Danger As Electrical Product Recalls Ignored

Millions of potentially deadly electrical appliances are sitting in homes around the country despite attempts to recall the products, consumers are being warned.

The Electrical Safety Council (ESC) says one person is killed every seven days by an electrical accident and 350,000 people are injured annually, partly because of a "shockingly low" response to product alerts.

The charity found the average success rate of a product recall is just 10%-20%.

With 266 product recalls in the last six years and manufacturers making hundreds of thousands of items, it is thought millions of dangerous items stay in people's homes.

Research by the ESC shows almost two million adults have knowingly ignored a recall notice and a further one million admit owning an electrical item that has been recalled.

The researchers also found many consumers would jeopardise their safety if sending back a recalled product was too inconvenient or meant going without a luxury item such as a television or hair straighteners.

The ESC is launching an online tool that will allow users to quickly and easily discover if they own an electrical product that has been recalled.

The charity's Emma Apter said: "The small inconvenience of returning a recalled item is worth it when you consider that faulty products can electrocute or cause a fire.

"We firmly believe that there is more that retailers and manufacturers can do to help ensure customers are aware when a product has been recalled, and what to do if they need to return an item."

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Brian Lynch: Runaway Killer Held In Manchester

Police have arrested a convicted murderer who fled prison while on day release.

Brian Lynch, 44, was held just before 5am at an address in Gorton, Manchester.

A woman, 40, who was also at the address was arrested on suspicion of harbouring an escaped prisoner.

Lynch fled from Preston city centre last Thursday afternoon while on a day trip from nearby HMP Kirkham.

He was jailed in 1988 for the killing of 21-year-old Chi Yeung Yip in Clayton, Manchester.

A spokeswoman for Lancashire Police said: "Absconded prisoner Brian Lynch was arrested in the early hours of this morning at an address in the Gorton area of Manchester.

"A 40-year-old woman has been arrested for harbouring an escaped prisoner and both are currently in police custody in Manchester.

"Lynch will be charged with absconding and will be sent back to prison."

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Facebook 'Likes' Reveal More Than Users Think

Facebook users' online behaviour reveals intimate details about personality which could let strangers predict their sexuality, political views and religion, researchers have claimed.

Experts say that by studying "Likes" - the system used to show approval on the social networking site - it is possible to predict accurately what a person is like in real life.

Whether it is drug users being more inclined to show approval for Big Momma's movies or people with a high IQ showing a taste for curly chips, the patterns are not always immediately obvious to the untrained eye.

But Cambridge University researchers believe they can work out what lies behind the hidden clues.

     "We believe that our results, while based on Facebook Likes, apply to a wider range of online behaviours," said Michal Kosinski, operation director at the University of Cambridge's Psychometrics Centre.

"Similar predictions could be made from all manner of digital data, with this kind of secondary 'inference' made with remarkable accuracy - statistically predicting sensitive information people might not want revealed.

"Given the variety of digital traces people leave behind, it's becoming increasingly difficult for individuals to control."

The 'likes' may be clues as to the user's personalities

The study, based on the Facebook profiles of 58,000 people in the US, found that online behaviour can be used to make surprising accurate predictions about users' race, age, IQ, sexuality, personality, substance use and political views.

After feeding Facebook preferences into an algorithm, they created models which were able to determine male sexuality with 88% accuracy, race with 95% accuracy, political leanings with 85% accuracy and religion 82% of the time.

But few users clicked "Likes" which explicitly revealed these traits.

For example, fewer than 5% of gay users clicked obvious links such as "Gay Marriage" and instead inference was drawn from more popular likes such as music and TV shows.

The finding could be used to direct personalised marketing to web users, but also highlights potential threats to privacy.

Mr Kosinski said: "I am a great fan and active user of new amazing technologies, including Facebook. I appreciate automated book recommendations or Facebook selecting the most relevant stories for my newsfeed.

"However, I can imagine situations in which the same data and technology is used to predict political views or sexual orientation, posing threats to freedom or even life.

"Just the possibility of this happening could deter people from using digital technologies and diminish trust between individuals and institutions."

