Prince George Photos: First Official Pictures

By Paul Harrison, Royal Correspondent

The Duchess of Cambridge's father, Michael Middleton, has taken the first official photographs of William, Kate and their son Prince George.

The Royal couple with Prince George and the pet dogs

The two pictures from the new Cambridge family album were taken by the young prince's grandfather in the back garden of the Middleton family home in Bucklebury, Kensington Palace confirmed.

Taken in "early August", the first photograph is a simple parents and child shot.

The couple, back-lit by the sun, are standing in the gardens of the Berkshire home with Kate cradling her two-week-old son.

In the second, William and Kate can be seen sitting on a rug, also in the garden.

Kate continues to hold Prince George, but they are this time joined by their cocker spaniel, Lupo, and the Middletons' retriever, Tilly.

Sky News understands the two photos were selected from a larger collection taken while the Duke of Cambridge was on paternity leave.

For their official engagement and wedding photographs, the Royal couple opted for well-known celebrity photographers Mario Testino and Hugo Bernand.

Michael Middleton took the photographs

Asking Mr Middleton to take the photos is yet another example of the Duke and Duchess choosing to do things their way throughout their marriage.

The Duchess of Cambridge and Prince George are thought to have joined Prince William in Anglesey in recent days.

The couple will next be seen together in public on September 12 for an awards dinner hosted by conservation charity Tusk Trust.

In his first interview since he became a father, William said his young son reminded him of himself or Prince Harry.

The Duke told CNN: "He's a little bit of a rascal, I'll put it that way.

"He either reminds me of my brother or me when I was younger, I'm not sure, but he's doing very well at the moment."

:: Do you have a favourite family photo? Are you proud of a particular snap, even though it wasn't taken by a professional photographer? Is there an image you love despite the fact it is a bit blurred and the lighting is dodgy?

Send it to us through our Your Photos page and we will publish a selection in a picture gallery.

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Mortgage Lending Up By Nearly A Third

Mortgage lending was up by 29% in July compared to the same month last year, new figures show.

The Council for Mortgage Lenders (CML) said that total gross lending increased to £16.6bn in July, up from £14.8bn in June.

It is the highest monthly estimate since before the financial crisis hit, with lending pitched at £18.6bn in October 2008.

CML market and data analyst Caroline Purdey said: "An improvement in sentiment and activity continues to show in the UK housing and mortgage markets, with a more positive picture also starting to emerge in the economy.

"Our forward estimate of gross mortgage lending in July reinforces a growing evidence base of a strengthening in the housing and mortgage markets."

The lift follows Government initiatives to boost the housing market, which include the Funding for Lending and Help to Buy schemes.

Persimmon also announced strong results on the same day as the CML figures.

The housebuilder's pre-tax profit jumped by 40% to £135m in the first six months of 2013.

Bovis Homes previously reported its half year profits rose by 19% to £18.6m, with average prices up 15% to £188,500.

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Adela Copakova: Appeal For Missing Teenager

By Frazer Maude, Sky Reporter

Police are appealing for information about a teenage girl missing from home in Sheffield.

Adela Copakova, 14, was last seen on Sunday evening at around 8pm, outside a house on Twentywell Lane, in the Bradway area of the city. She has not been seen since.

South Yorkshire Police say their investigations have so far not found a reason for her disappearance.

Officers think the answer to her whereabouts could lie with those closest to her. Adela has a number of friends in Sheffield, including some in the Page Hall area.

Superintendent Colin McFarlane said: "The inquiries we have made to date have failed to explain why Adela would have just suddenly disappeared and we are concerned to find her as soon as possible.

"Having spoken to those with who she has been in recent contact with, it appears she was happy and gave no indication anything was troubling her.

"I would urge people to look out for her and to let us know as soon as possible if they see her, or think they may know where she maybe."

Police say they are currently following up at least three "solid lines of inquiry", as they continue their search for Adela in Sheffield and the wider area.

The Slovakian teen was last seen wearing large gold hooped earrings, brown leopard-print trousers, and a white vest with a white lace blouse over the top.

She is slim, 5ft 4in tall, with long, dark brown hair.

Anyone who knows where Adela is, or where she may be, is asked to contact the police on 101 quoting Missing Person Reference KX/2472/2013.

