'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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