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Savile: Police Failings 'Could Happen Again'

The failings identified in the Jimmy Savile sex abuse investigation "could happen all over again", one of Britain's top policemen has warned.

Sir Peter Fahy, the chief constable of Greater Manchester Police, said officers are "cautious in taking cases to court" because they fear victims will be put under too much pressure when giving evidence.

He added that the lack of a "national headquarters for policing makes achieving consistent national standards all the more difficult".

It comes after a damning report by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) found Savile was first named in connection with a sexual abuse investigation in 1964.

A separate report by the Metropolitan Police and the NSPCC said his offending spanned from 1955 to 2009, meaning his reign of abuse could have been cut short by 45 years.

Sir Peter Fahy's comments follow a damning report by HMIC

Sir Peter said: "Police forces have significantly improved the way that victims are treated but the fact is many, many victims do not come forward or if they do are reluctant to support a prosecution.

"This highlights another issue in the way our adversarial court system treats victims.

"Whatever other evidence is collected, prosecutions for sexual offences rely hugely on the evidence of the victim.

"In a case of burglary, the victim will not be blamed for leaving the front door unlocked. In sexual offences, the behaviour of the victim - whether they had been drinking, any weaknesses of character, how they were dressed - may well be picked over at great length in the court room.

"Where the details are particularly salacious or the case involves a celebrity, then these very intimate details will receive full publicity in the media."

Just five allegations and two pieces of intelligence were recorded against Savile during his lifetime, HMIC found.

This is in stark contrast to the 450 claims made against the former Top Of The Pops presenter after Operation Yewtree was launched by the Metropolitan Police in October.

Alan Collins, a solicitor from law firm Pannone who is representing more than 40 of Savile's victims, said many opportunities to investigate Savile had been lost.

Savile's offending is believed to have spanned from 1955 to 2009

"Consequently, Savile was able to carry on regardless, duping the country in the process, and the price was paid by his many victims," he said.

"There is a definite risk that unless policies and attitudes change, Savile will happen again."

As well as the 1964 Metropolitan Police ledger, a record of an anonymous letter was found that was received by the Met in 1998, alleging that Savile was a paedophile.

In addition, five victims made complaints against the presenter - one to the Met in 2003, three to Surrey in 2007 and one to Sussex in 2008.

HMIC expressed concern that other police forces did not deal with complaints properly with eight victims claiming that they tried, unsuccessfully, to report crimes.

These include four who approached the Met and one each who went to police in Cheshire, Merseyside, West Yorkshire and the then Royal Ulster Constabulary.

One man who came forward in 1963 in Cheshire to make an allegation of rape against Savile was told to "forget about it" and "move on", HMIC said.

Jimmy Savile's TV shows included Jim'll Fix It and Top Of The Pops

HM Inspector of Constabulary Drusilla Sharpling said: "The findings in this report are of deep concern, and clearly there were mistakes in how the police handled the allegations made against Savile during his lifetime."

The letter received by the Metropolitan Police Service in 1998 claiming the DJ was a paedophile was classed as "sensitive", meaning other investigators could not find it.

"The 1998 MPS anonymous letter was marked as 'sensitive' because of Savile's celebrity status and because there were allegations of blackmail and paedophilia," the inspectors said.

"This categorisation meant that the intelligence was not readily available to be searched by later investigating officers."

The Met sent the letter to West Yorkshire Police, the area where Savile lived, but other investigators could not access the information until 2011.

Considering whether such abuse on a similar scale could happen again, Ms Sharpling said it was neither "enough nor correct to say this couldn't happen now".

The HMIC report warned that "the inconsistencies in approach that the forces have taken mean that there is a distinct possibility that such failures could be repeated".

Home Secretary Theresa May said: "The public rightly want answers to how victims' voices were ignored for so long. This report brings into sharp focus police failings that allowed Savile to act with impunity over five decades.

A Met Police spokesman said: "All of this needs to be seen in the context of how much we have achieved through our approach to the public response to Operation Yewtree.

"We have seen a step change in the reporting of abuse, with a significant rise in the numbers of people coming forward."

The HMIC report recommended that recently formed professional body the College of Policing should issue guidelines to all police forces about how to deal with investigations into child abuse.

