Body Found In Search For Missing Dorset Nurse

Police investigating the disappearance of a nurse who went missing from the hospital where she works have found a body in a car.

Detectives believe the body is that of 44-year-old Rui Li, who was last seen leaving Poole Hospital in Dorset at around 6pm on May 23.

Two men, aged 60 and 26, are being questioned on suspicion of murdering Ms Li, from Boscombe in Bournemouth.

The body was found "concealed within a silver Fiat Punto" along Verwood Crescent in north Bournemouth, a spokesman for Dorset Police said.

Rui Li's car was seen on CCTV leaving Poole Hospital on May 23

Detective Inspector Marcus Hester added: "This remains a very proactive investigation and we're still appealing for the public's assistance."

Specialist officers are forensically examining the vehicle and the surrounding area, which is some four miles from Ms Li's home in Burnham Drive.

Experts have already examined Ms Li's house.

Her distinctive Porsche Boxter, with the personalised number plate L1 RUI, was found outside a property in Wolverton Road.

A Ford Connect van which police wish to trace as part of their inquiries

Several vehicles have been seized.

In a statement released by police earlier this week, her 18-year-old daughter Lu Yao appealed for information about her mother's whereabouts and urged her to get in touch, even if she "just wanted to get away".

"My mum is a very conscientious and caring nurse and never lets anyone down, Miss Yao said.

"She is a very loving mum, supporting me with my studies from when I came to the UK from China.

Ms Li worked as a nurse at Poole Hospital

"She prides herself on her timekeeping and my mum has never gone missing before.

"This is completely out of character and I'm very worried. I really miss her and I just want her home."

Ms Li moved to the UK from China a decade ago and started working at the hospital in 2009.

Her next of kin has been informed.

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Explosions Carried Out On Suspicious Car

A bomb disposal team has carried out a number of controlled explosions on a suspicious car in a Bristol street.

Police were called to Cassell Road, in the Fishponds area of the city, around 4am.

Officers found the car smelt strongly of fuel.

A 200-metre cordon has been set up and around 460 homes evacuated, with many residents moved to a rest centre set up at a nearby school.

A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police said: "The Explosive Ordnance Disposal team was called to the scene and carried out several controlled explosions on the vehicle.

Bomb disposal experts

"This is a normal operational response to incidents of this nature."

Chief Superintendent Geoff Spicer said: "I'm very grateful to residents for their continued co-operation and patience.

"Public safety is a priority for us and the exclusion area was set up as a necessary precaution.

Cassell Road was sealed off by police

"We'll be carrying out a full and thorough investigation into this incident now the controlled explosions have taken place.

"At this stage we believe this is an isolated incident and could be linked to an ongoing dispute and we're progressing with lines of enquiry.

"The exclusion zone is likely to remain in place until at least 2pm today, so I'd advise people to avoid the area, as there are road closures in place."

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'Real Action' Needed In Hunt For Missing Briton

The brother of a British man who disappeared while trekking on a paradise island off Malaysia has urged the Government to appeal to local authorities to step up search efforts.

Gareth David Huntley disappeared four days ago after attempting to find a waterfall in the jungles of Tioman Island, off the peninsula's east coast.

He told friends at a charity project he had been working with he would return by 2pm that day but he has not been seen since.

A group of volunteers and local people have been into the jungle to search for the 34-year-old but have not found him.

Mr Huntley had been volunteering at a Turtle sanctuary

Mark Huntley said "real action" is needed to find his brother.

He said: "We need real boots on the ground in Malaysia. We need real pressure from William Hague at the Foreign Office. So far we haven't heard a word from him or David Cameron.

"Gareth's been missing now for five days and he's alone in the jungle. This was a man working out there as a wildlife volunteer - he deserves our assistance.

"This situation of delayed searches is all too familiar. We call on David Cameron to make just one phone call to the Malaysian authorities and kindly request they step up the search."

Mr Huntley's mother earlier demanded authorities step up the search for her son, who was on an extended holiday.

Janet Southwell said: "I'm extremely concerned and anxious about my son.

"He's been missing for four days now and as yet I've had no contact from any official agency advising me as to the progress of the search.

"At this stage I feel it's essential that the search be intensified as time is running out for Gareth, so I'd really appreciate the support of the Malaysian authorities and the UK Government with this."

A file picture of a beach on Tioman Island

Twenty Malaysian police officers and a search dog are now involved in the search.

Mr Huntley's family and girlfriend are also due to fly out to the region this weekend.

