Ashes Wee Scandal: ECB Probes Pitch Piddle Claim

The English Cricket Board (ECB) are to investigate after team spinner Graeme Swann appeared to confirm England players urinated on the Oval pitch after their Ashes win at the weekend.

Swann told The Sun newspaper he thought some members of the team may have answered the call of nature "once or twice" as they celebrated their victory on the pitch.

"We did go out to the middle of the pitch, all the lads, drinking beers, singing a few songs and enjoying each other's company," Swann said.

The accused: James Anderson, Kevin Pietersen and Stuart Broad

"I think the call of nature might have come once or twice, but it was nothing untoward. It was midnight, a private celebration in the middle of the pitch and the ground was dark," he added.

A row has been growing after Australian journalists claim they spotted three England players spending a penny on the pitch after the team returned to the field after their 3-0 series win over Australia.

They reportedly saw bowlers James Anderson and Stuart Broad, and batsmen Kevin Pietersen relieve themselves while the rest of the team cheered.

The England team beat Australia 3-0

Surrey County Cricket Club chief executive Richard Gould told The Sun: "We've spoken to the ECB and they say they will be looking into the matter.

"We would be very disappointed if it turns out they did urinate on the pitch."

The final Test at The Oval ended in controversial circumstances on Saturday, with the umpires taking the players off for bad light to end an intriguing contest that saw England needing just 21 runs for victory.

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North Sea Helicopter Crash: Bodies Returned

The bodies of three of the four oil workers who died when a helicopter plunged into the North Sea have been brought back to the mainland.

A passenger ferry carrying the bodies arrived at Aberdeen Harbour this morning.

 It is understood the fourth body will arrive on Tuesday.

The Super Puma helicopter was carrying 16 passengers and two crew from the Borgsten Dolphin platform when it crashed into the sea off Shetland on Friday evening, killing three men and one woman.

It is not yet known what caused the CHC-operated helicopter to crash as it approached Sumburgh airport on the southern tip of the main island.

It is not yet known what caused the crash

Tributes have been paid to the victims, named as Duncan Munro, 46, from Bishop Auckland, County Durham; George Allison, 57, from Winchester, Hampshire; Sarah Darnley, 45, from Elgin in the Highlands; and 59-year-old Gary McCrossan, from Inverness.

The wreckage is expected to be transported to shore later for examination by a team from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch.

Senior management staff from the helicopter's manufacturer, Eurocopter, have arrived in Aberdeen.

Guillaume Faury, Eurocopter's chief executive, said: "All of us at Eurocopter are deeply saddened by this accident. This is a tragedy for all of us.

"We express our deepest sympathies to the families, friends and colleagues of those who lost their lives. Our thoughts are with all those affected, including the workforce in the North Sea.

Dive vessel Bibby Polaris was involved in the salvage of the wreckage

"We also wish to acknowledge all those persons involved in the search-and-rescue operations. Their prompt and professional action saved many lives and for that we are sincerely thankful.

"At this point in time, limited technical information is available regarding the cause of this accident. Eurocopter's experts are in Aberdeen working closely with the investigation authorities to determine the cause."

It is hoped information on the helicopter's black box recorder will help establish the cause of the crash.

Super Puma flights to and from UK offshore installations have been suspended, prompting a meeting of oil and gas industry chiefs to discuss the impact on platform workers.

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Notting Hill Carnival Police In Dance-Off

Police officers delighted crowds at Notting Hill Carnival by putting on an impromptu dance show.

The three officers  - dressed in high-visibility jackets and uniform - began jiving and grinding, and even displaying a little light twerking, before forming a line on the floor and starting to row.

They were circled by crowds of revellers who cheered and screamed as they danced.

A video of the policemen on YouTube under the name "Notting Hill Carnival 2013 Police Dance Off", posted by MOOF Bulleh, had attracted more than 100,000 views by Monday night.

The identity of the officers is not known. A Met Police spokesman declined to comment.

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Hospital Food: Patients Reject NHS Boasts

Most hospitals claim they are serving five-star food to patients - but a survey reveals many patients disagree.

Three in five hospitals give themselves the highest possible rating for the standard of their food, figures show.

Out of 156 NHS hospital trusts in England 95 trusts rated the quality of the meals they served to patients as five-out-of-five.

