Belfast: 26 Police Injured During Clashes

Twenty six police officers have been injured in loyalist rioting as violence linked to a contentious republican parade engulfed Belfast city centre.

Five of the officers required hospital treatment and there were reports that a number of members of the public were also hurt.

Police fired plastic baton rounds and water cannon after coming under attack from loyalists who pelted them with bottles, fireworks and glasses as hundreds of loyalist demonstrators gathered to protest at the rally. 

Officers came under "heavy and sustained attack"

Metal guttering ripped from shop fronts was also used in the violence and several vehicles were set on fire.

Protesters had attempted to block part of the route of the Anti-Internment League parade, which was diverted to avoid the disturbances.

There were some sectarian clashes as the march passed close to loyalist protesters.

Assistant Chief Constable George Hamilton said: "Police have come under heavy and sustained attack by crowds intent on creating disorder.

Five offiers required hospital treatment

"As disturbances are continuing I would call upon people of influence in communities and those in political leadership to do all possible to reduce tension.

"As Northern Ireland moves ahead, the effect of tonight's violence has the potential to damage the local economy and the reputation of Belfast as a tourist destination."

The disorder comes after eight officers were injured at a republican anti-internment bonfire near the city centre on Thursday night.

Police said their use of water cannon was a "proportionate" response

Eight people were arrested and at one point, as violence spread to north Belfast, officers were attacked by a man with a sword.

The parade was unable to pass down Royal Avenue as intended. After a significant delay, it did finally proceed along the outskirts of the city centre and onward to west Belfast.

However, trouble continued in its wake.

Steve Pound MP, Labour's Shadow Minister for Northern Ireland, said: "We have seen sad scenes again in Belfast tonight, which have become too familiar over recent months.

Protesters attempted to block part of the route parade

"The vast majority of people across the community will unite to condemn attacks on the police and the public disorder we have seen.

"But unfortunately this is not an isolated occurrence. Northern Ireland can't afford to slip back to causal violence or acceptance of it.

"Both the governments and political leaders in Northern Ireland need to show leadership and address what are becoming far too common scenes."

Last month parts of Belfast were consumed by more rioting, predominantly loyalist, when Orangemen were banned from parading past the nationalist Ardoyne area.

Eight people have been arrested so far

Friday night's republican parade is in protest at the deeply controversial internment policy in place at the height of the Troubles in the 1970s.

It saw mass arrests and detention without trial of hundreds of people suspected of being involved with the IRA.

Parading tensions have also spread to other parts of Northern Ireland with controversy surrounding a planned Sinn Fein-backed commemoration event in the County Tyrone town of Castlederg on Sunday.

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Zanzibar Acid Attack Victim Tweets Her Thanks

Zanzibar Acid Attack: Two Held

Updated: 4:59pm UK, Friday 09 August 2013

Two girls from London who had acid thrown in their faces on the Indian Ocean island of Zanzibar have arrived back in Britain.

:: WARNING: This story contains a graphic image depicting acid burns

A medevac plane carrying Katie Gee and Kirstie Trup, both 18, landed at RAF Northolt at lunchtime and the pair were taken away in two ambulances.

They were then transferred to the specialist burns unit at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and reunited with their families.

The teenagers were attacked by two men on a motorbike as they walked through the historic capital Stone Town on Wednesday night.

The acid was splashed over their faces, chests, backs and hands.

Their arrival back in Britain came as a Zanzibar police chief told Sky News that five people have been questioned over the acid attack.

Regional police commander Mkadam Khamis said two of the suspects are being detained for further interrogation while the other three have been released.

Police on the island have also offered a reward of 10 million Tanzanian shillings (£4,000) for information leading to any arrests. 

Sky News Foreign Affairs Correspondent Lisa Holland said there were some suggestions that one of the people held was a local shopkeeper who had been in an altercation with one of the girls a few days before.

But she added that the motive remained unclear - with other reports of eyewitnesses saying the acid was not intended for the British teenagers but someone else walking down the road.

The pair, who had been volunteering at an orphanage on the island, were taken to hospital in Dar es Salaam on the Tanzanian mainland, before being flown home.

Miss Gee's mother Nicky Gee told Sky News her daughter had suffered burns to her "whole face and her whole body" in the "vicious attack".

A photograph released by the girls' families showed the injuries Miss Gee of them suffered in the attack.

The girl is shown wearing an open striped shirt and a silver necklace. What appear to be acid burns are clearly visible on her chin, neck and upper chest.

Miss Trup also reportedly received horrific burns and was said to be "inconsolable".

The young women, who are from north London and were planning to start university in the autumn, were enjoying the last week of a trip as volunteer teachers to the predominantly Muslim island when a corrosive substance was thrown at them.

The trip had been organised by i-to-i Travel, which is based in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, and runs gap year trips to parts of Africa, Asia, central and South America and Australia.

Trips to teach in Zanzibar, based in Stone Town, start at £669 for two weeks, according to its website.

In its latest statement, i-to-i Travel confirmed the girls had been repatriated to the UK and said: "We welcome the proactive investigations being carried out by local authorities in Zanzibar and continue to liaise with them.

"We wish the girls a fast and full recovery and our thoughts are with them and their families at this difficult time."

The organisation added that it had advised all its customers still in Zanzibar "to remain vigilant" and anyone due to fly out there this weekend had been given the option to volunteer at a different project, but all had chosen to continue to travel to Tanzania.

The Foreign Office travel advice for Tanzania warns that although most visits to the country are trouble-free, "violent and armed crime is increasing".

The advice, available on its website, says: "Mugging, bag snatching (especially from passing cars) and robbery have increased throughout the country."

It adds: "In Zanzibar, incidents have taken place in Stone Town and on popular tourist beaches."