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UK Economy: Triple-Dip Fears Reignited

By Ed Conway, Economics Editor

The pound has fallen by more than half a cent against the dollar as a sharp fall in manufacturing output raised the likelihood that the UK could slip back into recession.

Sterling dropped from just under $1.492 to $1.484 in intraday trading after the Office for National Statistics reported a 1.5% fall in manufacturing output in January.

The figures, which analysts had expected to be flat, feed directly into the first estimate of UK gross domestic product, which will determine whether Britain is back in recession.

They add to growing fears that the UK economy has slumped decisively over the past six months, and will raise the prospect that the Bank of England acts to pump more stimulus into the economy at its next Monetary Policy Committee meeting.

The Bank Governor, Sir Mervyn King, voted for more quantitative easing at last month's meeting.

Overall industrial production, which also includes mining and quarrying, dropped 1.2% in January – far worse than the 0.1% increase economists had expected.

Some analysts said that the figures had been affected by poor weather in the month, but even bearing that in mind, they were worse than anticipated.

James Knightley of ING said: "It looks as though this sector is going to be a major drag on growth in the first quarter of 2013.

"We have already had poor construction numbers for the start of the quarter so the prospect of yet another return to technical recession is very real.

"This will intensify the pressure on the BoE to do more to help support the economy given government officials suggests they have no intention of letting up on austerity.

"As a result more QE remains probable with sterling very much biased to the downside."

The pound has fallen by around 10% against the dollar since the start of the year, and some economists expect it to fall further in the coming months. It has rarely dropped beneath $1.50 in the long run.

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Edinburgh To Bring 3D To Da Vinci Drawings

By Michael Blair, Arts And Entertainment Producer

A new exhibition is to use 3D imagery alongside Leonardo da Vinci's anatomical drawings as part of the Edinburgh International Festival.

Leonardo Da Vinci: The Mechanics Of Man will display 30 sheets of his groundbreaking studies of the human body from the 16th century.

The work will be shown in conjunction with 21st century technology, such as 3D animations based on CT and MRI scans, to reflect the accuracy of the artist's drawings.

Da Vinci drew illustrations of the inside of the body after dissecting more than 30 corpses, but his anatomical studies remained in his personal papers after his death in 1519 and were lost for hundreds of years.

The collection will include the first accurate depiction in history of a spine, as well as his iconic study of a child in the womb, displayed beside a 3D ultrasound scan of a foetus.

Curator Martin Clayton from The Royal Collection Trust explained the idea behind the exhibition: "We've examined the modern relevance of Leonardo's astonishing drawings.

Festival director Jonathan Mills lights up the stage at the launch

"For the first time we will be displaying the artist's works alongside stunning examples of medical imaging, showing how the concerns and methods of the world's leading anatomists have changed little in 500 years."

The annual Edinburgh Festival unites artists from around the world for a month-long programme of opera, dance, theatre and music performances throughout August.

As well as the da Vinci exhibition, this year's line-up includes a new commission by performance artist Laurie Anderson, an interpretation of Beethoven's Fidelio set in space and appearances from Philip Glass and Patti Smith.

American composer Tod Machover will use samples of sounds provided by the general public as part of his new orchestral work, while the choreographer and star of the film Black Swan, Benjamin Millepied, will make his UK debut with his dance collective.

Five TV, radio and fiction works by Irish playwright Samuel Beckett have been adapted for the stage in what organisers are billing as "mini festival within a Festival."

The da Vinci works can be seen at The Queen's Gallery, Palace of Holyroodhouse from August 2 and the Festival runs from August 9 to September 1.

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Falkland Islanders Vote To Remain British

By Ian Woods, Senior Correspondent, in Stanley

David Cameron has demanded that Argentina respect the result of a referendum in the Falklands which saw an overwhelming majority back staying under British rule.

Just three voted 'No' in the ballot about remaining a British Overseas Territory, with 99.8% supporting the status quo.

International observers ratified the poll, in which 92% of eligible voters - or 1,513 people - took part, as "free and fair"

The Prime Minister warned that Argentina should take "careful note" of the result, which he said was the clearest possible message.

