Savile: Celebs 'Frightened By Police Probe'

Major stars from the 60s and 70s are terrified of being named in connection with the Jimmy Savile child abuse scandal, according to PR guru Max Clifford.

Mr Clifford told Sky News that up to 15 celebrities in Britain and beyond had been in touch with him in recent days to express their fears.

The stars are concerned because of their hedonistic lifestyles when they were at the peak of their fame, when young girls would throw themselves at them, he said.

His comments came as the Savile family released a lengthy statement expressing their horror at the revelations.

Mr Clifford told Sky: "In the last few days, I have had an awful lot of calls and expect to get a lot more - some from very famous people who in the 60s and 70s were in the middle of this music explosion in this country.

"I'm very close friends with a lot of these people and have been for 40 to 50 years. I am in the middle of the media world so I'm the first person they turn to.

"Their lives often depend on popularity and public perception. There are a lot of things that get put out there that have nothing to do with reality but can be very damaging.

"They are all saying that they were totally unaware and they themselves have never done anything remotely like Jimmy Savile. Naturally they are concerned because names are being mentioned - 95% of it is total nonsense but it is happening."

He added: "If you're 19 or 20 and suddenly you become a pop star and a dozen girls burst into your dressing room... you don't actually sit there and ask for birth certificates."

Mr Clifford said Freddie Starr was one of those who had been in touch and had called him several times.

"Freddie said to me 'look Max, I've done nothing. There's nothing I ever did but I'm worried to death, I've got a bad heart. I'm in a real state'."

He added: "There's a lot of people that are very very worried about what is going on."

Scotland Yard has said their investigation into accusations of abuse by Savile, who died in 2011, now involves around 300 potential victims.

Police have described him as a sexual predator who could have been one of the most prolific paedophiles Britain has ever seen.

The scandal erupted after an ITV documentary at the start of this month broadcast allegations by a string of women who said the Jim'll Fix It star had assaulted them.

It has since emerged that seven alleged victims contacted four separate police forces - Surrey, London, Sussex and Jersey - while he was alive but no further action was taken.

A retired police officer has also told Scotland Yard that he investigated Savile in the 1980s while based in west London but did not have enough evidence to proceed.

Commander Peter Spindler said he believed the allegation was of an indecent assault, possibly in a caravan on BBC premises in west London, but officers have still not found the original file.

Another allegation, of inappropriate touching dating back to the 1970s, was made by a woman in 2003, but this was treated as "intelligence" by police because the victim did not want to take action.

Surrey Police submitted a file to the Crown Prosecution Service containing references to four potential offences, including an allegation of indecent assault on a young girl at a children's home.

The allegations related to three potential victims in Surrey and another in Sussex, and Savile was interviewed under caution in 2009, but prosecutors decided there was insufficient evidence to bring charges.

The seventh allegation emerged in 2008 when Jersey police received a claim that an indecent assault occurred at children's home Haut de la Garenne in the 1970s.

Again it was decided that there was insufficient evidence to proceed.

Mr Spindler said Savile was "undoubtedly" one of the most prolific sex offenders he had come across and that Operation Yewtree, looking into his alleged crimes, would be a "watershed moment" for child abuse investigations.

Claims have also been made that former DJ Savile, who died last year aged 84, targeted children while they were in hospital.

He had a bedroom at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, an office and living quarters at Broadmoor and widespread access to Leeds General Infirmary.

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Savile Family: Our Hearts Go Out To Victims

Savile Family Statement In Full

Updated: 11:25am UK, Saturday 27 October 2012

Jimmy Savile's nephew Robert Foster speaks in detail about the family's reaction to the scandal.

"A year ago our uncle, Sir Jimmy Savile, passed away.

It was a shock when it happened as I had only seen him the week before and although seeming under the weather, I had no concerns over his wellbeing. A week later he was dead and my cousin and I were left with the task of organising his funeral.

We were proud of him. Proud of his achievements and the help he had been able to give to others.

We knew nothing of the firestorm of allegations to come. We set out to organise the funeral knowing that he was well respected by many, many thousands of people.

We knew that the funeral was going to grow because so many people wanted to be a part of the celebration of his life.

We felt so honoured that so many wanted to remember him and mark his passing.

As time passed, the grieving process enabled us to come to terms with his death. By the time summer arrived we were getting ready for the auction of his possessions so that, as he requested in his will, the money could go to his charities. It was a great success.

We became aware of the programme that was being made with allegations of a darker side to him that we knew nothing about.

I watched the programme in horror and could not believe that these allegations were about our uncle. This wasn't the man we knew and loved.

Like everyone else we asked the question, Why now? We couldn't find an answer.

The allegations kept coming and were beginning to overwhelm us. Media were chasing us asking for interviews as family members.

The allegations are very serious and we began to have doubts as to our own feeling towards our uncle.

How could the person we thought we knew and loved do such a thing?

Why would a man who raised so much money for charity, who gave so much of his own time and energy for others risk it all doing indecent criminal acts? How could anyone live their life doing the 'most good and most evil' at the same time?

We became more aware of the outrage that many members of the public were feeling.

We began to think that his headstone, which we had only unveiled a couple of weeks earlier could become a target for people wishing to show there emotions. The dignity of the cemetery, the people who are buried there and the relatives who tend the graves had to be respected. We took the decision to remove and destroy the headstone so that it couldn't become a focus for malicious people.

The decision was a difficult one to make but we knew it was the right one.

A vilification of his name, his achievements and everything he stood for followed. People are moving as quickly as possible to disassociate themselves from him.

His charities, which he was so proud of, debated the prospect of removing his name from their title.

The trustees have since decided that this wasn't enough and that the charities will have to be wound up and the monies given to other charities working in a similar field.

Records of all his efforts and the good work he had done, have been, or are in the process of being removed.

We recognise that even our own despair and sadness does not compare to that felt by the victims.

Our thoughts and our prayers are with those who have suffered from every kind of abuse over so many years and we offer our deepest sympathy in what must have been a terrible time for all of them.

We can understand their reluctance to say anything earlier and can appreciate the courage it has taken to speak out now.

Our hearts go out to them and we offer them our sympathy and understanding in their anguish.

