bbcuk--2020-02-24--'We are trapped in the house that killed our son'

When Kye Gbangbola and Nicole Lawler moved into their house on the banks of the River Thames in Surrey , it looked like the perfect place to raise a family .
Sixteen years later , it stands as a reminder of Zane , the son they lost , while their fight for answers continues over what caused his death .
On 7 February 2014 , Mr Gbangbola spent the evening working upstairs in his study , where he was writing to the Environment Agency requesting an urgent meeting about the effects of several weeks of flooding , which had left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ms Lawler and Zane watched the Winter Olympics opening ceremony and later she carried her seven-year-old son to bed .
But not long afterwards , Ms Lawler , who was acutely ill herself , found him unconscious , while his father - who would be left paralysed - was critically ill in another room .
Zane was taken to hospital but later pronounced dead .
Ms Lawler has described how her son died in her arms and how she held him `` until his little fingers froze around mine '' .
The couple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death , which concluded in September 2016 , was flawed .
Zane 's death was attributed by the coroner to carbon monoxide poisoning from a petrol-powered pump used by the couple to clear floodwater - but which they insist was not in use .
They believe a former landfill site behind their home in Chertsey was the source of hydrogen cyanide gas , which was forced up and out of the earth by the `` piston effect '' of the swollen river raising the level of the water table underground , and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Firefighters found high levels of hydrogen cyanide at the property , according to the Fire Brigades Union ( FBU ) , which has `` serious concerns '' about how the inquest was conducted .
Still unable to sell the house , the couple remain there , constantly reminded of the absence of their son .
They had moved into the four-bedroom home 10 years earlier .
Surrounded by floodplain meadows , the house looked out on to boats sailing on the river and the 18th Century stone arches of Chertsey Bridge .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lake and grazing horses .
They were close to London and the countryside of well-to-do Surrey .
The location seemed idyllic .
When the couple bought the property , they knew it was in a flood-risk area , but Mr Gbangbola , a European buildings expert , believed it was a risk that could be managed and insured against .
Zane was born on 21 October 2006 .
When he was older , Ms Lawler - an environmental expert who worked on the London 2012 sustainability strategy - was able to drop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearby Heathrow to the Netherlands to attend a business meeting , and be back for home time , dinner and bed .
Zane would race along the riverside path and explore Chertsey Meads , where he discovered a BMX track and became an ace on his bike .
Around the corner was Dumsey Meadow , home to his `` wishing tree '' , where his mother hid treasures for him to find .
When Mr Gbangbola and Ms Lawler bought the house , they said no environmental searches identified that the field behind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that this information only came to light after their son had died .
They have spent the past six years gathering information they say was not explored or disclosed at the inquest , and which they want to be put before an independent panel inquiry .
This includes the existence of a Defence Evaluation and Research Agency ( DERA ) military tank-testing facility , identified as a former industrial site in Runnymede council 's land contamination strategy .
A former Ministry of Defence ( MoD ) engineer , who asked to remain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believes subcontractors working for the tank-research facility five miles from the house used to dump waste chemicals in local gravel pits , including behind Zane 's house .
He said those chemicals were by-products from anti-rust and anti-corrosion tank coatings and he claimed they could produce cyanide .
They would have been put into drums that rusted and corroded over the years , allowing chemicals to leach into the ground , he alleged .
The BBC has agreed to protect his identity as a former MoD worker , but has therefore been unable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emerged during a commemoration for Zane , held at the House of Lords , that experts from the government 's defence laboratory , Porton Down , were involved in the response to his death .
At that event , Manchester 's Labour mayor Andy Burnham said : `` I want the truth about Zane .
I do n't think we do have the truth about what happened to this lovely little boy .
`` There were many authorities involved , '' the former health secretary said .
`` Porton Down was also involved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the inquest ?
No it did n't .
Therefore , the full story clearly was n't told at the inquest and it needs to be . ''
In his report at the conclusion of the inquest , the coroner Richard Travers cited an expert who said high levels of hydrogen cyanide were rare and all associated with former gasworks , while a council officer said there had been no significant pollution incidents on the land behind Zane 's home since the 1950s .
However , another report referred to by the coroner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken place , and a further expert , geo-environmentalist Gavin Roberts , told the inquest it was possible floodwater had triggered a one-off discharge of hydrogen cyanide and carried it to the basement of the house .
The coroner 's report did not look at the area 's military and defence history .
In December , the FBU 's general secretary Matt Wrack wrote to the family : `` Our members attended that fateful day in 2014 and found hydrogen cyanide in your home . ''
He said there were `` disturbing gaps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` The unregulated landfill site adjacent to your home seems to have released the nerve gas and there must now be an independent inquiry so this can be looked at , and those found responsible must be held to account . ''
Ann Boater grew up in the house by the Thames , which was sold by her mother Jocelyn to Mr Gbangbola and Ms Lawler in 2004 .
She remembers a childhood that included rambling across fields and wading through floods in gumboots when the water levels rose .
The garden and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from time to time , she remembers , but it only ever took the labels off the wine bottles stored there and it never reached her mother Jocelyn 's prized parquet floor .
`` It was never anything other than exciting , '' she said .
`` It was a worry for my mother but there was a lot that was very beautiful about living there . ''
She has described how what was a gravel pit in the field behind the property was later used as a waste dump and was for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into an eyesore .
For a time `` anyone could throw anything in it '' , she said .
`` There were rusty old mattresses and we bounced on them , '' she said .
`` But then there was a period when it was such an eyesore , we did n't want to go there at all . ''
Eventually the rubbish tip was filled in and forgotten about , she recalls .
Now a member of the Green Party who has stood as a council election candidate in Islington , Ms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be tested properly .
`` If something 's happened , we need to know it 's not going to happen again , '' she said .
Six years on from the floods , the house by the river now stands as a reminder of what happened to the boy who lived there .
There is a campaign board at the front of the property , while in the back garden there is still a child 's playhouse and a football .
Zane 's parents had to stay out of their home for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took place there .
Mr Gbangbola said that after the devastation the family had suffered , it was in a sense shocking to find the house unchanged .
`` The house was completely normal , '' he said .
`` The only thing removed was Zane , so the desire to live there had gone . ''
By the time she and her partner returned to the house , Zane 's smell had gone from his room and his clothes , Ms Lawler said .
Describing their lives on the Chertsey riverbank now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's no longer a home . ''
The couple have said they would leave the property if they could , but have found they are unable to sell it .
After the death of Zane , they received a letter from a lawyer offering them £10,000 from a prospective buyer for the property they bought for £400,000 - a move that Mr Gbangbola described as opportunistic and cynical .
In 2017 , the couple applied for permission to build a gas-proofed and flood-protected house in their garden so Mr Gbangbola could have a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work was needed to adapt the existing house to his needs that this approach made financial sense .
However , consent was refused for what was described as inappropriate development in the greenbelt .
Meanwhile , no estate agent is prepared to value the house while their dispute continues and questions remain over the landfill site , Mr Gbangbola said .
`` The place is empty for us as a family .
What can you do when you ca n't sell it ?
You have to suffer that trauma , day in , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heart , or voice , or laughter , no banging around .
It 's no longer the same . ''
The BBC has taken all claims about historical contamination in the area to the Ministry of Defence ( MoD ) , the Environment Agency and Defra , and also to the two local authorities , Runnymede and Spelthorne councils .
The tank facility was run by the former Defence Evaluation and Research Agency , which was part of the MoD and was later split into the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory ( DSTL @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DSTL , which has its headquarters at Porton Down , for comment but was referred to the MoD .
• The MoD declined to comment unless formal allegations were made .
• Defra , commenting for the government and the Environment Agency , said : `` This is a tragic case and our thoughts remain with the Gbangbola family .
There has been an inquest into the cause of Zane 's death .
The inquest heard from many witnesses , and throughout the Environment Agency provided detailed evidence to assist the independent coroner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Runnymede council said to the best of its knowledge it had no information regarding potential contamination from the former DERA operation .
It said the site was identified as an area of potential contamination due to its former use but the ongoing redevelopment of the land had been through the planning process and conditions were put in place requiring contaminated land investigations and remediation .
• Spelthorne council said the coroner 's report set out details of tests on the land carried out by the landowner , the Environment Agency and the family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement that `` on the balance of probabilities ... there was no hydrogen cyanide present in the house '' .
It said the lake behind the house was analysed quarterly by the landowners and was a healthy environment , adding that the landowner had analysed an on-site borehole for ground gas on a regular basis for a number of years .
• Asked if there was any evidence of illegal dumping by DERA subcontractors , Spelthorne council said `` no '' .
• Claims about contamination in the area have also gone to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet responded .
• On the sale of the house to Mr Gbangbola and Ms Lawler , Spelthorne council said : `` The family did not approach the council 's land charges team to request a full land search when they were buying the house and did not ask any environmental questions of the council at purchase .
The landfill is referred to in search responses made by the council to other environmental conveyancing inquiries for Chertsey Bridge Road properties made between 1998 and 2008 .
Environmental searches with a commercial company have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per instructions issued in 2001 .
The presence of historic landfill would have shown up on this if one had been purchased in 2004 . ''
• Regarding claims by the family that landfill was regulated but regulations were breached , Spelthorne council said : `` Filling around the south lake appears to have taken place in 1968 .
Consented materials were those excavated from the land in its natural state including excavation from building sites ; builders rubbish ; brick and hardcore ; clinker and ashes .
There are no records of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ area . ''
• The BBC has approached landowner Brett Aggregates for comment .
• Coroner Richard Travers , as an independent member of the judiciary , has never commented on the case .
The BBC has approached him for comment on the claims made by the FBU .

