bbcuk--2020-02-05--Dozens arrested in 'courier fraud' crackdown

More than 40 people have been arrested in a crackdown on courier fraud across England and Wales .
Police say more than 3,000 people , most of them elderly , have been duped into withdrawing large sums of cash and handing it to someone posing as a courier or police officer .
In October , a couple from Dorset lost almost £1m , including their pensions and all their savings .
`` This is a despicable crime , '' said Cdr Karen Baxter of City of London Police .
The Dorset couple were left with just £187 after the fraudsters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are typical victims of courier fraud , according to Cdr Baxter .
`` Fraudsters specifically target older people by exploiting their trust in the police and their bank , to bleed them dry , '' she said .
• Courier fraud : Criminals stole from a woman and her dying husband • Fraudsters 'use tricks of speech ' in cons The fraudsters call victims on the phone , pretending to be a police officer or bank official , and persuade them to hand over money to a `` courier '' on the pretext @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Courier fraudsters are nearly always part of broader criminal gangs : they are persuasive and can be aggressive .
`` This can be particularly intimidating when they turn up on a victim 's doorstep , '' said Cdr Baxter .
Overall , police say there have been 3,188 victims in two years with a steep rise in the past six months .
The losses reported to police total more than £12m .
In addition to the Dorset couple , a 74-year-old victim lost £400,000 and an 80-year-old £180,000 - both in November @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of London Police and nine other forces including Kent Police , West Mercia Police , Hertfordshire Police and Dorset Police , began in November and were stepped up in January .
So far there have been : • 44 arrests , 24 of them in January • 14 people charged , two of whom have already pleaded guilty • large sums of cash , with £5,000 directly linked to a victim • and phone scripts used to help fraudsters con their victims Additionally , one offender has been returned to prison , where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fraud , after absconding last April .
In a bid to raise awareness , fraud prevention experts advise people to end cold calls and seek advice from trusted friends or family members or to call their banks directly using the number on their bank cards .
They say police and banks will never ask for full passwords and pin numbers or ask for money to be handed or transferred to them .
Cdr Baxter promised fraudsters their activities would not be tolerated , adding : `` We will disrupt your activity , prevent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the courts and ultimately send you to prison . ''

The fraudsters call victims on the phone, pretending to be a police officer or bank official, and persuade them to hand over money to a "courier" on the pretext of assisting an investigation into corruption.


bbcuk--2020-02-04--Coronavirus: UK tells all Britons to leave China 'if they can'

All Britons in China should leave the country if they can to minimise the risk of exposure to the coronavirus , the Foreign Office has said .
The UK says it will charter another flight on Sunday to evacuate British nationals and their families from Wuhan , where the virus originated .
Commercial flights are available from other parts of China .
Meanwhile , a Belgian woman , who was on a flight bringing UK citizens back on Sunday , tested positive for the virus .
Eleven UK citizens and family members were on the woman 's flight , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ France , before the Britons flew on to RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire .
Of these , 10 continued to Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral for a 14-day period of isolation , while Anthony May-Smith was taken to hospital in Oxford to be tested for potential coronavirus .
At least 427 people have died after contracting the virus and there have been more than 20,000 confirmed cases , most of them in China .
There are an estimated 30,000 UK nationals in China , ministers have said .
The Foreign Office earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Britons from Hubei province where the outbreak began .
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said : `` We now advise British nationals in China to leave the country if they can , to minimise their risk of exposure to the virus .
`` Where there are still British nationals in Hubei province who wish to be evacuated , we will continue to work around the clock to facilitate this . ''
• Coronavirus outbreak not yet pandemic - WHO • How worried should we be ?
• Coronavirus : Could it become pandemic ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the elderly and those with pre-existing medical conditions may be at heightened risk .
The virus has now spread to more than two dozen nations , including two cases in the UK .
However , the World Health Organization ( WHO ) said it does not yet qualify as a `` pandemic '' .
This is declared only when there are sustained outbreaks within communities in multiple parts of the world , according to the WHO .
Previously the Foreign Office had advised against all but essential travel to China , while warning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including the city of Wuhan .
BBC China correspondent Robin Brant said the new advice was `` not because we 've seen a sudden increase in the severity of the outbreak of the virus '' .
Instead , he said it appeared to be prompted by the Foreign Office organising what it was calling `` the last flight '' to evacuate Wuhan .
The UK was also moving non-essential staff out from its embassy and consulates in China , so `` there are fewer people who can help any Britons in distress '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in China who fears he contracted the new coronavirus in November said he had been given no indication of when he will be able to leave Wuhan .
Jamie Morris , 23 , from Tredegar in South Wales , said he had not been able to return on recent flights because he had given his passport to Chinese authorities to extend his residency permit .
`` I am currently on my own in my apartment , isolated from the outside world , '' he said . '
I feel like I want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BBC that they intend to stay despite the Foreign Office advice - while others questioned whether it was possible to leave .
Music teacher Sam Mulliner and his wife , Rebekah , work at an international school in Shanghai and say it is not easy to `` just get up and leave '' .
`` I feel like I want to stay here and support my Chinese colleagues , '' he said , adding that there may be more risk of infection on a plane .
John Hall said he wants to return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and his three-month-old daughter from his home in Zhanjiang .
But he said he can not travel the six hours to the nearest embassy to get the paperwork and feared his daughter is `` much too young '' to fight the virus if she should contract it .
`` We do n't want to be split up , '' he said .
On Friday , 83 UK citizens were repatriated on a flight out of Wuhan arranged by the UK government .
Another 11 Britons joined them on Sunday on a French flight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral for 14 days - the incubation period of the virus - to ensure that they are not infected .
A further eight UK nationals and six of their family members left China on a flight to New Zealand on Tuesday , the Foreign Office has said .
But shadow foreign minister Afzal Khan said the evacuation of Wuhan had been a `` shambles '' , citing delays , lack of information and `` the terrible cases of family separation that have occurred '' .
The only two UK @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Virgin Atlantic - have suspended their flights between the UK and China due to fears about the spread of the virus .
All flights with Chinese Airline Hainan between Manchester and Beijing will also be suspended from Thursday to 28 March , Manchester Airport said .
UK passengers have been advised to contact the airline on 0161 236 6184 .
Two people , a student at the University of York and one of their relatives , are being treated for coronavirus at the specialist infectious diseases unit at Newcastle Royal Victoria Infirmary .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed cases , with 414 people having tested negative for the virus , according to the Department of Health .
Meanwhile , the World Health Organization ( WHO ) said on Tuesday that there is a `` window of opportunity '' to stop the deadly new coronavirus becoming a broader global crisis .
It said that the steps China took to fight the virus at its epicentre were a good way of stopping its spread .
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However, the World Health Organization (WHO) said it does not yet qualify as a "pandemic". This is declared only when there are sustained outbreaks within communities in multiple parts of the world, according to the WHO.


bbcuk--2020-02-05--BBC: TV licence decriminalisation consultation opens

Culture Secretary Nicky Morgan is to launch a public consultation on whether failure to pay the licence fee should no longer be a criminal offence .
Currently , anyone who installs , uses a TV or watches BBC iPlayer without a TV licence is guilty of a criminal offence and could go to prison .
Baroness Morgan said it was time to think about keeping the fee `` relevant '' in a `` changing media landscape '' .
The BBC said a 2015 review found the current system to be the fairest .
The consultation will also look at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ahead of a speech on Wednesday , Baroness Morgan said many people thought it wrong that `` you can be imprisoned for not paying the TV licence and its enforcement punishes the vulnerable '' .
`` We are launching a public consultation to make sure we have a fair and proportionate approach to licence fee penalties and payments , that protects those most in need in society , '' she added .
The culture secretary is also to announce a new flexible payment scheme , called the Simple Payment Plan , to help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over-75s .
It will allow people to spread the fee out into a number of manageable instalments .
`` This will help prepare the BBC and public service broadcasting for the future and make sure it continues to work for our society , our economy , and the public which funds it , '' said Baroness Morgan .
Last year , Treasury minister Rishi Sunak said the Prime Minister Boris Johnson had ordered a review of the sanction for non-payment of the £154.50 charge , which funds the BBC .
Confirmation of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced the fee is to increase by £3 , from £154.50 to £157.50 , from 1 April 2020 .
It also follows the controversy last year over the decision to scrap free licences for some over-75s , a decision which saw a number of celebrities joining the call for the decision to be overturned .
From June , only over-75s who are claiming pension credit will be eligible to a free licence .
In a statement , the BBC said `` a detailed government-commissioned review ( in 2015 ) found the current system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' .
`` It did not recommend change - in part because the current system is effective in ensuring payment with very few people ever going to prison .
`` If there are changes , they must be fair to law abiding licence fee payers and delivered in a way that does n't fundamentally undermine the BBC 's ability to deliver the services they love . ''
In 2018 , more than 121,000 people were convicted and sentenced for evasion and issued with an average fine of £176 .
There were around 26 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UK last year , generating £3.69bn in income for the BBC .
If decriminalisation of the TV licence fee were to go through , it would have a considerable impact on BBC funding .
The DCMS ( Department for digital , culture , media and sport ) said the government would take into account the impact on the corporation in the context of the overall licence fee settlement , for which negotiations begin later this year .
A previous government review in 2015 looked into whether a fine for non-payment could be issued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fees for breaking parking , bus lane and congestion charge rules .
The review also examined whether unpaid TV licence fees should be considered a civil debt in the same way as unpaid utility bills or council tax .
However , it recommended against changing the criminal sanctions regime , saying decriminalisation could bring with it an increased risk of evasion .
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He said the BBC had "huge success in promoting the brand of Great Britain around the world", adding that any plan to decriminalise non-payment of the licence fee "feels like another attempt to impoverish the BBC and weaken it" and should be "abandoned immediately".


