Brit Held Over Threats To Kill 200 US Students

Detectives are questioning a British man in connection with alleged threats to shoot dead 200 children at a US school.

Sky Tyne and Wear reported Northumbria Police arrested Reece Elliott, 24, from South Shields, on Friday on suspicion of making threats to kill.

An anonymous post made on Wednesday on a Facebook memorial page set up for a deceased student threatened a mass killing spree, saying: "I'm gonna kill hopefully at least 200 before I kill myself."

Elliott is being held at South Shields police station.

Homeland Security in the US has been informed, and the threats led schools in Warren County, Tennessee, to tighten security.

Some reports said as many as 3,000 students did not attend classes the next day.

The post said: "My father has three guns. I'm planning on killing him first and putting him in a dumpster. Then I'm taking the motor and I'm going in fast.

"I'm gonna kill hopefully at least 200 before I kill myself."

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation spokesperson Kristin Helm said its cyber crime agents are helping in the investigation and the source of the post had not been identified.

It is not yet known whether any potential prosecution will be brought in England or the US, or both.

Warren County Schools tightened security following the threats

A spokeswoman for Northumbria Police said: "At 2.12pm on Friday February 8, police received notification that a man had posted threatening information on Facebook.

"A 24-year-old man from South Shields has been arrested on suspicion of threats to kill and is currently in custody.

"The message is believed to have been posted on Wednesday. There is nothing to suggest it posed any physical threat to any school either here or in America."

Bobby Cox, director of Warren County Schools in Tennessee, said: "As most of you are aware we received notice of violent threats directed at Warren County High School late Wednesday evening, February 6.

"We put an action plan together with the local authorities to ensure the safety of our schools and our campuses across the system.

"We wanted to make sure that we had all the facts before we sent a mass message out via our calling system to you.

"Currently the Sheriff's Department is working with the TBI and Homeland Security to trace down the person who posted this message.

"We have increased the presence of Police and Sheriff's Deputies in our schools today and tomorrow and all schools will limit access into each building to ensure the safety of our staff and students."

The Chattanooga Times Free Press reported police officers were posted to 11 schools in the area.

In December, gunman Adam Lanza killed 27 when he opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

He died at the scene and the body of his mother, Nancy Lanza, was found at his family home. She had been shot in the face.

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Horsemeat Scandal: Aldi Takes Meals Off Shelves

Who's In Charge Of Keeping Food Safe?

Updated: 1:38pm UK, Friday 08 February 2013

There are a number of different agencies responsible for food labelling and safety in the UK.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is responsible for food standards legislation in England that is principally non-safety, and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) monitors standards that are safety based.

Food Standards Agency:

The FSA, a non-ministerial government department, is responsible for protecting public health in relation to food.

This includes food safety and hygiene, labelling for safety and allergies and food law enforcement.

It aims to:

1) make sure foods produced or sold in the UK are safe to eat

2) ensure imported food is safe to eat

3) make sure food producers and caterers give priority to consumer interests in relation to food

4) give consumers the information and understanding they need to make informed choices about where and what they eat

5) make sure regulation is effective, risk-based and proportionate, is clear about the responsibilities of food business operators, and protects consumers and their interests from fraud and other risks

6) ensure enforcement is effective, consistent, risk-based and proportionate and is focused on improving public health.

In the wake of the horsemeat scandal the FSA announced it is demanding a more comprehensive testing programme from food businesses.

Chief executive Catherine Brown said: 'Following our investigations into Findus products, the FSA is now requiring a more robust response from the food industry in order to demonstrate that the food it sells and serves is what it says it is on the label.

"We are demanding that food businesses conduct authenticity tests on all beef products, such as beef burgers, meatballs and lasagne, and provide the results to the FSA. The tests will be for the presence of significant levels of horsemeat."

There are separate FSAs for Scotland, Wales and the Irish Republic.

Defra:

In July 2010 food labelling was transferred from the FSA to Defra.

Food standards legislation sets out specific requirements for the labelling, composition and, in some cases, safety parameters for specific high value foodstuffs which are potentially at risk of being misleadingly substituted with lower quality alternatives.

The legislation makes sure consumers are not misled as to the nature of food products when it is sold to them.

It also makes the playing field level for food producers, so they have established standards they can work to when producing well known or traditional foodstuffs.

Most legislation on food standards is developed in Europe, with full involvement from UK Government officials.

Secondary legislation is then used to either implement the requirements or put in place enforcement powers, depending on the nature of the European legislation

Meat:

For a range of meat products there is legislation setting out specific compositional and labelling requirements.

The rules set out minimum meat content requirements for certain meat products sold using reserved descriptions such as sausages, burgers, corned beef, meat pies, pasties, etc.

In addition, there are very specific labelling rules for certain meat products that look like a cut, joint, slice, portion or carcass of meat.

Where any added water over certain limits as well as any added ingredients of different animal species to the rest of the meat must be mentioned in the name of the food.

Department of Health:

The DoH takes the lead on nutrition labelling police in England.

In October 2012 it announced proposals for front-of-pack nutrition labelling that displays how much fat, saturated fat, salt, sugar and calories foods contain.

This is colour-coded and shows a guideline daily amount.

The advertising of food is regulated by the Advertising Standards Authority.

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Snow Storm Hits America's Northeast

By Amanda Walker, US Correspondent In New York

America's Northeast has been hit by an epic winter storm bringing deep snow and high winds.

Overnight, New England fell under the wintry spell as it shrouded cities like Boston in deep snow, leaving many without power.

By early on Saturday, more than 47cm of snow had fallen in parts of central Connecticut, and more than 40cm covered parts of Mansfield, Massachusetts.

A nuclear power plant in Plymouth, Massachusetts, automatically shot down due to the snow but regulators say there is no threat to public safety.

Across the region thousands of flights were cancelled leaving travellers stranded.

Canada was also hit hard with hazardous driving conditions leaving at least three people dead.

As the blizzard approached, few were taking any chances. In Massachusetts all traffic was banned from the roads. It is the first time the state has done this since the blizzard of 1978 which crippled the region.

"This is a storm of major proportions," Boston Mayor Thomas Menino warned. "Stay off the roads. Stay home."

The snow has blanketed Brooklyn Bridge

Air travel has also been thrown into chaos, with more than 4,300 flights cancelled so far.

The people of New York's Staten Island have learned not to underestimate the power of mother nature.

Many residents there are still without heating after last October's Hurricane Sandy. For them this latest storm has reopened old wounds as they try to rebuild their lives.

Throughout the northeast, more than 500,000 homes and businesses have lost electricity.