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Tax Office Warns Football Clubs Over Low Pay

By Enda Brady, Sky News Correspondent

Dozens of top-flight English football clubs are to receive a letter from tax inspectors warning them that they must pay staff the minimum wage or face a fine of up to £5,000 and potential prosecution.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) says it will soon begin "targeted checks" amid claims that some club mascots are not paid at all for their match-day work.

National minimum wage laws make it illegal not to pay people classed as workers.

"Paying the National Minimum Wage (NMW) is not a choice, it's the law," said Michelle Wyer, assistant director of HMRC's minimum wage team.

"It can't be right that as some players are paid millions of pounds, other members of staff are paid below the legal limit.

"HMRC enforces the rules, protecting workers from rogue employers and ensuring they get at least the wage to which they are legally entitled.

"Where an employer ignores these rules, we will take steps to ensure arrears are paid out in full and the employer fined. In the most serious cases, criminal prosecution can follow."

The move is being described as "pre-emptive" ahead of a "series of targeted checks" within football after HMRC received complaints about non-payment from at least one current club mascot.

In April Swansea City and Reading advertised for unpaid interns, including one position which lasted for a year.

Many people will be surprised that this happens within football - where some players can earn as much as £250,000 per week - but given the high profile nature of the English game clubs will always have a ready supply of young people keen to break into what they see as a glamorous, attractive industry.

Last year HMRC enforcement action resulted in 708 employers receiving automatic penalty charges of up to £5,000 and 26,519 employees receiving back pay totalling over £4m, topping up wages that had previously been below the legal minimum rate.

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Gary Bolton Jailed Over Fake Bomb Detectors

A businessman has been sentenced to seven years in prison for making and selling fake bomb detectors.

Gary Bolton, 47, made millions of pounds selling the devices around the world, boasting they could detect explosives, drugs, ivory, tobacco and even money.

In actual fact they consisted of nothing more than empty boxes with handles and antennae which he made at home and at his Global Technology Ltd offices in Kent.

He denied two counts of fraud as a judge at the Old Bailey described the equipment as "useless" and "dross".

Bolton had background in research or security

Sky's crime correspondent Martin Brunt, at the court, said Bolton spent £1.82, plus the glue and antennae, on each product and then sold them for up to £15,000 each.

The court was told Bolton's company had a turnover of almost £3m, with up to 5,000 devices made.

Prosecutor Richard Whittam QC said tests proved the detectors, first called the Mole and later remarketed as the GT200, performed no better than random searches for explosives.

Bolton claimed they worked with a range of 700 metres at ground level and 2.5 miles (4km) in the air and said they were effective through lead-lined and metal walls, water, containers and earth.

But "double-blind" tests on a Mole device as far back as 2001 showed it had a successful detection rate of just 9%.

Sentencing the father-of-three, judge Richard Hone QC said Bolton had maintained the "little plastic box" was a piece of working equipment, and that he continued to "peddle" it to scores of international clients - including for use by armed forces - despite evidence proving it was "useless".

He added: "You were determined to bolster the illusion that the devices worked and you knew there was a spurious science to produce that end.

"They had a random detection rate. They were useless.

Bolton's company had a turnover of almost £3m

"Soldiers, police officers, customs officers and many others put their trust in a device which worked no better than random chance.

"The jury found you knew this but you carried on. Your profits were enormous."

Mr Whittam said Bolton admitted in interview to having no background in science, research, training or security, the court heard.

Around 1,200 devices were sold to Mexico, while orders were also shipped to parts of Asia and the Middle East.

The devices are still being used in Thailand.

Detective Inspector Roger Cook, from the City of London Police's Overseas Anti-Corruption Unit, said Bolton put "people's lives and livelihoods at serious risk, but his sole consideration was how much money he could make".

"Bringing Bolton to justice is the result of a long, complex and far reaching international investigation and his seven-year prison sentence should act as a warning to others who seek to act corruptly overseas with the belief that they will go undetected," he added.

In May James McCormick was jailed for 10 years for also selling fake bomb detectors. He made £50m selling his devices for up to £27,000 each to groups including the Iraqi military and police in Kenya.

