Kenya Massacre: Video Shows Gunmen In Mall

A video has emerged showing four of the gunmen involved in the massacre at a shopping centre in Nairobi, Kenya.

The footage shows four heavily-armed attackers walking through a storeroom in the mall, and searching other adjacent rooms. 

It is understood that the CCTV pictures captured the gunmen mid-way through the assault - as many of the victims remained trapped inside Westgate Mall.

The video has surfaced after a government official revealed that security cameras showed there may have been fewer gunmen than originally thought.

Two of the gunmen in one of the storerooms

Kenya's government initially said 10 to 15 attackers were involved in the assault, which left at least 67 people dead.

However, the official now believes only four people took part in the protracted siege. 

Dozens of youths have been detained in the Majengo slum area of Nairobi in recent days in police efforts to track down the mall attackers.

One of the gunmen holds a weapon in the storeroom

Al Shabaab has said it carried out the attack in retaliation for Kenya sending troops into Somalia nearly two years ago.

The group has promised more attacks inside Kenya unless those troops are withdrawn.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has vowed to continue the military mission inside Somalia despite the mall attack.

Mr Kenyatta ordered a commission of inquiry into the attack. The Red Cross says a further 39 people are still unaccounted for.

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Help To Buy: Doubts Over Success Of Scheme

By Poppy Trowbridge, Business and Economics Correspondent

The second phase of the government mortgage guarantee scheme Help to Buy is due to launch next week, three months earlier than expected - but experts are sceptical the initiative will help buyers.

Lack of capacity in the housing market, and a statement from one bank saying it cannot confirm whether it will take part in the scheme, means some would-be buyers could be left empty-handed.

Exclusive research by Sky News shows interest from potential buyers has skyrocketed since the Government surprised the market.

Property website Rightmove says clicks on its Help to Buy pages numbered 14,807 on Saturday, the day before last Sunday's surprise announcement.

When David Cameron revealed, on the eve of the Conservative Party conference, that the launch date had been brought forward from January - clicks, measuring potential buyer interest, spiked to 59,571.

Now, almost a week later, they remain far above average at 23,660.

There is concern that pent-up demand cannot be met by existing market services, while Barclays has issued a statement saying it is not able to guarantee a launch date.

"Whilst we cannot take a decision over participation in the new scheme before the terms are set, we are encouraged by the tone of the discussions so far," the bank said.

Estate agents are also worried that capacity to deal with a surge in interest is lacking.

Robert Ellice, of Clarke Hillyer, told Sky News: "At the moment we've got big delays in the whole process anyway, mortgages are still taking a long time to be offered and taking a long time to be verified on values."

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Hospital Worker Arrested Over Patient's 'Murder'

A hospital staff member has been arrested for murder after a patient died from a drug overdose in Norfolk.

James May, 76, from Great Yarmouth, died at the James Paget Hospital in Gorleston on September 20.

The hospital reported an allegation of medical malpractice in connection with his death to police ten days later.

A Norfolk Constabulary spokesman said: "This morning a member of the hospital's medical staff, a middle-aged man, was arrested by officers on suspicion of murder.

"He remains in police custody at this time."

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Durham, leading the inquiry, said: "We are investigating an allegation that a drugs overdose was administered to a patient, leading to his death.

"A Home Office post-mortem, carried out earlier this week, determined the cause of Mr May's death as heart failure and we now await the results of further toxicology tests which will help inform our inquiry.

"We understand that this news may generate concern and it's important for us to underline that our investigation, which is still at an early stage, is based on a single report of an isolated incident and that the hospital trust is co-operating fully with the investigation. "

He said Mr May's next of kin have been informed and are being supported by Police Family Liaison Officers.

More follows...

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China Couple Speak Of 'Forced Abortion'

By Mark Stone, Asia Correspondent

A couple have told Sky News how they were physically forced into an abortion by the Chinese authorities, three months before their child was due to be born.

At 4am last Friday, a group of 20 officials from the Shandong Province Family Planning Commission forced their way into the home of Zhou Guoqiang and his wife Liu Xinwen.

The officials kicked down the door of the family's home. Mr Zhou was held down while his wife was pulled from her bed and taken away.

Liu Xinwen, 33, was taken to the People's Hospital of Fangzi District in Weifang City where she was injected with an abortion-inducing drug.

Liu Xinwen says she was forcibly removed from her bed

Her baby, which she would later discover was a boy, died a day later in her womb. It took a further day for the foetus to be delivered.

Her husband was not told where she had been taken. It took him five hours to find her at the hospital. By then, the injection had been given.

Sky News met the couple six days later. Mr Zhou had invited us to the family's modest home in a rural corner of the province to hear their story.

We found his wife lying in the bed she had been taken from a week earlier. She was sobbing quietly.

"I miss him." she said.

An image of Liu Xinwen in hospital

"I didn't get to see him. I would be even more upset if I had seen him.

"Baby, I'm sorry. We were not meant to be. You rest in peace in heaven. We will pray for you. We hope your next life is better."  

Her heartbreak is the most brutal consequence of China's one-child policy.

The law is designed to keep the country's population in check. It prevents couples from having more than one child with a few exceptions in some rural provinces.

The policy is supposed to be enforced through financial penalties and not forced abortions. But in some provinces, over-zealous local officials, keen to keep within their birth quotas, break the law and terminate pregnancies by force.

"They don't have any humanity. They are not humans." Liu Xinwen said.

"They must have children and parents too. But they don't have any conscience. This is how China is."

Mr Zhou told how the officials held him down on the sofa while others took his wife away. In all, there were 16 male officials and four females.

We then sit down to look at photos he had taken in the hospital room. They are almost indescribably graphic.

One photograph shows Liu Xinwen lying on the bed. Beside her, on the floor, is a bucket. Inside is her aborted child.

Several other images show the foetus. It is fully formed.

Mr Zhou broke down after discussing the abortion

"His nose, ears, mouth are all there." Mr Zhou said.

"It is a child that would have lived if not for the forced abortion. It's because of their cruelty. Look, his hand is very obvious."

Mr Zhou broke down as he recalled the moment he arrived in the hospital, just minutes after the injection had been administered.

"My wife was lying in bed. I asked her: 'Have you been injected?' She said 'yes'. I asked if the baby was still moving. She said 'not much'.

"After that, I didn't want my wife to see my crying. I went outside. I cried, but only for a while because I needed to return to comfort her. She was very sad. She cried, day and night.

"Every time I heard babies' voices from other wards, I could hardly control myself. I had to go out. I have lost my child. I am speechless, words can't describe my feelings."