Across New York City, 1,700 ploughs were out as workers fought to clear the snow as it landed.

Undeterred shoppers struggled through the streets clinging to their soggy purchases.

One of them, Sarah Lister, told Sky News: "We expect the warnings where we're from in South Georgia but then you come up here and everyone's alarmed about it - so it really must be something to watch out for! But we're going to a Broadway show tonight."

The advice is clear - stay off the roads and keep indoors - but for many tourists the lure of Manhattan's bright lights was too tempting.

Canadian tourist Lynda Caruth said: "We're from Canada so we're used to storms - this is nothing to us, it's like a light flurry. We want to be somewhere warm and cosy so what better thing to do than see a Broadway show."

Paula Coutts, from Leeds, said: "We've been here a week and we were supposed to fly home tonight, but all the flights were cancelled.

"But we're enjoying the snow - we don't mind being out in it. They told us to stay in this morning but we've been out all day - it's not bothered us - we're hardy in England!"

The storm may be strong but for those affected - the small mercy is - it is expected to be brief.

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Findus Beef Lasagne Meals 100% Horsemeat

Tests on Findus beef lasagne have revealed that some of the ready meals were made entirely from horsemeat.

Findus analysed 18 of its beef lasagne products and found 11 meals contained between 60% and 100% horsemeat, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) said.

There is no evidence to suggest the horsemeat found in the Findus beef lasagne is a food safety risk, the FSA said.

However, the agency has ordered urgent tests on the lasagne for the veterinary drug phenylbutazone. Meat from animals treated with "bute" is not allowed to enter the food chain in Britain as it may pose a risk to human health.

All food companies have been told to test their beef products, with the FSA saying it was "highly likely" that criminal activity was to blame for the contamination.

Consumers who have purchased the ready meals - produced by French food supplier Comigel on behalf of Findus - have been advised by the FSA not to eat them and return them to the shop they were bought from.

Retail giant Tesco and discount chain Aldi have already withdrawn a range of ready meals produced by Comigel over fears they contained contaminated meat.

Findus UK has already started a full recall of its lasagne products. It withdrew its 320g, 360g and 500g lasagne meals from supermarket shelves as a precautionary measure earlier this week.

It came after Comigel alerted Findus and Aldi that their products "do not conform to specification".

It advised them to remove Findus beef lasagne and Aldi's Today's Special frozen beef lasagne and Today's Special frozen spaghetti bolognese.

Shoppers who have bought the product can get a full refund, says Findus

Findus UK apologised to customers "for any inconvenience caused" - and said anyone who bought the affected lasagne products could get a full refund.

A spokesman said: "We understand this is a very sensitive subject for consumers and we would like to reassure you we have reacted immediately. We do not believe this to be a food safety issue.

"We are confident that we have fully resolved this supply chain issue. Fully compliant beef lasagne will be in stores again soon."

Tesco also decided to withdraw its Everyday Value spaghetti bolognese, which is produced at the same Comigel site.

A Tesco spokesman said: "We are aware of the results of the Findus tests and we will of course assist Findus with their recall process.

"Tests on our frozen Everyday Value spaghetti bolognese product are ongoing under our new DNA testing programme. We will inform our customers of the results as soon as possible."

The FSA, Defra and the Department of Health are working with businesses and trade bodies to enforce food safety and assess whether there are significant levels of improperly described meat in a whole series of processed beef products in the UK, including supplies to schools and hospitals.

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said: "The presence of unauthorised ingredients cannot be tolerated ... the responsibility and for the safety and authenticity of food lies with those who produce it, and who sell or provide it to the final consumer."

Labour has accused ministers of being "asleep on the job" and has called for a police investigation into what it believes is fraud.

Shadow environment secretary Mary Creagh said she was "shocked and appalled" by the latest revelations.

She told Sky News: "The time has come for government ministers to pull their heads out of the sand and to take some swift action.

"We have had three weeks of damaging revelations about what is happening in the meat industry ... there is evidence that criminal gangs are involved in this, and frankly I cannot believe that the Government hasn't called in the police to investigate this in the UK.

"I don't see how we get to the bottom of it without getting in specialist teams and working out who is behind this fraud and why it is happening."

People must have confidence that the food they buy is properly labelled, legal and safe to eat, she added.

Anyone who has purchased a Findus beef lasagne can call the firm's UK customer care line on 0800 132584, those in the Republic of Ireland, 1800 800500, or email careline@findus.co.uk for a full refund.

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Ex-LAPD Cop Hunt: Dorner Accused Of Killings

A huge manhunt is under way for a former Los Angeles policeman who is believed to have killed three people in revenge for his dismissal from the force.

Christopher Dorner, 33, is suspected of killing a former police captain's daughter and her fiance last weekend, and killing a police officer yesterday.

The search for the 33-year-old stretches throughout Southern California and Nevada.

Dorner's burnt-out pickup truck has been found near Big Bear Lake ski resort, 80 miles east of Los Angeles, prompting the lockdown of schools and several buildings in the area.

Officers surround LAPD headquarters

San Bernardino county sheriff John McMahon said that 125 law enforcement officers were combing the area for Dorner and conducting door-to-door inquiries.

Christopher Dorner was sacked from the Los Angeles police force in 2008 and published a manifesto on his Facebook page promising to wage war on his former colleagues.

"I will bring unconventional and asymmetrical warfare to those in LAPD uniform whether on or off duty," said the manifesto.

"Unfortunately, I will not be alive to see my name cleared. That's what this is about, my name. A man is nothing without his name."

Police respond to the shooting in Riverside where one officer was killed

LAPD police chief Charlie Beck said Dorner, who has military training, has access to multiple weapons including an assault rifle, adding he should be considered "armed and extremely dangerous".

More than 40 protection officers have been dispatched to protect more than 40 potential targets across the region. The department has also pulled officers from motorbike duty, fearing they could make for easy targets.

Police say Dorner opened fire on police in this cruiser

Dorner is wanted in the killings of Monica Quan and her fiance, Keith Lawrence. They were found shot in their car at their condominium on Sunday night in Irvine, authorities said.

Ms Quan, 28, was an assistant women's basketball coach at Cal State Fullerton. Mr Lawrence, 27, was a public safety officer at the University of Southern California.

Ms Quan's father, a former LAPD captain who became a lawyer in retirement, represented Dorner in front of the Board of Rights, a tribunal that ruled against Dorner at the time of his dismissal in 2008, LAPD Captain William Hayes told The Associated Press.

Authorities also said Dorner opened fire early on Thursday on police in cities east of Los Angeles, killing an officer and wounding another.

