Manchester Is 'The Winner Of Immigration'

By Nick Martin, Sky News Correspondent

Britain's cultural make-up can only benefit from immigration, according to academics who say history proves that migration is good for the country.

Language, the arts, fashion, architecture and food are just some of the areas that have been influenced by the scores of nationalities which have arrived in Britain in the last century, according to Dr James Hopkins from Manchester University.

In Manchester, where more than 200 languages are spoken, the cultural fabric of the city is changing constantly.

"We are the winners from immigration, there's no doubt about that," said Dr Hopkins.

"Immigration has built cities like Manchester and migrants have brought skills but much, much more.

"They have brought the foods they love and the types of clothes they wear and they have influenced what we all chose to do in our own lives."

Manchester's Chinatown

There is also evidence that the recent influx of migrants from eastern European nations like Poland and Slovakia is already changing musical tastes.

Matt Ward of Piccadilly Records said: "People are meeting new people all the time and to understand more about where they are from they are turning to the music of that country. This is bringing people together in the more amazing way."

But it is perhaps tastes in food, which have been shaped by traditions and ingredients commonly used overseas, that have changed the most.

The Barbakan Delicatessen

In the Barbakan Delicatessen, founded more than 40 years ago and now one of Britain's oldest delis, they sell 45 different types of bread and attract all types of nationalities.

Owner Stefan Najuch said: "The Poles aren't just eating polish food, the Italians aren't just eating in Italian restaurants - they're all eating across the board.

"This is all because of immigration, it's great and it's great for business."

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Boy Sought Over University Sex Attacks

Police have said a boy, who could be as young as 12, may be responsible for a string of sex attacks around a university campus.

Greater Manchester Police are linking the assaults which have taken place in the last month near The University of Manchester and have released an evofit image of the young offender which they said made the incidents "even more shocking".

The first two attacks took place within 15 minutes of each other on Saturday September 21.

A 27-year-old was approached from behind and grabbed in Lloyd Street North at 6.15pm before she screamed and the offender ran off.

The next incident followed in Oxford Road when a 21-year-old woman was approached by a boy who made lewd comments as she left John Rylands library.

She carried on walking on Moss Lane East and was sexually assaulted by her assailant who was described as a young Asian boy aged 12 who wore green jeans and glasses.

The third attack took place at the Manchester Science Park in Lloyd Street South at about 2.15pm on Saturday October 5.

A 32-year-old woman was approached by two young boys and sexually assaulted by one of them described as being Asian, 12 to 13 years old, of slim build, with a small frame who wore baggy trousers and carried a rucksack on his back.

She pushed the boy away but he approached her again and sexually assaulted her for a second time before running off towards Pencroft Way in company with the second child, also described as a young Asian boy.

Detective Constable Pam Collins from Longsight Police Station said: "After speaking to the women, we have managed to complete an evofit of the offender. As you can see from the image he looks fairly young which makes these assaults even more shocking.

"After each woman has told the offender to go away he has followed this up with violent threats so we are keen to find this individual as soon as possible.

"I would ask anyone who either recognises the image, witnessed any of the assaults or may have fallen victim to this person to call us."

Anyone with information should phone police on 0161 856 4223 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

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Mystery Blonde Girl: Greece Charity In Appeal

An international search is under way to identify the parents of a blonde girl found in the care of a couple on a Roma camp in Greece.

DNA tests have shown the four-year-old is not related to the couple - and their accounts of how she came to be living with them differ.

Police found the girl, who recognises the name Maria, during a raid on the camp, in Farsala, central Greece, on Wednesday.

She has now been taken into the care of a Greek charity called The Smile Of The Child, which has put out a Europe-wide alert.

A poster released to help find the girl's parents

A statement from the charity said: "The features of the girl and the controversial claims of the persons who claimed to be the parents of the child led the authorities to collect a DNA sample test.

"The results of DNA testing proved that these people are not the biological parents of the child.

"The Smile of the Child in co-operation with national police authorities is taking all necessary steps to inform the competent actors at national and international level."

The director of The Smile Of The Child praised an observant prosecutor who went on the camp raid along with dozens of police.

Costas Giannopoulos told Greece's Skai TV: "She saw a little blonde head poking out from under the bedclothes. It struck her as odd, and that's how it all started."

The girl recognises the name Maria

Apparently, the couple's various excuses included that the girl was found in a blanket and that she was handed to them by strangers. They later claimed she had a foreign father.

Maria is described as: born around 2009, white, with blue eyes, long blonde hair, 100cm tall and weighing 17kg.

The couple - a 39-year-old man and a 40-year-old woman - have been arrested and are now under investigation for abduction and falsifying identity and family certificates.

They claimed to have 14 children, police said, and had registered different numbers with authorities in three different parts of Greece. Including Maria, the couple only actually had four.

The woman is also said to have claimed to have given birth to six children within a space of less than 10 months.

Police say they also found drugs and unregistered firearms in other parts of the camp, which is about 170 miles (280km) north of Athens.

Officers are now working on the theory that, because of her appearance, Maria may be northern or eastern European.

The case, which some people have likened to the Madeleine McCann disappearance, has raised concerns about how easy it appeared to be for people to get official documents for children who are not their own.

A spokesman for Madeleine's family said: "This gives Kate and Gerry great hope that Madeleine could be found alive."

The Smile Of The Child director Costas Giannopoulos said Maria was being examined by doctors.

"We are shocked by how easy it is for people to register children as their own," he told the Greek TV station Skai.

"There is much more to investigate ... and I believe police will unravel a thread that doesn't just have to do with the girl."

Greece has only acquired a central system of registration for births in the last five months.

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Kenya Mall Attack: New Video Of The Gunmen

New CCTV footage has emerged from inside the Nairobi shopping mall showing how the attackers calmly shot people before taking time out to pray.

The video shows shoppers running away from the gunmen and dropping to the floor as bullets fly through the air.

At one point an injured man, who is bleeding heavily, is seen trying to pull himself to safety before apparently being shot again and then dying.

The silent video is taken from a number of CCTV cameras around the upmarket Westgate Mall in Kenya's capital and was obtained by CNN.

It appears that the footage was taken on September 21, the first day of a four-day siege, which left at least 67 people dead.

The attackers are also shown taking in turns to pray in what appears to be a store room.

Another section shows two militants casually walking through a supermarket while firing their guns and then talking on their mobile phones.

A woman with two children and pushing another in a shopping trolley are seen walking past a line of tills before a teenage girl follows them with a gunman behind her pointing the way.

It is believed they were all eventually released.

The al Qaeda-linked group al Shabaab claimed the attack was in retaliation for Kenyan military operations in Somalia.

A month on from the attack, two boxes of charred body parts have been delivered to a Nairobi morgue in what could be the first discovered remains of the gunmen.

Officials in Kenya, speaking anonymously, said they were found in the mall alongside four AK-47 rifles.

Another security official also said one of the four gunmen seen in the CCTV footage is a Norwegian-Somali whose last name is Dhuhulow, with the first or middle name Abdi.

Five attackers were killed by security forces during the siege, Kenya authorities have said.

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Slavery Fight To Stop Traffickers Steps Up

Slavery Victims' Nightmare Stories

Updated: 6:45am UK, Friday 18 October 2013

By Liz Lane, Sky News Reporter

The safe house in southern England, where up to half a dozen women live at any time, has seen many human trafficking victims walk through its door in the six years it has been operating.

But Victims' Minister Damian Green's visit this week was the first time a man has been allowed in. It is run by Hestia, via the Salvation Army, and is the only place the women feel truly safe.