"The Falkland Islands may be thousands of miles away but they are British through and through. That is how they want to stay," he said.

"They want to remain British and that view should be respected by everybody, including by Argentina."

Nigel Haywood, governor of the Falkland Islands, added: "You don't get a much clearer expression of the people's self-determination than such a large turn out and such a large yes vote."

But Argentina insisted the vote was illegal and pointless because the people had no role in deciding a dispute between two sovereign states.

The country's ambassador to the UK Alicia Castro described the result as "totally irrelevant" and "yet another delaying maneouvre".

She told Sky News: "This is not a dispute about the people. This is a territory dispute. They are British but the territory where they live belongs to Argentina."

She added: "What we seek is very simple: a dialogue between two sovereign states."

Falkland Islanders during a 'Proud To Be British' march

But delighted residents, who sang Land Of Hope And Glory and Rule Britannia after the result, insisted they must be heard.

One woman celebrating in Stanley told Sky News: "It sends such a strong message to the world that we've been here for a long time.

"We have the right to determine our own future. How long do you have to live in a country before you're allowed to call it your own?"

The referendum was organised after a deterioration in relations between Britain and Argentina, which claims the Falklands and in 1982 invaded the islands it calls Las Malvinas.

During the war to take back the islands, 255 British serviceman died as well as 655 Argentinians and three locals.

Relations appeared to warm for a period until Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner restated her country's claims of sovereignty and tried to raise the issue with David Cameron and the UN.

Although Buenos Aires dismissed the referendum as illegitimate and refused to talk to Falkland politicians, the islanders hope other countries in South and Central America will be more sympathetic.

As the counting took place in Stanley Town Hall, it quickly became clear the piles of "Yes" votes were growing steadily, while "No" votes were nowhere to be seen.

There was a delay in announcing the result because one vote went missing during the count but officials eventually decided it was not worth a recount for a single missing ballot.

The result means the Falklands will continue to run its own affairs, but shelter under the wing of the motherland when it comes to defence and foreign policy.

Falklands' legislators know the referendum will be dismissed by the Argentine government, but one of them, Dick Sawle had this message for President Kirchner.

"Listen, this is what we've said and it's time you respected our human rights," he said. "It's time you stopped harassing us; it's time you stopped your very aggressive stance towards us.

"We'll be taking that message to various governments and saying 'look, self determination is a fundamental human right, you can't ignore it'. This is what the people of the Falklands have said. Do you have a problem with that?"

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Snow And Ice Cause Chaos On Rail And Roads

Mid-March travel misery has continued for millions with the late blasts of winter closing roads, disrupting flights and cancelling trains.

Ice warnings were in place for much of the country, and drivers in snow-hit areas urged to postpone journeys if possible.

The Met Office issued yellow "be aware" warnings for parts of the South East. South West, northern Scotland and Ireland, as well as western parts of Wales.

In London, police said a man was fighting for his life after being hit by a telegraph pole that is thought to have been blown over during strong winds.

The 27-year-old was resuscitated by ambulance staff and treated for a head injury after the accident in Wandsworth on Monday night. He was taken to hospital, where he was said to be in a "serious condition".

The M20 southbound remains gridlocked due to the severe weather

Temperatures were expected to stay below freezing in many areas for the next few days, with the minimum as low as -7C.

Up to 10cm (4in) of snow was forecast to settle in the worst-affected areas, including Kent, Sussex and southern Hampshire, and over higher ground in areas like the Pennines.

Some of the roads where driving conditions were at their worst included the M20 in Kent and the A2.

The Highways Agency earlier warned motorists heading north from the Dover Ports to take the M20 London bound and to avoid the A2, while those driving in and around West Sussex were advised to avoid the A23 and M23.

Rail services also faced disruption. Southern warned of short-notice cancellations and delays of up to an hour on all services.

Popstars Toyah Willcox and Cheryl Baker were among those trapped

There were delays to Southeastern services between Paddock Wood and Strood in Kent because of a signalling problem, while some Gatwick Express services were cancelled.

On First Capital Connect, journeys between Bedford and Brighton were also subject to short-notice cancellations, with delays of up to 45 minutes.