One of his friends who is in the area and doing what he can to help is Kyle Neo Kai Fu.

He told Sky News Sunrise he is certain his friend is alive.

Kyle Neo Kai Fu and Gareth Huntley

"He knows a lot of things about self-sustainability. I think he's a survivor."

According to one of the accountant's close friends, Malaysian authorities have so far failed to conduct a thorough search.

Sophie Wilson told Sky News: "Nothing has come from the authorities. As far as we're aware, the police were informed and haven't been doing anything. They've been incredibly lethargic.

"They've said they're performing a search but all evidence on the ground suggests they're just not taking this seriously."

Mr Huntley, from east London, had been working as a volunteer at the Juara Turtle Project, a conservation charity on Tioman Island.

One of the other volunteers, Charles Fisher, said police were informed the day after he went missing but did not actively begin searching.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said the local embassy was aware Mr Huntley was missing and was offering support.

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Insurers Expose £1.3bn In Fraudulent Claims

A record £1.3bn worth of fraudulent insurance claims were uncovered last year as the industry continues to crack down on cheats.

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) said some £3.5m worth of dishonest claims are uncovered every day.

The figures show an 18% increase in the value of fraudulent claims detected in 2012.

In 2013, some 118,599 fraudulent or exaggerated claims were detected, the equivalent of more than 2,000 each week.

Motor insurance claims were the most expensive and common dishonest claims to be uncovered.

The average value of fraud detected across all kinds of insurance products was £10,813.

Aidan Kerr, the ABI's assistant director, said: "The message is clear: never has it been harder to get away with committing insurance fraud.

"Never have the penalties - ranging from a custodial sentence and a criminal record, to difficulties in obtaining financial products in the future - been so severe."

The ABI says the figures also reveal a "significant" rise in the number of people reporting suspected fraudsters.

Calls from members of the public reporting frauds to the Insurance Fraud Bureau's "cheatline" rose by one third (32%) in 2013 compared with the previous year.

Malcolm Tarling, a spokesman for the ABI, said the industry has also seen an increase in the number of "staged accidents".

This dangerous practice sees fraudsters cause deliberate accidents, often with innocent motorists, in order to cause injuries and claim insurance.

"Staged accidents, which are extremely serious, involve criminal gangs deliberately staging an accident, normally involving an innocent motorist," Mr Tarling said.

"These are increasingly becoming more commonplace and the industry is actively working very hard to crack down on them."

One insurer, AA Insurance, said it identifies more than 100 fraud attempts each week.

Simon Douglas, director of AA Insurance, said: "These figures are encouraging because they reflect the growing success of the insurance industry in the war against fraud, rather than more fraud taking place.

"This should send a strong signal to anyone thinking of trying it on."

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Charlize Theron: Press Intrusion 'Like Rape'

By Richard Suchet, Arts And Entertainment Correspondent

Charlize Theron says press coverage of her private life is so intrusive that it is comparable to rape.

The South African-born actress told Sky News that "every aspect" of her life has become "fodder" for a brand of journalism that exists "in a dark room".

She said: "I don't (Google myself) - that's my saving grace.

"When you start living in that world, and doing that, you start feeling raped."

Theron and actor Sean Penn at the film's premiere in California

Asked whether she meant to express the sentiment as strongly as that, she replied: "Well, when it comes to your son and your private life. Maybe it's just me.

"Some people might relish in all that stuff but there are certain things in my life that I think of as very sacred and I am very protective over them.

"I don't always win that war but as long as I don't have to see that stuff or read that stuff or hear that stuff then I can live with my head in a clear space, which is probably a lot healthier than living in that dark room."

She is not the first person to draw parallels between media intrusion and rape.

In 2010 the actress Kristen Stewart was forced to issue an apology after claiming that seeing photographs of herself was like "looking at someone being raped".

Kate McCann, the mother of missing child Madeleine McCann, told the Leveson Inquiry into press ethics that she felt "mentally raped" when a tabloid newspaper published her private diary, in which she expressed her thoughts and feelings about the disappearance of her daughter.

Theron, who won an Oscar for her role in 2003 movie Monster, is in London to promote her new film A Million Ways To Die In The West, in which she stars opposite Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane.

On the morning of our interview, she was pictured in the British press with her young son and partner Sean Penn.

The photographs showed them leaving Claridge's hotel in a taxi the night before.

She said: "I can't be concerned about what some idiot is going to write online about my short skirt, I can only take responsibility for myself.

"There is a part of my job that is incredibly lovely - to fly first class to London, to be able to do that with my son and my family and I am definitely not jaded by any of that.

