Binman Drank Pint Cocktail With Four Live Fish

A 33-year-old binman who drank a cocktail containing four live fish has walked free from court after admitting animal cruelty.

Paul Wooding, from Ross-on-Wye, was sentenced by Hereford magistrates over two offences linked to the online Neknominate craze.

He was handed an 18-month conditional discharge for causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and failing to protect the fish.

The prosecution was brought by the RSPCA after Wooding posted video of the incident on his Facebook page.

In the video, he announced "this is my Neknominate" before downing a pint glass of wine, gin, vodka, rum and lemonade - together with the fish.

Wooding was watched by a group of friends

He then nominated four other people to join the drinking game.

Rafe Turner, prosecuting, said professional vet confirmed that "the fish have been caused pain, based on the video evidence".

The Neknominate phenomenon is thought to have started in Australia, with Wooding thought to be the fifth such court case in the UK.

After being interviewed about the video, Wooding later wrote on Facebook: "Some people's lives must be that sad and boring, to get any excitement they have to report me to the RSPCA for my Neknominate."

Wooding proudly diisplays the fish cocktail

Wooding told investigators he had been nominated to drink by friends and "something was going around to get some fish, to make it different".

Mr Turner said he told the RSPCA the fish were "little minnows" and he had got them out of his friend's fish tank an hour before carrying out the act.

Wooding said he had drunk about eight pints and six double gins before downing the cocktail at the Golf Inn, in Ross.

His lawyer Chris Morgan questioned why the case had made it to court when cautions had been issued for "other similar matters".

He added: "Yes, those fish may have experienced pain and then died, but they are small fish, nothing more."

Wooding was also ordered to pay £500 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

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Hundreds Of Police Breach Rules On Social Media

By Frazer Maude, Sky News Reporter

Hundreds of police employees have been investigated for breaching social media guidelines at forces across England and Wales.

The figures, obtained through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, show a total of 828 cases were reported to police, ranging from social media gaffes to sackable offences involving harassment, and posts of a sexual, racist or homophobic nature.

A total of 14% of the investigations resulted in no further action being taken or the individual having no case to answer, but 9% ended in a resignation, dismissal or retirement.

The police regularly use Twitter, Flickr, Facebook and other social media platforms to connect with the public and to help with crime prevention and detection.

Greater Manchester Police recently posted the 7,000th image on its Flickr account.

Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) guidelines state officers and police staff should avoid using the internet while off-duty or after having drunk alcohol, due to the potential for their judgement to be impaired.

They also warn of the propensity for criminals to trawl the internet and identify personal information about police employees "with a view to embarrassing, discrediting, harassing, corrupting or blackmailing them or their families for their own benefit".

Deputy Chief Constable Ian Hopkins, of Greater Manchester Police, is the ACPO lead on social media.

A total of 548 of those investigated were police officers

"Social media is a key tool for us in having conversations with communities, using it not only to pass information but to receive information about crime and incidents, help people make informed choices," he said.

"All police employees are covered by the code of ethics that was introduced earlier this year.

"So staff must act with integrity, with fairness, with honesty, openness, and regardless of whether they are tweeting as John Smith or Joanna Smith, if they are recognisable as a PC or a member of police staff, then they have to be taking into account the code of ethics."

According to the Press Association, who submitted the FOI request, the investigations included:

:: A PCSO with Devon and Cornwall Police who received a final written warning for posting photos on Facebook of themselves with weapons.

:: A civilian member of police staff who posted a comment on Facebook regarding the actions of Muslims in central London failing to observe a two-minute silence. It was alleged the language used "could be regarded as offensive/inappropriate or likely to cause offence to other persons", police said.

:: A Gwent PC who acted inappropriately while attending a member of the public's home address and asked her to become a friend on Facebook, later sending a message through the site. They received a written warning.

:: Two special constables in Northampton who resigned after they were pictured on Facebook in a "compromising position".

:: A civilian with South Yorkshire Police who was accused of harassing an ex-partner via Facebook. They resigned prior to misconduct proceedings.

Chief Constable Alex Marshall, chief executive of the College of Policing, said: "People working in policing must always be mindful of the high standards that the public expect from us.

"Our code of ethics, which was launched last month, sets out the standards which everyone in the service should strive to uphold whether at work or away from work, online or offline."

Additional details provided by most forces under FOI laws showed 548 of those investigated were police officers, compared with 175 civilian staff and 31 PCSOs.

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Tim Vine Gag Named Edinburgh's Funniest

Tim Vine has said he is surprised after becoming the first comic to win the funniest gag award twice at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Vine, 47, saw his joke earn almost a fifth of the votes in the competition run by comedy television channel Dave.

He won with the one-liner: "I decided to sell my Hoover ... well it was just collecting dust."

