Boozy Britons 'A Turn Off' To Foreigners

Despite the number of people visiting the UK increasing steadily, it appears they go away with a fairly gloomy opinion of Britons.

People from overseas think many indigenous Britons drink too much and eat unhealthily, according to a poll for the British Council.

And foreigners are not too happy about the weather or quality of food they get here, the survey of more than 5,000 people aged between 18 and 34 reveals.

After bad drinking and eating habits, Britons were considered to be too ignorant about other cultures, too nationalistic and too intolerant.

The qualities most admired in the British are politeness and good manners, and they are regarded as educated and skilled.

People polled came from Brazil, China, Germany, India and the US.

They saw Britons as friendly, law-abiding and with a good sense of humour.

Britain's culture and history was seen as among the UK's most attractive features - young people most commonly named Shakespeare, the Queen and David Beckham as famous UK figures.

A wider survey that included young adults in Britain in the survey put the UK in joint second place with Australia for overall "attractiveness".

The US was top of the leader board.

Respondents were not allowed to vote for their own countries.

The British Council's John Worne said: "This research confirms culture and education are among the UK's biggest assets in attracting people from countries important to the UK's future.

"But while there's a lot to be proud of, some stereotypes still colour the way we're viewed overseas."

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Royal Marsden Hospital Worker Jailed For Scam

A hospital worker has been jailed over her pivotal role in a fraud that saw more than £640,000 meant for cancer drugs being blown on designer goods and mortgage payments.

Stacey Tipler, 32, abused her position of trust in the accounts department at the Royal Marsden NHS Trust to alter payment details that led to the money being funnelled from the world-leading London cancer clinic.

At one point a drugs firm threatened to stop supplying the hospital with medication after failing to receive payment because of the fraud, Southwark Crown Court heard.

Horan (L) was jailed for 21 months and Woollery (R) was sentenced to 10

The sophisticated scam saw Tipler substitute account numbers of pharmaceutical firms who were due payment with the details of men recruited by her partner and the ringleader of the plot Scott Chaplin.

Those receiving the cash kept some for themselves, using it to make mortgage payments or go on shopping sprees at luxury designers Gucci and Louis Vuitton. One spent £200 at the London Parachute School.

But most of the cash was passed back to Chaplin.

The couple maintained a "cash reserve" to meet their bills and mortgage payments.

They are also understood to have spent several thousand pounds on a deposit for a venue in Surrey for their planned wedding, although this never took place.

A drugs firm threatened to stop supplying the hospital because of the scam

Some of the money was recovered but the hospital remains £310,000 out of pocket.

Thomas Quinlan was sent to prison for eight months for his part in fraud

Chaplin was jailed for five-and-a-half-years, while Tipler was sentenced to four years.

Passing sentence Judge Anthony Leonard QC said Chaplin was the "main instigator" but Tipler was "invaluable" to the scam, which he said could have been "catastrophic" for patients.

He told her: "The skill which you showed in trying to ensure the fraud would go undiscovered was very great and very dishonest. It was a very clever but dishonest fraud."

Tipler, a mother-of-two from Carshalton, in the south London borough of Sutton, who worked at the trust for 10 years, was found guilty after a trial of conspiracy to defraud.

Chaplin, 33, also from Carshalton, was convicted of the same charge and a count of conspiracy to money launder.

Money of varying amounts was passed to the accounts of Adrian Horan, 43, Clinton Woollery, 35, Thomas Quinlan, 26, Russell Baker, 32, and William Flynn, 37.

Horan, of Sutton, Surrey, was jailed for 21 months, Flynn, of Wallington, Surrey, for a year, Woollery, of Sutton, for 10 months and Quinlan, of Banstead, Surrey, for eight months.

Baker and another defendant Roy Harriott, 31, of Sutton, were given suspended sentences of nine weeks and 12 weeks respectively.

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UK Bankers Face Toughest Bonus Rules

By Mark Kleinman, City Editor

Staff at British banks could be made to hand back bonuses seven years after the money has been awarded to them under a regime that will introduce the world's toughest rules on clawing back remuneration.