bbcuk--2020-02-05--Ryanair rapped over low emissions claims

Claims made by Ryanair about its carbon emissions have been banned by the UK 's advertising watchdog .
Europe 's biggest airline by passenger numbers had billed itself as the region 's `` lowest emissions airline '' and a `` low C02 emissions airline '' .
But the Advertising Standards Authority ruled Ryanair 's claims in press , TV and radio adverts could not be backed up .
Ryanair hit back in a statement saying consumers could halve their carbon footprint if they switched to it .
In adverts last year , the Dublin-based operator claimed to have `` the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' and to be a `` low fares , low CO2 emissions '' carrier `` based on the top 27 European airlines '' .
Complainants to the UK 's Advertising Standards Authority ( ASA ) said the adverts were misleading and could not be substantiated .
By their nature , airlines do not have low emissions , critics said .
• Aviation 'not the enemy ' in climate battle • Climate change : Should you fly , drive or take the train ?
• The challenges for us all in flying green In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its green credentials were based on it having the youngest aircraft fleet using the newest most fuel-efficient engines , and flying 97 % full on average .
Ryanair said its claims were supported using data from the European aviation organisation Eurocontrol and airline efficiency rankings published by Brighter Plant , a provider of carbon and energy calculations .
Clearcast and Radiocentre , used by companies to review adverts before they go public , both gave their backing .
However , the ASA took issue with some of the figures and the definition of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ purposes of assessing emissions comparisons .
An airline efficiency ranking used by Ryanair was dated 2011 , `` and was therefore of little value as substantiation for a comparison made in 2019 , '' the ASA said .
`` Consequently , we concluded that the claims 'Europe's… Lowest Emissions Airline ' and 'low CO2 emissions ' were misleading , '' the regulator said .
The adverts must not be repeated `` in their current form , '' the ASA ruled , adding : `` We told Ryanair to ensure that when making environmental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ substantiate them and to ensure that the basis of those claims were made clear . ''
Ryanair said it would comply with the ruling , but in a statement underlined its claim that emissions per passenger are 25 % lower `` than other major airlines '' .
The airline said : `` Ryanair is delighted with its latest environmental advertising campaign , which communicates a hugely important message for our customers .
`` The single most important thing any customer can do to halve their carbon footprint is switch to Ryanair . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ making changes to claims on its website , which is not regulated in the UK but by the Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland ( ISAI ) .
The ISAI said in a statement it `` is assessing the advertising in question .
In line with due process , we will not be commenting further at this stage . ''
Aviation has become a target of environmental activists , and there are signs so-called `` flight shaming '' is starting to have an impact on travel habits .
Against this backdrop , the industry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is doing to cut its carbon footprint .
On Monday , a group called Sustainable Aviation , whose members include Heathrow Airport , British Airways , EasyJet , Rolls Royce , Airbus and air traffic controller Nats , promised to cut its net carbon emissions to zero by 2050 .
In 2018 , Ryanair launched a voluntary carbon offset scheme , which has so far raised €2.5m ( £2.1m ) according to the airline 's website .
The money is invested in environmental projects in Ireland and abroad .
But last April , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ included in a list of Europe 's top 10 polluters , according to data from the EU 's Transport & Environment group .

The adverts must not be repeated "in their current form," the ASA ruled, adding: "We told Ryanair to ensure that when making environmental claims, they held adequate evidence to substantiate them and to ensure that the basis of those claims were made clear."


bbcuk--2020-02-05--Pretty Little Thing: 'Overly sexualised' advert banned

An advert for fashion retailer Pretty Little Thing which featured women wearing exposing lingerie has been banned for being `` offensive '' .
The YouTube ad presented the firm 's products in an `` overly-sexualised way '' and depicted women as sex objects , the Advertising Standards Authority said .
The retailer is one of several online fast fashion companies to have been rapped for their racy marketing .
Pretty Little Thing said it `` in no way meant to cause any offence '' .
The advert began with a woman looking over her shoulder in a seductive manner wearing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • Online fashion twice as 'racy ' as High Street • Fast fashion : Can it ever be ethical and cheap ?
It then showed other scantily clad women in seductive or `` highly sexualised '' poses , including one wearing a transparent mesh bodysuit .
A viewer complained and the regulator agreed , saying the ad was `` irresponsible '' and likely to cause offence .
Pretty Little Thing said it `` celebrates all women '' and promotes body diversity .
But the ad , which aired in October last year , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previous Pretty Little Thing advert was banned in 2017 for portraying a model who appeared to be under 16 in a `` sexually suggestive '' manner .
The regulator also recently banned an ad for rival Missguided that featured `` highly sexualised '' images that objectified women .
Another online fashion retailer , Boohoo - which owns Pretty Little Thing - had its email advert banned for using the phrase `` send nudes '' , which a viewer complained made light of a potentially harmful social trend .
It may seem surprising for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ banned for objectifying women , but the defence used by Pretty Little Thing in this case touches on an increasingly contested grey area .
The company says the advert promoted diversity through `` bold and distinctive fashion of all shapes and sizes '' , and that they worked hard to promote `` a healthy body image that was inclusive and empowered women '' .
But the line between empowerment and objectification of women is a subjective one .
Fast-fashion retailers are more likely to push those boundaries .
Research we conducted last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely to use more overtly sexualised pictures when selling their clothes than High Street retailers ' websites .
It also seems that there 's also a growing generational divide .
While talking to young people , who these adverts are targeted at , it seemed they were more likely to see them as positive images of women being body-confident whatever their shape .
Many in older generations view the same images very differently .
Do you think online fashion advertising is too racy , or are people over-worrying ?
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It also seems that there's also a growing generational divide. While talking to young people, who these adverts are targeted at, it seemed they were more likely to see them as positive images of women being body-confident whatever their shape. Many in older generations view the same images very differently.


bbcuk--2020-02-04--'Streatham attacker pushed and stabbed me in shop'

A woman has told how she was pushed and stabbed by the Streatham attacker - but not hurt because he `` did n't realise the knife still had plastic packaging on '' .
Rosa , not her real name , was in a shop in Streatham High Road on Sunday when Sudesh Amman , 20 , launched his attack .
She described it as `` like a movie '' as Amman stabbed two people before being shot dead by police in south London .
Rosa said it was `` horrific '' , adding : `` Someone could have killed me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the shop . ''
One of the victims has been named as 51-year-old nursery school teacher Monika Luftner .
Speaking in Spanish in an interview translated by BBC News , Rosa , who is originally from the Dominican Republic , said she had been in a corner shop for about five minutes when `` the man came in ... who hurt the other people '' .
She told the BBC 's Lucy Manning : `` He came in and took a knife and he looked like he was leaving the shop .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the cashier to pay .
`` But ... he pushed me , he tried to open and remove the plastic packaging from the knife but he did n't manage .
`` He pushed and he stabbed me but the knife was still covered with plastic . ''
Amman , who had previously been convicted of terror offences , was seen entering a shop in Streatham High Road shortly before 14:00 GMT on Sunday .
Once outside the shop he attacked two people before he was fatally shot by police - who had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later .
Rosa , 36 , told how Amman ran from the shop after attacking her .
`` There was a woman just there removing the lock from her bike .
He stabbed her in the back on the right-hand side , '' she said .
She went on to describe how Amman `` went up the road shouting '' before stabbing a man further up the road .
`` I spent 15 to 20 minutes in hell , '' she said , adding that the attack was `` very quick , like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an imitation suicide belt during the incident .
He had been released from prison about a week ago after serving half of a sentence for terror offences , and was under police surveillance .
Rosa said she has not been able to sleep since Sunday .
`` It 's hard even to think about it , '' she said .
`` It 's really scary that you can die from one day to the next .
`` I have to go to work and walk around the streets ... this is something that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really bad trauma .
`` You do n't have any enemies and suddenly someone tries to kill you just like that , just because it satisfies them .
It 's horrific . ''
When the attack was over Rosa said she returned to her flat nearby , and `` gave my mum a hug , my daughter and my granddaughter .
It is God 's miracle that I am alive '' .
Sunday 's attack was the second by men convicted of terror offences in recent months .
In November , two people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Khan , who was out on licence from prison .
On Monday , the government said it would introduce emergency legislation to end the automatic early release from prison of terror offenders .
Three people were taken to hospitals following the attack in Streatham , including the two stabbing victims .
• ' I gave them a blanket to help stem the bleeding' • How many people are in prison for terror offences ?
Mrs Luftner , a teacher at St Bede 's Catholic Infant and Nursery School in Balham , is recovering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement , the school said she was making `` a good recovery '' and asked that her privacy be respected .
Police said the condition of the second stabbing victim - a man in his 40s - was initially considered life-threatening , but he is now in a serious but stable condition .
A woman in her 20s received minor injuries - believed to have been caused by glass following the police shooting - and has been discharged from hospital .
There are 224 people convicted of terrorism offences in prison in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be released at the end of their custodial sentence .
On Monday , Justice Secretary Robert Buckland said the government planned to change the law so terror offenders would be considered for release only once they had served two-thirds of their sentence and with the approval of the Parole Board - rather than half-way through , automatically .
The law change would apply to both current and future offenders , he said .
The government has also said it will consider making new legislation to ensure extremists are more closely monitored on release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for terrorist offences are sufficient .
The Streatham attack comes after convicted terrorist Khan fatally stabbed Saskia Jones and Jack Merritt at Fishmongers ' Hall near London Bridge on 29 November last year .
Khan had been released from jail on licence in 2018 , half-way through a 16-year sentence for terrorism offences .
This prompted a raft of measures to be proposed by the Home Office in January .