Where will it all end? Who knows? The repercussions of this scandal are enormous. We, as his closest family, have to endure further revelations on a daily basis. 
Our feelings are in turmoil as we await the next turn of events."

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Victory For Man Who Took Cold Caller To Court

A businessman plagued by nuisance phone calls offering compensation for Payment Protection Insurance has secured £220 in an out-of-court settlement.

Richard Herman, 53, was so fed up with the unwanted calls arriving from India, he decided to take matters into his own hands.

He warned the company that, in future, he would invoice them £10 for every minute of his time they used.

When the calls continued he began recording them before finally invoicing the company £195 for their use of his "time, telephone and electricity".

Upon receipt of the invoice the marketing firm acting on behalf of UK-based PPI Claimline Ltd, denied making the calls. When Mr Herman revealed he had recorded evidence, they still refused to pay.

But when Mr Herman filed a claim in the small claims court for the unpaid invoice - plus £25 in costs - the company offered to settle the debt out of court and transferred £220 into his bank account.

Mr Herman filed in the small claims court when his invoice was not paid

Mr Herman said: "I kept being called, as we all do, and I thought the only way for them to stop would be for me to speak to them and say, 'For goodness sake, take me off your list!'

"Then it occurred to me to tell them that if they call again I'll charge for my time. When they continued calling I sent them an invoice for 19.5 minutes."

To encourage others to do the same Mr Herman has set up a website with examples of covering letters and invoices to send to nuisance callers.

Even though the validity of Mr Herman's original invoice was not tested in court, he believes anyone who warns cold-calling companies they will be charged if they call, have a right to invoice them.

"I did business studies at 17 and studied 'offer-and-acceptance' so I knew a verbal contract is just as valid as a written one but harder to prove.

"The recorded calls proved I did tell them I would charge for my time if they called again".

Mr Herman, who works in the telephone industry selling call-recording equipment, said his action was a last resort after asking the Information Commissioner and the Telephone Preference Service for help.

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EDF To Raise Gas And Electricity Prices

Energy giant EDF is to increase prices for householders by an average of 10.8%.

The rise, gas and electricity, around four times the rate of inflation, is set to be implemented on December 7.

EDF, which has 3.1 million customers and 5.5 million accounts overall, said its annual dual fuel bill was the lowest of the suppliers to have announced price rises so far.

Companies have blamed the changes on rising wholesale prices and increased running costs - especially for transporting gas and electricity to customers' homes - and the cost of energy efficiency programmes.

Martin Lawrence, EDF managing director of energy sourcing and customer supply, said: "We know that customers will not welcome this news and do not want to see prices going up.

"Our new prices will, however, be cheaper on average than those of all the other major suppliers which have announced standard price rises so far this autumn.

"We've taken extra measures to make sure the most vulnerable benefit from the best deals and we continue to help customers reduce their bills with energy efficiency measures."

Earlier this month Npower became the third of the so-called Big Six energy firms to confirm steep rises in its gas and electricity bills ahead of winter.

It said bills would increase by an average 8.8% for gas and 9.1% for electricity from November 26.

Just hours beforehand British Gas confirmed that its average dual fuel tariff would rise by 6% - or £80 annually - from November 16.

The Big Six - British Gas, EDF, E.On, NPower, Scottish Power and SSE - control 99% of the UK's domestic energy supplies.

E.ON is the only big supplier yet to announce price rises after it made a promise not to raise tariffs this year.

Last week the energy regulator Ofgem said it would make the market "simpler, clearer and fairer" for consumers.

The promise follows a call by the Prime Minister to energy giants to overhaul confusing tariff systems.

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British Oil Executive Shot Dead In Brussels

A British oil executive - named by Sky sources as Nicholas Mockford - has been shot dead in Brussels.

The killing took place on October 14 but Belgian investigators have only just revealed information about his death.

Mr Mockford, who worked for ExxonMobil,  was gunned down as he left a restaurant with his wife.

The Foreign Office said: "We can confirm the death of a British national in Brussels on October 14 and we are providing consular assistance."

Police said the businessman was shot three times as he left an Italian restaurant in Neder-Over-Heembeek, a suburb of the Belgian capital.

It happened at around 10pm as he walked with his wife Mary from the Da Marcello restaurant on Rue de Beyseghem to their car, which was parked nearby.

The attack took place in the Neder-Over-Heembeek area of Brussels

Mrs Mockford was violently attacked and struck several times on her face as one of the attackers tried to grab her handbag.

A second attacker opened fire on the 60-year-old oil executive, who later died of his injuries.

He was shot three times, once as he lay on the floor, and his wife Mary was left beaten and covered in blood, cradling her husband and shouting for help. He died on the way to hospital.

Witnesses say they saw the couple walk across the street to their Lexus 4x4 car before shots were fired.

It is understood that the two men were carrying motorcycle helmets and they initially fled on foot before taking a ring road on a "two-wheeled vehicle".

Shortly after the events, a white van passed Rue de Beyseghem and came across the victims.

Investigators have been questioning the driver of this vehicle.

A neighbour, who doesn't want to be identified, rushed out to the scene and said: "I heard a strange sound like tak! tak! I thought that was strange so I went out to have a look.

"And there was someone lying on the footpath on the other side of the street and someone saying "Au secours! Au secours!" (Help! Help!). There was someone lying unconscious next to a car."

The neighbour first thought her husband had been in a hit-and-run: "I stayed with them. At one point he stopped breathing and I gave him first aid and he came back round.

"Then he was again unconscious and I again gave him first aid and brought him round, then the ambulance arrived."

The neighbour then understood that the man had been shot.

"I saw when the ambulance arrived and cut open his shirt and that he had a bullet in his chest and blood on his head. But of course I didn't want to move him."

The Daily Telegraph said police in Belgium were considering all possible motives for the shooting, including a carjacking, although Mr Mockford's car was not stolen.

The Belgian prosecutor's office said last night that there was a "judicial instruction" from Martine Quintin, the investigating judge, that meant they could give no "explanation" and no detail about the killing, which a spokesman said was "usual in such a serious murder investigation", the newspaper reported.