Two of those living in the house (not their real names) tell their stories to Sky News:

Rita, 25, from Nigeria

Rita's trafficker spent several years grooming her as she worked selling food on the side of a road in Nigeria with her mother. He befriended the family and persuaded her parents he could get her a job in Europe as a waitress or nanny.

As soon as Rita arrived in Germany, her trafficker's manner changed. He told her she would have to work as a prostitute to pay back her travel costs, then made her have sex with another girl and filmed it. Rita was beaten if she resisted the men who paid to have sex with her.

Her ordeal continued when she and three other girls were brought to the UK on a boat. She was repeatedly raped at the house where she was held, and told she would be killed, as would her family, if she tried to escape.

Rita says she only found the courage to do so in April this year, with the help of another trafficking victim. They took their chance when their captors were out and those supposed to be guarding them began to inject drugs.

The two girls grabbed shoes and a coat and ran into the streets where in their panic they became separated. Rita was eventually helped to a police station, and taken to the safe house, which she now calls home. This week she has been been granted refugee status.

Jenny, 20, from Albania

Jenny, the eldest of three girls, comes from a very poor family in Albania. Her home life turned even more difficult when her mother started a relationship with an extremely violent man.

Over the course of a year, Jenny became friends with a young man who came regularly to buy vegetables from her. At the age of 17, when she felt that her two younger sisters were old enough to cope without her, she agreed to leave for Italy with him. The man, who she regarded as her boyfriend, promised her a new life.

Almost as soon as they crossed the border his attitude changed completely.

She was taken to a house, gang raped, and then kept against her will in a basement with other girls, and forced to work as a prostitute.

Two years later she was sold to a group of Romanian men who arranged to have her trafficked to the UK in the back of a lorry.

After days of travelling, and while the lorry was stationary, Jenny found a piece of metal and managed to rip through the side and escape. She shouted for help, and was taken to the nearest police station.

Since Jenny has lived in the safe house, she has been reunited with her two younger sisters.

In an incredible coincidence, they were living nearby, in the UK. They had escaped Albania after the middle sister, too, was sold into prostitution, this time by the stepfather.

The three are now living safely near each other in England, thousands of miles from what was their home.

:: Immigration UK: A week of special coverage on Sky from October 14 to 18 - watch on Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202, Freeview 82, Skynews.com and Sky News for iPad

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Toddler Dies In House Fire In South Yorkshire

A toddler has died following a house fire in South Yorkshire, police have said.

A neighbour alerted the emergency services to the blaze in Don Street, Conisbrough, near Doncaster.

The two-year-old girl was rescued from a bedroom window by firefighters but died later in hospital.

Shocked neighbour Zoe Backhouse

Police say no-one else was injured in the blaze.

Although the girl has not been named officially, flowers left at the scene were addressed to Libby. One note read: "Love you Libby", while another said: "Sleep tight Libby. Goodnight. God bless."

Neighbour Zoe Backhouse, whose daughter is the same age as the youngster and went to the same nursery, told Sky News: "It's awful to think the family has lost such a little angel.

"They really are a nice family. It's heart-breaking."

Sky's North of England Correspondent Becky Johnson also spoke to another neighbour who witnessed what happened.

Johnson said: "She was in floods of tears. She said it was just a dreadful scene.

"She saw the little girl, who neighbours have told me is called Libby, being brought from the house.

The upper floor of the house

"She said that there was a young teenager, who she understood to be the babysitter, running up and down the street calling out for help.

"She said that when Libby was taken to hospital in the ambulance, it was some 20 minutes later that her mum turned up having been told what happened, and of course was distraught."

A statement from South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said two crews battled the fire, which broke out shortly before 8pm on Thursday.

"A team of firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the property and located the fire in an upstairs bedroom," it said.

"A young child was rescued from the bedroom but sadly died."

An investigation has been launched into the cause of the fire, a spokesman for South Yorkshire Police said.

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Madeleine McCann: 500 Calls From Germany

German broadcaster ZDF has received 500 phone calls and emails after airing a programme on the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

Madeleine's parents launched an appeal for information to help them find their daughter on the television show "Aktenzeichen XY ungeloest," Germany's version of BBC's Crimewatch programme.

"Please have the compassion and courage to tell us what happened to her," her mother Kate McCann said on the programme which was watched by 7.26 million people, its highest rating in 15 years.

E-fit images of a man police want to talk to in connection with the case

A spokesman for the broadcaster said: "After the broadcast of Aktenzeichen XY  the number of tip-offs rose to more than 500".

It is not known how much of the information will prove useful to police, who received 150 phone calls from the public after a similar appeal was aired on Dutch television on Tuesday evening.

Officers at Scotland Yard said they received the calls after the appeal was broadcast on the Netherlands crime programme, Opsporing Verzocht.

Kate and Gerry McCann said they were "absolutely delighted" with the "overwhelming" response to a new appeal for information about her disappearance featured on Crimewatch.

Following a similar appeal on Norway's TV2 channel on Monday, a Norwegian woman has claimed to have seen a girl resembling Madeleine with a strange man when she was on holiday in Spain two years ago.

Detectives have released two e-fit images of a man they want to speak to in connection with the case based on the accounts of two separate witnesses.

Both described seeing him in Praia da Luz, Portugal, on the evening of the three-year-old's disappearance on May 3, 2007.

:: Madeleine: The New Investigation, Friday at 7.30pm on Sky News

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Energy Bills: British Gas Ups Prices By 9.2%

British Gas has become the second major supplier of household energy to announce a rise in its prices - by an average 9.2%.

The company said its electricity and gas prices will rise by 10.4% and 8.4% respectively from November 23 - affecting 7.8 million households.

Regional variations mean some Scottish customers will see prices rise on average by as much as 11.2% while those in London will suffer a 10.6% increase and households in Yorkshire will have a 10.5% lift.

The move comes despite a pledge by British Gas earlier this year to use an annual earnings windfall from the cold weather last winter to keep a lid on tariffs.

Electricity prices are rising faster than those for gas

The average increase is higher in percentage terms than that confirmed by rival SSE last week which is raising its bills by 8.2% from November 15, although research from price comparison website uSwitch suggested it brought their average dual fuel tariffs together in terms of cost.

The Prime Minister David Cameron described the latest increase as "disappointing" and urged households to try to save money by switching suppliers.

E.ON, Scottish Power, EDF Energy and npower are the other so-called 'big six' providers yet to make announcements on their winter pricing.

British Gas said it was a hard decision for the company, which is owned by Centrica.

Its statement said: "We recognise that energy bills are a real worry for hard-pressed households, particularly at a time when the cost of living is rising faster than incomes.

"Today's announcement, which will add about £2 a week to the average dual fuel bill, reflects the increasing cost of: buying energy in global markets, delivering gas and electricity to the home, and the Government's social and environmental programmes, which are paid for through customers' bills."

It pledged that more than 500,000 of its elderly and most in-need customers would be protected by an automatic discount to offset the price increase throughout the winter - worth £60 per dual fuel household.

This was, British Gas said, in addition to the £135 that will be paid to many of these customers who qualify for the Government's Warm Home Discount scheme.

Ed Miliband used Labour's conference to announce his 'bill freeze' plan

Ian Peters, Managing Director of British Gas Residential Energy, added: "I know these are difficult times for many customers and totally understand the frustration that so many household costs keep on rising when incomes aren't keeping pace.

"We haven't taken this decision lightly, but what's pushing up energy prices at the moment are costs that are not all directly under our control, such as the global price of energy, charges that we have to pay for using the national grid that delivers energy to the home, and the cost of the Government's social and environmental programmes.

"Energy efficiency is the best way to keep bills down, and I encourage anyone who has not benefitted from them to go online and check if they are eligible."

The cost of energy bills sparked a political frenzy last month when the Labour leader Ed Miliband pledged to freeze prices for 20 months if his party won power at the 2015 general election.