Speaking in Spanish in an interview translated by BBC News, Rosa, who is originally from the Dominican Republic, said she had been in a corner shop for about five minutes when "the man came in... who hurt the other people".


bbcuk--2020-02-04--Premier League has to try and make VAR better, says chief executive Richard Masters

The Premier League has to `` try and make the video assistant referee better '' , says chief executive Richard Masters .
More than two-thirds of Premier League fans questioned believe VAR has made the game less enjoyable , a YouGov survey has found .
There have been several controversial decisions involving VAR since it was introduced to the league this season .
`` I do n't think VAR has been damaging but I accept it needs improvement , '' Masters told BBC Sport .
`` Scrapping it is not an option - what we have to do is try @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been brought in to the Premier League to decide on goals , penalties , red cards and offside decisions .
Masters , who was appointed on a permanent basis in December after being in temporary charge for more than a year , said the Premier League would discuss changes to VAR with the clubs in April .
`` We are going to have a debate about what sort of VAR they would like next season and what improvements can be made to the system , '' he said .
`` It 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this season and next as we try to rebalance it so you get the positives of better decision-making and fewer of the perceived negatives about delay and sometimes confusion . ''
The Premier League has previously promised to improve VAR 's consistency and speed and increase communication with fans .
Six out of 10 of those fans surveyed by YouGov felt the system was working badly .
Masters said that VAR is delivering on the `` principal reason '' for its introduction in improving the accuracy of decision-making .
`` In key match @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accuracy with officials , 97 % with their assistants , so we are seeing an impact on results and a positive impact on the league table , '' he said .
`` Obviously there are issues with consistency of decision-making and delays , which people do n't like .
`` But I do n't think VAR is harming the product - attendances are up , TV audiences are up , the health of the Premier League is very good . ''
'More to be done ' on racism Statistics compiled by anti-discrimination campaigners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 43 % increase in reports of racist abuse in English football in 2018-19 from the previous season .
In December , the government said it would not rule out taking `` further steps '' if football authorities fail to deal with racism following several high-profile cases this season .
Masters said there is `` always more to be done '' by the Premier League in helping to combat racism in football .
`` Football has a big role to play - we are part of society and can play a role in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue to do that , '' he said .
On Monday , a fan who shouted racial abuse at players during Brighton 's home Premier League game against Tottenham Hotspur in October was jailed .
`` One incident of racism is unacceptable and one too many , '' added Masters .
`` Ultimately we ca n't stop individuals harbouring racist or homophobic thoughts coming into our grounds or sharing them with people around them .
`` It 's our responsibility to make sure people who do that know there are consequences and also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal with it when it happens .
`` We need to make sure there are proper reporting mechanisms , trained stewards in place , and police if necessary , and that when perpetrators are caught they are banned from football , which we are now seeing more regularly , as well as possible criminal proceedings . ''
Sports minister Nigel Adams MP told BBC Sport last month that football has `` far too much dependency '' on sponsorship from gambling companies .
Half of Premier League clubs are sponsored by bookmakers and there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ young fans and vulnerable people .
The Betting and Gaming Council chair , Brigid Simmonds , told a parliamentary committee on Tuesday that bookmakers are `` considering '' a voluntary ban on football shirt sponsorship and pitchside advertising , expanding on the whistle-to-whistle ban on television gambling adverts introduced last year .
Masters said the Premier League `` welcomes '' the government 's upcoming review of the 2005 Gambling Act and that the league will be `` willing and active participants '' in it .
`` Betting is a legitimate pastime - sport @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' he added .
`` The Premier League do n't have any betting partnerships and ultimately it is the clubs ' decision .
`` I do n't think if you are looking at solving the issue of vulnerable people and betting that the answer should be that the clubs ca n't have betting partnerships anymore - I do n't think one follows the other . ''

Last updated on .From the section Premier League
Premier League has to try and make VAR better - chief executive speaks to BBC sports editor Dan Roan
The Premier League has to "try and make the video assistant referee better", says chief executive Richard Masters.
More than two-thirds of Premier League fans questioned believe VAR has made the game less enjoyable, a YouGov survey has found.
There have been several controversial decisions involving VAR since it was introduced to the league this season.
"I don't think VAR has been damaging but I accept it needs improvement," Masters told BBC Sport.
"Scrapping it is not an option - what we have to do is try and make VAR better."
VAR has been brought in to the Premier League to decide on goals, penalties, red cards and offside decisions.
Masters, who was appointed on a permanent basis in December after being in temporary charge for more than a year, said the Premier League would discuss changes to VAR with the clubs in April.
"We are going to have a debate about what sort of VAR they would like next season and what improvements can be made to the system," he said.
"It's going to be a work in progress this season and next as we try to rebalance it so you get the positives of better decision-making and fewer of the perceived negatives about delay and sometimes confusion."
The Premier League has previously promised to improve VAR's consistency and speed and increase communication with fans.
Six out of 10 of those fans surveyed by YouGov felt the system was working badly.
Masters said that VAR is delivering on the "principal reason" for its introduction in improving the accuracy of decision-making.
"In key match incidents we are up to 94% accuracy with officials, 97% with their assistants, so we are seeing an impact on results and a positive impact on the league table," he said.
"Obviously there are issues with consistency of decision-making and delays, which people don't like.
"But I don't think VAR is harming the product - attendances are up, TV audiences are up, the health of the Premier League is very good."
'More to be done' on racism
Statistics compiled by anti-discrimination campaigners Kick It Out suggested there had been a 43% increase in reports of racist abuse in English football in 2018-19 from the previous season.
In December, the government said it would not rule out taking "further steps" if football authorities fail to deal with racism following several high-profile cases this season.
Masters said there is "always more to be done" by the Premier League in helping to combat racism in football.
"Football has a big role to play - we are part of society and can play a role in promoting all the right messages and will continue to do that," he said.
On Monday, a fan who shouted racial abuse at players during Brighton's home Premier League game against Tottenham Hotspur in October was jailed.
"One incident of racism is unacceptable and one too many," added Masters.
"Ultimately we can't stop individuals harbouring racist or homophobic thoughts coming into our grounds or sharing them with people around them.
"It's our responsibility to make sure people who do that know there are consequences and also to put proper systems in place to deal with it when it happens.
"We need to make sure there are proper reporting mechanisms, trained stewards in place, and police if necessary, and that when perpetrators are caught they are banned from football, which we are now seeing more regularly, as well as possible criminal proceedings."
Gambling issues
Sports minister Nigel Adams MP told BBC Sport last month that football has "far too much dependency" on sponsorship from gambling companies.
Half of Premier League clubs are sponsored by bookmakers and there are concerns about the potential impact on young fans and vulnerable people.
The Betting and Gaming Council chair, Brigid Simmonds, told a parliamentary committee on Tuesday that bookmakers are "considering" a voluntary ban on football shirt sponsorship and pitchside advertising, expanding on the whistle-to-whistle ban on television gambling adverts introduced last year.
Masters said the Premier League "welcomes" the government's upcoming review of the 2005 Gambling Act and that the league will be "willing and active participants" in it.
"Betting is a legitimate pastime - sport and betting have a long history," he added.
"The Premier League don't have any betting partnerships and ultimately it is the clubs' decision.
"I don't think if you are looking at solving the issue of vulnerable people and betting that the answer should be that the clubs can't have betting partnerships anymore - I don't think one follows the other."


bbcuk--2020-02-04--Michael Barrymore pool death: Police offer £20,000 reward for conviction

Detectives have offered a £20,000 reward as they relaunched an appeal for information about the death of a man in Michael Barrymore 's swimming pool .
Stuart Lubbock , 31 , was found dead at the entertainer 's home in Roydon , Essex , on 31 March 2001 , having suffered serious sexual injuries .
Det Ch Insp Stephen Jennings called on the eight party guests to co-operate .
`` We know not everyone at that party was responsible for what happened , but someone was , '' he said .
The cash reward - the first to have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funded by Essex Police and the charity Crimestoppers for information leading to a conviction .
Det Ch Insp Jennings , speaking at a press conference , said : `` I believe that [ Stuart ] was raped and murdered that night .
One or more of those party-goers are responsible for that serious sexual assault on Stuart Lubbock . ''
The new senior investigating officer said three people previously arrested , including Barrymore , had not been `` completely eliminated '' .
Five others are being treated as witnesses , and he has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he added .
Det Ch Insp Jennings admitted `` mistakes '' were made in 2001 after items possibly used in the attack - including a pool thermometer and a door handle - vanished from the crime scene .
But Essex Police hopes that a new Channel 4 documentary will help to find the killer 19 years on .
Mr Lubbock 's father , Terry , called on Barrymore to `` come clean '' .
Speaking at the press conference , he said .
`` It 's time now Michael .
I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have said and the focus will be on you .
`` It 's time now for you to either clear your name or put your hands up to what happened because you must know . ''
In 2007 Barrymore was arrested in connection with the death but was later released without charge , and withdrew from public life .
His arrest was found to be unlawful because the arresting officer did not have reasonable grounds to suspect Barrymore , a High Court judge ruled .
In June he dropped a compensation claim against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was entitled to only `` nominal '' damages .
Last year Barrymore told Piers Morgan in an interview on ITV he `` could n't be more sorry '' for the death of Mr Lubbock but was `` 100 % innocent '' .
Barrymore has been approached for comment .
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If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews @ bbc.co.uk

Speaking at the press conference, he said. "It's time now Michael. I think you know more about this than you have said and the focus will be on you.