However, Chief Inspector Wim Van Leifferenge said the killing had been reported by media in the country since it happened.

Mr Van Leifferenge said no-one had been arrested and those responsible were still on the run.

Mr Mockford is understood to have worked for ExxonMobil since the 1970s and was head of marketing for interim technologies for ExxonMobil Chemicals, Europe, promoting new types of greener fuel.

Brought up in Leicestershire, he had moved abroad from Chichester some years ago, living in Belgium and Singapore.

He was married to his Belgian wife for 15 years and has three grown-up children living in Britain from his first marriage, according to the Telegraph.

A family member, who asked not to be named, told the newspaper they thought he had been killed in a professional hit.

The relation said: "We are all confused about what has happened. Nick was a genuinely lovely, clean-cut, mild-mannered, family man."

He added: "He was shot so calmly and so quickly, it smacks horribly of a professional hit, but we can't fathom why. He isn't the type to cave in to blackmail and it just doesn't compute."

A spokesman for ExxonMobil said: "Mr Mockford, a British national, was a department manager at our office close to Brussels, but we have no indication that the incident was work related.

"Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues and we are supporting them as best we can at this very difficult time."

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Hospital Abuse: Six Former Carers Jailed

Care Home Abusers Sentenced

Updated: 12:14pm UK, Friday 26 October 2012

The former staff admitted 38 charges of either neglect or ill-treatment of people with severe learning difficulties. They are:

:: Wayne Rogers, 32, of Purton Close, Bristol, pleaded guilty to nine charges of ill-treating Ms Deville, Mr Tovey and Miss Blake. He denied a charge of ill-treating Miss Bisset, which was accepted by the prosecution and he did not face trial. He was jailed for two years.

:: Alison Dove, 25, of Chipperfield Drive, Bristol, pleaded guilty to seven charges of ill-treating Miss Guilford, Miss Bisset and Miss Blake. She pleaded not guilty to ill-treating Mr Tovey, which was accepted by the prosecution and she did not face trial. She was jailed for 20 months.

:: Graham Doyle, 26, of Brackendene, Bradley Stoke, Bristol, pleaded guilty to seven charges of ill-treating Miss Blake. He denied charges of wilfully neglecting Miss Guilford and ill-treating Mr Tovey. The prosecution accepted the pleas and he did not face trial. He was also jailed for 20 months.

:: Jason Gardiner, 43, of Mellent Avenue, Bristol, admitted two charges of ill-treating Ms Deville and Mr Tovey. His four-month jail term was suspended for two years. Gardiner was ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.

:: Michael Ezenagu, 29, of Malabar Court, India Way, Shepherds Bush, west London, pleaded guilty to two counts of ill-treating Miss Blake. He denied two further of ill-treating the same patient and a third similar charge against Mr Tovey. The prosecution accepted the pleas and he did not face trial. His six-month jail term was suspended for two years. Ezenagu was ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.

:: Danny Brake, 27, of Beechen Drive, Fishponds, Bristol, also pleaded guilty to two charges of ill-treating Miss Blake and Mr Tovey. His four-month jail term was suspended for two years. Brake was ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.

:: Charlotte Cotterell, 22, of Melrose Avenue, Yate, Bristol, pleaded guilty to one charge of ill-treating Miss Blake. She denied a second charge against the same victim, which was accepted by the prosecution and she did not face trial. Her four-month jail term was suspended for two years. Cotterell was ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and complete 12 months supervision.

:: Holly Draper, 24, of The Old Orchard, Mangotsfield, Bristol, pleaded guilty to two charges of ill-treating Miss Blake. She was jailed for 12 months.

:: Neil Ferguson, 28, of Emersons Green, Bristol, pleaded guilty to one count of ill-treating Miss Blake. He denied a second charge of ill-treating the same patient, which the prosecution accepted and he did not face trial. His six-month jail term was suspended for two years. Ferguson was ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.

:: Sookalingum Appoo, 59, of Dial Lane, Bristol, admitted three charges of wilfully neglecting Miss Blake. He was jailed for six months.

:: Kelvin Fore, 33, of Ellesmere Walk, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to one charge of wilfully neglecting Miss Blake but denied a second allegation against the same person, which was accepted by the prosecution and he did not face trial. He was also jailed for six months.

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April Jones: Police Teams Continue Search

The search for missing April Jones is continuing in mid-Wales nearly a month after her disappearance.

The five-year-old was abducted as she played outside her home in Machynlleth on October 1.

A month on and more than 120 officers are still involved in searching the surrounding area.

They are involved in scouring caves, potholes and riverbanks as well as hillside areas and quarries.

Inspector Gareth Thomas, a police search advisor with Dyfed Powys Police, told Sky News: "We have 17 specialist search teams out in the area now searching.

"As long as we have intelligence to suggest we need to search these areas we will continue to do so.

"Our teams have been working flat out to find April and we are determined to find her."

On hillsides above the town search teams spread out in lines.

With wooden poles they slash thick vegetation to get a closer look at the ground underneath.

Inspector Gary Ash, of the British Transport Police, said: "We divide this area into sectors and each sector needs to be searched meticulously.

"After we are satisfied that the area has been searched then we move on to another area.

"The terrain is difficult, but it is not unsearchable and we will continue to look for April."

In Machynlleth town centre pink ribbons still adorn many doorways and shop fronts. They have come to represent a town's hope that April will be found soon.

Police have charged Mark Bridger, 46, with April's abduction and murder.

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Ford UK Job Losses To Hit 1,300, Sources Say

Ford will make 1,300 employees redundant following the closure of its Southampton factory, according to Sky sources.

The US company's stamping plant in Dagenham, which presses sheets of metal used to make Transit vans in Southampton, will also be shut down, Sky News understands.

The Swaythling plant will close next summer - with a loss of more than 500 jobs - and the Dagenham facility will be shut at the same time.

Ford will not make an official announcement on its plans until this afternoon.

It marks the end of more than a century of vehicle production in the UK by Ford, which will now only make engines and other car parts in Britain.

The move, revealed by Sky News on Wednesday, comes after union representatives met with company management.

The national officer of the GMB union, Justin Bowden, described it as devastating for Ford's British workers.