"My job has made my life incredibly blessed and good and I am very grateful for that, but it does not mean that every aspect of my life all of a sudden becomes fodder for an article.

"I try to protect against that as much as I can."

Theron with Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane

Showbiz journalist Sophie Heawood said: "Charlize Theron has actually done some rape campaigning so I'm sure she's very aware of what she said.

"I imagine she's talking about a very different kind of violation obviously and it might be hard for us to sympathise because it seems like a very gilded celebrity life.

"But when it's constant every single day, every time you leave the house, every time anybody mentions you in public, any time your child gets in a car. That does feel very violating."

A Million Ways To Die In The West opens in UK cinemas today.

The raunchy comedy Western also stars Liam Neeson, Amanda Seyfried and Sarah Silverman.

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Sudan Mother's Death Sentence Condemned

Sudan is facing growing international condemnation after a woman was sentenced to death and forced to give birth while shackled to a prison floor for marrying a Christian.

The US State Department described the case of Meriam Ibrahim, 27, as "horrific" and continues to press Sudanese officials to intervene.

Muslim women in Sudan are forbidden from marrying out of their faith - but although Ms Ibrahim has a Muslim father, she claims to have been brought up a Christian as that was her mother's faith.

A court rejected this argument and found her guilty of apostasy in renouncing Islam and adultery for marrying a Christian, Daniel Wani.

Ms Ibrahim was sentenced to 100 lashes and death by hanging earlier this month but her killing was suspended for two years so she could nurse her daughter Maya, born on a floor on Wednesday after guards at Omdurman Women's Prison refused to release her.

Daniel Wani holds his newborn baby in prison

"We're concerned about this horrific case, and we've expressed that many, many, many times," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.

"We'll continue to press through every channel we can our concerns about this case."

Former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton is the latest high-profile tweeter to express outrage about the case following posts from Mia Farrow and Richard Branson.

"Meriam Yahya Ibrahim's death sentence is abhorrent," Mrs Clinton wrote. "Sudan should stop threatening religious freedom and fundamental human rights."

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has also voiced concern.

"Our religions tell us that human interactions should be shaped by compassion and humanity, not by death sentences," he said. "Christians and Muslims should be able to coexist alongside each other."

The couple married in 2011

US embassy officials have been attending Ms Ibrahim's public hearings and are monitoring the appeals process in Khartoum.

Ms Ibrahim remains incarcerated with her newborn baby and 20-month-old son.

Mr Wani, a US citizen, said on Thursday his wife and children were holding up well.

"As for the new situation, her psychological condition seems to be slightly better and Martin (the son) is also in good condition and is not naughty as was the case before. And the girl, of course she is still small, she's in good health."

Both the US and UK governments have summoned the country's charge d'affaires to discuss the case - which Mr Wani is hoping will be reviewed.

"I hope they will take another look at the case - they will find many flaws, enough to cancel the judgement or close the case," he said.

Islamic sharia law has been in force in Sudan since 1983.

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Political Battle Over Who Can Make Scots Richer

The battle for Scotland moved to a scrap over who would put more money in the pockets of the Scottish people as conflicting economic visions were presented by each side.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander claimed staying with the UK would make Scottish people £1,400 richer than if they opted to independent.

Scotland's First Minister said his financial assessment found Scottish households will be £2,000 better off in 15 years, if the country votes to split from the UK.

Both men were presenting competing financial cases for independence at venues just metres away from each other in Edinburgh on Wednesday morning.

According to Mr Salmond, Scotland would be £5bn better off by 2029 if it opted for independence.

However, Mr Alexander said that the start-up costs of an independent Scotland alone would be £1.5bn and said there would be a gap in its public finances from day one.

He accused the Scottish Government of failing to provide proper costings for independence and warned that interest rates would be higher because of an independent Scotland's higher cost of borrowing.

The Scottish Government strongly criticised the figure. File image

Presenting his financial case, Mr Alexander said: "Today we have shown that, by staying together, Scotland's future will be safer, with stronger finances and a more progressive society because as a United Kingdom we can pool resources and share risks.

"It means a UK Dividend of £1,400 a year for every man, woman and child in Scotland.

"That dividend is our share of a more prosperous future. It is the money that will pay for better public services and a fairer society."

Mr Salmond claimed that Scotland's finances in 2016-17 would be similar to, or stronger than, both the UK and the G7 industrialised countries as a whole.

He said: "Scotland is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, more prosperous per head than the UK, France and Japan, but we need the powers of independence to ensure that that wealth properly benefits everyone in our society.