bbcuk--2020-02-04--Caption mix-ups 'show lack of respect' for black MPs

The media keeps mistaking black women MPs for each other because it does not respect them as much as their white counterparts , a Labour MP has said .
The Evening Standard used a picture of Bell Ribeiro-Addy in a story about fellow Labour MP Marsha de Cordova .
The story was about BBC Parliament captioning Ms de Cordova as Labour deputy leadership hopeful Dawn Butler .
Ms Ribeiro-Addy told BBC News : `` We are not given the same respect as our white counterparts and that 's not right . ''
The MP , who has represented Streatham , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's general election , said she accepted that `` everybody makes mistakes , '' but added : `` It happens all the time with us .
• Election 2019 : Six charts on Britain 's most diverse Parliament '' It is hard enough for us to get elected here but when we do get here we are not treated as individuals . ''
She said she used to get mistaken for Dawn Butler when she worked as the chief of staff to shadow home secretary Diane Abbott , `` because I must be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Parliament channel 's mistake came during a Commons debate on the Agriculture Bill on Monday .
Tweeting a photo of the incorrect caption , Ms Butler said : `` I love my sister @ MarshadeCordova but we are two different people .
`` Marsha is amazing and deserves to be called by her own name .
Diversity in the workplace matters and it also helps to avoid making simple mistakes like this . ''
Ms de Cordova , who is Labour 's shadow minister for disabled people , said the BBC 's mistake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Part of the problem was the lack of diversity in most newsrooms , Ms Ribeiro-Addy said , and the tendency of journalists to treat Black , Asian and minority ethnic ( BAME ) MPs as part of a homogenous group .
`` Why do so many MPs get to be individuals and we just get to be part of a group that gets confused with each other ? ''
The BBC `` sincerely apologised '' to Ms Butler and Ms de Cordova for the mistake .
A spokesperson said : `` Sometimes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when they stand to speak .
This error was immediately corrected on screen . ''
The Standard blamed picture agency Getty Images , which also supplies images to the BBC , for incorrectly captioning an image of Ms Ribeiro-Addy as Ms de Cordova .
Getty Images `` sincerely apologised '' for incorrectly captioning the image of Ms Ribeiro-Addy and issued an `` unreserved apology '' to the two MPs `` for any offence this may have caused '' .
A Getty spokeswoman said : `` As soon as we were made aware of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we corrected the caption information on our website and in a notice sent to customers .
`` Getty Images holds itself to a high standard of editorial integrity and has robust measures in place to ensure our content ingestion process reflects these standards .
`` Although these errors are relatively rare , we , like all news agencies , regret when these measures fail to capture inaccuracies . ''
Tottenham MP David Lammy , one of the longest-serving black MPs , tweeted : `` This can not go on .
Black people are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more diversity in our newsrooms . ''

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bbcuk--2020-02-04--Soho WW2 bomb: Streets closed for second time in 24 hours

Several streets in central London were cordoned off for a second time in 24 hours when part of an unexploded World War Two bomb was found .
The ordnance was discovered during building work on Monday , prompting the evacuation of buildings in Soho .
On Tuesday , Scotland Yard confirmed on Twitter `` another part of yesterday 's WW2 ordnance [ has ] been discovered '' .
Properties on Dean Street , Richmond Mews , Meard Street and St Anne 's Court were evacuated .
Roads have since reopened and those evacuated have returned to their homes and businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among those evacuated from a building on Dean Street on Tuesday .
`` Everyone was really calm , '' the engineer said .
`` From looking at the other people being evacuated , it seemed there was almost a sense of annoyance and frustration - this being the second day of disruption , rather than mass panic .
`` I think police were trying to instil urgency , but people were just wandering along , oblivious to the danger . ''
Another witness described `` a lot of baffled and vaguely irritable businessmen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` others seemed very happy to go home early '' .
`` It 's a little disconcerting that we were allowed back in the building so soon after yesterday , not to mention the fact that it 's been there for over 80 years , '' they added .
The second discovery came after the Ministry of Defence ( MoD ) dispatched an Army explosive ordnance disposal team on Monday , which confirmed the bomb had been `` safe to remove overnight to a location where it [ would ] be detonated .
@


bbcuk--2020-02-05--My fight with bureaucracy to work as cancer nurse

Louisa Doyle should be working for the NHS , caring for cancer patients .
She is fully trained to provide vital chemotherapy treatment , having worked for five years in Australia before coming to the UK .
But this week , the 31-year-old will fly back home .
With about one in eight nurse posts vacant , the NHS has potentially lost a much needed , highly trained member of staff .
It need not have been like this .
She applied to go on the Nursing and Midwifery Council register nine months ago - without accreditation nurses can not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been a formality .
She has her full set of nursing qualifications , plenty of job experience and has worked in an English-speaking system - nurses from abroad have to prove they have good enough language skills .
But after starting the process in the early summer , she is still yet to find out if she will be allowed on to the register .
And with her temporary travel visa running out , she has been left with no choice but to leave the UK .
• NHS 'no chance of training @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Perth , Western Australia , said : `` I had heard of how short the NHS [ was ] and thought it would be a quicker process .
`` I had even spoken to a few hospitals and was really looking forward to getting back to nursing .
`` I came to London two years ago and have been working in kitchenware sales and travelling .
`` I wanted to stay and wanted to work as a NHS .
I now face having to come back to do an exam and then flying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I am accepted on the register .
`` At the moment , I 'm planning to come back but who knows how I will feel in a couple of months ?
It 's really disheartening . ''
The NMC process requires nurses to take two exams - a basic computer-based skills and knowledge test at the start and an in-depth practical assessment at the end .
They then need their university and previous employers to supply proof of qualifications and employment by post .
Once that has been validated , applicants are put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assessment .
That can take up to 60 days from the validation of the paper work .
And , Louisa said , she had had to overcome several other hurdles along the way , including her first exam being cancelled - and only being told it had been when she had turned up at the testing centre - and some of her paperwork going missing at the NMC before being found a month later .
She said : `` I can understand that they need to check people who provide care are qualified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it would take this long .
`` I have found the attitude of the NMC to be really off .
`` There was no apology when I turned up for the exam and it was cancelled and when the documents went missing , they had no interest in trying to hurry up the process . ''
Louisa is not the only applicant to have expressed concerns about the process .
The NMC said it had received similar feedback from others and was trying to streamline the process .
An online application system has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the second assessment should soon be halved .
NMC director of registration Emma Broadbent said the regulator was taking the concerns seriously .
She said nurses from abroad were `` vital and highly valued '' , adding : `` By simplifying the application process , we will play our part in continuing to make the UK an attractive option for those coming from abroad . ''
The need to act is obvious .
In recent years , the number of nurses in the NHS has not been rising quickly enough .
The government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by 50,000 over the next five years .
But to do this , the NHS will need to recruit more from abroad - already one in 10 nurses on the register comes from other non-EU countries .
What is more , nurses from the EU , who have had a right to work in the NHS , may have to go through a similar process to get on the register , once the Brexit transition period comes to an end .
Nichola Ashby , of the Royal College of Nursing union , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more important than ever '' and so it was essential `` unnecessary barriers and delays '' were tackled .

And, Louisa said, she had had to overcome several other hurdles along the way, including her first exam being cancelled - and only being told it had been when she had turned up at the testing centre - and some of her paperwork going missing at the NMC before being found a month later.


bbcuk--2020-02-04--Streatham attack: Will terror sentence changes stop offences?

The government wants to end the automatic early release from prison of terror offenders , following two attacks by men convicted of terror offences in recent months .
But what legal challenges could ministers face and how effective might the changes be ?
• How many people are in prison for terror offences ?
• Who was the Streatham attacker ?
There are critical questions for the government that arise in relation to the proposals to end the automatic early release of offenders convicted of terrorism offences .
The first is what legal challenges the government might face .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will have the effect of stopping the kind of attack we saw in Streatham at the weekend .
Every judge who sentences a convicted defendant is under a statutory duty to explain the sentence that is being passed .
So , offenders like Sudesh Amman are told by the judge in open court that they are being sentenced for a fixed period , known as a `` determinate '' sentence .
They are told that they will be automatically released at the half-way point and serve the remainder of their sentence on licence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they have a `` legitimate expectation '' of being released at the half-way point .
Indeed , some offenders will have pleaded guilty on the basis that they will be given a `` determinate '' sentence with automatic early release at the half-way point .
Changing the release date retrospectively to the two-thirds point would inevitably lead to legal challenge that the offender 's `` legitimate expectation '' of automatic `` half-way '' release had been unlawfully tampered with .
That argument for terrorism offenders would have little if any public support .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply changing the way in which the fixed-term sentence is administered and that is entirely lawful .
There is support for that position in existing case law .
Other legal challenges could be brought on human rights grounds .
Under Article 7 of the Human Rights Act , `` No Punishment Without Law '' , it can be argued that an offender can not be given a heavier punishment than was available to the court at the time they were sentenced .
It could also be argued that to do so interferes with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Article 6 .
Would the changes work ?
In cases like Sudesh Amman , moving the early release date from the half-way point to the two-thirds point would make a difference of six months .
Many argue that is merely a stop-gap measure and would only protect the public for a short additional period .
If , as the government proposes , release at the two-thirds point is not automatic but subject to an assessment by the Parole Board , that would certainly provide an additional layer of protection for the public .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as to whether the offender posed a risk and could prevent release - meaning that entire sentence is served .
However , that additional period - the remaining third - may itself only be a matter of months .
It would also have the consequence of reducing or extinguishing any period served on licence .
That would reduce the chance to supervise the offender once they are released .
Are there any alternatives ?
Many senior legal figures believe that the only truly effective way of dealing with the problem is to re-introduce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which came into force in 2005 .
Under these a judge passed a tariff , or minimum sentence which the offender had to serve in prison .
It reflected the seriousness of the crime .
Once it was served , the offender had to apply to the parole board for release .
The board would not release the prisoner if it considered that they still posed a risk .
However , IPPs , which became known as the `` new or de-facto '' life sentences , were incredibly controversial .
They were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but thousands were passed , some with minimum terms of months not years , and thousands languished in prison unable to satisfy the Parole Board that they were no longer a risk to the public .
This was sometimes because , for instance , it was almost impossible for an offender with a borderline personality disorder , to satisfy the Parole Board that they had changed .
Tackling the risk posed by those convicted of terrorism offences , especially those at the lower end serving short sentences , is complex .
There is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attacks , but no easy answers .