"This is very bad news for UK manufacturing," he said.

"Ford's track record in Britain is one of broken promises and factory closures.

"There will be a feeling of shock and anger, and Ford's commitment on investment will cut little ice."

Conservative MP for Romsey and Southampton, Caroline Nokes, said described the news as a "bitter blow" for the region.

"It is critically important that we do everything we can to help those affected," she said.

"The closure will have a significant impact on employment.

"These 500 employees have broadly similar skills and it is very important that they are given the maximum support possible."

But Ford, which employs 11,400 people at sites across the UK, is also expected to announce some good news for its British workforce.

According to Sky sources, the company will safeguard thousands of jobs by confirming that the next generation of diesel engines will be built in the UK.

The carmaker is in the process of restructuring its European operations following a slump in demand, and on Wednesday announced that it would close its "under-utilised" factory in Genk, Belgium resulting in 4,300 job losses.

The chairman and chief executive of Ford of Europe, Stephen Odell, said: "The proposed restructuring of our European manufacturing operations is a fundamental part of our plan to strengthen Ford's business in Europe and to return to profitable growth."

More follows...

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Recession Ends Amid Olympic Games Boost

How GDP Is Compiled Really Matters

Updated: 8:11am UK, Thursday 25 October 2012

By Ed Conway, Economics Editor

I've covered economics for a decade or so, but I confess that until very recently I didn't really know what GDP really is.

I mean, like most of you I knew it was the broadest and most widely-used measure of our economy's health - that it determines whether we're officially in recession or not (two or more quarters of shrinking GDP equals a recession).

I knew it was the sum of everything spent, earned or made in Britain.

What I didn't know was how it's actually put together.

I guess I vaguely assumed - and I don't think I'm entirely alone - that the Office for National Statistics had some kind of electronic hotline into British business, some privileged access to their numbers, which in turn became the Gross Domestic Product number.

Turns out I was monumentally wrong.

For it transpires that GDP - that big number we're all so focused on, the figure that tells us whether we're in a recession or booming, that can end a political career and swing an election - is actually a big, big survey.

I know this because earlier this month I spent some time in the ONS headquarters in Newport with the team who put together this most significant of all numbers.

For the first time, they allowed cameras into their offices to show how GDP really comes into being - and the genesis might well surprise you.

At this point it might be worth explaining why this matters so much: there is arguably no other number out there that can swing the financial markets quite so much, that can influence Britain's feelgood factor, that dominates the headlines and strikes fear into politicians.

And yet there are many people who question whether we can really rely on the numbers.

Some economists argue that the GDP figures in recent months have painted a far more negative picture of the UK economy than is actually the case.

Some argue that Britain never really experienced a double-dip recession - but that this reality will only ever be confirmed many years into the future when the ONS revises those initial estimates.

So how GDP is put together really matters. And it all starts with the pounds in your pockets.

For the first estimate of GDP - the one today - is created from data collected in surveys of tens of thousands of surveys from businesses around the country - whether they're manufacturers, construction firms, retailers or others.

Each month a large sample of them is asked by the ONS to tell them their turnover (how much money is going through the till), along with a few other industry-specific questions which form part of the retail sales, manufacturing output and other releases.

The turnover number is what matters from the perspective of GDP. They fill the relevant questionnaire in and post it to the ONS (they can also submit the data through an automated telephone system).

When those envelopes arrive there the questionnaires are scanned and the numbers go into the ONS' systems.

The problem is that by the time that first estimate needs to be produced, the ONS only has 44% of the relevant data (the rest arrives in dribs and drabs over the following months, hence the revisions). In particular, the ONS only has early responses for the final month of the quarter.

So there are some pretty big gaps to be filled, and the ONS has to make some estimates about what the other data will eventually say when it comes in.

It relies for this on computer models, backed up by assumptions and calculations from the ONS staff themselves. After they make these calls they meet and discuss them in so-called "balancing meetings": the statisticians ask each other whether the data are reliable and their assumptions have foundation.

During this entire period, those GDP assumptions and the ultimate figure are kept locked up (quite literally - there are safes into which they are put) such that only a dozen or so statisticians actually know the number before it comes out.

So far as anyone knows, there has never been a leak of a number as sensitive as this from the ONS. But 24 hours before the figures are published, selected ministers and officials also get a look.

The figures are revised again a month after that initial release, and then again a month later. During that period, more information has come in from quarterly surveys which measure families' and businesses' incomes, and other spending data.

As I said, GDP can be measured in terms of what we spend, what we earn and what we make - they should all add up to the same number, since what one person buys another person sells. And the extra data furnishes that initial estimate and, occasionally, contradicts it.

The ONS maintains that its record of revisions is acceptable by international standards. It points out that its surveys have far more respondents than those put together by independent competitors.

But some, most notably Kevin Daly of Goldman Sachs, argue that it has a tendency to revise the more distant history so substantially that often periods we thought at the time were slumps were actually booms.

A case in point is the early 1990s: at the time, the ONS said the UK was suffering a double-dip recession.

But by the end of the millennium it had revised its assessment: far from slumping, the UK was actually bouncing back forcefully at that point. When Norman Lamont referred to "green shoots", it turns out he was absolutely right.

Today, the GDP figures have been telling an altogether different story to the unemployment figures, which seem to suggest there never was a double-dip. Based on precedent, we are unlikely to know the definitive story for years to come.

Which implies that the ONS, and the way it puts together this most important of all numbers, will remain in the spotlight for the foreseeable future.

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Savile: Abuse Charities Report Spike In Calls

Charities helping victims of sexual abuse have been swamped with inquiries – prompted by the widening Jimmy Savile controversy.

The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) has seen nearly a trebling of calls to its hotline.

Napac chief executive Pete Saunders told Sky News: "As we speak it is well over 2,500 calls we have received and is rapidly heading towards 3,000.

"It has been relentless. Normally we deal with up to 300 inquiries weekly but since Savile it is up to 800 a week."

ITV broadcast a documentary on Savile's on October 3, after a similar programme was halted by the BBC Newsnight show, and it included the Napac hotline number for adults who suffered childhood abuse.

