Waterfall Death: Tributes Paid To Josh Furber

The British tourist who died after falling from a waterfall has been named as Josh Furber.

The 20-year-old, reportedly from Runcorn in Cheshire, had been living near Sydney's Bondi Beach with friends.

He was killed on Sunday afternoon whilst on a walk in the Blue Mountains near Sydney when he slipped over the edge of Wentworth Falls, according to police.

In the weeks before his death, Mr Furber had written on Twitter about how he loved living in Australia.

One tweet said: "The world is a beautiful place." In others he wrote about walking on the beach, living his dreams and being excited for New Year's Eve in Sydney.

Friends have paid tribute on Twitter and Facebook.

One wrote: "Still shocked!! Can't believe it! RIP @JoshFurb thinking of you an your family!!"

Another posted: "Madness RIP @JoshFurb taken way to soon still shocked. At least he died living what most people dream of. Sending love to his family."

New South Wales police said Mr Furber, a student at Leeds Metropolitan University, had travelled to the mountains with friends for a walk and a picnic.

He is believed to have fallen around 100 metres after slipping on rocks.

A police spokeswoman described the area as "extremely rugged and difficult to access".

The Blue Mountains national park is about 37 miles west of Sydney and covers around a million hectares, according to the Destination New South Wales website.

A World Heritage site, the landscape of huge cliffs, deep rainforest gullies, sandstone canyons and waterfalls forms part of the traditional country of the Aboriginal people.

Wentworth Falls is a three-tiered waterfall near a town of the same name.

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Teenager Killed In Police Chase Is Named

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

A schoolgirl killed when her family's car was caught up in a police chase has been named as 13-year-old Wiktoria Was.

Wiktoria was a back seat passenger in the VW Polo when it was hit by another car that was being pursued by police through southeast London.

She was pronounced dead at the scene on Ilderton Road, close to Millwall Football Club on Sunday evening.

Staff at Goffs School in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, where Wiktoria was a year nine pupil, confirmed that they have been helping students cope with the loss of a talented pupil.

Headteacher Alison Garner paid tribute to her.

"Wiktoria was a highly valued member of our community, funny, charming, bubbly and with a bright future ahead of her.  She will be much missed by us all."

She added: "I have spoken with all of year nine and arranged for Wiktoria's form to be talked to separately in their form group. 

"The school counsellor will be available at least this week for students and staff, and we will be encouraging students to think about how they would like to remember Wiktoria - for example via a tree, bench, and memorial assembly - once the initial shock has subsided."

The crash happened in southeast London

The Metropolitan Police and the Independent Police Complaints Commission are both investigating the pursuit and subsequent collision.

Devon Newell, 32, of Meeting House Lane, Peckham, southeast London, has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving, causing serious injury by dangerous driving, failing to stop for police, failing to stop at the scene of an accident, and driving with no insurance and no licence.

He appeared by videolink at Camberwell Green Magistrates' Court on Tuesday and was remanded in custody to appear before Woolwich Court on January 15.

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Texting Driver Susan Noble Jailed Over Death

Police are again warning drivers not to use mobile phones while on the road, after a woman was jailed for three years for causing the death of a man while texting.

Susan Noble, 29, of Armthorpe, Doncaster, was sentenced at Teesside Crown Court for causing the death by dangerous driving of Alexandru Braninski, 25, in December 2011. She had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing.

Mr Braninski, a Romanian, suffered traumatic injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene on the northbound carriageway of the A19 near Northallerton.

The car in which he was travelling was stationary because of a puncture at the time of the crash and Mr Braninski was standing behind it while the wheel was being changed.

Noble's car crashed into him, pushing the stationary car into a field at the side of the road.

It was found that she had been texting a friend at the time of the crash.

As well as receiving three years' imprisonment, Noble was also disqualified from driving for six years and will have to take an extended driving test.

Traffic Sergeant John Lumbard, of North Yorkshire Police's roads policing group, said: "Susan Noble has fully accepted that she is responsible for the tragic death of Mr Braninski due to a serious error of judgment.

"I want this tragedy to send a very clear message to drivers that using mobile phones whilst driving can and does lead to horrific consequences.

"Research from around the world has shown time and time again that this behaviour does cause drivers to lose concentration on the road ahead.

