Britain's Most Wanted Fraudsters Revealed

By Martin Brunt, Crime Correspondent

Police have released the faces of 25 of the most wanted identity fraudsters who have been caught in the act.

They allegedly stole other people's personal details and then tried to use their own photographs to get passports, driving licences and other official documents.

Some of their victims may have had information taken in burglaries or muggings, others may simply have been intimidated into revealing it.

The scam is often used by organised gangs to commit crimes such as money laundering, drug trafficking and illegal immigration, say investigators.

Nigel Kirby, of the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), said: "Be in no doubt, these fraudulently obtained documents are being used by criminals for criminal purposes.

"Passports and driving licences do not just allow you to travel and drive, they are important identity documents that can be used to support applications for mortgages, bank loans and benefits."

The Crimestoppers charity wants the public's help in tracking down the 25 alleged fraudsters.

Director of operations Roger Critchell said: "We need to protect ourselves from such criminals, particularly now with data-driven identity crimes making up the vast majority of all fraud in the UK."

Identity theft is the fastest growing type of fraud in Britain, and hit an all-time high last year with 150,000 identifiable victims, according to the UK's Fraud Prevention Service CIFAS.

:: Anyone who recognises any of the suspects can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online

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Perseids Meteor Shower Delights Stargazers

One of the most spectacular meteor showers of the year lit up the skies as stargazers were rewarded with scores of sightings.

A Perseids meteor streaks across the night sky over Bulgaria

Images of the "natural firework display" were captured by astronomers and professional photographers, but with the astronomical spectacle visible to the unaided eye even amateur stargazers were not left disappointed.

The Perseids meteor shower is a result of material falling from the tail of Comet Swift-Tuttle, which last passed near the Earth in 1992, and is active each year from around mid-July to late-August.

A multiple exposure picture of the meteor shower taken in Madrid, Spain

The rare occurrence was also played out on social networking sites including Twitter - as stargazers shared their photographs and experiences with one another.

One tweeted: "Everybody! It's the #Perseid #Meteorwatch Look up for Shooting stars!"

Stargazers come out to watch the spectacle near Castaic Lake, California

Another said: "Watching the #perseid meteor shower. Magic."

A stargazer on Lake Michigan in the States tweeted: "Night fishing for King Salmon off the pier and stargazing at the Perseid meteor showers which peak tonight."

Photographers in Los Angeles point their camera to the stars

Another added: "Shooting Stars and Owls, magical combo :-) Time for bed now."

Meteors, commonly known as shooting stars, are the result of small particles entering the Earth's atmosphere at high speed.

Aerospace photographer Bill Hartenstein uses his iPhone to help take photos

These heat the air around them, causing the characteristic streak of light seen from the ground.

They mostly appear as fleeting flashes lasting less than a second, but the brightest ones leave behind trails of vaporised gases and glowing air molecules that may take a few seconds to fade.

A stargazer in the UK captures a shooting star (Pic: @ShaunLadd.jpg)

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Rail Fares To Rise By 4.1% In January 2014

Rail users will face an increase of around 4.1% in fares in the new year after new inflation figures were revealed.

Campaigners have been protesting at 50 train stations across the country against the rise of fares compared with average earnings.

Retail price index (RPI) inflation rose by 3.1% in the year to July, down from 3.3% last month, but regulated fares - such as season tickets - will rise by an extra 1% when the new prices are announced from January.

Campaigners claim fares have risen three times faster than wages in the last six years.

The next price hike will be the sixth time in seven years that rail fares have outstripped wages, they say.

Between 2008 and next January rail fares will have jumped by 40%, compared with a 15% increase in average earnings, it is claimed.

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) warned unregulated tickets could rise by 9%, against forecasts of a 2.4% increase in average earnings next year.

It said rail privatisation was costing taxpayers £1.2bn a year despite "minimal" investment in trains and stations.

The TUC and the Action For Rail campaign group organised demonstrations at stations including Birmingham New Street, Bristol Temple Meads, Glasgow Central, Manchester Piccadilly, Newcastle Central and London's Paddington, King's Cross and Victoria.

Campaigners protested at King's Cross and other stations

Rail Maritime and Transport union leader Bob Crow said: "This latest inflation-busting hike in fares is a kick in the teeth for the British people who are condemned for another year to pay the highest prices in Europe to travel on clapped-out, overcrowded and unreliable trains while the private operators are laughing all the way to the bank."

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said nobody liked paying more for fares but the Government was investing heavily in the railways.