Meanwhile, a wallet containing a detective badge and a picture ID belonging to Dorner was handed in to police in San Diego less than four hours after a man matching his description attempted to steal a 47-ft boat from the city's Shelter Island marina.

Monica Quan

San Diego detective Garry Hassen said the suspect tied up an 81-year-old man who was on the boat and then fled after the engine failed to start.

Nevada authorities have also joined the search for Dorner, who owns a house nine miles from the Las Vegas Strip, according to authorities and court records.

According to documents from a court of appeals hearing in October 2011, Dorner was fired from the LAPD after he made a complaint against his field training officer, Sgt Teresa Evans.

Dorner said that in the course of an arrest, Sgt Evans kicked suspect Christopher Gettler, a schizophrenic with severe dementia.

Richard Gettler, the schizophrenic man's father, gave testimony that supported Dorner's claim.

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EU Budget: Leaders 'Close To Deal'

European leaders have agreed the broad lines of a deal on a seven-year budget that would fix total EU spending at 960bn (£820bn) euros.

"We feel pretty confident that we have the framework for a deal," one EU official told reporters.

"The deal is not completely finalised, but we feel sure it will be done today."

The breakthrough came after 15 hours of intense negotiations between countries in the bloc.

The agreement is expected to strike a balance between the demands of northern European countries such as Britain and the Netherlands that wanted a belt-tightening EU budget, and countries in the south and east that wanted sustained spending on farming subsidies and much-needed infrastructure.

Leaders will continue negotiating in the expectation that they can sign off on a final agreement later today, the official added.

Sky News Deputy Political Editor Joey Jones, reporting from Brussels, said: "This is the make or break meeting and leaders, including David Cameron, have been given a draft that lays out the budget."

Officials said around 12bn euros (£10.2bn) would be cut from the last proposal, made at a summit in November when agreement eluded leaders, bringing the headline ceiling for spending down to 960bn over the full 2014-2020 budget.

That represents a decrease of around 3% on the last multi-annual budget - the first time a long-term EU spending plan has seen a net reduction.

While vast in headline terms, in annual terms the budget appropriation amounts to around 140bn euros (£120bn), equivalent to just 1% of total EU economic output.

The draft agreed cuts fell mainly on a new fund for cross-border transport, energy and telecoms projects, which was cut by more than 11bn euros (£9.36bn), and on pay and perks for EU officials - a top target for Britain - which were cut by around 1bn euros (£900m), officials said.

As well as the deal needing to be signed off by all EU leaders today, it must be approved by the European Parliament, an obstacle that could prove difficult.

The European Parliament president has said he will not accept excessive cuts.

Ahead of the summit, France and Britain appeared at sharp odds over the headline numbers, with Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden lining up on Britain's side and Italy, Spain, Poland and others allied with France. Germany was left in the middle.

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Michael Gove In U-Turn On Scrapping GCSEs

Education Secretary Michael Gove has been forced to abandon his flagship plan to scrap GCSEs and replace them with a new English Baccalaureate.

The move follows pressure from the Liberal Democrats and criticism from across the political spectrum, teachers and regulators.

And it comes days after the cross-party Commons Education Committee said the Government had "not proved its case" that GCSEs should be abolished in key academic subjects.

Labour branded it a "humiliating climbdown" for Mr Gove, who is one of the most high-profile members of the Cabinet and had been seen as a potential future Tory leader.

The Education Secretary will make a statement to the Commons later where he will insist he is still working to toughen up the exam system.

He had originally wanted to introduce the new EBacc certificate in England in the five core academic areas of English, maths, science, languages and humanities - history or geography.

Each of the core subjects would have been handed to a single examination board - a move he argued was essential to prevent boards "dumbing down" standards to attract more schools.

However, officials warned the plan could fall foul of EU procurement rules.

It is the second time the Liberal Democrats have blocked Mr Gove's reforms after they vetoed plans to replace GCSEs with a two-tier exam system last year.

Moves to cut the role played by coursework at GCSE level and changes to the national curriculum will go ahead.

Shadow education secretary Stephen Twigg said Mr Gove should have listened to warnings that the scheme would not work.

"This is a humiliating climbdown from Michael Gove," he said. "It shows why he should have listened to business leaders, headteachers and experts in the first place and not come up with a plan on the back of an envelope.

"Pupils and parents need certainty now. Michael Gove must now make clear whether he will abandon his narrow, out of date plans altogether or merely try to delay them.

"He needs to go back to the drawing board and develop a curriculum and exam system that meets our future challenges as a country.

"Labour wants to work with the Government to forge a long term consensus on exam and curriculum reform. We would welcome cross party talks."

Brian Lightman, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: "This is an extremely welcome decision.

"ASCL has never believed that GCSE is beyond repair and has been advocating this course of action for many months.

"This decision will provide an opportunity to improve the existing qualification and will be warmly welcomed by the profession."

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Sochi Winter Olympics: 'Russia Will Be Ready'

By Katie Stallard, Moscow Correspondent

Russia's president has promised the country's new Winter Olympics facilities will be ready in time for the opening of the games in a year's time.

Inspecting the mountain cluster of venues for the Sochi 2014 Games, Vladimir Putin said: "Overall, work is going according to plan. I have no doubt that all the sites will be ready on time and with the appropriate quality."

To the disappointment of the waiting media, the leader performed no trademark action man stunts in the Caucasus mountains - President Putin opting instead for a purposeful walk, dressed in aviator shades and a fur-collared jacket, as he met waiting officials for progress reports.

The games' apparently inexorably spiralling budget has reached an estimated $50bn (£32bn), making it the most expensive Olympics in history - surpassing even the Beijing games - and more than five times the original projected cost.

Construction is under way on the media village for the games

Organisers have stressed that around half of this will come from private investment, but critics have pointed out that much of the so-called private funding will come from state-owned, or at least state-controlled, companies.

And President Putin warned officials against allowing corruption to push costs even higher.

"The main thing is that no-one steals anything, so there are no unexplained increases in costs," he was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying.

At a similar latitude to Nice in the south of France, Sochi 2014 will be the world's first sub-tropical Winter Olympics and questions have been raised about its suitability as a venue.

The average February temperature at the coastal cluster on the Black Sea is 12C (53.6F) and there has been very little snow at the mountain venues for most of the last month.

President Putin is given a tour of the games' Alpine Centre in Rosa Khutor

But officials insist they have failsafe contingency plans, with more than 400 artificial snow-making machines imported from Finland to compensate for any natural deficit, and huge reservoirs of snow to be built up in the next 12 months to ensure sufficient coverage during the games.

