Trader Robin Clark Shot By Hitman In Essex

A City trader has been seriously injured after being shot by a hitman at an Essex railway station.

Police believe Robin Clark, 44, was "deliberately targeted" as he got out of his car in the car park at Shenfield station at 5.50am on Friday.

The gunman, who was wearing a balaclava, fled the scene in a vehicle parked nearby.

Robin Clark suffered serious injuries. Pic: Robin Clark/Twitter

Mr Clark, who lives in Essex, works for City brokerage firm RP Martin.

He was shot in the leg and is being treated at Basildon Hospital for his injuries, which are not life-threatening.

A British Transport Police spokesman said: "As he got out of the car he was approached by an unknown man and received a single gunshot to the leg."

Detective Superintendent Gary Richardson said: "At this stage we believe the victim of this assault was deliberately targeted.

"We do not believe this incident was gang-related and I would like to reassure the public that there is no reason for any undue concern.

"Inquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances, including the motive behind the attack."

A spokesman for RP Martin said: "We are aware of this morning's incident and are giving Robin all the support we can.

"It would not be appropriate to comment any further at this stage."

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Syria Peace Talks Get Under Way in Geneva

The two sides in Syria's bloody civil war have met for the first time at peace talks in Geneva.

The negotiations in have been dogged by delays with both factions blaming each other for a lack of progress.

Syria's Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad has told Sky News he will propose the best way for the country to move forward is to hold fresh elections.

Both sides, sat at a U-shaped table, communicated through the international mediator Lakhdar Brahimi, rather than speaking directly to each other.

The talks are being overseen by the special envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi

The talks are seen by many diplomats as the best hope for an eventual end to Syria's three-year conflict, which has left at least 130,000 people dead.

Sky's Sam Kiley said: "It's going to be a long, slow process."

Further talks are planned with humanitarian and 'transition' issues to be discussed.

Opposition spokesman Monzer Akbik said the regime had had to listen to them and the 'voice' of the Syrian people.

"The Syrian people want transition from dictatorship to democracy," he said.

He also revealed there had been no handshake.

Both sides shelved the major stumbling block regarding the future of President Bashar al Assad, to allow the talks to proceed.

They had looked to be in doubt on Friday after the Syrian government delegation threatened to leave the convention if "serious" discussions did not start within 24 hours.

The ultimatum followed the refusal by the country's opposition to hold face-to-face talks with the Assad regime, after it refused to concede to the formation of a transitional government.

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Labour Would Restore 50p Top Rate Tax

Labour would restore the 50p top rate of tax if it gets into power at the next general election, the shadow chancellor has confirmed.

Ed Balls made the announcement in a pitch to run Britain's economy, during which he promised to balance the nation's books and cut national debt.

In his speech to the Fabian Society's annual conference in central London, he described Labour as the "party of radical economic change" and said it was "speaking up ... for working people" facing a "cost of living crisis".

He said the country is "crying out for real and lasting change" and claimed the Prime Minister and the Chancellor are "out of touch" with voters.

Mr Balls said: "When the deficit is still high, when tough times are now set to last well into the next parliament, when for ordinary families their real incomes are falling and taxes have risen, it cannot be right for David Cameron and George Osborne to have chosen to give the richest people in the country a huge tax cut.

"That's why, for the next parliament, the next Labour government will reverse this government's top rate tax cut so we can finish the job of getting the deficit down and do it fairly.

"For the next parliament, we will restore the 50p top rate of tax for those earning over £150,000, reversing this unfair tax cut for the richest 1% of people in the country."

In his speech, Mr Balls said Labour would introduce a 10p starting rate of tax, which he claims would "help make work pay and cut taxes for 24 million people on middle and lower incomes".

He also announced Labour would create the British Investment Bank to support small businesses, commit to building 200,000 new homes a year by 2020 and expand free childcare for working parents to 25 hours a week.

"By supporting the long-term growth that will earn our way to higher living standards and help reduce the deficit, by rooting out waste in public spending, by making fairer choices on tax and benefit reform ... Labour can change Britain," he said.

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Philpott Fire Killings 'Could Not Be Predicted'

By Adele Robinson, Midlands Correspondent

The six Philpott children killed in a house fire started by their parents were victims of "a criminal act no one could have predicted", according to a Serious Case Review.

The Derby Safeguarding Children Board concluded that their deaths could not have been prevented.

Mick and Mairead Philpott and their friend Paul Mosley were convicted of manslaughter and jailed last year.

