'To infinity...'

29 July 2011 Last updated at 17:05 GMT David Mackay said he had always wanted to be an astronaut A Wiltshire man is set to become the first pilot to fly tourists into space.

David Mackay, 53, from Salisbury, is the chief pilot for Virgin Galactic.

The company, which is part of Richard Branson's Virgin Group, is aiming to run the first commercial "sub-orbital space flights", which it is hoped will begin within two years.

Mr Mackay, who spent 16 years with the RAF before joining Virgin Atlantic in 1995, said he had held a lifelong ambition to become an astronaut.

"When I was 12, I saw the Apollo moon landings and I thought that was really fantastic and exciting and thought that's what I want to do," he said.

"I found out that those astronauts were ex-test pilots, so I rather ambitiously decided that I would join the RAF, become a test pilot, then become an astronaut."

'Mothership' flights

Later, while working as a captain with Virgin Atlantic, Mr Mackay was one of four pilots selected to become Virgin Galactic test pilots.

He went on to work with the development team at Virgin's Spaceport out in the Mojave Desert in California, where he made test flights in Virgin's WhiteKnightTwo "mothership".

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There will be a bit of noise and vibration so they'll definitely know they are on their way into space”

End Quote David Mackay Virgin Galactic pilot WhiteKnightTwo is a jet-powered cargo aircraft which will be used to launch the SpaceShipTwo spacecraft carrying commercial passengers.

Mr Mackay said his experience made him the obvious choice to be the first pilot to take tourists into space.

"I've been involved with it for a long time," he said. "There's quite a bit of test flying to be done yet.

"So by the time it comes to the first commercial flight I will be as experienced as anybody on the project, so it makes sense for the most experienced people to be on that first flight."

It will take about an hour for the mothership to reach an altitude of 50,000ft [15,000m] before the spacecraft it is carrying is launched.

The spaceship will then fire its rocket motor and accelerate to 2,500mph [4,000km/h] in less than a minute as it leaves the atmosphere.

Describing what the passengers will experience, Mr Mackay said: "It will be close to 4g acceleration which is a huge push in the back.

"So it will be a very exciting rocket ride, it will last about a minute and they will be pinned back into their seats.

Spaceship tickets cost ?125,000 each

"There will be a bit of noise and vibration so they'll definitely know they are on their way into space."

Once the ship is in space and up to 360,000ft [110,000m] above the planet, passengers will be allowed to unstrap their seatbelts and experience weightlessness and see the Earth from above before the craft makes its return.

Mr Mackay described the sensation of weightlessness as a "fantastic experience".

The flight duration from lift-off to touchdown will be about three-and-a-half hours.

Following further testing, Virgin hopes to begin commercial space flights within two years.

Even at a cost of ?125,000 a ticket, more than 400 people have already booked their seats.

You can hear more about David Mackay's story on BBC Wiltshire and BBC Swindon on Monday 1 August from 06:30 BST.

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Boy, 13, is stabbed during fight

31 July 2011 Last updated at 08:55 GMT A 13-year-old boy has been taken to hospital after being stabbed during a fight in north London.

He was injured on City Road, Islington, at about 23:55 BST on Saturday while a brawl took place between four or five boys of a similar age, police said.

He is being treated for a single stab wound and his condition has been described as stable. His injury is not said to be life threatening.

The Metropolitan Police said no arrests had yet been made.

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Man injured in plane crash dies

31 July 2011 Last updated at 09:33 GMT A 59-year-old man who suffered 70% burns in a plane crash in Greater Manchester has died.

Police said the other man, aged 19, injured in the crash on Friday remained in a critical condition.

The pair were hurt when their light aircraft crashed into two houses in Newlands Avenue, Peel Green, Salford.

The aircraft, operated by Ravenair flying school, was on fire as it took off from Barton Aerodrome, the BBC understands.

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Overturned car hits pedestrians

31 July 2011 Last updated at 07:16 GMT Three people have been injured after a car overturned and collided with two pedestrians in central London.

The crash, involving a BMW car, happened at 03:30 BST in Old Brompton Road in Kensington.

Police said two female pedestrians had been taken to a west London hospital, one with serious multiple injuries.

The 29-year-old male driver of the car suffered head, arm and spinal injuries and was taken to a south London hospital. The road has been closed.

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Adlington claims World 800m gold

Venue: Shanghai, ChinaDates: 16-31 JulyCoverage: Selected live coverage and daily highlights [of swimming phase] on BBC Two, Red Button, BBC Radio 5 live sports extra & online (UK only); reports on BBC Radio 5 live and website; watch again on iPlayer Superb Adlington wins gold

Rebecca Adlington produced a sprint finish to win the 800m freestyle at the World Championships in Shanghai.

The 22-year-old - who won silver in the 400m last week - was behind with 100m to go but overhauled Lotte Friis.

Adlington had never won a world title but held on to claim Britain's fourth medal of the meeting.

Earlier Michael Phelps won his 25th world title by winning the 100m butterfly in 50.71 seconds ahead of Konrad Czerniak and Tyler McGill.

Double Olympic champion Adlington and Friis were together from the start before the Danish swimmer made a break after 500m.

Continue reading the main story

That was one of the most exciting races I have ever seen and it is very unusual for an 800m race to finish so close. The girls will have been in agony so for Becky to find a sprint finish was amazing

Karen Pickering BBC Radio 5 Live commentator

World record holder Adlington was 0.65 seconds behind with two lengths remaining but managed to sprint clear to win in a time of eight minutes 17.51 seconds.

She told BBC Sport: "Lottie is always such a strong competitor that I knew it was going to be a battle.

"I'm so glad I've added to my collection. She is just an absolute competitor and always there battling.

"Next year it will be the two of us again but hopefully I'll have the crowd behind me.

"I don't think I can do the 200m in London as I don't have enough speed. I want to work on the 400 and 800m, they are the ones I prefer.

"But hopefully I will get a spot on the 4 x 200m relay team."

Phelps was only third at the halfway stage of his final but powered back down the second 50m to take his third gold of the week.

Defending champion Liam Tancock won his semi-final of the 50m backstroke in 24.62 seconds to qualify fastest for Sunday's final.

The Brit told BBC Sport: "I want to come here and race fast in every race and now I've got my spot in the final.

"It is a very tough field and medals could come from every lane but I am in there with a shot."

Adlington thanks supporters after gold win

Fran Halsall, who finished joint-fourth in the 100m, comfortably qualified for Sunday's 50m freestyle final after finishing second in her semi-final behind Herasimenia Ranomi Kromowidjojo.

Halsall was only able to resume training in March after undergoing ankle surgery last December.

Kate Haywood missed out on a place in the 50m breaststroke final by 0.02 seconds after finishing fifth in her semi-final, which was won by Russian Yuliya Efimova.

Lizzie Simmonds finished seventh in her 200m backstroke final which was won by 16-year-old American Melissa Franklin.

Continue reading the main story

Adlington will be under huge pressure in London as defending Olympic champion and now World Champion but she has shown that she can handle it.

Karen Pickering

Inge Dekker won the women's 50m butterfly in a time of 25.71 seconds while Brazilian Cesar Cielo Filho defended his 50m freestyle in 21.52 seconds.

Daniel Fogg could only manage the 14th fastest time in the 1500m freestyle heats, finishing in 15 minutes, 13.39 seconds. China's Sun Yang led the way in 14:48.13.

The women's 4x100m medley relay team, consisting of Haywood, Georgia Davies, Jemma Lowe and Amy Smith, finished sixth as winners the United States narrowly missed out on a world record.

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Ex-jockey injured halting horse

30 July 2011 Last updated at 17:26 GMT Kieren Fallon was forced to jump off the horse Multi Blessing when its saddle slipped A man has been injured trying to halt a loose horse at Glorious Goodwood races in West Sussex.

Tim Jarvis, the son of horse trainer Alan Jarvis, was hurt attempting to control the horse Multi Blessing at the Chichester racecourse.

A spokeswoman for Goodwood said he was struck by the horse after its saddle slipped and rider Kieren Fallon had to jump off.

Mr Jarvis was taken to St Richards Hospital Chichester with chest pains.

The Goodwood spokeswoman said the the ex-jump jockey was conscious and described his condition as "ok".

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Flying high

30 July 2011 Last updated at 10:56 GMT By Susannah Cullinane BBC News EasyJet will offer 70 flights a week from Southend Airport From next spring, one of Europe's largest airlines will be flying from a small airport in south-east England. The BBC's Susannah Cullinane went to London Southend Airport in Essex to find out more about the deal.

There are very few people on the 08:32 train from Liverpool Street to London Southend Airport's new ?12m rail terminal.

A quick glance at the neighbouring Stansted Express shows it to be comparatively overflowing - or at least carrying more people per carriage than the one person in mine.

But from next April, Southend Airport - a 50-minute train journey from Liverpool Street compared to Stansted's 46 minutes - will be the departure point for 70 EasyJet flights a week.

The Stobart Group, which owns the airport, aims to have two million passengers a year passing through its terminal by 2020.