A footprint on the front door of the couple's home

He claimed that his wife was forced to sign papers which said she had agreed to the abortion.

When she initially refused, he said they told her that if she did not sign the papers, they would arrest her husband and she would have nothing. We have not been able to independently verify this.

The couple already have one son. Zhou Junfeng is 10. As we talk to his parents, he runs around the house playing. He is oblivious to the grief around him.

After Zhou Junfeng was born his mother underwent a state-proscribed procedure to insert a contraceptive coil into her body.

She says that this "forced sterilisation" must have failed, allowing her to fall pregnant for a second time.

The couple had the option to tell the authorities about the pregnancy the moment they discovered it, four months after conception.

They decided not to come clean because they were concerned that an abortion may be forced on them.

Mr Zhou and his son cook together

Instead, they said they planned to tell the authorities after the birth and then offer to pay the fine. This is common in parts of China and is sometimes acceptable.

Mr Zhou offered to take us to the hospital to see the room where the abortion happened.

Inside the hospital, we saw the room which is part of a fully functioning maternity ward; it is not a backstreet abortion clinic.

We found just two members of staff. One refused to comment. The other, a young nurse, was reluctant and a little startled to find a foreign TV crew in her hospital. 

"I don't know if it's forced or not. And I don't know the reason for it," she said.

"This is a maternity ward; there are many reasons for abortions. I don't know the specific reason for this case and it's not my place to care."

Sky News has approached the Shandong Health and Family Planning Commission, the central government Family Planning Commission in Beijing and the Chinese Embassy in London for a response to this case.

At midday British time, the embassy told Sky News they were looking into the case and would provide a more detailed response later.

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Car Chase Woman 'Had Postnatal Depression'

Authorities are investigating what led a woman with a toddler in her car to ram into a White House barrier and lead police on a high-speed chase to Capitol Hill.

The dramatic chase, which forced a brief lockdown of the Capitol and stirred panic among tourists, ended with the woman shot dead by police.

The driver was identified by law enforcement officials as Miriam Carey, of Stamford, Connecticut, it was widely reported in the US media.

The car chase forced a lockdown of the US Capitol

She was a 34-year-old dental hygienist and the mother of a young girl, the reports said.

Hours after the chase, the FBI and other agencies conducted a search of Carey's condominium building in Stamford. 

ABC said Carey suffered from postnatal depression after the birth of her daughter.

"She had post-partum depression after having the baby" last August, the woman's mother, Idella Carey, told ABC.

"A few months later, she got sick. She was depressed ... She was hospitalised."

The mother said Carey had "no history of violence" and she did not know why her daughter was in Washington, DC.

The suspect was reportedly a dental hygienist. Pic: Facebook

The chase began shortly after 2pm on Thursday when a black Toyota Infiniti attempted to smash through a barricade close to the White House.

Video footage showed officers with guns drawn attempting to get the driver out of the vehicle.

But Carey spun the car around and sped away, knocking a law enforcement official.

The car raced up Pennsylvania Avenue toward the Capitol where Congress was in session.

Police chased and fired at the car, which came to a halt near the Capitol building, and she was shot dead.

By the end of the chase, two people were injured - a Secret Service member struck by the car outside the White House, and a Capitol Police officer whose vehicle hit a barricade during the chase.

A little girl who was in the suspect's car was not hurt. It was unclear if the child was the woman's daughter.

A girl in the car was not hurt

Officials said there appeared to be no direct link to terrorism and there was no indication that the woman was armed.

"This appears to be an isolated, singular matter," said Capitol Police Chief Kim Dine. "There is no nexus to terrorism."

Still, the high-speed chase rattled Washington two week after a gunman killed 12 people in a Navy Yard shooting.

The House and Senate, where politicians were debating how to end a government shutdown, abruptly suspended business. 

Some politicians were told to shelter in place on the floor of the House. Outside, some tourists were frightened.

"I was just eating a hot dog over here and I heard about four or five gunshots, and then a swarm of police cars came in wailing their sirens," said Whit Dabney, a 13-year-old who was visiting Washington from Louisville, Kentucky.

Two law enforcement officials were injured

People standing outside the Supreme Court across the street from Congress were hurried into the court building by authorities.

The White House was quickly locked down after the incident at Capitol Hill and the stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the compound was closed to pedestrians. Secret Service said the procedures were precautionary.

Police are trying to understand the motives behind Carey's gesture.

At her condo in Stamford, dozens of neighbours were forced to wait outside, as a bomb squad stood by.

Resident Eric Bredow, a banker, said police told him the suspect in the car chase was one of his neighbours.

"I see the door to my building open and the FBI bomb squad in front of it," he said.

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Calais Ferry: Dozens Of Syrians In Stand-Off

More than 60 Syrians who want to enter the UK are in a stand-off with French police at the Calais ferry terminal.

The group have occupied a footbridge at the terminal in northern France since Wednesday, and today police moved in to clear them.

Two of the Syrians have climbed on to the ferry terminal roof and are threatening to jump off if their demands are not met. Twenty of the group are on hunger strike, according to reports.

France has offered the migrants the right to seek asylum. But the group said they wanted to start a new life in Britain and were treated "worse than animals" in France.

Two Syrians are threatening to jump off a ferry building if police approach

Around 50 riot police moved in early this morning to try and clear the refugees from the footbridge.

But they backed off when two of them climbed on top of a nearby building and threatened to jump off if officers approached.

Denis Robin, the prefect of the Pas-de-Calais region, then went to the site and offered the Syrians, who are currently illegal immigrants, the right to asylum.

"Today, the Syrians present here are caught in a stalemate. What we can do is to offer them a status on French territory ... in other words to make a request for asylum," he told reporters.

He said each demand for asylum had "95% chances of success", adding that he was in contact with the British Embassy in Paris.

"We cannot take any decision on their access to Britain," Mr Robin said. "I am not persuading them to settle in France but trying to legalise their status."

The group hopes to make a new life in Britain

French foreign minister Laurent Fabius has pledged to fast-track the asylum applications of Syrians fleeing the civil war.

But the refugees, most of whom arrived in Calais a month ago, have been critical of their treatment.

"We thought that France was the country where human rights are respected," said Tarik, a 19-year-old engineering student from the southern Syrian city of Deraa.

"But we live outside like dogs, hunted down by the police, we see we are not welcome, how can we seek asylum here?"

He said he was convinced he would find "more humanity" in Britain and eventually bring over his mother and younger brothers currently living in Egypt.