The BBC has taken all claims about historical contamination in the area to the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the Environment Agency and Defra, and also to the two local authorities, Runnymede and Spelthorne councils. The tank facility was run by the former Defence Evaluation and Research Agency, which was part of the MoD and was later split into the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) and Qinetiq. The BBC approached DSTL, which has its headquarters at Porton Down, for comment but was referred to the MoD.


bbcuk--2020-02-24--Hilary Mantel: Cromwell trilogy finale hailed as 'masterpiece' by critics

Reviewers have hailed Hilary Mantel 's finale to her Thomas Cromwell trilogy as `` magnificent '' and `` a masterpiece '' ahead of its publication next week .
The Mirror and the Light , says Allison Pearson in the Telegraph , is `` an epic work of historical fiction '' .
`` Does it merit another Booker [ Prize ] ?
Yes it does , '' says the London Evening Standard 's critic of Mantel 's latest .
According to the Daily Mail 's Anthony Cummins , however , the 912-page tome might have benefited from some editing .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be forgiven a drooping eyelid , '' he opines of a book he calls `` by far the most dense '' of the trilogy .
• New Mantel novel gets publication date Mantel 's series charts the life of Cromwell , a blacksmith 's son who rose from obscurity to become one of Henry VIII 's most trusted advisors .
The saga began with 2009 's Wolf Hall and continued with 2012 's Bring Up the Bodies .
Both went on to win the Man Booker Prize .
Beginning with Anne Boleyn 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Light continues Cromwell 's story up to his own execution four years later .
The result , writes Johanna Thomas-Corr in The Times , `` might well be the best of the trilogy simply because there is more of it . ''
`` As before , Mantel immerses us with extraordinary skill in the teeming Tudor world , '' writes Pearson .
The author , she says , `` has written an epic of English history that does what The Aeneid did for the Romans and War and Peace for the Russians .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ McDonagh , Mantel 's `` remarkable '' achievement is to have turned `` one of the biggest bastards in English history ... into a living , sympathetic , almost admirable , human being . ''
Her latest , writes The Guardian 's Alexandra Harris , is `` a novel of epic proportions , every bit as thrilling , propulsive , darkly comic and stupendously intelligent as its predecessors . ''
The Mirror and the Light will be published by Fourth Estate on 5 March .
The previous instalments in Mantel 's trilogy were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
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If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news @ bbc.co.uk .

The author, she says, "has written an epic of English history that does what The Aeneid did for the Romans and War and Peace for the Russians."


bbcuk--2020-02-24--'Police let me down after I reported being raped'

A woman who claims she was raped has criticised her treatment by the police and prosecutors .
Lucy Monaghan reported the alleged attack in April 2015 , but no one was ever charged .
The Police Ombudsman later found a number of failings in the investigation into the incident .
The Police Service of Northern Ireland admitted shortcomings , but said it treated all allegations of sexual crime seriously .
Ms Monaghan , 31 , has now waived her right to anonymity to speak to BBC News NI about her experience .
She said that on the night in question @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remembers going to a house and being sick , before falling unconscious for about eight hours .
`` I just woke up in a strange bed like that , to which my response was : 'Why am I here ?
Where are my clothes ? '
'' Believing she had been attacked , Ms Monaghan reported the incident to the police and attended the sexual assault referral centre for intimate forensic examinations .
The PSNI investigated and passed a file to the PPS , but a decision was taken not to prosecute .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' that the man she claimed had assaulted her was not to be charged .
She said : `` I thought with the investigation work that the PSNI would have carried out that he would have been arrested and justice would have been served .
`` However , that did n't happen and once I realised I was getting no prosecution I thought I 'm going to have a look at all the information and see how this went so wrong . ''
Ms Monaghan asked the PPS to reconsider the decision and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ realised that information had been missed .
She told BBC News NI : `` I was n't even angry , I was sad and hurt and crippled at the attack against me , the physical attack , but I was so dumbfounded and I just felt so disappointed in how I 'd been dealt with by both the PSNI and the PPS , especially when they did n't have enough information . ''
In the end , Ms Monaghan made a complaint to the Police Ombudsman and BBC News NI has seen a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ found that her interview with police , copies of social media messages between her and the alleged perpetrator and medical reports had not been sent to the PPS .
They also found that the officer in Ms Monaghan 's case did not make arrangements to obtain statements from other witnesses .
Forensic submissions were also not made until after the PPS had made its original decision .
The ombudsman added that when the alleged offender was interviewed by police , 20 pages of Ms Monaghan 's statement , where she described what happened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In conclusion , the ombudsman said that `` the original file submitted to the PPS did not include all the information required for the PPS full consideration of the facts of the case '' .
An officer was disciplined .
Det Ch Supt Paula Hilman said the service accepted that `` the initial investigation was not of a standard we would expect '' .
The senior officer added : `` We understand the enormous physical and emotional impact rape can have on a person , but can provide reassurance that all allegations of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and are thoroughly investigated by trained detectives within the Public Protection Branch who undergo specialist training in order to deal effectively with these sensitive and often complex investigations . ''
Det Chief Supt Hilman urged anyone who has experienced any sort of sexual crime to report their experience to police .
Marianne O'Kane , senior assistant director of the PPS , told the BBC that `` there were some procedural matters that could have been handled differently by the PPS in the early stages of this case in 2015 '' .
`` While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this evidence available at the time of the initial decision and the review , the case has been formally reviewed on two further occasions and independent counsel has also considered the case .
`` The decision not to prosecute has been confirmed following each review . ''
In particular , Ms Monaghan took issue with one letter she was sent by a senior prosecutor within the PPS which stated : `` If we were to prosecute , the court would note that before sexual intercourse took place , there was evidence that you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ afterwards you were in very good form .
`` This is likely to suggest to the court that you had consented to what took place in the bedroom . ''
Ms Monaghan feels that the way the letter was phrased amounts to victim blaming .
In response , the PPS said : `` The written reference to the term 'flirting ' in this case was not in any way intended to assert that flirting before , or after , a sexual act indicates likely or actual consent to that act .
The word @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given by two witnesses of their observations .
`` I accept that the comment could have been expressed differently , but it was not intended to place any blame on the complainant . ''
Ms O'Kane from the PPS said : `` Lucy Monaghan has raised a number of serious matters , which have been considered carefully at a senior level in the PPS .
`` We take our responsibilities to victims very seriously , and we want to ensure that , whatever the outcome of their case , they feel treated with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ negative experience , Ms Monaghan said she would like to see other victims come forward .
`` The bravery that you 'll accomplish within yourself in coming forward will hopefully contribute to your recovery in the end '' , '' she said .
If you 've been affected by issues raised in this article , there is information and support available on the BBC Action Line .

In particular, Ms Monaghan took issue with one letter she was sent by a senior prosecutor within the PPS which stated: "If we were to prosecute, the court would note that before sexual intercourse took place, there was evidence that you were flirting with him and that immediately afterwards you were in very good form.


bbcuk--2020-02-24--Climate change: Schools failing us, say pupils

`` It 's educated people who are causing the most damage to the planet , '' says sixth-former Joe Brindle .
Joe , 17 , says schools need to put the environment at the heart of education .
Ministers agree `` it is vital that pupils are taught about climate change '' but Joe says schools are failing to prepare them for a climate emergency .
He is a founder member of Teach the Future which next week takes its call for an environmental overhaul of education to Parliament .
`` It 's people with degrees from Oxford and Cambridge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are the ones who are causing the most destruction to our world , '' says Joe .
`` And therefore that kind of shows that education is not succeeding and that our education is broken because education should be creating better people not worse . ''
On Wednesday , Joe , a pupil at Devizes School , and more than a dozen other under-18s who make up the core of Teach the Future , will take over Parliament 's Terrace Pavilion to host a crowdfunded reception for MPs .
The group , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Network , best known for the school climate strikes , and the National Union of Students ' climate charity offshoot , SOS-UK , is launching a draft English emergency education bill which embodies their key demands and which Joe believes `` is going to be really big '' .
• What school strikers can learn from protest veterans Teach the Future is hoping the draft could at some stage form the basis of a private member 's bill but for now , the aim is `` to get MPs on our side '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1958 US National Defense Education Act which aimed to kickstart engineering , maths and science education and give America the edge in the space and arms races .
It paid off - by July 1969 , the average age in Apollo mission control was just 28 .
`` I think it really shows that education can be used to solve a difficult problem , if the focus is down from the government , '' says Joe , who will sit A-levels in history , biology and chemistry this summer .
But rather than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ engineering and maths - the range of the climate emergency education act needs to be far wider , he believes .
`` The space race was just one thing but the climate crisis affects every single part of everything and it requires solutions from every single part of society , whether it be arts , whether it be maths , whether it be sciences . ''
He wants everyone to understand the impact of their behaviour on the environment and `` try to do things in a way that has as little negative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while engineers have an important role , fundamentally , education needs to become more sustainable , he says .
People need to understand how the climate crisis happened , he argues : `` It 's a symptom of a general unsustainable system . ''
Joe believes most people his age `` want to understand more about climate change and what 's behind it , the issues of justice ... and the politics behind it '' .
But he says that while schools are largely sympathetic , they are constrained by limited budgets and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - and often teachers themselves lack detailed knowledge about climate change .
`` It 's not good enough that sustainability is restricted to a few subjects and most of our teachers and lecturers do n't know enough about it , '' say the campaigners .
They also point out that including climate change in the national curriculum will only affect local authority schools - not academies , free schools or the private sector .
The group has invited dozens of MPs to the reception and are `` particularly hoping government ministers and people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' .
Teach the Future 's wish-list also includes having climate science and sustainability included in teacher training and all education buildings to have a net-zero carbon footprint by 2030 .
The group was founded in autumn 2019 but already has support from leading education unions and environmental organisations .
It is hoping that several dozen MPs will attend the reception .
In a statement , the government said : `` It is vital that pupils are taught about climate change , which is why topics are included across the national curriculum for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have the freedom to expand on these areas if they wish .
`` This government is a world leader in tackling climate change and we are the first major economy to legislate for net-zero emissions by 2050 .
The Department for Education provides funding to support schools to become more sustainable institutions . ''
A spokesperson said topics related to climate change and sustainability were included in the national curriculum for science and geography , a new environmental science A-level was introduced in 2017 and sustainability will be included in some new T-level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students will learn about renewable energy and energy-efficiency technologies .
The Department for Education also supports energy efficiency through its capital funding programmes , including interest-free loans , the spokesperson said .