But the Campaign for Better Hospital Food (CBHF) said that the figures were a dramatic contrast to an independent Care Quality Commission survey.

That survey showed that half of patients were dissatisfied with hospital food.

The CBHF has renewed its calls for introducing mandatory hospital food standards on quality and nutrition.

Loyd Grossman was recruited to help improve food quality in hospitals

Alex Jackson, coordinator of the Campaign for Better Hospital Food, said: "It is time for the Government to come clean about the sorry state of hospital food in England and set mandatory standards for patient meals.

"This would only involve extending an existing policy which has seen it set mandatory standards for prison food and food served in Government departments, to go alongside those that already exist for school food.

"Surely patients recovering in hospital have the same right to good food as Government ministers, school kids and prisoners?"

A Department of Health spokesman said: "There are many fantastic examples of really good food across the NHS thanks to forward-thinking and innovative staff.

"But we recognise that there is too much variation across the country - that is why we have implemented a tough new inspection programme.

"With our army of thousands of patient assessors we will drive up standards and reduce variation in hospital food."

A spokeswoman for Patient Concern said: "The findings of this study are shocking. Over 10 years ago, the Department of Health recruited Patient Concern to join a team, headed by Loyd Grossman, to improve catering throughout the NHS.

"We spent tens of millions of pounds commissioning celebrity chefs to create new nutritious dishes, had special snack packaging designed for patients who didn't want full hot meals and developed some glossy menus.

"Patient Concern pointed out that unless all hospitals advised the Department of Health of the cost of implementing our plan and got ring-fenced budgets to do the job, we were wasting our time. Of course, we were ignored. Hence today's depressing report."

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Gaddafi's Son Seeks UK Help Over 'Show Trial'

By Lisa Holland, Foreign Affairs Correspondent

The lawyer representing Colonel Gaddafi's son, Saif al-Islam, is urging the British Government to do all it can to prevent him facing trial in Libya and deliver him to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.

John Jones QC told Sky News he fears his client, who faces charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, will be subjected to a 'show trial' and sentenced to death.

He said: "Executing Saif Gaddafi would be a complete violation of the ICC orders so it's logical and right, and a moral and legal obligation on the UK, to intervene."

It follows a Libyan court's decision to sentence to death Colonel Gaddafi's former education minister Ahmed Ibrahim.

The ICC has also raised concerns about the ability of the Libyan authorities to hold the trial and the charges they plan to present against Saif al-Islam.

Saif al-Islam pictured after his capture

Fadi El-Abdallah, a spokesman for the court, told Sky News: "There is no legal representation for him on a national level and the operation of gathering the evidence and protecting the witnesses is not secured."

But the process of transferring Saif al-Islam from Libya to The Hague is proving to be a complex one.

He was captured by rebel fighters from the Libyan city of Zintan in November 2011 and has been held there, in solitary confinement, ever since.

The Libyan Government is struggling to exert its influence over large parts of the country and can't transfer him without the permission of Zintan's militia leaders.

John Jones, QC, says it's further evidence that Mr Gaddafi must be handed over to the ICC.

He was once tipped to lead Libya towards democracy

He said: "Libya's central authorities don't have control of his custody. That proves the point that if there's no control of is custody, if there's no rule of law in Libya, he should be tried in The Hague".

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was once tipped by western governments to lead Libya towards democracy.

Educated at the London School of Economics and considered by many to be the country's de-facto prime minister, he refused to abandon his father when protests sprung in several Libyan cities in early 2011.

He was found by fighters from the Zintan brigade trying to cross into Niger just a month after his father Colonel Gaddafi was captured and killed.

His last public appearance was in May when he briefly appeared in court to answer separate charges of endangering national security after he was accused of providing an ICC lawyer with 'sensitive' documents.

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First Badger Cull Under Way Amid Protests

A controversial badger cull has started in two counties in England as experts insist it is a vital move to stop the spread of bovine TB.

The National Farmers' Union (NFU) confirmed the operation had been launched in a letter to its members on Tuesday morning.

Around 5,000 badgers are expected to be killed in Gloucestershire and Somerset over the next six weeks under the two pilot schemes.

Farmers and the Government insist culling of badgers is needed to stop spiralling rates of TB in cattle herds.

Anti-cull protesters in Minehead, Somerset

But opponents say culling the protected animal will have only a small effect on infection rates and will lead to badgers suffering.

