Manchester Is 'The Winner Of Immigration'

By Nick Martin, Sky News Correspondent

Britain's cultural make-up can only benefit from immigration, according to academics who say history proves that migration is good for the country.

Language, the arts, fashion, architecture and food are just some of the areas that have been influenced by the scores of nationalities which have arrived in Britain in the last century, according to Dr James Hopkins from Manchester University.

In Manchester, where more than 200 languages are spoken, the cultural fabric of the city is changing constantly.

"We are the winners from immigration, there's no doubt about that," said Dr Hopkins.

"Immigration has built cities like Manchester and migrants have brought skills but much, much more.

"They have brought the foods they love and the types of clothes they wear and they have influenced what we all chose to do in our own lives."

Manchester's Chinatown

There is also evidence that the recent influx of migrants from eastern European nations like Poland and Slovakia is already changing musical tastes.

Matt Ward of Piccadilly Records said: "People are meeting new people all the time and to understand more about where they are from they are turning to the music of that country. This is bringing people together in the more amazing way."

But it is perhaps tastes in food, which have been shaped by traditions and ingredients commonly used overseas, that have changed the most.

The Barbakan Delicatessen

In the Barbakan Delicatessen, founded more than 40 years ago and now one of Britain's oldest delis, they sell 45 different types of bread and attract all types of nationalities.

Owner Stefan Najuch said: "The Poles aren't just eating polish food, the Italians aren't just eating in Italian restaurants - they're all eating across the board.

"This is all because of immigration, it's great and it's great for business."

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Mystery Blonde Girl: Greece Charity In Appeal

An international search is under way to identify the parents of a blonde girl found in the care of a couple on a Roma camp in Greece.

DNA tests have shown the four-year-old is not related to the couple - and their accounts of how she came to be living with them differ.

Police found the girl, who recognises the name Maria, during a raid on the camp, in Farsala, central Greece, on Wednesday.

She has now been taken into the care of a Greek charity called The Smile Of The Child, which has put out a Europe-wide alert.

A poster released to help find the girl's parents

A statement from the charity said: "The features of the girl and the controversial claims of the persons who claimed to be the parents of the child led the authorities to collect a DNA sample test.

"The results of DNA testing proved that these people are not the biological parents of the child.

"The Smile of the Child in co-operation with national police authorities is taking all necessary steps to inform the competent actors at national and international level."

The director of The Smile Of The Child praised an observant prosecutor who went on the camp raid along with dozens of police.

Costas Giannopoulos told Greece's Skai TV: "She saw a little blond head poking out from under the bedclothes. It struck her as odd, and that's how it all started."

The girl recognises the name Maria

Apparently, the couple's various excuses included that the girl was found in a blanket and that she was handed to them by strangers. They later claimed she had a foreign father.

Maria is described as: born around 2009, white, with blue eyes, long blonde hair, 100cm tall and weighing 17kg.

The couple - a 39-year-old man and a 40-year-old woman - have been arrested and are now under investigation for abduction and falsifying identity and family certificates.

The couple claimed to have a total 14 children, police said, and had registered different numbers with authorities in three different parts of Greece. Including Maria, the couple only actually had four.

The woman is also said to have claimed to have given birth to six children within a space of less than 10 months.

Police say they also found drugs and unregistered firearms in other parts of the camp, which is about 170 miles (280km) north of Athens.

Officers are now working on the theory that, because of her appearance, Maria may be northern or eastern European.

The case, which some people have likened to the Madeleine McCann disappearance, has raised concerns about how easy it appeared to be for people to get official documents for children who are not their own.

A spokesman for Madeleine's family said: "This gives Kate and Gerry great hope that Madeleine could be found alive."

The Smile Of The Child director Costas Giannopoulos said Maria was being examined by doctors.

"We are shocked by how easy it is for people to register children as their own," he told the Greek TV station Skai.

"There is much more to investigate ... and I believe police will unravel a thread that doesn't just have to do with the girl."

Greece has only acquired a central system of registration for births in the last five months.

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China: Man 'Kills Pregnant Wife And Family'

A man has been arrested over fatally stabbing his pregnant wife and six of her relatives, including her parents, grandparents and two young nieces.

Ma Yongdong was captured by police in China's northwest autonomous region of Ningxia.

State media said the 24-year-old had quarrelled with his wife, Lan Xiaohong, who was six months pregnant.