It is the first time the award has been presented to a previous winner. Vine triumphed in 2010 with the joke: "I've just been on a once-in-a-lifetime holiday. I'll tell you what, never again."

He was also runner up in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

On being crowned this year's winner, Vine said: "I'm a little bit surprised but very delighted. This is the second time I've won this award but I guess nobody loves a repeat more than Dave."

Vine told Sky News he has a very strict process for crafting his jokes: "For every 10 jokes I write, I do 10 of them!"

Steve North, general manager of Dave, said: "It's great to see a range of established and new comedians in this year's top 10.

"The award celebrates the fantastic range of comedy on offer at the Fringe, and Tim has once again proved he is king of the one-liners."

To find the favourite joke, 10 judges scoured the festival's venues for a week before nominating their three favourite jokes.

They were then put to the public voted, with 2,000 people choosing the 10 they found funniest.

:: The 10 funniest jokes from the Fringe Festival 2014:

1. "I've decided to sell my Hoover ... well, it was just collecting dust" - Tim Vine.

2. "I've written a joke about a fat badger, but I couldn't fit it into my set" - Masai Graham.

3. "Always leave them wanting more, my uncle used to say to me. Which is why he lost his job in disaster relief" - Mark Watson.

4. "I was given some Sudoku toilet paper. It didn't work. You could only fill it in with number 1s and number 2s" - Bec Hill.

5. "I wanted to do a show about feminism. But my husband wouldn't let me" - Ria Lina.

6. "Money can't buy you happiness? Well, check this out, I bought myself a Happy Meal" - Paul F Taylor.

7. "Scotland had oil, but it's running out thanks to all that deep frying" - Scott Capurro.

=8. "I forgot my inflatable Michael Gove, which is a shame 'cause halfway through he disappears up his own a***hole" - Kevin Day.

=8. "I've been married for 10 years, I haven't made a decision for seven" - Jason Cook.

10. "This show is about perception and perspective. But it depends how you look at it" - Felicity Ward.

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Inflation Drops More Than Expected In July

The two measures of UK inflation have dropped more than expected in July, prompted by discounting on the high street.

According to official data, the Retail Prices Index (RPI) stood at 2.5% and the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) was 1.6%.

Economists had expected a CPI rate of around 1.8%, after official figures showed a June rate of 1.9%.

CPI now appears to be headed back towards May's figure of 1.5%, which at the time was the lowest level for four-and-a-half years.

Inflation has been below the Bank of England (BoE) 2% target for seven straight months - the first time this has occurred since 2005.

The RPI, which unlike the other measure includes housing costs, was recorded in June at 2.6%.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the biggest contributor to the slowing annual inflation rate was discounting on the high street for clothing and footwear.

This was because retailers held off on price cuts throughout June.

Food and non-alcoholic drinks also fell year-on-year, and the CPI was also eased by falling spirits and wine prices.

The ONS said the average house price in London is now £499,000

Liberal Democrat Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander told Sky News: "The fact that inflation has been below the Bank of England target for seven consecutive months shows that subdued inflation is now becoming the norm as the economy recovers.

"Eliminating the deficit fairly, and repairing the UK economy remains central to the role of Liberal Democrats in Government.

"These encouraging inflation numbers should give businesses the confidence they need to deliver the investment required to boost productivity. Rising productivity is the only route to sustainable increases in living standards."

The data comes as commuters learned they would face a 3.5% increase in rail fares next year, which uses the RPI figure plus 1% to calculate increases.

The further drop to the CPI eases pressure on the BoE to hike the 0.5% base rate, which has been at its historic low for the last five years.

Meanwhile, the ONS said UK house prices increased by 10.2% in the year to June, reaching a new high average price of £265,000.

House prices in the capital, however, shot up by 19.3% in the year to June.

It calculated the average house price in London at £499,000, and said that "house prices are increasing strongly across most parts of the UK".

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Kate Bush Asks Fans Not To Film Comeback Gigs

Fans of Kate Bush wanting to document her first comeback gigs in 35 years may be left disappointed after being asked not to film the shows.

The Wuthering Heights singer has said it would "mean a great deal to me" if people did not use their phones or tablets during the concerts, which begin next week.

Mobile phone technology and home computing were in their infancy when she last performed live in 1979.

The London gigs mark her return to the stage more than three decades later and at the same venue, the Hammersmith Apollo, where she effectively retired from live performances after six weeks on the road.

She was just 20 when she completed The Tour Of Life with three dates at what was then called the Hammersmith Odeon, after topping the charts with Wuthering Heights the previous year and becoming the first woman to go to number one singing one of her own songs.

Writing on her website, she said she was "very excited" about the shows and "working very hard in preparation".

Bush pictured in 1978

She said: "I have a request for all of you who are coming to the shows.

"We have purposefully chosen an intimate theatre setting rather than a large venue or stadium. It would mean a great deal to me if you would please refrain from taking photos or filming during the shows.