Jakaya Kikwete, Tanzania's president, is reported to have visited the women at the Aga Khan Hospital in Dar es Salaam and promised that the men responsible for the "shameful" attack would be found.

Zanzibar is an archipelago of islands in the Indian Ocean around 22 miles off the mainland.

The semi-autonomous region of Tanzania is predominantly Muslim and has been the scene of some religious violence in recent years.

Earlier this year two Christian leaders were killed and in November a cleric was treated in hospital after an acid attack. This is the first such assault on foreigners in the popular tourist destination.

A further announcement from the police in Zanzibar regarding the case is expected later today.

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FA Boss: Summer World Cup In Qatar 'Impossible'

Fifa Boss: Move 2022 World Cup

Updated: 7:21am UK, Saturday 10 August 2013

Fifa's president says the organisation still has enough time to switch the 2022 World Cup to the winter to avoid Qatar's intense summer heat.

Sepp Blatter said he would discuss the plans with his executive committee in October.

The move would cause major disruption to various domestic leagues around the world.

But Mr Blatter insisted: "We still have enough time.

"The executive committee will certainly follow my proposal. Then we will have dealt with the topic for good."

Summer temperatures can reach 50C (122F) in Qatar, and there are currently plans for games to be played in air-conditioned stadiums.

But there is pressure for the tournament to be moved to the winter, when temperatures reach a high of 24C (75F).

Mr Blatter said: "The Fifa World Cup must be a festival of the people. But for it to be such a festival, you can't play football in the summer.

"You can cool down the stadiums, but you can't cool down the whole country - and you can't simply cool down the ambience of a World Cup. The players must be able to play in the best conditions to play a good World Cup."

Hassan al Thawadi, the head of Qatar's organising committee, said the country was open to the move "if it's the wish of the football community".

Mr Blatter said medical information about the effects of the heat on players led to his change of heart.

"There has been a fresh medical investigation into what it would be like to play football there in the summer and we have to take into account the health, not of the spectators, but of the players," he explained.

Qatar defeated bids from South Korea, Japan, Australia and the US for the right to host the 2022 World Cup.

Speaking to Sky Germany, Mr Blatter also said Brazil might have been the wrong choice to host the 2014 World Cup if the tournament is affected by the wave of protests seen at the Confederations Cup last month.

Hundreds of thousands of Brazilians took to the streets expressing their anger over the costs to stage the World Cup and demanding better public services.

"If this happens again we have to question whether we made the wrong decision awarding the hosting rights," Mr Blatter added.

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Ask.fm Bosses: We Can Trace Cyberbullies

The founders of the website linked to the suicide of teenager Hannah Smith said they could reveal the names of anonymous bullies to the police.

Hannah, 14, was found hanged by her 16-year-old sister last Friday at their home in Lutterworth after being abused on the social networking site Ask.fm.

Mark and Ilja Terebin, bosses of the Latvia-based website, said they had the ability to identify "almost all users" and that they are committed to supporting the Leicestershire Police investigation.

They said "in extreme circumstances such as those we've experienced this week" they can use technology to identify those behind the taunts and  "ensure this information is accessible to the appropriate legal authorities".

Hannah Smith, 14, had reportedly been bullied by users on the site

Meanwhile, major advertisers have withdrawn from the website, despite protests from the company that it does "not condone bullying of any kind".

Specsavers, Vodafone, Laura Ashley, EDF Energy and charity Save the Children have all pulled ads from Ask.fm.

A Specsavers spokesman said the company had instructed Ask.fm to remove all of its adverts from the site due to "deep concerns over cyberbullying".

Save the Children said: "We put the welfare of children first and, as a result of the tragic case of Hannah Smith, we no longer advertise on Ask.fm."

Two employees of the company refused to talk to Sky News

EDF Energy also said it had asked its media agency to prevent any further advertising appearing on Ask.fm "with immediate effect".

Ask.fm said in a statement that the company wanted to "reassure all users and parents of users that we are committed to ensuring that our site is a safe environment".

The statement added: "We do not condone bullying of any kind, or any form of unacceptable use of our site."

Ask.fm described the teenager's death as a "true tragedy" and said they had been speaking to Leicestershire Police since the incident.

Hannah's parents have found further "inappropriate postings" on Facebook

They went on to say that various measures had been implemented over the past few months to continue improving users' safety, and improved reporting policies have been put in place.

The company said: "The vast majority of our users are very happy teenagers, who use Ask.fm to converse with their peers around the world about the things that interest them.

"Bullying is an age-old problem that we in no way condone - and while its evolution online is disturbing, it certainly is not unique to our site.

"We will continue to work with the appropriate organisations to safeguard against bullying on Ask.fm - and we would welcome the opportunity to align with the rest of industry and society in fighting it on a higher level."

Ask.fm described Hannah's death as a "true tragedy"

David Cameron has said he was looking at what action to take "to try to stop future tragedies likes this".

Hannah's father, David Smith, said those who run the website should face murder or manslaughter charges.

"There's something not right with the world today if people can tell somebody to die so many times that they actually do it," he said.

Leicestershire Police confirmed they had been contacted by Hannah's father about further claims of "inappropriate postings" on Facebook.

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Revealed: The UK's Most Wanted Tax Fugitives

By Poppy Trowbridge, Business and Economics Correspondent

A rogues' gallery of the UK's most wanted tax fugitives has been released in an effort to collect hundreds of millions of pounds in unpaid duty.

One year on from releasing the details of the UK's 20 most sought-after tax criminals, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has now added the names and photographs of 10 more fugitives to that original target list.

Those on the list are being pursued for a range of crimes, including VAT fraud, tax evasion and money laundering.

Together, their crimes have cost the taxpayer close to £720m.