"Ideally you should turn phones off while you are driving so that you are not distracted by an unexpected call. However, if you must use a phone while on the move, it is essential that you use a hands-free kit.

"As well as leaving one man dead, the collision has left a family grieving for their loss and a young woman with the knowledge that she is responsible for his untimely death."

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Moira Anderson Police Dig Up Grave In Search

By James Matthews, Scotland Correspondent

A grave is being exhumed in an effort to solve a 56-year murder mystery.

A forensic team pumped water from the plot at Old Monkland Cemetery in Lanarkshire as a first step in the operation to establish whether or not 11 year-old Moira Anderson is buried there.

Wet, sodden ground is an added complication to the delicate dig, which is being conducted with small shovels and trowels.

The team is investigating suspicions that Moira was abducted and killed when she went missing in 1957 and her body concealed within a grave that lay open at the time.

Her family now believe her killer may have dumped her body in the grave of one of his friends, Sinclair Upton, who died around the time of Moira's disappearance.

They have sought permission through the courts to have the grave exhumed. Mr Upton's family has agreed to the request.

The exhumation may take days to complete

The prime suspect behind Moira's disappearance is convicted paedophile Alexander Gartshore, who died in 2006.

The young girl disappeared after taking a trip on a bus that he drove.

Underground radar checks on the grave in 2007 indicated an anomaly consistent with the presence of the remains of a child.

The exhumation is being conducted under the direction of forensic anthropologist Professor Sue Black.

Police believe the burial plot has three layers and there may be up to eight people interred there.

Chief Inspector Kenny McLeod, of Strathclyde Police, said: "There may be no necessity to exhume all eight human remains but that does remain a possibility.

The site dates back to 1908

"The site does present significant problems and challenges, not only in terms of ground conditions but also record-keeping as you can imagine, going back to 1908, it may not detail every person in the burial plot."

Officers in overalls went in and out of the tents as work started on Tuesday morning.

Mr McLeod said: "There was a petition before Airdrie Sheriff Court last year from the Moira Anderson Foundation and the Crown Office then instructed Strathclyde Police to facilitate the excavation.

"It comes from new information presented to the court.

"Operations like this are not taken lightly as we remain sensitive to Moira Anderson's family and also the families who have relatives buried elsewhere in the cemetery."

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Halfords To Host Practical Driving Tests

Practical driving tests will be available from branches of Halfords from next month, the Government has announced.

The first test centre will open at the firm's Wellingborough store on February 5, before the initiative is rolled out to branches across the country in the coming months.

All tests will be conducted by Driving Standards Agency (DSA) examiners.

The firm's director of communications, David Sawday, told Sky News the store offered learner drivers a "non-threatening environment to meet your examiner and start your test".

"All the people in the country are within a 20 minute drive of a Halford's store so we are a very accessible location," he added.

Other sites under consideration as future test centres include Glasgow, Altrincham, Market Harborough and Hemel Hempstead.

And the car parts and bicycle retailer may not be the only private sector company enlisted to help provide "a more local service for driving test candidates".

The DSA is looking at both the private and public sector, with fire stations and universities reportedly also in the running to host practical driving test centres.

Driving test wait times currently vary from between one week and almost three months, depending on the location.

The Government is currently consulting on proposals to improve the way all motoring services are delivered.

The Halfords deal, which has been in the pipeline since last summer, was finalised by Road Safety Minister Stephen Hammond.

He said: "We are very pleased to be working with Halfords to provide a more local service for candidates.

"This is a great example of working with private sector partners to provide an important local service that is convenient as well as being cost effective."

Paul McClenaghan, Halfords' commercial director, said: "Halfords is already a local destination for motorists, who come to us for a diverse range of automotive products and services.

"We're always seeking new ways in which to enhance our offer, so working with the Driving Standards Agency is a natural fit for the business and extends the help we are able to provide to motorists," he added.

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N-Dubz Frontman Dappy Accused Of Mob Attack

Rapper Dappy sparked a "mob attack" at a petrol station when he spat at two young women who refused to get into a car with him, his trial has heard.

Prosecutor Brian Stork said the 25-year-old, whose real name is Costadinos Contostavlos, pulled up in a car at a Shell garage in Guildford, Surrey, at about 3.30am on February 28 last year.

Mr Stork said Dappy and his friend Kalonji Stewart got out of the car along with a third man.