Ali, 38, said that although President Francois Hollande had taken a strong stand against President Bashar al Assad's regime for allegedly using chemical weapons, the French were not welcoming at all.

"Why does [Mr Hollande] say one thing and the police another?" he said, adding that he had spent £8,700 (€9,500) to come to a country where the "President said 'we must help Syrians'".

"Here even animals are better treated than us," he said.

Some of the Syrians are on hunger strike

The group has written a letter to British Home Secretary Theresa May demanding to speak to an official from her department.

"We have the right to claim asylum in England, but how do we get there? There is not a legal way to cross," they wrote.

"David Cameron has pledged to 'lead the world' on aid for Syrian  refugees. The situation of the Syrians protesting in the port of Calais offers a perfect opportunity to support Syrian refugees at our borders, turning this rhetoric into action.

"Failure to do so will open the Government to accusations of hypocrisy."

The UN refugee agency has said 17 countries, including France, have agreed to receive quotas of refugees fleeing the conflict in Syria.

France has had only 850 registered demands for asylum from Syrians since the start of this year, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said late last month.

A P&O spokesman told Sky News: "The protest is not disrupting any services out of Calais."

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Italy Migrant Boat Sinks Killing At Least 82

At least 82 migrants have been killed and scores are missing after a boat caught fire and capsized near a Sicilian island.

About 150 people have been pulled from the water off Lampedusa, as emergency workers race to rescue more survivors.

The coastguard said it appeared that there were between 400 and 500 migrants on the boat when it sank.

They were all believed to be Eritreans coming from Libya, the UN said.

Lampedusa Mayor Giusi Nicolini said the dead included a young child and pregnant woman.

Shaken survivors have been wrapped in thermal blankets

The bodies were being laid out on the waterfront, and officials said there were many more in the water.

"It's horrific, like a cemetery, they are still bringing them out," Ms Nicolini told reporters.

The mayor added some of the survivors told her they lit a small fire on their boat around half a mile from the shore to attract the attention after their vessel suffered engine failure.

The fire then spread, causing panic on board which caused the boat to flip over, she said.

A young Tunisian man believed to be one of the crew members has been detained, Ansa reported.

Lampedusa is an Italian island lying between Tunisia and Sicily

Shaken survivors wrapped in thermal blankets arrived on the dock, as an emergency worker broke down in tears.

Pietro Bartolo, a doctor at Lampedusa hospital, said: "In terms of its magnitude it's an unprecedented tragedy. In many years of work I've never seen anything quite like this."

Officials said the bodies were being taken to an airport hangar because of the large numbers.

"Unfortunately we don't need ambulances but hearses," Dr Bartolo said.

The Italian coast guard said ships and helicopters from across the region, as well as local fishing boats, were on the scene trying to find survivors in the sea.

Pope Francis visited Lampedusa in July and called for an end to indifference to the plight of refugees.

"The word disgrace comes to mind. It's a disgrace," he said of Thursday's disaster.

Bodies were being laid out on the waterfront

The Pope landed on Lampedusa at the same time as nearly 200 immigrants from Africa were being detained.

Lampedusa, which is closer to Africa than it is to the Italian mainland, is the main port of entry into Europe for African migrants smuggled by boat from Libya or Tunisia.

Each year, thousands of people make the perilous journey across the Mediterranean in often overcrowded vessels.

There has been an increase in the incidents off Italy in recent weeks amid an upsurge in arrivals - mainly from Eritrea, Somalia, Egypt and Syria.

On Monday, 13 Eritrean migrants drowned as they tried to swim ashore when their boat ran aground off Sicily near the city of Ragusa.

In a similar incident near Catania in another part of Sicily in August, six young Egyptian men drowned trying to reach the shore.

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Keanu Williams Report: Authorities Failed

A toddler beaten to death by his mother became an "invisible child" who was let down by the authorities, a report has said.

A serious case review into the case of Keanu Williams said his death in 2011 could not be predicted but that he was clearly a "child in need".

It accused professionals involved in his care of failing to meet even basic standards of good practice and said the two-year-old should have been safeguarded by various agencies and made subject to a child protection plan.

Keanu had 37 injuries at the time of his death following months of abuse, with mother Rebecca Shuttleworth sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 18 years in June.

She and her son had moved to Birmingham from Torbay - where friends had anonymously tipped off social services that Keanu was being left in wet clothes and dirty nappies for up to six hours hours and that she was leaving him with anyone so she could go out.

This information was passed on to authorities in Birmingham, the report said, but they did not seem to be aware.

Officials previously revealed details of Keanu's injuries

The report stated: "The main finding of the review overview report was that professionals in the various agencies involved ... collectively failed to prevent Keanu's death as they missed a significant number of opportunities to intervene and take action.

"They did not meet the standards of basic good practice when they should have reported their concerns, shared and analysed information and followed established procedures.

"The serious case review panel was in agreement that Keanu's death could not have been predicted.

"However, in view of the background history of Rebecca Shuttleworth ... it could have been predicted that Keanu was likely to suffer significant harm and should have been subject of a child protection plan on at least two occasions to address issues of neglect and physical harm."

The review found excuses given to health professionals by Shuttleworth after incidents of abuse - including a radiator burn to his foot - were not credible.

The 182-page report said: "Keanu experienced a number of presentations to hospital and to the GP, which were all explained by Shuttleworth as bumps and falls due to unsteadiness.

"The last hospital presentation involved a child protection medical assessment which was not undertaken in accordance with good practice standards.

"Keanu was returned to Shuttleworth's care with a burn to his foot believed to have been caused accidentally by a hot radiator.

"Based on the medical evidence, this conclusion was mistaken and therefore Shuttleworth's description on the 'accident' was not deemed credible."

Peter Hay, strategic director for children, young people and families at Birmingham City Council, said the report was a "further blight on this city's reputation because we have failed on our fundamental obligation to keep our children safe".

"For this we are unequivocally sorry," he said.

"We accept too that given our record in failing to improve children's services, our apology may ring hollow..

"The way that the safeguarding board is holding all agencies to account is one of those changes. We do not have enough great social workers doing great social work.

"Park of what makes Keanu's death all the more tragic is that we got so near to getting it right."

The report follows other highly critical serious case reviews into child deaths, including the murder and starvation of Coventry four-year-old Daniel Pelka.

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Miliband Complains To Mail Boss Over Reporter

Miliband's Letter To Rothermere

Updated: 11:54am UK, Thursday 03 October 2013

Here is the Labour leader's full letter to Lord Rothermere, chairman of the company behind the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday.