"That wealth means we will start life as an independent nation with strong finances and huge economic potential.

"The latest figures show that by using the powers that only independence will bring we can deliver an independence bonus with increased revenues for Scotland."

Mr Alexander said under independence Scottish people would have to work an extra two weeks before they stopped paying tax and started earning for themselves. Tax Freedom Day for the UK this year is today.

He was dealt a blow overnight when the academic behind the research claimed the Treasury had "badly misrepresented".

Patrick Dunleavy, a professor of politics at the London School of Economics (LSE), says that when Treasury officials used his research to calculate the start-up costs of independence, they overstated the figure by 12 times.

Officials had previously briefed that, partly based on the research of Professor Dunleavy, they estimated the start-up costs for an independent Scottish Government at £2.7bn.

It was a calculation of how much it would cost to set up 180 government departments, in line with recent equivalent costs in Whitehall.

The Scottish Government had strongly criticised the figure, saying it would not need anything like 180 departments and that much of the departmental infrastructure was already in place in Scotland.

The Professor himself echoed the view.

He wrote on Twitter: "UK Treasury press release on Scotland costs of government badly misrepresents LSE research.

"Appears to take minimum Whitehall reorganisation cost of £15m and multiply by 180 agencies to get £2.7bn. Overstates maybe 12 times?"

Later, he tweeted: "Could they be this crude? Phone call from Treasury guy later confirms: Yes, they had been."

Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond has demanded the Treasury withdraw the figures and apologise.

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Rolf Harris 'Disguised Abuse As Bear Hugs'

TV entertainer Rolf Harris used "bear hugs" to disguise his serial sexual abuse, a court has been told.

Harris, who denies 12 charges of indecent assault, is facing questions from prosecutor Sasha Wass QC.

She told the jury that all the alleged victims describe a similar scenario: bear hugs then sexual molestation.

The prosecution claims Harris committed child abuse in conducting an affair with his daughter's best friend, and that he "psychologically dominated that girl".

But the 84-year-old said the relationship was based on a "mutual feeling of warmth and affection".

Rolf Harris arrives at Southwark Crown Court with his family

Ms Wass called Harris a "polished performer with a dark side" and implied he contrived regret in a letter to the alleged victim's father to avoid the police getting involved.

In the letter Harris admitted a sexual relationship but claimed there was no "rape, physical force or brutality". He also wrote that he had "sickened" himself.

Ms Wass questioned the "self-loathing" contained in the letter.

"I suddenly felt that I had betrayed everyone's trust," said Harris.

The 84-year-old told Southwark Crown Court he had worked with the NSPCC on child abuse issues, making a campaign video for them.

More follows...

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Lib Dem Peer Resigns Over Anti-Clegg Poll Leak

Lord Oakeshott has resigned from the Liberal Democrats saying that he is sure the party is "heading for disaster" under Nick Clegg.

His resignation came after Nick Clegg warned steps would be taken against him for leaking an ICM poll, which found the Liberal Democrat leader at risk of losing his seat at the General Election.

Mr Clegg said it was "unacceptable" to find out that a senior member of the party was seeking to undermine him and added that "appropriate steps will be taken" when Parliament returns.

He said when everyone else was out campaigning for the Liberal Democrats and one person was spending money in negative manner and described Lord Oakeshott's actions as "a great, great pity".

Mr Clegg said: "I think it is totally unacceptable in a campaign for the Liberal party facing very, very difficult elections last week, as we were, to find out now with hindsight that a senior member of the party, far from actually going out trying to win votes was spending money and time seeking to undermine the fortunes of the party.

Lord Oakeshott commissioned an ICM poll in Sheffield Hallam

"Obviously Parliament will resume next week. All these things will be taken up then and discussed in the House of Lords and the House of Commons, and following those discussions appropriate steps will no doubt be taken."

The ICM poll, which showed Mr Clegg was at risk of losing his Sheffield Hallam seat, were leaked to The Guardian on Tuesday by Lord Oakeshott.

Sky News Political Editor Joey Jones said: "He must anticipate being thrown out of the party."

It is understood his future will be decided at a meeting of Liberal Democrat peers next week.

Business Secretary Vince Cable, who is a close friend of Lord Oakeshott's, was on Tuesday afternoon forced to deny any involvement in the leak, after rumours suggested his team could be behind the poll.

He put Lord Oakeshott's name in the frame calling his actions "totally inexcusable and unacceptable".

