Norfolk Crash Crew 'Paid Ultimate Sacrifice'

Four American service personnel who were killed in a helicopter crash in north Norfolk paid "the ultimate sacrifice", their commanding officer has said.

Captains Christopher Stover and Sean Ruane, Technical Sergeant Dale Mathews and Staff Sergeant Afton Ponce died when their Pave Hawk helicopter came down on a marsh near Cley next the Sea on Tuesday night.

Colonel Kyle Robinson, commander of 48th Fighter Wing, in which the helicopter flew, said: "I am deeply saddened by the loss of these airmen.

"They've made the ultimate sacrifice while training to save the lives of others."

Speaking directly to the families of the dead crew, he told a news conference on Thursday: "As a husband and father myself, I can't imagine how heartbroken you must be. We are thinking of you."

Tech Sgt Dale Mathews and Capt Sean Ruane

RAF Lakenheath, where the US Air Force's 48th Fighter Wing is based, said Capt Stover and Capt Ruane were the pilots during the routine training flight.

Tech Sgt Mathews and SSgt Ponce were acting as special mission aviators.

Col Robinson said he was "humbled" by the "outpouring in words" from the British public, who had expressed their condolences.

He said it was too early to determine what had caused the crash.

48th Fighter Wing commander Colonel Kyle Robinson

Air accident, RAF and US investigators have been at the scene of the tragedy, where debris was strewn across an area the size of a football pitch.

The investigation has been hampered by the live ammunition the helicopter had been carrying, with bullets scattered around the scene. A 400m police cordon is expected to remain in place until Monday.

Norfolk Police said on Thursday morning that the attempt to recover the bodies was under way.

It was expected to take much of the day with the bodies being removed one by one. The removal of the wreckage may go on into next week, a spokesman added.

Norfolk Police Chief Superintendent Bob Scully said: "Police and other agencies remain on scene today as the investigation continues and will ensure the recovery of the bodies is dignified and respectful.

"The scene is on difficult ground and the longer-term investigation and recovery work will take many more weeks."

The Pave Hawk - a derivative of the US Army's more famous Black Hawk - gets its name from the PAVE acronym, which stands for Precision Avionics Vectoring Equipment.

The helicopter is used for combat search and rescue, mainly to recover downed aircrew or other isolated personnel.

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Duggan: Met Transparency 'Could Be Better'

One of the Metropolitan Police's most senior officers has told Sky News the force could have shown "better transparency" in its response to the shooting of Mark Duggan.

Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley was responding to allegations that officers may have colluded when they put together their notes of the incident.

He told Sky's Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt: "We've already made some changes and I think there's more we can do.

"Every officer has to give their own account of what they recollect, so while they're witnesses, they're sitting down, they're making statements and they put hundreds of pages of evidence into the IPCC - it has to be their own accounts.

"Clearly, the way that was done, there's ways we could have better transparency, more clear supervision and we've put some changes in place."

Mr Duggan, whose death sparked protests that led to riots and looting across the country, was shot and killed when police stopped the taxi in which he was travelling in Tottenham, north London, in August 2011.

Following a four-month inquest, on Wednesday the jury found that although the 29-year-old had a gun in the cab, he probably threw it onto a nearby grass verge as soon as the car came to a stop.

An aerial shot shows the taxi in which Mr Duggan was travelling

Assistant Commissioner Rowley, who was heckled outside the Royal Courts of Justice by Mark Duggan supporters, said he had not had any response to an offer to meet Mr Duggan's family.

He told Sky: "They're angry at the verdicts, I can understand they might not want to meet me. I'd rather express our sympathy and have a conversation in private."

Firearms officers will trial the use of body-worn video cameras to improve public confidence in the wake of the Mr Duggan's killing, it has emerged.

Senior officers want to use the camera technology from April, to avoid the dispute and uncertainty which has dogged the Duggan investigation.

Assistant Commissioner Rowley said earlier: "There are great benefits to having these incidents on video. Look at the Lee Rigby case - everyone knows what happened.

"We don't need all these different opinions and conjecture - it's much easier to get to the facts."

The cameras are already used by some US police forces.

Assistant commissioner Mark Rowley was heckled as he spoke outside court

During his weekly LBC phone-in, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said there were "questions that need to be asked" about the handling of complaints about the police.

He said: "I was struck when I went there (Tottenham) that locals said about how when the IPCC gets involved the details aren't allowed to be publicised at the time when people need to talk to each other." 