"Nobody likes to see rail fares go up. I don't like to see it and passengers don't like to see it," he said.

"We are massively investing in the railways, with £130m being spent here at Nottingham, £800m at Reading and £600m at Birmingham.

"Running the railways is a very expensive business."

Shadow Transport Secretary Maria Eagle told Sky News that some train companies were "fiddling" the fare cap.

"A 4.1% average increase, yes, but up to 9.1% because the current government gave back to train companies the power to increase some fares by an extra 5% on top (of RPI)," she said.

"The first thing they could and should do is put a stop to that."

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Asda Parking Space Killing: Man In Court

A man has appeared in court charged with manslaughter over the death of a 64-year-old in an alleged row over a disabled parking space.

Alan Watts, 65, appeared before magistrates and was remanded on bail following the death of Brian Holmes.

Mr Holmes, from Sandy, Bedfordshire, died from head injuries the day after the August 3 incident at the Asda supermarket in Biggleswade.

His family were at his bedside when he died.

In a statement released through police, they said: "The family are devastated by the loss of Brian in such shocking circumstances.

Mr Holmes died from a serious head injury the day after the incident

"A wife has lost her husband, best friend and carer all in one go.

"Brian was a family man who adored his grandchildren and family, and had only this week been given the all-clear following treatment for cancer.

"Brian and his wife were only just starting to make plans for the future that they only dared to dream of."

Alan Watts appeared at Bedford Magistrates' Court only to confirm his name and address and that he understood the charge.

He will next appear at Luton Crown Court on August 28 for a preliminary hearing.

Mr Watts has surrendered his passport as part of bail conditions and must also report daily to a local police station.

He is also barred from driving and must not visit the Asda store where the alleged row took place.

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Housing Market Recovery 'Round The Corner'

House price rises are now being seen across the country as activity grows following the financial crisis.

According to the latest housing market report by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) there are signs a recovery is "round the corner".

The West Midlands and the North East, areas which Rics said have "suffered more than most" since the market crash, experienced the biggest increases in buyer activity in July.

And growth in buyer numbers was seen across the UK as the upswing in activity, which has been particularly concentrated in London and the South East, spread outwards.

Around 53% more surveyors reported increases rather than falls in demand.

As buyer numbers strengthened, prices rose across the country for the fourth month in a row, growing at their fastest rate since the market peak of November 2006, Rics said.

Looking ahead, a balance of 35% more surveyors expect prices to continue their increase rather than fall, while 53% more surveyors expect sales to rise over the next three months.

The Rics figures were released ahead of official statistics which also showed an acceleration in prices.

The building of new houses is picking up as demand increases

In the 12 months to June, the Office for National Statistics said UK house prices increased by 3.1%, up from a 2.9% increase in the year to May.

The ONS found that house price growth remained stable across most of the UK, though London was increasing faster than the UK average.

Peter Bolton King, Rics global residential director, said: "It is clearly good news that those parts of the property market that were struggling are at last showing some signs of life."

Lenders, estate agents and property websites have been reporting big uplifts in activity this year following the launch of various Government schemes to unblock the housing market.

The Communities Secretary Eric Pickles

More first-time buyers have been seen entering the market and sellers also appear to be more confident about sticking close to their asking prices amid improved mortgage availability.

But fears have been raised that the initiatives must not lead to a property bubble.

A Government scheme called Help to Buy is in particular focus.

The Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has insisted Government initiatives are creating a "sustainable" boost in UK housing.

He made the remark as his department released figures showing reservations for new-build homes under Help To Buy had reached 10,000.

Mr Pickles said the equity loan scheme was "giving the confidence to house builders to deliver and build more new homes" and that house building was now at its highest level since 2008.

Between October 2010 and October 2012, 319,000 additional homes across England were added to the supply, according to the figures, with more than 150,000 affordable homes added.

Repossessions were also at a six-year low and mortgage arrears at their lowest since 2008, officials said.

Labour's Shadow Housing Minister Jack Dromey painted a different picture - despite welcoming Government help for first time buyers.

He said: "David Cameron's Government has presided over the lowest level of homes built than any other peacetime Government since the 1920s.

"Their failure to build the affordable homes the country needs means there is real concern that this scheme (Help to Buy) will do little to bring the cost of housing within the reach of low and middle income earners."

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Gibraltar Row: Spain 'Creating A Diversion'

The Chief Minister of Gibraltar has accused the Spanish government of "banging the nationalistic drum" to divert the people's attention from the country's domestic problems.