Travelling to the mountain cluster currently involves a two-hour bus journey up a long and steeply-winding road, but they are in the process of building a new combined road and rail link, which they promise will whisk spectators from coast to snow in 30 minutes.

Sochi residents stuck in the apparently constant traffic jams associated with the overhaul of the city's infrastructure are assured they will soon have access to 367 new roads and bridges, along with new rail and sea terminals and an expanded airport.

Visiting journalists are offered door-to-door bus tours of the city's Olympic construction sites, in an apparent effort to show all of Sochi's achievements in the best possible light.

The Rus-ski Gorki ski-jump center at the Krasnaya Polyana resort

Sky News joined a tour of the coastal cluster in what has traditionally been known as a balmy beach resort.

It is a surreal trundle past the new Bolshoi Ice Dome through the rubble of what was once the summer playground of the soviet elite.

All of the venues here are being constructed from scratch in what is now a day-and-night race against the clock to get the Olympic park finished on time and without going too much further over budget.

But there is another side to this city that they are much less keen to show off.

On a hill overlooking the Olympic park we found a street of houses that appear to be sliding down the hill towards he new development.

The owners cannot prove the link definitively, but they say the houses only started to move after the contractors began dumping Olympic construction waste in the forest above them.

Crumbling: The owners of these houses say Olympic contractors are to blame

Tatiana Skyba showed Sky News around the ruins of the house she says she lived in for 18 years before, one night, it began to collapse around her.

She told us: "At first we thought there must have been an earthquake, one of the walls crumbled, of course we were really scared because we thought the earth was moving and we didn't know where to go, but then in the morning we saw that there was only this narrow strip of landslide.

"All our houses are crumbling towards each other, and slowly moving downwards, by the time the Olympics starts we will have slid all the way to the Ice Dome."

Her next-door neighbour showed us his house, which appears to be sinking - he says it has dropped by one full storey.

This man said his home has sunk by one storey

Inside there is an overwhelming smell of damp and they are attempting to pump out the water that is leaking in through holes in the walls, but they have already had to abandon what was their kitchen, and the situation seems to be getting worse.

His wife, Anaida Kaladgan, told us: "Sometimes I want to scream and scream and scream, maybe God will help us? But it doesn't help - I am sorry for my tears but I don't know anything now but tears and tears and tears.

"My children and grandchildren do not have a roof over their heads."

She showed us where her five-day-old granddaughter was sleeping upstairs and explained that they are trying to heat the room with a fan so she will not suffer from the damp. But she said her carpets are wet and her grandchildren wear wellies indoors.

Anaida Kaladgan: 'I want to scream and scream and scream'

"What can we do?" she asks. "I wish someone would help us, so we could live like humans and not like pigs. We live like pigs."

She said she had repeatedly tried to appeal to officials but had got nowhere.

"I will write another letter," she told us.

Sky News raised these cases directly with the city's mayor, but he said he had not heard of the street.

Some parts of Sochi's Olympic dream, it seems, are more visible than others.

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Mother Killed In Hinckley Shooting Named

A mother-of-two killed in a shooting in Leicestershire has been named by police.

Hayley Pointon, 30, died from a single gunshot wound at an address in Hinckley on Sunday night.

Police leading the investigation have appealed for witnesses who may have seen two hooded men nearby at the time of the shooting.

Detective Superintendent Tom Davies said: "Hayley's death has left two young children without a mother and it is vital that those involved are dealt with.

"We are still keen to speak to anyone who saw two men in the area at the time.

"The men both had their hoods up and were said to have left the scene in a dark car that was parked in the street.

"If you were in the area or you have any information about the incident or the events leading up to it, please come forward."

Three men have so far been arrested in connection with the shooting, including a 26-year-old man who has been released without charge.

The other two, who are aged 29 and 36, have been released on bail pending further investigation. Ms Pointon was from the Coventry area.

:: Anyone with information is urged to call Leicestershire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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Families Of Victims Speak Of Stafford Neglect

By David Crabtree, Midlands Correspondent

The families of three patients that died at Stafford Hospital have spoken of the neglect and failings there.

It was March 2010 when 61-year-old Alan Nash walked into Stafford Hospital for a routine colonoscopy.

Inquiries were already underway into a scandal, which suggested that between 2005 and 2008 up to 1,200 patients may have died needlessly.

As a result the Nash family believed the standards of care would be high. But Mr Nash's bowel was perforated and he died the same day.

His daughter Marie Hillman said: "We felt that all eyes would be on Stafford Hospital so there would not be any mistakes. Obviously it is one of the biggest regrets I have that we talked him into going."

Alan Nash with his family

His wife Jenny Nash: "I don't exactly know where the room is where they do the colonoscopy. But I was just sitting in the waiting room and it is not a big area anyway.

"I did hear. It was just like somebody had been punched in the stomach where you get that gasp, if you like and it was quite loud. I think that is when they actually perforated it."

Ms Hillman said: "He had gone into hospital for a routine diagnosis. It was just like a nightmare. A nurse said to me, you will probably find that this happened at home. This happened before he came in.

"And I thought there is no way. Dad walked into the hospital, there is no way this happened at home."

The family thought that they were trying to blame Mr Nash and "pass the buck".

His wife said: "I wasn't with him at the time, I was outside. I didn't know he was going to die."

Ms Hillman maintains that there has been no apology at all.

Doreen Duff died at the hospital in 2008

She said: "We would like more answers. We would like reassurance that steps have been put in place that would prevent this from happening to somebody else. But we haven't had that as of today."

In the case, the hospital did not accept that it had breached its duty of care.

Doreen Duff had already suffered a stroke before she moved to Stafford and came under the care of the local hospital.

She developed asthma and other complications and used the Accident and Emergency on a number of occasions before she was admitted. Doreen was 64 when she died in 2008.

Her husband James Duff said: "The A&E department was just chaotic. You couldn't get a doctor. If you did see one they would go off once they had seen you and they wouldn't come back until they had time again. Short staffed, rude, very, very dirty.

Ellen Hazeldine died from a superbug at the hospital

"At one time she was discharged from A&E and was back in A&E within an hour. She suffered more strokes and was eventually paralysed from the neck down and couldn't speak.

"When Doreen went in she was quite a bubbly person and had quite a good quality of life. She had lost the use of her left side but she had still got all the right side and she was as bright as a button.

"When she came out she was paralysed from the neck down, couldn't speak and everything had just gone. That was just because of the care she received in Stafford Hospital, a lack of care. Not giving her medication, not given the proper fluids and left in a bed that is wet, in your own faeces.