Shares in both SSE and British Gas-owner Centrica fell sharply in the wake of the announcement, wiping a combined £2.7bn off the value of the firms.

Caroline Flint, Labour's Shadow Energy and Climate Change Secretary, said: "These latest price rises show clearer than ever why Labour's price freeze is needed.

"People are sick and tired of being left out of pocket because of David Cameron's failure to stand up to the energy companies.

"Britain's energy market isn't working for ordinary families and businesses. Labour's energy freeze will save money for 27 million households and 2.4 million businesses and our plans to reset the market will deliver fairer prices in the future."

In an interview with Sky News, Energy Secretary Ed Davey said: "I think British Gas is going to lose a lot of customers over this.

"British Gas in their press release is trying to blame the Government for social and environmental costs but we've looked at their figures and it looks like they're being very inefficient in managing these Government programmes, " he said.

Ministers have been encouraging households to switch suppliers as the best way of keeping their bills as low as possible.

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Air Pollution 'Leading Cause of Cancer'

Outdoor air pollution is the leading cause of cancer, a World Health Organisation agency has revealed.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) said that in 2010, 223,000 deaths from lung cancer worldwide resulted from air pollution, also pointing out there was also convincing evidence it increases the risk of bladder cancer.

Air pollution, mostly caused by transport, power generation, industrial or agricultural emissions, and residential heating and cooking, is already known to raise risks for a wide range of illnesses including respiratory and heart diseases.

Kurt Straif, of the IARC, said: "The air we breathe has become polluted with a mixture of cancer-causing substances.

"We now know that outdoor air pollution is not only a major risk to health in general, but also a leading environmental cause of cancer deaths."

Research suggests that in recent years exposure levels have risen significantly in some parts of the world - particularly countries with large populations going through rapid industrialisation such as China.

In a statement, IARC said both outdoor air pollution and "particulate matter" would not be classified among its Group One human carcinogens.

That puts them alongside more than 100 other known cancer-causing substances, including asbestos, plutonium, ultraviolet radiation and tobacco smoke.

IARC director Christopher Wild said the decision to classify outdoor air pollution as carcinogenic was an important step to alerting governments to its dangers and potential costs.

He said: "There are effective ways to reduce air pollution and, given the scale of the exposure affecting people worldwide, this report should send a strong signal to the international community to take action."

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New Laws Make Moving To Australia Tougher

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent

New laws in Australia have made things tougher for skilled Brits wanting to work Down Under.

The Australian government has clamped down on the popular 457 visa which allows foreign workers to move to the country for up to four years.

The visa is especially popular with British managers, professionals, technicians and trades people who want a new life in Australia along with their families.

Almost half of those on the visa eventually end up settling in Australia permanently.

Recent restrictions however have meant even those already living in Australia on the 457 visa are finding life harder.

A tax incentive called the Living Away From Home Allowance has been scrapped, and some states charge visa-holders to put their children through schools, which are free for locals.

Adam Marshall moved to Sydney three years ago

Adam Marshall and his family moved to Sydney on the visa three years ago. He told Sky News: "It's not been a great financial move for us really.

"If I'd known how much it was going to cost in real terms I'm not sure whether we would have made the move. It's hard to say in retrospect, because we love living here."

The previous Labor government brought in the changes, claiming the visa was being abused by some employers looking for cheaper foreign workers.

New legislation now requires companies to spend longer looking for Australians to fill vacancies, and application fees for the visa have increased dramatically.

A hard-hitting TV campaign was recently launched by Australia's Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU), featuring workers which the union claims have had their livelihoods threatened by abuses of the 457 visa system.

Union national secretary Dave Noonan said: "We've had lots of workers who are Australian citizens or residents who tell us they have been applying for work, they are skilled people and they haven't been able to get work, and they know this same employer is bringing in people on 457s."

Many employers however disagree, and hope the new conservative government led by Prime Minister Tony Abbott will relax the legislation.

IT and computing are areas which have traditionally sourced highly skilled employees from abroad using the 457 visa.

Peter Acheson, who runs Australia's biggest IT recruitment company Peoplebank, told Sky News the crackdown on the 457 visa was stifling business.

"I think it's ironic, there is all the talk about the digital economy, the future of the online world which is IT driven, yet on the other hand we are saying we are going to make it difficult for Australia to source IT people.

"I think that's highly ironic and ultimately Australia is going to be the loser out of this I think unless the legislation is changed."

A recent survey by Migration Council Australia questioned 3,800 visa-holders and 1,600 businesses. The report revealed that 457 workers have a high level of job satisfaction, demonstrating that they are integrating well into the Australian workforce.

Migration Council Australia chief executive Carla Wilshire said the findings showed the 457 visa programme is critical in keeping Australia competitive in an era when industry is global and 98% of innovation happens outside of Australia.

She said: "Four out of five multinational companies are using 457 visa holders to train and develop Australian workers.

"The survey results reinforce the message that skills transfer and knowledge from 457 visa-holders play an important role in building Australia's human capital.

"Temporary migration does not just fill skills shortages, it addresses skills deficits and plays a central part in workplace development at the enterprise level."

:: Immigration UK: A week of special coverage on Sky from October 14 to 18 - watch on Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202, Freeview 82, Skynews.com and Sky News for iPad

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Immigration: 'One In Five Marriages A Sham'

By Mark White, Home Affairs Correspondent

Up to one in five marriages conducted in civil ceremonies in parts of the country may be bogus, one of Britain's most senior registrars has warned.

In an interview with Sky News, Mark Rimmer, the chairman of the Local Registration Services Association, said 20% of weddings in urban areas were suspicious - the worst it has ever been.

Home Office figures show the number of reported cases has tripled in the last three years to 1,800.

But Mr Rimmer said the number of sham marriages - which were likely an attempt to gain residence in the UK - reported to the authorities was "the tip of the iceberg" and that official figures are a "drop in the ocean" compared with the full scale of the problem.

He said the issue is now worse than in 2004 when the first legislation to combat the phenomenon was introduced and that registrars are having to conduct ceremonies they suspect to be bogus "through gritted teeth".

"We have seen huge increases in potential sham marriages presenting themselves to us, we now have more reports from registrars going to the Home Office, but I think that is the tip of a very large iceberg, and effectively the real scale of the problem is far greater than that that is reported to the Home Office officially.

"Most registration officers are not immigration officers, they came into this business to facilitate marriage. So therefore they don't want to be cynical.

"Unfortunately therefore what happens is the ones that are absolutely blatant get reported and there are some that are borderline that slip through without being reported - and that is the iceberg under the water and that's huge - it is absolutely huge.

"In an area like anywhere in London it is multiple times per week ... it would not be unreasonable to say that 20% of all our marriages are suspicious or have some elements of suspicion about them.

"So one in five in London, probably in the other big cities as well it will be a similar problem. Obviously in county areas in the countryside it is not as big a problem, but certainly in the urban areas, with high areas of ethnicity it is significant."

As part of an investigation into the issue, Sky News witnessed a raid last month by Home Office officials on a suspected sham marriage between a Nigerian man and a Portuguese woman in Harrow, northwest London.

The 32-year-old groom was arrested and has since been deported, while the 22-year-old woman is on bail under criminal investigation.

Cllr Susan Hall, Leader of Harrow Council, said: "It is appalling to see the lengths some people go to in dressing up and organising guests for a sham marriage.

"A marriage is supposed to be the happiest day in your life. Well, in this case, the couple certainly got a day they won't forget."

Mr Rimmer suggested that overall 15,000 of the 173,000 civil weddings that take place each year in England and Wales could be bogus - almost 10 times the official level.