Later that day he went to her parents' home in a village in Pengyang county and killed seven people including his wife and in-laws following an argument.

The youngest victims were aged four and one.

Ningxia police offered cash rewards of up to 100,000 yuan (£10,145) for information leading to Ma's arrest.

They said on their official microblog he had admitted the killings following his capture.

Police posted one photo of him in handcuffs as he was being interrogated and another of him being taken back to Pengyang county.

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Kenya Mall Attack: New Video Of The Gunmen

New CCTV footage has emerged from inside the Nairobi shopping mall showing how the attackers calmly shot people before taking time out to pray.

The video shows shoppers running away from the gunmen and dropping to the floor as bullets fly through the air.

At one point an injured man, who is bleeding heavily, is seen trying to pull himself to safety before apparently being shot again and then dying.

The silent video is taken from a number of CCTV cameras around the upmarket Westgate Mall in Kenya's capital and was obtained by CNN.

It appears that the footage was taken on September 21, the first day of a four-day siege, which left at least 67 people dead.

The attackers are also shown taking in turns to pray in what appears to be a store room.

Another section shows two militants casually walking through a supermarket while firing their guns and then talking on their mobile phones.

A woman with two children and pushing another in a shopping trolley are seen walking past a line of tills before a teenage girl follows them with a gunman behind her pointing the way.

It is believed they were all eventually released.

The al Qaeda-linked group al Shabaab claimed the attack was in retaliation for Kenyan military operations in Somalia.

Five of the attackers were killed by security forces.

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Toddler Dies In House Fire In South Yorkshire

A toddler has died following a house fire in South Yorkshire, police have said.

A neighbour alerted the emergency services to the blaze in Don Street, Conisbrough, near Doncaster, shortly before 8pm on Thursday.

The two-year-old girl was rescued from a bedroom window by firefighters, but she died later in hospital.

Police say no-one else was injured in the blaze.

The fire broke out in an upstairs bedroom

"A two-year-old girl was taken to hospital where sadly she died from her injuries," a spokesman for South Yorkshire Police said.

"Police believe that no-one else was injured during the incident and inquiries are ongoing to establish the exact circumstances around the fire."

A statement from South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said two crews battled the fire.

"A team of firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the property and located the fire in an upstairs bedroom," it said.

"A young child was rescued from the bedroom but sadly died."

An investigation has been launched into the cause of the fire.

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Slavery Fight To Stop Traffickers Steps Up

Slavery Victims' Nightmare Stories

Updated: 6:45am UK, Friday 18 October 2013

By Liz Lane, Sky News Reporter

The safe house in southern England, where up to half a dozen women live at any time, has seen many human trafficking victims walk through its door in the six years it has been operating.

But Victims' Minister Damian Green's visit this week was the first time a man has been allowed in. It is run by Hestia, via the Salvation Army, and is the only place the women feel truly safe.

Two of those living in the house (not their real names) tell their stories to Sky News:

Rita, 25, from Nigeria

Rita's trafficker spent several years grooming her as she worked selling food on the side of a road in Nigeria with her mother. He befriended the family and persuaded her parents he could get her a job in Europe as a waitress or nanny.

As soon as Rita arrived in Germany, her trafficker's manner changed. He told her she would have to work as a prostitute to pay back her travel costs, then made her have sex with another girl and filmed it. Rita was beaten if she resisted the men who paid to have sex with her.

Her ordeal continued when she and three other girls were brought to the UK on a boat. She was repeatedly raped at the house where she was held, and told she would be killed, as would her family, if she tried to escape.

Rita says she only found the courage to do so in April this year, with the help of another trafficking victim. They took their chance when their captors were out and those supposed to be guarding them began to inject drugs.

The two girls grabbed shoes and a coat and ran into the streets where in their panic they became separated. Rita was eventually helped to a police station, and taken to the safe house, which she now calls home. This week she has been been granted refugee status.

Jenny, 20, from Albania

Jenny, the eldest of three girls, comes from a very poor family in Albania. Her home life turned even more difficult when her mother started a relationship with an extremely violent man.

Over the course of a year, Jenny became friends with a young man who came regularly to buy vegetables from her. At the age of 17, when she felt that her two younger sisters were old enough to cope without her, she agreed to leave for Italy with him. The man, who she regarded as her boyfriend, promised her a new life.

Almost as soon as they crossed the border his attitude changed completely.