"After what we have all been through, the relatives of these, the care still isn't as it should be. They are still getting complaints coming through."

Deb Hazeldine suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder because of her 67-year-old mother Ellen's death from the hospital superbug C-difficile at Stafford Hospital.

"I will never get over it," said Ms Hazeldine who admits that she still struggles to cope more than six years after her loss.

Deb Hazeldine is still reeling from her mother Ellen's death at Stafford

She said: "My mum was diagnosed with bone cancer in March of 2006. She had some aggressive chemotherapy and unfortunately she suffered a fall at home.

"She didn't sustain any injuries at that point and she was taken into Mid-Staffs where she was told she would need physio and rehabilitation just to get her back on her feet."

Her mother was put onto an open ward despite a family request for her to have a side room or an isolation wing.

"She very quickly contracted C-diff and MRSA. She died from C-diff. She was sitting in a bed in a ward and I was sitting opposite her. We were chatting and faeces fell and covered half of the floor. Obviously it was at visiting time and other people were looking across. My mum just started to quietly cry.

"She was mortified that she was in this state. I looked for a nurse and pressed the buzzer and after about five minutes nobody came.

"I got down on my hands and knees and I started to clean it. I couldn't let my mum sit there like that. 

"When she died we had a call from the undertakers that stated that mum had so many hospital infections that the hospital said she had to be buried in a sealed body bag because she would contaminate the ground she went into.

"Even now we are hearing of complaints that there is lack of support on the wards, these families are still raising the same concerns as I was raising six years ago, of having to go in and support their loved ones.

"I don't understand that six years on, I really don't understand that."

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'Car Sleepers': US Middle Class Hit By Crisis

By Greg Milam, US Correspondent

The shocking reality of the true cost of the financial crisis on middle-class Americans could sweep thousands of regular families into an 'epidemic' of homelessness.

Charities say the crisis is being ignored as more and more ordinary Americans face losing their homes and being forced to seek emergency shelter.

Amid all the talk of the strength of the US economic recovery, it is those who have traditionally formed the backbone of working America who have been hardest hit.

And many of those middle-class Americans have taken the desperate step of living in their vehicles.

The city of Santa Barbara in California, a legendary playground of the rich and famous, has become a haven for so-called 'car sleepers'.

James Frangella, 45, worked for more than 20 years as a painter and decorator in Illinois but now lives in a 1991 Ford Econoline van.

Mr Frangella has an overnight spot in a council car park

He told Sky News: "I had my own home and I had a good job and I lost the job, lost my home and never in a million years would a guy like me think he would end up living in a vehicle.

"But here I am and it has been my entire life for four years."

He is one of the lucky ones to have an overnight spot in a council car park.

The Safe Parking programme prevents 'car sleepers' from being fined for breaking a law which bans people from sleeping in vehicles.

The programme provides parking for 150 people every night and, with a lengthening waiting list, organisers are desperate for more spaces.

Nancy Kapp, who runs Safe Parking for the non-profit New Beginnings Counselling Centre, said: "Every day somebody calls me, people who have lost everything.

"The American dream is now the American nightmare. The truth of it is that nobody is acknowledging that this is an issue and this is going to become our epidemic."

At 5am in another Santa Barbara car park, Jami packs up her camper van to leave before commuters arrive to fill the same spaces. Until recently she was living with her family in a large house in Utah.

Jami also lives in a van

"Even people who currently have jobs are saying: 'We are just a pay cheque away from your situation'," she said.

"This economy is so difficult and people are drowning and month to month do not know what is going to happen to them.

"They don't know if they are going to end up like this."

The homeless have been drawn to Santa Barbara for decades. Its Mediterranean climate as popular with them as the people in multi-million dollar mansions.

It is estimated as many as 60% of those living on the streets in America sleep in their vehicles.

The number of homeless people in the US went down during the recession thanks to government spending on shelters. The number classified as 'unsheltered' though increased.

That government funding was slashed late last year and it is feared more spending cuts will impact thousands of people who are currently in work over the next decade.

Ms Kapp said: "You have the homeless and then the middle class on top of them. That is a lot of people falling into this crisis."

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Stafford Hospital Report To Change Face Of NHS

Victims' Families Speak Of Failures

Updated: 7:20am UK, Wednesday 06 February 2013

By David Crabtree, Midlands Correspondent

The families of three patients that died at Stafford Hospital have spoken of the neglect and failings there.

It was March 2010 when 61-year-old Alan Nash walked into Stafford Hospital for a routine colonoscopy.

Inquiries were already underway into a scandal, which suggested that between 2005 and 2008 up to 1,200 patients may have died needlessly.

As a result the Nash family believed the standards of care would be high. But Mr Nash's bowel was perforated and he died the same day.

His daughter Marie Hillman said: "We felt that all eyes would be on Stafford Hospital so there would not be any mistakes. Obviously it is one of the biggest regrets I have that we talked him into going."

His wife Jenny Nash: "I don't exactly know where the room is where they do the colonoscopy. But I was just sitting in the waiting room and it is not a big area anyway.

"I did hear. It was just like somebody had been punched in the stomach where you get that gasp, if you like and it was quite loud. I think that is when they actually perforated it."

Ms Hillman said: "He had gone into hospital for a routine diagnosis. It was just like a nightmare. A nurse said to me, you will probably find that this happened at home. This happened before he came in.

"And I thought there is no way. Dad walked into the hospital, there is no way this happened at home."

The family thought that they were trying to blame Mr Nash and "pass the buck".

His wife said: "I wasn't with him at the time, I was outside. I didn't know he was going to die."

Ms Hillman maintains that there has been no apology at all.

She said: "We would like more answers. We would like reassurance that steps have been put in place that would prevent this from happening to somebody else. But we haven't had that as of today."

In the case, the hospital did not accept that it had breached its duty of care.

Doreen Duff had already suffered a stroke before she moved to Stafford and came under the care of the local hospital.

She developed asthma and other complications and used the Accident and Emergency on a number of occasions before she was admitted. Doreen was 64 when she died in 2008.

Her husband James Duff said: "The A&E department was just chaotic. You couldn't get a doctor. If you did see one they would go off once they had seen you and they wouldn't come back until they had time again. Short staffed, rude, very, very dirty.

"At one time she was discharged from A&E and was back in A&E within an hour. She suffered more strokes and was eventually paralysed from the neck down and couldn't speak.

"When Doreen went in she was quite a bubbly person and had quite a good quality of life. She had lost the use of her left side but she had still got all the right side and she was as bright as a button.