Sky News joined officials on a raid in September Pic: Dermot Carlin

Officials found the process very frustrating, he told Sky News.

"You go into a marriage thinking that you are going to a proper relationship - sealing and cementing someone's relationship - yet you know that this is purely a financial transaction, you can imagine how frustrating that can be. Very often the ceremony is done through gritted teeth," he said.

Both David Cameron and Theresa May have repeatedly pledged to tackle sham marriages.

In a speech in October 2011, Mr Cameron pledged to "end the ridiculous situation where a registrar who knows a marriage is a sham still has to perform the ceremony".

But Mr Rimmer said the situation was worse than ever after a series of legal challenges.

He said: "Sham marriages have been a problem for many, many years. And the previous government introduced legislation to combat it back in 2004.

"As a result of that legislation, it did put a cap on the problem for the first year or so, but unfortunately the legislation was subject to challenge and the government lost on a couple of occasions in the high court.

"Eventually it was watered down to a degree it became meaningless and eventually was repealed in 2010. Since 2010, we have had the problem re-emerging and it is even worse than the problem was in 2004."

In July 2008 the Law Lords ruled that Home Office rules under which foreign nationals needed official permission to marry breached human rights.

Mr Rimmer added that while the rules for British citizens bringing foreign partners into the country to marry have been tightened, EU citizens are still free to abuse the laws.

Brodie Clark, former head of the UK Border Agency

He said: "The law relating to British nationals getting married is becoming more and more rigid. So therefore there are probationary periods if you marry a British national during which time the Border Agency/Home Office can check up as to whether that relationship is still in existence.

"There is not the same check with European Union nationals, so therefore the scams are usually perpetrated by European nationals other than Brits, because it is more advantageous to do so.

"Some nationalities in Europe being trafficked in for the sex industry - are being sold on to go through bogus marriages, so these people are victims in themselves, under duress.

"These sham marriages are a direct result of organised crime, this is organised criminality, a lot of racketeers making millions of pounds out of the racket - this is actually not something that is like a green card - this is massive criminality on an industrial scale."

Mr Rimmer said his organisation is working with ministers to introduce new legislation that could help reduce the number of sham marriages by including ceremonies held in the Church of England.

Brodie Clarke, former head of the UK Border Force, told Sky News it is impossible for officials to police every marriage.

He said: "They can't be everywhere. We do need to depend on the public and have sought that support from registrars to say if there's something suspicious here, please report it. And that would then trigger the attendance of somebody or an examination by somebody from UKBA to look at those circumstances.

"So it can't be done just by uniformed people in the Home Office - it needs partnerships of all. That's the only way this is going to pull together and work.

"But those demands and requirements of partners have to be reasonable and they have to be able to deliver on those demands and requirements - and that's a challenge, I think, for government to make that work."

Immigration Minister Mark Harper told Sky News: "Sham marriages have for too long been an easy target for migrants seeking to circumvent our immigration rules, often assisted by organised criminals.

"Registrars are frustrated when they marry couples who are obviously sham. We need more effective tools to deal with it.

"By extending the marriage and civil partnership notice period to 28 days in England and Wales and allowing this to be increased to 70 days in some circumstances we will make time to investigate, prosecute and remove those involved in sham marriages."

:: Immigration UK: A week of special coverage on Sky from October 14 to 18 - watch on Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202, Freeview 82, Skynews.com and Sky News for iPad

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Plebgate Row: Police Hit Back In War Of Words

Senior police have hit back after the Home Secretary insisted three officers should have faced misconduct hearings for lying about a meeting with MP Andrew Mitchell.

An Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) report questioned the "honesty and integrity" of Inspector Ken MacKaill, Detective Sergeant Stuart Hinton and Sergeant Chris Jones.

Home Secretary Theresa May agreed with the watchdog that West Mercia Police had been "quite wrong" not to take disciplinary action against the trio.

They are accused of lying about what chief whip Andrew Mitchell said in a private meeting about the so-called 'Plebgate' affair last year.

Chief Constable David Shaw, of West Mercia Police, has been summoned to give evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee on the issue.

However, in a joint statement with police in Warwickshire and the West Midlands, the force defended its handling of the case.

"Andrew Mitchell MP has never made a complaint to police," it said.

Theresa May said the IPCC statement made "troubling reading"

"West Mercia, with the support of West Midlands and Warwickshire Police, recognising the public interest in this case, independently decided to investigate this incident and made a referral to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

"We asked for the matter to be independently investigated by the IPCC because we recognise the significant public interest in the matter, however this was declined.

"The IPCC have supervised this investigation throughout and have been invited to reconsider their position on more than one occasion.

"The decisions following this investigation were carefully considered, with the support of appropriate legal advice.

"Warwickshire, West Mercia and West Midlands Police have separately considered the findings of the investigation and all three forces agree on the outcome."

West Mercia police commissioner Bill Longmore expressed surprise about comments by IPCC deputy chairwoman Deborah Glass and said he was seeking an urgent meeting with Mrs May.

"Given the critical statement which the IPCC deputy chair has made in the last few hours, I am frankly surprised the IPCC did not resume conduct of the investigation," he said.

"They certainly had the power to do so."

The chairman of the Police Federation, Steven Williams, also questioned the intervention by Ms Glass.

"My concern is that by releasing her personal view that she disagrees with the findings of the West Mercia investigation, she displays a lack of independence," he wrote in a letter to Mrs May.

Mr Mitchell met Mr MacKaill, Mr Hinton and Mr Jones, federation representatives of West Mercia, Warwickshire and the West Midlands respectively, on October 12 to "clear the air".

A transcript shows Mr Mitchell apologised for swearing at the police officers but denied using the word "plebs".

In comments made after the meeting, Mr MacKaill claimed the former Tory chief whip would not provide an account of the incident.

Giving evidence to MPs, Mrs May said: "The IPCC statement makes troubling reading.

"If it is indeed the case that warranted police officers behaved in the way Deborah Glass has described, that's not acceptable at all."

Asked if the chief constable of West Mercia Police should apologise to Mr Mitchell, Mrs May said: "I think that would be appropriate."

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'Sex Slaves' Saved In Birmingham Brothel Raids

Five women believed to be sex-trafficking victims have been rescued by police during raids on nine suspected brothels in Birmingham.

Police, who arrested two women and three men on suspicion of managing a brothel, said they were determined to put a stop to "modern day slavery" in the region.

Three of the buildings raided by some of the 40 officers involved in the operation were found to be empty, but evidence at the scene suggested they had also been used as brothels.

Officers from West Midlands Police seized mobile phones, cash, laptops and paraphernalia relating to prostitution.

Police break down the door at one of the houses

A video posted on YouTube by the police force shows officers bashing down a front door and storming one of the properties.

Detective Inspector Darren Haynes said in the video: "We've seized laptops, satnavs, mobile phones, there's clear evidence of large amounts of cash, receipts, the whole picture of this premises would lead me to believe that it is being used as an illegal brothel and perhaps the girls inside are being human trafficked.

"The victims are lost, treated really badly and abused on a daily basis."

The raids were part of Operation Sentinel, a crackdown on sex trafficking and exploitation in the region and were launched following intelligence gathered from local residents.

Officers seized a range of items as evidence

As part of the operation the force is conducting a comprehensive review of the policies and procedures it uses to tackle human trafficking.

Detective Superintendent Tim Bacon said: "It's hard to believe that modern day slavery is happening in the West Midlands, but sadly it's on the increase and we're determined to put a stop to it.

"Tonight's action, first and foremost, is about protecting people who more often than not don't even realise that they are victims.

"But we're also sending out a strong message to the traffickers that they're not going to get away with using our area as a place to commit this appalling abuse."

The raids took place in the areas of Bordesley Green, Hay Mills, Acocks Green, Sheldon, Alum Rock and Moseley.