Ice and snow made roads across much of the South East impassable, with Dover and Folkestone among the worst affected.

The Channel Tunnel reopened after technical issues, with delays back to Junction 10 (Ashford) on the M20.

Eurostar suspended its services for the day because of bad weather in France and Belgium.

A message on its website said: "Our advice to passengers is not to travel today and not to come to our stations. Exchanges and refunds will be available to affected passengers."

Poor road conditions have hampered much of the UK

At the Port of Dover in Kent, cross-Channel ferry operations were operating "as far as possible", but passengers were advised to allow extra time for their journeys amid possible road blockages on the A2 and A20.

Jersey Airport was closed for the day, while travellers heading for Gatwick were warned to allow extra time to reach the West Sussex airport due to snow on the roads in the area.

Speed restrictions were in place on the M48 Severn Bridge in Monmouthshire due to strong winds.

About 500 passengers on a ferry from Ireland to France were forced to spend the night anchored off shore after the vessel failed to dock due to high seas.

A number of French children on a school trip to Ireland were among those on board Irish Ferries vessel Oscar Wilde, which made numerous attempts to dock in Cherbourg in the north-west of France

Police in Sussex said they had attended more than 300 crashes during Monday and overnight across the county, where some motorists were trapped in their cars in the snow for up to 10 hours in blizzard-like conditions.

Residents in Crawley wake up to the snow

The force received nearly 2,500 emergency and non-emergency calls - around 700 more than an average March weekday.

The British Red Cross sent emergency teams out to help those stranded in the freezing conditions overnight on the A23 with tailbacks stretching 30 miles.

A spokesman for the police force said it was stretched to "capacity" recovering abandoned vehicles and helping those stranded.

Chief Inspector Phil Nicholas, from the force's roads policing unit, said: "Today is going to be about helping recover vehicles as many people fell asleep in their cars or abandoned them, so even when the roads did become clearer they were still blocked.

"Although the conditions have improved slightly, we are asking people to not make any journeys unless they are essential."

Cheryl Baker, the 1980s pop star with the Eurovision-winning group Bucks Fizz, was among those stuck on the A23 as she tried to make her way to Brighton to her children. At 10.30am she tweeted: "WE'RE HOME!! Only taken 15 1/2 hours!!"

Snow ploughs and gritters were stuck in the traffic. (Pic: Jonathan Lava)

South East Coast Ambulance Service asked the public to only dial 999 in a genuine emergency because staff were struggling to get into work.

The disruption followed a night of chaos on the roads during which snow ploughs and gritters struggled to get through to clear the roads after a number of vehicles jackknifed causing gridlock.

Temperatures plummeted to as low as -3C (27F), forcing many people to abandon their vehicles for service stations.

Abandoned cars had to be moved to allow the gritters, snow ploughs and emergency teams to pass.

Police community support officer Christopher Kingswood, a former soldier, was forced to put his survival training into use when he became stranded after hours of helping drivers on the A259 and A27.

Unable to reach his home at the end of his marathon shift, he bedded down in a cramped police box, with his head and feet touching both ends, before returning to duty at 7am.

A number of motorists questioned why gritters had failed to keep the roads clear despite clear forecasts of heavy snow.

The Highways Agency said extra gritters had been out on the roads since 6am on Monday preparing for the freezing weather.

Forecasters believe Monday was the coldest March day in 27 years, since March 1, 1986. Saughall, in south Lanarkshire, reached -12C (10F).

Ladbrokes said they have been forced to slash the odds of snow reappearing across Easter weekend, March 29 to April 1.

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Soldier Shot At Army Range Unlawfully Killed

A British soldier shot in the head at an army firing range in Wales was unlawfully killed, an inquest jury has found.

Ranger Michael Maguire died after he was hit by a single machine gun bullet at the Castlemartin Ranges on the Pembrokeshire coast.

An inquest in Cardiff heard the 21-year-old was relaxing at a secure location 1km (0.6 miles) inland from a training exercise when he was hit.

Live fire, which should have been safely aimed out to sea, was also directed towards a beach popular with surfers.