In a statement, the government said: "It is vital that pupils are taught about climate change, which is why topics are included across the national curriculum for both primary and secondary schools. Teachers have the freedom to expand on these areas if they wish.


bbcuk--2020-02-24--The Papers: Fury 'gypsy king of the world' and pandemic fears

The spread of coronavirus gets widespread coverage in Monday 's newspapers .
The Guardian highlights a warning from experts that the world is fast approaching a tipping point - with the disease outpacing efforts to contain it .
The Daily Telegraph also reports on fears of a pandemic , and says the four most recent British nationals to test positive for the virus have been transferred to three specialist treatment centres .
The Financial Times focuses on the control measures introduced in Italy where at least 10 towns are in lockdown in the biggest outbreak outside Asia .
It carries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a face mask alongside revellers in full costume at the Venice carnival , which had to be cut short .
Bloomberg accuses Italy of `` operating in near panic mode '' .
The Metro front page headlines what it calls a `` coronavirus race assault '' .
It explains that a woman was knocked unconscious after standing up for her Chinese friend who was being racially abused about the outbreak .
The Daily Mail leads on a plan to train nurses to perform surgical procedures under what it describes as `` a radical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Get news from the BBC in your inbox , each weekday morning It says nurses will be urged to take a two-year course to help ease the workload of surgeons .
Once qualified , the nurses will be able to remove hernias , benign cysts and some skin cancers .
The Mail says critics have called it `` a sticking-plaster solution '' to a very serious staffing problem .
Buzzfeed reports the civil service is rewriting its HR rules to `` rein in '' No 10 and the prime minister 's chief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the move follows a claim from Mr Cummings that anyone suffering from `` personal crises '' such as stress or a bereavement should leave their jobs .
The website reproduces a job advert for the lead official on special advisers ' HR policy .
Buzzfeed says it has been told by a senior Whitehall official that the role was created in response to `` high-level concerns '' about the treatment of special advisers by No 10 .
The article does not include any response from Mr Cummings or Downing Street .
The Daily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surrounded by chickens in a packed shed in Georgia in the US .
It describes the conditions the birds are reared in as `` horrifying '' , even before they are killed and washed in chlorine .
The paper is one of several to report that Environment Secretary George Eustice has refused to rule out the import of US chicken in a future trade deal .
And many of the papers are celebrating Tyson Fury 's exceptional win over US boxer Deontay Wilder - to become the WBC world heavyweight boxing champion .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the gypsy king beat his demons as well as his opponent - and predicts he will get his `` mighty hands '' on more than £100m over the next 12 months .
The Daily Express highlights the role of Fury 's wife , Paris , in what it calls her husband 's `` remarkable journey '' from having depression to being king of the ring - or , as the Metro dubs him , `` gypsy king of the world '' .
The Telegraph 's editorial says there are few redemption stories that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at one point plunged into depression , contemplated suicide and ballooned to 28 stone ( 178kg ) .
It concludes : `` Rocky does n't even come close '' .

Buzzfeed says it has been told by a senior Whitehall official that the role was created in response to "high-level concerns" about the treatment of special advisers by No 10. The article does not include any response from Mr Cummings or Downing Street.


bbcuk--2020-02-24--North East snow: County Durham schools closed and roads chaos

Dozens of schools have closed and there are chaotic scenes on the roads after heavy snow hit north-east England .
The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for snow and rain until midday on Monday .
Schools across County Durham have closed and there is major congestion on the A1 in North Yorkshire and A19 between Sunderland and Hartlepool .
A number of roads in Cumbria were also said to be impassable , while at least 35 schools in the county were closed .
The A66 between Scotch Corner and Penrith is closed , with stretches expected to remain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closed slip roads on the A1 at Scotch Corner and Catterick after several vehicles got stuck .
The A19 near Peterlee has also been affected by heavy smoke from a fire at a unit on the South West Industrial Estate .
Schools in Teesdale and Weardale are closed , along with several others across County Durham .
Ross Harper , in Evenwood near Bishop Auckland , said his children were due back in school after their half-term holidays .
`` The kids will be gutted , '' he said after the snow closed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will turn into rain as the day progresses , with winds picking up later on Monday .
County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service is urging motorists to take care and follow advice on driving in snow .
Tips include using lights , leaving large gaps between vehicles , and avoiding harsh braking , acceleration and steering .
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bbcuk--2020-02-24--Primary school evacuated after major fire

A primary school in the Highlands has been evacuated after a fire broke out within the building .
All children @ @ @ @ @ in Invergordon are safe , Highland Council said .
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service @ @ @ @ @ blaze as `` well developed '' and `` large '' .
Seven SFRS appliances and @ @ @ @ @ at the scene as firefighters worked to bring the fire under control .
Emergency services @ @ @ @ @ at about 10:00 .
Highland Council said all children and staff were safe and well @ @ @ @ @ for at Invergordon Academy while awaiting collection by parents .

She added: "We appreciate that this has been a traumatic event for the children and staff and we will be putting the necessary support in place for anyone who needs it."


bbcuk--2020-02-24--Weather warning: Snow affects travel and schools

Sleet and snowfall has affected travel in parts of Northern Ireland as a yellow weather warning remains in place .
The Met Office alert came into effect at midnight on Sunday , with temperatures dropping to freezing .
The warning lasted until midday on Monday .
Dozens of schools are closed across Northern Ireland due to the weather .
You can see the full list here .
In Dungannon , County Tyrone , all Ulsterbus services have been cancelled until further notice due to heavy snow .
Some services in Belfast have also been affected .
You can see a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Roads Service has said that all roads are open , but there are : • Reports of lorries stuck in snow at the bottom of the Glenshane Pass , causing long tailbacks heading south towards the Castledawson roundabout • Conditions treacherous on the Coleraine to Limavady mountain road • Treacherous conditions in the Glenelly Valley due to snow • Flooding in many areas , including the A20 between Newtownards and Portaferry and the Killybracken Road , south of Dungannon Michael O'Kane , from the Roads Service , said counties Antrim , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the worst affected , with 10cm of snow in areas of high ground such as the Sperrin Mountains and Glenshane Pass .
Mr O'Kane said that , since Sunday evening , 300 members of staff were working to keep roads open , aided by external contractors .
`` The next challenge is that the ground is saturated - whenever the snow starts to thaw , it will start to run off and into our roads , '' he said .
`` So there could be localised flooding .
`` We have had reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saturated ground and heavy snow falling on trees . ''
The Met Office predicted snowfall of up to 10cm on land above 200m and snowfall of up to five cm on areas above 100m .


bbcuk--2020-02-24--Flooding: 'Cry of pain' plea to help £180m valleys bill estimate