Sky News has learnt that the Bank of England (BoE)'s Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) has decided to enforce a draconian proposal outlined in March.

In a policy statement to be published on Wednesday, it will confirm that banks will have to amend the employment contracts of senior staff in order to implement the new rules, which will come into force on January 1 next year.

Coming in the wake of a series of market manipulation and mis-selling scandals which have triggered tens of billions of pounds in fines and compensation to consumers, the tougher framework is likely to be welcomed in Westminster but spark opposition from bank executives who argue that the City's international competitiveness will be undermined.

In its consultation paper published earlier this year, the regulator proposed that clawback should operate for a six-year period after bonuses have vested.

The PRA is to enforce the bonus policy on bankers

That period is still expected to apply to awards made prior to the beginning of next year, in line with the statute of limitations for employment contracts, Sky News understands.

However, insiders said the PRA had also been examining whether bonus awards made after January 1 next year could be reclaimed for up to seven years.

The Bank of England declined to comment on Tuesday on whether it would opt to pursue clawback for post-2014 bonuses over the longer, seven-year period.

Either way, the final details will represent tougher rules for bankers employed by UK lenders than those working for German, Swiss or American competitors.

The toughened regime follows last year's report by the Parliamentary Commission on Banking Standards, led by the Conservative MP Andrew Tyrie.

Under the BoE's plans, banks will be obliged to reclaim money already paid to employees even where they have not been directly culpable of misconduct.

Lenders will instead be required to demonstrate that they have done so where "there is reasonable evidence of employee misbehaviour or material error - the firm or the relevant business unit suffers a material downturn in its financial performance - or the firm or the relevant business unit suffers a material failure of risk management".

The rules will apply to the overseas employees of UK-based banks, which the likes of HSBC and Standard Chartered will argue will put them at a major disadvantage in their key Asian operations.

Major lenders already operate lengthy bonus deferrals meaning that share awards do not vest until the end of a three or five-year period, during which time part, or all, of the awards can be cancelled under a mechanism called malus.

Under its March proposals, the new clawback rules would have kicked in at the end of these deferral periods, making a total ranging from nine years to more than a decade before bankers would be able to spend bonus awards safe in the knowledge that they would not have to repay them.

However, some bankers believe the BoE will say that the deferral and clawback periods will be allowed to overlap, meaning that the overall period would be seven years.

The British Bankers' Association argued in its response to the consultation that the PRA's plans were fraught with legal difficulties and that the 'clawback clock' could start ticking at the time bonuses were awarded rather than the point of vesting.

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House Prices Force Adults To Live With Parents

By Gerard Tubb, North Of England Correspondent

Millions of young workers have been dubbed the "clipped wing generation" because they are forced to live with their parents by rising house prices.

Housing charity Shelter has published census data showing almost two million workers aged 20-34 in England alone - a quarter of the total - are living with parents or grandparents.

A YouGov poll found 48% of them say housing costs are to blame.

At the Coast and Country Housing Association headquarters in Redcar, out of 11 people working in one office, nine were aged 20-34 and four of them were still living at home.

Laura Wood is living at the family home while she saves up for a deposit

Laura Wood, 26, moved back into the family home after graduating and has lived there ever since while she saves up for a deposit on a house.

"It's obviously difficult when you mum's still asking what time are you going to be in, where are you going what are you doing, so I don't feel like I'm 26 half of the time," she said.

Her co-worker Liz Wilson, 65, still has her 30-year-old son living at home and says the problem of unaffordable housing is forcing her to stay at work.

"I can't retire because we have to provide a larger property for him to have his own room, his own space, and as such we can't downsize," she said.

Unaffordable housing is forcing Liz Wilson, 65, to stay at work

Campbell Robb, Shelter's chief executive, accused the Government of not doing enough to help.

He said: "The 'clipped wing generation' are finding themselves with no choice but to remain living with mum and dad well into adulthood, as they struggle to find a home of their own.

"Rather than pumping more money into schemes like Help to Buy, we need bolder action that will meet the demand for affordable homes and not inflate prices further."