Aer Arann and Flybe already operate from Southend, offering flights to Ireland and Jersey, but EasyJet will massively extend the airport's reach.

The airline has announced it will fly from Southend to Alicante, Barcelona, Ibiza, Malaga and Majorca in Spain, as well as Belfast, Amsterdam and Faro in Portugal.

The deal means Southend be the sixth airport serving south-east England to offer flights to mainland Europe, alongside Stansted, Heathrow, Gatwick, London City and Luton airports.

Arriving at Southend Airport railway station the expansion work is immediately obvious.

A ?3m control tower opened on 18 July stands opposite, near a new terminal building due to be completed by autumn. A few hundred metres away, the airport's current terminal is flying an orange EasyJet flag.

'No hustle and bustle' Easyjet's arrival at Southend airport has put it on the map

Inside, however, the impression is more black coffee and full English breakfast than international transport hub.

About 15 people are scattered at wooden tables, apparently unworried by pressing travel concerns, lingering instead over the day's newspapers and chatting amongst themselves.

Cafe Stobart supervisor Jill Ross explains that the relaxed mood is probably because 85% of her customers are local residents rather than travellers.

"That's why it's so friendly - they're sort of friends rather than customers."

But Ms Ross says there have been a lot of changes at Southend Airport since she started working in the coffee shop four years ago.

Since Aer Arann began flying out of Southend this March, she says, cafe staff numbers have doubled.

"Everyone is for the expansion," Ms Ross said. "Everyone's said 'how brilliant that they're going to fly here'."

Smoking a cigarette beneath the orange flag outside, is Ann Duffy who says she flew into Southend from her home in Waterford, Ireland, to visit her son and his family.

Cafe Stobart has been serving more local residents than air passengers

She is pleased at news that the airport is to be expanded. "It's good to give some money back to this area. Keep it close to home," she said.

Waiting for a fare at the airport, taxi driver Jim Nolan says he expects the expansion will bring work and jobs to the area.

"It's long overdue that this airport is being developed. It should've happened years ago."

Judicial review

Not all Southend's residents are as supportive of the expansion however.

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I think it's long overdue that this airport is being developed. I think it should've happened years ago.”

End Quote Jim Nolan Local resident Stop Airport Extension Now (SAEN) was formed in opposition to the extension of Southend's runway. SAEN says the 300m extension will lead to a "massive" increase in flights and impact on the lives of people living, working or going to school near the flight path.

Spokesman Denis Walker says EasyJet will not be able to land fully-laden Airbus 319 planes at Southend until the airport's runway has been lengthened.

SAEN had been trying to get a judicial review of Southend Council's decision to approve planning permission for the extension, but on Wednesday its appeal was refused.

Mr Walker says the secretary of state must approve the closure of a road at the end of the current runway and a public inquiry into the closure of some public footpath - due to start in November - also needs to be completed before work on the extension can begin.

"We're very concerned about the effect the expansion will have, particularly because it's so close to housing on the south-west side," he said.

Southend's head of business development, Jonathan Rayner, says time has become an important commodity for air travellers and the airport hopes to attract passengers through the relative accessibility of its services.

The airport says it will ensure it takes no more than four minutes to go through its security area while passengers travelling without check-in luggage can expect to be on the arrivals platform within 15 minutes of their plane's doors opening, he says.

A spokesman for Stansted says the airport is disappointed EasyJet is transferring some of its operations to Southend. But he says the airports are so different it is impossible to directly compare them.

"The decision clearly reinforces just how competitive the airports market is for point-to-point passengers, especially if the UK's largest airline is prepared to start-up at one of the UK's smallest airports."

Southend Airport has opened a ?3m control tower and ?12m railway station

Gatwick Airport says EasyJet's decision to fly from Southend "shows that competition is working". It says 15 million people live within an hour's drive of Gatwick.

"Some of those people will have the choice to fly from either Gatwick Airport or a smaller airport like Southend."

London City Airport says "London has a chronic long term shortage of airport capacity" and it recognises attempts will be made to bring "peripheral destinations" in the area market.

Luton Airport says it is too early to tell what the impact of Southend's expansion on its own operations will be.

Peter Morris, chief economist for aviation consultancy Ascend, says the actual level of demand for EasyJet's flights from Southend will only become clear once they're up and running.

With six airports servicing the area around Greater London, and in the face of a weak economy and high fuel costs, Southend's expansion is more likely to redistribute existing aviation traffic than to create a new market, he says.

"Whether the market has got a critical saturation - that's something that only gets validated when people try it and see if it works," he says.

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Round-the-world yachts leave city

31 July 2011 Last updated at 04:29 GMT The Geraldton Western Australia is one of 10 yachts aiming to win Ten identical yachts are set to sail from Southampton to begin the 40,000-mile Clipper round-the-world race.

The Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious will wave off the fleet on Sunday afternoon.

More than 500 amateur sailors from 40 countries will take turns to sail the yachts across six continents.

Nearly half of those taking part had no sailing experience before beginning their training for the race, which takes nearly a year to complete.

Among them is Martin Woodcock, from Fleet, Hampshire, who said: "Clipper have set it up as a race, which is a key part of the whole thing.

"It's not a jolly around the world for a bunch of amateurs. There's no great prize at the end of it, but obviously there's the kudos.

"This kind of opportunity is a very rare thing for an amateur sailor."

'Lifelong dream'

Another taking part is Lucia Ainsworth, 45, originally from Brighouse, West Yorkshire, who has given up her job at Lloyds Banking Group in London.

She has joined the Gold Coast Australia yacht skippered by Rich Hewson for the first half of the race.

"To take part in this, the greatest amateur yacht race, will fulfil my lifelong dream to sail across oceans," she said.

Lucia Ainsworth wanted to inspire her young relatives by taking part

"I have resigned from my job and taken a year out not only to take part in the race but to travel in Australia and New Zealand.

"As well as fulfilling my own ambitions I wanted to inspire my young nephews and nieces."

The yachts will sail with HMS Illustrious at 13:30 BST in time for the start of the race, off the Royal Yacht Squadron Line in Cowes at 16:30 BST.

The founder and chairman of the Clipper Race is Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, who was the first man to sail solo and non-stop around the world.

He spoke to the crews on the eve of the race and said: "Remember how powerful the sea is, treat it with huge respect at all times and that way you will come back safely.

"This first leg alone is more than 6,000 miles which is the equivalent to two years for an average sailor. So you're going to become very experienced sailors very quickly."

The competition is the world's longest yacht race, with participants taking almost a year to circumnavigate the globe.

The fleet of 10 identical 68ft (20m) ocean racing yachts and 10 skippers are supplied by the race organisers. Each yacht is sponsored by a city, region or country.

Participants, many of whom are sailing novices, come from all walks of life and undergo a four-stage training programme to prepare them for the gruelling journey.

The first leg will involve crews sailing from Europe to Brazil.

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The history house

30 July 2011 Last updated at 02:35 GMT By Stephen Stafford BBC News, Southampton The Tudor House Museum has been closed since 2002 With its Tudor banqueting hall, Georgian drawing room and Victorian kitchens, Southampton's Tudor House Museum has five centuries of life under one roof.

The Grade I listed building in Bugle Street is reopening on Saturday after nine years of restoration work.

The creaking wooden floor, so warped it induces a slight feeling of seasickness when walked on, is just one of the idiosyncrasies kept in the restoration process.

The latest audio-video technology has been installed in the 15th Century house to display its unique contents.

The house was originally constructed in the 1490s near Southampton's prosperous port by the builder of the Mary Rose, John Dawtry.

It was later saved from slum clearance by forward-thinking Victorian philanthropist William Spranger.

He bought the building, restored it and sold it to the council as a museum and just about every Southampton schoolchild has visited it since.

Continue reading the main story 1492 - Current house built by prominent citizen John Dawtry MP18th Century - Home of artist George Rogers1850 - Subdivided into workshops including tannery1890 - Bought by William Spranger1912 - Opened as Southampton's first municipal museum1940 - Survived German bombing of Southampton2002 - Closed for extensive structural repair work2011 - Reopens to publicMany of the original exhibits and curios are back on display - from a stuffed puppy to a World War I hot cross bun.

It is thought the house survived the World War II blitz because German pilots wanted to preserve nearby St Michael's church as a navigation aid.

However by the 1990s, time was taking its toll and the house was in a perilous condition.

Surveys showed it was slipping into neighbouring Blue Anchor Lane. But carrying out major work to a unique and precious relic was fraught with difficulty.

Project manager Dan Matthews said: "The main thing was the complexity - so many things had been done to it over 500 years."

The house structure was pinned to a 15-tonne concrete pillar and basic services, including a state-of-the-art fire sprinkler system, installed.

The work was funded by a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of ?3.5m, as well as ?1.8m from Southampton City Council.

'Star attraction'

Mr Matthews said: "It's got so much character and eccentricity, but the flipside is everything from changing a fuse to fixing a window is never a simple task.

"There's not a right angle in the place, so even hanging a picture never looks straight.