Among the new names on the list are Michael "Arthur" Fearon, who is wanted in connection with evasion of excise duty on nearly £8.4m of cigarettes, and is believed to be in the Republic of Ireland.

Chancellor George Osborne says tax evasion 'will not be tolerated'

Anish Anand, who is believed to be in the UK, is wanted in relation to £6m VAT and film tax credit fraud, while Michael George Voudouri is wanted in connection with a £10m VAT fraud. He is believed to be in Northern Cyrpus.

And Sumir Soni (aka John Soni, John Miller, Samir Soni, Bhader Singh), who is believed to be in Kenya, is wanted in connection with evading duty of £3.6m from the illegal sale and distribution of alcohol, and the illegal importation of nine million cigarettes.

Anthony Judge, who was wanted for his role in over £350,000 of tax fraud and had been on the run for 10 years, was detained at Heathrow Airport last month as he attempted to enter the UK on a forged passport.

He is the second of HMRC's most wanted to be captured since the rogues' gallery was first published.

In May, John Nugent was apprehended in the US after the authorities there saw the list.

The gallery has been viewed more than 1.5 million times, with new intelligence received from the public on the current whereabouts of 17 of the 20 named on the original list.

HMRC has also launched an interactive map of the world to illustrate where the tax fugitives are believed to be.

The crimes of those on the list have cost the taxpayer £720m

Chancellor George Osborne said: "Our message is clear, tax fraud and evasion is illegal and will not be tolerated.

"The Government has stepped up HMRC's enforcement activities to enable them to pursue tax cheats relentlessly around the world."

"This new list will help put more tax fraudsters in the spotlight and bring them to justice."

The Chancellor has faced public outrage in recent months over the number of large, multinational corporations operating in Britain that pay little or no corporation tax on earnings which can top billions of pounds each year.

Yet some tax experts say HMRC is missing the real problem in tackling tax avoidance.

Richard Murphy, of Tax Research UK, told Sky News: "The problem is very large companies who aren't paying very large amounts of tax that they might owe because of skilful tax avoidance by accountants and lawyers.

"The second problem is actually ordinary people avoiding and evading income tax by putting cash in their pockets … paying their builders, their plumbers, their cleaners, their tutors and everybody else without tax being paid and that is a massive problem in our economy.

"But the big problem is not this form of crime of which this list is being published about."

Taxpayers Alliance chief executive Matthew Sinclair said part of the difficulty was with the UK's "hugely complex and fundamentally dysfunctional tax system".

He said reforming taxes to make them simpler would reduce the scope for evasion and free up HMRC resources to focus on fraud.

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Traveller Camps: Eric Pickles Urges Action

Council officers must stop "washing their hands" of dealing with illegal traveller sites and start taking quick and decisive action, the local government secretary has said.

Eric Pickles said councils had the power to shut down encampments but they all too often told people that there was nothing they could do.

New guidelines have been published to outline the legal powers councils and landowners have to remove illegal traveller sites.

These include temporary stop notices to stop and remove unauthorised caravans, injunctions that protect vulnerable land from encampments in advance and possession orders to remove trespassers from land.

It took years for the council to clear Dale Farm in Essex

Mr Pickles has also revoked Labour's Equality and Diversity in Planning guidance, which he said told councils not to take enforcement action against unauthorised travellers.

Mr Pickles said: "I want all councils to be ready to take action straightaway to stop illegal camps and unauthorised sites starting in the first place.

"Decisive action early on saves money and unnecessary upset for local residents.

"We've strengthened councils' powers so they have the confidence to take decisive action.

"Too often, council officers wash their hands, and say nothing can be done. This is not the case.

"The public want to see fair play, with planning rules enforced consistently, rather than special treatment being given to certain groups."

The Dale Farm clear up cost £7m

He said that £60m was being made available to local authorities for new legal traveller sites.

However, Joseph Jones, chairman of the Gypsy Council, accused the Government of reinforcing "negative stereotypes" about travellers.

He told Sky News that the moves were like the Home Office's controversial clampdown on illegal immigrants using a van telling them to go home.

He also referred to the furore over UKIP MEP Godfrey Bloom's "bongo bongo land" comments about foreign aid spending.

He said: "It's creating tension, it's a negative thing to do.

"At the moment it seems like a theme. Recently we have had the Go Home campaign, then we have the bongo bongo thing going on.

"It seems like open season on ethnic minorities."

Eric Pickles has been accused of 'grandstanding' with new guidance

He called on authorities to create more legal sites for travellers.

The move is aimed at preventing another situation like the one at Dale Farm, in Essex, where the council fought a protracted legal battle before bailiffs moved in to evict travellers from the six-acre site.

At the peak of the operation, 308 officers were involved, including those brought in from several other counties and the total cost of the clearance was £7m.

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Hannah Smith: Charge Site Over Death Says Dad

The father of a teenager who killed herself after being bullied online has called for the owners of the website on which she was abused to be charged with manslaughter.

Hannah Smith, 14, from Lutterworth, Leicestershire, took her own life on Friday after being abused on the social network site ask.fm.

Dave Smith has accused the website owners of not caring that "teenagers are dying and killing theirselves".

Speaking to the Daily Mirror in his first on-camera interview since Hannah's death, Mr Smith said: "The people that run it should get done for manslaughter or murder because you try contacting them and they don't care.

"These websites should be got rid of, if nothing else they need to be regulated and they need to stop people from doing this.

Hannah and her best friend Georgia Clarke (R)

"If David Cameron was sitting here now I would want to know why he hasn't done something about this six, 12 - two years ago. Modern technology has gone on but the laws have stuck the same."

Ask.fm allows users to post anonymous questions and messages but has been criticised for not doing enough after several other teenagers took their lives - apparently after receiving abuse on the site.