Dear Lord Rothermere,

Yesterday I spoke at a memorial event held at Guy's Hospital in London for my uncle, Professor Harry Keen, a distinguished doctor who died earlier this year. It was an event in a room on the 29th floor of Guy's Hospital which was attended only by family members, close friends and colleagues.

I was told by one of my relatives late yesterday evening that a reporter from the Mail on Sunday had found her way into the event uninvited. I also discovered that, once there, she approached members of my family seeking comments on the controversy over the Daily Mail's description of my late father as someone who "hated Britain".

My wider family, who are not in public life, feel understandably appalled and shocked that this can have happened.

The Editor of the Mail on Sunday has since confirmed to my office that a journalist from his newspaper did indeed attend the memorial uninvited with the intention of seeking information for publication this weekend.

Sending a reporter to my late uncle's memorial crosses a line of common decency. I believe it a symptom of the culture and practices of both the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday.

There are many decent people working at those newspapers and I know that many of them will be disgusted by this latest episode. But they will also recognise that what has happened to my family has happened to many others.

I believe no purpose would be served by me complaining to the Press Complaints Commission because it is widely discredited.

Instead, I am writing to you as the owners of the Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday because I believe it is long overdue that you reflect on the culture of your newspapers. You should conduct your own swift investigation into who was responsible at a senior level for this latest episode and also who is responsible for the culture and practices of these newspapers which jar so badly with the values of your readers.

There are bigger issues for the people of Britain in the midst of the worst cost of living crisis for a century than intrusion into the life of my family. But the reaction of many people to the Daily Mail's attacks on my father this week demonstrates that the way your newspapers have behaved does not reflect the real character of our country.

It is now your responsibility to respond.

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Greenpeace Brit Charged With Piracy By Russia

A Briton is among two people charged with piracy by Russian investigators after a protest against Arctic oil drilling.

Kieron Bryan is a freelance videographer. pic: @kieronjbryan

Freelance videographer Kieron Bryan from the UK and a woman from Brazil, Ana Paula Alminhana, are both facing up to 15 years in prison if found guilty.

A total of 30 Greenpeace campaigners were detained as their ship circled near the Prazlomnaya oil platform in the Pechora Sea, after some activists attempted to get on to the platform two weeks ago.

Greenpeace International executive director Kumi Naidoo condemned the charges, saying: "It is an extreme and disproportionate charge.

"A charge of piracy is being laid against men and women whose only crime is to be possessed of a conscience. This is an outrage and represents nothing less than an assault on the very principle of peaceful protest."

Greenpeace condemned the charges. pic: Greenpeace

The group of activists had already been ordered to spend two months in custody in the northern city of Murmansk, pending an investigation.

The other Britons being held are cameraman Philip Ball, communications officer Alexandra Harris, logistics co-ordinator Frank Hewetson, activist Anthony Perrett and engineer Iain Rogers.

A helicopter took the group back to the Russian mainland. pic: Greenpeace

The platform, the first offshore rig in the Arctic, is owned by Russia's state-controlled energy giant Gazprom.

Oil giants ExxonMobil, Eni and Statoil, along with other Norwegian firms, plan to drill for oil in Russia's Arctic waters in the coming months.

Two activists tried to scale the platform

Greenpeace has warned an oil spill would cause significant environmental damage and warns of fossil fuel extraction contributing to climate change.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had said he did not think the protesters were pirates but defended their detention, saying that coast guards had no way of knowing who they were.

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Bus Stabbing Death: Man Admits Manslaughter

By Lisa Dowd, Midlands Correspondent

A psychiatric patient who stabbed a teenager to death on a bus has admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Christina Edkins, 16, was on her way to school during the morning rush hour when she was killed in the "random attack" on Birmingham's Hagley Road.

Phillip Simelane, 23, who has a history of mental illness, entered the plea at Birmingham Crown Court.

He had been released unsupervised from prison despite warning signs over the state of his mental health and questions are being asked about how authorities dealt with his case.

Christina's family arrive at Birmingham Crown Court

Superintendent Richard Baker from West Midlands Police, said: "Because of the mental health issues we now know he was suffering, this attack probably could have occurred anywhere, against anyone."

Simelane, who was homeless, boarded the number 9 bus at 5am on March 7. He had been challenged by the driver for sleeping on the back seat on the top deck.

Christina got on the bus at 7.30am on the city's Broad Street, a journey she made every day. Seven minutes later, she was dead.

Jason Edkins, Christina's father

Without warning, and for no reason, Simelane got up and thrust a kitchen knife into her chest once. He then casually walked down the aisle, down the stairs, and briefly spoke to the driver before getting off.

There was just one other passenger upstairs, a 14-year-old boy, who only realised what had happened when Christina cried out for help. Downstairs passengers rushed to her aid, but she could not be saved.

Officers scoured the city centre for Simelane and arrested him more than four hours later.

A family statement issued after the guilty plea said: "Christina was a beautiful, bright, caring girl, loved by everyone.

"The loss of a child is the worst thing that can ever happen, made even more grievous be such a senseless crime as this.

Christina was preparing to take her GCSEs when she died

"The family are all the victims and must pay the penalty as we stand by helplessly and watch the lives of the people we love shattered like precious glass, knowing we can never put the fragile pieces back together."

Christina's great uncle, Chris Melia, told Sky News: "It's such a horrific senseless crime. I don't know how you come to terms with it. I haven't."

"He quite clearly shouldn't have been out in society, there had been enough warning signs that he was a danger.

"As I understand it, in October, whilst he was in prison, the appropriate mental health experts noted he should, when he was released, be in some way supervised and helped to get back into society in an acceptable manner, but it didn't happen.

"He was released on 13th December, basically with no fixed abode, and in less than three months he killed an innocent young girl in the prime of her life."

Mr Melia paid tribute to Christina as a "popular", "attractive" and "quietly confident" girl.

"The family want to be sure that this person is put away, removed from society permanently, so that he cannot repeat this crime or any similar crime," he said.

Police say Simelane was known to have mental health problems from the age of 14, but was only diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia following his arrest for the attack on Christina.

He had previous convictions for assault, drugs offences and vehicle crime.

West Midlands Police say they were called to Simelane's home in Walsall by his family 21 times. On one occasion he held a knife to his mother's stomach.

Supt Baker said: "There doesn't appear to be any care plan since his release from prison in December 2012.

"There's currently an independent review being conducted by all agencies who had contact with Phillip Simelane during that period, not just police but probation, prison, and Birmingham and Solihull mental health team will also conduct independent reviews to understand exactly what support Simelane had in place."