In a statement, Housing Minister Brandon Lewis said measures including the Help to Buy scheme were addressing the issue.

"We're determined to ensure anyone who works hard and wants to get on the property ladder has the help they need to do so," he said.

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Dating Site OKCupid 'Experimented On Users'

Dating site OKCupid lied to users about their compatibility with other singles as part of an "experiment", its founder has revealed.

The site uses an algorithm to determine two people's suitability as a couple - based on their stated interests, ambitions and desires.

But the site changed the results of the algorithm to tell some users who were incompatible that they were, in fact, highly compatible.

OKCupid said people were then much more likely to interact as a result.

Site founder Christian Rudder said it showed that the "mere myth of compatibility works just as well as the truth".

The experiment was revealed in a blog post by Mr Rudder, and comes after it emerged Facebook experimented on users by manipulating their news feeds.

In an article titled We Experiment On Human Beings! he wrote: "We noticed recently that people didn't like it when Facebook 'experimented' with their news feed.

"But guess what, everybody: if you use the internet, you're the subject of hundreds of experiments at any given time, on every site. That's how websites work."

He detailed other experiments which have previously been carried out using user photos.

In one of the studies, which took place in January 2013, the site removed all users' photos to see how it would affect interactions.

OKCupid found that people were quicker to respond to first messages, and exchanged contact information more quickly.

Those who did go on truly blind dates reported having a good time at the same rate as those who'd seen their potential partners beforehand.

On social media, some people said they were opposed to the experiments.

Twitter user Ranya Khalifa said the OKCupid admission was "creepy stuff", while Chishala Mpundu said: "I always thought something was twisted about that site."

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PM: 'We Will Find You And Send You Home'

David Cameron has put illegal immigrants on notice telling them: "When we find you - and we will find you - we will make sure you are sent back to the country you came from."

Announcing a number of new measures to tackle problems of immigration, Mr Cameron said he wanted to send a clear message that those in the UK illegally would not be able to work or have a home.

He was speaking after attending a raid on illegal immigrants in Slough and said: "We want an immigration system that puts Britain first."

It came after he unveiled a new policy that would mean EU migrants would be able to claim benefits for only three months - half the current time - unless they had serious job prospects.

David Cameron says Britain is 'not a soft touch' for EU migrants

In another pledge to safeguard jobs for British people he said he would limit to 500,000 the number of UK jobs being advertised across the EU through a jobseekers' website - down from 1.1 million jobs currently on offer.

There will also be curbs on "bogus colleges" which offer studying visas for cash.

Outlining his plans in The Daily Telegraph, David Cameron wrote: "Taken together, this is about building a different kind of Britain - a country that is not a soft touch, but a place to play your part; a nation where those who work hard can get on."

The number of Europeans currently claiming benefits is unclear. However, Government estimates from 2013 suggest only 6.7% of non-UK nationals (397,000) claimed benefits, of which 62,000 were Europeans and 58,000 from EU accession countries.

In contrast 16.4% of UK nationals claim benefits.

All job centre posts are advertised across Europe

Sky News' Deputy Political Editor Joey Jones said: "Welfare and immigration are two touchstone issues for the General Election. The idea of benefits tourism, whether real or not, is where the two collide. 

"All the evidence is the Tories have been outflanked by UKIP on this territory, but in the General Election the main objective is to steal a march on Labour. That's what these announcements are all about."

The benefits plan builds on changes laid out in January to make EU migrants wait three months after arriving in Britain before claiming out-of-work benefits.

Mr Cameron has previously been warned restricting benefits conflicts with the EU agreement on freedom of movement.

Yvette Cooper says the Government has 'failed' on immigration

Currently more than a million British posts are advertised on European Commission jobs website called Eures, which is partly funded by the UK taxpayer.

Britain's job centres automatically upload available posts to the site. However, Mr Cameron has pledged this will now be limited to 500,000 roles and will only be included if an employer requests it is shared across the EU.

A number of employers, particularly in manufacturing and agriculture, have routinely complained they are unable to find British recruits and have to fill the posts with workers from across Europe.

