Regular Eye Tests For Drivers Could Save Lives

By Liz Lane, Sky News Reporter

Regular eye tests for drivers could cut the number of casualties on UK roads by almost 3,000.

Road safety charity Brake, together with the DVLA and insurer RSA, has begun a campaign calling on motorists to visit the opticians at least every two years.

Failing to make sure your vision meets legal standards for the road is an offence.

However motorists are usually only tested for this during their driving exam, where they have to be able to read a number plate 20 metres away.

Paul Carroll, director of professional services for Specsavers which is also involved in the campaign, said: "Taking responsibility for your sight is just as important as car insurance and MOTs."

A survey of 1,000 drivers found 26% have not had an eye test in the last two years. And 3% - the equivalent to more than one million UK drivers - have never had one.

It also discovered there were 9% of drivers who need glasses or lenses, but do not always wear them behind the wheel.

Brake deputy chief executive Julie Townsend said: "Being able to see properly is fundamental to being a good driver. Your eyesight can deteriorate rapidly without you noticing, and at the wheel that can be lethal."

Cassie McCord, 16, from Colchester, was killed when a car mounted a pavement and hit her in February 2011.

The 87-year-old man driving it had failed a police eye test just days earlier, but officers had not been able to persuade him to hand over his licence.

Cassie's mother Jackie told Sky News: "They spent two hours coercing him, trying to get him to surrender his licence voluntarily, but he refused. He got in the car three days later and killed Cassie."

Thanks to a subsequent campaign by Mrs McCord, known as "Cassie's Law", police can now get permission from the DVLA to remove a licence from someone with poor eyesight within minutes - a process that used to take days.

She is now turning her focus to getting drivers to take some personal responsibility and get a test.

"Don't be so silly. These are people's lives. it could be your child, your granddaughter, your grandson, your son or daughter that could be killed by someone who cannot see to drive properly," she added.

"It doesn't take five, 10 minutes of your time to go into an optician's and have a proper eyesight test. And that way you will know as an individual that you are capable and safe to be on the road."

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Lake Woman: Police Issue Photograph Of Dress

Detectives are hoping that a photograph of a dress worn by a woman found floating in a university lake may help to identify her.

Officers have not been able to identify the woman since her body was recovered from the beauty spot at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, on Thursday.

They have launched a nationwide search after ruling out the possibility that she was a student or member of staff at the university and say there are no links to any missing people inquiries in Norfolk, Suffolk or Cambridgeshire.

The dress is black with a large peach or cream rose pattern and a slightly gathered neckline and hem. It is a size 10 and has ties on the shoulders but has no labels indicating where it was bought.

"This is a fairly distinctive dress and we're keen to hear from anyone who may have seen a woman matching the description and wearing this item in the area around the university in the early part of last week," said Detective Inspector Richard Graveling, from Norwich CID.

"We are unable to establish where the dress was purchased and would be keen to hear from any retailers who believe they stock the item."

The woman, who was spotted floating face down in the water by an angler, was 5ft 7ins, slim and in her late 30s or early 40s. She had short, dark brown hair with a natural wave, which had been dyed auburn or dark red.

A post-mortem has failed to establish the cause of death and further tests are being carried out.

DI Graveling added: "There is no evidence at this stage to suggest the woman was the victim of violence or that a third party was involved. However, we are keeping an open mind as to the circumstances surrounding the discovery."

Anyone with information should contact Norwich CID on 101.

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Suicide Teen Dad Calls On PM To Tackle Trolls

The father of a 14-year-old girl who killed herself after being abused online has called on Prime Minister David Cameron to ensure social media sites are properly regulated.

Hannah Smith died on Friday in Lutterworth in Leicestershire after being "cyber-bullied" on the question-and-answer website Ask.fm.

Her father Dave said: "Websites like this are bullying websites because people can be anonymous. If I had not spoken up about this another teenager could be dead next week.

"Ask.fm and sites like this are making millions out of people's misery and it is wrong.

"I would appeal to David Cameron as a Prime Minister and a father to look at this to make sure these sites are properly regulated so bullying of vulnerable people like my daughter cannot take place ...

"Hannah was a bubbly, happy person. She was colourful. She was a normal teenager and was very, very happy."

Hannah had got messages telling her to kill herself. Pic: RIP Hannah Smith

The site, which is popular with teenagers, allows users to anonymously post comments or questions on another person's profile.