Hannah committed suicide after repeated messages encouraging her to kill herself and criticising her appearance.

Mr Smith and Hannah's stepmother Deborah said people needed to think more about the effect of their online posts as it emerged their elder daughter Jo has also been the target of abuse on the site.

"How could you?", Mrs Smith said. "People need to stop and think. You can't just sit behind a keyboard and type something and think that doesn't matter. There's a complete lack of emotional intelligence."

Mr Smith added: "There's something not right with the world today that people can tell someone to die so many times that they actually do it."

David Smith with elder daughter Jo

He described his younger daughter was a "bubbly person" and a "pleasure to be around" and revealed he had intervened in the past to stop her being bullied at school.

He also said, on the night before she died, Hannah had told him: "Goodnight Dad, I love you."

"I was 50 miles away in a lorry," said Mr Smith, describing how he found out about her death.

"My brother turned round to me and said 'Hannah's hung herself' and I said 'is she dead?', and he said 'yeah'. I just broke down and turned the lorry round as fast as I could to get back."

Kiran, another youngster who has suffered cyberbullying, told Sky News: "I felt like I was drowning, like I was sinking because all these words were coming in and I had pressures from exams and everything was building up and the cyberbullying really got to me.

"I thought I had people there to help me and support me and actually my own peers were not there to support me they were pushing me down."

He added: "There were times when I felt I didn't want to be here any more."

Hannah received messages criticising her appearance

The Prime Minister promised the Government would look at any action it can take to stop future tragedies like Hannah's death, which he called "an absolutely appalling case".

He also said: "The people that operate these websites have to step up to the plate and show some responsibility.

"There's something all of us as parents and users of the internet can do and that is not use some of these vile sites: boycott them, don't go there, don't join them."

And he warned that people online were not above the law and could be punished for inciting anyone to do harm or become violent.

Ask.fm, based in Latvia, has called Hannah's death a "true tragedy" and said it is cooperating with Leicestershire Police's investigation.

In a statement the site said it actively "encourages users and their parents to report any incidences of bullying", either by using the in-site reporting button, or via the website's contact page.

"All reports are read by our team of moderators to ensure that genuine concerns are heard and acted upon immediately - and we always remove content reported to us that violates our Terms of Service," the statement added.

:: Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 08457 90 90 90 or email jo@samaritans.org.

:: BeatBullying.org is also available for advice and support.

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A&E Crisis: £500m Bailout Over Two Years

Struggling A&E departments in England are to be given a £500m Government bailout to help relieve pressure over the winter months.

The funding, announced by Prime Minister David Cameron, will be spread over the next two years to prepare the service for winter and will include £15m for the troubled 111 phone service.

The emergency care system has come under intense pressure, partly due to a rise in the number of people attending A&E.

Over one million more people attend the departments than three years ago.

David Cameron on a hospital visit in Salford on Thursday

Some experts have blamed issues in primary care, saying patients feel they have nowhere to turn once GP surgeries are closed.

Major problems with the new 111 service for non-urgent care are also thought to have impacted on A&E.

Last month, MPs on the Health Select Committee said plans to tackle problems were not robust enough.

The new funding is aimed at A&E departments identified as being under the most pressure and will be targeted at "pinch points" in local services.

Hospitals have already put forward proposals aimed at improving how the service works, including taking into account how other services feed into it.

One way of relieving pressure could be to minimise A&E attendances and hospital admissions from care homes by appointing hospital specialists in charge of joining up services for the elderly.

Consultants may also be called upon to review patients arriving by ambulance at A&E so that a senior level decision is taken on what care is needed at the earliest opportunity.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt says the money will help units over winter

Mr Cameron said: "With over a million more people visiting A&E in the last three years, services and staff can find themselves under pressure during the busier winter period.

"While A&E departments are performing well this summer and at a level we would expect for this time of year, I want the NHS to take action now to prepare for the coming winter.

"The additional funding will go to hospitals where the pressure will be greatest, with a focus on practical measures that relieve pinch points in local services."

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "This £500m will help A&E departments to prepare for winter and give patients confidence that they can quickly access safe and reliable emergency care."

A spokesman for the British Medical Association (BMA) said: "It is right that the Government is finally listening to the concerns of doctors and patients but, at a time when they are demanding cuts of £20bn across the NHS, this is nothing more than papering over the cracks.

"It is recognition that their austerity programme has hospitals facing ever increasing demands with diminishing resources."

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Two British Women In Acid Attack In Zanzibar

Two teenage British volunteers have had acid thrown in their faces in a late night attack on the island of Zanzibar.

The 18-year-old women were attacked as they were walking through the streets of Stone Town, the historical centre of the capital of the east African island, by two men on a moped.

The acid splashed their faces, chests and hands and they had to be flown to hospital in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, for treatment.

The two teenagers were working with the volunteering organisation i-to-i and had been out there on a four-week trip. They had been due to return home to the UK on Saturday.

Their parents are understood to have been informed.

The island is a popular destination for gap year students doing voluntary work.

Deputy Police Commissioner Mkadam Khamis said: "Police in Zanzibar have launched a manhunt, and we ask for public assistance in identifying the attackers."

He added: "The motive for the attack on the volunteers, aged 18 years, has not been established."

Saleh Mohammed Jidawi, a senior health ministry official, said that the women's wounds were "not life threatening".

The assault is the first against foreigners in the popular tourist destination, however, there have been a series of attacks in the archipelago, mainly on grounds of religion.

A Muslim cleric was subjected to an acid attack in November. In February a Catholic priest was shot dead and in December another priest was shot and wounded.

The Indian Ocean islands, famed for their white sand beaches and historical buildings in Stone Town, listed as a world heritage site by Unesco,  are mainly Muslim, with 3% of the 1.2 million people Christian.