Jade Philpott and her brothers John, Jack, Jesse, Jayden and Duwayne died after their home was set alight in May 2012.

A statement from the board said their "tragic" deaths could not have been foreseen.

"Given the notoriety of the father, the incidents of domestic abuse and visibility of the children, there were some opportunities to get to know the family better, although this would not have led to professionals becoming aware that there were plans to deliberately set fire to the house when the children were sleeping."

Mick and Mairead Philpott were jailed last year

Mick Philpott lived for some time with his wife and former mistress, along with their 11 children.

The review found that the living arrangements at Victory Road were "unorthodox" but stated: "Although professionals recognised the arrangements as unusual they did not appear to affect the children and there was no evidence of difficulties between the adults."

The report considered a number of issues relating to the children including adult relationships, overcrowding at the house, Mick Philpott's previous convictions, domestic abuse, and media coverage.

"There were not concerns about the care of the children," report author Glenys Johnston told Sky News.

"In fact the children presented as happy, healthy, who formed good relationships with others around them.

"They were not malnourished, there were no concerns about the welfare of the children."

The Derby house has been demolished

In 2005 and 2006, Sure Start staff "commented positively on the family atmosphere and the father's engagement with his children".

In 2011, after one child told school staff she had been slapped at home, investigations found the "family continued to appear well adjusted and happy".

The report highlighted areas for improvement, however, including the sharing of information of past convictions going back decades.

Several agencies did not know of Mick Philpott's violent past, a conviction for attempted murder on an ex-girlfriend in 1978.

Workload pressures also meant more thorough checks on the children's files did not happen.

There were also opportunities to get to know the family better due to Mick Philpott's notoriety and various incidents of domestic abuse.

Paul Mosley also received a 17-year sentence for the deaths

The report stated: "Information that has emerged after the deaths of the children have described some tensions between the father and the women who lived in the house due to his controlling manner, but this was not apparent at the time.

"The relationship between the two mothers was always viewed as supportive and caring with neither of them having any difficulty with the partnership arrangements or any jealousy."

Derbyshire Fire and Rescue advice forms part of the review's 10 recommendations, for example continuing to encourage the installation of sprinklers into new houses.

As a result of the Philpott children's deaths research was carried out by the service into why they did not hear the smoke alarms.

Area manager Gavin Tomlinson, said: "Obviously children are developing their hearing at a younger age and they may not be woken by the smoke alarm.

"That said, the smoke alarm is there to alert all occupants and obviously there will be responsible people in the house - adults with children."

Mick Philpott was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 15 years after being described as a "disturbingly dangerous" man.

His wife, who is likely to be released after serving half of her 17-year term, took part as part of a plan to frame his former mistress who had left the family.

Their friend Paul Mosley was also jailed for 17 years.

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Justin Bieber: Beliebers Camp Outside Hotel

Hundreds of fans of the pop star Justin Bieber have set up camp outside a Miami hotel where the singer has stayed since his release from jail.

So-called Beliebers showed their devotion to the troubled teenage singer was undimmed after he was bailed on charges including driving under the influence of drink or drugs and resisting arrest.

Bieber, who could face up to six months in prison if found guilty, told officers he had been drinking, smoking marijuana and taking anti-depressants, according to police.

Justin Bieber pictured after he was arrested. Pic: Miami Beach Police

But one adoring fan outside Bieber's hotel told Sky News: "It makes me want to support him even more, and defend him even more.

"I am worried about how he's going to be after this because everybody's pressuring him."

However, many have taken to Twitter to question those supporting the star, pointing to the victims of drink-driving.

Bieber's booking form after his arrest

Canadian-born Bieber was stopped by Miami police after apparently drag racing. He was clocked in a rented yellow Lamborghini doing around 60mph in a 30mph zone.

It has been reported that the singer's father was with him at the time.

The 19-year-old was arrested and taken to jail from where he made his first court appearance via videolink.

He was also charged with driving with an expired licence and bail was set by a judge at $2,500 (£1,500).

The singer waves to fans after he was released from jail

After he was released from jail, Bieber, wearing a hooded black top, sat on top of a waiting SUV for a few seconds and waved to his fans.

Bieber failed a sobriety test during his arrest, according to authorities, and he swore at officers when he was stopped, according to a copy of the arrest report.

An officer claimed the Canadian singer had "bloodshot eyes" and added he could smell alcohol on his breath.

Police said two SUVs had blocked the road in a residential area of Miami Beach so the 19-year-old star could race a friend, identified as R&B singer Khalil Sharieff, who was driving a rented Ferrari.