They want the emphasis to be on vaccines and tighter on-farm and cattle movement measures.

Campaigners turned out in large numbers at the pilot sites on Monday night to protest against what they call "inhumane" action.

NFU president Peter Kendall said the cull was "an important step not just for cattle farmers but for the whole farming industry".

He wrote: "We cannot go on culling tens of thousands of cattle every year because of TB while knowing the disease exists in wildlife uncontrolled."

He added: "Badger control remains a controversial subject and we understand that some people will never agree with controlling badgers in this way.

A protest sign outside "Camp Badger" in Watchet, Somerset

"I hope that when time shows that these culls have reduced TB in cattle - just as has happened in Ireland - that even more people will understand that while sad, these culls are absolutely necessary."

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson told Sky News the badgers would be shot by trained marksmen "under very carefully controlled circumstances".

"It is something I think we all approach with regret but for the last 15 years we have been the only country with a significant problem of bovine tuberculosis in cattle and bovine tuberculosis in wildlife that has only tried to address the problem in cattle," he said.

Mr Paterson stressed that the evidence from abroad showed the cull was the only route until the disease in reduced in wildlife and there is a vaccine for cattle.

"We are working really hard and leading the way in Europe on cattle vaccines but we are at least 10 years away," he said.

However, Labour condemned the pilots and claimed they would actually spread TB further as badgers are moved around.

Shadow environment secretary Mary Creagh said: "The Government's divisive badger cull will cost more than it saves and will spread bovine TB in the short term as badgers are disturbed by shooting.

"We need a science-led policy to manage cattle movements better and a vaccine to tackle TB in cattle. Ministers should listen to the scientists and drop this cull which is bad for farmers, bad for taxpayers and bad for wildlife."

The pilots are happening in west Gloucestershire and west Somerset

RSPCA chief executive Gavin Grant agreed, saying: "Science has shown that this cull is not the answer to bovine TB in cattle. In fact, it could make things a lot worse. Vaccination and better bio-security are the only sustainable and true ways forward."

Stop The Cull claimed on its Facebook page that more than 500 people turned out to protest at both pilot sites on Monday night.

Somerset Badger Patrol held a vigil in Minehead and said more than 200 people took part. "We fight on, knowing that we are right helps," it said in a statement.

The High Court has granted an injunction to stop farmers involved in the culls being harassed and abused after complaints they had been targeted.

The cull was due to begin last autumn but was postponed while research continued into the population numbers in both areas.

The Government said west Somerset has approximately 4,300 badgers, with another 3,600 in west Gloucestershire. The aim is to kill 70% of the animals.

The culls, which will be carried out annually for four years, last six weeks and are allowed to take place between June 1 and January 31.

If they are successful in stopping the spread of bovine TB, they could be rolled out, saving millions in compensation to farmers.

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MS And Parkinson's Sufferers Told: 'Get To Work'

By Frazer Maude, Sky New Reporter

Thousands of people with progressive conditions such as Parkinson's and MS are being told they could recover enough to look for work, according to charities.

The government's controversial Work Capability Assessment is again under fire after a coalition of four leading charities claimed that 45% of people were told they would be able to work again following assessment for Employment Support Allowance.

Parkinson's UK, MS Society, National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society and Cystic Fibrosis Trust have called for the abolition of the system saying it is "farcical" and "defies belief".

Between 2008 and 2011, 13,600 people with cystic fibrosis, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's or rheumatoid arthritis applied for Employment Support Allowance, figures show.

Nearly half were placed in the Work Related Activity Group (WRAG) after being assessed for Employment Support Allowance, where charities claim they should have been in the Support Group, which doesn't require the individual to seek work.

Sue Watson, from Leeds, is one of  580,000 people in England who suffer from Rheumatoid Arthritis.

On bad days it can make even the smallest movements intensely painful.

When she was forced to give up her work as an aromatherapist her Work Capability Assessment placed her in WRAG.

"It has a detrimental effect because stress affects rheumatoid arthritis," she says.

Iain Duncan Smith's Department for Work and Pensions has defended claims

"So the stress of being felt that you're on the scrap heap and that you're not believed, and to think that I'm going to be forced to go back into work even though I can't, that had a huge impact on me."

Caroline Hacker, Head of Policy at Parkinson's UK said "This is the latest in a long line of unspeakable failures by Atos Healthcare (who carry out the assessments) and the Government when it comes to supporting those who need it most.