In the weeks leading up to her death, Hannah received messages criticising her appearance and telling her to kill herself.

The day before she took her own life, she posted a picture online which read: "You think you want to die, but in reality you just want to be saved."

Her best friend Georgia Clarke, 14, told Sky News about the abuse Hannah suffered.

She said: "I knew of it, but she never ... she always said it didn't matter ... she wasn't that bothered about it," she said.

Asked what people were saying, she replied: "Things about her family ... like what she looks like."

Writing on Facebook, her father said: "On Friday morning my daughter was found hanged ... (I saw) her Ask.fm account and someone had been telling her to die.

"I have just seen the abuse my daughter got from people on Ask.fm and the fact that these people can be anonymous is wrong.

"The person that created this website should be done for manslaughter. Any parents that have children please don't let them go on this site."

Hannah Smith (L) with her best friend Georgia Clarke (R)

Although people wanting to use Ask.fm have to register an email address and name and date of birth, those posting messages can choose to do so without revealing their identity.

Leicestershire Police said a computer and mobile phone had been taken as part of the investigation into Hannah's death.

The teenager's death is not the first time that Ask.fm, which is based in Latvia, has been criticised.

Ciara Pugsley, 15, and Erin Gallagher, 13, from Ireland, took their own lives in separate incidents last year after being bullied on the site.

A petition urging action against Ask.fm and similar sites has now been set up on the Government's e-petition website.

It claims activity on the site "has led to bullying, mental health problems and suicides as well as grooming".

"(Users) are able to join from the age of 13 and can post anonymously," says the petition.

"There is no option to block other users and only a basic 'report' button."

Hannah's death comes after high-profile criticism of Twitter for not doing enough to deal with abuse, threats and trolling on the site.

Sky News has contacted Ask.fm for comment and is waiting for a response.

:: Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 08457 90 90 90 or email jo@samaritans.org.

:: BeatBullying.org is also available for advice and support.

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Football Steward Trampled In Pitch Invasion

A pitch invasion which led to a football steward being trampled by a police horse has been labelled "completely unacceptable" by police chiefs, who vowed to prosecute the troublemakers.

The behaviour towards officers and match stewards from some fans at Monday night's cup tie derby between Preston North End and Blackpool was criticised as "disgraceful".

Police said "a significant minority of determined people" from both sides were intent on causing trouble on the night and added that those identified would be tracked down and prosecuted.

Fans ran onto the pitch at the end of the local derby

The steward, wearing a hi-vis jacket, was on the Deepdale pitch helping clear Preston fans after their team's late winner near the end of the Capital One Cup game.

He was struck by a police horse as it cantered across the pitch, while another horse - also helping with crowd dispersal - seemed to clip the steward as he lay on the ground.

The steward, who got to his feet and was able to walk off the pitch, suffered a shoulder injury and was later taken to hospital for treatment.

Two people were arrested for criminal damage to one of the supporters' coaches outside the ground, with another four people held for minor offences.

The man was struck by a police horse as it cantered across the pitch

Superintendent Richard Morgan said: "The behaviour of those involved in the disorder at last night's game was completely unacceptable. There was a significant minority of determined people from both sides who throughout the day, before, during and after the game, were intent on causing problems.

"There will be a thorough investigation over the coming days and weeks and I want to be very clear that those involved in the disorder can expect a visit from the police and to be prosecuted."

The steward walked off the pitch before being taken to hospital

Match commander Chief Inspector Nick Emmett said: "The behaviour of those involved in the disorder and the behaviour of some people towards officers and stewards was absolutely disgraceful.

"This was a very difficult situation which presented significant challenges for both the club and for ourselves and we were able to bring the situation under control quickly. The disorder last night was completely unacceptable and we will be making significant efforts to locate and prosecute those involved."

The Football Association (FA) said it is investigating the matter and will liaise with both clubs and the police.

Blackpool manager Paul Ince labelled the scenes at the match as an "absolute joke".

He said he hopes that it does not take a fan getting stabbed to make football's authorities take further steps to prevent crowd trouble.

"I understand that fans get excited ... but who knows what can happen.

"We're not listening. Has someone got to be stabbed before we listen?"

Blackpool manager Paul Ince condemned the violence

The former England international continued: "I wondered if we have enough stewards.