"When she came out she was paralysed from the neck down, couldn't speak and everything had just gone. That was just because of the care she received in Stafford Hospital, a lack of care. Not giving her medication, not given the proper fluids and left in a bed that is wet, in your own faeces.

"After what we have all been through, the relatives of these, the care still isn't as it should be. They are still getting complaints coming through."

Deb Hazeldine suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder because of her 67-year-old mother Ellen's death from the hospital superbug C-difficile at Stafford Hospital.

"I will never get over it," said Ms Hazeldine who admits that she still struggles to cope more than six years after her loss.

She said: "My mum was diagnosed with bone cancer in March of 2006. She had some aggressive chemotherapy and unfortunately she suffered a fall at home.

"She didn't sustain any injuries at that point and she was taken into Mid-Staffs where she was told she would need physio and rehabilitation just to get her back on her feet."

Her mother was put onto an open ward despite a family request for her to have a side room or an isolation wing.

"She very quickly contracted C-diff and MRSA. She died from C-diff. She was sitting in a bed in a ward and I was sitting opposite her. We were chatting and faeces fell and covered half of the floor. Obviously it was at visiting time and other people were looking across. My mum just started to quietly cry.

"She was mortified that she was in this state. I looked for a nurse and pressed the buzzer and after about five minutes nobody came.

"I got down on my hands and knees and I started to clean it. I couldn't let my mum sit there like that. 

"When she died we had a call from the undertakers that stated that mum had so many hospital infections that the hospital said she had to be buried in a sealed body bag because she would contaminate the ground she went into.

"Even now we are hearing of complaints that there is lack of support on the wards, these families are still raising the same concerns as I was raising six years ago, of having to go in and support their loved ones.

"I don't understand that six years on, I really don't understand that."

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Alabama Hostage Siege Ends As Boy Saved

A boy who was held hostage for a week is safe and his captor dead after FBI agents stormed an underground bunker in Alabama.

Officials said the raid went ahead after negotiations with 65-year-old Jimmy Lee Dykes deteriorated and he was seen with a gun.

Fearing the child was in imminent danger, agents entered the bunker to rescue the five-year-old.

The boy, who has been named only as Ethan, was taken to hospital nearby. Officials said he has Asperger's syndrome.

Dykes snatched the boy from a school bus last week after killing the driver, Charles Poland.

Officials break the news to the media

An ambulance that had been parked near Dykes' bunker was seen driving away. But it was not clear if anyone was inside.

Authorities initially declined to elaborate on how they had observed Dykes or on how he died.

However, an official in Midland City, citing information from law enforcement sources, said police had shot Dykes. 

Daryle Hendry, who lives about a quarter of a mile from where Dykes was holed up, said he heard a boom followed by a gunshot.

Officials had been sending food and medicine to Dykes and the boy in the bunker.

The scene of the hostage drama

Neighbours described Dykes as a man who once beat a dog to death with a lead pipe, threatened to shoot children for setting foot on his property, and patrolled his garden at night with a torch and a firearm.

Government records and interviews with neighbours indicate that Dykes had been in the US Navy, serving on active duty from 1964 to 1969. His record shows several awards, including the Vietnam Service Medal and the Good Conduct Medal.

He had some scrapes with the law in Florida, including a 1995 arrest for improper exhibition of a weapon. The misdemeanour was dismissed. He also was arrested for marijuana possession in 2000.

He returned to Alabama about two years ago, moving onto the rural tract about 100 yards from his nearest neighbours.

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Savile Police Arrest Man, 65, In South London

Police investigating allegations linked to Jimmy Savile and others have arrested a 65-year-old on suspicion of sexual offences.

Officers arrested the man at a house in South London on Tuesday and he remained in police custody.

The allegations are not directly related to any of Savile's offences, police said.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "He falls under the strand of the investigation we have termed 'others'. We are not prepared to discuss the matter further."

Scotland Yard is leading a national investigation, called Operation Yewtree, into allegations against disgraced television presenter Savile and a number of other high-profile figures.

They have separated the inquiry into three strands: claims against Savile, those involving Savile and others and those involving others.

Most of the allegations relating to "others" have been made against people associated with the entertainment industry, including ex-glam rocker Gary Glitter and comedian Freddie Starr.

So far, some 589 people have come forward with information relating to the scandal, with 450 of them alleging they were sexually abused by former Top Of The Pops presenter Savile.

Of those making complaints about the late DJ, 73% were children at the time of the offences.

A report released last month revealed that Savile's victims included an eight-year-old boy and children who were seriously ill.

Branded one of the UK's most prolific known sexual predators, Savile now has 214 criminal offences recorded against his name, including 34 rapes.

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MoD Attacked For 'Flawed' Jet Decision

The Ministry of Defence has been strongly criticised for its "flawed" decision to switch fighter aircraft for the Royal Navy's new carriers.

The Commons defence committee attacked the move to adopt the joint strike fighter instead of the jump jet back in 2010.

At the time, ministers had said the model would be more capable and increase compatibility with other navies - even though it mean mothballing one of the two carriers to save money.

But last May, the MoD went into reverse and returned to the jump jet version due to fears the cost of fitting equipment was spiralling out of control.

The defence committee said the original decision was a mistake that had led to higher costs and further delays to the carrier programme.

"It is clear that the decision was rushed and based upon incomplete and inaccurate policy development. It was taken without the MoD understanding how the change could be implemented," the committee said.

"Perhaps the primary example of how little the MoD understood about this decision is the fact that it was supposed to improve interoperability. This turned out to be incorrect.

"We urge the MoD to learn the lessons of this closed, rushed and flawed decision of 2010."

The report also complained that the lack of a proper defence industrial strategy put the UK at a disadvantage compared with competitor countries.

Defence equipment minister Philip Dunne said the MoD's newly published 10-year equipment plan would ensure the armed forces get the hardware they need in the years ahead.

"The increased financial contingency will help cover future risk and make our equipment programme affordable," he said.

"There is also greater information for industry about our priorities, helping them to invest in the future capabilities our troops need," he said.

Mr Dunne insisted that the switch to the F-35B version of the US-built joint strike fighter had been "right at the time".

"Unacceptable cost growth, technical risk and project delays" meant the decision to revert to the jump jet was "in the best interest of defence", he argued.

Shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy said: "This is another blow to the country's confidence in the Government's competence on defence.

"Days after confusion and contradiction on defence spending, the chaos of the aircraft carrier decision is laid bare.

"This wasted time and money led to a serious capability gap and exposed lacking knowledge of defence procurement.

"The UK has paid at least an extra £100m to have no aircraft to fly from an aircraft carrier for years."