The attack on the island, 22 miles off the coast of Tanzania, came at the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan as people began to celebrate the Eid holiday.

A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: "We are aware of an incident and are providing consular assistance."

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'Bongo Land' Comment Sparks UKIP Racism Row

A senior UKIP politician has been caught on camera saying Britain should not send aid to "bongo bongo land", claiming the recipients lavishly spend the money on luxuries.

Godfrey Bloom, a UKIP MEP, was filmed at a meeting of supporters in the West Midlands saying those who received aid spent the money on "Ray-Ban sunglasses, apartments in Paris, Ferraris and all the rest of it".

The video - obtained by the Guardian newspaper - also shows Mr Bloom railing against the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) for ruling that full life sentences could not be handed down.

In the footage of his July speech at the meeting in Wordsley, near Stourbridge, Mr Bloom says: "How we can possibly be giving a billion pounds a month when we're in this sort of debt to bongo bongo land is completely beyond me.

"To buy Ray-Ban sunglasses, apartments in Paris, Ferraris and all the rest of it that goes with most of the foreign aid. F18s for Pakistan. We need a new squadron of F18s. Who's got the squadrons? Pakistan, where we send the money."

A UKIP spokesman told the newspaper Mr Bloom's comments were being "discussed right at the very highest level of the party".

Later in the speech, but in the same video displayed on the Guardian's website, he says in reference to the ECHR ruling: "You can torture people to death but you jolly well can't give them a full life sentence because that's against their human rights.

"We can't hang them because we're now a member of the European Union and it's embedded in the treaty of Rome.

"It's a personal thing, but I'd hang the bastards myself.

"Especially for some of these, especially for the guy who hacked the soldier to death. I do hope they would ask me to throw the rope over the beam because I'd be delighted to do so."

Mr Bloom told the newspaper that his comments were not racist.

He said: "What's wrong with that? I'm not a wishy-washy Tory. I don't do political correctness. The fact that the Guardian is reporting this will probably double my vote in the north of England."

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Outcry As Girl Called 'Sex Predator' By Judge

A paedophile who avoided jail after a judge and prosecutor described his 13-year-old victim as "predatory" in court could have his sentence reviewed.

Neil Wilson, 41, was handed an eight-month suspended sentence and walked free from court on Monday.

But the case has prompted an outcry from children's charities and his sentence is now being examined by the Attorney General's office.

It will decide whether it should ask the Court of Appeal to consider whether the punishment was unduly lenient.

Prosecutor Robert Colover reportedly told Snaresbrook Crown Court in London: "The girl is predatory in all her actions and she is sexually experienced."

Passing sentence, Judge Nigel Peters then said he had taken into account that the girl looked and behaved "a little bit older" than she was.

"The girl was predatory and was egging you on. That is no defence when dealing with children but I am prepared to impose a suspension," he said. 

Wilson, now living in York, had watched the girl strip out of her school uniform at his home in Romford, Essex, before she performed a sex act on him.

He admitted two counts of making extreme pornographic images and one count of sexual activity with a child.

Judge Peters told Wilson: "Allowing her to visit your home is something we have to clamp down on and in normal circumstances that would mean a significant term in prison."

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has said the language used by its prosecutor was "inappropriate".

A spokesman said: "The transgressor in this case was the defendant and he bears responsibility for his criminal acts."

More than 4,000 people have already signed a petition set up by a campaigner working on behalf of sex abuse victims calling for a review.

She wrote on the Change.org website: "I'm a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. I could have been that 13-year-old girl who the judge and prosecutor described as 'predatory'.

"I have seen first-hand how this kind of victim-blaming prevents women from coming forward and protects men who commit these crimes."

'Completely appalling': Caroline Criado-Perez

The NSPCC warned that the case was part of a wider pattern about how child sex abuse cases are treated in the courts.

Alan Wardle, head of corporate affairs, said: "It was quite clear in the case the predator was the man who was in the dock, not a 13-year-old child, and it is quite clear that a 13-year-old child cannot be complicit in her own abuse.

"Making sure that judges and barristers in all these cases are properly trained and understand the nature of child sexual abuse and how children are groomed in these sort of cases is important."

A spokesman for Barnardo's added: "It is plain wrong to imply in any way that the experiences of sexually exploited children are something they bring on themselves."

Victim Support's chief executive Javed Khan said: "Victims of sexual abuse should be praised for their bravery in coming forward, not censured and have their credibility called into question - least of all by the prosecution.

"It is traumatic enough for anyone who is brought to court to face their abuser, but particularly so when this is a young vulnerable person. It is completely unacceptable for victims to be blamed in any way for the abuse they have suffered."

Caroline Criado-Perez, who received rape threats following her calls for Jane Austen to be the face on the £10 bank note, called the judge's decision "completely appalling".

She told Sky News: "It's really worrying that we're in the 21st century and we're still suggesting victims can be complicit in their abuse which is basically what calling a 13-year-old child a sexually predator is.

"I don't think you can ever call a child a sexual predator because they are a child. They are below the age of consent. We have laws specifically because of this kind of thing so that you can't say a child is responsible for her abuse.

"This adds to the horror that has happened to her. She has been abused and now we are blaming her for it. It's just unconscionable."

The Attorney General said a decision on whether the case is referred to the Court of Appeal will be made within 28 days.

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Violent Twitter Abuse: Man, 32, Arrested

Police have arrested a 32-year-old man in connection with violent abuse on Twitter directed at a female MP and a campaigner.

The suspect was held in Bristol following allegations made by Labour MP Stella Creasy and campaigner Caroline Criado-Perez.

He will be questioned at a local police station on suspicion of committing an offence under the Protection from Harassment Act.