"You see enough situations where fans run on a pitch and I can understand fans' excitement, but there have been enough frightening things that have happened to players that we need to stamp down on it.

"There were three or four hundred Preston fans, so who knows what could have happened? Has it got to take something else to happen before we listen? That's not just Preston but it's the whole football community in general. We need to knuckle down on this.

"We're disappointed as our fans were absolutely fantastic and their behaviour was impeccable. There were no louts on the pitch - unlike Preston - and we conducted ourselves in the right manner. We have to take pride from that as a club."

Preston manager Simon Grayson also voiced disappointment.

"You don't want people to be running on the pitch and I would have preferred them to stay behind as the football club might get in trouble over what's happened, but hopefully there's not been too many people seriously injured," he said.

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Man Charged After Bull Gores Rambler To Death

A man has been charged with manslaughter by gross negligence in connection with the death of a rambler who was killed by a bull.

Roger Freeman, 63, was killed by the animal while walking with his wife along a public footpath through a field in Stanford on Soar, Leicestershire, on November 12, 2010, Nottinghamshire Police said.

He died at the scene from multiple injuries.

His wife, Glenis Freeman, who was 67 at the time, was critically injured and spent three weeks in hospital.

Alison Norton, specialist prosecutor handling special crime in the Crown Prosecution Service, said it was in the public interest to charge Paul Waterfall, 39, who was responsible for Underhill Farm, in Stanford on Soar, and its livestock at the time of the incident.

"This decision was taken in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors.

"I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to the family of Roger Freeman."

Waterfall has been bailed to appear at Nottingham Magistrates' Court on August 21.

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X Factor Judge Louis Walsh: This Is My Last Year

Louis Walsh has revealed he is quitting The X Factor after the next series.

He has been on the judging panel of the hit ITV talent show since it launched in 2004.

The 61-year-old Irish entertainment manager told TV Times magazine: "I'm happy this is going to be my last year.

"I've been judging X Factor for 10 years, so I've done it all."

He added: "It was never in my plan to be on TV, but Simon (Cowell) put me there. I'm very grateful to him but I need my life back!"

Walsh, who helped steer Westlife and Boyzone to success, said he wanted to focus on managing bands.

"I'm going to be managing Shane Filan from Westlife and I'm putting together a new boyband," he said.

On The X Factor, Walsh, who was briefly replaced by choreographer Brian Friedman before being reinstated, mentored series two winner Shayne Ward, boyband JLS and Jedward.

He has already begun filming auditions for this year's show with co-judges Gary Barlow, Sharon Osbourne and Nicole Scherzinger.

Osbourne, who quit the show in 2008, has said she has no plans to extend her X Factor comeback for more than one series.

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Two Young Men Drown In Scotland Reservoir

A man and teenager who drowned in a reservoir in Scotland have been identified by police.

The bodies of Sean Marshall, 20, and Ross Munn, 17, were pulled from Mill Glen Reservoir near Ardrossan in North Ayrshire by police divers shortly before midnight.

A search and rescue operation was launched at around 8pm on Monday night after the pair were seen getting into the water but failed to resurface.

A police underwater unit and helicopter were supported by around 10 firefighters and Coastguard staff. Two fire and rescue crews from Ardrossan and Ayr went to the scene, along with a Zodiac water rescue boat from Ayr.

Police said the families of Mr Munn, from Ardrossan, and Mr Marshall, from Saltcoats, have been told of their deaths.

The reservoir is near Ardrossan in North Ayrshire

There are no suspicious circumstances surrounding what happened and a report will be sent to the procurator fiscal.

Mill Glen is a small reservoir with an earth embankment dam located about a mile northeast of Ardrossan.

Superintendent Neil Kerr warned people of the dangers of playing or swimming in open water during warm weather.

"It may look calm on the surface, but there may be strong undercurrents," he said.

"The water can also be very cold and deep, and there are often sudden drops and underwater obstacles and undergrowth that you cannot see, causing even the strongest of swimmers to get into difficulty very easily."

Flowers have been left at the scene

Carlene McAvoy, Scotland's community safety development officer for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), said: "When the weather hots up, we understand the temptation to go swimming in open water, like a reservoir, but there are many issues that people may not be aware of.

"Things to remember are that the water might be a lot colder and deeper than you expect, and there may be strong currents and underwater debris, which may lead to even the most experienced swimmer getting into difficulties.