She was taken to a house, gang raped, and then kept against her will in a basement with other girls, and forced to work as a prostitute.

Two years later she was sold to a group of Romanian men who arranged to have her trafficked to the UK in the back of a lorry.

After days of travelling, and while the lorry was stationary, Jenny found a piece of metal and managed to rip through the side and escape. She shouted for help, and was taken to the nearest police station.

Since Jenny has lived in the safe house, she has been reunited with her two younger sisters.

In an incredible coincidence, they were living nearby, in the UK. They had escaped Albania after the middle sister, too, was sold into prostitution, this time by the stepfather.

The three are now living safely near each other in England, thousands of miles from what was their home.

:: Immigration UK: A week of special coverage on Sky from October 14 to 18 - watch on Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202, Freeview 82, Skynews.com and Sky News for iPad

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Teachers' Strike Closes Thousands Of Schools

Thousands of schools in England have been closed or are facing serious disruptions after teachers walked out in a row over pay, pensions and working conditions.

The industrial action - organised by the NASUWT and the National Union of Teachers - is being staged in the North East, Cumbria, the South West, South East and London.

NASUWT general secretary Chris Keates said that the "overwhelming majority" of teachers in each of these areas would be on strike.

She said: "No teacher has any wish to inconvenience parents or disrupt pupils' education, but this action is not the failure or due to the unreasonableness of teachers.

"It is the failure and unreasonableness of the Secretary of State (Michael Gove), who day-in, day-out is disrupting the education of children and young people through his attacks on the teaching profession."

The Government condemned the move, saying it was "disappointed" the unions had decided to strike.

A Department for Education spokeswoman said: "All strikes will do is disrupt parents' lives, hold back children's education and damage the reputation of the profession."

The unions are opposed to Government plans to allow schools to set teachers' salaries, linked to performance in the classroom, and argue that pension changes will leave their members working longer, paying in more and receiving less when they retire.

They also accuse the Government of attacking their working conditions, including introducing reforms that will allow schools to have longer school days and longer terms.

Research published earlier this month by the Varkey GEMS Foundation revealed that the British public think teachers should be paid around 15% more than their current salaries.

Almost three-quarters (74%) were in favour of performance-related pay for teachers, according to the study.

Regional strikes have already taken place in the North West on June 27, and in the East of England, the East Midlands, West Midlands, Yorkshire and Humberside on October 1.

Plans for a national one-day walkout before Christmas have also been announced by the two unions.

The latest action comes days after a major international report put England 22nd out of 24 western countries on literacy and numeracy.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development found England was performing worse than nations including Estonia and Slovakia.

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English Not The First Language In 240 Schools

By David Crabtree, Midlands Correspondent

There are 240 schools in England where over 90% of students do not speak English as a first language, according to official figures analysed by Sky News.

In the last academic year, Department of Education census figures reveal five primary schools in England - of nearly 17,000 in total - had no native speakers, with 100% of their pupils speaking English as a second language.

Sky News has visited one of the five schools - the Sacred Heart Primary School in Tipton, West Midlands - which has since admitted three native speakers.

Staff at the primary school believe they have a winning formula for teaching children from a diverse community.

English is the second language for 95% of the school's 128 pupils - the vast majority of them with parents from Pakistan or Bangladesh.

Children are encouraged to speak in English in school

Sacred Heart Primary has recently won a regional award for its inclusive policy and standards of education.

Head teacher Melanie Gee told Sky News she takes a pragmatic approach: "Our school is really no different to any other. We have a curriculum and all the lessons are taught in English.

"We have got bilingual staff. Children in the very early days will probably communicate to the staff in nursery in their home language, but within a couple of weeks we find that they are communicating in English.

"The majority of our bilingual staff, if we use them, are actually to communicate more with the parents rather than with the children."

The school has children who speak Urdu, Bengali, Punjabi, French, Polish and Tamil as well as English.

Helen Pflaumer, ethnic minority achievement leader at Sacred Heart, said they encourage the children to interact with staff in English the majority of the time.

"There may be an occasion where if they want to discuss something in more depth we can say use your home language if that's going to be easier for you.

"But obviously we tend to feed back in English largely because of the English speaking teachers. The children pick up English so quickly and they and the parents are very happy about that."

Occasionally, says Ms Gee, they need to bring in an interpreter which stretches the budget. But she maintains that it never compromises the running of the school.