A `` cry of pain '' to help `` one of the country 's poorest areas '' with its £180m bill estimate to recover from flooding has been issued to the UK government .
It has been warned school budgets could be affected if Wales has to foot the bill to repair the south Wales valleys after Storm Dennis ' `` devastation '' .
Local MP Chris Bryant said Wales paying alone may `` wipe out Welsh Government 's capital budget '' just in the Rhondda .
The UK government said it had been communicating with Welsh ministers .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alerts in place across Wales .
The Environment Agency said 40-50mm of rain had fallen over the Welsh mountains , and it was expected to cause problems further down the River Severn .
• Call for UK cash to fund flood relief in Wales The centre of Rhondda Cynon Taff 's county town Pontypridd was left under water after the River Taff burst its banks last Sunday and thousands were affected around the county by widespread flooding .
Key roads and rail lines remain shut , and former valleys coal tip sites are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Footage of a landslip on a steep slag heap at Tylorstown has worried Rhondda Cynon Taf council chiefs so much that they are physically monitoring former coal sites in the county 24 hours a day .
The Welsh Government has pledged £10m to help towns like Pontypridd and Monmouth which were badly hit after nearby rivers burst their banks after their water hit record levels .
Now Welsh politicians have called on the new chancellor for a one-off grant of £30m to help pay for repair and restoration work across Rhondda Cynon Taff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they also want council tax and business rates suspended for a year in affected properties .
Council chiefs estimate £30m of infrastructure damage in Rhondda Cynon Taff alone - with the bill for private properties across the county `` likely to run to nearly £150m pounds , '' according to RCT council leader Andrew Morgan .
The Welsh Government funds flood defences , flood clear-ups and funding to local authorities but tax relief is a UK government call .
`` Wales took the brunt of the force of this storm and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ financial resources in one of the poorest areas of the country , '' Mr Bryant , the Rhondda MP , told BBC Radio Wales .
`` In the normal course of things this would be funded by the Welsh Government .
But you would be wiping out the entire capital allocation just by dealing with the problems in Rhondda Cynon Taff .
That would mean no other work on things like schools for example .
`` They have announced lots of extra money in England but there is n't a single consequential penny @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit part of the UK .
`` The whole point of the 'United Kingdom ' is that if one part of the UK suffers then the whole of the United Kingdom should step in to help . ''
Mr Bryant added he thinks Westminster `` is open to the idea '' for extra funding but wants the UK government to `` step up '' .
If you 've been flooded , you want help .
You do n't really care where it comes from .
Being flooded is traumatic and it takes time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Labour heartlands , if people feel they 've been abandoned there could be a backlash in the assembly elections next May .
The politicians who wrote the letter to the chancellor want extra money from the UK government .
But a lot of what they 're asking for is legally the responsibility of the Welsh Government .
The UK government has promised extra money to flooded local authorities in England because they are responsible for funding councils there .
In Wales , local councils are funded by the Welsh Government which has promised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with more to come .
Reserves exist for emergencies , should the Welsh Government use theirs to shoulder the full cost ?
Or is this an extraordinary situation , where the UK Government should step in ?
In politics , the answer to the question `` Who pays ? ''
is never straightforward .
• Can more be done to combat flooding ?
• Why Wales is prone to landslides About 550 homes were flooded across the county and Rhondda council bosses say they `` currently have 50 families in temporary accommodation '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just something we have n't seen on this scale before , '' Mr Morgan told BBC Radio Wales .
`` A lot of families do n't have insurance and some businesses are being told by their insurance companies they are n't covered .
`` Unless we have additional support families will be out of their homes for sometime , businesses could fold and people could lose their jobs . ''
Crowdfunding pages have already raised thousands for the flood-hit communities and a Valley Aid fundraising concert has been announced for next month , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bradfield and Grammy award winner Amy Wadge will headline .
Film star Michael Sheen and Pontypridd MP Alex Davies-Jones have between them raised more than £80,000 in online campaigns .
A UK government spokesperson said : `` Whilst flood defences and the response to flooding in Wales are devolved , we will continue to engage with and support the Welsh Government on flood relief and coal tip safety . ''
What 's happening in other parts of Wales ?
A full Powys council meeting on Friday will reveal what the cost of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and what can be done to help those affected .
Councillor John Morris , who represents Crickhowell - one of the hardest hit areas of the county - said : `` In my area alone over 30 residential properties were affected and about the same number of businesses .
`` This includes the Elvicta Trading Estate on the outskirts of Crickhowell with its 20 or so businesses and is a major employer in the area . ''
Caereinion High School near Welshpool , Powys , closed on Monday because flooded roads are preventing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Meanwhile , running water to a town marooned by flooding has been restored after almost a week without supply on Monday .
Tankers and bottled water had supplied residents in Monmouth after the town 's Mayhill treatment works was shut after becoming submerged after the Rivers Monnow and Wye burst their banks .


bbcuk--2020-02-25--Poorest women's life expectancy declines, finds report

Life expectancy among women living in the poorest communities in England has declined since 2011 , says a report warning of growing health inequalities .
Overall , life expectancy growth has stalled over the past decade - for the first time in 100 years .
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said there was `` still much more to do '' .
The largest decreases were seen in the most deprived areas of north-east England , while the biggest increases were in the richest parts of London .
Similar trends can be seen right across the UK , the report said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marmot , one of the country 's leading experts on health inequalities , comes 10 years after he first published data on the growing gap between rich and poor , and between north and south , in England .
This follow-up report , after a decade of austerity , finds the picture has got worse .
• stalling life expectancy for men and women in England since 2010 • the more deprived the area , the shorter the life expectancy • among women in the poorest 10 % of areas , life expectancy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in poorer areas spend more of their lives in ill health than those in affluent areas • the amount of time people spend in poor health has gone up across England since 2010 • cuts in funding in deprived areas and areas outside London were larger and affected those areas more '' England has lost a decade , '' Prof Marmot said , calling the damage to the nation 's health `` shocking '' .
`` If health has stopped improving , that means society has stopped improving . ''
The report , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maintains the widening health inequalities and deteriorating health which have marked the last decade can not just be put down to very cold winters , flu , or problems with the NHS or social care .
Instead , it points the finger at `` social and economic conditions , many of which have shown increased inequalities '' .
Prof Marmot said similar trends can be seen right across the UK , where the slow-down in life expectancy is more obvious than in most European and other high-income countries , apart from the US @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` as a matter of urgency '' and bring the level of deprived areas in the north up to the level of good health enjoyed by people living in London and the south , the report says .
Labour 's shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth described the report as a `` devastating verdict on 10 years of austerity under the Conservatives '' and called for `` urgent action '' by the prime minister .
In a statement , Mr Hancock said : `` There is still much more to do , and our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year investment in the NHS , and world-leading plans to improve children 's health will help ensure every person can lead a long and healthy life . ''
In some cities , like Coventry , projects have been set up to help bring about change , such as a support group for BAME mums and a centre helping people trying to find work by offering advice on CVs and application forms .
For people like Wayne Martin , a cafe providing a decent meal and a chance for families to sit down together @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times .
The Real Junk Food Cafe is somewhere to meet others facing similar challenges .
`` It 's helped me mentally , I mean , because I suffer from depression , '' he said .
`` One of the reasons I first started coming here was because I did n't want to talk to other people - being on my own with three children was kind of hard .
`` So coming here was opening me up a little bit and actually getting me to mix with the people and talk to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gained a sense of community and is now volunteering at the cafe .
The report says some local authorities and communities have been good at tackling health inequalities , and the government now needs to build on these successful examples .
• developing a national strategy for reducing inequalities in health , led by the prime minister • ensure a healthy standard of living for all • invest more in deprived and 'ignored ' areas '' The evidence is clear and the solutions are there - what is needed is the will to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Health Foundation , Dr Jennifer Dixon .
She said child poverty , Sure Start Children 's centres and in-work poverty , were areas that needed immediate investment .
Shirley Cramer CBE , chief executive of the Royal Society for Public Health , said : `` If the new government wants to show it can walk the talk on 'levelling up ' for the regions and groups that have been left behind , it must begin by paying more than mere lip service to the reality of the deep and entrenched health @ @ @ @ @ @

Shirley Cramer CBE, chief executive of the Royal Society for Public Health, said: "If the new government wants to show it can walk the talk on 'levelling up' for the regions and groups that have been left behind, it must begin by paying more than mere lip service to the reality of the deep and entrenched health inequalities across the UK."


bbcuk--2020-02-25--Period poverty: MSPs set to back plans for free sanitary products

MSPs are set to back plans to tackle period poverty by making sanitary products available to all free of charge .
The legislation , put forward by Labour MSP Monica Lennon , is likely to pass its first vote in Holyrood later .
It comes after the Scottish government last week changed its position and pledged to support the bill .
At present tampons , sanitary pads and some resuable products are only funded in schools , colleges and universities .
Ministers had previously opposed Ms Lennon 's proposals , citing worries about deliverability and the estimated £24m annual cost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government 's U-turn means all parties now endorse plans to ensure such products are available free on a universal basis .
Last week ministers said they still had `` significant and very real concerns '' but they would back the Period Products ( Free Provision ) Bill at its first parliamentary stage with a view to making amendments as it progressed through parliament .
Ms Lennon said : `` I 'm thrilled this bill has support from right across civic Scotland , from girl guides , trade unions , anti-poverty charities and many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ experience of period poverty and know what it is like not to have access to products when they need them . ''
The legislation would create a legal duty on the Scottish government to ensure that sanitary products are available free of charge `` for anyone who needs them '' .
It might have proceeded even without SNP backing , with MSPs from Labour , the Conservatives , Greens and Lib Dems all on board .
At St Paul 's High School in Glasgow , there is a scheme where older pupils have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ S1 about periods and period poverty .
`` Period poverty means that girls ca n't afford to buy sanitary products , '' one pupil , Caitlin , told BBC Scotland .
With average periods lasting about five days , it can cost up to £8 a month for tampons and pads .
Xena said the expense meant some girls have to use items like tissues or socks to stem the flow of blood .
`` This means that some girls are feart to come to school and do n't want to leave the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pupil , Amy .
Like all schools in Scotland , free period products have been available in the toilets at St Paul 's High School since the 2018/19 academic year .
The move came after a survey of more than 2,000 people by Young Scot found that about one in four respondents at school , college or university in Scotland had struggled to access sanitary products .
Meanwhile about 12 % of respondents to research by Plan International said they have had to `` improvise sanitary wear '' .
`` It 's a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they should be able to access free sanitary products , '' Amy said .
`` It 's not like it is a luxury item or anything .
We need them . ''

Ms Lennon said she was "thrilled" to have support "from right across civic Scotland, from girl guides, trade unions, anti-poverty charities and many individuals who have had their own lived experience of period poverty and know what it is like not to have access to products when they need them".