Wednesday's verdict sparked angry scenes outside the Royal Courts of Justice, which Mr Duggan's family called "perverse", claiming he had been "executed" by the police.

Mr Duggan's aunt Carole Duggan said: "The majority of the people in this country know that Mark was executed. We are going to fight until we have no breath left in our body for Mark and his children."

Their solicitor Marcia Willis-Stewart said: "On August 4, 2011 an unarmed man was shot down in Tottenham. Today we have had what we can only call a perverse judgement.

"The jury found that he had no gun in his hand and yet he was gunned down. For us that's an unlawful killing."

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe said the shooting had led to a "significant reduction in trust" between the capital's black communities and the police.

He said: "I know that we have much work to do with black Londoners to build trust and confidence in the Metropolitan Police.

"My officers do not set out to run an operation that results in someone dying. They are brave people who risk their own lives to keep the public safe."

The Independent Police Complaints Commission said it was looking at new evidence that had emerged from the inquest, and the Duggan family are now considering whether to try to get the inquest conclusion judicially reviewed.

Mr Duggan was being followed by officers who believed he planned to pick up a gun from another man, Kevin Hutchinson-Foster, and then move on to Broadwater Farm, also in Tottenham.

Hutchinson-Foster has since been found guilty of supplying a gun to Mr Duggan.

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Tulisa Cocaine Charge Trial Date Set

Singer Tulisa Contostavlos has made her first appearance at crown court where she was told she will stand trial on July 14 accused of brokering a cocaine deal.

The N-Dubz star, 25, is charged with helping an undercover reporter obtain 13.9 grams of the Class A drug for £860.

She appeared at Southwark Crown Court alongside rapper Mike GLC, also known as Michael Coombs, 35, for a 10-minute preliminary hearing.

Former X Factor judge Contostavlos, of Friern Barnet, north London, denies being "concerned with the supply of 13.9 grams of cocaine" to the Sun on Sunday's undercover reporter Mazher Mahmood, known as the 'fake sheikh', between May 20 and May 24.

Coombs denies a charge of supplying the drug on May 23.

The pair spoke only to confirm their names and say that they understood the current timetable.

There will also be a case management hearing on March 27.

Contostavlos was initially arrested in connection with the incident with Coombs on June 4.

She was officially dropped as a judge on X Factor days before her arrest, with Sharon Osbourne returning to the show in her place.

The pair are on unconditional bail.

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Mark Duggan Inquest: Police Chief Heckled

Furious Mark Duggan supporters drowned out police chief Mark Rowley as he read a statement which defended the armed officer who killed the 29-year-old.

Security staff protected the Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner as protesters chanted insults including "racists", "scum" and "murderers".

Mr Duggan was shot dead by armed police in Tottenham in summer 2011, sparking rioting in London that eventually spread to other cities.

The angry scenes came after an inquest jury found Mr Duggan was unarmed when he was shot dead but was still killed using lawful force.

The jury said they believed he had a gun in the taxi immediately before police stopped the vehicle in August 2011, but that he threw the weapon over railings as soon as he left the cab - and before an armed officer fired the fatal shot.

A photo of Mr Duggan's clothing was shown at the inquest

Assistant Commissioner Rowley later issued a statement defending the "split-second decisions" made by officers and expressing sympathy with Mr Duggan's family.

He said: "Mark Duggan had a gun ... our officer had an honest and reasonable belief that Mark Duggan still had the gun when he shot him."

He also offered to meet the family in person.

Screams and shouts of "rubbish" and "he was murdered" were heard inside London's Royal Courts of Justice when the verdict was delivered on Wednesday afternoon.

Some supporters of Mr Duggan stormed out of the courtroom, others had to be restrained, and a door was reportedly smashed in.

Carole Duggan, Mr Duggan's aunt, told reporters outside court: "He was executed and we still believe that.

Carole Duggan: 'We are going to fight until we have no breath in our body'

"We are going to fight until we have no breath in our body for justice for Mark, for his children, for all the deaths in custody."

The family's lawyer, Marcia Willis Stewart, said they were "in a state of shock" and called the outcome a "perverse judgement".

Police intelligence in 2011 had suggested Mr Duggan was a gang member involved in gun and drugs crimes.

On the day he was killed, officers believed he had just collected a gun from east London.

However, the jury of seven women and three men also decided that police had not done enough to collect and react to intelligence about those claims.

A firearms officer shot Mr Duggan twice when he emerged from a minicab that police had 'hard stopped' in Tottenham, north London, on August 4, 2011.