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Madeleine McCann Kidnap 'Was Pre-Planned'

Madeleine: Key Events Timeline

Updated: 9:48am UK, Monday 14 October 2013

Here is a timeline of the key events since Madeleine McCann's disappearance.

2007

:: May 3 - Kate and Gerry McCann leave their three children asleep in their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz while they dine with friends at a nearby tapas restaurant.

Jane Tanner, one of the friends eating with the McCanns, later reports seeing a man carrying a child away earlier that night.

:: May 5 - Portuguese police reveal they believe Madeleine was abducted but is still alive and in Portugal, and say they have a sketch of a suspect.

:: May 14 - Detectives take Anglo-Portuguese man Robert Murat in for questioning and make him an "arguido", or official suspect.

:: May 25 - Detectives release a description of the man reported by Jane Tanner three weeks earlier after pressure from the McCanns, their legal team and the British Government.

:: May 30 - Mr and Mrs McCann meet the Pope in Rome in the first of a series of trips around Europe and beyond to highlight the search for their daughter.

:: August 6 - A Portuguese newspaper reports that British sniffer dogs have found traces of blood on a wall in the McCanns' holiday apartment.

:: August 11 - Exactly 100 days after Madeleine disappeared, investigating officers publicly acknowledge for the first time that she could be dead.

:: September 7 - During further questioning of Mr and Mrs McCann, detectives make them both "arguidos" in their daughter's disappearance.

:: September 9 - The McCanns fly back to England with their two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie.

:: October 2 - Goncalo Amaral, the detective in charge of the inquiry, is removed from the case after criticising the British police in a Portuguese newspaper interview.

:: October 25 - The McCanns release a new artist's impression drawn by an FBI-trained expert showing the man described by Jane Tanner.

2008

:: March 19 - Mr and Mrs McCann accept £550,000 libel damages and front-page apologies from Express Newspapers over allegations they were responsible for Madeleine's death.

:: April 7 - Three Portuguese detectives, led by Paulo Rebelo, fly to Britain to re-interview the seven friends on holiday with the McCanns when Madeleine vanished.

:: July 17 - Mr Murat receives £600,000 in libel damages from four newspaper groups over "seriously defamatory" articles connecting him with the child's disappearance.

:: July 21 - The Portuguese authorities shelve their investigation and lift the "arguido" status of the McCanns and Mr Murat.

:: August 4 - Thousands of pages of evidence from the Portuguese police files in the exhaustive investigation into Madeleine's disappearance are made public.

2009

:: January 13 - Mr McCann returns to Portugal for the first time since coming back to the UK without his daughter.

:: March 24 - The McCanns launch a localised new appeal for information focused on the area in the Algarve where Madeleine disappeared.

:: April 4 - Mr McCann goes back to Portugal to help film a reconstruction of the events on the night his daughter vanished.

:: April 22 - The McCanns fly to the US to record an interview with chat show host Oprah Winfrey to mark two years since Madeleine's disappearance.

:: June 14 - Dying paedophile Raymond Hewlett says he was in the Algarve when Madeleine disappeared and has an alibi - but has no plans to reveal it.

:: August 6 - Detectives say they are hunting a "Victoria Beckham lookalike" with an Australian or New Zealand accent, reportedly seen in Barcelona three days after the little girl went missing.

2010

:: Feb 18 -  Kate and Gerry McCann say they are "pleased and relieved" at a judge's decision to uphold a ban on a book by former detective Goncalo Amaral.

:: Mar 3 -  A newly-released file from Portugese police on possible sightings is called "gold dust" and could lead to a breakthrough, says a spokesman for the McCanns.

:: May 1 - Kate McCann reveals she had thoughts about being "wiped out" in a motorway crash to end the pain of losing Madeleine - but vows never to give up.

:: November 10 - Madeleine's parents launch an online petition to help force a UK and Portuguese joint review of all evidence in the case.

:: November 15 -  The McCanns sign a deal to write a book about their daughter's disappearance.

2011

:: May 13 - The Prime Minister David Cameron asks London's Metropolitan Police to help investigate the case.

:: November 23 - Kate and Gerry McCann appear at the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics.

They tell how media pressure affected their family life and accuse newspaper editors of hampering the search for their missing daughter.

Kate McCann says she felt "violated" when her diary was published without her permission.

:: December 5 - Scotland Yard detectives spend time in Barcelona as part of their re-examination of the case.

2012

:: March 9 - Portuguese police in Oporto launch a review of the original investigation.

:: April 26 - Scotland Yard says Madeleine McCann may still be alive and release an artist's impression of what she may look like as a nine-year-old.

:: July 6 - British detectives examine a claim that the little girl's body is buried near the apartment from where she vanished. It comes after a self-styled investigator sends police radar scans he claims show a burial site.

2013

:: Feb 11 - Gerry McCann calls for politicians to implement the conclusions of the Leveson Inquiry in full, backed by legislation.

:: Feb 13 - Police say the results of DNA tests on a girl in New Zealand who was mistaken for Madeleine reveal that she is not the missing British girl.

:: Feb 21 - Retired solicitor Tony Bennett who published claims that Madeleine McCann's parents caused her death is given a suspended jail sentence.

:: May 2 - Madeleine McCann's parents tell Sky News a police review into their daughter's disappearance is making "excellent progress" as they mark the sixth anniversary since she went missing.

:: May 17 - Scotland Yard say they have identified a number of "people of interest" they want to speak to. It believes it has found enough evidence to reopen the case but the Portuguese authorities are still resistant. 

:: June 15 - The Home Office agrees to fund a full-scale investigation by the Metropolitan Police.

:: October 13 - UK detectives reviewing the case say key details in the timeline of her disappearance have "significantly changed".

:: October 14 - A fresh appeal is launched in a bid to find a suspect detectives say is of "vital importance", with two new separate e-fits - thought to be of the same man seen on the night Madeleine went missing - released by police.

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Madeleine McCann Appeal: Response Welcomed

Madeleine: Key Events Timeline

Updated: 9:48am UK, Monday 14 October 2013

Here is a timeline of the key events since Madeleine McCann's disappearance.

2007

:: May 3 - Kate and Gerry McCann leave their three children asleep in their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz while they dine with friends at a nearby tapas restaurant.

Jane Tanner, one of the friends eating with the McCanns, later reports seeing a man carrying a child away earlier that night.

:: May 5 - Portuguese police reveal they believe Madeleine was abducted but is still alive and in Portugal, and say they have a sketch of a suspect.

:: May 14 - Detectives take Anglo-Portuguese man Robert Murat in for questioning and make him an "arguido", or official suspect.

:: May 25 - Detectives release a description of the man reported by Jane Tanner three weeks earlier after pressure from the McCanns, their legal team and the British Government.

:: May 30 - Mr and Mrs McCann meet the Pope in Rome in the first of a series of trips around Europe and beyond to highlight the search for their daughter.

:: August 6 - A Portuguese newspaper reports that British sniffer dogs have found traces of blood on a wall in the McCanns' holiday apartment.

:: August 11 - Exactly 100 days after Madeleine disappeared, investigating officers publicly acknowledge for the first time that she could be dead.

:: September 7 - During further questioning of Mr and Mrs McCann, detectives make them both "arguidos" in their daughter's disappearance.

:: September 9 - The McCanns fly back to England with their two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie.

:: October 2 - Goncalo Amaral, the detective in charge of the inquiry, is removed from the case after criticising the British police in a Portuguese newspaper interview.

:: October 25 - The McCanns release a new artist's impression drawn by an FBI-trained expert showing the man described by Jane Tanner.