Ms Criado-Perez received threats online after campaigning to have Jane Austen as the face on the £10 bank note.

Ms Creasy became a target after expressing her support, and has since been leading a "Take Back Twitter" campaign.

A number of female journalists later came forward to report a series of rape and bomb threats.

The suspect is the third person arrested over the aggressive stream of messages.

The arrest came as Scotland Yard's e-crime unit examined allegations of abuse made by eight people on the site.

The episode has prompted calls for Twitter to beef up its security procedures.

More than 120,000 people have signed a petition urging Twitter to implement tighter processes to protect its users.

The site has moved to clarify its rules on abusive behaviour and drafted in extra staff to handle attacks by trolls.

It has said it plans to make reporting abuse easier by bringing a "report abuse" function already available on the iPhone app version of the micro-blogging site to other phones and platforms.

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Hannah Smith Suicide: Father Attacks Ask.fm

A 14-year-old girl killed herself after being abused by "trolls" on a social networking site, her father has said.

Hannah Smith died on Friday in Lutterworth in Leicestershire after being "cyber-bullied" on the question-and-answer website ask.fm.

Her father Dave has called on authorities to close down the site after he saw some of the abuse that he believes drove his daughter to take her own life.

The site, which is popular with teenagers, allows users to anonymously post comments or questions on another person's profile.

In the weeks leading up to her death Hannah received messages criticising her appearance and telling her to kill herself.

Then, the day before she took her own life, she posted a picture online which read: "You think you want to die, but in reality you just want to be saved."

Writing on Facebook, her father said: "On Friday morning my daughter was found hanged ... (I saw) her ask.fm account and someone had been telling her to die.

"I have just seen the abuse my daughter got from people on ask.fm and the fact that these people can be anonymous is wrong.

Hannah had got messages telling her to kill herself. Pic: RIP Hannah Smith

"The person that created this website should be done for manslaughter. Any parents that have children please don't let them go on this site."

Although people wanting to use ask.fm have to register an email address, name and date of birth, those posting messages can choose to do so without revealing their identity.

Leicestershire Police said a computer and mobile phone had been taken as part of the investigation into Hannah's death.

The teenager's death is not the first time that ask.fm, which is based in Latvia, has been criticised.

Ciara Pugsley, 15, and Erin Gallagher, 13, from Ireland, took their own lives in separate incidents last year after being bullied on the site.

A petition urging action against ask.fm and similar sites has now been set up on the Government's e-petition website.

It claims activity on the site "has led to bullying, mental health problems and suicides as well as grooming".

"(Users) are able to join from the age of 13 and can post anonymously," says the petition.

"There is no option to block other users and only a basic 'report' button."

Hannah's death comes after high-profile criticism of Twitter for not doing enough to deal with abuse, threats and trolling on the site.

Sky News has contacted ask.fm for comment and is waiting for a response.

:: Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 08457 90 90 90 or email jo@samaritans.org.

:: BeatBullying.org is also available for advice and support.

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Owners Of Killer Dogs May Face Life In Prison

The owners of killer dogs could face life in prison - an increase from the current maximum of two years - under new sentencing proposals.

Higher sentences for owners who allow their dogs to attack members of the public have been put out by the Government for consultation.

Life imprisonment is one option, while 10 years is the maximum term suggested for the owner of a dog which injures a person or kills an assistance dog, such as a guide dog for the blind.

Some 16 people have been killed by dangerous dogs since 2005, including 14-year-old Jade Anderson who was savaged by four dogs as she was visiting the home of a friend near Wigan in March.

Animal welfare minister Lord de Mauley said: "Dog attacks are terrifying and we need harsh penalties to punish those who allow their dog to injure people while out of control."

In February, the Government said it would introduce new measures to tackle out-of-control dogs by changing the law to ensure owners can be prosecuted regardless of where their dog attacks.

Jade Anderson was savaged by four dogs at a house near Wigan

The new consultation will run to September 1 and will be used to inform recommendations put forward in the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU), which represents postmen and women and telecoms engineers, who suffer around 5,000 dog attacks each year, welcomed the consultation.

CWU general secretary Billy Hayes said: "Current sentencing arrangements do not match the serious nature of offences.

"Sixteen people have been killed since 2005 by dogs, yet the maximum prison sentence is just two years.

"Only one person has ever been imprisoned for a dog attack on a postal worker and as the fatality rate from dog attacks grows, sentencing must get tougher."

Last month, Jade Anderson's parents, along with the parents of four-year-old John Paul Massey, who died after his uncle's pitbull attacked him in 2009, handed in a petition at 10 Downing Street calling for David Cameron to take action to prevent more attacks.

They called for preventative measures and education to put a stop to the 210,000 attacks and 6,000 hospital visits caused by dangerous dogs each year.

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Python Attack: Snake Kills Two Sleeping Boys

A python that escaped from a pet shop has killed two children by asphyxiating them in their sleep in eastern Canada.

The two boys - named locally as Noah Barthe, five, and his brother Connor, seven - were at a sleepover at their best friend's flat in the town of Campbellton when they were attacked by the snake.

The animal had escaped from the Reptile Ocean pet shop run by family friend Jean-Claude Savoie, located on the ground floor of the building.

The shop specialises in exotic pets.

Police outside the exotic pet store in Campbellton (Pic: CBC News)

Police said the African rock python entered the upstairs apartment via the two-storey building's ventilation system.

The boys were sleeping in the living room when they were attacked by the snake early on Monday morning.

"The preliminary investigation has led police to believe that a large exotic snake had escaped its enclosure at the store," the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said in a statement.

"(It) got into the ventilation system, then into the upstairs apartment. It's believed the two boys were strangled by the snake."

The boys' mother, Mandy Trecartin, lives close to the Reptile Ocean store. She is a good friend of the shop owner and regularly let her sons stay over there.