One bullet went through his arm, the other hit his chest and killed him.

The handgun was a major point of contention in the inquest

At the centre of the inquest was the issue of a handgun, found, said police, 10 to 20 feet from Mr Duggan's body and on the other side of park railings.

In heated exchanges with the Duggan family lawyer, police denied suggestions they had planted the gun.

The weapon was wrapped in a sock.

Neither had any trace of Mr Duggan's DNA or fingerprints, but his prints were found on a shoebox police said had been used to carry the gun inside the minicab.

One witness, Witness B, told jurors Mr Duggan was "definitely" holding a phone in his hand when he was killed.

But the police marksman who fired the shots, granted anonymity, told the inquest he had "an honestly held belief" that the suspect had a gun and was about to shoot him.

Mr Duggan's death prompted rioting in Tottenham, which eventually spread to other areas of the capital and beyond.

The inquest was shown a dummy pinpointing where the shots hit Mr Duggan

The Independent Police Complaints Commission is still investigating the incident.

In an interim statement in August, it said it had so far found no evidence of criminality by police officers.

But Mr Duggan's family has said it has not been kept fully informed of the investigation's progress and condemned the IPCC for suggesting early on that Mr Duggan, a father of six, had died in "a shoot-out with police".

Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley's statement expressed condolences to the family but also defended the tactics of armed police.

He said: "No officer sets out at the start of the day to run an operation that results in someone dying. So our sympathy today is with Mark Duggan's family. They have lost a loved one.

"But the task our officers face in making split-second decisions when confronting armed criminals means there is a risk - a very small risk - that this will happen.

"Armed criminals have shot dead more than 50 people in London in the last three and a half years.

"We send out well-trained, professional armed officers thousands of times a year to combat this threat, only firing shots once or twice. These careful tactics have significantly reduced gun crime."

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Duggan Verdict: Mark Was Executed, Say Family

The family of Mark Duggan have vowed to fight for justice in his name, saying the 29-year-old was "executed" by police on the streets of Tottenham.

The comments come after an inquest jury found Mr Duggan was lawfully killed when he was shot in August 2011, despite not holding a gun at the time.

Speaking outside London's Royal Courts of Justice, Mr Duggan's aunt Carole Duggan said: "The majority of people in this country know that Mark was executed. He was executed and we still believe that.

"We're going to fight until we have no breath in our body: for justice, for Mark, for his children, for all of those deaths in custody. We are not giving up. No justice, no peace."

The jury concluded that Mr Duggan was lawfully killed. They said they believed he had a gun with him in the taxi immediately before police stopped the vehicle in August 2011, but that he threw it over railings as soon as he left the cab.

When he was shot dead by police moments later he did not have a gun in his hand. 

The conclusion of the inquest led to angry scenes both inside and outside the court.

An aerial shot shows the taxi in which Mr Duggan was travelling

Supporters of the Duggan family shouted abuse at the jurors and reportedly smashed a court door.

Outside, shouts of "no justice, no peace" could be heard as angry supporters voiced their outrage at the finding.

The family's solicitor Marcia Willis Stewart described the conclusion as "a perverse judgment".

"The jury found that he had no gun in his hand and yet he was gunned down. For us that's an unlawful killing.

"The family are in a state of shock and we would ask that you respect their shock. They can't believe that this has been the outcome. No gun in his hand and yet he was killed."

There were further angry scenes as Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley gave a statement to the media gathered outside the court. 

His statement was drowned out amid the shouts of Mr Duggan's supporters, who called out "Who killed Mark Duggan? The police killed Mark Duggan."

In the statement issued through Scotland Yard later, Mr Rowley said: "No officer sets out at the start of the day to run an operation that results in someone dying.

"So our sympathy today is with Mark Duggan's family. They have lost a loved one.

"But the task our officers face in making split-second decisions when confronting armed criminals means there is a risk - a very small risk - that this will happen.

"Armed criminals have shot dead more than 50 people in London in the last three-and-a-half years. We send out well-trained, professional armed officers thousands of times a year to combat this threat, only firing shots once or twice.

"These careful tactics have significantly reduced gun crime."

Responding to the inquest's finding, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) Deputy Chair and Commissioner Rachel Cerfontyne said: ""Our investigation is open and ongoing.

"I have always said that we would consider any new evidence emerging from the inquest and we are now doing so."

Tottenham MP David Lammy, whose constituency was at the heart of the 2011 London riots, said "further clarification" was needed over Mr Duggan's death.