bbcuk--2020-02-25--Cardiff woman wins £400k in DWP race discrimination row

The Department for Work and Pensions has been ordered to pay out nearly £400,000 after a Cardiff woman won her claim for race and age discrimination .
Anne Giwa-Amu told the BBC the department was `` promoting a culture of racism '' .
The judge in her tribunal case said she had been a victim of deliberate and intended harassment by DWP staff .
The department said racism is unacceptable and it takes the judgment `` very seriously '' .
Anne Giwa-Amu , 59 , who is mixed Nigerian and Welsh , joined the DWP branch in Caerphilly as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying without success to start a small business .
She was the only non-white recruit and only trainee over the age of 50 in her cohort , according to documents from Cardiff Magistrates ' Court seen by BBC News .
Judge Howden-Evans said DWP staff had deliberately created a `` hostile environment '' for Ms Giwa-Amu and has ordered the department to pay out more than £386,000 in compensation .
This includes £42,800 for injury to feelings , which is awarded in the `` most serious '' cases where there has been a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comes as a relief after what has been a harrowing experience for three years , '' Ms Giwa-Amu told the BBC .
`` I 've had to experience real financial hardship and the perpetrators were promoted despite how they had treated me . ''
A DWP official had violated her dignity by using racist language such as `` Paki-lover '' in her presence , the court found .
Another had further humiliated and discriminated against Ms Giwa-Amu by loudly laughing and telling her cohort he had `` touched her bum '' .
Officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stealing ice-cream , sprayed body-spray on themselves while next to her , and breached her confidence after she reported feeling `` bullied '' .
Ms Giwa-Amu went on sick leave in March 2017 and was unlawfully dismissed in October that year for being unable to return to work , the court found .
She had been living off £55 a week and later had no money for food after her final pay cheque was withheld .
Ms Giwa-Amu told the BBC she has since been living with `` immense stress and anxiety '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paying lip service to the equality legislation , '' she said .
`` By protecting offenders , they are promoting a culture of racism . ''
The DWP has been ordered to contact the Equality and Human Rights Commission for diversity awareness training and its permanent secretary , Peter Schofield , must directly review her case .
Ms Giwa-Amu 's solicitor , Lawrence Davies from Equal Justice , said DWP staff had `` set out to destroy the confidence and wellbeing of a black employee with their appalling conduct '' .
`` None @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disciplined and some have been promoted , '' he said .
`` Given that the DWP serves a high level of ethnic minority claimants , the presence of prejudice in the state benefits system is of grave concern . ''
In a statement , the DWP said : `` Racism is totally unacceptable and action will be taken against any staff found to be expressing such views .
`` We take the judgment and the circumstances of this case very seriously . ''

She was the only non-white recruit and only trainee over the age of 50 in her cohort, according to documents from Cardiff Magistrates' Court seen by BBC News.


bbcuk--2020-02-25--Young drivers 'let down over insurance app faults'

Young people are being threatened with having their car insurance cancelled due to faults with an app that aims to make policies more affordable , the BBC has been told .
Carrot Insurance uses phone data to measure journey length , acceleration and braking - but some say it often fails to work or wrongly records data .
Tory MP Craig Tracey questioned whether it was `` fit for purpose '' .
Carrot said it was `` extremely sorry '' some had had a `` poor experience '' .
It said `` for the vast majority '' of young people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ premiums and to improve their driving safety .
Carrot Insurance describes its Better Driver app as `` a clever bit of technology which uses 'telematics ' to measure acceleration , braking , swerving , and the number and length of journeys that you make '' .
Users can then be rewarded for good driving .
The premise is to help lower car insurance for younger people - who traditionally pay higher prices , as they are considered more at risk of an accident .
Most telematics services run from a black box , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a car , that records data when it is being driven .
But Carrot Insurance 's Better Driver policy relies solely on GPS and Bluetooth - and requires a WiFi or data connection .
More than 20 young people have told the BBC 's Victoria Derbyshire programme they have had issues with the app - in some cases causing them to have their insurance cancelled , or end the policy themselves .
Separate individuals have told the BBC the app had recorded them as driving while they were actually cycling or on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was marked as speeding , which Carrot said `` can occur in some very rare instances when customers pair their phone to an additional Bluetooth device '' .
One woman , 28-year-old Jess , said Carrot cancelled her policy in December 2018 because she was not using the app - which she said was not working properly .
`` In the end I lost two years no claims discount , '' she told the BBC .
`` I have a new policy now but declaring the cancellation meant it cost me £1,600 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` all those customers '' to which the BBC had alerted them .
Others have told the BBC their journeys had not been recorded properly by the app .
Layla , 22 , said after the app was updated in December , it stopped working .
`` [ Carrot ] emailed me to say : 'If you do not connect the app to your car , your insurance will be cancelled , ' '' she said .
`` Then I was , 'Oh my god ' , panicking . ''
Carrot said that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , `` Layla began to record journeys accurately , as expected '' .
Georgia , a 22-year-old barista from Leicester , said she had been `` fighting with Carrot back and forth to try and make sure they did n't cancel my policy '' , after the app `` started to play up '' .
Carrot said it was `` actively looking to resolve '' the matter with Georgia .
Conservative MP Craig Tracey , who chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Insurance and Financial Services , said it was good that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faced to get affordable insurance .
But , he said , while some technological advances had been `` really , really positive '' , there was a need to ensure that regulation kept up .
`` It seems like the technology [ in the case of Carrot Insurance ] is not working , is not fit for purpose .
So it really needs to be looked at .
`` There 's a glitch somewhere along the line , '' he said .
He called on the Financial Conduct Authority ( FCA ) to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BBC that for the second half of 2018 , Carrot Insurance had the most complaints relative to the size of the company .
Carrot Insurance said in a statement when the issue with its app `` became apparent in April 2019 we acted as quickly as possible to put things right and prevent anyone else experiencing similar problems or being disadvantaged in any way .
`` We are continually developing and improving our technology to provide the best possible products and services for our customers . ''
Follow the BBC 's Victoria Derbyshire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see more of our stories here .

Carrot Insurance said in a statement when the issue with its app "became apparent in April 2019 we acted as quickly as possible to put things right and prevent anyone else experiencing similar problems or being disadvantaged in any way.


bbcuk--2020-02-24--Extremist neo-Nazi group to be banned under terror laws

Joining the far-right group Sonnenkrieg Divison is set to become illegal , under a proscription order to be put to MPs .
The order would also label two other groups aliases of another proscribed organisation - the Kurdistan Workers ' Party ( PKK ) .
Laws due to come into effect on Tuesday will also recognise System Resistance Network as an alias of the already banned neo-Nazi group National Action .
Membership of the groups could result in a 10 year prison sentence .
Home Secretary Priti Patel said : `` Recent attacks here and in Germany have highlighted the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extremism .
`` By proscribing these groups we are making it much harder for them to spread their hateful rhetoric . ''
In June 2019 , two members of the Sonnenkrieg Division - Michal Szewczuk and Oskar Dunn-Koczorowski - were jailed after encouraging an attack on Prince Harry for marrying a woman of mixed race .
Sonnenkrieg Division emerged from a split in the System Resistance Network , which itself will be proscribed on Tuesday as an alias of National Action .
Both the groups were small when at their height and have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extent that some may question whether this move is now necessary .
However , their ideologies and propaganda were openly terroristic , with Sonnenkrieg - formed as a European version of a militant American organisation - possibly the most extreme neo-Nazi group ever seen in the UK .
Banning them will give the authorities greater power to investigate individual members and tackle any future iteration of the organisations that are yet to appear .
The decision to ban membership of the organisation was taken following a meeting of the Proscription Review Group .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to parliamentary approval - also proposes treating the groups - Teyre Azadiye Kurdistan ( TAK ) and Hezen Parastina Gel ( HPG ) - as aliases for the PKK .
The PKK already appears on the Home Office 's Proscribed Terrorist Organisation list .
According to a House of Commons Library report , the PKK `` does not have any overt representation in the UK but operates covertly and has some support among the Kurdish community '' .

Both the groups were small when at their height and have been severely disrupted since - to the extent that some may question whether this move is now necessary.


bbcuk--2020-02-25--Call for 'date rape' drug GHB to be reclassified

A mother whose son was found dead with high levels of the drug GHB in his system is calling for the drug to be reclassified .
Donna O'Halloran 's son David disappeared after a night out in Stirling city centre in January 2013 .
The body of the 18-year-old mathematics student was found three months later in a wooded area above Bridge of Allan .
Toxicology tests showed he had high levels of GHB - a class C drug - in his system .
His mother , who believes his drink was spiked , wants the drug to be reclassified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ authorities have been unable to establish whether his drink was spiked or he was taking the drug recreationally .
While one use of GHB ( gamma-hydroxybutyrate ) is as a popular party drug , it is also often referred to as a date rape drug .
The nature of the drug - it is a clear , odourless liquid - makes it very easy for recreational users to accidentally overdose .
This is because there 's only a very small difference between causing the desired effects and having a severe overdose .
Ms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Radio Scotland 's Drivetime with John Beattie programme , she wanted to see the drug reclassified .
`` It 's lethal .
Why is it only a class C ?
Why is n't it a class A ? ''
she said .
`` It kills .
It not only kills , but it destroys people 's lives ...
It 's a horrendous crime . ''
Although it is sometimes referred to as a date rape drug , GHB ( gamma-hydroxybutyrate ) is also used recreationally and consensually - often as a party drug @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used to enhance sex .
GHB is a separate but almost identical drug to GBL ( gamma-butyrolactone ) , a substance sold legally as an industrial solvent but which becomes GHB once it enters the body .
Together the drugs are known as `` G '' , and both come in the form of a clear , odourless , oily liquid that is diluted in soft drinks and swallowed .
If taken in the right dose for recreational use , it can give users a feeling of euphoria and can increase their sex @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fraction , even less than a millilitre , can be fatal .
Overdosing on G - which is particularly easy when it is mixed with alcohol or other drugs , and when the strength in bottles varies - can make people incoherent , suffer convulsions , lose consciousness and stop breathing altogether .
New statistics showing a rise in the number of cases where drugs ( not specifically GHB ) are administered for sexual purposes - i.e .
as a date rape drug .
The figures , obtained through a Freedom of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a rise in the number of crimes recorded in Scotland , from one in 2015 to 20 last year .
Although the numbers are small , experts in the field say this type of crime is `` massively under reported '' .
Alex Feis-Bryce , the chief executive of Survivors UK , said it was not clear whether the rise in cases was due to rising numbers of sexual assaults or whether it was down to an increase in the proportion of offences being reported , adding : `` The police data is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the iceberg . ''