2008

:: March 19 - Mr and Mrs McCann accept £550,000 libel damages and front-page apologies from Express Newspapers over allegations they were responsible for Madeleine's death.

:: April 7 - Three Portuguese detectives, led by Paulo Rebelo, fly to Britain to re-interview the seven friends on holiday with the McCanns when Madeleine vanished.

:: July 17 - Mr Murat receives £600,000 in libel damages from four newspaper groups over "seriously defamatory" articles connecting him with the child's disappearance.

:: July 21 - The Portuguese authorities shelve their investigation and lift the "arguido" status of the McCanns and Mr Murat.

:: August 4 - Thousands of pages of evidence from the Portuguese police files in the exhaustive investigation into Madeleine's disappearance are made public.

2009

:: January 13 - Mr McCann returns to Portugal for the first time since coming back to the UK without his daughter.

:: March 24 - The McCanns launch a localised new appeal for information focused on the area in the Algarve where Madeleine disappeared.

:: April 4 - Mr McCann goes back to Portugal to help film a reconstruction of the events on the night his daughter vanished.

:: April 22 - The McCanns fly to the US to record an interview with chat show host Oprah Winfrey to mark two years since Madeleine's disappearance.

:: June 14 - Dying paedophile Raymond Hewlett says he was in the Algarve when Madeleine disappeared and has an alibi - but has no plans to reveal it.

:: August 6 - Detectives say they are hunting a "Victoria Beckham lookalike" with an Australian or New Zealand accent, reportedly seen in Barcelona three days after the little girl went missing.

2010

:: Feb 18 -  Kate and Gerry McCann say they are "pleased and relieved" at a judge's decision to uphold a ban on a book by former detective Goncalo Amaral.

:: Mar 3 -  A newly-released file from Portugese police on possible sightings is called "gold dust" and could lead to a breakthrough, says a spokesman for the McCanns.

:: May 1 - Kate McCann reveals she had thoughts about being "wiped out" in a motorway crash to end the pain of losing Madeleine - but vows never to give up.

:: November 10 - Madeleine's parents launch an online petition to help force a UK and Portuguese joint review of all evidence in the case.

:: November 15 -  The McCanns sign a deal to write a book about their daughter's disappearance.

2011

:: May 13 - The Prime Minister David Cameron asks London's Metropolitan Police to help investigate the case.

:: November 23 - Kate and Gerry McCann appear at the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics.

They tell how media pressure affected their family life and accuse newspaper editors of hampering the search for their missing daughter.

Kate McCann says she felt "violated" when her diary was published without her permission.

:: December 5 - Scotland Yard detectives spend time in Barcelona as part of their re-examination of the case.

2012

:: March 9 - Portuguese police in Oporto launch a review of the original investigation.

:: April 26 - Scotland Yard says Madeleine McCann may still be alive and release an artist's impression of what she may look like as a nine-year-old.

:: July 6 - British detectives examine a claim that the little girl's body is buried near the apartment from where she vanished. It comes after a self-styled investigator sends police radar scans he claims show a burial site.

2013

:: Feb 11 - Gerry McCann calls for politicians to implement the conclusions of the Leveson Inquiry in full, backed by legislation.

:: Feb 13 - Police say the results of DNA tests on a girl in New Zealand who was mistaken for Madeleine reveal that she is not the missing British girl.

:: Feb 21 - Retired solicitor Tony Bennett who published claims that Madeleine McCann's parents caused her death is given a suspended jail sentence.

:: May 2 - Madeleine McCann's parents tell Sky News a police review into their daughter's disappearance is making "excellent progress" as they mark the sixth anniversary since she went missing.

:: May 17 - Scotland Yard say they have identified a number of "people of interest" they want to speak to. It believes it has found enough evidence to reopen the case but the Portuguese authorities are still resistant. 

:: June 15 - The Home Office agrees to fund a full-scale investigation by the Metropolitan Police.

:: October 13 - UK detectives reviewing the case say key details in the timeline of her disappearance have "significantly changed".

:: October 14 - A fresh appeal is launched in a bid to find a suspect detectives say is of "vital importance", with two new separate e-fits - thought to be of the same man seen on the night Madeleine went missing - released by police.

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The Rise Of Europe's Anti-Immigration Parties

As the global financial crisis continues to bite, there has been an increase in the number of populist, mostly right-wing, anti-immigration movements across Europe.

Political analysts from the left draw a parallel with the rise of fascism after the 1929 stock market crash.

But these parties are not in ideological lock-step. Instead, they reflect a wide spectrum of national concerns and domestic political realities.

However, they do advocate a similar position on immigration - especially from outside Europe and the European Union.

Front National leader Marine Le Pen

They believe the influx is challenging resources at a time of need, taking already scarce jobs away from local workers and changing their country's national complexion.

Golden Dawn in Greece, which is under investigation for alleged criminal activity after a rapper was stabbed to death in Athens last month, is the most extreme and militant example, while the Swiss People's Party commands the largest electoral share in a European country of 28.9%.

The anti-immigration parties are no longer on the fringes. In France the Front National - led by Marine Le Pen - is the third largest party and is expected to make large gains in local elections in France next March, while in Norway the Progress Party - once a political home to mass killer Anders Behring Breivik - is part of a coalition government.

So the parties may differ in levels of ferocity and support, but they reflect a large increase in anti-immigration sentiment across the continent.

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Madeleine McCann Suspect's E-Fit Released

Madeleine: Key Events Timeline

Updated: 9:48am UK, Monday 14 October 2013

Here is a timeline of the key events since Madeleine McCann's disappearance.

2007

:: May 3 - Kate and Gerry McCann leave their three children asleep in their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz while they dine with friends at a nearby tapas restaurant.

Jane Tanner, one of the friends eating with the McCanns, later reports seeing a man carrying a child away earlier that night.

:: May 5 - Portuguese police reveal they believe Madeleine was abducted but is still alive and in Portugal, and say they have a sketch of a suspect.

:: May 14 - Detectives take Anglo-Portuguese man Robert Murat in for questioning and make him an "arguido", or official suspect.

:: May 25 - Detectives release a description of the man reported by Jane Tanner three weeks earlier after pressure from the McCanns, their legal team and the British Government.

:: May 30 - Mr and Mrs McCann meet the Pope in Rome in the first of a series of trips around Europe and beyond to highlight the search for their daughter.

:: August 6 - A Portuguese newspaper reports that British sniffer dogs have found traces of blood on a wall in the McCanns' holiday apartment.

:: August 11 - Exactly 100 days after Madeleine disappeared, investigating officers publicly acknowledge for the first time that she could be dead.

:: September 7 - During further questioning of Mr and Mrs McCann, detectives make them both "arguidos" in their daughter's disappearance.

:: September 9 - The McCanns fly back to England with their two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie.

:: October 2 - Goncalo Amaral, the detective in charge of the inquiry, is removed from the case after criticising the British police in a Portuguese newspaper interview.

:: October 25 - The McCanns release a new artist's impression drawn by an FBI-trained expert showing the man described by Jane Tanner.

2008

:: March 19 - Mr and Mrs McCann accept £550,000 libel damages and front-page apologies from Express Newspapers over allegations they were responsible for Madeleine's death.

:: April 7 - Three Portuguese detectives, led by Paulo Rebelo, fly to Britain to re-interview the seven friends on holiday with the McCanns when Madeleine vanished.

:: July 17 - Mr Murat receives £600,000 in libel damages from four newspaper groups over "seriously defamatory" articles connecting him with the child's disappearance.

:: July 21 - The Portuguese authorities shelve their investigation and lift the "arguido" status of the McCanns and Mr Murat.

:: August 4 - Thousands of pages of evidence from the Portuguese police files in the exhaustive investigation into Madeleine's disappearance are made public.