 :: Immigration UK: A week of special coverage on Sky from October 14 to 18 - watch on Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202, Freeview 82, Skynews.com and Sky News for iPad

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Energy Bills: British Gas Ups Prices By 9.2%

British Gas has become the second major supplier of household energy to announce a rise in its prices - by an average 9.2%.

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New Laws Make Moving To Australia Tougher

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent

New laws in Australia have made things tougher for skilled Brits wanting to work Down Under.

The Australian government has clamped down on the popular 457 visa which allows foreign workers to move to the country for up to four years.

The visa is especially popular with British managers, professionals, technicians and trades people who want a new life in Australia along with their families.

Almost half of those on the visa eventually end up settling in Australia permanently.

Recent restrictions however have meant even those already living in Australia on the 457 visa are finding life harder.

A tax incentive called the Living Away From Home Allowance has been scrapped, and some states charge visa-holders to put their children through schools, which are free for locals.

Adam Marshall moved to Sydney three years ago

Adam Marshall and his family moved to Sydney on the visa three years ago. He told Sky News: "It's not been a great financial move for us really.

"If I'd known how much it was going to cost in real terms I'm not sure whether we would have made the move. It's hard to say in retrospect, because we love living here."

The previous Labor government brought in the changes, claiming the visa was being abused by some employers looking for cheaper foreign workers.

New legislation now requires companies to spend longer looking for Australians to fill vacancies, and application fees for the visa have increased dramatically.

A hard-hitting TV campaign was recently launched by Australia's Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU), featuring workers which the union claims have had their livelihoods threatened by abuses of the 457 visa system.

Union national secretary Dave Noonan said: "We've had lots of workers who are Australian citizens or residents who tell us they have been applying for work, they are skilled people and they haven't been able to get work, and they know this same employer is bringing in people on 457s."

Many employers however disagree, and hope the new conservative government led by Prime Minister Tony Abbott will relax the legislation.

IT and computing are areas which have traditionally sourced highly skilled employees from abroad using the 457 visa.

Peter Acheson, who runs Australia's biggest IT recruitment company Peoplebank, told Sky News the crackdown on the 457 visa was stifling business.

"I think it's ironic, there is all the talk about the digital economy, the future of the online world which is IT driven, yet on the other hand we are saying we are going to make it difficult for Australia to source IT people.

"I think that's highly ironic and ultimately Australia is going to be the loser out of this I think unless the legislation is changed."

A recent survey by Migration Council Australia questioned 3,800 visa-holders and 1,600 businesses. The report revealed that 457 workers have a high level of job satisfaction, demonstrating that they are integrating well into the Australian workforce.

Migration Council Australia chief executive Carla Wilshire said the findings showed the 457 visa programme is critical in keeping Australia competitive in an era when industry is global and 98% of innovation happens outside of Australia.

She said: "Four out of five multinational companies are using 457 visa holders to train and develop Australian workers.

"The survey results reinforce the message that skills transfer and knowledge from 457 visa-holders play an important role in building Australia's human capital.

"Temporary migration does not just fill skills shortages, it addresses skills deficits and plays a central part in workplace development at the enterprise level."

:: Immigration UK: A week of special coverage on Sky from October 14 to 18 - watch on Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202, Freeview 82, Skynews.com and Sky News for iPad

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Immigration: 'One In Five Marriages A Sham'

By Mark White, Home Affairs Correspondent

Up to one in five marriages conducted in civil ceremonies in parts of the country may be bogus, one of Britain's most senior registrars has warned.

In an interview with Sky News, Mark Rimmer, the chairman of the Local Registration Services Association, said 20% of weddings in urban areas were suspicious - the worst it has ever been.

Home Office figures show the number of reported cases has tripled in the last three years to 1,800.

But Mr Rimmer said the number of sham marriages - which were likely an attempt to gain residence in the UK - reported to the authorities was "the tip of the iceberg" and that official figures are a "drop in the ocean" compared with the full scale of the problem.

He said the issue is now worse than in 2004 when the first legislation to combat the phenomenon was introduced and that registrars are having to conduct ceremonies they suspect to be bogus "through gritted teeth".

"We have seen huge increases in potential sham marriages presenting themselves to us, we now have more reports from registrars going to the Home Office, but I think that is the tip of a very large iceberg, and effectively the real scale of the problem is far greater than that that is reported to the Home Office officially.