Other legal challenges could be brought on human rights grounds. Under Article 7 of the Human Rights Act, "No Punishment Without Law", it can be argued that an offender cannot be given a heavier punishment than was available to the court at the time they were sentenced.


bbcuk--2020-02-04--Stillbirth: The woman who found my baby's grave

Paula Jackson has traced the resting places of 800 stillborn babies through her organisation , Brief Lives Remembered .
Her @ @ @ @ @ before the 1990s .
The BBC followed her as she traced the location of a @ @ @ @ @ gave birth to her stillborn son in 1980 .
In contrast to today 's handling @ @ @ @ @ said that she received no support at the time .
Filmed and edited by Alex @ @ @ @

Paula Jackson has traced the resting places of 800 stillborn babies through her organisation, Brief Lives Remembered. Her cases usually involve births from before the 1990s.
The BBC followed her as she traced the location of a grave for Yvonne, who gave birth to her stillborn son in 1980. In contrast to today's handling of such cases, she said that she received no support at the time.
Stillborn babies lost decades ago 'must be traced'
Produced by Frankie McCamley
Filmed and edited by Alex Dackevych and Nigel Craze


bbcuk--2020-02-04--'I was sent racist abuse over the coronavirus'

DJ and writer Jex Wang says she was sent racist abuse after writing about the coronavirus .
`` When I @ @ @ @ @ my first thought was with the people in Wuhan and what they 're going through @ @ @ @ @ , '' she told the BBC 's Victoria Derbyshire .
`` Then my second thought @ @ @ @ @ going to have to deal with more racism because of this now . '
'' @ @ @ @ @ on BBC Two and BBC News Channel , 10:00 to 11:00 GMT - and see @ @ @ @ @ .

DJ and writer Jex Wang says she was sent racist abuse after writing about the coronavirus.
"When I first saw the virus, my first thought was with the people in Wuhan and what they're going through, because that's horrible," she told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire.
"Then my second thought was, 'I'm going to have to deal with more racism because of this now.'"
Watch the Victoria Derbyshire programme on BBC Two and BBC News Channel, 10:00 to 11:00 GMT - and see more of our stories here.


bbcuk--2020-02-04--Cynthia Erivo: 'Hopefully this year will be a turning point'

Cynthia Erivo is nominated for Best Actress in this year 's Oscars , for her portrayal of slave-turned-abolitionist Harriet Tubman @ @ @ @ @ person of colour to be nominated in the four acting categories , and told the @ @ @ @ @ make sure it does n't look like this every single time '' .

Cynthia Erivo is nominated for Best Actress in this year's Oscars, for her portrayal of slave-turned-abolitionist Harriet Tubman.
She is the only person of colour to be nominated in the four acting categories, and told the BBC she wants "to make sure it doesn't look like this every single time".


bbcuk--2020-02-04--'Exploding meteor' caught on doorbell camera in Derby

A man 's doorbell camera has captured a celestial light show as what is thought to be a meteor dropped @ @ @ @ @ Derby .
Gary Rogers , 52 , who captured the footage about 23:30 GMT on @ @ @ @ @ amazed and felt lucky to have seen it .
Experts at the National Space Centre @ @ @ @ @ it was a bolide - a bright meteor that explodes in the atmosphere .
Rob @ @ @ @ @ Sherwood Observatory , said the brightness suggested it was larger than a normal meteor .
@ @ @ @ @ Mr Rogers ] was very lucky to get such a nice bright one .
But @ @ @ @ @ many of these do come into the atmosphere at any time of year . ''

A man's doorbell camera has captured a celestial light show as what is thought to be a meteor dropped through the night sky in Derby.
Gary Rogers, 52, who captured the footage about 23:30 GMT on Monday, said he was amazed and felt lucky to have seen it.
Experts at the National Space Centre in Leicester said they believe it was a bolide - a bright meteor that explodes in the atmosphere.
Rob Dawes, chairman of nearby Sherwood Observatory, said the brightness suggested it was larger than a normal meteor.
He said: "[Mr Rogers] was very lucky to get such a nice bright one. But you'd be surprised how many of these do come into the atmosphere at any time of year."


bbcuk--2020-02-04--Newspaper headlines: Cameron bodyguard 'leaves gun in loo' and Manchester bomb trial

The brother of the Manchester Arena suicide bomber has been described in court as being `` just as guilty '' @ @ @ @ @ concert-goers , reports the Metro .
Hashem Abedi bought ingredients online and used oil drums @ @ @ @ @ worked to build the deadly device set off by his brother , jurors at his @ @ @ @

One is quoted as saying "this has put many of us in an impossible situation". Another accuses officials of failing to contact expats since the outbreak began, saying the consulate "appears to have completely jumped ship".


bbcuk--2020-02-04--Andrei-Mihai Simion-Munteanu denies Branston murders

A student strangled his mother and killed her American partner with a hammer before driving around the UK for several days , a murder trial heard .
Dr Premm Monti , 51 and Robert Tully , 71 , were discovered dead at the family home in Lincoln Road , Branston , in August last year .
Lincoln Crown Court heard Andrei-Mihai Simion-Munteanu killed them before driving Mr Tully 's car to Salisbury .
He then drove to Stonehenge and Tintagel Castle .
Later he travelled to Wales and then on to Scotland where he was found .
The 22-year-old , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two charges of murder between 28 and 29 July 2019 .
Dr Monti was reported missing after she failed to turn up for work at a psychiatric clinic in Dudley , West Midlands .
Efforts to trace Mr Tully were also unsuccessful , until police tracked his missing Toyota Rav to Aberdeen airport , where Mr Simion-Munteanu was found lying down inside .
Michael Auty , prosecuting , said : `` The defendant immediately volunteered that he had killed his mother . ''
The court heard he placed an oven glove over her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The following morning when Mr Tully woke , the defendant lured him into the kitchen and repeatedly hit him with a hammer , fracturing his skull , Mr Auty said .
The bodies of the couple were found at the Branston bungalow when police returned on 5 August 2019 .
Mr Simion-Munteanu admits killing his mother and her partner but denies murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility .
The jury was told the defendant , who had failed his final exams at the University of Lincoln where he was studying computer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and had previously spent time in a psychiatric hospital .
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Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news @ bbc.co.uk .

The jury was told the defendant, who had failed his final exams at the University of Lincoln where he was studying computer studies, had been diagnosed with depression and had previously spent time in a psychiatric hospital.


bbcuk--2020-02-05--NHS Tayside mental health staff endure 'fear and blame' culture

Tayside mental health staff have been left `` demoralised '' by a `` culture of fear and blame '' , an inquiry has found .
The independent inquiry into mental health services in the region took evidence from more than 1,500 people .
A report said there was a danger that NHS Tayside could be perceived to be `` more interested in protecting its reputation than looking after the interests of its patients '' .
It said a `` radical '' approach to restoring trust was urgently needed .
NHS Tayside said it welcomed the report which it `` knew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which made more than 50 recommendations , said : `` A breakdown in trust and a loss of respect has undoubtedly led to poor service , treatment , patient care and outcomes .
`` The breakdown in trust and respect is caused by the lack of effective , engaged strategic leadership and planning . ''
The investigation was initially ordered into Dundee 's Carseview Centre but was expanded following a campaign by families of people who took their own lives .
An interim report last year highlighted concerns over illegal drugs in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients were frightened of staff members .
The final 136-page report said it was clear there had been a breakdown of trust in `` many aspects '' of the provision of mental health services in Tayside .
The report said : `` Frontline staff feel that the organisation is more interested in identifying who is to blame and attributing fault than genuinely learning in a supportive environment . ''
It said the `` most striking failure of governance '' was the lack of a mental health strategy for Tayside .
Services were said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ short-term vision '' , with an emphasis on `` reacting to increases in service demand '' .
The report , entitled `` Trust and Respect '' , makes 51 recommendations , including conducting an `` urgent whole-system review '' of mental health and wellbeing provision across Tayside .
The report 's author David Strang said rebuilding trust in Tayside 's mental health services was a `` big challenge but absolutely achievable '' .
He said : `` Many patients have felt that they 've not been listened to and cared for properly .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 've felt isolated , and many of them are already feeling broken and vulnerable .
`` The culture in Tayside needs to change so that lessons are learned from things that have gone wrong in the past and long-term plans are put in place to improve services . ''
Mr Strang said many staff had also told the inquiry team that they felt `` undervalued and that their voice is n't heard '' .
He added : `` It 's really important that people are put at the centre of healthcare and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Last week the Scottish government announced extra support for NHS Tayside to help the struggling health board make `` significant improvements '' in mental health care .
NHS Tayside chief executive Grant Archibald said the report 's findings posed `` major challenges for the organisation '' but that the board was `` fit to rise to meet those '' .
He apologised to anyone who had been `` let down by experience of our service . ''
Mr Archibald said : `` Our commitment is always to put the patient at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them the care they should expect , to make them feel cared for and professionally managed . ''
Mental Health Minister Clare Haughey said : `` It is absolutely vital that people using mental health services , as well as those delivering these services , feel safe and know they will receive the right help , in the right place when they need it . ''
She said she had received assurances immediate action would take place as a result of the report and there would be a progress update in February 2021 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She added that the Scottish government had provided further support to NHS Tayside , addressing service provision , clinical practice , organisational development and community-led services , and would monitor its progress .
Cosla 's health and social care spokesman , councillor Stuart Currie , said : `` Cosla will work alongside Scottish government , NHS boards , local authorities and integration joint boards to allow for learning from the Strang report to be implemented across Scotland . ''
He said there would be a continued focus on working together , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and their families .