"The house is now singing. It looks wonderful and visitors will be amazed. This has given it life for another 100 years."

The wooden structure of the house has been secured

Today there are touch screens to highlight graffiti from around 1570 uncovered on a wall, and 360-degree virtual displays showing how rooms would have looked in different eras.

Designer Mark Magidson, of Exhibition Plus, said: "It was like peeling an onion of different layers of the various parallel histories of the building,

"The building itself is the star attraction," he added.

Southampton City Council's Karen Wardley said the house would be a major tourist attraction for the city - particularly for visitors from cruise ships.

She said: "We want to help visitors learn the history of the building and relate it to this area of Southampton and the people who lived and worked here over the ages.

"Everything we have done is in keeping with the building and we haven't lost its character," she said.

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Ladies in the lab

29 July 2011 Last updated at 11:54 GMT By Hannah Richardson BBC News education reporter Nasa scientist Dr Holly Goodhead in James Bond film Moonraker was a classic stereotype of a female scientist Women are being put off working in and studying science by "subtle" messages in the media and society, academics say.

Although girls make up more than half GCSE science students - by the time they reach university science departments they are outnumbered by men by a factor of two to one.

And higher up the academic food chain, for every female science professor, there are nine male ones. So what is putting women off?

"It's not that people actually think there are no women in science it's more subtle than that," says Rachel Tibbell, development consultant at the UK Resource Centre for women in science, engineering and technology (UKRC)

UKRC research suggests women scientists are stereotyped either as frumpy, glasses-wearing cartoon geeks or uber-sexy, Bond-film glamour pusses - who shake their hair out of their specs once they have split the atom.

Gender stereotypes seem to permeate all the way down to children. Mrs Tibbell describes an Open University research project which asked in 2006 a group of children to draw a picture of a scientist. "Overwhelmingly, the children drew a man."

But where does this stereotyping come from? It starts at birth, says Mrs Tibbell.

"I have girl-boy twins and what I found is people buy a car for the boy and a doll for the girl. So already the child is getting a message about the sort of thing they should be doing," she said.

She also highlights the lack of female scientists in the media. Further UKRC research suggests scientific experts interviewed on television are five times more likely to be male than female.

But are these media images, or lack of them, putting off the female scientists of the future?

Professor Susan Greenfield is one of the few female scientists to have made it into the media

Dr Patricia Brekke, a 32-year-old conservation geneticist who has a fellowship at the Institute of Zoology, says: "I wanted to be a female David Attenborough but there was never a female presenter on television.

"But I would never have let this stop me - then I was a little bit obsessed," she said at a recent women in science event at London's South Bank sponsored by L'Oreal and the Zoological Society London (ZSL).

However, some of today's current scientists suggest that even if women do opt for an academic career in science or technology that they can face sexism once they are at university.

'Girls can't do maths'

Dr Kate Jones, a senior research fellow at ZSL, recalls a very macho culture and unrepeatable sexist comments at the university where she studied, although she says it has improved now.

And Professor Charlotte Watts, a mathematics professor and an expert in HIV prevention in the developing world, says: "I remember when I was an undergraduate at Oxford, one of my peers saying; 'I didn't know girls could do maths'."

Dr Jones said she experienced a very macho atmosphere where she studied

She also remembers going to conferences where she was the only woman: "I was a nobody, but everybody knew my name, because I was a woman. I got bought a lot of drinks."

But how much has society moved on the issue? There has been a greater increase in the number of girls studying science technology and engineering subjects at A-level than for boys.

But progress is slow. Sean McWhinnie, independent research consultant with Oxford Research and Policy, said it would be many years before women are represented in equal numbers in the UK's university science departments.

If present rates of increase continue, he predicts men and women will reach parity in 2021 for biosciences, in 2042 for chemistry, in 2060 for physics and in 2109 for civil engineering.

'Short skirts'

And Prof Watts suggests cultural changes are needed. She adds: "I was talking to this older woman and she said that in her day she had not been allowed to study science. Obviously that has changed.

"But she went on to say how much she admired the neuroscientist and former director of the Royal Society, Professor Susan Greenfield. And then her husband piped up that no one respected her because she wore short skirts."

Dr Brekke suggests that even if women are determined to find their place at an academic institution, problems can arise if they decide to have children.

"The problem is you have to keep up with the latest research and when it comes to getting a grant you are judged by how many papers you have produced."

Dr Jones says when women go on maternity leave they are left with big holes in their academic record for the period of time they take out.

"I am not sure there is any way of showing you have had a break," she adds.

Mother-of-two and 37-year-old evolutionary biologist Seirian Sumner said: "I never really had maternity leave because I had lots of on-going projects and students to see.

"Also because I am a field biologist I had to take my family to Panama for two months. If I had 'logged out', so to speak, I think it would have been even harder coming back."

But eminent plant biologist Professor Ottoline Leyser, author of 'Mothers in Science 64 Ways to Have it All', says there is no reason for women scientists to choose between their career and a family.

Women scientists often feel they must choose between children and careers

"I appeared at a conference in 1993 with my son in my stomach and my daughter on my hip. I was told that my career was in ruins because I had decided to have children."

She argues that working in academia with a family should be easier than other jobs because it can be so much more flexible.

"Even if you are out for a few years for small children it is only a very small proportion of your overall career," she said.

And perhaps most crucially, she adds: "Children have two parents - and men have been happily having careers in science for a very long time."

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Broad hat-trick revives England

By Sam Sheringham
BBC Sport at Trent Bridge

Second Test, Trent Bridge (day two):

England 221 & 24-1 v India 288 - England trail by 43 runs

Broad's place in the team was in doubt heading into this series Stuart Broad took a sensational hat-trick to fire England back into contention in the second Test against India at Trent Bridge.

The tourists were in total control of the match, leading by 46 on 267-4, when Broad dismissed Yuvraj Singh for 62 to break his partnership of 128 with centurion Rahul Dravid.

Then in his next over Broad had Mahendra Dhoni caught in the slips, Harbhajan Singh trapped leg before wicket and Praveen Kumar clean bowled in successive balls to send the crowd at his home ground into delirium.

Broad was the 12th Englishman to take a hat-trick in Test cricket and the first since Ryan Sidebottom in Hamilton in 2008.

Dravid was caught soon afterwards for 116, before Broad removed Ishant Sharma to wrap up the India innings for 288.

That wicket gave Broad Test-best figures of 6-46 and completed an astonishing 16-ball spell of five wickets for no runs.

It was a breathless period of play, and all the more remarkable for the fact that Broad was once again the instigator of England's comeback - the Nottinghamshire all-rounder having struck a rapid 64 to rescue England from 124-8 to 221 all out in their first innings on Friday.

Continue reading the main story Phil Tufnell,
Former England spinner and BBC summariser

Absolutely riveting day's cricket. This series is getting better and better, a great effort by Stuart Broad really dragged England back into the match. It looked like India would bat us out of the game but England will be thinking if they bat well and get a lead of 250-260 they will have a great chance. I can't wait to come back tomorrow

India's collapse left England 11 overs at the end of the day and they finished up 24-1, 43 runs behind, after Alastair Cook was caught off a leading edge.

Up until Broad's dramatic intervention the day had been entirely India's, with Dravid and VVS Laxman scoring 69 in the first hour - 56 of those runs coming in boundaries.

Laxman advanced untroubled to his 54th Test fifty before the return of Tim Bresnan from the Pavilion End brought about his downfall. One away swinger beat the bat, but the following ball caught the outside edge and was snaffled by a jubilant Matt Prior.

Sachin Tendulkar received a standing ovation as he set out once more in search of his 100th international century. But the Little Master's poor run of form continued as he was caught in the slips off Broad for 16 before Suresh Raina glided a catch straight to Eoin Morgan at point.

With the seamers bowling well, England were on top, and they should have reduced India to 144-5 when Yuvraj - on four - was dropped by Kevin Pietersen in the gully.

The error proved costly as Yuvraj and Dravid batted India well beyond England's total, with Dravid reaching three figures for the second successive Test and the 34th time overall.

The duo scored at almost four runs per over but just when they seemed to be taking the game away from England, the second new ball provided the catalyst for Broad to unleash an unforgettable spell.

Continue reading the main story Malcolm Ashton,
Test Match Special scorer Broad is the 12th Englishman to take a Test hat-trick and the 39th in Test historyRyan Sidebottom was the last Englishman to achieve the feat - against New Zealand in Hamilton in 2008Broad was the final victim of the last Test hat-trick - Peter Siddle v England in Brisbane in November 2010England are first side to take a Test hat-trick against India

It started when a ball angled across Yuvraj drew an edge and the catch was taken by Prior.

With the baying crowd roaring him to the crease, Broad produced a quicker ball that Dhoni slashed to second slip and a straight one that trapped Harbhajan on his crease, although replays revealed the ball took an inside edge on his pads.

The hat-trick ball was superb, moving in off the seam and slamming into Kumar's middle stump.

England's reply got off to an inauspicious start when Cook was removed cheaply, but Strauss and Ian Bell survived a testing period at the end.