"Most registration officers are not immigration officers, they came into this business to facilitate marriage. So therefore they don't want to be cynical.

"Unfortunately therefore what happens is the ones that are absolutely blatant get reported and there are some that are borderline that slip through without being reported - and that is the iceberg under the water and that's huge - it is absolutely huge.

"In an area like anywhere in London it is multiple times per week ... it would not be unreasonable to say that 20% of all our marriages are suspicious or have some elements of suspicion about them.

"So one in five in London, probably in the other big cities as well it will be a similar problem. Obviously in county areas in the countryside it is not as big a problem, but certainly in the urban areas, with high areas of ethnicity it is significant."

As part of an investigation into the issue, Sky News witnessed a raid last month by Home Office officials on a suspected sham marriage between a Nigerian man and a Portuguese woman.

The 32-year-old groom was arrested and has since been deported, while the 22-year-old woman is on bail under criminal investigation.

Mr Rimmer suggested that overall 15,000 of the 173,000 civil weddings that take place each year in England and Wales could be bogus - almost 10 times the official level.

Officials found the process very frustrating, he told Sky News.

"You go into a marriage thinking that you are going to a proper relationship - sealing and cementing someone's relationship - yet you know that this is purely a financial transaction, you can imagine how frustrating that can be. Very often the ceremony is done through gritted teeth," he said.

Both David Cameron and Theresa May have repeatedly pledged to tackle sham marriages.

In a speech in October 2011, Mr Cameron pledged to "end the ridiculous situation where a registrar who knows a marriage is a sham still has to perform the ceremony".

But Mr Rimmer said the situation was worse than ever after a series of legal challenges.

He said: "Sham marriages have been a problem for many, many years. And the previous government introduced legislation to combat it back in 2004.

Sky News joined officials on a raid in September Pic: Dermot Carlin

"As a result of that legislation, it did put a cap on the problem for the first year or so, but unfortunately the legislation was subject to challenge and the government lost on a couple of occasions in the high court.

"Eventually it was watered down to a degree it became meaningless and eventually was repealed in 2010. Since 2010, we have had the problem re-emerging and it is even worse than the problem was in 2004."

In July 2008 the Law Lords ruled that Home Office rules under which foreign nationals needed official permission to marry breached human rights.

Mr Rimmer added that while the rules for British citizens bringing foreign partners into the country to marry have been tightened, EU citizens are still free to abuse the laws.

He said: "The law relating to British nationals getting married is becoming more and more rigid. So therefore there are probationary periods if you marry a British national during which time the Border Agency/Home Office can check up as to whether that relationship is still in existence.

"There is not the same check with European Union nationals, so therefore the scams are usually perpetrated by European nationals other than Brits, because it is more advantageous to do so.

Brodie Clark, former head of the UK Border Agency

"Some nationalities in Europe being trafficked in for the sex industry - are being sold on to go through bogus marriages, so these people are victims in themselves, under duress.

"These sham marriages are a direct result of organised crime, this is organised criminality, a lot of racketeers making millions of pounds out of the racket - this is actually not something that is like a green card - this is massive criminality on an industrial scale."

Mr Rimmer said his organisation is working with ministers to introduce new legislation that could help reduce the number of sham marriages by including ceremonies held in the Church of England.

Brodie Clarke, former head of the UK Border Force, told Sky News it is impossible for officials to police every marriage.

He said: "They can't be everywhere. We do need to depend on the public and have sought that support from registrars to say if there's something suspicious here, please report it. And that would then trigger the attendance of somebody or an examination by somebody from UKBA to look at those circumstances.

"So it can't be done just by uniformed people in the Home Office - it needs partnerships of all. That's the only way this is going to pull together and work.

"But those demands and requirements of partners have to be reasonable and they have to be able to deliver on those demands and requirements - and that's a challenge, I think, for government to make that work."

Immigration Minister Mark Harper told Sky News: "Sham marriages have for too long been an easy target for migrants seeking to circumvent our immigration rules, often assisted by organised criminals.

"Registrars are frustrated when they marry couples who are obviously sham. We need more effective tools to deal with it.

"By extending the marriage and civil partnership notice period to 28 days in England and Wales and allowing this to be increased to 70 days in some circumstances we will make time to investigate, prosecute and remove those involved in sham marriages."