"Consider how you are going to get out of the water before you get in, and be honest about your swimming ability."

She advised only swimming at "properly-supervised sites", such as beaches, lidos or swimming pools.

The latest fatalities takes this summer's death toll from swimming accidents to 18.

Some 13 of those occurred during the July heatwave, which was Britain's longest spell of hot weather for seven years.

Last week a 16-year-old's body was recovered from the River Tay near Perth, just days after two teenage friends died when one of them went bathing in the River Wear at Washington, Tyne and Wear, and the other jumped in to save her.

Sussie Ahlburg died at Hampstead Heath ladies' pool

Police have issued repeated warnings about the dangers of entering rivers to cool off during the hot weather.

Meanwhile, a woman who died at a bathing pond on London's Hampstead Heath has been identified as a Swedish photographer.

Sussie Ahlburg, 50, who lived in Holborn, central London, was found in the ladies' pool yesterday afternoon after being reported missing by her family.

She had gone swimming at the popular site in north west London on Sunday, and relatives raised the alarm around 9.20pm that day when she did not come home.

Detectives said her death is being treated as unexplained and are appealing for witnesses who might have seen her around the ladies' pond on Sunday August 4.

She is described as five feet 10 inches tall and slim with greying hair and long legs. She was wearing a white 'Speedo' swimming hat, blue prescription swimming goggles and a dark navy/black tankini.

A post-mortem is due to take place at St Pancras Mortuary.

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Owners Of Killer Dogs May Face Life In Prison

Dangerous Dogs: The Victims

Updated: 1:05pm UK, Tuesday 06 August 2013

Some 16 people have been killed by dogs in the UK since 2005. Here is a list of the cases...

May 2013: Clifford Clarke, 79, was outside his home in Clubmoor, Liverpool. Breed of the dog, belonging to a neighbour, was believed to have been a bull masitff crossed with either a Presa Canario or a bandog.

March 2013: Jade Lomas-Anderson, 14, from Wigan, Greater Manchester. Attacked by four or five dogs at a friend's house. Two were believed to have been bull mastiffs, two were Staffordshire bull terriers.

November 2012: Harry Harper, eight days old, from Ketley, Shropshire. Attacked by a Jack Russell in his cot.

October 2012: Gloria Knowles, 71, from Morden, south London. Suffered a heart attack when savaged by her daughter's dogs when she went to feed them. Two were Bordeaux bulldogs, two were American bulldogs and one was a mongrel.

January 2012: Leslie Trotman, 83, of Brentford, west London. He was in his garden when a neighbour's Pitbull-type dog escaped and attacked him.

December 2010: Barbara Williams, 52, Wallington, Surrey. Attacked by a Belgian mastiff in a garden.

April 2010: Zumer Ahmed, 18 months, from Crawley, West Sussex. Killed when her uncle's American bulldog got into the house.

November 2009: John Paul Massey, aged four, from Wavertree, Liverpool. Killed at home by his uncle's pitbull-type dog.

May 2009: Andrew Walker, 21, Blackpool, Lancashire. Bitten more than 50 times by his flatmate's two Alsatians.

February 2009: Jaden Mack, three months old, from Caerphilly, South Wales. Stafforshire bull terrier and Jack Russell attacked him on a table at home after his grandmother fell asleep.

January 2009: Stephen Hudspeth, 33, Bishop Auckland, County Durham. Attacked by a Staffordshire bull terrier and died days later from blood poisoning.

January 2008: James Redhill, 78, Plaistow, east London. His own pet Rottweiler attacked him in the street.

December 2007: Archie-Lee Hirst, one year old, from Wakefield, West Yorkshire. Attacked by a Rottweiler at his grandparents' home.

January 2007: Ellie Lawrenson, five years old, St Helens, Merseyside, Attacked at her grandmother's home by her uncle's Pitbull-type dog.

September 2006: Cadey-Lee Deacon, five months, from Leicester. Taken from her Moses basket by two Rottweilers in the living area of her grandparents' pub.

November 2005: Liam Eames, one year old, from Leeds. Attacked at home by the family's American bulldog.

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NHS Review: Criminal Offences For Neglect

NHS staff should be prosecuted for wilful neglect or the mistreatment of patients, according to a major review of the health service.