Bell was forced to bat at number three after Jonathan Trott suffered a shoulder injury in the field, although a scan revealed no bone damage and he will be assessed again on Sunday morning.

Listen to Jonathan Agnew and Geoff Boycott's review of the day's play on the TMS podcast.

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Prosecutors defend Knox evidence

30 July 2011 Last updated at 18:22 GMT Knox is serving a 26-year sentence for Miss Kercher's murder Italian prosecutors have rejected claims that evidence used to convict Amanda Knox of the murder of UK student Meredith Kercher was unreliable.

Knox, 24, and her Italian ex-boyfriend Rafaelle Sollecito, 26, are appealing against their convictions for killing the Surrey student in Perugia in 2007.

On Monday, experts told the court the DNA evidence which helped convict the American could have been contaminated.

But the scientific police director has defended the original forensic work.

In a letter read out to the court, Piero Angeloni described the technology used as being world-class and said the officers were highly experienced.

"Never before" has there been such criticism of his agency, he said.

Patrizia Stefanoni, the police forensic scientist who originally found the DNA on the knife and Miss Kercher's torn bra clasp, has said she will fight the appeal trial experts' accusation that basic errors were made.

'Not reliable'

During proceedings in Perugia, prosecutor Manuela Comodi sought to undermine the independent experts' conclusions and show that the forensic evidence used to convict Knox could stand.

The experts - appointed by the court to review the evidence and procedures used to obtain it - maintain that the original investigation was marked by some glaring errors, the Associated Press reports.

Much of the debate centred on a kitchen knife the prosecutors believe to be the murder weapon.

In the first trial, prosecutors maintained that Knox's DNA was found on the knife's handle and Miss Kercher's DNA was found on the blade. They also said Sollecito's DNA was found on the clasp of Miss Kercher's bra.

But the appeals court heard that the collection of evidence fell below international standards.

Carla Vecchiotti, a forensic specialist from La Sapienza university, Rome, said it was impossible to say whether the British student's DNA was found on the knife.

"There is a complete genetic profile, but it's not reliable," she said.

"We don't know if Meredith's DNA was on it or not."

Ms Comodi insisted that the genetic profile found on the blade should not be thrown out.

Miss Kercher, a Leeds University student, was living in Italy as part of a year of study abroad when she died.

Knox is serving a 26-year sentence for Miss Kercher's murder while Sollecito, an Italian, was sentenced to 25 years.

Both deny any wrongdoing.

Rudy Guede, 21, was also convicted of Miss Kercher's murder in a separate trial and is serving a 16-year term.

The hearing was adjourned until September.

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Man dies in two-vehicle collision

31 July 2011 Last updated at 08:22 GMT A man has died after a collision in east Cornwall.

The emergency services were called to a crash involving two vehicles on the A390 near St Ive, between Callington and Liskeard, on Saturday.

The male driver and female passenger of a Mazda sports car had serious injuries and were airlifted to Derriford Hospital, where the man died.

Police said the incident happened at about 12:40 BST and the people in the other car were not seriously injured.

The A390 was closed for several hours while police investigated the cause of the collision.

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Olympic knitters

29 July 2011 Last updated at 09:59 GMT

Photos from around the world this week

Photos from around the world on 29 July

Photos from Sudan's South Kordofan region

Flood families need support to rebuild

Photos on the theme of wind

A first glimpse inside the Olympic venue

Photos from around the world on 27 July

Norway mourns those killed in terror attacks

Amy Winehouse's life in pictures

Twin terror attacks in Norway

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Sir Bobby's cancer charity legacy

31 July 2011 Last updated at 08:21 GMT Sir Bobby died on 31 July 2009 The family of football legend Sir Bobby Robson has said he would have been proud at the ongoing work of the cancer charity he founded.

Speaking on the second anniversary of his father's death, Mark Robson has said they were grateful to the public for its ongoing support.

Set up in 2008, the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation has raised more than ?3.5m.

Achievements include the creation of a new medical research centre at Newcastle's Freeman Hospital.

The County Durham-born former England, Newcastle, and Ipswich manager died on 31 July 2009 after his fifth battle against the disease.

Mark Robson said: "It's incredible how great the support and feeling for dad still is.

"Dad described the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation as his legacy to help other people fighting cancer and that's just what it is.

'Great pride'

"In addition to what we've already funded, the medical trustees of the charity are investigating some very promising new pieces of cancer equipment and potentially funding additional research personnel.

"It's something my mum, my brothers and I take great pride in."

He added his father would be "touched and proud at the ongoing work in his name".

"We do feel we are achieving something for him," he said.

"I can't think of a better way to remember him than to help the experts find more effective ways to combat cancer.

"He would like that."

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Gerrard to miss start of season

Gerrard had an injury-plagued 2010-11 season with Liverpool Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is expected to be out until September because of a groin problem.

Gerrard, 31, began a course of antibiotic treatment for an infection on Saturday and is expected to remain in hospital for several days.

Groin surgery ended Gerrard's season in March but he had expected to be back for the start of the new campaign.

The midfielder could also miss England's two Euro 2012 qualifiers against Bulgaria and Wales.

Gerrard missed his side's pre-season tour of Asia this month in order to try to regain full fitness for the start of the new season on 13 August, when Liverpool play Sunderland at Anfield.

He will also miss Premier League fixtures against Arsenal and Bolton, with the trip to Stoke on 10 September a likely target date for his return.

The England midfielder was already set to miss the international friendly with the Netherlands on 10 August but will now also be a doubt for the qualifiers away to Bulgaria on 2 September and at home to Wales four days later.

Gerrard has been plagued by the problem for several years now and it restricted his effectiveness in the last campaign, when he played only 21 of 38 Premier League matches.

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'Record' for space hopper bounce

30 July 2011 Last updated at 17:11 GMT More than 700 people took part on their space hoppers

Hundreds of people jumped on space hoppers in Leeds in an attempt to break the record for the largest number of people bouncing for 100m.

More than 700 people took part in Bounce for Leeds at Roundhay Park on Saturday.

Organisers Yorkshire Cancer Research believe they managed to break the record - which they set at an event last year.

On that occasion, 771 hoppers took part in a race in Sheffield.

Rachel Speight, from the charity, said the aim was to raise more than ?30,000.

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Man describes plane crash ordeal

30 July 2011 Last updated at 15:27 GMT The plane crashed into Colin Maher's semi-detached house at 12:20 BST A man has described the moment a light aircraft crashed into his Salford home, leaving two men critically injured.

Colin Maher said he could hear one man shouting for help after the plane burst into flames after hitting two houses.

The pilot and passenger, one in his late 50s and the other aged 21, are in Wythenshawe Hospital, where the older man is said to be very critical.

The crash was in Newlands Avenue, Peel Green, at about 12:20 BST on Friday.

The plane, operated by Ravenair flying school, was on fire as it took off from Barton Aerodrome, the BBC understands.

Mr Maher, who has only lived in the house for six months, rushed out of his home and saw the plane's tail end on fire.

Colin Maher said he could hear one man shouting for help

"As I ran into the garden there was fuel around my feet which ignited around me, I heard a man shouting for help and just put a hosepipe on him," he said.

"The upstairs is completely collapsed in on itself and the roof is hanging down over the sidewalls, they're just waiting for it to be pulled down."

The family are staying at a hotel for the forseable future while builders decide how to secure the property.

Some residents living near the crash site said such incidents were a constant worry.

Lyn Browning, who witnessed the crash, said: "Lots of us round here have problems because of the aircraft taking off and landing and the way they come over the flats."

Emergency accommodation

Local councillor and Salford Council deputy leader David Lancaster said: "The airport was here before the houses but that doesn't mean we don't have some concerns."

He said a number of families had spent the night in emergency accommodation.

Emergency crews described how people nearby, including a man who had been in one of the homes hit by the plane, helped put out flames after the crash.

The older man in the plane suffered 70% burns while the younger man had 60% burns.

The plane hit the upper floor of one of the houses

Mark Frimston, who lives in nearby flats, said the noise of the crash was "as if a bomb went off".

He said that when he went outside he "could see the plane embedded into the side of a house".

Another eyewitness, John Kavanagh, 56, said his "blood turned cold" as the explosion ripped through the area.

He said: "It felt like everything shook - the houses and cars - and then smoke rose up high into the sky. I thought it was a gas explosion.

"The people that survived this have had a miracle escape."

Investigation under way

In a statement, Ravenair said: "Our primary concern is for the welfare of the two persons on board the aircraft and their family and friends.

"We wish to express our gratitude and thanks to all of the emergency services and general public who assisted in the initial moments of the accident."

The Liverpool-based company posted a note on its website in May saying it was winding up its operations at the airport on 31 July.

It stated: "The decision was made as a result of a review of the commercial viability at the site due to costs and a reduction in business."

A spokesperson for the aerodrome said on Friday: "A Piper PA38 Tomahawk single-engine light aircraft with two people on board took off from City Airport [Barton Aerodrome] at 12:19 BST today.