While Stewart went inside the shop Dappy began talking to Grace Cochran and Serena Burton, who were in a group sitting on the kerb outside.

Mr Stork alleged that Dappy tried to persuade the pair to come with them in their car.

The prosecution says the fight "kicked off" due to Dappy's behaviour

When they refused he called the women "sluts", said one was ugly and then spat at them, but missed, the prosecutor said.

A man who just met the women, David Jenkins, stood up to defend them, and Dappy is said to have spat at him and it made contact before swinging a punch at him.

Tests on a saliva stain on Mr Jenkins' t-shirt showed a DNA link to Dappy, Mr Stork said.

Mr Stork told Guildford Crown Court: "It all kicked off."

He said Dappy was then joined by two other men, Kieran Vassell and Alfred Miller, who had arrived in a second Mercedes car with other unidentified men.

Mr Stork showed the jury CCTV footage, lasting just moments, from the garage.

It showed the men attacking Mr Jenkins and his two other friends, resulting in Mr Jenkins' teeth being damaged and a fractured nose to another man. They then all got into cars and drove off.

Miller and Vassell are alleged to have used their feet and fists in the attack, and Dappy is alleged to have got involved when he was released from a head lock.

Stewart also got involved, but less so, the prosecution claims.

Dappy denies two counts of common assault on the two women, one of assault by beating, of Mr Jenkins, and one of affray.

Vassell, 25, of Hammersmith, west London, and Stewart, 32, of Harborne, Birmingham, are each charged with affray.

Miller, 28, of Brentford, west London, has pleaded guilty to affray and his case was adjourned for sentence at the end of the trial.

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Ofcom To Boost Hunt for Nuisance Call Firms

The telecoms watchdog is to boost efforts to hunt down companies behind nuisance calls to householders.

The move was prompted after Ofcom said a study found almost half of all adults were subjected to silent or abandoned calls within a six-month period.

The regulator announced a plan to tackle the growing problem after its own research suggested the number of those affected had increased from 24% in 2011 to 47% in 2012.

An abandoned call is one that ends when it is picked up while a silent call is where the receiver hears nothing and has no way of knowing whether there is anyone at the other end of the line.

The figures, released in the regulator's annual Consumer Experience Report, also reveal that 71% of landline customers received a live marketing call, while 63% received a recorded marketing message over the same six-month period.

Ofcom said its plan to help tackle nuisance calls would include a new study to build a clearer picture of the problems consumers experience.

It has also pledged to work closely with the industry to identify ways to trace companies behind nuisance calls when they try to hide their identity.

Ofcom issued fines totalling more than £800,000 within the last year to HomeServe and npower over silent or abandoned calls. TalkTalk is currently under investigation.

The watchdog has also received numerous complaints from consumers who have been pestered by callers acting on behalf of firms looking to payment protection insurance mis-selling compensation claim firms.

Ofcom's consumer group director Claudio Pollack said: "Nuisance calls can cause annoyance, inconvenience and anxiety to consumers.

"This is a complex and challenging area, but Ofcom is determined to work with industry and other regulators to help protect consumers. Our new research will help to understand the root cause of the problem."

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West Coast: Toy Train Firm Bids For Franchise

Toy Firm's Letter And Aide's Reply

Updated: 12:48pm UK, Tuesday 08 January 2013

These are the full letters from Bigjigs to the Department of Transport and the Government's response.

Bigjigs Letter, October 3rd

Dear Mr McLoughlin,

It has been well documented in the public arena recently that you are having a few issues deciding which train companies should serve the West Coast Main Line.

Obviously this is a decision that should not be taken lightly and has many complex issued that need serious consideration. I, however, feel there is only one company that stands head and shoulders above the rest.

This company has been delivering exceptional service on time and to low cost for its customers for years, and should be a serious candidate amongst the other four bidders.

You might be asking who can offer such a service. Simple. Bigjigs Rail.

Bigjigs Rail has been running efficient and cost effective services since 2005, and has had many customers over the years who are delighted with the service we offer.

Bigjigs Rail would like to put in a bid for the West Coast Main Line, and we promise the following:

:: An efficent service on some exciting trains including our Bullet Train, Passenger Train, Princess Train or even one of our Heritage Trains.