Mental Health Minister Clare Haughey said: "It is absolutely vital that people using mental health services, as well as those delivering these services, feel safe and know they will receive the right help, in the right place when they need it."


bbcuk--2020-02-04--Irish general election: Leaders clash in RTÉ debate

The leaders of the Republic of Ireland 's three largest parties have clashed in the final TV debate of the general election campaign .
Voters go to the polls on Saturday to decide who should lead the government in Dublin .
On RTÉ 's Prime Time , Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar said it was a `` change election '' but warned voters not to back Fianna Fáil or Sinn Féin .
The leaders of both those parties rejected Mr Varadkar 's criticism .
Following the last general election in 2016 , no party won enough seats to form a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gael formed a minority government with Fianna Fáil .
Mr Varadkar said if his party failed to win the election outright this time , he would work with parties like Labour , Independents , Greens and Social Democrats - but that as a `` last resort '' , rather than have no government or a second election , he would be willing to work with Fianna Fáil .
`` What I wo n't do is negotiate a coalition with Sinn Féin .
I 'm concerned about their past , but I 'm much @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future , '' he said .
Sinn Féin 's president Mary Lou McDonald was a last-minute addition to the debate line-up .
With days to go to the general election in the Republic of Ireland , a Sunday Business Post/Red C poll put Sinn Féin joint top , level with Fianna Fáil .
• Who will be the next taoiseach ?
• Issues at the heart of Irish general election RTÉ said given the change in polling , the debate would be widened to allow Mrs McDonald to take part .
She argued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Fianna Fáil as almost identical parties who have had it their own way `` for a century '' and that people were now recognising Sinn Féin as the alternative .
`` The worst outcome is Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil together again for the next four or five years .
My objective is to sort out housing , to ensure that workers and families have a break , '' she added .
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said he believed that the election would lead to `` a real alternative government to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ described housing as the `` burning issue '' of the election campaign .
`` We have to build more affordable homes directly ... on state land , and we have to build council houses as well on state land and more of them , '' he said .
Housing is a big issue in the Republic of Ireland , with the number of homes needed in major towns and cities well below the level required to house the demand .
Mr Varadkar also faced criticism for his party 's record on housing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homelessness in Ireland .
He acknowledged that more needed to be done but said Fine Gael was working to improve social housing .
The three leaders also took each other to task over their pledges and commitments about healthcare .
Waiting lists and overcrowding remains an outstanding issue in the Republic of Ireland .
More than 553,000 people were waiting for an outpatient appointment in December , according to the monthly figures published by the National Treatment Purchase Fund ( NTPF ) .
That was an increase of 37,000 on the previous year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ invest more money in healthcare - but Mrs McDonald said the problem was `` capacity '' and pressed for more hospital beds to be opened across the hospital system .
Mr Martin denied that Fianna Fáil 's pledge to aim for a four-hour target wait for Emergency Departments was a `` short-term fix '' .
The general election will take place on Saturday 8 February , with counting beginning on Sunday .
Voters will elect 160 members of the Dáil Éireann ( Irish Parliament ) , but a political party would need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to form a majority government .

Mr Varadkar said if his party failed to win the election outright this time, he would work with parties like Labour, Independents, Greens and Social Democrats - but that as a "last resort", rather than have no government or a second election, he would be willing to work with Fianna Fáil.


bbcuk--2020-02-05--Schools in Wales 'could miss real risk' of extremism

Some schools could miss early opportunities to address extremism because they do not think it is relevant to them , says a watchdog .
Estyn wants it acknowledged that radicalisation and extremism are `` real risks '' to pupils in all schools .
Schools are required to protect pupils from radicalisation as part of safeguarding duties .
Last year 258 people in Wales were flagged up to police and councils over concerns about extremism .
Just under half were aged 20 or younger .
A report by the education and schools inspectorate says most schools do not do enough within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against extremist influences .
• Reality Check : What is the Prevent strategy ?
• Prevent 'not just about the Muslim community' It said leaders in most schools had an understanding of their role and responsibilities with regard to radicalisation and extremism .
But `` in a minority of schools , leaders do not perceive radicalisation and extremism as relevant to their school or surrounding area '' , and that meant `` staff in these schools may miss an opportunity to identify and address early concerns about a pupil '' .
It also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report all incidents of racist language and racial bullying properly , and offer suitable support and challenge to victims and perpetrators • Most schools have policies on staying safe online but only a minority mention the risks from radical and extremist materials • School 'lockdown ' procedures are currently in development across Wales as part of a requirement to have an emergency plan .
Jassa Scott , strategic director at Estyn , said schools played a key part in safeguarding some young people from radicalisation .
`` Radicalisation to violent extremism can happen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .
`` Schools should be tuned into bullying , in particular the use of racist language and inter-racial conflict between pupils which can indicate radical or extremist views . ''
What can schools do ?
Schools can refer to 'channel ' panels , set up under the UK government 's anti-terrorism Prevent strategy .
They are chaired by the council and include health and education bodies , and the police .
Home Office figures show 258 people in Wales were referred to them over concerns about extremism between April 2018 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discussed by the panel and 12 went on to receive support .
These rates were amongst the lowest when compared with English regions .
In Wales , just under half of referrals are for people aged 20 and under and education is the highest source for referrals .
Right-wing extremism accounts for 24 % of all referrals , while 15 % are related to Islamist extremism .
The report said there had been an `` increase in individuals attracted to violence where the specific ideology driving the behaviour is less clear '' , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This was often referred to as the 'Columbine effect ' , Estyn said , named after the 1999 school shootings at Columbine High School .
What sort of things are flagged up ?
They have included extremist comments in class or course work , sharing extremist material on social media or pupils refusing to be friends with other pupils due to race or religion .
In one school , a pupil 's answer in a mock examination raised concerns along with a separate comment in a religious education lesson .
Another example saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who was increasingly critical of anyone from a non-white background .
They discovered that a close family member who was radicalised had recently been released from prison .
• The radicalisation of Safaa Boular : A teenager 's journey to terror • Wales a 'hunting ground ' for the far right Through Personal and Social Education ( PSE ) and subjects such as religious education and history , all schools cover other cultures and religions and the impact of oppressive political regimes .
But Estyn said it can be superficial if schools avoid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a minority of schools do not teach about Islam , sometimes due to pupils not wanting to learn about it , parental objections or teachers not wanting to teach the subject .
It said in one school , half the parents objected to their children visiting a local mosque due to their views about Islam .

He said schools were more than the standard subjects they teach and it was about taking on contentious issues, which come up on social media or in the news, and might have been brushed aside in the past.


bbcuk--2020-02-04--Decaying corpse found at Harlow's 'human warehouse'

A cleaner at a troubled former office block used to house the homeless has revealed she and other staff discovered a `` weeks-old corpse '' in a room .
Tania resigned from her job after being asked to clean the room where the man 's body was discovered in June 2019 .
An investigation by BBC East and Panorama found evidence security staff had `` lost control '' at Templefields House in Harlow , Essex .
The building was described as a `` human warehouse '' by one tenant .
The BBC found hundreds of families were being rehoused by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ estates in Harlow , often living next to drug addicts and ex-prisoners .
Robert Halfon , MP for Harlow , described the practice as `` social cleansing '' .
Essex Police confirmed the death , which is not being treated as suspicious .
The identity of the dead man was not disclosed .
Tania , who did not want her surnamed used , became an employee of the landlord Caridon , with her partner Matt who became head of security at Templefields , after they had lived at the block as tenants .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ before you even opened the door .
And there were flies everywhere .
It was just awful , '' she said .
`` He 'd been there for five or six weeks .
It was decomposed . ''
The couple said a number of people had taken their own lives during the time they lived and worked there .
Current staff also told an undercover BBC reporter about other tenants who had died .
The reporter was told `` we 've cleaned a dead man 's room '' and `` we found him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the body bag .
Had to stand in the hallway to make sure no-one come in or while he was cleared '' .
Management at the building were concerned with getting the room cleaned and letting it out to a new tenant , Tania said .
`` I was just in shock , complete shock , but it was more of a concern to get another room that was needed to be cleaned that day '' , she told the BBC .
Property owner Caridon said in a statement : `` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the stigma given to social tenants .
`` Unlike other private developers we offer housing-related support to our tenants that are vulnerable within the community . ''
It added : `` We have successfully helped tenants turn their lives around with the supportive service we provide , going above and beyond for individuals . ''

Tania, who did not want her surname used, became an employee of the landlord Caridon, with her partner Matt who became head of security at Templefields, after they had lived at the block as tenants.


bbcuk--2020-03-30--Coronavirus: Foreign Office links up with airlines to fly stranded Britons home