"I very much want to have contact with you as an audience, not with iPhones, iPads or cameras. I know it's a lot to ask but it would allow us to all share in the experience together."

Bush is not the first musician to criticise gig-goers who spend their time engrossed in using their mobile devices rather than actually watching the show.

The Who frontman Roger Daltrey recently said it was "weird" that people did not have their mind on the show when they had gone to a performance and were concentrating on staring at their phone screens rather than the artist on stage.

He said: "I feel sorry for them, I really feel sorry for them.

"Looking at life through a screen and not being in the moment totally - if you're doing that, you're 50% there, right? It's weird. I find it weird."

Tickets for Bush's 15 dates sold out in less than 15 minutes. The shows start on August 26.

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Man Charged Over Murder Of UK Students

A man has been charged with the murders of two British medical students found stabbed to death on Borneo island.

The bodies of 22-year-old Newcastle University students Neil Dalton and Aidan Brunger were found on August 6 lying in the road in Kuching, capital of Sarawak state.

The fourth-year students were in the Malaysian part of the island on attachment to a hospital and were due to finish their placements two days after they were killed.

Fisherman Zulkipli Abdullah, 23, could face the death penalty if convicted of their murders.

The students were on a six-week hospital placement in Kuching

A total of five Malaysian men were arrested in connection with the two students' deaths, which police said took place after a bar argument.

The four other suspects are not facing charges, but will be witnesses for the prosecution, according to Sarawak deputy police chief Chai Kin Chung.

Three of them saw the killings and the fourth helped dispose of evidence, he said.

Violent crime against foreign visitors is unusual in the Muslim-majority country.

However, there have been some recent incidents.

The body of 34-year-old British tourist Gareth Huntley was found in early June, days after he had gone missing on the resort island of Tioman.

Tour guides on the island claimed Mr Huntley's throat had been slit, but no official cause of death has been released.

A court last month sentenced to death a Malaysian shopkeeper for the killing of French tourist Stephanie Foray in 2011, also on Tioman.

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Rail Passenger Fares To Rise By 3.5% In 2015

Rail Fare Rises Put Pressure On Chancellor

Updated: 1:00pm UK, Tuesday 19 August 2014

By Tadhg Enright, Business Reporter

Hundreds of thousands of train commuters are facing ticket price increases of 3.5% from next January - almost three times the rate of average wage growth - increasing pressure on the Chancellor.

Annual fare increases are based on the retail price index for July, a measure of inflation which includes housing costs, which the Office for National Statistics has calculated at 2.5%.

Rail companies are allowed to increase fares at a rate of July Retail Prices Index plus 1%, which means that most rail users travel costs will go up by 3.5%. However, on a limited number of routes, fares can be increased by a further 2%.

Based on the Bank of England's recent forecast that average wages will increase by 1.25% this year, it means that commuters will have to spend more of their disposable income on getting to work.

Martin Abrams, of the Campaign for Better Transport, said: "By deliberately ramping up rail fares, [the]Government is hitting the living standards of everyone who relies on the train to get to work.

"There are the large numbers of rail commuters living in marginal constituencies. They will be looking to Government to bring a permanent end to this annual fiasco."

The Government is being urged to revise its rules for fare increases.

Passenger Focus said despite expensive commuter fares, occasional travellers can get some of the cheapest fares in Europe - if bookings are made several months in advance.

It said British rail operators are increasingly using an airline-style pricing structure, with last-minute bookings much higher in price.

But the minister responsible, Claire Perry MP, told Sky News that above inflation increases are needed to fund the redevelopment of the country's rail infrastructure.

"There is an unprecedented investment and it is a rail renaissance," Ms Perry said.

"The challenge is making sure fares are fair and commuters can travel in comfort."

Protests have been organised at more than 40 train stations around the country by trade union activists, who say it is another reflection on how privatisation has failed and consumers would be better served by bringing back British Rail.

"People will simply be priced off the railways while the greedy train operating companies are laughing all the way to the bank," RMT acting general secretary Mick Cash said.

"We are once again ratcheting up the highest rail fares in Europe to travel on some of the most clapped-out and overcrowded services."

Last year, in his Autumn Statement, Chancellor George Osborne intervened to limit this past year's increase to just the RPI figure.

Campaigners have warned that, with a General Election looming next spring, he will come under pressure to do so again.

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Cilla Black 'Positive' Cliff Richard Is Innocent

Sir Cliff Richard's close friend Cilla Black has said she is "absolutely positive" allegations he sexually assaulted a boy are untrue.

The singer, who is often spotted at social events with the pop star, said she was shocked to hear that an investigation has been launched into an alleged sexual assault on a boy under the age of 16 in 1985.

Sir Cliff's Berkshire penthouse apartment was searched for five hours last Thursday by officers from South Yorkshire and Thames Valley Police.