Professor Don Berwick, a world expert on patient safety, also recommended new criminal offences for healthcare organisations that withhold information.

But he stressed the offences should be used only in a "very small number of cases" and that unintended errors should not be criminalised.

His report, which follows a five-month inquiry, failed to call for a statutory duty forcing NHS staff to tell patients about poor care.

"Achieving a vastly safer NHS will depend far more on major cultural change than on a new regulatory regime," it said.

It also did not recommend centrally-set minimum staff levels, calling instead for new national guidance on safe staffing numbers to be set by health regulators.

Patient groups immediately criticised the report's "broad brush" approach and claimed the "endless number of reviews" were just becoming a distraction.

Hundreds of patients were routinely neglected at Stafford Hospital

Professor Berwick, who was health adviser to Barack Obama, was asked to investigate patient safety by David Cameron in the wake of the Mid-Staffs hospital scandal.

A long-standing admirer of the NHS, he described it as an "international gem" that was the envy of countries around the world.

He told Sky News that the main thrust of his recommendations was for a "learning NHS" where hospitals know about mistakes elsewhere and can avoid repeating them.

He backed calls for a review of staffing ratios so that wards are always properly manned but insisted a single number fixed by law would not work.

He recommends that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) devise a formula NHS leaders would use to check they have the right number of staff.

"We think that's a lot smarter than a simple statutory number that would not be responsive to a local context," he said.

The expert made clear that mistakes and problems would always happen, as with any organisation, but insisted harm to patients should not be accepted as inevitable.

"By introducing an even more transparent culture, one where mistakes are learnt from, where the wonderful staff of the NHS are supported to learn and grow in their capacity to improve the NHS, and patients are always put first, the NHS will see real and lasting change," he predicted.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt added: "The report makes clear that the NHS could lead the world in patient safety.

"Nothing less is good enough for the patients and families who rely on it and this Government will back our hard-working NHS staff to make this a reality."

Earlier on Sky News, Mr Hunt said of fixed staff levels: "A targets culture where there are lots of things imposed from the centre can be very counter-productive."

However, shadow health secretary Andy Burnham declared: "All the experts are now telling the Government to get a grip on staffing levels. The time for excuses is over.

"While ministers dragged their feet, over 800 nursing jobs were lost last month alone - now totalling almost 5,000 since the election.

"David Cameron must now urgently intervene to ensure safe staffing levels in our hospitals. These dangerous cuts to nursing posts prove you can't trust the Tories with the NHS."

The report was broadly welcomed by industry groups, including the British Medical Association and Royal College of Physicians.

But the Patients Association condemned it for being too "broad brush" and failing to come up with specific, practical measures to address the NHS' problems.

Chief executive Katherine Murphy said: "This is yet another report heavy on platitudes and good intentions but light on practical solutions. It falls far short of what is needed."

Mr Hunt "may well think that this report is fantastic, but the patients and relatives that have been let down will not agree with him at all", she added.

The Government will consider the report and the Francis Inquiry's conclusions about Mid-Staffs before responding in full in the autumn.

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Farm Shooting: Boss Among Two Men Killed

A father has been shot dead and his son seriously injured in a farm shooting in which a third man also died.

Emergency services were called to Meadowhead Farm near East Kilbride in South Lanarkshire, just after 8am.

Police have not identified the dead pair, but Sky sources say one of them was the owner of the farm, 59-year-old Peter Thompson.

The 53-year-old man who also died has not yet been named. He had a firearms licence and was found nearby in a vehicle.

Police sealed off a road leading to the farm

Mr Thompson's 36-year-old son, John, suffered a leg injury when he was shot. He left the scene to drive to the nearest pub to raise the alarm and was found by police on a road.

He is now reportedly being treated for serious injuries in hospital, but he is expected to live.

Police say they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident and the public are not at risk.

Meadowhead Farm is a licensed equestrian centre which offers riding lessons and treks.

A statement on the centre's Facebook page in the hours after the shooting said the centre had been closed.

Messages of condolence were posted on the site below the statement.

A floral tribute left at the scene read: "RIP Peter. A true gentleman. You will be sadly missed."

Sky's Jane Chilton, in South Lanarkshire, said there had been reports that Peter Thompson had been involved in a dispute over plans to expand his equestrian centre. "There were very strong objections to these plans and it all revolved around an access road," she said.

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