The van transporting Bieber to jail

Miami Dade state attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle told Sky News: "We take cases like this very seriously. It could have been the recipe for a tragedy."

Bieber told police he was returning from a studio recording session and repeatedly asked why he had been stopped and arrested.

"Why did you stop me?" he asked, according to the report. "Why do you have to search me?"

Bieber posted this graffiti photo on Instagram just hours before his arrest

Speaking at a news conference, Miami Beach Chief of Police Raymond Martinez said the singer had resisted arrest although he had done so "without violence".

Mr Martinez said the 19-year-old Canadian had been "belligerent" and had used some "choice words" when he was arrested.

He said Bieber had been very cooperative once he got to the station.

The star, who reportedly earned $58m (£35m) last year, arrived at Miami-Dade County Jail where he had his mugshots and fingerprints taken.

Khalil Sharieff was also charged with driving under the influence

The van with blacked-out windows transporting the singer was trailed by squad cars.

Miami-Dade Police spokesman Sergeant Bobby Hernandez told WSVN in South Florida that officers saw two cars racing at 4.09am.

Mr Hernandez said two vehicles apparently had been used to block off an area on Pine Tree Drive and 26th Street for the race.

He said the second car was a red Ferrari, and that the driver, Khalil, was also arrested. Khalil was later charged with driving under the influence, and his bail was set at $1,000 (£600). Both cars were towed away.

Bieber promoting his film Believe in December

Bieber was pictured in the car with a woman, named in some reports as model Chantel Jeffries, in the driving seat before his arrest.

The teenager has been in Florida for the past few days and has been spotted in nightclubs and at a skate park.

He posted photos on Instagram of him performing tricks on his skateboard and spraying his initials onto a wall at the park.

He is also alleged to have spent thousands of dollars at a strip club called the King of Diamonds.

A first conviction could bring a fine of between $250 (£150) and $1,000 (£600), depending on the level of alcohol, as well as community service and possibly a jail sentence.

Bieber's arrest comes just a week after the singer's California home was raided by police over claims that he pelted his neighbour's house with eggs, causing thousands of dollars of damage.

In that case, authorities arrested one member of Bieber's entourage, rapper Lil Za, on suspicion of drug possession.

Last year in the UK, the singer disappointed thousands of fans by showing up to gigs late, which meant many of his young followers had to leave his performances only moments after he started performing to catch trains home.

He was also involved in a scuffle outside his hotel in London during his visit.

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Take-Home Pay 'Rising Faster Than Prices'

By Darren McCaffrey, Sky Political Reporter

Nine out of 10 British workers have seen their take-home pay increase in the past year, according to Treasury figures.

In a counter attack on Labour's so-called cost of living crisis, the Tories argued there was "stark" evidence that the economic recovery is for all.

Conservative ministers said nearly everyone except the richest 10% saw their take-home pay rise by at least 2.5% once tax cuts were taken into account.

This is above the Consumer Price Index inflation rate which stood at 2.4% in the year ending April 2013.

It is claimed conditions have improved most for the bottom 50% of earners with take-home pay rising three quarters faster than CPI inflation.

Though the figures take into account cuts to income tax and national insurance, they do not include cuts to benefits to people in work.

The Treasury says all but the top 10% of earners saw a rise last year

Labour accused the Conservatives of being "highly selective" with their statistics and failing to "understand the cost-of-living-crisis".

Minister of State for Skills and Enterprise Matthew Hancock MP said: ‪"Of course as a consequence of the Great Recession people who work hard have been made poorer and times are tough for families as a result.

‪"That's why, as part of our long-term economic plan, we are cutting taxes for hardworking people so they have more money in their pockets and are more financially secure.

"Last year, our tax cuts meant people's take home pay rose faster than prices. So while there is still a long way to go, these figures show our plan is working.

"Only by continuing to work through our long-term plan will we secure a better future for Britain."

Labour though argued that for most - real wages have fallen.

Shadow Treasury Minister Cathy Jamieson said: "The truth is that under David Cameron real wages have fallen by over £1,600 a year and analysis of IFS figures show families are on average £891 worse off as a result of tax and benefit changes since 2010.

Overall, wages rose by a third more than the rate of CPI inflation

"At the same time this government has given a huge tax cut to people earning over £150,000."

Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies think tank, said the Government's figures did not take account of benefit reductions and so did not reflect what has happened to household incomes overall.

Mr Johnson said it appeared that pay was now rising faster than inflation for most workers, but predicted that - after inflation is taken into account - incomes will remain "well below" their pre-recession levels by the time of the 2015 general election.