He added it was likely Simelane would be given an indeterminate hospital order and it would be "highly unlikely" that he would ever be released.

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Cameron Vows Tories Will Build Better Britain

David Cameron has urged voters to hand him a majority at the next election so that the Tories can build a "land of opportunity".

The Prime Minister evoked Winston Churchill as he asked Britain to give the Conservatives the tools to "finish the job" of "clearing up the mess" left by Labour.

He said the economy was starting to turn the corner but warned that anyone who thought the struggle was over is "living in a fantasy land".

In a bid to adopt a more upbeat tone, his party conference speech talked of creating a better Britain and signalled he would slash taxes if he stays in power.

"We are Tories. We believe in low taxes. And believe me - we will keep on cutting the taxes of hard-working people," he declared.

But he also warned of further austerity as the Conservatives aim to pay off the deficit and then build up a surplus for the future.

There were no new policy announcements in the 49-minute address in Manchester, which Mr Cameron delivered much of directly to the camera.

The Prime Minister and wife Samantha walking to the conference hall

Instead, the Tory leader sought to draw clear dividing lines with Labour, accusing Ed Miliband of adopting a "crazy" anti-business agenda.

He dismissed Mr Miliband's promises to cut the cost-of-living as "all sticking plaster and quick fixes" - dubbing it "Red Ed and his Blue Peter economy".

Borrowing the slogan Mr Miliband repeated 17 times in his own speech, Mr Cameron declared: "I tell you what, Britain deserves better than that lot."

He insisted profit, wealth creation and enterprise were not "dirty, elitist words" but the driving force behind the recovery.

"It's businesses that get wages in people's pockets, food on their tables, hope for their families and success for our country," he said.

He also rejected Labour accusations that the Tories represent the privileged and said he wanted a society where everyone has "the chance to make it".

And he declared he is "fighting heart and soul for a majority Conservative government because that is what our country needs".

"I didn't come into politics just to fix what went wrong, but to build something right ... I believe that it is the great Conservative mission that as our economy starts to recover, we build a land of opportunity in our country today," he said.

"It is this party that is for the many not the few. Yes, the land of despair was Labour but the land of hope is Tory."

The Prime Minister putting the finishing touches to his speech

His speech followed a raft of policy announcements aimed at countering Labour's claim that it is the only party that will tackle the rising cost-of-living.

Tory plans include bringing forward the Help-to-Buy scheme, the prospect of a fuel duty freeze until 2015 and a tax break for some married couples.

Mr Cameron vowed a Tory government would replace the "casino economy" and "welfare society" as well as improve the education system.

He accused Labour of failing Britain's young people and disadvantaged households by having low expectations of what they can achieve.

"If you expect nothing of people, that does nothing for them. Yes, you must help people, but you help people by putting up ladders that they can climb through their own efforts," he said.

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US Shutdown: Deadline Passes Without Deal

A bitterly divided Congress has plunged the US into a partial government shutdown – the first in almost two decades – that will put some 800,000 workers on unpaid leave and close museums and national parks.

A deadline to fund government spending passed without agreement, and the shutdown went into force at 12.01am.

The Democrat-dominated Senate and Republican-controlled House of Representatives refused to back down in a clash over President Barack Obama's controversial healthcare law, known as Obamacare.

The deadlock means non-essential services, including some of America's most famous tourist attractions, will be forced to close.

Workers classified as essential government employees, such as air traffic controllers or Border Patrol agents, will continue to work.

Shortly after midnight, Mr Obama tweeted: "They actually did it. A group of Republicans in the House just forced a government shutdown over Obamacare instead of passing a real budget."

The last shutdown took place under President Bill Clinton

It is the first US shutdown in 17 years, with analysts concerned about its potential impact on Wall Street and global markets.

Mr Obama warned of the possible risks to the economy, saying a shutdown would have "very real economic impact, right away".

David Cameron said: "It is a risk to the world economy if the US can't properly sort out its spending plans."

It is "a reminder to all of us that we need to have properly planned public-expenditure systems, properly planned tax, properly planned arrangements for getting our deficit down", the British Prime Minister said.

New York's Statue of Liberty and the National Zoo in Washington, as well as Yellowstone and other national parks, are among the tourist attractions the shutdown will affect.

Republican opposition to the new healthcare law has been fierce

The Internal Revenue Service will suspend audits and taxpayer services, programmes for children will be halted and up to 800,000 government employees will be furloughed. More than a million others could be asked to work without pay.

The military's 1.4 million active duty personnel will remain on duty and Mr Obama signed a law on Monday to ensure they would receive their pay on time.

The Pentagon is looking for ways to ways to expand the number of Defense Department civilians who are exempt from furloughs, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said.

Mr Obama said he had been willing to negotiate, and placed the blame on Republicans, especially the hard-line Tea Party conservatives.

"One faction of one party, in one house of Congress, in one branch of government doesn't get to shut down the entire government just to refight the results of an election," Mr Obama said.

"Keeping the people's government open is not a concession to me."

The Republicans had sought to tie passing the government spending bill to a delay in major elements of the Obamacare reform.

They insisted the fault rested with Democrats who had refused to negotiate any changes to the healthcare law.

House Speaker John Boehner, who spoke to the president before the midnight deadline, claimed "the Senate has continued to reject our offers".

Some of America's most iconic landmarks will be affected by the shutdown

Mr Obama's healthcare law was passed by Congress and signed into law in 2010, despite opposition by the Republican Party, especially from within the Tea Party.

Some elements of the scheme - which aims to provide greater access to affordable health insurance for poorer sections of society - take effect today despite the shutdown because they operate with money that is not subject to the budget wrangling.

Market reaction was muted following stock market falls across the board on Monday in anticipation of the shutdown.

Japan's Nikkei rose slightly while in Europe the FTSE 100 share index was flat in early trading following the previous day's 0.8% drop.

Dow Jones Futures pointed to a rise on opening in New York.

The dollar dropped slightly against the pound while there was also a move towards safe havens as gold values rose by up to 0.5%.

A protester voices her dissatisfaction outside the Capitol building

London-traded Brent Crude fell by 0.4% to $107 a barrel as the shutdown was seen as potentially damaging to US economic growth prospects.

Much of the shutdown's economic impact will depend on how long it takes politicians to find a solution.

The last shutdown, under the Clinton Administration, lasted 21 days between December 1995 and January 1996.

The political dysfunction at the Capitol also raised fresh concerns about whether Congress can meet a crucial mid-October deadline to raise the government's $16.7trn debt ceiling.