Tensions between London and Madrid have deepened, with Spain imposing checks at the border and Downing Street saying it was drawing up plans for legal action over what it said were "politically motivated" controls.

While most of the queues have formed from the Gibraltar side travelling into Spain, long lines are now being reported on the Spanish side, the Gibraltar government said. The waiting time is up to five hours, a spokesman said, calling the queues there the longest in years.

Chief Minister Fabian Picardo told Sky News that Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy was trying to make people lose focus on problems at home in the same way that the head of Argentina's military junta, Leopoldo Galtieri, did in 1982 in the Falkland Islands.

Fabian Picardo is Gibraltar's top politician

"What is happening in the background is that the Spanish government has been engulfed in allegations of corruption which affect Mr Rajoy himself," Mr Picardo said.

"I think what we are seeing is a little bit like what Mr Galtieri deployed in Argentina in 1982, which is an attempt to bang the nationalistic drum to make people look away from the national problems that Spain is suffering and the PM himself is labouring under."

The Chief Minister was referring to a corruption scandal that has engulfed Mr Rajoy's People Party, forcing the prime minister to deny he or his party have accepted illegal payments. 

Mr Rajoy has rejected opposition calls to step down, but Mr Picardo said a British Prime Minister facing the same allegations "wouldn't last five minutes".

"And yet in Spain Mr Rajoy remains comfortable in his post trying to create diversions like this one," he said.

The 1713 Treaty of Utrecht gave The Rock to the British

Mr Picardo also called Jose Garcia-Margallo "the least diplomatic of the Spanish foreign ministers in history".

Downing Street said it was looking at the "unprecedented step" of taking legal action after the Spanish government failed to lift the additional border checks over the weekend. The measures have caused tailbacks of several hours.

Madrid has remained defiant, saying it would not abandon what it called "legal and proportionate" checks.

Mr Picardo claimed that in a fair international court Gibraltar would win "game, set and match".

The European Commission plans to send a team of investigators to the border in the next couple of weeks to observe the controls following complaints from several MEPs and EU citizens about long waits there.

Spain insists the border checks are legitimate

Adding to the tensions, three Royal Navy warships set sail for the Mediterranean in what defence officials stressed was a long-scheduled deployment. The vessels included the flagship HMS Bulwark, helicopter carrier HMS Illustrious and frigate HMS Montrose.

The diplomatic spat between the UK and Spain was sparked by the creation of an artificial reef by the Gibraltarian authorities, which the Spanish say will destroy fishing in the area.

Madrid responded by beefing up border controls, leading to lengthy queues, and suggesting that a 50 euro (£43.30) fee could be imposed on every vehicle entering or leaving the Rock through the fenced border with Spain.

Mr Picardo said that while Madrid is "playing games", the people of Gibraltar do not worry about the spat "because we've lived through so many".

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Peru Drugs Bust: Pair Appear In Police Video

A video has emerged of a British and an Irish woman speaking to police shortly after they were arrested on suspicion of cocaine-smuggling in Peru.

The footage shows the two women answering questions shortly after they were held at an airport near the capital, Lima, last week.

Melissa Reid, 19, and Michaella McCollum Connolly, 20, protested their innocence after police found 11kg (24.2lbs) of cocaine with an estimated street value of £1.5m in their luggage.

An official weighs and tests the drugs allegedly carried by the two women

The police footage also shows an officer examining a row of food bags, in which the drug was allegedly hidden.

Police accused the two of acting as "drug mules" to carry the contraband back to Europe.

Reid, from Kirkintilloch in East Dunbartonshire, told officers: "I was forced to take these bags in my luggage."

The two tourists were arrested at the airport near Lima

Asked if she knew the bags contained drugs, Reid replied: "I did not know that."

The father of Reid told Sky News Scotland Correspondent Jane Chilton that his family is devastated by the arrest.

William Reid said she was a beautiful and intelligent young woman who would never do anything like this of her own free will.

Melissa Reid travelled to Ibiza for the summer

Chilton tweeted: "He said he has spoken to her briefly. She's scared and the family are all distraught but at present don't know what is happening."

Archbishop of Lima Sean Walsh has visited the two women on remand and said "they were weepy and upset".

He told the Irish Independent: "They are embarrassed at how everything has affected their families back home. They are devastated by that but I assured them they need to stay strong.

Peru's capital Lima is on the Pacific Ocean coast of South America

"They believe they were set up and they will use that as a defence."