"There are two problems with this which one needs to take into account," he said.

"First, we have other sets of data - the Office for National Statistics publishes an average weekly earnings index. That went up quite a lot less quickly than inflation in the most recent months.

"And of course they are not taking account of reductions in things like benefits which were occurring over the time.

"So if you are looking at household incomes, that will be different from what's happened to take-home pay," he told BBC Radio.

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Lib Dems Dismissed Hancock Sex Claims In 2012

The Liberal Democrats dismissed sex claims against MP Mike Hancock in 2012, a letter obtained by Sky News reveals.

The allegations against the politician by a woman constituent had been raised with Liberal Democrat central office and separately in a letter to Nick Clegg in 2011.

However, a letter, dated February 2012, said that the claims of sexual impropriety against Mr Hancock, who also sits as a Lib Dem councillor at Portsmouth City Council, had been considered but that they did not merit an investigation by the party.

In response to the 2011 letter written by the lawyer of the woman at the centre of allegations, the Liberal Democrats' official reply said: "Taking into account the contents of that correspondence, and applying the Party Constitution and membership rules, the committee decided that it would not commence any investigation or take any other action in respect of the matter that you have raised.

"In reaching this decision, the committee also took into account the nature of the police investigation and the stance of the Office of the Parliamentary Commission for Standards (OPCS).

"As a result, that has to be an end to the matter."

The letter says: 'That has to be an end to the matter'.

It has also emerged that former Lib Dem Chief Whip Alistair Carmichael spoke at length to the alleged victim and to Mr Hancock.

Mr Hancock, 67, was suspended by the Liberal Democrat party on Wednesday after a report into the matter was leaked on the internet.

The report - carried out by a barrister on behalf of Portsmouth City Council - described "compelling" evidence of "serious and unwelcome sexual behaviour" towards the woman constituent.

The development intensified the sex claims scandal which has engulfed the party, and led to significant criticism of Nick Clegg's leadership.

It follows the fallout from the case of the former party chief executive Lord Rennard, who was accused of sexually harassing women party activists.

The party is already in turmoil over the Lord Rennard sex claims scandal

The report into Mr Hancock's behaviour by Nigel Pascoe QC concluded that the barrister had no doubt that the complainant had provided "compelling prima facie evidence of serious and unwelcome sexual behaviour" carried out towards her by Mr Hancock.

Mr Pascoe described the woman as "a straightforward and vulnerable person, angry and hurt by what she said had happened to her".

He also acknowledged that Mr Hancock, who was exposed in 2011 for having an affair with a Russian aide 40 years his junior, was not motivated "solely by sexual desire" and that he had sought to help her "wholly properly" as a local councillor.

The Liberal Democrats said it was the first time the party had seen the report, which was released last year, and that given its conclusions they had decided to suspend Mr Hancock.

However, it is clear from the February 2012 letter obtained by Sky News that the party was made aware of the severity of the allegations against Mr Hancock.

Mr Hancock had an affair with Katia Zatulliveter, who was accused of spying

In a letter to Liberal Democrat Central Office in October 2011 from the woman's lawyer, Harriet Wistrich, she points out that her client had written to Mr Clegg to raise her concerns but that she had not received a response.

Mr Hancock has been accused of sexually assaulting the woman after she contacted him in 2009 for help dealing with a difficult neighbour.

Police decided that no action should be taken against Mr Hancock but the woman is taking her case to the High Court in a civil claim on Friday.

Mr Hancock has always denied the claims and resigned the Liberal Democrat whip last year to fight the case. However, he remained a councillor in Portsmouth.

The council opposed calls from Conservative and Lib Dem councillors to publish the report at a council meeting this week, claiming it would be inappropriate ahead of a civil court case brought by Mr Hancock's accuser.

It has postponed taking any disciplinary action against Mr Hancock until the civil case has been heard.

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Ukraine Protesters 'Ready For Bullet To The Head'

Police and protesters in the Ukrainian capital Kiev were locked in a tense standoff early on Thursday, as the US threatened to impose sanctions over street battles which have claimed three lives.

Opposition leaders called for "calm" and an eight-hour truce ahead of fresh talks with President Viktor Yanukovych, which witnesses said appeared to be holding.

Police and protesters clashed again overnight, turning an area at the heart of the city into a virtual war zone with demonstrators setting fire to barricades, hurling stones and Molotov cocktails and police using tear gas, stun grenades and rubber bullets.