Alex Feis-Bryce, the chief executive of Survivors UK, said it was not clear whether the rise in cases was due to rising numbers of sexual assaults or whether it was down to an increase in the proportion of offences being reported, adding: "The police data is likely to be just the tip of the iceberg."


bbcuk--2020-02-24--Coronavirus: UK 'well prepared' to deal with cases, says government

The UK is `` well prepared '' to deal with coronavirus cases and the risk to individuals `` remains low '' , the government has said .
Downing Street said 99 % of those tested in the UK had come back negative .
The total number of cases in the UK has risen to 13 after four cruise ship passengers flown back to Britain on Saturday tested positive for the virus .
It comes amid growing fears the outbreak could reach pandemic scale as more cases emerge around the world .
A total of 6,536 coronavirus tests have been conducted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Monday , with 6,527 returning as negative , the Department of Health said .
Italy has the largest number of coronavirus cases in Europe , currently 165 , and has reported its fifth death from the virus .
It has taken tough measures to try and contain the outbreak , including enforcing a lockdown in several small towns in the Lombardy and Veneto regions .
• Four new UK coronavirus cases among ship evacuees Asked whether similar measures could be imposed in the UK , the prime minister 's official spokesman said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the advice from public health and medical experts and will take steps which they feel are required to best protect the British public . ''
The risk to individuals `` remains low '' and 99 % of those tested in the UK had come back negative , the spokesman added .
He said : `` We are well prepared for UK cases , we are using tried and tested procedures to prevent further spread and the NHS is extremely well prepared and used to managing infections . ''
The government will continue to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Health Organization and international partners , and `` remain prepared for all eventualities '' , he said .
So far , the Department of Health and Public Health England have taken a number of measures to deal with the outbreak , which include : • The NHS putting specialist teams in every ambulance service and some hospital units • Coronavirus diagnostic tests being rolled out to laboratories across the UK , to allow more than 1,000 people a day to be tested • The Foreign Office carrying out `` enhanced monitoring '' of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Thailand , Japan , South Korea , Hong Kong , Taiwan , Singapore , Malaysia and Macau • New legal powers being issued to allow the government to keep people suspected of having the virus in isolation The Foreign Office updated its travel advice for Italy over the weekend , the spokesman added .
Ireland 's Department of Foreign Affairs has advised its citizens not to travel to affected areas of Italy .
Meanwhile , rugby matches in Italy involving Welsh club Ospreys and Irish side Ulster have been postponed due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outbreak in Italy .
Plans are being made to reschedule both fixtures , which were due to take place on Saturday .
The UK has supplied equipment including facemasks to China to help combat the spread of the disease , the spokesman confirmed .
`` We have supplied [ the Chinese government ] with 1,800 goggles , 430,000 disposable gloves , 194,000 sanitising wipes , 37,500 medical gowns and 2,500 facemasks , '' he said .
What you need to know about coronavirus What are the symptoms ?
The main signs of infection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a cough as well as shortness of breath and breathing difficulties .
What should I do ?
Frequent handwashing with soap or gel , avoiding close contact with people who are ill and not touching your eyes , nose and mouth with unwashed hands can help cut the risk of infection .
Catching coughs and sneezes in a tissue , binning it and washing your hands can minimise the risk of spreading disease .
Anyone experiencing symptoms , even if mild , after travelling from mainland China , Thailand , Japan , Republic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Singapore , Malaysia or Macau , is advised to stay indoors and call the NHS 111 phone service .
What is the government doing ?
The main focus is on rapidly identifying people with the disease and taking them to specialist hospitals for treatment in isolation .
They are then tracing anybody who has come into close contact with the patient to make sure they know the signs of the disease and what to do .
The total number of UK cases has risen to 13 after four cruise ship passengers flown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus .
They were among 30 repatriated Britons and two Irish citizens beginning a 14-day quarantine at Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral .
The four UK nationals caught the virus on the Diamond Princess liner in Japan and are being treated in specialist NHS infection centres .
Separately , four Britons from the ship who recently tested positive for the new coronavirus were not on Saturday 's repatriation flight .
They included David and Sally Abel , from Northamptonshire , who have since been diagnosed with pneumonia , according to their family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital .
Elsewhere , countries including South Korea , Italy and Iran are battling to contain the virus , which causes respiratory disease Covid-19 .
About 77,000 people in China , where the virus emerged last year , have been infected and nearly 2,600 have died .
More than 1,200 cases have been confirmed in about 30 other countries and there have been more than 20 deaths .

Asked whether similar measures could be imposed in the UK, the prime minister's official spokesman said: "We will be led by the advice from public health and medical experts and will take steps which they feel are required to best protect the British public."


bbcuk--2020-02-24--Ed Sheeran ticket touts jailed in 'landmark' Leeds case

Two internet ticket touts who re-sold tickets worth millions of pounds for events including Ed Sheeran and Adele concerts have been jailed .
Peter Hunter and David Smith traded as Ticket Wiz and BZZ .
Over five years BZZ sold tickets for £9.3m more than it paid for them , Leeds Crown Court heard .
Sheeran 's manager Stuart Camp gave evidence after £75 seats for a charity gig were spotted on sale for £7,000 .
Hunter was jailed for four years and Smith for two and a half years .
It was described by National Trading Standards as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first successful prosecution against a company fraudulently reselling tickets on a large scale '' .
Sentencing the pair , Judge Mushtaq Khokhar said : `` This was a case of sustained dishonesty for a number of years .
`` A lot of people in this case paid a lot more than they could have paid . ''
In one year , Peter Hunter and David Smith , who are married , bought more than 750 tickets for Sheeran events alone .
They used multiple identities and computer robots to buy tickets , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ticketing websites , including Viagogo , GetMein , StubHub and Seatwave .
Hunter told the jury how he started his business when a friend without a credit card asked him to buy tickets to see Madonna and he realised he could re-sell extra purchases at a huge profit .
When their home was raided , investigators found 112 different payment cards in 37 names .
The couple used at least 97 different names , 88 postal addresses and more than 290 email addresses to evade platform restrictions .
Hunter , 51 , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , north London , claimed they were a trusted and reliable source of tickets .
The jury found them guilty of three counts of fraudulent trading and one of possessing articles for fraud .
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Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news @ bbc.co.uk .

Hunter told the jury how he started his business when a friend without a credit card asked him to buy tickets to see Madonna and he realised he could re-sell extra purchases at a huge profit.


bbcuk--2020-02-24--Yorkshire Tea 'shocked' by backlash over Rishi Sunak photo

Yorkshire Tea has urged social media users to `` try to be kind '' after the popular brand became embroiled in a row involving a leading Tory politician .
Chancellor Rishi Sunak posted a picture on Friday of him appearing to make a huge tea round for his Treasury staff .
The Twitter image led to calls by some on the left for a boycott of the brand .
The company said it had been `` pretty shocked '' by the outcry , reminding people that Jeremy Corbyn had also posed with its products in 2017 .
Over the last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from a regional blend found in Yorkshire shops to one of the UK 's most successful exports , being sold as far afield as Australia and China .
But it said it had had a `` rough weekend '' after Mr Sunak posted an image on Friday of him holding a bumper pack of 1,040 tea bags .
The Chancellor of the Exchequer , who represents the North Yorkshire seat of Richmond , said he was `` making tea for the team '' as he took a quick break from preparations for his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Yorkshire Tea , which is owned by Taylors of Harrogate , was quick to make clear on Friday that it had had nothing to do with the photo and had not been told in advance by the chancellor 's team that he would associate himself with their brand .
In an impassioned thread on Monday , the firm said it had spent `` the last three days answering furious accusations and boycott calls '' .
A member of the firm 's social media team put the avalanche of criticism it has received @ @ @ @ @ @ @ easier to be on the receiving end of this as a brand than as an individual '' .
But they urged people to remember that the company had a human as well as a corporate face .
Mr Sunak is not the first politician to suggest their endeavours would be helped by pausing for a cuppa .
During a visit to York in 2017 , Mr Corbyn said he would be happy to discuss climate change and other issues over a pot of Yorkshire Tea with Donald Trump if he ever made it @ @ @ @

But it said it had had a "rough weekend" after Mr Sunak posted an image on Friday of him holding a bumper pack of 1,040 tea bags. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, who represents the North Yorkshire seat of Richmond, said he was "making tea for the team" as he took a quick break from preparations for his Budget in just over two weeks time.


bbcuk--2020-02-24--Luke Evans praises Swansea hospital after dad's accident

Actor Luke Evans has praised hospital staff who saved his father 's hand after an accident with a circular saw .
In an Instagram video Evans described how his father , David Evans , had `` sliced his hand open '' with the tool .
He praised the `` amazing '' staff at Morriston Hospital in Swansea who operated on his father .
Beauty and the Beast star Evans , who was brought up in Aberbargoed , said the incident happened on Friday in the garden of his parents ' home .
In the video , posted on Monday evening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago my dad had an accident in his garden , chopping , slicing wood on a circular saw .
It was very bad , he sliced his hand open .
`` It was a terrible accident and he almost lost his fingers . ''
He added : `` It took five hours of microsurgery by one of the most incredible people I have ever met .
`` What he did to my dad 's hand is extraordinary . ''
The star said his family were looked after by `` very kind people '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' .
`` Nurses , carers , porters , surgeons , anaesthetists , all of which had already worked a very long day when we arrived , '' he said .
Evans said the surgeon finished after midnight and `` came out with a smile on his face and time to give me and my mum all the time to explain what had happened to my dad '' .
`` My dad has been looked after so well by everybody in that hospital and I just wanted to say how lucky I feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a health service that allows my dad to be treated for all these things , and it has n't needed health insurance or anything , it is just there for us .
`` We are a very lucky nation , '' he said .