An example of an African rock python (file pic)

Mr Savoie, who described the dead brothers as "like an extended family", told Global News that he found a "horrific scene" when he checked on the boys at about 6am.

"I thought they were sleeping and I've seen the hole in the ceiling, (and) everything has fallen. I turn the lights on and I've seen this horrific scene," Mr Savoie said.

"I have so many mixed emotions right now. I can't believe this is real."

The python has been recaptured.

The local community expressed shock at what had happened. One neighbour said: "We could not believe that something like this could happen, but it has happened."

Connor Barthe (L) and Noah Barthe (Pic: Facebook / Mandy Trecartin)

But another Campbellton resident was less sympathetic. She said: "The fact that you have an apartment with animals like that below, the risk is always there."

Experts said attacks on humans by exotic snakes are extremely rare and, according to local officials, the reptile owner was fully licenced.

Exotic snake seller Alexandre Tremblay suggested the snake was "way under-fed and badly housed".

"For a snake to be able to get out of that size it just has to be really hungry and not in good conditions. Because usually snakes are very easy-going ... it's rare that snakes get out," he told Sky News.

Post-mortem examinations on the two boys' bodies are due to be carried out today.

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Test Tube Burger To Face First Tasting

By Alex Watts, Sky News Online

The world's first test tube burger, costing a whopping £220,000, is to be unveiled today in London.

The 5oz patty - made from lab-grown "cultured beef" - will be dished up by its creator, Professor Mark Post, before journalists at a secret location in the west of the capital.

The scientist-turned-chef made the most expensive beefburger in history from 20,000 tiny strips of meat grown from cow stem cells.

Few details of today's slice of culinary and scientific history have been released.

All that is known is the burger will be fried in a pan, possibly by a celebrity chef, and tasted by two volunteers, one of whom may be the anonymous philanthropist who paid for the research.

Professor Post reckons commercial production could begin within 20 years

The mystery benefactor was described by Professor Post last year as a household name with a track record of "turning everything into gold".

Professor Post believes his artificial meat - known by the rather unappetising title "in-vitro meat" - could herald a food revolution and appear in supermarkets within the next 10 to 20 years.

It could also help save the planet by cutting the billions of tonnes of greenhouse gases currently released by livestock, and may also be deemed ethically acceptable by vegetarians because it would dramatically reduce the need to slaughter animals.

But its success or failure will ultimately depend on how much it resembles the taste, texture and price of real meat.

Synthetic beef (centre) with hamburger meat (left) and minced beef (right)

Up until now, the only outsider known to have eaten the synthetic meat is a Russian reporter who snatched a piece of cultured pork and stuffed it in his mouth during a visit to Professor Post's lab - before it had been passed as safe to eat.

He was reportedly unimpressed by the pork, describing it as "chewy and tasteless".

Professor Post's team at the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands conducted experiments which progressed from mouse meat to pork and finally beef - the most environmentally destructive meat.

"What we are going to attempt is important because I hope it will show cultured beef has the answers to major problems that the world faces," he said.

"Our burger is made from muscle cells taken from a cow. We haven't altered them in any way. For it to succeed it has to look, feel and hopefully taste like the real thing."

The in-vitro burger is cultured from cattle stem cells

The ingredients don't sound like something a chef would boast about on a menu - half-millimetre thick strips of pinkish yellow lab-grown tissue, each the size of a rice grain.

But Professor Post is confident he can produce a burger that is almost indistinguishable from one made from prime beef.

He points out that livestock farming is becoming unsustainable, with demand for meat rocketing around the world.

The industry accounts for nearly 20% of all greenhouse gas emissions - even greater than transport - with 228 million tonnes of meat produced each year.

And the environmental problems are only likely to get worse, with the UN forecasting that world demand for meat will double by 2050, largely driven by an increased demand from a growing middle class in China and other developing nations.

Added to this, around 70% of all farmland is devoted to meat production, and cattle consume around 10% of the world's freshwater supplies, making meat farming a very costly, planet-damaging business.

The hashtag for the event will be #culturedbeef

Experts say 1kg of meat requires up to 10kg of crops to produce, making it a highly inefficient method of turning plants into human food, whereas synthetic meat uses about 2kg of feed.

Research by Oxford University scientists in 2011 estimated that cultured meat needs 99% less land than livestock, between 82% and 96% less water, and produces between 78% and 95% less greenhouse gas.

The burger launched today has cost 250,000 euros (£220,000) to produce, but the Dutch team are hoping to dramatically slash the cost by industrialising the laborious process.

The Food Standards Agency said that before going on sale, synthetic meat would need regulatory approval, with manufacturers needing to prove that all necessary safety tests had been carried out.

:: The event will be streamed live on the Sky News website from 1pm today.

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Venice Beach Video: Car Crash On Boardwalk

A woman on honeymoon was killed when a driver ploughed his car into tourists on California's famous Venice Beach.

Alice Gruppioni, 32, whose wedding was on July 20, was hit by a man who drove on to the boardwalk "bent on evil" and apparently aiming at pedestrians.

Ms Gruppioni, from Bologna, Italy, died in hospital. Her father Valerio Gruppioni was former president of Bologna football team and runs Sira group, which makes radiators.

Eleven other people were injured in the incident on Saturday night. One is said to be critical in hospital, two are in a serious condition and the eight others were treated for more minor injuries.

Police patrol Venice Beach after the attack

One witness, Daniel Regidor, 50, told the Los Angeles Times: "A car ploughed through the boardwalk. [There were] people screaming, running. I was half a mile from the scene, but you could see just this mass of people trying to get out of the way.... Just a lot of people screaming.... It was horrible.