Vince Cable: It wasn't me

He said: "I have made it very clear repeatedly that he does not speak or act for me.

"Commissioning and publishing polls without the consent of the Member of Parliament, as in the case of Sheffield Hallam, is utterly reprehensible."

Mr Cable has been widely touted as an alternative Liberal Democrat leader to Mr Clegg.

Mr Clegg has been under increasing pressure to step down after an abysmal performance in last week's local and European elections.

However, he has repeatedly refused to go, saying it would not be in the best interests of the party and that he would stay to get the job done.

Grassroots activists have signed a petition calling on him to step aside and local partys were understood to be arranging emergency meetings to discuss the matter.

It would take the backing of 75 local parties, or the calls of a majority of the party's 57 MPs  to force a leadership contest.

The ICM poll commissioned by Lord Oakeshott showed that in the event of a General Election tomorrow, Mr Clegg's party would finish third in his constituency of Sheffield Hallam behind Labour and the Conservatives.

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European Elections: UKIP Tops British Polls

European Elections: The Winner And Losers

Updated: 4:01am UK, Monday 26 May 2014

By Michael Thrasher, Sky's Election Analyst

UKIP stormed to first place in the European elections, becoming the party of choice for nearly a third of voters.

This is the first time since 1906 that a party other than the big two - Conservative and Labour - has topped the poll in a nationwide vote.

The first result, once again delivered by the North East region, gave a taste of things to come. 

Last time the region's three Euro seats were spread among the three established parties.

This time both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats lost their seats leaving Labour leading with two MEPs but UKIP picking its first seat of the night.

Across the region UKIP even finished ahead of Labour in four local authorities that are used to tally the European votes.

As more regions declared their results it became clear that UKIP was on course to finish on top in the popular vote.

It out-polled the Conservatives in the South East and South West, in the Eastern region where it has gained a real foothold at local council elections and also the East Midlands. 

In the West Midlands, in parliamentary terms a real battleground between the Conservatives and Labour it was UKIP that once again eclipsed the traditional parties.

Further evidence that UKIP has been instrumental in stalling Labour's progress came in the Yorkshire and Humber region. Here, UKIP finished first with 31% of the vote, a two-point lead over Labour in what is generally regarded as one of the party's strongest areas.

Compared with the last time voters selected MEPs in 2009 UKIP registered double-digit increases in vote share across every region to declare overnight. 

The biggest losers were the Liberal Democrats who endured an appalling time, following so closely upon extremely disappointing local election results.

The pro-European party lost all but one of its MEPs from the first nine of Great Britain's 11 regional constituencies to declare and were relegated to fifth place behind the Greens.

The pressure that had grown on Nick Clegg as the party watched its councillors defeated may grow yet further as his critics point to his decision to debate with Nigel Farage as a catalyst for the party's collapse.  

Although Labour gained seats it will again be subjected to the accusation that it is punching below its weight. Opinion polling suggested that it was vying with UKIP for first place but the results show a clear gap between the two parties.

Indeed, while Labour is likely to overtake the Conservatives in the national vote once the counting is completed in Scotland the gap between the two main parties will not be great.

The national projection of the local election voting placed Labour just one percentage point ahead of the Conservatives and the closeness of the Euro voting will add to the pressure on the Labour leadership.

Of course, the pattern of voting will be different at next year's general election. Many voters that backed UKIP this time will return to one or other of the major parties.

But Mr Farage has undoubtedly produced chaos and confusion among the established parties and no one can be sure at this point about the impact his party will have in less than a year's time.

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Far-Right National Front Win In France

By Robert Nisbet, Europe Correspondent

Voters have dramatically altered the make-up of the European Parliament by doubling the number of MEPs from the populist, eurosceptic Right and the anti-austerity Left.

Marine Le Pen's far-Right National Front scored its first victory in European Parliament elections in France.

Without waiting for the final result, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls went on television to call the result "an earthquake" for France and Europe.

The National Front (FN) won around 25% of the vote in France, according to exit polls, easily beating the centre-Right UMP on 20%.

Exit polls say far-right and hard-left parties have gained ground in many countries, including in Greece where the extreme-right Golden Dawn are thought to have won nearly 10% of the vote.

By the half way stage, the centre-right parties were expected to be the biggest group, with 212 out of 751 seats.

The Socialists were expected to gain 185 seats, the Liberals third with 71, the Greens fourth with 55 and the far-left next with 45.

Eurosceptic parties were expected to win about 143 seats.

Marine Le Pen celebrates winning France's Euro election

The winners in Greece, the anti-austerity movement Syriza, are thought to have topped the polls with more than 27% of the vote.