:: Watch Sky News at 9.30am - Immigration debate with Alp Mehmet, deputy chairman of Migration Watch, and Dr Jenny Phillimore, Professor of Migration and Superdiversity

:: Immigration UK: A week of special coverage on Sky from October 14 to 18 - watch on Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202, Freeview 82, Skynews.com and Sky News for iPad

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Prisoners Lose Right To Vote Appeal

The Supreme Court has dismissed appeals by two prisoners for the right to vote in elections.

The Prime Minister David Cameron said on Twitter that the decision was a "great victory for common sense".

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'Sex Slaves' Saved In Birmingham Brothel Raids

Five women believed to be sex-trafficking victims have been rescued by police during raids on nine suspected brothels in Birmingham.

Police, who arrested two women and three men on suspicion of managing a brothel, said they were determined to put a stop to "modern day slavery" in the region.

Three of the buildings raided by some of the 40 officers involved in the operation were found to be empty, but evidence at the scene suggested they had also been used as brothels.

Officers from West Midlands Police seized mobile phones, cash, laptops and paraphernalia relating to prostitution.

Police break down the door at one of the houses

A video posted on YouTube by the police force shows officers bashing down a front door and storming one of the properties.

Detective Inspector Darren Haynes said in the video: "We've seized laptops, satnavs, mobile phones, there's clear evidence of large amounts of cash, receipts, the whole picture of this premises would lead me to believe that it is being used as an illegal brothel and perhaps the girls inside are being human trafficked.

"The victims are lost, treated really badly and abused on a daily basis."

The raids were part of Operation Sentinel, a crackdown on sex trafficking and exploitation in the region and were launched following intelligence gathered from local residents.

Officers seized a range of items as evidence

As part of the operation the force is conducting a comprehensive review of the policies and procedures it uses to tackle human trafficking.

Detective Superintendent Tim Bacon said: "It's hard to believe that modern day slavery is happening in the West Midlands, but sadly it's on the increase and we're determined to put a stop to it.

"Tonight's action, first and foremost, is about protecting people who more often than not don't even realise that they are victims.

"But we're also sending out a strong message to the traffickers that they're not going to get away with using our area as a place to commit this appalling abuse."

The raids took place in the areas of Bordesley Green, Hay Mills, Acocks Green, Sheldon, Alum Rock and Moseley.

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Madeleine McCann: Key Sighting Ruled Out

Madeleine McCann's mother may have been just moments away from catching her daughter's abductor, according to new details released by police.

Detectives say they now believe a man seen carrying a child a few hundred yards from the family's apartment at around 10pm was the three-year-old's kidnapper.

The sighting - which came at around the same time Kate McCann checked on her three children - had previously been considered of less significance than an earlier, now-discounted sighting.

When asked how convinced he is that the later sighting was of Madeleine, Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood told Sky News: "The timing and location speak for themselves."

For six years, detectives believed a man seen carrying a child close to the apartment at around 9.15pm was their key suspect.

Two e-fits of the new suspect have been made public

But a review of the evidence has concluded that it was an innocent British holidaymaker carrying his daughter home from a creche.

It means the inquiry has now switched its focus to the second, later sighting - and police have already received more than 100 new calls as a result.

The developments were revealed as part of a televised appeal and reconstruction on BBC Crimewatch.

Police said they were "very pleased" with a response that has seen nearly 500 people contacted them with fresh information since last night's show.

The Metropolitan Police's Operation Grange has been reviewing the evidence gathered by both the Portuguese police and private detectives, and has come to a conclusion which officers say completely changes the timeline of what happened on May 3, 2007.

Madeleine's parents had been dining at a restaurant in the Algarve tourist resort of Praia da Luz.

They had been taking it in turns with a group of friends to check on their children, who were asleep in nearby apartments.

During one of these checks at around 9.15pm one of the friends, Jane Tanner, saw a man walking along the street carrying a child in his arms.

She thought nothing of it, but within an hour Mrs McCann checked the bedroom where Madeleine and her younger twin brother and sister had been sleeping, and discovered that the little girl had gone.

Although the Portuguese police did not publicise the sighting and instead made the parents suspects in the case, once their investigation closed the McCanns arranged for a sketch to be drawn showing the man Miss Tanner had seen.

The McCanns have never given up hope of finding their daughter alive

Ever since it has been central to how people have viewed the case.

But Scotland Yard detectives reviewed the evidence and realised that around a dozen holidaymakers had been using a free creche at the Mark Warner resort, and would have collected their sleeping children during the evening.