"We had 150 calls on the night the documentary was aired and it has remained consistently high. It has been relentless and we have to thank our amazing team of volunteers who have answered calls," Mr Saunders said.

Abuse claims by BBC star Savile date back decades

The NSPCC, which deals with stopping cruelty to those who are children now, also received calls relating to Savile victims who are now adults.

Sky's Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt said: "It's now 161 allegations against Jimmy Savile, so it's a figure that's rising all the time. The police have been told of these latest figures."

The spike in calls to charities comes as pressure has continued to mount on BBC bosses, past and present, over the halting of an investigation into sexual abuse by Savile.

Sources at current affairs programme Newsnight told The Times that director of news Helen Boaden allegedly intervened last year, insisting staff gather evidence as if the late star were still alive and able to sue.

It said Ms Boaden's approach subsequently influenced the show's editor Peter Rippon to halt the investigation - he has since "stepped aside" while the corporation undertakes a review into Savile's predatory behaviour over several decades on BBC premises.

The spreading concerns of BBC managerial responsibility have also drawn in the previous BBC boss, Mark Thompson, about how much he knew.

Mr Thompson, who recently resigned as director general, said: "There is nothing to suggest that I acted inappropriately in the handling of this matter.

BBC Newsnight editor Peter Rippon has "stepped down" amid an inquiry

"I did not impede or stop the Newsnight investigation, nor have I done anything else that could be construed as untoward or unreasonable."

On Tuesday, current director general George Entwistle was urged to "get a grip" on his organisation during a hostile grilling by MPs about the broadcaster's handling of the claims.

Mr Entwistle told the committee he had ordered an internal audit of the operation of the BBC's child protection policies and would report its results to the BBC Trust in December.

He said the corporation was now investigating up to 10 "serious allegations" involving past and present employees over the "Savile period".

Scotland Yard said 60 of the 200 people who have come forward since ITV first aired a documentary on the former DJ's sexual abuse have made claims against people other than Savile.

It is understood that the Metropolitan Police have made preparations for the first arrests in its own investigation.

Meanwhile, in a letter to BBC Trust chairman Lord Patten, Culture Secretary Maria Miller warned that the scandal had raised "very real concerns" about public trust in the corporation.

In his response Lord Patten said the inquiries would be "comprehensive and independent", but also delivered a thinly-veiled warning that the Government should not wade into the row.

"I know that you will not want to give any impression that you are questioning the independence of the BBC," he wrote.

Lord Patten has been urged to resign by a former parliamentary colleague

Conservative MP Sir Roger Gale, a former director of current affairs programmes for the BBC, suggested Lord Patten and Mr Entwistle may have to "fall on their swords".

He said: "Chris Patten is an old friend and a former parliamentary colleague for whom I have had a high regard but in his comment he has made it clear that he is out of touch.

"Not only with the strength of feeling and concern in Parliament about the 'Savile affair' and related matters but, more importantly, with the strength of public revulsion at what has happened at Television Centre and with the corporate culture that, for the best part of 40 years, has apparently covered it up.

"Attack may be the best form of defence but in seeking to criticise a Culture Secretary who has not, ever, sought to challenge the independence of the BBC, he indicates how very little, within that corporate arrogance, has really changed," Mr Gale said.

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Equal Pay: Women Win Landmark Ruling

Women who earned less than men on the same pay grade when they worked for a local authority have won a battle for equal pay compensation at the UK's highest court.

The Supreme Court said more than 170 former Birmingham City Council employees could launch compensation claims in the High Court.

Lawyers say the judgment could have "huge implications".

The Supreme Court's decision follows a Court of Appeal ruling in the women's favour.

The "historic" ruling was made at Britain's highest court

Judges heard that 170 women were among female workers denied bonuses similar to those handed out to employees in traditionally male-dominated jobs such as refuse collectors, street cleaners, road workers and grave-diggers.

The court was told that, in 2007 and 2008, tens of thousands of pounds were paid to female council employees to compensate them.

More payments have also been made to women who took cases to an employment tribunal.

But only workers still employed or who had recently left were eligible to make claims in a tribunal.

Those who had left earlier were caught by the six-month deadline for launching claims.

To get around the deadline, the women started actions for damages in the High Court, which has a six-year deadline for launching claims.

The city council attempted to have those claims struck out, arguing that under equal pay legislation such claims could only be entertained by an employment tribunal.

Former care assistant Pam Saunders said she was "over the moon" with the decision, adding: "It's thousands of pounds that we've lost. Whatever we get is a bonus."

Law firm Leigh Day & Co described the ruling as "historic".

In a statement it said the judgment "effectively extends the time limit for equal pay claims from six months to six years, the biggest change to equal pay legislation since it was introduced in 1970, with huge implications for thousands of workers".

It said it is bringing claims against Birmingham City Council on behalf of 174 claimants, with another 1,000 claims pending in Birmingham alone.

The firm said that "there are also thousands more claims in other areas around the UK being handled by Leigh Day & Co awaiting this decision".

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Obama Aggressive In Final Presidential Debate

Romney Avoids Foreign Policy Blow

Updated: 10:35am UK, Tuesday 23 October 2012

By Dominic Waghorn, US Correspondent

This was always going to be a tough one for Mitt Romney.

The Republican challenger has not distinguished himself on foreign policy. 

And on many foreign issues there is not enough swinging room between him and the President to let him land a punch.

The President probably won on points, but his challenger held his own and made no gaffes. Given his previous form on foreign policy, that's an improvement.

This debate was about foreign policy when the election is not. The economy remains the overriding issue.

It was predictable then that both men would try to bring the debate back to domestic issues.

President Obama was the first, 25 minutes in, stressing that nation building starts at home.

Mr Romney joined in, forcefully making the argument that America will only be respected overseas if it's strong at home. 

Then followed a slew of argument that had nothing to do with foreign policy from healthcare reform to classroom sizes. 

There were cheers in the adjoining "spin room" from journalists when moderator Bob Schieffer tried to return the discussion to foreign affairs even if it was largely in vain.

With the odds stacked against him, Mr Romney was largely avoiding losing.