Prosecutors in the case said British officers in Iraq believed the detectors may have cost dozens of lives.

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Bank Intern Dies After 'Pulling All-Nighters'

A 21-year-old Bank of America Merrill Lynch intern who died in London last week had reportedly been working more than 20 hours a day.

Moritz Erhardt, a University of Michigan student from Germany, was coming to the end of a seven week internship when he collapsed in the shower last Thursday.

He was found unconscious at Claredale House, a student residence in Bethnal Green, and was pronounced dead by paramedics at the scene.

One anonymous poster on website the wallstreetoasis.com said: "He was found dead in the shower by his flatmate. Intern at BAML [Banking of America and Merill Lynch] who went home at 6am three days in a row."

A fellow intern told the Evening Standard Mr Erhardt was a "superstar" who worked "very hard and was very focused".

BAML would not comment on speculation that Mr Erhardt had recently worked very long hours.

However, in response to being asked if it is common for people to occasionally work through the night there, a spokesperson said: "We've all done it."

In a statement the company said: "We are deeply shocked and saddened by the news of Moritz Erhardt's death.

"He was popular amongst his peers and was a highly diligent intern at our company with a promising future. Our first thoughts are with his family and we send our condolences to them at this difficult time."

An email sent to students staying at Claredale House after the student's death said: "Some of you might be aware that the emergency services were called to Claredale.

"The reason for this is that we were made aware of an incident involving one of our residents. Sadly the resident concerned had passed away.

"To avoid any rumours or misinformation, we would like to inform you all that there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death."

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Operation Elveden: Journalists To Be Charged

Four current or former journalists will be charged following an investigation into alleged payments to police and public officials.

They include Graham Dudman, the managing editor of The Sun, who allegedly requested or authorised payments of thousands of pounds.

He is to be charged with three counts of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office, one of which is linked to a payment in return for information about the health of a patient at Broadmoor psychiatric hospital.

He also allegedly approved a payment request from John Troup, a former journalist at the newspaper, for details about the death of a prison inmate.

Troup faces one count of conspiring with Dudman to commit misconduct in public office.

Meanwhile, Greig Box Turnbull, a former Daily Mirror journalist, will be charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office.

Grant Pizzey, a prison officer at HMP Belmarsh, and his partner Desra Reilly, as well as Marc Alexander, a former prison officer at HMP Holloway, are accused of conspiring with Turnbull.

Pizzey and Reilly were allegedly paid nearly £20,000 for information about incidents which took place inside the prison, a number of which involved high profile inmates.

Alexander is said to have received £2,700 for information relating to events within the prison in which he worked.

The other people to be charged are:

:: Vince Soodin, a reporter at The Sun, who is accused of conspiring with a police officer to commit misconduct in public office by asking for the contact details of witnesses in police investigations;

:: Darren Jennings, a Wiltshire police officer, who is accused of misconduct in public office after allegedly asking for £10,000 in return for information about a fellow officer who was facing criminal proceedings;

:: Alan Ostler, formerly an assistant technical instructor at Broadmoor, who is accused of the same offence for allegedly receiving £900 from the Daily Mirror in exchange for information relating to patients.

All nine people were investigated by the Metropolitan Police as part of Operation Elveden.

They are due to appear before Westminster Magistrates' Court on September 5.

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David Miranda To Launch Legal Challenge

The boyfriend of an investigative journalist who was held under UK terror laws has started legal action over his detention.

David Miranda has appointed law firm Bindmans LLP to pursue a civil action over his treatment at Heathrow Airport on Sunday.

The solicitors have written to the Home Secretary and Met Police chief to ensure none of the material taken from him is looked at until the case is resolved.

Bindmans said it had asked for assurances that "there will be no inspection, copying, disclosure, transfer, distribution or interference, in any way, with our client's data".

Russia has given Edward Snowden temporary political asylum

Mr Miranda, whose partner Glenn Greenwald reported the Edward Snowden spying revelations, was held for the maximum nine hours after trying to change planes in London.

He was travelling to Brazil from Germany, where he had visited US filmmaker Laura Poitras who has been working on the Snowden NSA files with Mr Greenwald and The Guardian.

