales, said: "Councils work hard to try and boost trade and keep High Streets vibrant through parking incentives such as free short-stay, cheaper evenings and free Sundays.

"Creating more spaces in town and city centres where there is no room for them is simply not the way to draw more shoppers to the High Street.

"Parking measures help avoid congestion in our high streets.

"In fact, the government's own figures show charges in England are falling in real terms while councils invest any revenue back into transport services like filling potholes and road improvement projects.

"The more government continues to intervene in this way, the less flexibility local authorities have to react to the individual needs of local shoppers, residents and traders and support local businesses and High Streets in their area."

The government says the new guidance is part of an online guide that replaces 7,000 pages of previous "planning practice guidance" documents, and also part of a wider initiative to support parking and local shoppers.

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