"After take-off, the aircraft flew a short distance before coming down in Newlands Avenue, Salford."

A spokesperson for the Air Accidents Investigation Branch said a team was deployed to the crash site and an investigation was under way.

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DVT linked to video gamer's death

30 July 2011 Last updated at 15:44 GMT Chris Staniforth would spend up to 12 hours playing on the console. A man whose son died after playing video games for long periods is campaigning for greater awareness of the risk posed by their excessive use.

Chris Staniforth, 20, who would play his console for up to 12 hours, died in May from deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

His father David believes the condition may have been triggered by long gaming sessions.

DVT can form during long periods of immobility and can kill if the clots travel to the lungs.

Computer records showed his son would sometimes play online on his Xbox for periods up to 12 hours.

The coroner said a clot formed in Chris' left calf before moving to his lungs.

Once there, it caused a fatal blockage, known as a pulmonary embolism.

Mr Staniforth said: "After my research I saw there was no difference to Chris sitting at a desk on his Xbox and someone on a long-haul flight.

"Sitting still is literally the danger zone. Chris loved to play and would stay up all night.

"Millions of people worldwide are playing these games for hours, and there is a risk."

While Mr Staniforth has no problem with games consoles, he wants to highlight the heightened risk of DVT associated with being immobile, and is in the process of setting up a website.

In a statement, Microsoft, who manufacture the Xbox console, said: 'We have always encouraged responsible game play through our education campaigns such as Play Smart, Play Safe.

"We recommend that gamers take periodic breaks to exercise as well as make time for other pursuits."

David Staniforth calls for greater awareness of DVT after the death of his son, Chris

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NHS funds 'moved to rich areas'

31 July 2011 Last updated at 09:29 GMT The Department of Health says NHS spending will rise in real terms this year Labour is accusing the government of moving NHS spending in England away from poorer areas towards richer parts of the country.

It says this is because of changes to the funding for primary care trusts.

For years, areas which have higher incidences of poor health have been given a higher per-capita funding but this weighting is set to be reduced.

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley called Labour's claims "nonsense" and said all areas were getting budget increases.

He said figures showed NHS spending was going up in real terms across England as a whole, and that Labour would not have matched that commitment if it had won the election.

"We're not taking money away from any parts of England, we're increasing the budget for the health service in England," said Mr Lansley.

"The average increase in each primary care trust is 3%, compared to [its] provision the previous year.

"The minimum increase is two and a half percent, and actually the minimum increase is going to Kingston upon Thames in London, which is hardly a poor area."

Labour, however, says the changes will mean less well-off areas such as Manchester and Tower Hamlets in east London losing out in the allocation of health funding, while more prosperous parts of the country - such as Surrey and Hampshire - will benefit.

Its claims are based on an assessment of funding changes made by public health bodies in Manchester.

Shadow health minister, Diane Abbott, stood by the report and said the NHS was under pressure because of a "misconceived reorganisation" by the Conservative-led government.

"A responsible government, which cared about health and equalities, that cared about the health of the poor, would not be taking money away from inner city areas.

"This isn't politics. This is about people's lives. This is about how quickly you can expect to get an operation, whether you get it as quickly as possible, whether you're made to wait artificially long - 15 weeks - rather than as quickly as possible."

The government argues that the funding changes were based on independent advice and that Labour's figures are misleading.

The Department of Health said primary care budgets in Surrey and Tower Hamlets would, in fact, increase this year by a similar amount.

It added that a greater emphasis on the prevention of illness in future would assist those living in poorer parts of England.

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Resting place

29 July 2011 Last updated at 05:16 GMT Excavations have been taking place in South Korea after an eyewitness reported seeing the burial of a Gloucestershire soldier

Human remains have been found in South Korea, which could be those of a Gloucestershire regiment soldier who fought in the Korean War in 1951.

Tests are now being carried out by the UK's Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC) to see if the soldier is British.

Bodies of several British soldiers who fought in Korea have never been found.

The discovery was made in October, but details of the find have only just been released.

Continue reading the main story

We would always suggest that they are buried with their comrades.”

End Quote Sue Raftree Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre Sue Raftree, of the JCCC based at RAF Innsworth in Gloucester, which is part of the MOD's Service Personnel and Veterans Agency (SPVA), said it was too early to say for certain if the soldier was British.

"If we can identify them [and they turn out to be British] we will trace the family and we will then organise a proper military funeral," she said.

The body was found in the DMZ, the demilitarised zone close to the border with North Korea.

Glorious Glosters

Local military began digging in the area after an elderly local man said he had seen a European soldier being buried there 60 years ago.

The eyewitness claims to have been told at the time of the burial that the soldier was from the Gloucestershire regiment.

The remains have already been examined by the South Koreans, and initial findings suggest the soldier is Caucasian.

The remains were found after an eyewitness to the burial came forward

It is known that as well as British soldiers, Belgian forces fought in the region at the Battle of Imjin River in 1951.

The battle was part of the Korean War in which United Nations forces fought for the South Koreans against the North Koreans and the Chinese.

The Battle of Imjin River became famous for the "Glorious Glosters", members of the Gloucestershire regiment who famously held off against 10,000 Chinese troops for three nights in April 1951.

It remains the bloodiest battle fought by British Forces since World War II.

Sue Raftree said if the remains did turn out to be those of a British soldier then the body would normally be buried in South Korea.

"Our policy is that from the 1960s we did repatriate," she said.

"Prior to that we would bury in the country where they died, and therefore they would be buried in [the United Nations Memorial Cemetery] in Busan.

Missing soldiers list

"If the family decided exceptionally that they wanted them to come back then we would look at that on a case by case basis, but we would always suggest that they are buried with their comrades where they fell together and are buried together."

The body was discovered by local military digging in the DMZ

It is understood that a list of missing soldiers in the Korean War from the Gloucestershire regiment was never officially compiled, so identifying the soldier and any living relatives could prove to be tricky.

"We've still got a lot of work to do," said Ms Raftree. "Whether he's an unknown or a member of a regiment, it is very difficult."

The JCCC is currently trying to identify about 40 remains of British soldiers found in different parts of the world.

Some cases they have been working on for up to three years.

"We have to ensure that everything is done properly and we do get the right decision in the end," said Ms Raftree.

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Non-league team play Spanish side Real Betis

30 July 2011 Last updated at 21:46 GMT Portsmouth FC's players became stranded in the US when their plane was hit by a catering lorry A non-league football team lost 7-0 in a "once in a lifetime" game against Spanish side Real Betis, after replacing Portsmouth at the 11th hour.

Conference South side Havant and Waterlooville took on the La Liga team in a pre-season friendly on Saturday.

Pompey players, who were due to take on Real Betis, are stuck in North Carolina after their plane was hit by a catering lorry at the end of a tour.

Seville-based Real Betis are currently on a pre-season tour of the UK.

'Lengthy discussions'

Trevor Brock, a director at the Hampshire club, described the visiting team as "electric".

"I think we knew they were going to be good but I don't think we knew how good they were going to be, " he said.

"They have just won the equivalent of the Championship - they basically brought their whole squad here.

"This team was something else, we did the best we could."

The visiting club were already 5-0 ahead by half time, with a hat-trick by Ruben Castro and two goals by Jorge Molina.

Sergio scored the sixth goal in the 54th minute with the victory sealed by Salva, who knocked in a penalty two minutes from full time.

About 800 supporters packed into Westleigh Park, with tickets costing fans ?5 and ?10.

Goalkeeper Nathan Ashmore managed to hold off about eight near misses.

Havant and Waterlooville are hoping for a win away against local side Gosport Borough on Monday in a pre-season friendly.

Mankini invader

Real Betis had been due to play Portsmouth at Fratton Park.

Portsmouth FC said: "Almost all of the squad and its coaching staff will not arrive back in Britain until Sunday.

"After lengthy discussions, the difficult decision to call the match off was made in conjunction with Real Betis."

Portsmouth FC chief executive David Lampitt said: "Unfortunately events outside of our control have conspired against us and we have been left with no choice but to cancel this match.

"We are naturally disappointed as we were looking forward to welcoming Real Betis, their fans and directors to Fratton Park and we thank them for their patience and understanding."

Fans who bought tickets for the Portsmouth match will be refunded, the club said.

In 2008, Havant and Waterlooville played Liverpool in the fourth round of the FA Cup, losing 5-2.

In March the team also hit national headlines after a match against non-league Dorchester Town. A Dorchester player was sent off for tackling a pitch invader who was dressed in a mankini.

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Monkey pedicure

22 July 2011 Last updated at 01:00 By Victoria Gill Science reporter, BBC Nature This crude pedicure is an example of deliberate tool manufacture and use

A crude "pedicure" carried out by a mandrill at Chester Zoo suggests the monkeys are capable of more advanced tool use than previously thought.

Scientists from Durham University, UK, filmed the mandrill stripping a twig and using the resulting tool to clean under its toenails.

They published the findings in the journal Behavioural Processes.

Mandrills are the fifth species of Old World monkey seen deliberately modifying tools.