In Germany, the EU's biggest member state with the largest number of seats, the pro-European centre ground held firm, according to the polls.

Ms Le Pen, whose party beat President Francois Hollande's ruling Socialists into third place, told supporters: "The people have spoken loud and clear ... they no longer want to be led by those outside our borders, by EU commissioners and technocrats who are unelected.

"They want to be protected from globalisation and take back the reins of their destiny."

Eurosceptic Conservative MPs in the UK were quick to point out they had predicted the rise of the Right.

Harwich and Essex MP Bernard Jenkin wrote on Twitter: "Some of us who opposed Maastricht 20 years ago predicted it would lead to the rise of the Right in the EU: and here we are."

Douglas Carswell, the Clacton MP, said: "So maybe those of us who sometimes banged on about Europe were on to something?"

Foreign Secretary William Hague said: "I think we should be concerned about some of these developments across the rest of Europe and that is why it is so important that the next European Commission, the European Council, the next European Parliament do get the message that there is rising discontent and tensions of many kinds in Europe."

In Denmark the Right wing Danish People's Party topped the polls, although its leaders have ruled out an alliance with the National Front.

Spain's two main political parties, the ruling conservative Popular Party in power since 2011 and the Socialist Party, lost major ground to smaller parties, mainly on the Left. The Catalan independence party also performed well.

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's centre-left Democratic Party (PD) came in ahead of the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) in his country's exit polls.

In Belgium, the controversial Flemish separatists secured four of  21 EU parliamentary seats available in the country, more than any other party. 

Turnout in Eastern Europe was predicted to be low, with estimates of around 20% expected. 

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Farage Uses Victory To Call For Referendum

By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent

When he arrived at the Southampton Guildhall for the South East region count, Nigel Farage was mobbed like a rock star by TV crews from all over Europe.

By the time their leader delivered his victory speech, UKIP had already made major gains all over the country from the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats.

A jubilant Mr Farage told Sky News he wanted an in/out referendum on Britain's EU membership "next week", though at least he admitted that wasn't going to happen.

With most of the results in, UKIP's share nationally is about 27.5%, with Labour just ahead of the Conservatives on 25% to the Tories' 24%.

Mr Farage has rocked political establishments across Europe

In another humiliation for Nick Clegg after the drubbing in the local elections, the Lib Dems were pushed into fifth place by the Greens, on just 7% to the Greens' 8%.

At one point during the night it looked as if the Lib Dems might be wiped out altogether, until a Green Party official at the Southampton count graciously told me their rivals for fourth place had kept one of their MEPs in the South East.

Catherine Bearder turned out to be the Lib Dems' sole survivor in the European Parliament. When I interviewed her immediately after the South East declaration she seemed shell-shocked.

A petition calling for Mr Clegg to quit has garnered hundreds of signatures

She put the Lib Dems' disastrous performance down to people not understanding how the EU works. I suggested to her that they do - and they don't like it.

Shortly before the South East result was declared, I interviewed Daniel Hannan, the leading Tory MEP in the region. He called for a pact between the Conservatives and Europe.

What does David Cameron do now? He's planning yet another Immigration Bill in the Queen's Speech next week. But will that make any difference? It looks just like a gesture.

Mr Cameron is safe as Tory leader until after the general election

More concessions to Eurosceptic Tory MPs? An earlier referendum than the one the Prime Minister is proposing in 2017?

The PM is expected to shuffle his Cabinet and the lower Government ranks after the Newark by-election. Will that do any good? Almost certainly not.

The Conservatives will be relieved, once again, that Labour didn't do better in the European elections.

The grumbles that Mr Miliband is another loser like Neil Kinnock and is on course to lose in 2015 will grow louder inside the shadow Cabinet and on the Labour back benches.

There are rumours of a plot to challenge Mr Miliband's leadership

These results do point to Labour falling short next year, as it did in 1987 and 1992 under Mr Kinnock.

The leader facing the most immediate leadership crisis is Mr Clegg, though. It seems very few voters - and a dwindling band of his MPs and activists "agree with Nick" these days.

Mr Cameron is almost certainly safe as Tory leader until after next year's general election.

But suddenly, MPs in all three parties are bickering and indulging in leadership speculation once again.

Rock star? UKIP may not be a new entry in the charts any more. But it has shot to Number One this weekend.

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Drive-By Shootings: Witnesses Relate Horror

Witnesses have described how gunman Elliot Rodger sprayed bullets from a black BMW in a drive-by rampage in California that left seven people dead.