"To set up a system which tells people who've had to give up work because of a debilitating progressive condition that they'll recover, is farcical and simply defies belief."

A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said: "It's ridiculous to suggest that we think people with degenerative conditions will 'recover'. However, it is important that we don't simply write people off. There is strong evidence that working can be beneficial for many people who have a health condition."

An Atos Healthcare spokesman said: "Our healthcare professionals are trained in the assessment of chronic and progressive conditions such as Parkinson's and understand that, sadly, some people's conditions will only get worse over time.

"However, the advice we are asked to give DWP concentrates on how individuals are affected by their illness at present.

"All decisions on the outcome of claims, for example whether they are placed in the WRAG or the Support Group, are made by DWP."

The charities though are calling for an end to a system which they say causes unnecessary stress and anxiety for people who are already in poor health.

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Jamie Oliver: Poor Have Big TVs But Eat Junk

Jamie Oliver has said he struggles to talk about modern poverty after seeing families living on junk food but spending money on enormous televisions.

The chef, who has previously worked with ministers to improve school food, said he was baffled by struggling Britons who relied on expensive ready meals.

Oliver, 38, who has an estimated fortune of £150m, recalled being appalled by one family when filming a campaigning programme.

He said: "I'm not judgmental, but I've spent a lot of time in poor communities, and I find it quite hard to talk about modern-day poverty.

"You might remember that scene in Ministry Of Food, with the mum and the kid eating chips and cheese out of Styrofoam containers, and behind them is a massive ******* TV. It just didn't weigh up."

Poor communities in other countries took a different approach and used cheap food products but still ate healthily, Oliver told the Radio Times.

"Some of the most inspirational food in the world comes from areas where people are financially challenged," he said.

"The flavour comes from a cheap cut of meat, or something that's slow-cooked, or an amazing texture's been made out of leftover stale bread."

He added: "Seven times out of 10, the poorest families in this country choose the most expensive way to hydrate and feed their families. The ready meals, the convenience foods.

Jamie Oliver has previously campaigned for better school meals

"I meet people who say, 'You don't understand what it's like.' I just want to hug them and teleport them to the Sicilian street cleaner who has 25 mussels, 10 cherry tomatoes, and a packet of spaghetti for 60 pence, and knocks out the most amazing pasta.

"You go to Italy or Spain and they eat well on not much money. We've missed out on that in Britain, somehow."

Oliver, who is promoting a new Channel 4 show Jamie's Money Saving Meals, urged people to go to their local market instead of the supermarket.

The Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) insisted low income could be a barrier to healthy eating and attacked the Government for a lack of support.

Head of policy Imran Hussain said evidence showed poorer parents were less likely to be able to afford fresh fruit for children, and that they spent more on healthy food if their incomes rose.

"The huge hits many working and non-working families are taking in their incomes as a result of cuts in tax credits and benefits are very real, as is the resulting huge growth in demand for food banks. The Government's child poverty strategy is seriously adrift and urgently needs rethinking," he said.

Helen Berresford, Save The Children's head of campaigns, added: "In these hard economic times, many of us are looking for ways to save money and get more for less.

"It's important that we do not lose sight of the tough reality for so many low-income families who are doing the best they can while struggling with high food costs, rising energy bills and childcare costs."

The Department of Work and Pensions insisted it had taken steps to address the cost of living, such as increasing the income tax threshold and freezing council tax and fuel duty.

A spokesman added: "Our welfare reforms with the introduction of Universal Credit will make three million households better off - the majority of these from the bottom two-fifths of the income scale."

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Syria: MPs Recalled As Britain Mulls Options

Britain's Armed Forces are drawing up contingency plans for military action in Syria following the chemical weapons attack that left hundreds dead.

David Cameron came back from his holiday in Cornwall early to chair talks with Cabinet ministers in Downing Street.

A national security council meeting will be held on Wednesday to discuss possible UK involvement and MPs will now return to Parliament on Thursday for a debate.

Mr Cameron himself confirmed the recall on Twitter and said there would be a "clear Govt motion & vote on UK response to chemical weapons attacks".

Peers will also return to Parliament, according to the Labour whips' office.