The Labour politician said questions had to be answered to allow the relationship between the community and police to heal. 

A photograph of the taxi's interior released as evidence at the inquest

"The jury found that a number of key errors were made by Operation Trident and Soca officers in the hours leading up to the shooting.

"There are fundamental and lingering issues that the Independent Police Complaints Commission investigation - now reopened - must attempt to clarify.

"These questions must be answered not just for the sake of the Duggan family but to diffuse the confusion, conjecture and suspicion that continue to surround the events of that August evening.

"The Duggan family's sorrow and anger was palpable in court this afternoon and it is a feeling that will inevitably be reflected in the wider community.

"Further clarification on the events surrounding Mark Duggan's shooting is essential to enable the relationship between the community and the police to move forward."

London Mayor Boris Johnson said the inquest had been a "difficult and tragic case for all involved".

"This has been a difficult and tragic case for all involved and my sympathy today is with Mark Duggan's family. They have lost a loved one and it's right that Assistant Commissioner Rowley has offered to meet with them," he said.

"On any given day highly trained Metropolitan Police firearms officers can and do face life threatening situations in which they have to make instant judgements under incredible pressure, and yet in the last four years, having responded thousands of times, they have discharged their weapons on just six occasions.

"Londoners should feel assured that the police do an incredible job keeping this city safe."

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Norfolk Helicopter Crash Victims Identified

Work is getting underway to recover the bodies of four crew killed in a US military helicopter crash, police have said.

Norfolk Police Chief Superintendent Bob Scully said the coroner had given clearance for the bodies to be removed after carrying out a daylight assessment of the area.

He said the operation could last until Thursday as investigators would have to take care not to disturb evidence that may form part of their probe.

The four US servicemen were identified by the US Airforce's 48th Fighter Wing, based at RAF Lakenheath.

A statement named those killed as Captain Christopher Stover, Captain Sean Ruane, Technical Sergeant Dale Mathews and Staff Sergeant Afton Ponce.

The helicopter was based at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk

It said that on this particular training mission Captain Stover and Captain Ruane were piloting the helicopter, while the other two crew members were special mission aviators qualified as both gunners and flight engineers.

Colonel Kyle Robinson, commander of the fighter wing, said: "We continue to think of the loved ones who are experiencing such a tragic, sudden loss.

"The Liberty Wing feels as though it has lost members of its family, and we stand by to support one another and these airmen's families during this difficult time."

Aerial images of Norfolk's Cley Marshes Nature Reserve show a scene of utter devastation, with debris from the crash spread across scarred marshland where the Pave Hawk helicopter came down.

Mr Scully said some roads around Cley next the Sea would remain closed until Monday while police work alongside British and American military specialists to establish what happened.

Police have cordoned off the scene of the crash

He said: "I'm asking the public to have sympathy with the families of the victims and understand the need for a thorough investigation."

Tributes to one of the servicemen have been paid online.

Captain Ruane is said to have been an experienced pilot. He is survived by his wife Rachel and their young son Liam.

His cousin Brian Meyer tweeted: "My cousin died in a helicopter crash tonight. Pretty tore up about this.

"Everyone: thanks for all the kindness. I'll pass it along to his wife and child when we see each other soon."

Mateo Spencer wrote: "Rest in Peace to my friend Sean Ruane, aircraft pilot downed in a crash in England today."

Earlier, Mr Scully warned that the crash site poses a risk to the public because of ammunition scattered across a wide area "the size of a football pitch".

He said: "The crashed aircraft did contain ammunition. This is not of any great significance - it is bullets, if you will - but it is scattered across the area.

"The site is a hazard to members of the public and people who would normally visit for birdwatching and other nature activities."

The Pave Hawk - based at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk - was taking part in a low-flying exercise when it came down at around 7pm on Tuesday.

The investigation will soon be passed over to the Air Accidents Investigation Branch and its counterparts in the US, Mr Scully said.

Emergency services worked at the scene throughout the night with the help of military personnel and volunteers.

A second helicopter from RAF Lakenheath was also in the area at the time of the crash and set down on the marshes to try to assist.

Mr Scully refused to speculate on whether the second helicopter had any involvement in the incident but said that, as it was nearby at the time, it made sense that it went to help.

Residents told of hearing a "heavy and very unusual" sound overhead as the helicopter - which specialises in recovering troops from war zones - plummeted into marshland at the Norfolk Wildlife Trust Cley Marshes Nature Reserve.