Ireland's former consul to Peru Michael Russell told Sky News: "There are various rumours or stories about what has happened.

"The main thing is not what happened but what the Peruvian courts believe. They are in very spartan conditions, not up to European standards.

Coca leaf is grown in remote areas of Peru for cocaine production

"They are supposed to be up in front of a judge tomorrow and then they will be transferred to a prison."

He told the Irish Times that prosecutors may push for a charge of drug trafficking, which could carry a sentence of between 15 and 25 years in prison.

He said that if the women were convicted of carrying half of the cocaine each, they would likely be ordered to serve around seven years in jail.

But he added that any appeal would probably see the allegations reduced to the "lesser charge".

The pair had lived in Ibiza and were returning to Majorca

The pair confirmed to police at the Lima airport that they had travelled to the South American country from Spain, and then on a Peruvian domestic flight to Cuzco.

They reportedly stayed four days in Cuzco, which is 350-miles south east of Lima, before returning to the capital.

Both women were detained the following day at Lima's Jorge Chavez International Airport.

Leftist guerrillas have funded their insurgency through the cocaine trade

Peruvian police said the two had been held and their luggage examined after a sniffer dog detected drugs at the Air Europa check-in counter.

Michaella McCollum Connolly worked as a hostess and model

Reid was allegedly carrying 18 foil packets containing 5.78kg of cocaine while McCollum Connolly was accused of carrying 5.81kg of the drug in 16 bags hidden in food sachets.

They pair said they were planning to travel to Madrid and then to the Mediterranean island of Majorca.

They had apparently spent several weeks before the Peru trip living in Ibiza.

Reid had posted dozens of Facebook photos of her time on the island, although her profile had not been updated since late July.

Belfast-born McCollum Connolly, who refers to herself as just Michaella McCollum in the video, had reportedly been looking for work as a nightclub dancer and hostess in Ibiza.

The apparent disappearance from Ibiza of McCollum Connolly had sparked an online campaign back home, backed by a number of Irish sports stars, to establish her whereabouts.

The Reid family home in Kirkintilloch, East Dunbartonshire

McCollum Connolly, from Dungannon in County Tyrone, was travelling on an Irish passport.

A representative for the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin confirmed she was no longer considered missing and that consular assistance was being provided to her family.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is offering assistance to Reid while she is in custody.

The FCO said in a statement: "We can confirm the arrest of a British national in Peru on August 7. We are providing consular assistance."

Drug experts say Peru has almost certainly supplanted Colombia as the world's leading cocaine-producing country and the trade is used to fund a violent leftist insurgency.

:: On Monday, two bodies of suspected Shining Path rebel leaders were taken to Lima for DNA testing, after the pair died in a shootout with security forces a day earlier.

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Coalition Gets £520k From Mysterious Donor

A mysterious donor left more than £500,000 to the Tories and Lib Dems in her will after pledging the sum to "whoever is in government".

The bequest of £520,000 in total made Ms Joan L B Edwards the biggest individual donor to both parties between April and June.

Her inclusion in the latest donations list sparked intrigue among pundits who wondered whether she had been won over by the coalition's record.

But it is understood the shared donation came about because she had specified the money should go to "whoever was the party of government of the day".

After some initial confusion about how to proceed given the Tories and Lib Dems currently share power, it was decided to divide the money.

The sum was split based on each party's number of ministers and MPs, with the Tories pocketing £420,576 and the Lib Dems £99,423.

No other details about Ms Edwards are currently known, although reports indicate she was not active politically during her lifetime.

Nigel Farage saw donations for UKIP more than double

The latest figures from the Electoral Commission also lay bare Labour's continued reliance on trade unions.

Unions handed more than £2.4m to the party in the second quarter of the year. Unite was the biggest donor, contributing £772,195. The GMB gave £485,830 and Unison £458,080.

The data shows the challenge facing leader Ed Miliband, who has pledged to reform Labour's union ties following allegations of ballot fixing in Falkirk.

In total, Labour received less than the Tories - on £3,136,447 compared to the Conservatives on £4,116,006.

The largest gifts to the Conservatives were £280,770 and £263,600 respectively from party co-treasurers Michael Farmer and James Lupton.

The Lib Dems raised £801,448 from donations over the three months, down from £842,710 in the first quarter.

Meanwhile, the UK Independence Party (UKIP) was buoyed by its receipts more than doubling to £160,000.

Conservative Party chairman Grant Shapps said: "Despite Ed Miliband's promise of change, these independent figures prove his Labour Party is still dominated by the trade unions.