2009

:: January 13 - Mr McCann returns to Portugal for the first time since coming back to the UK without his daughter.

:: March 24 - The McCanns launch a localised new appeal for information focused on the area in the Algarve where Madeleine disappeared.

:: April 4 - Mr McCann goes back to Portugal to help film a reconstruction of the events on the night his daughter vanished.

:: April 22 - The McCanns fly to the US to record an interview with chat show host Oprah Winfrey to mark two years since Madeleine's disappearance.

:: June 14 - Dying paedophile Raymond Hewlett says he was in the Algarve when Madeleine disappeared and has an alibi - but has no plans to reveal it.

:: August 6 - Detectives say they are hunting a "Victoria Beckham lookalike" with an Australian or New Zealand accent, reportedly seen in Barcelona three days after the little girl went missing.

2010

:: Feb 18 -  Kate and Gerry McCann say they are "pleased and relieved" at a judge's decision to uphold a ban on a book by former detective Goncalo Amaral.

:: Mar 3 -  A newly-released file from Portugese police on possible sightings is called "gold dust" and could lead to a breakthrough, says a spokesman for the McCanns.

:: May 1 - Kate McCann reveals she had thoughts about being "wiped out" in a motorway crash to end the pain of losing Madeleine - but vows never to give up.

:: November 10 - Madeleine's parents launch an online petition to help force a UK and Portuguese joint review of all evidence in the case.

:: November 15 -  The McCanns sign a deal to write a book about their daughter's disappearance.

2011

:: May 13 - The Prime Minister David Cameron asks London's Metropolitan Police to help investigate the case.

:: November 23 - Kate and Gerry McCann appear at the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics.

They tell how media pressure affected their family life and accuse newspaper editors of hampering the search for their missing daughter.

Kate McCann says she felt "violated" when her diary was published without her permission.

:: December 5 - Scotland Yard detectives spend time in Barcelona as part of their re-examination of the case.

2012

:: March 9 - Portuguese police in Oporto launch a review of the original investigation.

:: April 26 - Scotland Yard says Madeleine McCann may still be alive and release an artist's impression of what she may look like as a nine-year-old.

:: July 6 - British detectives examine a claim that the little girl's body is buried near the apartment from where she vanished. It comes after a self-styled investigator sends police radar scans he claims show a burial site.

2013

:: Feb 11 - Gerry McCann calls for politicians to implement the conclusions of the Leveson Inquiry in full, backed by legislation.

:: Feb 13 - Police say the results of DNA tests on a girl in New Zealand who was mistaken for Madeleine reveal that she is not the missing British girl.

:: Feb 21 - Retired solicitor Tony Bennett who published claims that Madeleine McCann's parents caused her death is given a suspended jail sentence.

:: May 2 - Madeleine McCann's parents tell Sky News a police review into their daughter's disappearance is making "excellent progress" as they mark the sixth anniversary since she went missing.

:: May 17 - Scotland Yard say they have identified a number of "people of interest" they want to speak to. It believes it has found enough evidence to reopen the case but the Portuguese authorities are still resistant. 

:: June 15 - The Home Office agrees to fund a full-scale investigation by the Metropolitan Police.

:: October 13 - UK detectives reviewing the case say key details in the timeline of her disappearance have "significantly changed".

:: October 14 - A fresh appeal is launched in a bid to find a suspect detectives say is of "vital importance", with two new separate e-fits - thought to be of the same man seen on the night Madeleine went missing - released by police.

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Immigration: Britons Want 'Drastic Action'

By Joey Jones, Deputy Political Editor

More than two thirds of the British public believe the UK population is too large and the Government needs to take "drastic action" to reduce immigration, a Sky News poll has found.

Some 67% of people questioned do not believe the coalition's attempt to reduce net migration to 100,000 a year is sufficient and think more should be done.

More than a quarter of those polled (27%) believe the wave of immigration Britain has experienced in the last decade has brought no positive benefit to the nation.

And more than half (52%) say they will be more likely to vote for a party that promises to "significantly" reduce the level of migration.

The poll of 1,508 adults was conducted for Sky News by Survation

The poll, conducted by Sky News as part of a week-long examination of the issue of immigration, found the people most concerned about the impact of immigration are the ones least likely to have been exposed to migrants.

For example, 71% of people who live in the countryside think drastic action is needed, compared with 53% in urban areas.

And 71% of people who don't know any immigrants well support drastic action, compared with 58% who say they know immigrants well.

David Cameron's spokesman agreed the issue was a "real priority" for people and said the Government was taking "very real and important measures in this area".

Chancellor George Osborne, speaking from Beijing, also stressed the determination to cut immigration and pointed out it had already fallen by a third since 2010.

He told Sky News: "We inherited a situation from the Labour government where they had signed away all these treaties which allowed these new countries to join the European Union to come to Britain.

Two thirds of the rising population is likely to come from immigration

"There were no controls on the borders. We have got a grip on that situation. David Cameron, Theresa May and the whole government have imposed limits on immigration."

Championing foreign investment, he added: "One of the things Britain has to do is not rely on immigration for its economic success. We need to go and make our own way in the world."

Boris Johnson, also in Beijing, told Sky's Mark Stone that "in an ideal world" Mr Cameron would make control over access from EU countries part of his renegotiation with Brussels.

He called for longer periods before people coming to Britain could claim UK benefits, but admitted the way forward was now "very, very hard".

"You have got to crack down on illegal immigrants and stop them coming with a much tougher border regime. But at the same time you don't want to throw the baby out with the bathwater," he said.

"We have had something like a 60% reduction in imigration from New Zealand and I'm not sure that is entirely what we wanted to achieve."

The UK population is set to rise from 62 million in 2010 to 73 million by 2035.

Approximately two thirds of the increased population is likely to come from increased immigration.

Between 2001 and 2011 the population of England and Wales grew by 3.7 million - the biggest increase in 200 years - with 2.1 million immigrants accounting for the majority of the increase.

The poll of 1,508 adults - conducted for Sky News by Survation - found widespread concern among the public about the impact immigration has had on public services.

The majority of those questioned believe the NHS, education system, and housing and welfare systems have been negatively affected by immigration.

And almost three quarters (74%) are concerned about the prospect of Romanians and Bulgarians being allowed free entry to Britain later this year.

Almost two thirds of those who took part in the poll (64%) believe employers should be given tax breaks for employing young, unemployed Britons.

And over half (52%) say companies should be forced to offer jobs to UK-born workers first.

Some 42% of those questioned believe the current debate about immigration in the UK is being unfairly shut down by accusations of racism.

A similar number, 40%, feel they will be labelled a bigot if they raise the issue in public.

In some good news for the coalition, almost two thirds of people (63%) support a new rule for British people to have a minimum income of £18,600 if they want to bring a non-EU spouse into the country.

A similar number, 65%, agree with a Home Office proposal that travellers from certain countries judged to be "high-risk" should pay a £1,000 bond to be allowed to visit Britain.

:: Immigration UK: A week of special coverage on Sky from October 14 to 18 - watch on Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202, Freeview 82, Skynews.com and Sky News for iPad

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Madeleine McCann Timeline Of Events 'Wrong'

British detectives working on the Madeleine McCann investigation have revealed that key details in the timeline of her disappearance were wrong.

The revised details will be documented in a new Crimewatch appeal on the case to be broadcast on Monday.

Speaking ahead of the BBC programme, senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, of the Metropolitan Police, said: "The timeline we have now established has given new significance to sightings and movements of people in and around Praia da Luz at the time of Madeleine's disappearance.

"Our work to date has significantly changed the timeline and the accepted version of events that has been in the public domain to date.

"It has allowed us to work with Crimewatch to build the most detailed reconstruction as yet, and highlight very specific appeal points.