It is unclear how many EU residents actually find jobs through the website.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said: "We need less talk from the Prime Minister on immigration and more action.

"It's almost a year-and-a-half since Labour called for benefit restrictions on new migrants. In that time we've had reannouncement after reannouncement from the Tories but little in the way of firm action."

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Aldi And Lidl 'Victors In Supermarket War'

Discounters Aldi and Lidl have seen their market share surge as Britain's four biggest outlets suffer in the ongoing bitter supermarket war.

Research firm Kantar Worldpanel said in the three months to June 20, both of the German-based retailers saw significant growth compared to the same period last year.

It said Aldi's share rose from 3.7% to 4.8%, while Lidl expanded from 3.1% to 3.6%.

Meanwhile, supermarket giant Tesco saw its share of the sector fall from 30.3% last year to 28.9% in the period ending in July.

Asda, Britain's second biggest chain, remained flat at 17%, while Sainsbury's also remained static at 16.6%.

Struggling supermarket Morrisons was the second biggest faller out of the major retailers, seeing its share fall from 11.5% last year to 11% this year.

Both Tesco and Morrisons recorded sales losses of 3.8% compared to the same period last year, researchers said.

Kantar Worldpanel director Edward Garner said: "Aldi's 32% growth rate has lifted its market share to 4.8%, and this is a new record for the retailer and means it has nearly caught up with Waitrose on 4.9%.

"Similarly, Lidl sales have grown by nearly 20% and it has held onto its record share of 3.6%."

Britain's big outlets have become increasingly embroiled in a price war during 2014 that has harmed their margins.

They have also invested heavily in convenience store and online delivery services.

The hard discounters have avoided entering the online delivery sub-sector, which is seen by analysts as costing the majors more than £100m a year.

Grocery price inflation has also fallen for the 10th consecutive periods and now stands at 0.4%.

Price slashing and deflation in staple items like milk, vegetables and bread have driven food price inflation down to its lowest level since late 2006, when the research first started.
 

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'Dirty Diesel' Drivers Face New Tax In Cities

Drivers of diesel vehicles face having to pay more in taxes and levies as cities around the UK strive to cut air pollution.

In London, plans to introduce a £10 charge for the most polluting diesel cars are being considered by Mayor Boris Johnson.

These could come into force by 2020.

The Mayor's plans for the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) are still subject to full consultation, but it is expected it will require diesel cars to be Euro 6 standard - no more than five years old.

Older petrol-driven vehicles beyond Euro 4 - more than 14 years old - will also be hit by the ULEZ charge.

The final figure for the ULEZ levy is expected to be a similar amount to the congestion charge.

The hike in motoring costs would be on top of the congestion charge, pushing up the cost to at least £20 to drive into the capital's ultra-low emission zone.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said that unless action is taken, London, Birmingham and Leeds would face dangerous levels of pollution from vehicle exhausts by 2030.

London's congestion charge was credited with reducing traffic volumes

Diesel exhaust emissions are responsible for about a quarter of the 29,000 premature deaths caused by air pollution, according to experts from King's College London.

The number of diesel cars in Britain has grown to 11 million, nearly a four-fold increase since 2000, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

This was largely due to motorists switching to diesel because of greater fuel economy and lower road taxes.

But diesel engines also produce toxins including nitrogen dioxide and particulates, which irritates the lung lining and can cause respiratory disease.

The Labour Party has reportedly planned a countrywide network of low emission zones that would push older diesel cars out of city centres.

Oxford has already introduced a low emission zone for buses and could expand this for other vehicles.

London Mayor environment adviser Mathew Pencharz told The Times: "We want to see an unwinding of incentives that have driven people to diesel.

"Euro engine standards on emissions have not delivered the savings expected, meaning we now have a legacy of a generation of dirty diesels."

All of these initiatives are being driven by the need to meet tighter European regulations on clean air and avoid the threat of heavy fines for breaching them.

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Rigby Killer Adebolajo Appeal Bid Rejected

Lee Rigby's Family Says Justice Has Been Served

Updated: 9:58pm UK, Wednesday 26 February 2014

The family of Lee Rigby are "satisfied" with the sentences handed to his killers and believe they received the "right prison term".