The Pave Hawk - a derivative of the more famous Black Hawk - gets its name from the PAVE acronym standing for Precision Avionics Vectoring Equipment.

The helicopter is used for combat search and rescue, mainly to recover downed aircrew or other isolated personnel.

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US Helicopter Crash Site 'A Hazard' To Public

A US military helicopter crash site poses a risk to the public because of ammunition scattered across the area, police have said.

Norfolk Police Chief Superintendent Bob Scully said debris from the crash - which killed four crew members - is spread across an area of difficult terrain "the size of a football pitch" in Cley Next the Sea.

He said a cordon will remain in place for most of the day while investigators carry out a full examination and work to preserve evidence.

He said: "The crashed aircraft did contain ammunition. This is not of any great significance - it is bullets, if you will - but it is scattered across the area.

"The site is a hazard to members of the public and people who would normally visit for birdwatching and other nature activities."

The helicopter was based at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk

The Pave Hawk helicopter - based at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk - was taking part in a low-flying exercise when it came down at around 7pm on Tuesday.

Mr Scully said the coroner is carrying out a daylight assessment of the area and will then arrange for the victims' bodies to be removed from the site.

The investigation will then be passed over to the Air Accidents Investigation Branch and its counterparts in the US, he said.

Emergency services worked at the scene throughout the night with the help of military personnel and volunteers.

A second helicopter from RAF Lakenheath was also in the area at the time of the crash and set down on the marshes to try to assist.

Police have cordoned off the scene of the crash

Mr Scully refused to speculate on whether the second helicopter had any involvement in the incident but said that, as it was nearby at the time, it made sense that it went to help.

Residents told of hearing a "heavy and very unusual" sound overhead as the helicopter - which specialises in recovering troops from war zones - plummeted into marshland at the Norfolk Wildlife Trust Cley Marshes Nature Reserve.

The Pave Hawk - a derivative of the more famous Black Hawk - gets its name from the PAVE acronym standing for Precision Avionics Vectoring Equipment.

The helicopter is used for combat search and rescue, mainly to recover downed aircrew or other isolated personnel.

It usually has a four-man crew and can carry up to 12 troops.

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Schumacher Accident Slopes 'Marked Correctly'

Prosecutors investigating Michael Schumacher's skiing accident have examined footage from a helmet he was wearing at the time.

Albertville prosecutor Patrick Quincy said film from the helmet camera was very clear and would be examined by a police expert in mountaineering.

Investigators also said they had established that signage on the slopes was in accordance with regulations, but the area where Schumacher fell was "virgin territory" so was not marked and could be dangerous.

Mr Quincy said the probe would take time to establish whether the area where he was skiing could be classed as an "official piste" in French law.

He said Schumacher was "obviously a very good skier" but had not been able to slow himself down in the rocky area of the slope where he fell.

Describing the sequence of events after the former F1 driver went off-piste, he said: "At one point his skis touch a rock, he loses balance and falls forward and his head hits a rock which is 3.5 metres below.

Investigators have visited the scene of the accident in Meribel

"The rock he hit is eight metres from the edge of the piste and Mr Schumacher on the ground, inanimate, is nine metres from the edge of the piste. That's the information we have with regard to the inquiry."

Early viewings of the helmet camera footage appear to confirm this sequence of events, he added.

The inquiry has not yet been able to confirm reports that Schumacher was going to the aid of a family member when he fell or the speed at which he was travelling, Mr Quincy said. 

Police chief Stephane Bozon said Schumacher's speed increased when he entered the steeper off-piste section and he had tried to slow down but had difficulty because of the nature of the slope.

Mr Quincy said investigators have also spoken to emergency services and doctors and visited the scene of the accident.

The Albertville prosecutor's office carries out around 50 investigations into serious skiing and climbing accidents every year, he added.

Prosecutors said Mr Schumacher's wife Corinna had been 'very cooperative'

Schumacher was skiing in the French resort Meribel when he fell and struck his head on a rock.

The fall left him in a critical condition and he has been in a medically induced coma since December 29.

On Monday, a source said he had made a "slight improvement" but remained in a stable but critical condition.

There was initially speculation that Schumacher was travelling up to 100kph (60mph) when he crashed, after it was revealed his helmet had split on impact.

But subsequent reports suggested he was travelling at a "leisurely pace" of up to 20kph (12mph).

A camera reportedly attached to Schumacher's helmet is being examined in the hope it will reveal more about the circumstances of his accident.

Schumacher, known affectionately as 'Schumi' by fans, is the most successful F1 driver in history, racking up a record 91 race wins.