This would force the country to default on its obligations, dealing a potentially painful blow to the economy and sending shockwaves around global markets.

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Boris Backs Jamie Oliver On UK Work Ethic

Boris Johnson has risked a fresh row by backing celebrity chef Jamie Oliver's claim that migrant workers work harder than Britons.

The Mayor of London, speaking at the Tory Party conference, called for action to instil a work ethic in young British workers who are unwilling to jobs they consider "menial".

He acknowledged he might get into trouble by agreeing Oliver "had a point" when he suggested eastern Europeans were more prepared to put in the long hours needed for restaurant work.

Controversial: TV chef Jamie Oliver

Mr Johnson told Tory activists: "Now I can see looks of apoplexy here... and I can see looks of sad acknowledgement as well and I can see a vague depressed look of recognition.

"I know and you know that there are millions of British kids and young people who are as dynamic and go-getting as any millionaire masterchef.

"But my question to you is what if Jamie has a point? What if he has half a point or even a quarter of a point? Do you think he does?

"He is onto something, he may have phrased it in a provocative way but he was saying something that I think resonates, right?

"If he has a point, we need to think about the possible origins of that difference in motivation that he claims to detect. We need to consider what we politicians are doing about it, don't we?

More to follow...

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GP Plan To Bring In Out-Of-Hours Surgeries

David Cameron has told Sky News he wants doctors' surgeries to be open for longer to ease the pressure on overstretched A&E departments.

The Prime Minister confirmed plans for a £50m trial to have surgeries open from 8am until 8pm, seven days a week.

He insisted the pilot scheme in areas across England, which is expected to cover up to half a million patients, would be properly funded.

Almost one in five patients in a recent NHS survey said inconvenient appointments were a concern, with more than 70% backing weekend and after office opening hours.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt will outline the plans at the Tory conference

The scheme, which was unveiled at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester, will offer extra cash to groups of GPs proposing the most effective ways to improve patient access.

As well as extended surgery hours, ministers hope they will pioneer more effective use of technology, such as consultations with patients via video calls, email and by telephone.

Electronic prescriptions, online appointment booking and allowing people to visit a number of different surgeries across an area are among other measures which could be introduced.

Mr Cameron told Sky: "Sometimes people using Accident & Emergency really just need to see a GP but for hard-working people it is often too difficult because you are at work, you can't get an appointment at the time that fits.

"Let's see if we can have GPs' surgeries open 12 hours a day, seven days a week so you can always get that appointment you need.

"We are starting with pilot schemes in nine regions of England. We are spending the money to help GPs achieve this. We will be able to see how it works."

He added: "I believe that will work well and then our ambition is to roll that out across the country. That is good for hard-working people but I also think it is right for our health service.

"If you look at A&E, since 2004 when the GP contract changed we see four million more people a year going to Accident & Emergency so I think we are not getting the balance right at the moment."

The first pilot projects are due to be operating by April 2014.

Similar initiatives are already being trialled in some parts of the country, including parts of Manchester, where some surgeries will move to seven-day opening.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who will talk about the initiative in his speech to the conference, said: "We live in a 24/7 society and we need GPs to find new ways of working so they can offer appointments at times that suit hard-working people.

"Cutting-edge GP practices here in Manchester are leading the way, and we want many more patients across the country to benefit."

Professor Steve Field, Chief Inspector for General Practice, said: "This move towards seven day services is great news for patients and should be embraced by GPs.

"I want to see brilliant access to GP services for patients across the country and will be assessing this in each practice I inspect."

However, shadow health secretary Andy Burnham accused Mr Cameron and his Conservative Party of "taking the NHS backwards".

"This announcement is a major admission of failure and a U-turn of fairly epic proportions," he said.

"Patients are also finding it harder to get appointments, and turning to A&E instead, after he removed Labour's guarantee of an appointment within 48 hours."

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Helicopter Rotor Blade Kills Pennsylvania Pilot

A helicopter pilot has been killed after he walked into the aircraft's spinning rotor while giving rides at Bloomsburg Fair in Pennsylvania.

Carl Enlow, 69, died after being hit by a blade on Friday night at the US state's largest fair.   

The helicopter was refuelling when Mr Enlow went to speak to another pilot, according to fair superintendent Bill Barratt.

Mr Enlow's hat blew off his head and when he reached for it he was struck by the rotor, he said.

"That just goes to prove that anything can happen," Mr Barratt told Pennsylvania's PA Homepage.

The fair is the largest in the state Credit: PA Homepage, Pennsylvania

"It puts a little bit of sorrow on the last day."

The Birdsboro man had 50 years experience flying and was previously a pilot in the military.

The Bloomsburg Fair is reportedly giving the profits from the helicopter rides to Mr Enlow's widow.

"The fair board is going to do whatever we can to help her with whatever she needs," Mr Barratt said.

Montour County Coroner Scott Lynn said the death was under investigation. 

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Osborne: Battle To Rebuild Economy Not Over

George Osborne has warned the battle to rebuild the UK economy is not over and that the Tories must be allowed to finish the task.

The Chancellor accused Labour of making up policy "on the back of a fag packet" as he addressed the Conservative Party Conference.

He warned of disaster if Ed Miliband was to win power, suggesting his eye-catching energy price freeze plan would stunt growth and cost jobs.

Countering accusations of complacency, Mr Osborne insisted there was "no feeling of a task completed or a victory won" because there was far more to do to restore Britain to prosperity.

It was "not even close to being over and we are going to finish what he started," he declared, insisting his policies were a "serious plan for a grown-up country".

During his speech, he is also unveiling tough new rules to make the long-term unemployed earn their benefits by doing full-time unpaid community work from next year.

George Osborne at a vehicle manufacturers on Monday

From April, people still without work after two years on the coalition's Work Programme will face three options if they want to remain on the dole.

They will have to do community work such as litter picking, visit a job centre every day or take part in compulsory training to tackle problems like illiteracy.

Those who break the rules of the new Help to Work scheme, for example by failing to turn up without a good reason, could lose their benefit for four weeks.

A second offence would see them lose it for three months.

Ahead of his address, Mr Osborne insisted on Sky News that the policy was not a return to the Conservative "nasty party" of old - describing the move as "compassionate".

"This is not about punishment, this is about help," he stressed, but also said: "What we are saying is there is no option of doing nothing any more.

"We are saying we are going to help you into work but we are going to ask for something in return. I think it is a very compassionate approach to people who previous governments just ignored."

Amid concern that job centres will be overstretched, he added that they would have extra money to police the scheme.

The Chancellor's speech came as TNT announced it was creating 1,000 new jobs by expanding its postal delivery service.