Stunned survivors said Rodger fired indiscriminately at groups of young people socialising on Friday night in the bustling student enclave of Isla Vista.

Tyler Haden, a journalist with the Santa Barbara Independent newspaper, told Sky News people were "visibly distraught" after the attack.

UC Santa Barbara students near one of the crime scenes

"We saw a lot of different emergency responders milling about," he said. "There was a lot of confusion because there were so many different crime scenes."

Robert Johnson said a black BMW had slowed down near IV Deli Mart, a popular gathering spot, where people were eating outside. "Someone in the car" opened fire, he said.

Onlookers console each other after the tragedy

"I heard somewhere between 12 to 20 shots into a group of people who were eating in front of it," he told NBC Los Angeles.

Alexander Mattera, 23, added: "We heard so many gunshots, it was unbelievable. I thought they were firecrackers. There had to have been at least like two guns. There were a lot of shots."

Twenty-year-old student Ian Papa said he saw the gunman driving wildly through the street, at one point knocking down two cyclists.

The gunman was Elliot Rodger, son of a Hollywood director

"He hit two bikes," Mr Papa told the New York Times. "One he barely grazed. The other was ploughed down. The biker went through the windshield."

Another witness, Daniel Slovinsky, told the Los Angeles Times: "I heard some pops, but I just assumed they were fireworks. 

"Contrary to what you might expect, there wasn't a whole lot of chaos immediately. I didn't hear any screaming. A few people were running."

Police say they were alerted around 9.30pm on Friday

Xavier Mozejewski told KEYT-TV that it was like an "old Western shoot-out".

Jimmy Chang, a reporter for the UCSB newspaper, said a female student had told him the gunman opened fire on her as she was walking down the street.

"He actually drove across the street to meet her," Chang told NBC Los Angeles.

"The guy stuck his head out and says, 'Hey, what are you doing?' She ignored him. The guy pulled out a gun and shot at her. The bullet missed her head. She said she thought it was a BB gun, and she just kept walking faster."

A bicycle lies next the wreckage of the car

Sienna Schwartz told CNN that she started to flee when the shots began flying.

"He shot and I felt like air passing my face," she said.

The killer had two gun battles with police before crashing into a parked car. He was found slumped in the BMW with a gunshot wound to the head, though it is unclear if it was self-inflicted.

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Elliot Rodger Shooting Spree: CCTV Emerges

CCTV footage has been released showing shoppers scattering as mass killer Elliot Rodgers fired bullets into a deli.

The Hollywood director's son "repeatedly stabbed" three men to death in his apartment before killing three more during a shooting spree, police say.

British-born Elliot Rodger, son of an assistant director on The Hunger Games film, had three semi-automatic handguns and 400 rounds of ammunition with him when he died.

Rodger said he was angry at women for rejecting him

The 22-year-old also left seven others in hospital as he sped around Isla Vista, a student enclave next to the University of California, Santa Barbara.

County Sheriff Bill Brown told reporters Rodger had tried to get into a college sorority house during the Friday night attack, and that women inside had heard "loud, aggressive knocking" for several minutes.

Police showed images of the handguns used by the 22-year-old

Unable to gain access, police said he then shot three young women outside the building, killing Veronika Weiss, 19, and Katie Cooper, 22.

The sixth victim, 20-year-old student Christopher Michael-Martinez, was shot dead outside a delicatessen.

In an emotional statement, his father called on the "insanity" to stop and blamed "irresponsible politicians" for not doing more on gun control.

Police believe Rodger shot himself in the head after he crashed his BMW

Rodger's family said the 22-year-old had been receiving psychiatric care.

He had also been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome and had "multiple therapists", said Alan Shifman, the family's lawyer.

A day before the attack, the killer posted a video on YouTube, promising to slaughter "spoilt, stuck-up, blonde" women who he said had rebuffed him.

Rodger made a chilling tirade against women and the rest of humanity, threatening a "day of retribution".

Police are investigating 10 locations and multiple crime scenes

"For the last eight years of my life, ever since I hit puberty, I've been forced to endure an existence of loneliness, rejection and unfulfilled desires all because girls have never been attracted to me," he said.

"You throw yourselves at all these obnoxious men," he continued, "instead of me - the supreme gentleman - I will punish all of you for it." He chuckles sinisterly.

He also published a rambling 141-page manifesto on the internet, called My Twisted World, where he detailed his childhood.

Police said Rodger's attacks had taken place at 10 locations as he fled from officers and fired at pedestrians from his black BMW.