Sky's Katie Stallard, in Kiev, said: "Protesters also burned tyres, mattresses, whatever they could find to keep going, and reinforcing barricades too.

Fires continue to rage in central Kiev

"They have made homemade shields out of planks of wood and are rehearsing their tactical formations - how they plan to stand together and how they plan to protect themselves."

Earlier, opposition leaders had told them to go on the offensive on Thursday. They said Wednesday's peace talks had proved useless.

Vitali Klitschko said if this involved going onto the streets under bullets - that is what he and they were prepared to do.

They have on Mr Yanukovych to announce early elections within 24 hours or face more violence on the streets.

And have demanded he dismiss the government and scrap harsh anti-protest legislation.

Demonstrators have made their own shields out of wood to defend themselves

The leader of the opposition Fatherland party Arseniy Yatsenyuk said he was ready to die for the cause.

"If he does not go down that path then we will go forwards together and if it means a bullet to the head, then it is a bullet to the head. Viktor Yanukovych you have 24 hours. Take a decision. I have taken my decision," he said to cheers, speaking to around 40,000 people in Kiev's Independence Square.

Mr Klitschko added: "Early elections will change the situation without bloodshed and we will do everything to achieve that."

Medical staff in Kiev told Sky News that three people have been killed during the clashes.

Two protesters died after being shot, while another died from injuries sustained in a fall. One of the dead protesters was named locally as Serhiy Nihoyna.

Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said the police did not have live ammunition and that opposition leaders should be held responsible for the deaths.

Opposition leaders have told protesters to go on the offensive on Thursday

Police have thrown stun grenades and broken through protesters' barricades, made from burnt-out buses.

Protesters have also lobbed petrol bombs at police during ferocious clashes in the city's snow-covered streets.

During confrontations on Wednesday, riot police beat and shot at protesters, volunteer medics and journalists. The Interior Ministry said 70 protesters have been arrested.

The US State Department has threatened to impose sanctions against the Ukraine in response to the continued use of violence against protesters.

Spokeswoman Marie Harf said the US would continue to call upon Mr Yanukovych "to protect the democratic rights of all Ukrainians, including the rights of peaceful protest".

Image said to show one of the dead, Serhiy Nihoyna (Pic: Serhiy Proskurnia)

"I don't have more details on what those sanctions might look like, but we will continue to consider additional steps, as I said, including sanctions, in response to the use of violence," she said.

The rioting intensified when some 200,000 took to the streets at the weekend in a show of anger over the new anti-protest laws rushed through by Mr Yanukovych.

The laws allow for jail terms of up to five years for those who blockade public buildings. They also ban protesters from wearing masks or helmets.

Meanwhile, Russia said it would not intervene, according to President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

"We consider we do not have the right to intervene in any way in the internal affairs of our brother Ukraine. That's unacceptable and Russia has not done this and will not do it," he said in an interview published on the website of Komsomolskaya Pravda.

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Murder Case Misconduct Detective To Keep Job

A detective disciplined for not following arrest guidelines in the Becky Godden-Edwards murder case will keep his job, police say.

Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher had previously been found to have breached murderer Christopher Halliwell's rights by failing to caution him and denying him a solicitor in an attempt to force information out of him.

Although 49-year-old taxi driver Halliwell was jailed for life for killing Sian O'Callaghan, the charge that he murdered Rebecca Godden-Edwards was dismissed due to Det Fulcher's mistake.

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Unemployment Rate Falls To 7.1% In Job Surge

The UK unemployment rate fell to 7.1% during the three months to the end of November, prompting concerns of a rise in mortgage rates.

It was the biggest ever quarterly increase in employment. A total of 280,000 jobs were created in the period.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the number of those jobless fell by 167,000 between September and November, to 2.32 million.

The ONS said a total of 30.15 million people are now in work. The number of people claiming jobseeker's allowance last month fell by 24,000 to 1.25 million, the ONS said.

It said average earnings increased by 0.9% in the year to November - excluding bonuses. The pay figure was unchanged on the previous month.

The drop in the unemployment rate has potential implications for both savers and borrowers.

The Bank of England's monetary policy committee said it would consider a base rate rise, from the current record low of 0.5%, when the unemployment rate reached 7%.

The 0.5% is the lowest sustained base rate since 1964.

Forecasters had not expected the threshold to be reached until later in the year.

The 7% jobless rate will not trigger an automatic rate rise, according to the bank.

The latest unemployment rate of 7.1% is down by 0.5% from June-August, and by 0.6% from a year earlier.

But youth unemployment reached its highest rate since 1993.

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