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Fifa Moves 2022 Qatar World Cup To Winter

The football World Cup will not be played in Qatar during the summer in 2022, Fifa secretary general Jerome Valcke has said.

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Dennis Rodman: I Love My Friend Kim Jong-Un

By Mark Stone, Asia Correspondent in Beijing

US basketball star Dennis Rodman has told Sky News he "loves" the North Korean leader and claims that "when the time comes" he will discuss human rights with Kim Jong-Un.

Mr Rodman was speaking at Beijing airport as he departed for his latest trip to the secretive country.

He is travelling to Pyongyang with a group of 11 American basketball players for a match marking Mr Kim's birthday on Wednesday.

He said: "The only thing we are doing right now, as you can see right now, is all the NBA players here to play a game right now.

"And that's the one thing we're trying to do right now."

It is almost universally accepted that North Korea has the worst human rights record in the world.

As many as 200,000 political prisoners are locked up in labour camps around the country. Escapees have said that torture is routine.

Kim Jong-Un recently had his uncle (L) executed

Asked whether he would bring up the subject of labour camps, Mr Rodman said it was not his job.

Given that he is the only American with such unprecedented access to Mr Kim, Sky News put it to him that it was his responsibility to raise the issue.

"That's not my job," he said. "The only thing I am doing right now, I am only doing one thing: this game is for his birthday. It's for his birthday.

"And I hope that if this opens doors and we can actually talk about certain things, then we can do certain things, but I am not going to sit there and go in and say 'hey guy, you're doing the wrong thing'.

"That's not the right thing to do. He's my friend first. He's my friend. I don't give a ****. I tell the world: he's my ******* friend, I love him."

Under the North Korean regime's "three generations of punishment" system, individuals found guilty of a crime are sent to the labour camps with their entire family.

The subsequent two generations of that family are then born in the camp and live their lives locked up inside.

Mr Rodman was asked if he was aware of the 200,000 or so political prisoners in North Korea.

He replied: "Are you aware that lots of people in America is locked up like that too?"

Mr Rodman's unlikely friendship with Mr Kim dates back to February last year when he accompanied the US documentary maker Vice to North Korea with the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team.

The Paddy Power promotional image for the event

Sky News understands that Mr Rodman initially believed he was going to meet the South Korean pop star Psy.

He even tweeted that he might bump into the star behind the hit song Gangnam Style.

For reasons which are yet to become clear, Mr Rodman and Mr Kim became friends.

Sky News has seen unpublished photographs of Mr Rodman riding one of Mr Kim's horses last summer at the North Korean leader's ranch outside Pyongyang.

Mr Kim does not speak English and Mr Rodman does not speak Korean.

Their conversations are conducted through North Korean interpreters.

This latest trip was due to be sponsored by the Irish bookmaker Paddy Power.

However, on Christmas Eve, the bookmaker claimed it had pulled its participation.

"Given changed circumstances, Paddy Power has decided to withdraw its association with the Dennis Rodman basketball initiative in North Korea," the company said in a statement.

However, Sky News understands that the bookmaker is still providing private funding for the trip, which it catch-phrased "Hoops not Nukes".

North Korean analysts are split over whether engagement with North Korea by an unusual and eccentric American is an unpalatable publicity stunt or an opportunity for future dialogue.

Dr Daniel Pinkston, North East Asia deputy project director at International Crisis Group, was supportive of the relationship when the Paddy Power event was announced.

"The last few years have been difficult for North Korea watchers seeking new policy prescriptions for dealing with Pyongyang," Dr Pinkston said in a statement on Paddy Power's website in September.

"Thanks to the support of Paddy Power, Rodman's visit had opened a window of opportunity to bring change to North Korea."

In December, Shin Dong-Hyuk, the only person born in a North Korean prison camp known to have escaped to the West, wrote an open letter to Mr Rodman calling on him to engage with Mr Kim.

"I am writing to you, Mr Rodman, because, more than anything else, I want Kim Jong-Un to hear the cries of his people," he wrote.

"Maybe you could use your friendship and your time together to help him understand that he has the power to close the camps and rebuild the country's economy so everyone can afford to eat."

As Mr Rodman left Beijing airport on this latest trip, he left that possibility open.

"When the time comes when I do that I am going to sit down and talk to all the people around the world, when the time comes, I am going to tell you everything that happens.

"But right now I want these guys to go over there and put on a good show for his birthday.

"We will talk about political stuff and anything about refugee camps."

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