His most dangerous moment was one of his own creation, a tactical error he could have avoided.

He probably should not have mentioned foreign trips, given how badly his last one went, offending the British, Palestinians and the press travelling with him.

But he brought up the President's visits overseas all the same, accusing him of indulging in an "apology" tour allowing his opponent to come right back at him.

"If you want to talk about trips governor," came back the president. Mr Obama then compared his visit to Israel, which included a tour of the Yad Vashem holocaust museum, to Mitt Romney's which he said was more about attending fundraisers.

Many Americans will not have been watching. This was a big sports night.

In the Tailgaters Sports Bar in Daytona Beach up the coast, most people weren't focused on the debate. The Chicago Bears were playing the Detroit Lions, by coincidence the home town teams of each candidate.

The game was on a much bigger screen than the debate in the bar.

But a few were paying attention to the candidates.

Carl Dephillipe told Sky News the debate had made all the difference to his vote.

"I am a Democrat so I was leaning towards Obama but I hadn't heard anything about his foreign policy till tonight so finally being to sit down tonight to listen to his foreign policy I'll definitely be giving him my vote," he said.

Further down the bar David Daley was also critical of Mr Romney.

"I think he's basically selling the American people a dream. That he's promising a lot of things that he's not going to be able to do," he said. 

For the record, the President's team beat Mr Romney's by 13 to 7.

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Cyprus: Firecracker Injures Footballer

A Colombian footballer and team medical staff were left writhing in pain after a powerful firecracker exploded inches from their faces during a match in Cyprus.

Ricardo Laborde, who plays for Anorthosis Famagusta in the Cypriot first division, was being treated for an injury during the match against rivals Omonia Nicosia on Sunday.

As he lay prone on the pitch with medical staff attending to his injury, the firecracker was thrown from a section of Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium housing the Omonia Niscosia fans.

The device exploded close to the player, leaving several people writhing on the ground clutching their faces or holding their ears.

The player and two medics writhe in pain after the firecracker explodes

Police said investigators were looking through CCTV footage to track down the culprit. So far, no-one has been arrested.

Miraculously, no-one was seriously injured and the game continued after a 10-minute delay for treatment.

Anorthosis, which is currently joint top in the division with AEL Larnaca, also denounced some of its own fans for lighting flares during the game.

The club urged police in a statement on Monday to carry out more checks on fans entering stadiums.

Anorthosis Famagusta went on to win the match 2-0.

It comes after an explosive device was thrown on to the pitch during an Asian Champions League quarter-final between Iranian side Sepahan and Al Ahli of Saudi Arabia in September.

Sepahan midfielder Adel Kolahkaj had picked up the device and thrown it off the pitch, when it then exploded.

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Jimmy Savile: BBC Boss Is Grilled By MPs

Why Child Abuse Goes Unchallenged

Updated: 4:38am UK, Tuesday 23 October 2012

By Peter Saunders, Chief Executive, NAPAC

I founded and am now privileged to work for NAPAC, the National Association for People Abused in Childhood.

We run the UK's only national free phone support line for adult survivors. We receive letters and emails and we run support groups.

We are a small charity but we have helped thousands in the past and we face the mammoth task of trying to help the thousands coming forward as a result of the Jimmy Savile outrage.

An advertising agency has just made us a poster which in a way sums up why the abuse of our children has gone unchallenged for generation after generation.

Abuse is just too painful for many of us to talk about. Children who speak out are often labelled liars or attention seekers. Many will then keep that secret for the rest of their life.

People who witness abuse, or almost see it..."whoops, I didn't see or want to know about that" really hope it will go away and abusers are never going to admit their vile crimes. And why would they? Abusers ensure there are rarely any witnesses. So children are easily silenced.

And as the Savile allegations have shown, many of his own colleagues who "knew" what was going on kept quiet about it and said nothing.

As one major BBC Radio voice said a few weeks ago "nobody messed with Jimmy". If his colleagues recognised and were intimidated by this man, think how impossible it would have been for a child or young person to speak out?

But I think it would be dangerous to blame the BBC or the 'culture' of the day. Abuse and rape have never been acceptable and I think it is dangerous to somehow equate the alleged permissiveness of the 60's and 70's with these crimes.

The Catholic Church tried to blame their on-going crisis of abusing priests on this ("the 60's").  We must not be fooled. Most abuse occurs within families and they rarely want to confront it.

We are a society which has turned a blind eye to the awful things done to children right under our noses - apart from the occasional hysterical outburst when some "monster paedophile" snatches and murders a child.

Mercifully this is extremely rare and children have always been in more danger under their own roof than anywhere else. That's hard for anyone to stomach, surely? But Savile has got a nation stirred.

I think we are at a turning point in history. I strongly believe that society, the majority who have not suffered abuse, are starting to understand the impact of this heinous and life changing crime.

I have lost count of how many journalists I have spoken to since this Savile revelation and I truly believe they are beginning to 'get it'.

Even more so when you mention..."do you have children"? Would you have wanted Savile or any other kind of child abuser getting his (or her) hands on your child? People start to think.

They start to realise that the greatest threat to this country isn't the banks or the energy companies (okay some might argue they are too) but it is people who hurt our children.

They are sowing the seeds for millions of people to grow up feeling worthless, depressed and of course, in the rarest of cases, very capable of hurting others.

When I was starting out on the path to set up this charity 16 years ago, Sky News' were the first broadcaster to give me a voice. This was swiftly followed by the BBC.

We haven't had much of a voice in the intervening years but I trust and hope that we are now all going to work together to put an end to this curse in our midst.

Yesterday I spotted that NSPCC are recruiting a new Chief Executive. I'm going to apply. A past CEO of that huge charity once told me that he really thought it was time a survivor was put in charge! I agree.

I know I won't be offered the job but if I was one of the first things I would do would be to hold a press conference announcing my plans to suggest that NAPAC merge with NSPCC - then we'd see some serious changes to how we treat our kids!

And I would hope Sky would be right there to witness that important little bit of history. Following that event I am confident our children will be a little bit safer.

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BBC Editor 'Steps Aside' Over Savile Scandal

The Newsnight editor who dropped an investigation into claims Sir Jimmy Savile sexually abused people "is stepping aside", the BBC says.