Rodger went to the 2012 Hunger Games premiere with his father Peter

He also crashed into two cyclists - one of whom caved in the windshield.

Police exchanged fire with Rodger and believe they hit him in the hip as they opened fire on his car. The rampage ended when he crashed his vehicle after ploughing into the second cyclist.

Sheriff Brown said they found him with a gun wound to the head, which they believe was self-inflicted.

Rodger's guns were all legally purchased and registered to him.

Filmmaker Peter Rodger was educated in Maidstone, Kent

Seven people remain in hospital at Santa Barbara's Cottage Hospital with gun wounds and injuries caused by the suspect's car, said Dr Stephen Kaminski. Two of them are in a serious condition.

Rodger's family called police last month worried about his welfare but officers said they found him "polite and courteous" and no action was deemed necessary.

In a blog post, he wrote he was born in the UK and moved to the US when he was five. His father, Peter, was educated in Maidstone, Kent.

Rodger was pictured two years ago on the red carpet with his father at a premiere for The Hunger Games, a dystopian futuristic drama in which teenagers fight each other to the death.

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Elliot Rodger: Did Police Miss Their Chance?

Police have admitted Elliot Rodger was "severely mentally disturbed" and his family had told officers they were concerned - but were opportunities missed to stop his killing spree?

Santa Barbara sheriff Bill Brown told reporters they had encountered Rodger three times - the most significant on April 30 when a family member asked police to check on him.

"(Police) found him to be polite and courteous. He downplayed the concerns for his welfare and the deputies cleared the call," said Sheriff Brown.

Rodger regularly posted "selfie" photos on social media

"They determined he did not meet the criteria for an involuntary mental health hold. He appeared timid and shy."

In his rambling online 'manifesto', Rodger describes his relief that his plans for murder had not been discovered.

The killer pictured in the BMW he used in his killing spree

"For a few horrible seconds I thought it was all over," writes the 22-year-old, who says his plans for a "Day of Retribution" began last summer when he claims he was attacked at a party.

In pictures posted on social networking websites, Rodger appeared to be a privileged young man who enjoyed the trappings of his Hollywood filmmaker father's success.

The 22-year-old pictured recently with his filmmaker father Peter

In reality, he was documenting his inner torment and making painstaking preparations for the killing spree that left six innocent people dead in knife and gun attacks.

Rodger described taking down his YouTube videos to head off suspicions over his mental health.

Police told reporters the killer said he was having social problems and would not be returning to school for the next year.

Rodger (L) attended the 2012 Hunger Games premiere with his father (R)

"The deputies discussed options available to him in terms of support offered", said Sheriff Brown, who added such call-outs were a routine part of the job.

The Rodgers' family lawyer, Alan Shifman, said Elliot had been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome - a form of autism - at a young age.

"He was probably a victim, from my understanding, of bullying throughout his life," said Mr Shifman. "I am sure that played a role in the terrible consequences of last night.

The student, circled in a fifth grade photo, was bullied, his family said

"He had multiple therapists - a social worker who as recently as last week was concerned."

The killer's online post - which runs to more than 140 pages - reveals the extent of his mental illness. Police have described it as a "combination of an autobiography and diary".

He repeatedly describes his hatred of women and his frustration at being ignored and remaining a virgin while girls around him choose "obnoxious" men, or men he considers racially inferior.

The killer posted a picture of himself on a visit to London in 2011

"Women are sexually attracted to the wrong type of man," he writes.

"Obnoxious, tough jock-type men. They should be going for intelligent gentlemen such as myself ... This is a major flaw in the foundation of humanity."

The final section of his post is entitled: 'Part 6: Santa Barbara: Endgame Age 19-22'.

Rodger attended a 'private' Katy Perry concert in March 2012

He sets out his plans to "silently kill as many people as I can by luring them into my apartment through some sort of trickery".

Rodger also talks of beheading and torturing his victims, as well as killing all the members of the Alpha Phi sorority.

"I will punish all females for the crime of depriving me of sex," he writes.

The young man appeared to enjoy the trappings of his father's success

Police revealed he tried unsuccessfully to enter the sorority and that the women inside heard "loud, aggressive knocking" for several minutes but did not open the door.

With his plan seemingly frustrated, Rodger shot three young female students, killing two - Katherine Cooper, 22, and Veronica Weiss, 19.

He then went on a shooting spree through Santa Barbara, killing one more victim, Christopher Michael-Martinez. Seven people also remain in hospital, two with serious injuries.

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