Non-human apes, including chimpanzees and orangutans, can adapt basic tools for specific jobs.

One well-known example of this behaviour is termite fishing in chimpanzees, where the animals strip down grasses to make fishing rods that they then poke into termite mounds to snag the nutritious insects.

"It is an ability that, up until a few years ago, was thought to be unique to humans," said Dr Riccardo Pansini, who led the research.

The new findings, he said, indicate that monkeys' intelligence may too have been underestimated.

"The gap between monkeys and great apes is not as large as we thought it was in terms of tool use and modification," he told BBC Nature.

Dr Pansini captured the footage while studying stress-related behaviour in the zoo's mandrills.

His research during that time helped inform the design of a specially landscaped enclosure, which contained shrubs to give the animals hiding places. The design won an animal welfare award in 2007.

In the footage that Dr Pansini captured, a large male mandrill strips down a twig, apparently to make it narrower. The animal then uses the modified stick to scrape dirt from underneath its toenails.

Though the scientist was excited to witness this deliberate tool modification, he said it was not entirely surprising.

"Mandrills have been seen to clean their ears with modified tools in the wild," he told BBC Nature. "This was thought to help prevent ear infections and therefore might be an important behaviour in terms of hygiene."

He thinks the captive setting may have helped bring out this behaviour.

"Animals have more time in captivity to carry out tasks that are not focused on looking for food or mating," he said. "So in zoos, you can occasionally pick up behaviours that are a little bit strange.

Mandrills are the fifth species of Old World monkey seen to modify tools

"In the wild this 'pedicuring' would be considered trivial," he explained. "But cleaning their ears with the same modified tool probably gave the animals some relief from the pain in their ears.

"So we're witnessing the same behaviour that's used in quite important tasks being adapted for a less important task," Dr Pansini said.

Dr Amanda Seed, an expert in primate tool-use from the University of St Andrews, UK, praised the researchers for capturing such interesting footage.

She added, though, that it was not entirely clear that the mandrill was deliberately modifying the stick for the specific goal of producing a "sharpened toenail-cleaning tool".

She told BBC Nature: "For me, the behaviour is closer to what we already know from other species, using a stick for self-cleaning purposes, than the tool modification of say chimpanzees - which rake their stick tools through their teeth to produce a brush for gathering termites.

"But these definitions are always tricky. You could say that as soon as an animal pulls a branch from a tree, they're modifying that branch."

Dr Sonya Hill a research officer at Chester Zoo, added that research findings from zoos could have a "direct impact on evidence-based conservation and husbandry practices".

"They can also contribute to a wider body of scientific knowledge, as this mandrill study has shown."

The enclosure the zoo designed for the mandrills won an animal welfare award

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Anfield to reduce United tickets

22 July 2011 Last updated at 19:50 GMT The committee is set to approve the away fan allocation from from more than 3,000 to 1,965 Manchester United fans may have their ticket allocation for their next trip to Anfield cut by more than 1,000 amid safety concerns.

Liverpool City Council's Licensing Committee has proposed reducing tickets because United fans have stood in seating areas and blocked stairways.

It said at a game between the teams in March the gangways at Anfield could not be kept clear of away supporters.

The proposals are expected to be approved at a meeting next month.

The committee will be asked to approve reducing the number of available tickets from more than 3,000 to 1,965 for the game on 15 October.

'Better stewarding'

The issue was raised at a meeting of the Ground Safety Advisory Group, which heard in spite of efforts of stewards to reduce standing, the gangways could not be kept clear throughout the last game.

It heard the actions of United fans had overwhelmed stewards and that the level of standing had reached a level that Liverpool Football Club's safety management plan was unable to address.

United fan Andrew Gilduff, from independent supporters group Stretford End Flags, said if the plan went ahead it would hit fans hard.

"If you look up and down the country, standing is rife amongst the away fans, it's not just a Manchester United issue, it's an issue which affects all football fans."

He added: "People in the reduced allocation are still going to stand, there is better ways of tackling the problem than by reducing allocation.

"Some clubs have stewards in the gangways and in the aisles. At Anfield you are never asked to sit down, they do make an announcement every now and then over the tannoy, but that just goes unnoticed."

'Strange decision'

Liverpool fan Gareth Roberts, from Well Red Magazine, said he thought it would be a "strange decision".

He said: "Anyone who goes to Anfield regularly will tell you that there is a section of the Kop that stands regularly.

"As much as it pains me to say it, I don't know why Man United fans are being targeted in this instance.

"Basically any away end of any team that has a big away following, they stand up."

He added: "Liverpool have paid the price for that as well, we have had our allocation reduced at Sunderland a couple of times.

"It's certainly not just United fans that do it."

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Brighton Pride picnic cancelled

22 July 2011 Last updated at 20:32 GMT Waiyne Jones initially only invited 15 to 20 people A Sussex care worker who invited a few friends to a picnic on the beach to mark Brighton's Pride celebrations has been forced to call it off.

Waiyne Jones, from Portslade, used Facebook to send out invitations to his free event.

However, the number of guests saying they would attend quickly rose to 8,000, which led Brighton council to send him a noise-abatement order.

This year's Pride takes place at Preston Park on 13 August.

It will be fenced off and ticketed for the first time to help cope with its growing popularity.

Unauthorised 'rave'

Mr Jones said he had planned an alternative event for 15 or 20 people to watch the parade and then go down to the beach with a few drinks and some picnic food, in protest at the introduction of charges.

"The council seem to think that I'm organising an event like Fatboy Slim," he said, referring to a gig on the beach organised by the DJ in 2002 which attracted about 250,000 people.

In the letter from Brighton and Hove City Council, Mr Jones was told that he could be fined and even jailed for organising an unauthorised "rave".

He has now closed down the Facebook page and cancelled the event.

In a statement, the council said: "People turning up for a picnic on the beach will not be stopped from doing so. But we have a responsibility to ensure people are able to have fun in a safe environment."

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Olympic victory

22 July 2011 Last updated at 14:13 GMT Beth's design was voted the best in the region before going to the national final A schoolgirl from Essex has won a national competition to design a version of the 2012 Olympic mascot.

Beth Siddle, from Wickford, beat 2,500 entries to create a version of Wenlock that reflected the community she lived in.

As part of the prize the 14-year-old spent a day with a London design agency to turn her idea into a 3D animated graphic.

It will now be made into an official London 2012 pin badge.

The teenager's design sees the mascot made up of jigsaw pieces and decked in green and the colours of the Union Jack.

She said: "The jigsaw pieces represent the different members within the community in Wickford and how they all fit together.

"The green areas represent how environmentally friendly our area has become with recycling."

The competition was run as part of the Games organiser's "Get Set" education programme.

Among the judging panel were former Olympic triple-jump gold medallist Jonathan Edwards and paralympic basketball player Ade Adepitan.

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Boy, 17, critical after stabbing

23 July 2011 Last updated at 12:02 GMT A 17-year-old is in a critical but stable condition after being stabbed in south-west London.

The boy was stabbed on Friday afternoon on Eel Brook Common, Musgrave Crescent, off New Kings Road, in Parsons Green.

He is believed to have been followed and then stabbed after a minor scuffle involving several youths, while he and his friends were out playing football.

Two boys, aged 14, and one, aged 15, are being questioned at a west London police station.

Officers from Hammersmith and Fulham borough are investigating.

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Market closed over hygiene issues

23 July 2011 Last updated at 09:12 GMT A continental market in Cornwall has been stopped from trading because of concerns over some hygiene issues, public health officials said.

The market, which opened in Launceston on Thursday and featured clothes and food stalls, was closed on Friday.

Officers from Cornwall Council's public health and protection team said it was following complaints about the way it was run.

It had been scheduled to remain open until Sunday afternoon.

The county council officers said it was closed with the full co-operation and agreement of Launceston Town Council after the town council also found that operators were not complying with terms and conditions of their agreement.

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Trouble brewing?

14 July 2011 Last updated at 15:53 GMT The sale of counterfeit alcohol is estimated to cost the UK ?1bn a year in lost revenue Police are investigating whether an industrial unit where five men were killed in an explosion was being used to distil alcohol illegally.

Lincolnshire Police said chemicals found inside the "smoke-logged" unit at Broadfield Lane Industrial Estate in Boston indicated alcohol was being produced illegally.

But Supt Keith Owen, who said it was probably some sort of spirit, stressed investigations were continuing.

A sixth man is being treated in hospital for severe burns after the blaze on Wednesday evening.

Vodka rumours

Residents reported seeing thick, black smoke coming from the estate and the injured man running out of the building.

Ian Nuttall, 42, who lives about 200m from the site, said he had seen commotion and smoke coming from the unit.

Mr Nuttall, who did not know what the units were used for, said there had been rumours of people distilling their own vodka in the area.

In March, Trading Standards, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and police seized cigarettes and drink, including counterfeit vodka, from six shops in Boston.

The county council said last month that tests on the fake vodka showed it contained cleaning fluid and was unfit for human consumption. One shop had its alcohol premises licence revoked and another had its suspended.