Peter Rippon, who says he dropped the report for editorial reasons, will leave his role with "immediate effect" while an independent review into the BBC's treatment of the Savile crisis is carried out.

The corporation has also published corrections to a blog post by Mr Rippon, which had aimed to explain his decision to drop the programme's investigation into allegations of sexual abuse by the late presenter.

In a statement the BBC described the inaccuracies as "deeply concerning".

It says: "It is apparent from information supplied by the Newsnight editor and programme team - that the explanation in a blog by the editor of his decision to drop the programme's investigation is inaccurate or incomplete in some respects."

It says that while the blog had said that Newsnight had no evidence against the BBC, there were some allegations of abusive conduct on BBC premises.

The blog also claimed that all the women spoken to by the programme had contacted the police and that Newsnight had no new evidence against that would have helped the police. But the BBC now says that in some cases women had not spoken to the police and that the police were not aware of all the allegations.

Questions over how director-general George Entwistle has handled the crisis

The BBC is said to be facing "its worst crisis for 50 years", as a documentary lifts the lid on the extent to which senior managers of the corporation were aware of the Sir Jimmy Savile abuse claims.

A special edition of Panorama reveals fresh evidence about what the BBC knew of Savile's decades of child abuse and its investigation into why Newsnight spiked its probe into the scandal, sparking allegations of a cover-up.

The BBC flagship programme, which airs tonight, examines why corporation chiefs - including the director-general - gave different explanations why Newsnight was dropped and what it was about.

Mr Rippon maintains the piece - which was due to run last December - was pulled for editorial reasons, and not because the potentially damaging revelations coincided with a planned tribute to the star.

But the hour-long documentary will hear from Newsnight producer Meirion Jones and reporter Liz MacKean, who both claim they had interviewed at least four alleged victims of Savile - and confirmed with Surrey Police that officers had investigated sex abuse complaints against the Jim'll Fix It star in 2007.

The journalists say that, when they told bosses the Crown Prosecution Service did not charge Savile because of insufficient evidence, they were told to end the investigation - and the show was withdrawn.

BBC director-general George Entwistle said it would be "inappropriate" for him to comment ahead of the broadcast, as he has not yet seen the programme. He added: "There will be a BBC statement later this morning touching upon some of the issues raised".

The programme also calls into question Mr Entwistle's handling of the crisis in the days after it broke.

Police say they have identified more than 200 potential victims

On October 5, Mr Entwistle wrote an email to all staff saying "the BBC Newsnight programme investigated Surrey Police's enquiry into Jimmy Savile towards the end of 2011".

But Meirion Jones sent an email reply to Mr Entwistle on the same day taking issue with his account.

He wrote: "George - one note - the investigation was into whether Jimmy Savile was a paedophile - I know because it was my investigation. We didn't know that Surrey Police had investigated Jimmy Savile - no-one did - that was what we found when we investigated and interviewed his victims."

The abuse stories about Savile only fully emerged after ITV broadcast a documentary at the start of this month - sparking controversy at the BBC over losing its scoop and leading to the cover-up allegations.

John Whittingdale, chairman of the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee, which will take evidence from Mr Entwistle on Tuesday, said they would want to know why he did not seek more information about the Newsnight investigation.

"If you were the director of vision, you were told at the time you were commissioning programmes paying tribute to Jimmy Savile that Newsnight might be about to reveal a bombshell, you wouldn't just have a 10-second conversation.

"You'd say 'Tell me more, I'm about to go public putting out these programmes making out that Jimmy Savile was this saint'," he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.

Mr Whittingdale said the most important question was why the Newsnight segment was dropped.

He told Sky News: "Whilst Panorama say there is no evidence the editor was leant on from outside, the explanations originally given look very thin today."

Panorama said it has failed to find evidence of a "BBC cover-up" over the Newsnight decision.

In a statement, the programme said: "Peter Rippon has always maintained the story was pulled for 'editorial reasons' and not because of a potentially embarrassing clash with planned BBC tributes to Savile over Christmas.

"Panorama has found no evidence to contradict that view."

But the corporation's veteran foreign affairs editor John Simpson said of the fallout: "This is the worst crisis that I can remember in my nearly 50 years at the BBC. I don't think the BBC has handled it terribly well.

"I mean I think it's better to just come out right at the start and say we're going to open everything up and then we're going to show everybody everything.

"All we have as an organisation is the trust of the people the people that watch us and listen to us and, if we don't have that, if we start to lose that, that's very dangerous I think for the BBC."

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Rosneft To Buy 50% Stake In TNK-BP From BP

BP agrees to sell its TNK-BP stake to Russian's Rosneft in a multi-billion pound deal.

The state-owned oil giant will pay $17.1bn and shares (£10.6bn) for the 50% stake.

The agreement will also see BP take a 19.75% stake in Roseneft.

It comes after a weekend of talks, and will become one of the most significant alliances ever struck in the energy industry.

More follows...

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Lance Armstrong: UCI Upholds Usada Life Ban

Lance Armstrong has been banned for life and stripped of his seven Tour de France titles over his role in "the most sophisticated doping programme sport has ever seen".

The International cycling union (UCI) said it would uphold the decision taken by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (Usada), which had compiled a damning 1,000-page dossier detailing the allegations.

"Lance Armstrong has no place in cycling," UCI president Pat McQuaid told a press conference.

More follows...

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Tebbit: 'PM Incompetent Over Mitchell Row'

David Cameron has been criticised by Conservative grandee Lord Tebbit following Andrew Mitchell's resignation as chief whip.

He said the Prime Minister had allowed "this dog of a coalition Government" to look incompetent.

Accused of calling police officers "plebs" when they would not let him leave Downing Street on his bicycle through the main gates, Mr Mitchell finally quit his Cabinet post on Friday.

Despite the unequivocal support of Mr Cameron, Mr Mitchell admitted that the ongoing row had made his position untenable.

Writing in The Observer, Lord Tebbit said: "This dog of a coalition Government has let itself be given a bad name and now anybody can beat it.