Michael Adebolajo, 29, was given a whole-life term, and Michael Adebowale, 22, was jailed for at least 45 years for hacking the soldier to death in Woolwich last year.

In a statement read by a family liaison officer outside the Old Bailey after the sentencing, the family said: "We feel that no other sentence would have been acceptable and we would like to thank the judge and the courts for handing down what we believe to be the right prison terms.

"We would also like to thank everyone who has supported us in the last nine months.

"It has brought us a lot of comfort and we feel satisfied that justice has been served for Lee. We now ask to continue to grieve in private."

Assistant Commissioner Cressida Dick, who heads Scotland Yard's counter-terrorism command, said the sentences reflected the "true horror of their actions in taking this young man's life in such a barbaric way".

Meanwhile, Sue Hemming of the Crown Prosecution Service said the murderers had "revelled in one of the most appalling terrorist murders" she had ever seen.

She said: "Not only was the attack brutal and calculated, it was also designed to advance extremist views. As a soldier, Fusilier Lee Rigby was targeted in a clear act of revenge, deliberately carried out in full view of members of the public for maximum impact."

As sentencing began, the two murderers shouted at the judge in protest at his remarks. 

They then fought with guards in the dock before they were pinned down and taken to the cells. Sentencing resumed without them.

The soldier's family were visibly distressed and sobbed at the developments and one relative needed medical treatment.

There were also dramatic scenes outside the Old Bailey as members of the public shouted at prison vans leaving the building.

Far right protesters had gathered outside the court calling for the killers to face the death penalty.

The British-born extremists ran Fusilier Rigby down in a car before hacking him to death in the street in front of horrified onlookers near Woolwich Barracks in southeast London in May last year.

They both claimed that they were "soldiers of Allah" and were motivated by the plight of Muslims abroad to carry out the killing, and have shown no remorse.

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Beata Bryl Murder: CCTV Released In New Appeal

Police investigating the murder of a woman who was bludgeoned to death before being set on fire eight years ago have made a fresh appeal for information.

Beata Bryl, who was originally from Poland, was last seen alive at Leytonstone underground station in northeast London on July 28, 2006.

Her body was discovered the next day in woods 50 miles away near Hedsor Lane in Wooburn Green, Buckinghamshire.

Thames Valley Police has now released CCTV footage showing Ms Bryl's boarding a train at Leytonstone at 11.32pm and new images of a distinctive material Ms Bryl's body was wrapped in, in a bid to trace her killer.

The 23-year-old's body was wrapped in a distinctive material (R)

Chief Inspector Colin Seaton, who led the original investigation in 2006, said: "Our investigation into the murder of Beata Bryl is still ongoing, eight years after her horrific and brutal death.

"It is the most horrible crime I have ever seen. To bludgeon someone so brutally with a heavy object and to do it with such ferocity and force does beggar belief."

An inquest heard Ms Bryl had been struck over the head more than 20 times before being set alight.

The extent of her burns meant police took more than a month to identify her remains.

"We are renewing our appeal for information on the anniversary of her death in the hope that somebody, somewhere, knows something which could help us to track down her killer," Chief Insp Seaton said.

A bag similar to the one used by Ms Bryl, which has never been found

"In particular I would appeal to members of the Polish community who may have known Beata or known of Beata, to come forward with any information they may have which could help us to track down the killer.

"Particularly important is the cloth which had a distinctive pattern and was used to wrap Beata's body in.

"Also there is an image of a bag similar to the one which was being used by Beata in her last moments. It is believed Beata's bag was either beige, very light blue or light pink and it is yet to be recovered.

"If anyone has any information or thinks they might know anything, however insignificant it might seem, please contact Thames Valley Police Major Crime team on 01296 396183.

"Beata's family is still waiting for answers to what happened to their daughter, they deserve to have peace of mind, knowing the killer has been caught."

The security camera images show Ms Bryl wearing a red jacket, grey knee-length trousers and white trainers. She was also carrying a white MK One carrier bag in her arms.

People can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at Crimestoppers-uk.org.

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