Potentially, around 200,000 long-term Jobseeker's Allowance claimants could be eligible for the new coalition initiative.

But ministers believe the numbers on it will be significantly lower, as many of those working covertly will decide it is no longer worth trying to claim benefits and drop out.

The scheme, devised by Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith, will cost around £300m - with the money likely to be found from departmental underspends.

Sky's chief political correspondent Jon Craig described the new conditions as "a tough crackdown".

Labour's shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, Rachel Reeves, said: "It's taken three wasted years of rising long-term unemployment and a failed Work Programme to come up with this new scheme.

"But this policy is not as ambitious as Labour's compulsory jobs guarantee, which would ensure there is a paid job for every young person out of work for over 12 months and every adult unemployed for more than two years."

During his speech later, Mr Osborne is not expected to unveil specific action on living standards, despite pressure to respond to Labour leader Ed Miliband's energy price freeze pledge last week.

Instead, the Chancellor will stress the need to stick with the coalition's economic plans, warning that the UK still has not fully recovered from the credit crunch.

He told Sky: "Our economic plan is helping Britain turn a corner. We have dealt with the problems we inherited, we have still got a long way to go ...

"By contrast the Labour party got us into this mess and all I hear from them is that they want more borrowing and more spending. A set of gimmicky announcements isn't going to cover up the fact that they don't have a credible economic policy."

Critics claimed the Government scheme would treat the unemployed more harshly than criminals and was just a "rehash" of plans that had already failed.

Joanna Long, from the Boycott Workfare campaign, said: "It's bad news for people who will be forced to work at far below the minimum wage - and it's terrible news for the people whose jobs they will be replacing.

"This is about cutting the safety net for unemployed people, and handing something for nothing to charities, companies and councils which should be paying wages and taxes."

Graeme Cooke, from the Institute for Public Policy Research, added that the measures would probably only affect one in 20 people on the dole and warned it needed careful planning.

"The key issue is how such schemes are designed. If they give people real experience of work and the practical employability habits that go with it, they can help people be more attractive to prospective employers," he said.

"But if it is pitched as a punishment where people do menial tasks, it risks acting as a signal to employers that these are people not to employ."

But Matthew Sinclair, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, welcomed the move, insisting it was unfair to have people on benefits "for years on end". 

"There is plenty of international evidence from countries such as Australia, Canada and the US that this type of scheme is not only fairer on those footing the welfare bill, but also gets people back into work," he said.

:: The Chancellor's speech to the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester is being broadcast live on Sky News.

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Knox And Sollecito Absent From Kercher Retrial

By Tom Kington in Florence

The retrial of Amanda Knox and Rafaelle Sollecito over the murder of British student Meredith Kercher has begun in Italy, but neither defendant has been in court.

American student Knox, 26, has repeatedly said she will not return to Florence from Seattle, nor is she compelled to do so by law.

Her former boyfriend Sollecito, a 29-year-old Italian IT graduate, is following proceedings from the Caribbean, where he is on holiday, said his father.

"I will be informing Raffaele of what happens on the phone after the hearing," said Francesco Sollecito.

He added he would be attending every hearing in the appeal trial, which is expected to last until Christmas.

Sollecito's father denied suggestions in the media that his son was dipping into a fund he had set up for contributions to his legal expenses.

"The holiday was provided by a supporter," he said. "We have raised $25,000 (£15,000) and haven't touched it."

Amanda Knox and Rafael Sollecito during the investigation

Knox's decision to not be present in court was criticised by Patrick Lumumba, the former barman who Knox initially accused of taking part in the murder of Miss Kercher in Perugia.

"Knox is afraid - she knows she has responsibility for the death of poor Meredith," he said in court.

Lumumba said he had just graduated in International Communications at Perugia's University for Foreigners, the university attended by Knox during her stay in Perugia.

As the hearing got under way in Florence, the presiding judge turned down a request from Knox's lawyers to exclude Lumumba as a civil plaintiff from the trial.

Francesco Maresca, a lawyer representing the Kercher family, handed the judge a letter from the family, explaining their absence from the session on health grounds.

Amanda Knox cries after hearing she has been acquitted

The new trial is being held at a modern appeal court building on the fringes of Florence, a stark contrast to Perugia's medieval court building where hearings have previously been held.

In 2009, Knox and Sollecito were convicted of killing 21-year-old Ms Kercher two years earlier in the student flat the two women shared in Perugia.

A third man, Rudy Guede, was convicted over the murder and is serving a 16-year jail term. A court found that Guede had not acted alone.

The latest trial is expected to re-examine forensic evidence to determine whether Knox and Sollecito helped kill Ms Kercher.

An appeals court acquitted the two suspects in 2011, citing weaknesses in DNA evidence.

The pair, who at that point had spent four years behind bars, were released, and the American flew back home.

But in March this year, Italy's supreme court overturned the acquittal, citing what it said were "shortcomings, contradictions and inconsistencies" in the appeal court's verdict, and ordered a retrial.

A new appeal verdict will now be reached, possibly by Christmas, before the case returns to the supreme court.

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Police Chief: 'Make Class A Drugs Legal'

Durham's chief constable has called for class A drugs such as heroin and cocaine to be legalised.

Mike Barton has claimed the war on drugs has failed and decriminalisation is the best way to strip power away from criminal gangs.

Writing in The Observer, the national intelligence leader for the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) also suggested the NHS should supply class A drugs to addicts.

Mr Barton said drugs should be controlled

"Not all crime gangs raise income through selling drugs, but most of them do in my experience," Mr Barton said.

"So offering an alternative route of supply to users cuts off the gang's income stream.

"If an addict were able to access drugs via the NHS or some similar organisation, then they would not have to go out and buy illegal drugs.

"Drugs should be controlled. They should not, of course, be freely available.

"I think addiction to anything - drugs, alcohol, gambling, etc - is not a good thing, but outright prohibition hands revenue streams to villains."

Under Mr Barton's direction, Durham Constabulary launched Operation Sledgehammer, a sustained campaign  to "get in the faces" of organised crime gangs.

He has previously claimed to seek inspiration in the way notorious Prohibition-era gangster Al Capone was finally brought down not for bootlegging, but tax evasion.

Mr Barton, who has served for nearly 34 years, said he had witnessed a worsening drug addiction problem since prohibition began in 1971 with the Misuse of Drugs Act.

He argued that pushers had made billions from adulterated drugs, transforming them into local folk heroes for young people.

"Decriminalising their commodity will immediately cut off their income stream and destroy their power," he said.