"It has let itself be called a Government of unfeeling toffs. Past governments have had far more real Tory toffs: prime ministers Alec Douglas-Home and Harold Macmillan, or even in Thatcher's day, Whitelaw, Soames, Hailsham, Carrington, Gowrie, Joseph, Avon, Trenchard and plenty more, without incurring similar abuse."

He added: "The abiding sin of the Government is not that some ministers are rich, but that it seems unable to manage its affairs competently."

Andrew Mitchell resigned on Friday

A Cabinet minister in Margaret Thatcher's government, Lord Tebbit said Mr Cameron needed to impose "some managerial discipline not just on his colleagues but on himself".

Nadine Dorries, Conservative MP for mid-Bedfordshire, also criticised Downing Street's reaction to the situation with Mr Mitchell.

She told Sky's Murnaghan programme: "Unfortunately it's been a catastrophe.

"To some people it's beginning to look that at the end of last week or certainly yesterday we were reaching a bit of a tipping point and it was beginning to look and smell very much like the worst days when John Major and the Back To Basics catastrophe happened.

"I hope that the last week is a bit of a wake up call both to number 10 and the people who work for the PM because we can't continue to have little mini-disasters.

"Someone in Number 10 needs to stop and get a grip."

The criticism comes amid reports that Mr Mitchell decided to step down after younger Tory MPs from the 2010 intake made clear their hostility when Parliament returned this week.

Many were dismayed that the row dragged on for so long and that Mr Mitchell - who did not attend the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham earlier this month - had not been sacked by the PM.

It has been a disastrous week for Mr Cameron following Mr Mitchell's decision to quit and reports George Osborne tried to sit in a first class train carriage with only a standard ticket - claims which have been firmly rejected by the Chancellor.

He will attempt to shore up his authority and move on from recent events in a speech next week in which he will call for a new "tough but intelligent" approach to law and order.

A ComRes opinion poll, carried out for The Independent on Sunday and the Sunday Mirror, revealed Labour are now eight percentage points ahead of the Tories.

The Lib Dems were in a distant third with just 10% of those polled opting for the party.

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Seven Dead In Damascus Car Bomb Blast

At least seven people have been killed after a car bomb exploded near a police station in the Syrian capital of Damascus, according to reports.

An official speaking from the scene said an explosives-rigged taxi blew up 50 metres from the Bab Touma neighborhood's main police station.

The neighbourhood is a popular attraction for shoppers and inhabited mostly by the Christian minority.

Pro-government television said seven people had been killed and 15 wounded.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported 10 had died and dozens were wounded, adding that it was unclear if the victims and the wounded were civilians or policemen.

A reporter at the scene said he saw blood stains in the street and on the pavements. He said glass windows of several shops in the area were shattered and at least four cars were completely burnt.

The blast came as President Bashar al Assad opened talks with visiting UN peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, who is trying to broker a truce to start during a Muslim holiday this week.

Mr Brahimi told reporters following a closed-door meeting that he had earlier met with unidentified Syrian opposition groups inside and outside the country to consult on his truce plan.

He said he received "promises" but not a "commitment" from them to honour the cease-fire.

"There is a promise to stop fighting," he said, referring to the opposition.

He noted that he "found an overwhelming response" from Mr Assad's opponents to his cease-fire plan and that "all of them have said that it's a good idea which they support."

He declined to reveal Mr Assad's response to his plan, viewed as a preliminary step toward a larger deal.

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Cardiff Hit-And Run: Dad Saw Van Target Child

A father has described the terrifying moment his young family were struck by a van in Cardiff.

Adam Lewis' two-year-old daughter Amelia-May was catapulted from her pram during a 30-minute hit-and-run rampage across the Welsh capital.

Luckily, she escaped with only cuts and bruises, while Mr Lewis' partner Annie Jones, 23, was left with a broken leg, fractured ankle and a puncture wound to her hip.

CCTV footage captured the moment the van targeted the young family

He told Sky News: "I caught the van in my peripheral vision but it was too late, he just sped up and smashed straight into us.

"I got pushed to the side with the wing-mirror and unfortunately my partner and the baby took the brunt of it.

"(Amelia-May) ended up face down on the pavement, and my partner was there holding onto her leg, and it was broken."

Amelia-May was left with cuts, bruises and a grazed face.

Ms Jones is undergoing surgery to have metal pins and rods inserted into her leg to help with the healing process.

CCTV footage taken by a shopkeeper showed the Iveco transit-style van veering across the road and targeting the couple and their child just minutes before the driver goes on to kill mother-of-three Karina Menzies, 32.

Ten others were injured in the crashes on the streets of the Welsh capital.

Ms Menzies, 32, was killed on Friday after being knocked down

"We're just so relieved that we're still all OK," Mr Lewis said. "It's just so overwhelming, such as surreal situation to be put in.

"You don't expect a big white van to come and smack you off the pavement.

"Why somebody would want to do that, I'll never know.

The van went on a hit-and-run rampage across Cardiff

"I'm just hoping there's not going to be any psychological effects with Amelia-May."

Detectives were last night granted a further 36 hours to question a 31-year-old man on suspicion of murder.

Officers are also appealing for information about a mystery car seen driving on the wrong side of the road shortly before the crashes.

Reverend Jan Gould will lead a special church service later

Detective Superintendent Paul Hurley said that the suspect left his vehicle and physically assaulted people between the crashes and also carried a steering wheel lock as a weapon.

According to unconfirmed reports, police are also investigating whether the driver was involved in a domestic incident before the collisions.

A special church service will be held later for the victims at the Church of the Resurrection on Grand Avenue.

Reverend Jan Gould said that while community was in shock local people would stand "shoulder to shoulder" together.

Ms Menzies' brother, Craig Menzies, told Radio 5 Live that she died trying to save the lives of her children.

Describing the moment the van careered towards them, he said: "He went through the traffic, aimed for them and then just hit them head on.

"She just screamed and threw them out of the way as much as she could. He still clipped them but she took it head-on. She saved their lives."

He told the programme it was "a waste of a life".

He added: "She was the world to me. She was my best friend. She was a lively, bubbly person. There's just so many good things you could say about her.

"We'll all be lost without her."

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