"My dad has been looked after so well by everybody in that hospital and I just wanted to say how lucky I feel and how grateful I am to have a health service that allows my dad to be treated for all these things, and it hasn't needed health insurance or anything, it is just there for us.


bbcuk--2020-02-24--Winsford shooting: Woman dead and man in custody

A murder inquiry is under way after a woman was shot dead in Somerset .
The woman in her 50s was found injured outside a home in the Exmoor village of Winsford on Saturday .
She was treated at the scene but later died .
A 67-year-old man was found in an outbuilding with shotgun injuries at about 14:30 GMT and was airlifted to hospital in Devon .
Avon and Somerset Police said the man was in a critical but stable condition and he remains in custody .
A post-mortem examination has been carried out on the woman and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shotgun injuries .
Formal identification has not yet taken place .
A second woman was found nearby uninjured and was taken to a place of safety .
She was being treated as a key witness , police said .
Det Supt Julie Mackay , of the Major Crime Investigation Team said : `` Due to prior police contact with those involved , a mandatory referral has been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
`` She added : `` It would be inappropriate for us to go into further details while the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liaison officers have been sent to support the next of kin .
The area remains cordoned off so further forensic inquiries and searches can take place over the next few days .

A post-mortem examination has been carried out on the woman and the cause of death has been confirmed as shotgun injuries. Formal identification has not yet taken place.


bbcuk--2020-02-24--Snow: Showers bring disruption to England and Scotland

Heavy snow has hit north-east England and the Scottish Borders , causing school closures and disruption on the roads .
@ @ @ @ @ closed and there was major congestion on the A1 in North Yorkshire and A19 between @ @ @ @ @ number of roads in Cumbria were also said to be impassable , while at least @ @ @ @ @ were closed .
Amid the disruption , photographers captured snowy scenes of the wintry landscape @

A number of roads in Cumbria were also said to be impassable, while at least 35 schools in the county were closed.


bbcuk--2020-02-24--Inside the Middlesbrough clinic where heroin users get a 'last chance'

Sitting in one of four booths , looking at himself in the mirror under a bright light , James injects himself with diamorphine - pharmaceutical heroin .
He was in a young offenders institution when a cellmate gave him heroin for the first time .
James says he was told it was `` just like '' marijuana .
He had no idea he 'd still be hooked on opiates more than two decades on .
Now in his early 40s , he is one of the first people in the UK to receive heroin at a clinic .
It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drug deaths rose 16 % in 2018 to their highest level since 1993 .
Before he joined the scheme , he says he was told : `` Listen , you either sort your head out now , or you let someone else come in and take the chance . ''
He takes one dose in the morning , and another in the afternoon .
It is the first time he has been off street drugs since becoming addicted in 1996 .
`` Before you would use the same syringe more than once .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ legs , '' James says .
`` This , it 's clean every single time .
There 's nothing mixed in with it either .
You look back now and think , ' I ca n't believe what I did do to get by ' . ''
Injecting is `` an intimate act '' , according to Danny Ahmed of Foundations Medical Practice , which hosts the clinic , but patients `` quickly become comfortable '' using drugs under supervision .
Passionate about improving the `` medieval life expectancy '' for heroin users @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not only continue to operate , but that others will open around the country , offering the `` life-changing '' effects that his patients say they have experienced .
The Middlesbrough clinic , the UK 's first , according to Cleveland 's Police and Crime Commissioner ( PCC ) Barry Coppinger , opened in October .
Diamorphine treatment also became available in Glasgow shortly after .
Oscar Wilde described opium dens `` where one could buy oblivion '' in his 1891 novel The Picture of Dorian Gray .
After World War One , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of drug use by returning soldiers .
The Dangerous Drugs Act 1920 meant drugs including heroin could only be distributed by licensed individuals , including doctors .
Diamorphine has been prescribed to treat opiate dependence in the UK since the 1920s , although by the late 1960s the approach which saw doctors widely prescribe the drug for addicts was largely phased out .
Today , a licence from the Home Office is needed to prescribe the drug for treating addiction .
The UK is the latest country to offer Heroin Assisted Treatment , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ setting with medical professionals present .
It was introduced in Switzerland in 1994 and is also available in Germany and Canada .
The end result is not sobriety , which Mr Ahmed says is simply not an option for some , but a less chaotic existence .
`` The medication does what we hope - it helps people stabilise .
That 's been the key .
It 's allowed people a structure - that is then giving them a platform to explore other issues .
`` For example , we 've had a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who have now got stable accommodation .
We 've got people starting to engage with the mental health team , starting to explore some of the triggers for their substance use . ''
Patients in the clinic beam about building relationships with their families after decades of disruption , and they are proud to test negative for street drugs .
They are also thankful for the `` last chance '' this treatment has given them .
Julie , who is also having treatment at the clinic , told BBC Radio Tees : `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was doing a lot of drugs .
I did n't think this would work .
I ca n't believe how quickly it has worked .
`` This is 100 % my last chance .
I have disrupted my kids ' lives a lot through drugs , but now I 'm doing this and I know I 'm on the right path . ''
The clinic has been part-funded by Mr Coppinger with further money provided by Durham Tees Valley Community Rehabilitation Company and the Tees and Wear Prisons Group .
The police and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a tremendous step forward '' .
`` This is the right thing to do , '' Mr Coppinger has said .
`` There 's strong evidence it can save lives and reduce harm , and we ca n't put a monetary value on that . ''
It costs £12,000 to put somebody through treatment for a year , the clinic says .
James and Julie were among 15 drug users picked to be the first patients , as they were seen as so criminally disruptive in Middlesbrough .
Critics say using public money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but supporters of the scheme say treatment is far cheaper than policing such individuals , who , without a guarantee of heroin , resort to crime in order to pay for their street drugs .
It has been estimated by Mr Coppinger that the crimes of the 15 people using the clinic cost Cleveland Police about £800,000 over a two-year period .
James would wake up , use heroin and then worry about how he would get enough drugs to last the rest of the day .
• Middlesbrough : Where heroin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drug naloxone given out in Middlesbrough '' I 'd open my eyes , I 'd use .
Then I 'd run to the town , steal as much as I could in a bag for life , then get to that door and make sure I got out of that door - no matter who I had to push out of the way , '' he says .
`` I needed at least £40 a day for my addiction , so if I 'm stealing it out of a shop , it has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Every day .
`` I 've stopped doing all that .
I 've actually had security guards say to me they 've noticed the difference . ''
The names of the patients have been changed .
Follow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter , Facebook and Instagram .
Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria @ bbc.co.uk .

"Before you would use the same syringe more than once. It ruins your arms, ruins your legs," James says. "This, it's clean every single time. There's nothing mixed in with it either. You look back now and think, 'I can't believe what I did do to get by'."


bbcuk--2020-02-24--The flooded Shrewsbury garden with swans and ducks

The sofa is raised on bricks , the plug sockets are soaked , and in the 'engulfed ' garden , @ @ @ @ @ up to the window .
For Chris Allen in flooded Shrewsbury on Monday , this @ @ @ @ @ Another foot of water , he said , and `` we 'll really be in @ @ @

The sofa is raised on bricks, the plug sockets are soaked, and in the 'engulfed' garden, swans and ducks swim right up to the window.
For Chris Allen in flooded Shrewsbury on Monday, this was the new normal.
Another foot of water, he said, and "we'll really be in trouble".


bbcuk--2020-02-25--Weinstein legacy: Life after #MeToo

Weinstein legacy: Life after #MeToo

Former film producer Harvey Weinstein has been found guilty of charges of third-degree rape and a criminal sexual act in @ @ @ @ @ was acquitted of the most serious charges against him - of predatory sexual assault and @ @ @ @ @ Weinstein helped build the # MeToo campaign against sexual assault and harassment .
This verdict @ @ @ @ @ after the Me Too movement went viral…which begs the question did it change anything ?
@ @ @ @ @ they ’ ve faced propositions , name-calling and being grabbed all while just trying to @ @ @ @

Former film producer Harvey Weinstein has been found guilty of charges of third-degree rape and a criminal sexual act in the first degree.
He was acquitted of the most serious charges against him - of predatory sexual assault and first-degree rape.
Accusations against Weinstein helped build the #MeToo campaign against sexual assault and harassment.
This verdict comes more than two years after the movement went viral…which begs the question did it change anything?
Women have told the BBC they’ve faced propositions, name-calling and being grabbed all while just trying to do their job.
Video by Megan Fisher.
Read more:


bbcuk--2020-02-25--Behind the scenes of The Prince of Egypt

You could call Scott Schwartz a prince of theatre land .
The American director is the son of Broadway composer @ @ @ @ @ behind Wicked and the animation of The Prince of Egypt .
That 1998 film has @ @ @ @ @ West End stage by the father and son team .
Ahead of the musical 's @ @ @ @ @ the BBC on an exclusive backstage tour of the Dominion theatre in London .