:: No delays - our track is not affected by sun, rain, snow, wind or leaves. Our trains run whatever the weather!

:: A 'fair' fare for all - our trains run on enjoyment and so our service will be FREE.

:: We have enough trains to run frequent services - so no more cramped conditions for our commuters; everyone gets a seat (we might even introduce beds at some stage).

:: Safety - our safety record speaks for itself. We have never had nor never will have an accident. Our track and all of our trains are tested under the highest scrutiny and have to be fully compliant with safety regulations at all times.

Our promises speak for themselves and we are confident we will 100% deliver to the 31 million people who travel on the West Coast Main Line every year.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on our bid and look forward to changing the British Rail Network.

Yours Kindly,

George Poole

Government Reply, December 24

Dear Sir,

You wrote to the Secretary of State earlier this year, enclosing a model train and a short section of track. You had some helpful proposals as to the operation of the West Coast Mainline (WCML).

While the Secretary of State did not have time to read your letter personally, I myself took a keen interest. Your model now adorns my desk.

Turning to your specific points, I am afraid there are some necessary bureaucratic hurdles you will need to overcome before you are able to run passenger services on the National Rail network. I suggest that you contact the Office of Rail Regulation who can provide advice. Their website is at orr.gov.uk.

With regards to your rolling stock, I can see expert craftsmanship and high build quality. Government policy is indeed to allow the market to dictate rolling stock solutions, but in the spirit of partnership working, I will make a few recommendations:

:: While perfect for the in-home market, wooden carriages are unlikely to meet modern crashworthiness standards for operation on the heavy rail network. Aluminium might be a better bet.

:: Though traditional, a locomotive and coaches formation does not use all available scarce space within the maximum train length. Please remember that the maximum length of a train on the WCML is around 260m. May I suggest a multiple unit?

:: Your ratio of 1/3 first class, 1/3 standard and 1/3 guard's van is rather wasteful of space. Perhaps building accommodation for the guard's van into the first class coach would be a good approach.

:: From my inspection, the carriage bodies are attached rigidly to the bogeys. To take advantage of higher speeds on the WCML, it will be necessary to retrofit a tilting mechanism.

:: I note that your current design employs only two axles per carriage. This is likely to result in poor ride quality at high-speed (you will be aware that class '14x' Pacers use this set-up and are limited to 75mph). Four may be more appropriate.

Notwithstanding the above, your vibrant livery would certainly brighten up the railway. Good luck refining your proposal.

May I also take this opportunity to thank you once again for your model and wish all staff at Bigjigs Rail a Merry Christmas. I hope you have a successful 2013.

Yours faithfully,

Mark Reach

Private Secretary

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Terror Suspect 'Escaped In Black Cab'

Missing terror suspect Ibrahim Magag escaped surveillance by simply ringing for a black cab, the Shadow Home Secretary claims.

Yvette Cooper told MPs that a tweet from London taxi news service Cabwise suggested Somali-born Magag had evaded detection by picking up a ride less than half-a-mile from Euston station on Boxing Day.

In a fierce exchange with Home Secretary Theresa May, Ms Cooper said: "Are you worried that surveillance can be shaken off simply by jumping into a black cab?"

Magag, 28, who is understood to have attended terrorist training camps in Somalia, absconded from a Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures (Tpims) notice after ripping off his electronic tag.

Mrs May insisted the police and security services did not believe Magag was involved in current terrorist planning and that great efforts were being made to find him.

Magag, who is thought to have raised funds for al Qaeda, was originally handed a control order and forced to live in the West Country away from his network of friends.

But under the new Tpims regime, introduced last year due to support from the Liberal Democrats, he was able to move back to London.

He is described as a black man of Somali origin, 6ft 2in and slim to medium build. He has a beard, but detectives warned he may try to change his appearance.

Ms Cooper questioned the use of Tpims

He was last seen wearing a khaki robe, a black Berghaus windcheater and navy Converse trainers.

Asking an urgent question in the Commons, Ms Cooper claimed Magag's escape had been made easier by the Government stopping relocation of suspected terrorists.

"You allowed Magag to return to London," she said.

"You have not answered the question about whether it would have been harder to abscond in the West Country, where he was made to live under a control order - harder to get help from his associates, harder to hide, harder to get forged papers."