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Syria War: 'Children Are Biggest Casualty'

By Stuart Ramsay, Chief Correspondent, in Aleppo

The anguished cries of a little boy receiving treatment without anaesthetic for a shrapnel wound to the face fills the putrid air of a converted shop that is an Aleppo field hospital.

The walls are splattered with blood. All around are shop fronts with medics working on the latest injured.

A car pulls out and a young man shot in a drive-by attack staggers inside followed by his screaming mother.

In rebel-held Aleppo, this is just another day. It isn't particularly busy. It is just constant.

Medics, who have gone underground after their hospital was reduced to rubble by a targeted Syrian government bombing campaign, say children are being injured and killed in greater numbers now than the rebel fighters.

Stuck inside this city the children are on the streets more than anyone else. Playing or scavenging amongst piles of rubbish for anything of value to take home, they are now the most vulnerable.

Hamid Sakia was shot by a sniper while playing football

A short distance away in another makeshift hospital room nine-year-old Hamid Sakia whimpers in pain; a sack of draining blood lies on the floor. He was shot by a sniper while playing football. He will lose his kidney. The medics are waiting for a surgeon to get enough anaesthetic to operate.

He whispers a "Yes" as I ask him if it hurts. His mother looks on holding back tears. She buried her daughter this week. Her family is being torn apart.

It is not about the lack of food or heating or supplies, she says.

"What will happen in the future?" She asks: "What will happen? Everyone is scared."

In a room next door, surrounded by seat cushions to try to keep the breeze from her skin, Aya Hussein stares motionlessly ahead. She is dreadfully burnt. Her tiny body a web of fierce welts caused by a fire when her apartment was hit by an artillery round.

Aya Hussein was burned when she was hit by an artillery round

The cushions are her treatment. This is life in Aleppo.

This city is slowly being destroyed. There is barely a building unscarred by the bombing from fighter jets and artillery. A million plus people still live here amongst the ruins where shells and snipers are a constant.

Cars cross the most dangerous parts of town protected by mud walls. You can hear the sniper rounds thudding into the barricade or whining over head as you pass.

The dreadful sound of artillery rounds smashing into buildings never stops wherever you go.

Once tree-filled parks are now open spaces. There is no heat or electricity in Aleppo so wood has become a precious commodity.

In the markets there are plenty of local vegetables. But meat, gas, fuel and pretty much everything else comes from Turkey at a huge cost. Gas bottles are 15 times their proper cost.

The city's scarred buildings

People are living in battered apartment blocks. Theirs is a virtual twilight of dark stair wells and shuttered rooms.

The artillery comes from the south so they huddle in north facing homes. But the shrapnel and the explosive power of the bombs means nowhere is truly safe.

"I am hopeless. I can only trust in my God," 78-year-old Mahmoud tells me. He and his wife Emira are alone. Their family has fled, they depend on the handouts of neighbours. Their flat is freezing and bare.

On the next storey Rada cuddles two of her six children. It is freezing inside and they have just a few scraps of food to eat.

"My husband won't leave Aleppo. We want to stay here whatever happens. Our children are ill, they are frightened, but we have nowhere else to go," she says.

The rebels and the government forces appear to have fought themselves to a standstill. In the middle a population is stuck, surviving but dying as well, every day.

This is Aleppo.

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Most-Wanted Foreigners Hiding In UK Named

A list of the most-wanted high-risk foreign fugitives believed to be hiding in Britain - including three suspected murderers and an accused rapist - has been released.

The list of 17 people, who are wanted by authorities in other European countries but are thought to be in the UK, has been unveiled by Scotland Yard and Crimestoppers.

It is the third Operation Sunfire campaign and includes the search for 32-year-old Dritan Rexhepi, who is wanted over a double murder in Albania and has links to London, Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire.

Edvinas Judinskas, 19, is accused of murder in his native Lithuania over an attack where a gang forced their way in to a flat and beat the occupant to death with a metal rod and wooden chair leg.

He has links to Woolwich in southeast London, Reading and Greater Manchester - specifically Bury and Bolton.

The list also includes Evaldas Rabikauskas, 29, who is wanted in Lithuania over the rape of a teenager in 2007 and has links to Hackney in north London and Potters Bar in Hertfordshire.

Wanted: Pawel Jakob Chmielorz, Svetlana Mironenkova and Karol Koczmara

Roger Critchell, director of operations for Crimestoppers, said: "The purpose of Operation Sunfire is to track down and arrest murderers, violent robbers, drug traffickers and other criminals hiding in the UK.

"Crimestoppers is supporting this Metropolitan Police operation so that these individuals can be put before the extradition courts to face justice abroad and no longer be a threat to this country.

"Non-national fugitives hiding overseas in countries such as this are a threat to local communities as they most often remain involved in criminal activity and are a danger to those around them.

"We want these criminals off British soil and back to the countries where they have committed these heinous crimes so that justice may be served."

Detective Sergeant Peter Rance, who is leading the operation, warned the public not to approach the fugitives.

He said: "Today I'm asking the public, do you recognise these faces? Maybe you know where these people live, work or socialise?

"They are wanted to face justice for a multitude of crimes in other countries and it is in the UK's interests to help find them."

Anyone with information on the most-wanted is urged to call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Police said anyone who sees one of the 17 suspects should not approach them but call 999 instead.

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Richard III: Is This The Skull Of Dead King?

By David Crabtree, Midlands Correspondent

Archaeologists are to reveal whether battle scarred remains excavated from beneath a council car park in Leicester are that of King Richard III.

Their findings will be made public later. Experts have hinted at compelling evidence that suggests an historic breakthrough has been made.

Officials from the University of Leicester have released the first image of the skull, unearthed during a three week dig, from what's believed to have been the choir of Greyfriars Church.

Historical records show the long-lost church was the burial site of the monarch, following his brutal death at the battle of Bosworth Field in 1485.

The remains were discovered on day one of the excavations.

Archaeologists are due to announce the results of the investigations in front of more than 140 journalists from across the world.

They have produced a three dimensional image of the body including a facial reconstruction.

The remains were exhumed in September

Dr Jo Appleby, from the University's School of Archaeology and Ancient History, led the exhumation of the remains in September 2012.

He said: "The skull was in good condition, although fragile, and was able to give us detailed information about this individual. It has been CT scanned at high resolution in order to allow us to investigate interesting features in as much details as possible.

"In order to determine whether this individual is Richard III we have built up a biological profile of its characteristics. We have also closely examined the skeleton for signs of a violent death."

The skeleton showed evidence of what is believed battle trauma and scoliosis, abnormal lateral curvature of the spine, signs that suggest it may be the remains of the medieval monarch.