Tens of thousands of Britons stranded abroad by the coronavirus pandemic will be flown home under a new arrangement between the government and airlines .
BA , Virgin and easyJet are among airlines working with the government to fly Britons back to the UK .
The government has also pledged £75m to charter special flights to bring home UK nationals from countries where commercial flights are unavailable .
The number of people who have died with the virus in the UK has reached 1,408 .
Speaking at the government 's daily coronavirus briefing , Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were trying to get home .
`` We are talking about hundreds of thousands of people travelling around the world , '' he said .
Mr Raab added : `` Hundreds of thousands have already done so , but many travellers have n't yet managed to get back home - from young backpackers to retired couples on cruises . ''
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak Under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for getting stranded passengers home where commercial routes remain an option .
`` That means offering alternative flights at little to no cost where routes have been cancelled , and it means allowing passengers to change tickets - including between carriers , '' he said .
`` So for those still in those countries where commercial options are still available : do n't wait .
Do n't run the risk of getting stranded .
The airlines are standing by to help you - please book your tickets as soon as possible . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Airways signed a memorandum of understanding relating to the arrangement on Monday .
British Airways has also said it will work with government to get people home and other airlines are expected to join .
Where commercial routes do not exist , the government will provide up to £75m financial support to enable special charter flights - operated by the partner airlines and others - to fly to priority countries to bring back UK residents .
Mr Raab said priority would be given to the most vulnerable - including the elderly or those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to countries where there are large numbers of British tourists trying to return to the UK .
Instructions for UK travellers to return home can be found on the government 's foreign travel advice website .
The Foreign Office said it has already helped hundreds of thousands of British tourists return from around the globe including 8,500 from Morocco , about 5,000 from Cyprus , and an estimated 150,000 from Spain .
From the moment countries started closing their borders , it only felt like a matter of time until the government had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way to get a vast number of stranded British people home .
Up until now , the Foreign Office has been pressuring countries to lift travel restrictions and co-ordinating with UK airlines that have been running empty planes out to destinations to bring people home .
It was a commercial operation and it worked up until a point .
But with so many people stuck in all corners of the globe , and anger growing among many who found themselves in precarious situations , the government ultimately had to provide funding to ensure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Airlines are in dire financial straits and £75m is , in aviation terms , a relatively small sum .
But by helping government now , they 'll be hoping government helps them through this crisis and beyond .
Later in the news briefing , the UK 's chief scientific adviser said there were early signs that social distancing measures in the UK were `` making a difference '' .
Sir Patrick Vallance said people were heeding the advice to stay at home to keep the pressure off the NHS .
As of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the UK have tested positive for coronavirus , while 112,805 have tested negative , according to the Department of Health .
The total number of people who have died with the virus in the UK reached 1,408 , as measured before 17:00 BST on Sunday .
The deaths include a further 159 people in England , six in Scotland , 14 in Wales and one in Northern Ireland .

"The fact is that even if the UK are able to get the Indian government to release the lockdown, they have got to get all of the other Brits as well as our in-laws home.


bbcuk--2020-03-30--Coronavirus: Prince Charles out of self-isolation

The Prince of Wales is now out of self-isolation , following his diagnosis of coronavirus .
Prince Charles , 71 , spent seven days self-isolating in Scotland after testing positive and displaying mild symptoms .
The Duchess of Cornwall , 72 , was tested and did not have the virus , but will self-isolate until the end of the week .
A Palace official said the prince was in good health and was following the government 's restrictions .
`` Clarence House has confirmed today that , having consulted with his doctor , the Prince of Wales is now out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Prince Charles , who is known as the Duke of Rothesay in Scotland , spent his seven days of quarantine at his Birkhall home on the royal Balmoral estate .
According to government guidelines , anyone with symptoms should self-isolate for seven days , while everyone living in their household should self-isolate for two weeks .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• AVOIDING CONTACT : The rules on self-isolation and exercise • MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual guide to the outbreak Buckingham Palace previously said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heir to the throne , on 12 March , and was `` in good health '' .
It comes as the total number of people who have died with the virus in the UK reached 1,408 in the latest total for deaths up to 17:00 BST on Sunday , including a further 159 people in England , six in Scotland , 14 in Wales and one in Northern Ireland .
More than 9,000 people who have tested positive for coronavirus are being treated in hospitals across England , according to NHS England 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - who became the first world leader to announce he had the virus - has continued to lead the country 's response to the pandemic , carrying out meetings over video link while self-isolating in his Downing Street flat .
On Monday , a No 10 source confirmed Dominic Cummings , his chief adviser , has developed symptoms of the virus and was self-isolating at home .

It comes as the total number of people who have died with the virus in the UK reached 1,408 in the latest total for deaths up to 17:00 BST on Sunday, including a further 159 people in England, six in Scotland, 14 in Wales and one in Northern Ireland.


bbcuk--2020-03-30--BrightHouse: Rent-to-own giant folds as coronavirus shuts shops

BrightHouse - the biggest rent-to-own operator in the UK - has collapsed , with administrators now attempting to salvage parts of the business .
Customers should continue to make the monthly payments required to keep their household goods , with administrators now acting as the collecting agent .
The company had been struggling after an influx of compensation claims for selling to people who could not repay .
Its shops were then shut owing to coronavirus restrictions on retailers .
Julie Palmer , from corporate recovery business Begbies Traynor , said : `` Coronavirus was the final nail in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the trading name of Caversham Finance Limited , has 240 shops and 2,400 employees , whose jobs are now at serious risk .
The firm 's collapse came minutes before Italian restaurant chain Carluccio 's also fell into administration .
Collectively , the two firms employ 4,500 people .
What happens with my appliance ?
BrightHouse 's 200,000 rent-to-own customers make monthly payments for household appliances , in effect renting goods ( and paying interest ) until they have paid in full .
Many are on low incomes and find it difficult to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for fridges , TVs , washing machines and other electrical items .
Only about a third are in work .
Customers should continue to make payments in the usual way , the administrators confirmed , although for some the closure of shops and no doorstep collection owing to coronavirus means that should be done in a different way .
Failing to make repayments , even now the company is in administration , could lead to extra charges and harm a credit score .
However , those unable to pay for practical reasons owing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or have their credit score affected .
All new rent-to-own agreements and cash loans , which the company also provided , will now be stopped .
Servicing , warranties , and insurance claims will continue at present , as will delivery of essential items already ordered , but in line with coronavirus restrictions .
These services operated alongside the rent-to-own service .
What happens next ?
The collapse , which was trailed on Friday , means that the administrators - Grant Thornton - will now try to find buyers for all , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ company 's website was still operating on Monday morning .
Alongside many other lenders of high-cost credit , the company was being challenged by people who said they were given credit when they should not have been .
In October 2017 , the company was fined nearly £15m by the City regulator , the Financial Conduct Authority ( FCA ) , for not acting as a `` responsible lender '' .
Some of those customers were given rental agreements , despite being unable to realistically afford to make the repayments .
In January @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pressure from dealing with additional mis-selling claims Debt adviser Sara Williams , who writes the Debt Camel blog , said : `` Customers need to think if they can manage to make the repayments .
`` If their income has fallen because of coronavirus , they should ask for a payment break .
And if the item is just too expensive , they should ask for a lower payment arrangement .
They may be able to make an affordability complaint and get a refund of the interest they have paid on previous items @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compensation may now find they have to wait longer , and receive a fraction of what they might have expected .
Rules , introduced last year , restricted the cost of rent-to-own , following claims of spiralling debts .
The FCA ruled that interest charged would be capped to as much as the cost of the product .
Prices were also controlled , with shops only able to charge no more than the median - the middle price - of three mainstream retailers , including delivery and installation charges .
Shops were also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ premiums , extended warranties , or arrears charges , to recoup lost revenue from the price cap .
Before the rules were brought in , spiralling interest charges meant some rent-to-own consumers had ended up paying more than four times the retail price they would have paid in normal shops .
Among those who were unhappy with how the business operated was Terri Carter , a paralegal from Great Yarmouth .
She had ordered a TV through BrightHouse after running out of money when furnishing her new home .
She went into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ miss a repayment , only later to find a woman in a suit , accompanied by two `` big blokes '' , banging on her door .
At home with her son , they threatened to take away her TV , and she felt forced to agree to making extra payments .
`` I work in law so I knew my rights , but what if that happens to someone older , or someone who has just had a baby ? ''
she said .
Angela Clements , founder of not-for-profit buy-now-pay-later operator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While my heart goes out to BrightHouse 's staff who will lose their jobs , I hope that its collapse will make other lenders think twice before trying to make easy money out of hard-working families in this way .
`` There is a clear need to support and rapidly scale the affordable lending sector so that other high cost credit does n't keep mutating in that gap . ''
Are you a customer of BrightHouse ?
Have you been affected by its collapse ?
Email haveyoursay @ bbc.co.uk with your experience .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ are willing to speak to a BBC journalist .
You can also contact us in the following ways : • Text an SMS or MMS to 61124 or +44 7624 800 100 • Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy

"If their income has fallen because of coronavirus, they should ask for a payment break. And if the item is just too expensive, they should ask for a lower payment arrangement. They may be able to make an affordability complaint and get a refund of the interest they have paid on previous items."