You could call Scott Schwartz a prince of theatre land.
The American director is the son of Broadway composer Stephen Schwartz, the musician behind Wicked and the animation of The Prince of Egypt.
That 1998 film has now been reworked for the West End stage by the father and son team.
Ahead of the musical's opening night, Scott took the BBC on an exclusive backstage tour of the Dominion theatre in London.


bbcuk--2020-02-25--Housing: The Yimbys who want to shake up suburbia

The UK faces an acute housing shortage , with more than 300,000 people on waiting lists for temporary accommodation .
@ @ @ @ @ called London YIMBY ( Yes In My Back Yard ) says it may have part @ @ @ @ @ wants teams of homeowners to get together and initiate their own building developments , especially @ @ @ @ @ can find out more about what can be done to help close the housing gap @ @ @ @ @ BBC Briefing on housing ( 11.2MB ) , and by visiting bbc.co.uk/housing .

The UK faces an acute housing shortage, with more than 300,000 people on waiting lists for temporary accommodation.
But a small pressure group called London YIMBY (Yes In My Back Yard) says it may have part of the solution. It wants teams of homeowners to get together and initiate their own building developments, especially in the suburbs.
Filmed and produced by digital reporter Dougal Shaw
You can find out more about what can be done to help close the housing gap, by downloading the new BBC Briefing on housing (11.2MB), and by visiting bbc.co.uk/housing.


bbcuk--2020-02-24--The Papers: Harvey Weinstein 'locked up at last'

Elsewhere , there are further details on the coronavirus outbreak .
The Times says a World Health Organization warning that @ @ @ @ @ pandemic potential '' has wiped £62bn off the value of the UK 's largest companies @ @ @ @ @ government is likely to advise anyone who has visited Italy in the past two weeks @ @ @ @ @ they have flu-like symptoms , as the country has the highest number of cases in @ @

The Financial Times observes that this was a difficult case for prosecutors: the vast majority of incidents that led to allegations against him had either taken place too long ago to be tried in court, while others fell outside New York's jurisdiction; and some of Weinstein's accusers had had a complex relationship with him.


bbcuk--2020-02-24--World's most expensive sheepdog sells for £18k

A border collie from Northumberland has become the world 's most expensive sheepdog after being sold to an American ranch owner for £18,900 .
Two-and-a-half year-old Megan was sold by shepherdess Emma Gray at an auction in North Yorkshire .
Ms Gray , 33 , who farms and trains sheepdogs near Morpeth , has broken her own record set a year ago , when a similar dog sold for almost £15,000 .
The average price for a working dog is about £2,000 .
Megan will go from herding sheep in the north-east of England to rounding up Wagyu cattle in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ represented England at the World Sheepdog Trials , said she had to double-check the price after the auction in Skipton on Friday .
`` I had to ring the auction and just make sure it was n't a hoax and that I was n't dreaming , '' she said .
`` Afterwards I went to Marks and Spencer and bought Megan some chicken and let her sleep on my pillow . ''
Megan is the offspring of several top-performing trials dogs and has an `` impressive bloodline '' according to Ms Gray , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a time .
`` Megan is the full package .
She 's a really talented little dog and has all the best bloodlines in her , '' she added .
`` It 's really unusual for a dog like her to come on the market .
`` Had circumstances been different I would never have sold her .
`` But I already have two really , really good sheepdogs so I had to make the decision to sell her . ''
Ms Gray , who took on the remote National Trust-owned 150 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years ago , said she had put videos of Megan online hoping to attract interest .
You may also like : She said : `` I 'm really pleased someone has recognised Megan 's value , because I think sometime border collies and sheepdogs are undervalued , considering how talented they are .
`` Herding cattle is not that different to herding sheep .
And to be honest Megan will herd anything . ''
Megan is due to travel to the United States in about three weeks .
Her new owner , Brian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ central Oklahoma , said : `` I have followed the Skipton sale for several years as I used to run border collies here Stateside .
`` I figured it would be the best place available to secure a dog which would meet our needs . ''

She said: "I'm really pleased someone has recognised Megan's value, because I think sometime border collies and sheepdogs are undervalued, considering how talented they are.


bbcuk--2020-02-24--FA guidelines: Children to no longer head footballs during training

Children aged 11 and under will no longer be taught to head footballs during training in England , Scotland and Northern Ireland .
The new football association guidelines for coaches also puts limits on how much heading older children should do .
It follows Glasgow University research that showed former footballers were three-and-a-half times more likely to die from brain disease .
The guidance , which will not yet apply in Wales , will affect training only .
The Football Association of Wales said its guidance for coaches on children heading the ball was currently under review with the findings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In a joint announcement from the FA , Scottish FA and Irish FA , coaches were advised that there should be `` no heading in training in the foundation phase '' - which covers primary school children , or under-11 teams and below .
There are also new rules for age ranges up until 18 , with headers being kept a `` low priority '' and gradually becoming more frequent in training until the age of 16 .
There will be no changes to heading in youth matches , where the FA said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Glasgow study , published in October last year , found that former professional footballers were more likely to die of degenerative brain disease - and five times more likely to die from Parkinson 's disease .
There was no evidence in the study that linked incidences of the disease with heading the ball , but the FA said the new guidance had been issued to `` mitigate against any potential risks '' .
• The heading guidance covers training for all age groups between under-six and under-18 • No heading in training in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) • Headers will gradually get more frequent in training , for example under-12 teams will be limited to one session a month with a maximum of five headers , while under-13 age groups will have one session a week • The rules also advise not to over-inflate the football when introducing heading in training , instead using the lowest pressure allowed • The guidance also sets out required ball sizes for training and matches for each age group FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said : `` This updated heading guidance is an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help coaches and teachers to reduce and remove repetitive and unnecessary heading from youth football .
`` Our research has shown that heading is rare in youth football matches , so this guidance is a responsible development to our grassroots coaching without impacting the enjoyment that children of all ages take from playing the game . ''
Dawn Astle , who has campaigned for changes in rules over headers , told the PA news agency she was `` pleased '' and that it was `` sensible '' following the research .
Ms Astle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at senior level and also played for West Bromwich Albion , died in 2002 from chronic traumatic encephalopathy .
The coroner ruled his death was caused by the repeated heading of footballs .
Ms Astle added that there should now be guidelines for training for footballers aged 18 and over .
But former Tottenham Hotspurs and Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Jamie O'Hara said on Twitter : `` Heading a football is a skill that is essential to becoming a footballer , how do they propose they learn this if [ they 're ] not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Speaking about Monday 's announcement , Scottish FA chief executive Ian Maxwell said Scottish football had a `` duty of care '' to young people and those responsible for their wellbeing .
`` The updated guidelines are designed to help coaches remove repetitive and unnecessary heading from youth football in the earliest years , with a phased introduction at an age group considered most appropriate by our medical experts , '' he said .
Irish FA chief executive Patrick Nelson said : `` Our football committee has reviewed and approved the new guidelines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the right direction of travel and are confident it will be good for the game , and those who play it . ''
Dr Carol Routledge , director of research at Alzheimer 's Research UK , said `` limiting unnecessary heading in children 's football is a practical step that minimises possible risks , ensuring that football remains as safe as possible in all forms '' .
She called for more research `` in order to unpick any link between football and dementia risk but until we know more , making sure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as safely as possible is a sensible approach '' .
Dr Willie Stewart , the consultant neuropathologist who led the University of Glasgow study , said he was `` encouraged '' to see the new guidelines .
He added : `` A lot more research is needed to understand the factors contributing to increased risk of neurodegenerative disease in footballers .
Meanwhile it is sensible to act to reduce exposure to the only recognised risk factor so far . ''
However , Dr Stewart added that he would like to see the new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not just in youth football .
A similar stance , that also includes restrictions during matches , has been in place in the US since 2015 .
The rule change there came after a number of coaches and parents took legal action against the US Soccer Federation .

Irish FA chief executive Patrick Nelson said: "Our football committee has reviewed and approved the new guidelines. As an association we believe this is the right direction of travel and are confident it will be good for the game, and those who play it."


bbcuk--2020-02-24--NI Executive facing shortfall of £600m

NI Executive facing shortfall of £600m

The finance minister has said the NI Executive faces a shortfall of £600m trying to meet the demands of Stormont departments .
This is even without the added strain of commitments made in the New Decade New Approach document .
Conor Murphy confirmed the Stormont budget had been postponed until the end of March , after the Westminster budget has been delivered .
That will give a fuller understanding of what extra funding may be available .
He said the move would present some logistical difficulties but would provide some more certainty .
• Executive to decide date for next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Treasury officials in London later this week to press the Stormont parties ' demands for more cash to meet the commitments made in the deal which restored power-sharing .
`` Whatever comes from the 11 March budget , nine years of austerity has had a serious impact on our public services and undoubtedly the executive is going to continue to be challenged as a consequence of that , '' he said .
He said that the executive wanted to `` match the commitments and make certain of the commitments '' made in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said he would be meeting the Treasury on Thursday .
`` We are told that austerity is at an end and the budget will reflect this , so we are intending to wait and see what comes from that , '' he said .
But , he added that this executive is going to be `` challenged '' .

"Whatever comes from the 11 March budget, nine years of austerity has had a serious impact on our public services and undoubtedly the executive is going to continue to be challenged as a consequence of that," he said.