Ms Cooper said absconds had stopped under control orders once the powers were toughened up - including greater use of relocation.

And she added: "You chose to ditch relocation, you have personally made it easier for people to abscond.

"Other people previously relocated under control orders are also now back in London on Tpims. Could any one of them simply jump in a black cab tomorrow and be off?"

Keith Vaz, who is chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, told the Commons it was understood Magag had forged passports when in Somalia.

He asked Mrs May if Magag was in possession of his passport when he went missing.

The Home Secretary said she must consult the details of a previous anonymity order before providing an answer.

Defending Tpims, she said terror suspects had absconded before while under the old restriction - several of whom were never found.

She said: "In six years of control orders, there were seven absconds and of those seven cases, six were never apprehended.  Magag's abscond is serious and the authorities are doing everything they can to locate him."

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Benefits Cap Vote On George Osborne's Plans

Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith has accused Labour of bribing voters with tax credits during a bitter debate about the 1% cap on benefit payments.

Mr Duncan Smith attacked the Opposition for criticising legislation to sever the link between welfare handouts and inflation in a fiery Commons session.

He claimed the previous government had created a system in which nine out of 10 families with children could claim tax credits, including those on £70,000-a-year.

"They think that helping people is about trapping more and more people in benefits," he told MPs ahead of a vote on the controversial move later.

"The result of all of this is that the debt we all had to pay off was costing us £30,000 every single minute," Mr Duncan Smith said.

He accused Labour of failing to face up to the need to slash the deficit, pointing out the party had opposed £83bn of savings set out by the Government.

"That's the equivalent of adding another £5,000 of debt for every working family in the country," he said.

But shadow work and pensions secretary Liam Byrne claimed the coalition's approach was turning into a "hit and run on working families".

He accused Chancellor George Osborne of "battering the life" out of the economic recovery and Mr Duncan Smith of living "in a fantasy land".

George Osborne's 1% cap is opposed by Labour's Ed Balls

"The Tory way is to hit working families. The Labour way is to help people work," he told MPs.

MPs will vote on the cap following the heated debate and Labour as well as some Lib Dem rebels are set to vote against it.

What amounts to a real-terms cut will hit most working age welfare payments and tax credits, including jobseeker's allowance and maternity pay.

The Government insists it is unfair that state handouts have been rising twice as fast as wages during recent years of austerity.

But Labour argues that the move will mostly affect people who are actually in work, citing analysis that shows seven million working households will lose £165-a-year.

Shadow chancellor Ed Balls said: "While millionaires get a tax cut, seven million striving working families are paying the price for David Cameron and George Osborne's economic failure.

"The best way to get the benefits bill down is to get the economy growing and people back to work, not hit striving families."

Mr Duncan Smith, appearing earlier on Sky News, condemned the Opposition's stance as "pathetic", "unrealistic" and "ridiculous".

"We have to still continue to try and tackle the deficit left for us by Labour which is fuelling huge borrowing and will cost taxpayers enormously unless we get it under control," he said.

"It is also about trying to do it in a way that is fair to those who are in work and are paying the taxes for those who are on welfare.

"The reality is they have seen their welfare payments rise far faster over the last six or seven years than anybody in work."

Labour was "a pathetic opportunistic group who spend their time trying to pretend to people there are soft options out there", he added.

However, anti-poverty campaigners have warned that families will increasingly struggle to properly feed children if benefits fail to keep pace with rises in the cost of living.

Former children's minister Sarah Teather has already broken ranks, warning the the measure would make poverty "significantly worse" and accusing Mr Osborne of "playground politics".

She has now been joined by South Manchester Liberal Democrat MP John Leech, who said he found the Tories' language "objectionable".

"I strongly support raising the tax threshold for low paid workers, but this cut will wipe out much of that good work," he said ahead of this evening's Second Reading division.

Meanwhile, the Tories are trying to distance themselves from the "skivers against strivers" rhetoric sparked by Mr Osborne's original announcement.

Conservative MP Sarah Wollaston insisted that the "vast majority" of her party did not use those terms and it was not how they "feel generally".

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has estimated seven million working families will be £165 worse off a year, compared to £215 for the 2.5 million workless households.

Mr Duncan Smith says the £165 figure only reflects the benefits cap and claims working families will actually be £125 better off each year due to the rise in the income tax threshold.

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