"I saw somebody flying up in the air. When I came upon the scene, there were a bunch of people on the ground, bloodied."

Louisa Hodge, 35, who witnessed the crash, said: "There were people kind of stumbling around, blood dripping down their legs looking confused not knowing what had happened, people screaming.

"It was blocks and blocks of people just strewn across the sidewalk."

The 38-year-old driver, Nathan Campbell, has been charged with murder.

Flowers for Ms Gruppioni were laid at the scene

Los Angeles Police Department Commander Andy Smith said: "There is no indication that he knew anybody he hit. It looks like this guy wanted to run over a bunch of people. One guy bent on doing evil."

Campbell is being held on a $1m (£655,000) bond .

CCTV footage showed a man parking his black vehicle alongside the seaside boardwalk and watching the scene for several minutes before getting back into the car and speeding into the crowd.

He fled the scene but later turned himself in at Santa Monica police station.

Venice Beach boardwalk, a 1.5-mile stretch that runs along the sand, is home to galleries, restaurants and tattoo shops.

It can draw as many as 150,000 people on summer weekends and is popular with joggers and inline skaters.

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Gazza Arrives At Court To Face Assault Charges

Paul Gascoigne is appearing at Stevenage Magistrates' Court after being charged with two counts of common assault.

The ex-footballer, 46, was also charged with being drunk and disorderly on July 4.

The former Newcastle United and Tottenham midfielder, who lives in Gateshead, was arrested after officers were called to Stevenage rail station in Hertfordshire at around 10.30pm that evening.

Gascoigne received treatment for alcoholism in an American clinic earlier this year.

More to follow ...

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Childcare Scheme To Help Working Parents

Families where both parents are in work could soon be offered taxpayer-funded help with childcare.

The Government is to announce a formal consultation on the introduction of a £1bn scheme, set to be introduced in 2015.

It is proposed that the online vouchers will be worth up to £1,200 per child, according to the Sunday Telegraph.

For every 80p families pay in, the Government will put in 20p up to an annual limit for each child of £1,200.

The support will benefit around 2.5 million households.

And even families with a combined income of up to £300,000 will be able to get the payments.

The issue of childcare has proven tricky for the coalition

However, about 1.2 million households where one parent - mostly mothers - stays at home will not be eligible for the help.

The scheme will be introduced for children under five by 2015 and extended to cover all those under 12 by 2020, under current plans.

Lower-income families where both parents work will get extra payments that will cover up to 85% of their childcare costs, compared with the current 70%.

The Treasury will invite comments on the plans on Monday.

Sharon Hodgson MP, Labour's shadow minister for children and families said: "Only David Cameron's Government could be so out of touch that they expect families to be grateful for help with childcare in 2015 when they've already seen costs spiralling and support taken away.

"This Government has hit hardworking parents. Families with two children have already lost up to £1,500 in childcare tax credit.

"This Government promised to be the most family friendly ever but hardworking parents have lost out while millionaires get a tax cut."

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Thomas Ousby: Briton Dies In Spain Hotel Fall

A British teenager has died after falling from a hotel in Spain.

Thomas Ousby, 19, died after falling from a fire escape on the ninth floor of a four-star hotel in Magaluf, Majorca, according to reports.

Mr Ousby, who was believed to be staying at another hotel, had spoken about returning to the UK days before his death on Thursday.

The aspiring model and musician from London wrote on Twitter: "Magas all good, coming home sometime this week tho."

He told friends he was promoting bars and boat trips at the party resort, tweeting in June: "Crazy times haha! It's all good selling tickets for bar crawls n boat parties."

A tribute to the teenager

Tributes flooded on to the social networking site, including a picture of his name spelled out in tea-light candles.

Lily Delphine, 18, a film student from London, wrote: "I wish we were all together again", adding, "On the balcony with everyone, having a cheeky drink and listening to toms ipod."

Danielle McCabe tweeted: "Thomas William Ousby has the most amazing energy I've ever met in a person, I truly adore him and cannot understand why he's not here."

Milena wrote: "I will treasure every fond memory. Every morning you woke us up singing and dancing. Every 'hii guyss' through the window. Every big smile."

A spokesman for the Atlantic Park hotel in Magaluf, where the incident is reported to have happened, refused to comment.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We were notified on August 3 of the death of a British national in Spain and are providing consular assistance to the family at this time."

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Bolton Pensioner Suffers Stroke After Attack

A pensioner suffered a stroke after he was robbed and "savagely" beaten in his own home, police have said.

The 87-year-old was subjected to the "ferocious assault" when he was woken up by a man who broke into his home on Longfield Road in Bolton, Greater Manchester, in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The intruder prised open the living room window and climbed through. He then made his way upstairs into the victim's bedroom and turned the light on.

Startled, the pensioner was confronted by the thief who demanded money and then punched the victim several times in the face.

After stealing the man's bank book, wallet and cheque book from the pensioner's bedside cabinet, the thief then fled.

The victim managed to call the police despite his injuries.

Police are now hunting the offender and are appealing to anyone with information to come forward.

Detective Inspector Denise Pye said: "This man was awoken, only to find an intruder standing over him making threats.

"Before he knew what was happening, he was savagely attacked and as a result of this ferocious assault, he sustained a stroke and has been diagnosed with a bleed to his brain.

"He is currently in a serious condition in hospital and is being treated for his injuries. Our thoughts are with him and we hope he makes a recovery.

"This was clearly a shocking crime and I'm sure people in this community will rightly be outraged at what has happened.

"That is why we are appealing to anyone living in this area who might have information about what happened to come forward.

"Whatever information you may have could be crucial to finding the offender and ensuring justice is done.

"I urge people in the strongest terms that if they do know something or have any suspicions about who may be involved that they call us."

:: Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101, 0161 856 5599 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

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