Sir Cliff with Black (L) and Lulu in 1970

The singer, who was at his home in Portugal when the search took place, has firmly denied any wrongdoing.

Black, 71, said in a statement: "Cliff is a very close friend of mine and has been for a million years.

"I, like everyone else, was shocked to hear of these allegations and I am absolutely positive that they are without foundation."

Black and Sir Cliff's friendship dates back to the 1960s and they are often photographed watching the tennis at Wimbledon together.

Other high-profile names have defended Sir Cliff, including Sir Michael Parkinson who said the media's handling of the case was like a "witch hunt" and called for greater protection of people's anonymity until they are charged.

Sir Cliff is expected to return to the UK on Tuesday and police have said they want to speak to the star soon.

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Man Arrested Over Tilbury Container Death

Police in Northern Ireland have arrested a man in connection with the death of an immigrant who was found in a container at Tilbury Docks in Essex.

The 34-year-old, from Limavady in County Londonderry, was arrested just after midday on the A1 at Banbridge on suspicion of manslaughter and facilitating illegal entry.

He is currently in the custody of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) ahead of being returned to England for questioning by Essex Police.

Mr Kapoor was one of 35 Afghan Sikhs in the container

PSNI officers are also searching his home to help the investigation.

Meet Singh Kapoor, 40, from Afghanistan, was found dead inside the airtight container on a P&O Ferry on Saturday.

He is understood to have died in his children's arms. A post-mortem examination was unable to establish how he died.

Mr Kapoor was one of 35 Afghan Sikhs, including 13 children, from Kabul who were found the container.

The alarm was raised after "banging and screaming" could be heard from the container when it arrived at Tilbury on a ship from Zeebrugge in Belgium on Saturday morning.

Acting Detective Chief Inspector Martin Pasmore, of Essex Police, said: "This is a fast-moving investigation which has already involved a number of police forces and law enforcement agencies from across the United Kingdom and Europe.

Tilbury Docks is east of the capital

"I am very grateful to officers from the PSNI for their assistance this morning.

"We will continue to work closely with all of our policing colleagues as we pursue our investigation to bring those responsible for this crime to justice."

Those who survived the ordeal are now applying for asylum in the UK and under the care of the Home Office.

"We are continuing to provide expert support, along with the National Crime Agency, to the Essex Police investigation into the discovery of 35 people in a container at the port of Tilbury on Saturday," a Home Office spokesman said.

"This tragic incident is a reminder of the devastating human consequences of illegal migration and we will do all we can to help bring those responsible to justice."

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'Dehydrated Stowaways' Found In Somerset Lorry

Fifteen young migrants suffering from dehydration have been found in the back of a lorry stopped at a service station in Somerset.

Avon and Somerset Police said the vehicle was stopped at about 1pm by the Southfields roundabout on the A303 near Ilminster after officers received a calls about "shouts and banging" coming from the back of the lorry.

The German lorry driver, who is also understood to have raised the alarm with his boss in Denmark, has been arrested on suspicion of facilitating the unlawful entry of people into the UK and is being questioned by officers at Yeovil police station.

The eleven men, three women and a 15-year-old boy found inside the refrigerated box lorry - from Eritrea and Kashmir - received treatment and were checked over by paramedics.

A police officer removes clothing from inside the lorry

Officers said they were working with immigration authorities to investigate how the people got on board the vehicle which was travelling towards Exeter in the South West when it was stopped.

The lorry, owned by Thermotraffic, an international freight company, left Sweden last Friday bound for Cornwall.

Carrying among other general Industrial cargo, table tennis tables, it was later driven away from the scene.

The driver's boss, based at the company's Scandinavian branch, told Sky News the refrigerated box was locked with a "bull" lock and could only be opened via the rear doors.

Sky's David Bowden said: "It looks like this was a tip-off. Police were following this vehicle. It clearly pulled into the service station and the police swooped."

Superintendent Geoff Wessell told Sky News: "Officers opened up the back to find 15 people in quite a state of distress in the back.

"I am aware the driver was in contact with his company... and was trying to find a safe place to pull over.

"He was quite shocked to find people in his vehicle and he is assisting us with our inquiries."

Mr Wessell said some of the people found in the lorry could speak English and were able to tell officers they got into the back of the vehicle in mainland Europe, on the other side of the Channel, at one of the main ferry ports.

Most of the men and women are believed to be in their early 20s.

An Avon and Somerset Police spokesman said: "Their health and welfare is paramount as we try to piece together with the immigration authorities exactly what has happened."

The discovery comes after the death of Meet Singh Kapoor, 40, from Afghanistan, who was found dead inside a container at Tilbury Docks in Essex on Saturday.

The rest of the 34-strong group of Afghan Sikhs from Kabul, which included 13 children, survived the ordeal. 

More follows...

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