Scotland Yard insists the detention was "legally and procedurally sound" and the Home Office has now given police its full support.

A Home Office spokesman said: "The Government and the police have a duty to protect the public and our national security.

"If the police believe that an individual is in possession of highly sensitive stolen information that would help terrorism, then they should act and the law provides them with a framework to do that.

Laura Poitras was nominated for an Oscar

"Those who oppose this sort of action need to think about what they are condoning. This is an ongoing police inquiry so we will not comment on the specifics."

Downing Street has also revealed it knew about the operation, but denies any political involvement.

It has prompted a storm of protest from civil rights campaigners and an apparent coalition split.

Lib Dem home affairs spokesman Julian Huppert called it unacceptable and "a clear abuse of terrorism powers".

A change.org petition calling for an urgent review of the laws, launched by Four Lions actor Adeel Akhtar who says he was held under similar legislation in the US in 2002, has already gathered 30,000 names.

Labour's Yvette Cooper called for an urgent investigation

"I'm not saying there shouldn't be a law in place to protect us from terrorist threats, but these laws that are being used, I don't think are being applied in the right way," he said.

Reporter Mr Greenwald called the detention a "profound attack on press freedoms and the newsgathering process".

He argued it was "clearly intended to send a message of intimidation to those of us who have been reporting on the NSA (National Security Agency) and GCHQ."

But the Metropolitan Police said: "The examination of a 28-year-old man under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000 at Heathrow airport on Sunday … was subject to a detailed decision-making process.

"The procedure was reviewed throughout to ensure the examination was both necessary and proportionate. Our assessment is that the use of the power in this case was legally and procedurally sound."

It added: "Contrary to some reports the man was offered legal representation while under examination and a solicitor attended. No complaint has been received by the Metropolitan Police Service at this time."

White House officials have revealed the US was given advance notice by police about their plan but says America did not request the move and was not involved.

Mr Miranda claims UK officials were doing the bidding of the US by trying to force him to reveal passwords for his electronic devices.

He said: "They were threatening me all the time and saying I would be put in jail if I didn't co-operate.

"They treated me like I was a criminal or someone about to attack the UK … It was exhausting and frustrating, but I knew I wasn't doing anything wrong."

The row has deepened after Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger claimed agents from GCHQ were sent to The Guardian's head office to destroy hard drives containing Snowden data.

Mr Rusbridger, in a comment piece for his own paper, said he was told by phone a few weeks ago: "You've had your fun. Now we want the stuff back."

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper, in a new statement on Tuesday, said: "The Government needs to explain who authorised the use of terrorism legislation in this case and what the justification was."

The police and security services work hard to safeguard our national security, and they need powers to prevent terrorism.

"However for public confidence to be maintained it is important that the Government, police and security services are seen to abide by the rule of law, and to operate proportionately with proper checks and balances in place."

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Northern Ireland: Arrest Over Three Deaths

A man has been arrested over the deaths of three of his former girlfriends, all of whom died in suspicious circumstances.

The 66-year-old was arrested in Dromore, County Down, a quiet market town where all three women died.

Michelle Bickerstaff, 47, died suddenly in hospital in April 2012, while Margaret Weise died in August 2007, aged 50. Elizabeth McKee was 52 when she died in December 2002.

It is understood the women all died from physical injuries, with detectives working to establish how they were caused.

The arrested man was taken to a police station in Antrim, where he is also being questioned on suspicion of other offences relating to other women.

Sky News correspondent David Blevins, in Antrim, said: "We're being told the man in custody has been questioned before in relation to the most recent of those deaths, that of Ms Bickerstaff last year, although he was released unconditionally.

"Police are also telling us that this investigation has not resulted in the exhumation of any body at this stage, although the families of all three women at the centre of the investigation are being kept informed of developments."

Dromore is a small town 17 miles southwest of Belfast and has a population of 48,300 people.

Local councillor Carol Black, who knew the three women who died, told the Dromore Leader newspaper: "The shock is etched on the faces of everyone in Dromore.

"They were bubbly women with a lot to look forward to. The whole community cannot believe it."

More follows...

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Murder Investigation Over Baby's Death

Police have launched a murder investigation following the death of a newborn baby from the Cardiff area.

More follows...

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