"I hope that when the public see our investigative strands drawn together within the overall context of that appeal, it will bring in new information that moves our investigation forward."

The timeline of Madeleine's disappearance has 'significantly changed'

The full reconstruction of the events six years ago when Madeleine went missing starts with a scene of Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry playing tennis.

Madeleine, dressed in pink shorts, T-shirt and hat, then runs across the court, holding a batch of tennis balls.

In another clip, the McCanns are asked how often they think of their daughter, who went missing when she was three years old on May 3, 2007 from a holiday apartment as her parents dined at a nearby tapas restaurant with friends.

Mr McCann says: "When it's a special occasion, when you should be your happiest and Madeleine's not there, that's when it really hits home. Obviously, Madeleine's birthday goes without saying."

Mrs McCann adds: "It's when you have big family occasions really. That's it isn't it? 'Family occasion' and you haven't got your complete family."

During the programme, DCI Redwood discusses how the police have approached the inquiry.

Gerry and Kate McCann tell Crimewatch their anguish is undiminished

He says: "Primarily what we sought to do from the beginning is try and draw everything back to zero if you like. Try and take everything back to the beginning and re-analyse and reassess everything, accepting nothing.

"The careful and critical analysis of the timeline has been absolutely key.

"Primarily, we're focused on the area between 8.30pm and 10pm. We know at 8.30pm that was the time Mr and Mrs McCann went down to the tapas area for their dinner and we know that around at 10pm that was when Mrs McCann found that Madeleine was missing."

A number of e-fits are also to be shown in the appeal in a bid to "identify the men and eliminate innocent sightings".

Scotland Yard detectives, who have interviewed 442 people as part of their review-turned-investigation, hope to track down as many people present in the Portuguese town at the time.

Since launching its own investigation, 41 people of interest have been identified by the Met Police, including 15 UK nationals.

Madeleine seen on the day before she went missing in May 2007

Detectives have issued 31 international letters of request to mostly European countries in relation to some of the persons of interest as well as accessing phone records.

A large but "manageable" list of phone numbers identified as being in Praia da Luz - though not necessarily used to make phone calls - has been drawn up by detectives with a "significant" number unattributed to any named person.

British detectives launched a fresh investigation in July this year - two years into a review of the case.

The Met Police now has a team of six Portuguese detectives based in Faro who are carrying out inquiries on its behalf.

The Portuguese investigation is officially closed but authorities there are backing the Scotland Yard inquiry and officers from both countries are working together in pursuing new leads.

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Temple Stampede Kills Scores Of Worshippers

At least 60 people have reportedly been killed in a stampede at a Hindu temple in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh.

Some reports said the stampede occurred when police used batons to control a huge crowd that had gathered at the Ratangarh Temple near the village of Chand Pur, in Datia District.

As the devotees attempted to flee, hundreds of people ran towards a bridge across the Sindh river and an unknown number are believed to have fallen in.

Others claimed the stampede happened when a rumour swept through people crossing the bridge that it was about the collapse.

Many of those who drowned did so while trying to save the lives of others, India's News Tribe website reported.

The exact cause of the stampede, which happened about 200miles south east of the capital Delhi, has yet to emerge.

The stampede happened at a spot on the Sindh river where more than half-a-million pilgrims have gathered to take part in rituals.

Local Deputy Police Inspector General D.K. Arya told the AFP newswire: "Sixty people are confirmed killed and the figure could reach 100."

"More than 100 others have been injured," he added.

Rescue teams have been combing the water to pull out bodies and in an attempt to find survivors.

It is understood that the worshippers were visiting the temple as part of the celebrations for the Navratri festival.

The 10-day festival includes an event marking the victory of the Goddess Durga over the buffalo demon in Hindu mythology.

MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan announced he had ordered a judicial probe into the incident.

Madhya Pradesh's government said it was offering Rs150,000 (£1,540) to the families of those who were killed and Rs50,000 (£513) to those who were seriously injured

In 2006, at least 35 devotees died at the same spot after they were washed away when a dam in a neighbouring province opened its sluice gates causing a deluge.

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Boris And Osborne In China To Push Trade

By Mark Stone, China Correspondent in Beijing

The Chancellor and the Mayor of London will announce a raft of deals during separate trade visits to China, including a partnership to develop Manchester Airport.

Shortly after his arrival, George Osborne said 'Airport City' - five million square feet of land next to the airport which will become  retail, office and manufacturing space - would be built in conjunction with Beijing Construction Engineering Group.

"£800m of investment; 16,000 new jobs; one of the biggest developments since the Olympic games, and I think it shows our economic plan of doing more business with China and also making sure that more economic activity happens outside the city of London is working," he told Sky News.

"That's good for Britain and is good for British people."

Similar projects in Amsterdam and Frankfurt have proved successful and eased congestion at other airports.

Alongside the commercial strands of his visit, the Chancellor will also hold governmental meetings with his Chinese counterpart Ma Kai, the first face-to-face bilateral ministerial contact between the UK and China for over a year.

The UK has been in the political dog house with China since May 2012 when David Cameron and Nick Clegg chose to meet and be photographed with the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibet.

The meeting enraged Beijing given the controversial claim China holds over Tibet.

An £800m investment in Manchester Airport will create thousands of jobs

Asked by Sky's Dermot Murnaghan about the conflict between China's human-rights record and forging stronger business links with the country, Boris Johnson said his job was to promote the interests of London.

"My job as Mayor is not to have a foreign policy but to get on and promote the interests of the greatest city on earth which is what we're doing," he said.

"There are many interesting foreign policy problems around the world I could get involved in, whether or not that would improve global hopes for a resolution, I have my reservations.

"This is not the reason I'm here in China. I think we can respectfully move on to the real agenda which is intensifying links between London and China."

Mr Osborne is travelling with the UK Trade Minister Lord Green, City Minister Lord Deighton and the Minister for Science and Innovation, David Willetts.

With them are executives from a variety of British technology companies who will try to showcase the best of Britain's digital technology industry in China.

The delegation will hope the trip allows UK companies to gain access to the rapidly expanding Chinese market.

"The Chinese economy is changing," Mr Osborne said.

Chinese tech company Huawei is investing £1.3bn in British broadband

"Those who think it is just a low-wage, low-tech economy are making a mistake.

"It is becoming a cutting edge player in industries like technology and this is a huge opportunity for Britain."

The Chancellor will lead the delegation to the Shenzhen-based headquarters of Huawei, the world's largest telecommunications manufacturer, and TenCent, the world's third largest gaming and social media firm.

Huawei's growing footprint in Europe and America has caused controversy, with some suggesting that Chinese involvement in Western telecoms firms poses a security risk.

Despite that, Huawei has already pledged to invest £1.3bn in the UK's broadband network over the next four years.

Mr Osborne's visit is a clear endorsement of the company.

Diplomats point out that inward Chinese investment to the UK in the last 18 months has been greater than the past 30 years combined, despite the row over the Dalai Lama meeting, for which the UK has refused to apologise.

The London Mayor's trip is separate but the broad objectives are the same.

Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg met the Dalai Lama last year

Mr Johnson is travelling with the chief executives of several large companies including Justin King of Sainsbury's and Marc Bolland of Marks & Spencer.

He will spend three days in Beijing, where he will visit a UK brands fair, take a ride on the subway and attend a private meeting with China's richest man, Wang Jianlin, whose company Dalian Wanda is investing heavily in the Nine Elms area of London.

Mr Johnson will then travel to Shanghai before ending his trip in Hong Kong.

Both men are effectively cashing in on the thawing of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

By the end of the week, they hope to have signed a variety of deals, forged new relationships and facilitated meetings between UK and Chinese firms.

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