Gary Seymour, assistant head of Lincolnshire Trading Standards, said after the raids that it was a "growing industry" which it was getting more and more intelligence about.

He said: "The real problem is you don't know what's in it.

"Some of the illegally-made vodka has been found to contain high levels of methanol, which is used to make anti-freeze and some fuels.

"Drinking it can be incredibly dangerous and could cause dizziness, breathing difficulties and even blindness.

"Production often takes place in unhygienic conditions and there is evidence that the counterfeiting of alcohol in the UK is being taken over by organised gangs, setting up factories and making alcohol on an industrial scale, which then gets shipped out to off-licences, pubs and clubs."

'Inherently risky'

A police spokesman said that the problem of distilling illegal alcohol was a national one.

"It's not uncommon to have reports about this in towns across the country. It's not a Boston problem - it's countrywide."

One man is in hospital with severe burns after the fire in Boston

David Bolt, head of the International Federation of Spirits Producers, said spirits were being made illegally across Britain but he did not know whether the problem was growing.

"The vast majority of spirits sold are genuine and if it is a growing problem it only represents a small percentage," he said.

"But even one incident is concerning because of the potential dangers as well as risks to consumers."

Mr Bolt said distilling spirits was "inherently risky" for producers as well as consumers, as it involved potentially "volatile" substances which was why the industry had tight procedures and regulations.

Trading Standards officials, who carry out spot checks around the country, said in February that up to a quarter of licensed premises in parts of the UK had been found to have counterfeit alcohol for sale.

The officers said it was a growing problem nationally. Alcohol fraud costs the UK about ?1bn a year in lost revenue, including ?300m from illegal spirit sales, according to government estimates.

In October 2010, HMRC officers seized 25,000 litres of counterfeit vodka, along with bottling and labelling equipment at Cheetham Hill, Manchester.

Illegal stills closed

And in March, more than 11,400 litres of counterfeit alcohol were seized at an industrial unit in Worcestershire, according to HMRC.

Last year HMRC and the UK Border Agency renewed their strategy for tackling alcohol fraud, a crime they said was "growing and changing".

The new approach includes a co-ordinated effort to detect, disrupt and dismantle illicit alcohol supply chains and penalise those who profit.

An HMRC spokesman said: "Yesterday's tragic events in Boston have underlined the risks that go with the illegal distillation of alcohol.

"In just over the last 12 months HMRC, working with other law enforcement agencies, has closed down three illegal stills and six men have been prosecuted for producing counterfeit vodka, resulting in prison sentences totalling over 56 years.

"Illegal alcohol undermines all honest alcohol traders whilst putting at risk the lives of those who consume and produce it."

Meanwhile, police and fire investigators in Boston continue to investigate the cause of the blaze, which caused the greatest single loss of life seen by many in the county's fire service.

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O'Sullivan out of Australia event

O'Sullivan has slipped to ninth in snooker's world rankings Ronnie O'Sullivan has withdrawn from the Australian Goldfields Open, the first ever ranking tournament to be held in the country.

O'Sullivan, 35, pulled out citing neck and back injuries suffered on the first leg of his journey to Australia.

The three-time world champion was due to face Dominic Dale in the last 32 in Bendigo, Victoria state.

Dale will instead play Australia's Steve Mifsud, a wild-card entry.

Mifsud's original opponent, Matthew Selt, goes straight into the last 32 to play world champion John Higgins.

The tournament starts on Monday and runs until 24 July.

A statement from World Snooker said: "Ronnie O'Sullivan has withdrawn from snooker's Australian Goldfields Open for medical reasons.

"He completed the first part of the journey Down Under, to Bangkok, but having suffered from neck and back problems on the plane he has decided to return to the UK for medical treatment rather than taking the flight to Melbourne."

In May, World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn announced a three-year deal for the Australian Goldfields Open as part of attempts to expand snooker's global reach.

"Snooker is going global like never before," said Hearn at the time.

To date, 2011 has not been a vintage year for O'Sullivan, who is ninth in the world rankings.

In March, he hinted at retirement after a poor run of form continued with a 5-2 defeat by Ryan Day in round one of the China Open.

That was his fourth successive loss in tournament opening matches and he admitted he was not optimistic about turning his form around.

O'Sullivan subsequently attempted to pull out of the World Championships, only to change his mind.

He then made it to the quarter-finals at the Crucible before losing to John Higgins, the eventual world champion.

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Hospital death probe woman named

16 July 2011 Last updated at 16:01 GMT Tracey Arden's brother Gary said news of the investigation was a shock

A 44-year-old grandmother has been named as one of three patients whose deaths at a Stockport hospital are being investigated by police.

Tracey Arden, from Stockport, and two men, aged 71 and 84, died following the deliberate contamination of saline solution at Stepping Hill Hospital.

Police were alerted when insulin was discovered in a batch of 36 saline ampoules that had been tampered with.

Detectives said the deaths were being treated as unexplained.

Officers are awaiting the results of post-mortem examinations.

Eleven patients who survived the effects of the medication are to be interviewed by police.

Concerns were raised on Tuesday when an experienced nurse at the hospital reported a higher than normal number of patients with low blood sugar levels on her ward.

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We have someone deliberately contaminating saline in the one place that people should feel they are being most cared for”

End Quote Assistant Chief Constable Terry Sweeney Insulin was subsequently found in a batch of 36 saline ampoules in a hospital storeroom.

Multiple sclerosis patient Ms Arden, a mother-of-two and grandmother, died on 7 July.

Her parents, Keith and June, visited her on that afternoon but were later called by hospital staff and told she had "taken a turn for the worse".

By the time they arrived back at Stepping Hill their daughter had died.

Ms Arden's funeral has been delayed while police investigate.

Her brother, Gary Arden, said news of the investigation was a shock as the family had initially been told she had died from a lung and chest infection related to her multiple sclerosis.

The contamination of the saline was not restricted to a single ward, the hospital said

"We accepted that as a family, that her time had come and that was the cause," he said.

"At this point in time my hope for me and my family is that the investigation takes its due course and we find that Tracey has nothing to do with this. "

The two male victims died this week. The 71-year-old man is believed to have been terminally ill while the nature of the 84-year-old man's illness has not been disclosed.

Greater Manchester Police said it was focusing its investigation from 7 July onwards but would review previous deaths at the hospital if new information came to light.

Increased security measures have been put in place at the hospital to protect patients currently receiving treatment there.

Anyone entering may now be searched and police are interviewing staff and visitors.

Chris Burke, Stockport NHS Foundation Trust's chief executive, said: "We have increased security both in terms of access to the hospital and access to medicines and already replaced all saline ampoules across the hospital.

"We are doing all we can to protect our patients and ensure their safety while under our care."

Assistant Chief Constable Terry Sweeney, of Greater Manchester Police, said: "We have someone deliberately contaminating saline in the one place that people should feel they are being most cared for.

"I want to reassure everyone connected to the hospital - staff, patients, visitors and the wider community - that we are determined to prevent further harm and to bring the offender to justice."

Mr Sweeney said police were still waiting to find out if the contamination of the saline "contributed to the deaths of these three people".

Mark Hunter, MP for Cheadle, said: "This is obviously a very serious matter, I have to say I think the hospital have acted entirely responsibly, acted very promptly calling the police in as soon as they knew there was a problem."

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Seven hurt in motorway accident

16 July 2011 Last updated at 16:16 GMT Seven people, including an infant, were taken to hospital following a three-vehicle crash on the M5 in Somerset.

Emergency services were called to the northbound carriageway between the Burnham-on-Sea and Bridgwater junctions at 1235 BST on Saturday.

One person who was trapped in the wreckage was released by firefighters.

The accident comes less than 24 hours since a seven-car pile-up on the same stretch of motorway which caused tailbacks to the Taunton junction.

On that occasion two people were cut out of one of the vehicles and five people, including a child, taken to hospital.

The busy motorway was closed for 90 minutes while the accident was cleared.

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'Fantastic results' at Roman fort dig

16 July 2011 Last updated at 14:19 GMT One of the altars unearthed in Maryport. Photo Senhouse Museum The excavation of a Roman site at Maryport, in Cumbria, has produced "fascinating results", experts say.

The project at the remains of a Roman fort at Camp Farm, which started last year, is due to be completed on 22 July.

The team said it had found many features not recorded by a previous excavation in 1870.

Among them are fragments of altars, traces of timber buildings, pottery and coins.

A team of 28 volunteers has worked alongside the archaeologists on the project, which was commissioned by the Senhouse Museum Trust.

It was led by Professor Ian Haynes, from Newcastle University, and field archaeologist Tony Wilmott.

Maryport was part of the Roman frontier coastal defences extending from Hadrian's Wall.

Hadrian Wall Heritage has submitted plans for a ?10.7m Roman Maryport visitor attraction.

Its access director Nigel Mills said the excavation had yielded "fantastic results" and showed the potential of the site.

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Man charged after remains found

16 July 2011 Last updated at 12:46 GMT Police have been searching around a farmhouse near St Austell Police in Cornwall investigating a suspected double murder have charged a man with disposing of human remains.