"They choose the candidates, pick the leader and remain Labour's biggest donors - providing three quarters of the Party's money."

Shadow justice secretary Sadiq Khan hit back: "The Tories have raked in over £1m from private dinners with David Cameron and senior ministers in the last quarter.

"More than two thirds of that comes from the City - the bankers and hedge fund bosses whose taxes David Cameron cut.

"Hardworking families are seeing their living standards squeezed, with prices rising faster than wages.

"Meanwhile, David Cameron shows how out of touch he is, standing up for the millionaires who fund his party."

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Charlatans Drummer Jon Brookes Dies At 44

The Charlatans drummer Jon Brookes has died at the age of 44, three years after being diagnosed with a brain tumour.

The band's frontman Tim Burgess wrote on Twitter: "Jon Brookes, my friend, our drummer and inspiration to so many, passed away this morning.

"We are torn apart. Love & thoughts to Jon's family."

Brookes was diagnosed with the tumour after he collapsed on stage during a gig in Philadelphia.

Brookes with the band at the Isle of Wight festival in 2004

The musician is survived by his wife and three daughters.

A statement on the band's website said Brookes died on Tuesday morning.

"Following a seizure on tour in Philadelphia in 2010, Jon had been receiving treatment for a brain tumour and had undergone several operations, although he had been working on new material with the band over the summer," the statement said.

"He passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning with his family at his bedside.

Burgess is the band's frontman

"Jon was a brilliant drummer, an inspiration, a founding member of The Charlatans, part of our family and a friend to everyone in and around the band.

"Losing someone who was always so full of life is a tragedy that will be shared by so many. Our thoughts are with Debbie and all of Jon's family."

Another founding member of the band, keyboard player Rob Collins, died in a road accident in 1996.

The Charlatans have had more than 20 hits after releasing their debut single, Indian Rope, in 1990.

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Teen Stabbing Death: Arrest Over Poplar Killing

A 16-year-old boy has died and another is in hospital with facial injuries after a knife attack in east London.

The two teenagers were attacked by a group of men wearing bandanas and hoods in Spey Street, Poplar, east London, at around 9.50pm on Monday.

Ajmol was described as a "splendid young man"

Ajmol Alom was pronounced dead at hospital, while the other 16-year-old is still being treated for his injuries, which are not life-threatening.

A 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder on Tuesday morning and has been questioned.

Ajmol's headteacher at Langdon Park School, Chris Dunne, described Ajmol as a "splendid young man" who had a bright academic future ahead of him.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Chalmers said Ajmol, who was of Bengali origin, was with Bengali friends when he was attacked.

Speaking at the scene, he said: "Initial indications are that Ajmol was with four friends. They were peaceful, they were conducting conversations at the location, Spey Street, which is behind me.

"They were then confronted by five to six other males who were wearing bandanas and were hooded.

Ajmol had a bright future, says his headteacher

"There appears to have been an unprovoked attack when the victim received his facial injuries and then Ajmol was stabbed."

Mr Chalmers said police were keeping an open mind as to whether the attack was gang related, adding that "initial indications are that Ajmol was not linked to any gangs".

Mr Dunne said the youngster was due to receive "good" GSCE results next Thursday.

He said: "Hardworking, industrious, but also a very caring and thoughtful young man. He was very able in all areas, but that didn't mean he didn't work incredibly hard."

Mr Dunne added that Ajmol was planning to take A-levels before going on to a "very good university" where he had spoken of studying medicine.

A second 16-year-old was hurt in the stabbing in Poplar

He said the teenager had recently taken part in a conflict resolution project with other young people from Northern Ireland, in which he was "hugely active".

A man, who claimed to be a relative, said the teenager was predicted to get an A* in his maths GCSE but "was hanging around with the wrong crowd".

"He was really quiet, he was into sports. He was really into boxing and got a medal for it," he said.

Ajmol's family has been told about his death and a post-mortem examination will be held, Scotland Yard said.

A forensic team searches an area on Spey Street

Former mayor of Tower Hamlets Doros Ullah said he visited the murder scene after hearing what had happened.

He said: "The chap that got killed was a very good boy. He used to pray five times a day.

"He was not someone who had been involved in any trouble in the past."

Mr Ullah said he had been told the teenager was the victim of mistaken identity.

He said: "There was an incident in the past involving the boys from this area and another area and we believe that it is a repercussion of that, that the boys from the other area decided to come back and take revenge so it's a territorial gang problem."

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