Following the inquest, an MoD spokesman said: "We will look very closely at the coroner's comments to ensure that we make all the necessary changes to prevent an accident of this nature happening again.

"Our thoughts are with Ranger Maguire's family and friends at this very difficult time."

Lieutenant Jonathan Price was in charge of live fire exercises on the day Ranger Maguire was shot, the inquest heard. 

It was told how course tutors had recommended Lt Price receive extra training due to perceived weaknesses in his understanding of the course, nine months before the soldier's death.

Jurors were told Lt Price went on to make a series of mistakes in the planning and carrying out of the exercises.

Jimmy Maguire, the soldier's older brother, said that despite the outcome, the family still had unanswered questions.

"We are surprised and puzzled that somebody could have been considered competent to conduct an exercise of this nature, when at the same time he made so many fundamental errors," he said.

Ranger Maguire, a member of 1st Battalion, The Royal Irish Regiment, was standing without a protective helmet and body armour when he was shot last May.

He was flown to hospital in Cardiff but pronounced dead within 30 minutes of his arrival.

At the time, his company commander Major Richard Bell described him as an "extremely popular" soldier who had a "cheerful outlook on life, natural charisma and irrepressible good humour".

The Health and Safety Executive is continuing to investigate how he died.

Set within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, the Castlemartin Ranges were first used by the Army in 1939.

On non-firing days, members of the public can walk through part of the range along the Pembrokeshire Coast Path.

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Christina Edkins: Man Faces Murder Charge

A 22-year-old man is to be charged with the murder of 16-year-old Christina Edkins on a Birmingham bus, police confirm.

West Midlands Police said they have been given authority by the Crown Prosecution Service to charge 22-year-old Phillip Simelane with killing Christina Edkins.

Meanwhile, the force also issued a statement in which Christina's parents said their world had been torn apart by the loss of their "beautiful princess".

Simelane, from Walsall, was sectioned under the Mental Health Act following the stabbing in Birmingham last Thursday and will be charged with murder in due course, a police spokesman said.

Making their first public comment about their daughter's death, Christina's parents Jason and Kathleen described her as a "bubbly, beautiful and intelligent" teenager.

In their statement, Mr and Mrs Edkins said: "We are heartbroken by the loss of our beautiful princess, Christina, and it's hard to find words to describe the pain we're all feeling.

"Her family and friends will remember her as an amazing individual with her whole life ahead of her - a life that was tragically cut short on that Thursday morning.

"Our lives will never be the same again."

The grieving parents added: "We are truly overwhelmed by the kindness that's been shown by friends and neighbours, people who knew Christina well and also those who never got the chance to meet her."

Christina, who lived near Birmingham city centre but was a pupil at Leasowes High School in Halesowen, died from a single stab wound to the chest.

Her parents' tribute said she was "just like most 16-year-olds" and had been studying hard for forthcoming exams while looking forward to her school prom.

The statement continued: "We'd bought Christina's prom dress the week before and recall the day she tried it on... she looked like a princess.

"Christina was studying extremely hard for her exams and weighing up which college to attend.

"In many ways she was like most 16-year-olds - worried about her appearance, what fake tan to wear, how her hair and nails looked and about 'hot boys', as Christina would call them!

"We would like to thank everyone for their kind words, flowers, teddies, balloons and candles... the support has been fantastic and shows what good, kind people there are in this world.

"We'd like to thank West Bromwich Albion for their half-time tribute at the weekend and to the fans for their heartfelt applause, which was very emotional.

"Finally, we'd like to thank West Midlands Police for all the help and support they've given us through this difficult and distressing time.

"We're relieved to hear a man will soon be charged and, hopefully, we can soon get justice for Christina."

Simelane was arrested near the scene of the attack in Hagley Road, Edgbaston, and has been assessed at a secure mental health unit.

Detective Superintendent Rich Baker said: "This was a horrific, random attack and one that's understandably shocked many people.

"I'm pleased to announce we now have authority to charge the suspect with murder.

"I'd like to thank Christina's family for their continued support and patience during our inquiry. Everyone wants to see justice for Christina and her family and from day one we've been determined to help deliver that justice for them."

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