Ross Jan Stone, 28, of Trenance Downs, near St Austell, appeared before Bodmin magistrates charged with disposing of a corpse to obstruct a coroner.

He was remanded in custody and is due to appear at Truro Crown Court on 22 July.

A vehicle and human remains were discovered by police on farmland north of St Austell on Friday.

The discovery was made as police investigated the disappearance of Brett Flournoy and David Griffiths.

Mr Griffiths, from Plymouth, who was living in Berkshire, and Mr Flournoy, from Merseyside, were last seen on 16 June in Cornwall.

It is believed they were were heading to Newquay but police said it was not clear if they had ever arrived there.

Mr Flournoy was known to have picked Mr Griffiths up in a van from the car park on the Plymouth side of the Tamar Bridge, at about 1900 BST the night they went missing, before crossing the bridge into Cornwall.

Both men have not been in touch with their families, which police said was completely out of character.

Police had been excavating land on a farm near Trenance Downs using ground radar technology and cadaver dogs when they found the "remains of at least one individual" and a van which had "extensive fire damage".

The police have said one of their lines of inquiry is drugs related.

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Protest against town smoking ban

16 July 2011 Last updated at 19:07 GMT UKIP leader Nigel Farage said the ban could be the "final nail in the coffin" for Stony Stratford's pubs About 200 people have attended a protest against plans to ban smoking in open places in a Buckinghamshire town, according to organisers.

Councillor Paul Bartlett has proposed a new by-law to outlaw smoking in any public place in Stony Stratford.

Among those who spoke against the ban was UKIP leader Nigel Farage, who said it could stop people coming to the town, affecting local businesses.

Town councillors will be voting on the proposal on Tuesday.

If the plan is approved, smokers who light up in public in Stony Stratford could face on-the-spot fines.

Mr Bartlett has said the town, near Milton Keynes, is "blighted by cigarette butts".

Some local publicans have said a total ban on smoking would have a huge impact on their trade and Mr Farage, who is an MEP for Buckinghamshire, echoed their views in a meeting at the Vaults Bar in the town.

He said: "We have already seen the horrific impact the smoking ban has had to the pub trade which has resulted in hundreds of pubs across the UK shutting down.

"If this new proposal in Stony goes through it will mean no more 'popping out for a smoke'.

"I have been listening to the concerns from the local business community and they believe that this will have a negative impact on the place.

"For local pubs it could well be the final nail in their coffin. For other businesses they feel people will simply stop coming to Stony."

The meeting was followed by a "mass light up" by smokers opposed to the proposed ban.

If Stony Stratford Town Council votes in favour of the scheme at Tuesday's meeting it would have to ask Milton Keynes Council to use its powers to introduce the necessary by-law.

If implemented, the ban would be enforced by police community support officers.

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Policeman shot while chasing men

16 July 2011 Last updated at 13:52 GMT Police at the scene in south Croydon after a police officer was shot while chasing three men

An unarmed policeman has been shot in the arm while chasing three men in south London.

The constable, who has not been named, was hit when one of the men opened fire in Kingsdown Avenue, south Croydon, at about 2200 BST on Friday.

His injuries are not said to be life-threatening. Two men, aged 21 and 22, have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

An 18-year-old was held on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm.

The teenager, who was also arrested on suspicion of possession of drugs, was later bailed until early September.

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I am outstandingly proud of our officers who put themselves in positions of danger on a daily basis”

End Quote Commander Tony Eastaugh A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police (Met) said officers were called when a group of men were seen acting suspiciously but the men ran off when a patrol arrived.

He said as the officers chased the suspects on foot, one suspect produced a handgun and shots were fired.

Commander Tony Eastaugh said: "I am outstandingly proud of our officers who put themselves in positions of danger on a daily basis to protect the communities of London.

"It is sad that an unarmed officer has been shot whilst performing his duty to the public. Our thoughts are with him and his family."

The incident is being investigated by Operation Trident, the Met's unit dealing with gun crime in London's black community.

The police officer is the second to be seriously injured in Croydon in the past two months.

A plain-clothes Pc serving with the Broad Green Safer Neighbourhood Team was stabbed on 19 May when he stopped a gang of youths in Bute Road, Broad Green.

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Two men die in farm slurry pit

16 July 2011 Last updated at 10:04 GMT Firefighters were called to the farm at Stapleford Tawney just after 1700 BST on Friday Two men have died after becoming trapped in a slurry pit in Essex.

Firefighters were called to Albyns Lane in Stapleford Tawney, near Ongar, just after 1700 BST on Friday.

An Essex Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: "Two men have died at the slurry pit and a further two men have have been injured and placed in the care of the ambulance service."

He said the fire service was working with police and the Health and Safety Executive to establish what happened.

Firefighters drained 120,000 litres (31,700 gallons) of slurry on to a field as part of the rescue operations.

Crews from Ongar, Loughton, Harlow and Brentwood attended the scene.

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RAF's largest aircraft unveiled to public

16 July 2011 Last updated at 04:09 GMT The RAF has bought 14 of the aircraft under a 27-year contract worth ?10.5 billion The RAF's largest aircraft has been officially unveiled and named Voyager ahead of its first public appearance at the Royal International Air Tattoo.

The dual role air-to-air tanker and transport plane has a 60-metre (197ft) wingspan and is nearly 60 metres long.

It can carry almost 300 troops more than 6,000 miles and will replace the long-serving VC-10 and Tristar.

At a naming ceremony at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, Defence Secretary Liam Fox called it "magnificent".

He said: "This magnificent aircraft is the future for the RAF's air-to-air refuelling and passenger transport capability for the coming decades.

"Voyager, together with the C-17, C-130J and the A400M transport aircraft, will provide the RAF with a truly world class fleet of aircraft, underpinning the global reach that is vital to our operations."

Continue reading the main story Can carry out air-to-air refuelling of another aircraft with 100,000 litres of fuelHas a refuel rate of 5,000 litres per minuteA garage forecourt petrol pump can pump fuel at 40 litres per minuteThe RAF has bought 14 of the aircraft - a converted Airbus A330-200 airliner - under a 27-year private finance initiative contract worth ?10.5bn with the AirTanker consortium.

The service will provide training and maintenance, as well as new purpose-built buildings at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, the RAF's air transport hub.

The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton, said: "As we have seen in Afghanistan and Libya, an effective air-to-air refuelling and transport fleet is an essential force multiplier in this era of expeditionary warfare.

"Voyager, when it enters service later this year, will excel in these roles by not only increasing our air-to-air refuelling capability but also by substantially improving our strategic airlift capacity."

The Royal International Air Tattoo is the world's largest air show and celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.

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Media spotlight

14 July 2011 Last updated at 19:50 GMT Tom Watson is sitting on the select committee looking into allegations of phone-hacking An MP who has led a campaign against phone-hacking has spoken about the impact of the media on himself and his family.

Labour MP for West Bromwich East Tom Watson told BBC WM's Hard Talk series he cried over comments by a deputy political editor at the Sun, saying the worst moment in recent years was when he was libelled in the newspaper.

Mr Watson, who has two children aged six and three, has raised the phone-hacking issue in the House of Commons and demanded more action from the police, prosecutors and Parliament.

He is sitting on the select committee looking into allegations of phone-hacking, which has called for evidence from Rupert Murdoch and News International.

'So harsh'

In 2006, Mr Watson resigned as a defence minister, calling for Tony Blair to quit in the interest of the Labour Party and the country.

He was accused of conspiring against Mr Blair with Gordon Brown when it emerged he had visited the then chancellor at his home in Scotland shortly before stepping down. Both men denied any plot.

Mr Watson was later accused of being involved in the scandal surrounding a plot by Gordon Brown's spin doctor, Damian McBride, to spread smears about senior Tories.

The Mail on Sunday accused him of "encouraging" Mr McBride while the Sun published a cartoon of him under the headline "Mad dog was trained to maul".

Mr Watson subsequently won "substantial" libel damages from both newspapers in the High Court, which ruled the stories linking him to the plot were not true.

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The kids have been seeing me on telly this week and I hope one day they know I've done some good”

End Quote Tom Watson West Bromwich East Labour MP The MP said the worst moment in recent years was when he was libelled, adding a former political editor at the Sun called him a "liar" and the words of a deputy political editor were "so harsh and so untrue" that he burst into tears.

Mr Watson said: "That's probably the most miserable week of my life.

"The stress was immense. We'd got a new baby. I'd got a young boy. You think about 'how do I protect my family?', these people at the door, we're not safe in our home.

"There's pressure down in London, ministers going crazy working lots of sort of 'who did what to who?'

"That week, [about 2008 at Easter] I seriously thought about standing down from Parliament and having a quieter life.

"Then just before the election I seriously thought about standing down, but you know there's still much more I want to give."

Mr Watson said in the last two weeks he had "probably been more free from abuse in the press" than he ever had been.

"The kids [a son and daughter] have been seeing me on telly this week and I hope one day they know I've done some good."

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