"Making drugs legal would tackle the supply chain much more effectively and much more economically than we can currently manage."

Mr Barton has highlighted the way Capone (pictured) was brought down

Mr Barton said that offering drugs therapeutically through the NHS and similar organisations would avoid the spread of HIV and hepatitis C among needle users.

But he underlined that he was in favour of their use in a controlled environment, rather than a "free for all".

"I am saying that people who encourage others to take drugs by selling them are criminals, and their actions should be tackled," he said.

"But addicts, on the other hand, need to be treated, cared for and encouraged to break the cycle of addiction. They do not need to be criminalised."

ACPO's national policing lead on drug-related crime Chief Constable Andy Bliss said: "Clearly, a senior colleague like Mike Barton is entitled to his views and he has added his contribution to the national debate, but it would be ACPO's position that these are matters for parliament to decide.

"We need in particular to be very thoughtful about setting clear boundaries, especially for young people, in relation to drugs, their misuse and criminal activity surrounding them."

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'Up To 50 Students Killed' At Nigeria College

As many as 50 people have been killed after suspected Islamist militants fired on students as they slept at a college in northeast Nigeria.

The gunmen reportedly stormed a dormitory and set fire to classrooms in the assault which happened about 1am local time in the town of Gujba in Yobe state.

Nigeria's military is blaming gunmen from the Boko Haram insurgent group for the atrocity at the College of Agriculture.

College provost Molima Idi Mato said security forces were still recovering bodies so he could not give an exact number of dead but said up to 50 had been killed.

He also said about 1,000 students had fled the scene.

A source told the Reuters news agency that 26 bodies had been brought to hospital.

The college is about 25 miles from the scene of similar school attacks around Damaturu town.

Northeast Nigeria is in a military state of emergency following an Islamic uprising by Boko Haram militants who have killed hundreds of civilians in their quest for an Islamic state.

Members of Boko Haram pictured in February

Yobe has seen a series of brutal attacks targeting students in recent months, all blamed on the group.

The worst occurred in July in the town of Mamudo, where Islamists threw explosives and sprayed gunfire into dormitories, killing at least 42 people, mostly students.

The name Boko Haram means 'Western education is forbidden' and the group has repeatedly attacked schools, universities and colleges during its four-year insurgency.

The military has described the spate of recent attacks as a sign of desperation by the Islamists, claiming they only have the capacity to hit soft targets.

An offensive launched against Boko Haram in mid-May has decimated the group and scattered their fighters across remote parts of the northeast, the defence ministry has said. 

Boko Haram has said it is fighting to create an Islamic state in Nigeria's mainly Muslim north, but the group is believed to be made up of different factions with varying aims. 

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Cameron Launches State-Backed Mortgages Plan

David Cameron says 95% government-backed mortgages to help people get on to the property ladder will start within days.

The scheme was due to start in January but hours before the Conservative Party Conference opened, the Prime Minister revealed that NatWest, RBS and Halifax had all agreed to provide the new deals. 

It is widely being seen as a response to Ed Miliband's Labour conference crowd-pleasing announcement that the party would freeze energy prices for two years as conference season has shaped up as a "battle over the consumer".

Mr Cameron arrives in Manchester ahead of the Conservative Party Conference

Speaking on Sunday morning, Mr Cameron said that it was ridiculous that people could afford mortgage repayments, but not the deposit to get the loan in the first place. 

The Prime Minister said that only those with well-off parents could manage to get on the housing ladder, telling BBC One's Andrew Marr Show: "I'm not going to stand by while people's aspirations are trashed."

He denied that the move would create a housing bubble and said that they had taken advice from the Bank of England and empowered it to stop a bubble being created.

The mortgage guarantees will allow buyers to acquire a newly built home or an existing property worth up to £600,000 with a deposit of only 5%.

The second stage of the Help to Buy scheme aims to boost mortgage availability by reducing the risk for lenders because the Government takes on the risk of default when it guarantees a proportion of a loan.

In a wide-ranging interview ahead of the conference Mr Cameron also said:

:: He was sorry he did not win the 2010 election and made it clear he was looking for a straight Conservative victory in 2014

:: The high-speed rail HS2 project would stay on its £42.6bn budget

:: That Britain could pull out of the European Convention on Human Rights, which has prevented the UK deporting foreign criminals 

:: He would never back a mansion tax, marking a clear coalition red line

:: Televised leaders debates should take place before campaigning for the 2015 election begins.

Mr Cameron also spoke about Mr Miliband's energy bill freeze proposals saying: "I want to lower prices not just for 20 months but for 20 years."

George Osborne tweeting the hashtag #forhardworkingpeople

He said that he wanted to look at "all those markets" and make sure they were "working for hard-working people".

Sky News Political Correspondent Anushka Asthana said bringing forward the mortgage plan and the announcement, on Saturday, of tax breaks for married couples was an attempt to give Conservatives something to "take to the doorsteps".

She said: "This is also about Mr Cameron looking outwards and thinking about the public and trying to come back on some of the ideas that Labour and the Liberal Democrats have put forward over the past few weeks.

"People are calling this the battle over the consumer. At the Lib Dems we have free school meals and then Ed Miliband promises to freeze energy prices. The Tories have tried to rubbish that idea but at the same time they are clearly worried."

The Chancellor, George Osborne, tweeted the news that RBS, NatWest and Halifax had all signed up to the mortgage scheme using the Conservative buzzwords hashtag #forhardworkingpeople.

A YouGov poll for The Sunday Times put Labour on an 11 point lead on 42%, with the Conservatives at 31%, UKIP on 13% and the Liberal Democrats trailing on 9%.

The 95% mortgage scheme has previously attracted widespread concern, with some claiming it may lead to more problems than it solves.

Mr Balls says the Government focus should be on affordable homes

Liberal Democrat Business Secretary Vince Cable warned the scheme "could inflate the market" and said he feared there was a "danger of getting into another housing bubble".

Former Bank of England governor Lord King said the scheme is "too close for comfort" to a general scheme to guarantee mortgages.

Speaking on Sunday, Labour's shadow chancellor Ed Balls said: "If David Cameron is serious about helping first-time buyers he should be bringing forward investment to build more affordable homes. Rising demand for housing must be matched with rising supply, but under this government house-building is at its lowest level since the 1920s."

The first stage of Help to Buy was launched in April and offers loans to give people the chance to buy a new-build home with a deposit of just 5%. The scheme has been credited with spurring a surge in home sales and driving up prices.

:: Watch Conservative Party conference coverage on Sky News from 2pm

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