Tory MP Andrew Bridgen, who sent a letter signed by 81 Conservatives to Mr Cameron demanding a vote earlier this year, said: "The House is going to seek assurance on the grounds for action, that there is compelling evidence it is the Assad regime that launched the chemical attacks - that will need to be proved and explained.

William Hague and Philip Hammond in Downing Street on Tuesday

"We will need the aims of any action and limits and scope of action, and information on who else will be involved."

Former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell added: "There are reservations about the prospect of military action on all sides of the House of Commons and genuine concern about the long-term consequences of any such action.

"Now there is to be a motion, the Prime Minister will have to make a convincing case if he is to persuade not only his own backbenchers but the House as well."

The recall came as the US defence secretary declared America is "ready to go" if Barack Obama orders intervention.

British officials said the Government was looking at a "range of evidence" about the atrocity in Damascus, which campaigners say killed 355 people.

They indicated an international agreement about the next steps could be taken before UN weapons inspectors produce a report on the attack.

Foreign Secretary William Hague has not ruled out moves such as targeted air strikes and activity at British military bases in Cyprus suggest plans could already be well advanced.

Mr Cameron has been speaking to international leaders including US president Barack Obama and Russian president Vladimir Putin in recent days.

A heavily-damaged street in Deir Ezzor, Syria

Downing Street said he had made clear that any use of chemical weapons is "completely and utterly abhorrent and unacceptable".

Talks to find a "proportionate" response that will deter the Syrian state from using toxic agents are now likely to intensify despite the Assad regime's denials.

The administration has denied "utterly and completely" that state forces were behind the atrocity and has warned military action would be illegal and doomed to fail.

Moscow - a key regime ally which supplies arms to Syria - has backed Syrian claims that video footage of victims could be opposition propaganda.

It insists there is "no evidence" of a chemical attack, but Mr Cameron told Mr Putin there was "little doubt" the regime had used the weapons.

The US has also declared there was an "undeniable" use of banned nerve agents by the Syrian government against an opposition-held suburb in Damascus.

US Secretary of State John Kerry has said the attack was a "moral obscenity" which "should shock the conscience of the world" and promised action to hold the regime accountable.

Intervention on any level would spark fears about mission creep but Downing Street has made clear all options are still on the table.

A spokesman said: "No decision has yet been taken. We are continuing to discuss with our international partners what the right response should be, but, as part of this, we are making contingency plans for the armed forces."

Former prime minister Tony Blair has backed a military strike, warning inaction could lead to Syria becoming "mired in carnage" and a "breeding ground for terrorists".

He said he understood why people "wince at the thought of intervention" but urged Britain to "take sides" to avoid a nightmare scenario developing in the Middle East.

Thursday's recall will be the fourth time Mr Cameron has interrupted MPs' holidays.

MPs came back in April after the death of Baroness Thatcher, and twice in 2011 - for a statement on phone hacking in July and then the August riots.

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Man In Trauma Unit After Cows Stampede

A man believed to be in his 60s has been seriously injured by a herd of cows which trampled on him.

Paramedics were called to a field at St Neots, Cambridgeshire. 

An East of England Ambulance Service spokesman said the man received "significant" injuries.

"Following treatment, stabilisation and immobilisation by the ambulance crews, he was taken to the specialist trauma centre at Addenbooke's Hospital in Cambridgeshire for further care."

A similar accident occurred in May after a man in his 60s was trampled to death and his brother seriously injured when a herd of cows trampled them as they walked dogs in Wiltshire.

2010: Julian Lawford was sentenced over the death of farmer Harold Lee

In 2010, firefighter Julian Lawford was sentenced to four months in prison, suspended for 12 months, after a farmer was killed by stampeding cows frightened by Lawford's fire engine siren.

Harold Lee, 75, had been riding a quad bike at the back of a dairy herd as he and son Richard were taking the animals to be milked in Somerset.

Mr Lee suffered head and chest injuries after being trampled and was in a critical condition before being airlifted to hospital where he later died.

The National Farmers' Union issued a warning at Easter about the dangers posed by animals in the countryside.

Livestock board chairman Charles Sercombe said: "In the spring it's especially important for walkers to be sympathetic to farm animals rearing their young and give them space.

"If you feel threatened by animals protecting their territory or young do not run, move to the edge of the field and if possible find another way round.

"If you're walking with a dog please keep it on a lead when walking around livestock, but let it go if the situation demands it."

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