It is not clear whether archaeologists will have the long awaited DNA results. But radiocarbon dating tests will help give clue to the time of death. Results from mineralised dental plaque will reveal information about diet, health and lifestyle.

The earliest surviving portrait of Richard III

It is understood that tests are on-going to verify the lineage of Michael Ibsen, who is thought to be descended from Richard III's sister, Anne of York. His DNA is being compared to samples extracted from the remains.

Shakespeare portrayed Richard III as a deformed tyrant. Modern historians argue that the King was the victim of Tudor propaganda. He was the last Plantagenet monarch, a Yorkist defeated in battle by Henry Tudor, who became Henry VII.

Today's news conference could help restore the reputation of one of British history's most maligned figures.

Archaeologist initially described their dig as "a long shot" - but now it seems they are on the verge of revealing the true identity of the King of the car park.

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Justice Minister Says He Smacked Own Children

Justice Secretary Chris Grayling has defended parents' right to smack their children - and admitted he did it to his own.

The Conservative Cabinet minister said he was not opposed to smacking youngsters, saying sometimes it "sends a message".

Mr Grayling has two children, aged 20 and 16, with his wife Susan.

He admitted to occasionally smacking them when they were younger.

"You chastise children when they are bad, as my parents did me," he told the Mail on Sunday.

"I'm not opposed to smacking. It is to be used occasionally. Sometimes it sends a message - but I don't hanker for the days when children were severely beaten at school."

Following his comments, sources close to the minister said he used the punishment only when "really warranted".

In a statement the NSPCC said: "Whilst parents are currently allowed to smack their children, the evidence is continuing to build that it is ineffective and harmful to children.

"There are more positive and constructive ways to discipline children and a clear message that hitting anyone is not right would benefit all of society."

In his interview with the Mail on Sunday, Mr Grayling also reiterated commitments he made soon after taking up the ministerial post to ban perks for prisoners like ending automatic early release for inmates who misbehave during their sentence.

He told the newspaper: "I want prisons to be spartan, but humane, a place people don't have a particular desire to come back to."

He also said he would not tolerate gay couples in prison sharing a cell.

"It is not acceptable to allow same-sex couples to effectively move in together and live a domestic life. If such a thing happened, I would want those prisoners put in separate prisons."

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Blackpool Stab Death: Teen 'Received Threat'

A 16-year-old girl whose body was found burning in an alley had recently received a death threat in an email, a friend of the teen has told Sky News.

Sasha Marsden's body was set on fire after she had died from stab wounds to the head and face, a post-mortem examination has found.

Herr friend, Stephanie Kyle, told Sky News of a threat received by Sasha, which she said police had been told about.

"She got an email saying her time was going to come very soon," she said.

"Obviously this happened, and she's gone and ... we don't know why."

Police released this image of Sasha

Police cordoned off the area in South Shore, Blackpool, after her body was discovered at 9pm on Thursday.

A 22-year-old man was arrested nearby and police have been granted more time to question him.

A woman aged 20 was also held but later released without charge.

A police spokesman said: "Following the death of Sasha Marsden, a Home Office post-mortem examination has been carried out and has found that Sasha died as a result of receiving significant stab wounds to the head and face.

"It also showed that attempts were made to set the body on fire and this was after Sasha had died.

The teenager was on a childcare course at college

"The results have been shared with the family, and specially trained officers are continuing to support them."

On Friday, crime scene investigators carried out forensic searches of the alley behind Kirby Road and at the Grafton House bed-and-breakfast hotel on the same road, which is a few streets off the Promenade.

Carl Evans, owner of the nearby Kimber Guest House, told Sky News he spotted the fire when he walked out into his back garden on Thursday evening.

"I heard the alarms going and saw the smoke, but I thought it was just someone burning rubbish," he said.

The crime scene in Blackpool has been cordoned off by police

He added that some residents had attempted to put out the flames before realising it was a body on fire.

"The lass two doors up said someone seemed to have put something out - like a mannequin - but it turned out to be the body of a 16-year-old girl."

Sasha was in the first year of a childcare course at Blackpool and The Fylde College and lived with her parents in nearby Staining.

Paying tribute, Mandy Pritchard, head of the college's school for society, health and childhood, said she was "a friendly, considerate individual who cared about her fellow students".

Numerous tributes were paid to the youngster on a Facebook page set up in her memory.

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Iraq: 33 Dead In Bomb Blast And Gun Attack

At least 33 people have been killed in a co-ordinated suicide car bombing and gun attack on a police base in northern Iraq.

A car bomb was set off before two militants dressed in police uniforms and armed with guns, grenades and suicide vests stormed and sought to take control of the compound in the city of Kirkuk, police said.

A further 70 people were also injured in the the deadly attacks - shattering a relative calm in recent days in the war-torn country.

Police said there were still bodies trapped under the collapsed debris of buildings following the blast.

An injured man is stretchered away from the scene of the explosion.

The attackers struck during the morning rush hour in the city centre, Brigadier General Natah Mohammed Sabr, head of the city's emergency services department said.

In addition to the casualties, the blast caused extensive damage to nearby buildings and vehicles.

The gunmen burst threw the main gates of the police base in the direction of the headquarters block.

They threw multiple grenades, but were killed before they could get there, witnesses said.

Rescue workers look for survivors among the debris.

"I saw a vehicle stop at the checkpoint at the main entrance, and the police started checking it," said Kosrat Hassan Karim, who was nearby when the attack took place.

"Suddenly, a loud explosion happened, it was terrifying.

"I saw many people killed inside their cars -- I have never seen such a big explosion in my life."

No group immediately claimed responsibility for Sunday's attack.

Kirkuk, an ethnically mixed city, is at the centre of a dispute over oil and land rights between Baghdad's central government and the autonomous northern Kurdish region.

Firefighters tackle a smoldering vehicle.

The unresolved row is persistently cited by diplomats and officials as the biggest threat to Iraq's long-term stability.

Tensions between Shiite, Kurdish and Sunni factions in Iraq's power-sharing government have been on the rise this year.

Militants continue to strike almost daily, and carry out at least one big attack a month.

The latest violence comes amid weeks of protests calling for Prime Minister Nuri al Maliki to resign.

Last month a suicide bomber disguised as a mourner killed at least 26 people at a funeral at a Shiite mosque in the nearby city of Tuz Khurmato.

Days earlier, a suicide bomber driving a truck killed 25 people in an attack on a political party headquarters in Kirkuk, which is situated 105 miles north of the capital Baghdad.

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