bbcuk--2020-03-30--Coronavirus: MasterChef champion's husband misses son's birth

An intensive care unit doctor has missed the birth of his son because he developed symptoms two days before his wife 's scheduled caesarean section .
Dr Usman Ahmed works at The Whittington Hospital in London and developed a fever and a cough after a night shift .
Saliha Mahmood-Ahmed , who won the MasterChef TV show in 2017 , underwent surgery on 24 March at Watford General Hospital where she works as a doctor .
She thanked her NHS colleagues for supporting her through her solo birth .
• Coronavirus live page : Updates from across the East of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ devastated '' when her husband told her he was going into self-isolation .
`` I was left facing the whole delivery alone , a totally emotionally wrenching experience . ''
But her co-workers were `` nothing short of extraordinary '' and she was `` so grateful '' for their `` outstanding support '' , the registrar added .
`` There have been so many tears , of joy and sadness and no-one can change the fact that our new little man could not meet his daddy at birth , '' she said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the `` love and compassion '' shown by her colleagues that she was able to cope during the birth of their second son , Andalhamdulillah on Tuesday .
`` It is evident that the NHS is much more than an organisation , but more like an extended family , whose values reflect the very best of humanity . ''
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : What are the symptoms ?
• NEW GUIDANCE : What must I do ?
• NEW RESTRICTIONS : What are they ?
• MAPS AND CHARTS : Visual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has since met his son but said it was `` deeply painful '' that grandparents , family and friends would not be able to see the baby for the foreseeable future .
Dr Mahmood-Ahmed returned to work specialising in gastroenterology after winning MasterChef in 2017 .
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"There have been so many tears, of joy and sadness and no-one can change the fact that our new little man could not meet his daddy at birth," she said.


bbcuk--2020-03-30--Hemel Hempstead fire: Murder probe after three found dead

A murder investigation has been launched after three people , believed to be members of a family , were found dead after house fire .
Two women , aged 50 and 24 , and a 57-year-old man were pronounced dead at the property in Stuarts Close , Hemel Hempstead , Hertfordshire , at about 12:30 BST on Sunday .
Police said it was believed to be an isolated incident .
A joint investigation with the fire service is under way .
Det Insp Iain MacPherson , from the Beds , Cambs and Hertfordshire major crime unit , said his thoughts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Police are following all lines of enquiry and considering all possible motives .
`` We are dealing with three suspicious deaths and are not looking for anyone else in connection to this incident at this time . ''
Neighbours said they believed the three people were a husband , wife and daughter .
Neighbour Peter Downer saw smoke coming from the bathroom at the front of the four-bedroom house in Stuarts Close and raised the alarm .
Mr Downer , 67 , said : `` We called the fire brigade when I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We were shocked when we heard what happened .
`` They were a quiet family and had lived here for a long time . ''

Det Insp Iain MacPherson, from the Beds, Cambs and Hertfordshire major crime unit, said his thoughts were with those affected, adding: "Police are following all lines of enquiry and considering all possible motives.


bbcuk--2020-03-30--Tashaun Aird death: Three teens jailed over stab death

Three teenagers who stabbed a 15-year-old boy to death with a samurai sword and a zombie knife in an east London park have been jailed .
Tashaun Aird was knifed nine times in the chest and back during a planned attack in Hackney on 1 May .
A 16-year-old boy who was found guilty of murder has been jailed for life and ordered to serve a minimum of 17 years .
At the Old Bailey , two other teenagers were also jailed for 12 years having been convicted of manslaughter .
The jury had heard Tashaun was set upon in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Williams-Reid he was not part of the Hackney gang , Red Pitch .
The two other defendants attacked the aspiring musician and his friends later as they tried to flee from the park .
Another 16-year-old boy was stabbed but made a full recovery .
Judge Angela Rafferty QC said the victim was part of `` a group of unarmed young people posing no threat whatsoever '' and had nothing to do with the targeted gang .
She said Tashaun 's music may `` somehow '' have been connected , `` but it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' , adding that the murder was `` a terrible waste of a young life '' .
The 16-year-old who was found guilty of murder was also sentenced to four years in prison for wounding , to be served concurrently .
A 16-year-old who was found guilty of manslaughter was also sentenced to four years in prison for wounding with intent , also to be served concurrently .
Williams-Reid , of Romford , was given another two-and-a-half year jail sentence , again to be served concurrently , having been found guilty of wounding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stewart , 16 , died in custody on 27 June after becoming unwell .

She said Tashaun's music may "somehow" have been connected, "but it is unlikely we will ever truly know", adding that the murder was "a terrible waste of a young life".


bbcuk--2020-03-30--Grenfell cladding not the only type to burn easily, tests show

The owners of tall buildings face pressure to continue removing dangerous cladding , despite coronavirus , after a new fire test showed how quickly flames can spread .
Cladding previously deemed safer than that used at Grenfell Tower burned almost as rapidly as the aluminium and plastic panels blamed for the disaster .
These high pressure laminate panels are common in the UK .
However , the government has only recently agreed to fund their removal .
Ministers had suggested taking down this type of cladding was less of a priority than removing the aluminium and plastic type , known @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A video of the new test , passed to the BBC , shows flames reaching the top of a 9m ( 30ft ) test wall in seven minutes and 45 seconds with temperatures approaching 700C .
The test should last 30 minutes and the temperature recorded should stay below 600C .
The results mean the cladding system failed to meet the required standard but what concerns the engineer who commissioned the test is the speed at which the flames spread .
In identical standardised tests carried out by the government , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in between five and six and a half minutes .
The test of high pressure laminate ( HPL ) panels with a combustible insulation , carried out earlier this month , was commissioned privately by the Metal Cladding and Roofing Manufacturers Association ( MCRMA ) .
Dr Jonathan Evans , a member of the MCRMA , said the results were `` shocking '' and raised questions about why the government had not taken more decisive action to get this type of cladding removed .
`` With the vast majority of the country staying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is even more important that people immediately understand the risks of the buildings they occupy , '' he said .
`` Even if the fire does n't initially spread quickly , do not be complacent as it can accelerate rapidly once it takes hold . ''
He pointed out that , during the test , for around six minutes the cladding itself was not burning extensively - but then the fire quickly took hold in joins between the panels and raced to the top of the test rig .
Another major concern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in which the panels `` pinged off '' the rivets holding them in place , creating air space , and allowing the fire to spread .
A remote-controlled fire hose put out the flames after the test was stopped .
The MCRMA has withheld the name of the two products tested , but the HPL cladding is a `` standard '' version of a product widely used in the building industry .
Dr Evans said he commissioned the test because the government had not done enough to highlight the dangers of HPL cladding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with resin .
Last year the Ministry of Housing , Communities and Local Government only made public the results of a more fire resistant HPL type , which passed .
By contrast , ACM cladding has been extensively tested , triggering a building safety crisis when it was found to spread fire rapidly .
Dr Evans said the government 's expert advisers appeared to be suggesting that ACM was `` uniquely dangerous '' .
The most recent advice issued by the government states that the ACM cladding used at Grenfell `` presents a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be taken to remove it `` as soon as possible '' .
The advice for HPL cladding of the type tested has always been less urgent : `` These systems should be remediated , '' the government says .
Last week Housing and Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said the removal of dangerous cladding was `` absolutely essential '' and should continue during the coronavirus crisis , while maintaining social distancing .
Since the Grenfell fire , thousands of leaseholders , living in buildings with dangerous cladding , have been asked to find significant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be taken down .
Councils and housing associations were given £600m to fund the removal of ACM , and in May 2019 the government found another £200m to pay for privately owned buildings .
Only in the last few weeks has the government extended the scheme to cover a wider range of materials including HPL cladding , with an extra £1bn now made available .
However , there have been significant fires involving HPL cladding .
In November 2019 , a fire raced through a student accommodation block , The Cube , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same class of cladding tested last week .
If the private tests carried out last week had been done in 2017 , when the government tested ACM cladding , it could have resulted in panels from The Cube and many other buildings with HPL being removed .
Thankfully no-one was killed in the fire , but 200 firefighters were called out , and students had to be found alternative accommodation after the building was evacuated .
The government has asked to see the test results and has commissioned further research .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Communities and Local Government said it had been clear the type of high pressure laminate panel tested , with a fire classification of class C or D , was unsafe and should not be on high-rise buildings .
`` We have listened to leaseholders and the government has recently announced a £1bn fund to remediate high-rise buildings with unsafe cladding . ''

He pointed out that, during the test, for around six minutes the cladding itself was not burning extensively - but then the fire quickly took hold in joins between the panels and raced to the top of the test rig.


bbcuk--2020-03-30--MI5: Ken McCallum appointed new boss

MI5: Ken McCallum appointed new boss

Ken McCallum has been appointed the new director general of MI5 , the security service has said .
Mr McCallum led counter terrorism investigations during the London 2012 Olympic Games and MI5 's response to the attempted assassination of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in 2018 .
Currently deputy director general , he has worked there for nearly 25 years , a statement said .
He succeeds Sir Andrew Parker , who retires in April after seven years .
• The day I tried to be an MI5 spook • What did the Skripal attack mean for the UK and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for their 'tireless work' Originally from Glasgow , Mr McCallum spent his first years at MI5 focusing on Northern Ireland-related terrorism , and later specialised in countering Islamist extremist terrorism .
He led its strategic response to the series of terror attacks that took place in 2017 and has also worked on cyber-security .
Mr McCallum said : `` MI5 's purpose is hugely motivating .
Our people - with our partners - strive to keep the country safe , and they always want to go the extra mile . ''
Sir Andrew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person to take MI5 forward '' as the country `` deals with the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic '' .
Like most people who ascend to the job of running one of the UK 's intelligence agencies , the public will have heard little about Ken McCallum .
But inside national security circles he is a well-known and well-regarded figure whose appointment is likely to be popular .
Running MI5 is a challenging job at any time - with the responsibility of working out which threats to prioritise and how to avoid being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also have to wrestle with new issues .
For nearly two decades since the 9/11 attacks , the challenge of terrorism has dominated the security service 's work .
But that threat is now diversifying - with more far-right activity , which MI5 has now begun to monitor .
And there is concern that threats from hostile states - notably Russia - require more attention , with not just old-fashioned espionage but also disinformation and cyber-attacks .
All of this will now have to be done in an environment where coronavirus is asking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the biggest risks to our security and way of life really come from .

All of this will now have to be done in an environment where coronavirus is asking new questions about priorities and about where the biggest risks to our security and way of life really come from.