One of those parents was contacted by police and said he may have been the man - and had been wrongly identified as a possible suspect.

He agreed to pose for a photograph so his build could be compared to the sketch.

That, together with evidence that his two-year-old daughter was wearing similar pyjamas as the sketch, has convinced the man leading the inquiry that this sighting is wrong.

DCI Redwood told Sky News: "As you can see from the images we've put forward, both from what the man was probably wearing and the actual physical location he was in, and the description of the child he was carrying, it is highly compelling.

Jane Tanner, a friend of Gerry and Kate McCann

"We believe in a convincing way that this is not Madeleine's abductor."

That information means that it seems likely that Madeleine was taken from the apartment slightly later than first thought, shifting the focus to the second witness statement.

An Irish family on holiday in Praia da Luz had told investigators that they saw a man carrying a child towards the beach at around 10pm.

Their sighting was closer to the town centre on Rua da Escola Primeria.

While the evidence is not new, two e-fits of the man which the witnesses helped create have now been made public.

The e-fits were made in 2008 by private detectives working for the McCanns, but were not made public because they seemed less relevant than the 9.15pm sighting by Jane Tanner.

A 2007 sketch of a suspect based on Miss Tanner's sighting - now ruled out

DCI Redwood said he realised that the man seen later could also be entirely innocent, but appealed for help from the public in identifying him.

"This child is described as being about three to four with blonde hair, possibly wearing pyjamas, and the man is white with dark hair," he said.

"If this is you, and you are nothing to do with Madeleine's disappearance, then we really need to speak to you. It's so important for us to eliminate innocent sightings.

"But equally if anybody is looking at those e-fits and recognises the person, for whatever reason, then please have the courage to call in and tell us."

The Metropolitan Police team refuses to be critical of the previous inquiry in an effort to foster good relations with Portuguese police.

E-fits of men the police want to speak to in connection with the case

Six local officers based in Faro have been appointed to liaise with British police. But DCI Redwood hopes that ultimately the Portuguese investigation will be reopened.

He told Sky News: "Reopening the inquiry is a matter wholly for the Portuguese and we completely respect and acknowledge the differences in our system.

"But of course our aspiration is to have the case reopened so we can work together with our Portuguese colleagues jointly so we can establish what happened to Madeleine McCann."

DCI Redwood is also hoping to get more information about men seen in the vicinity of the McCanns' apartment on several occasions in the week she disappeared.

When asked whether he believed the family were being watched, he said: "The physical evidence demonstrates to us that there are people, unexplained people, possibly doing just that.

"By the way the witnesses have described them ... lurking around in the very close proximity from where Madeleine was taken."

The e-fits are based on witness accounts of men seen in the area

British police have also revealed that there was an upsurge in the number of burglaries in the resort in the weeks leading up to May 2007.

Exactly a year earlier there was also an incident in which a child raised the alarm after seeing an intruder in their holiday apartment.

The police are looking at whether these incidents could be related.

And they have also released e-fits of men described as "charity collectors" who had been going door-to-door and may or may not be genuine.

Officers think there is a possibility they could have been checking apartments ahead of a possible break-in.

British officers are well aware that many residents of the Portuguese town have become fed-up with the constant media attention.

But he made this direct appeal to them: "What I would say specifically is that this change of emphasis in terms of the timeline between 9pm and 10pm means we can genuinely ask the public in Praia da Luz to go back over that time and look at those efforts.

"And if you recognise someone in the local community - please have the confidence to come forward to us."

The police probe has switched to a second sighting

The new appeal formed part of the BBC Crimewatch programme which featured a detailed reconstruction of the McCanns' visit to the resort.

Madeleine's parents, Gerry and Kate McCann, appeared live in the studio and said they were "feeling hopeful and optimistic".

"These cases can get solved and that's what the public need to think about tonight," said Mr McCann.

"We don't know what's happened to Madeleine, we don't know who's taken her. The best chance of finding her is by identifying (the person who took her)."

Mrs McCann said: "It doesn't matter how much heartache we put ourselves through as long as we get the result that we need."

She appealed to viewers to have "the courage and confidence to come forward", adding they could hold the key to "unlock" the case.

The last photographs of Madeleine which have been iconic because of their repeated use in appeals over the years, were brought to life by recreating the moments they were taken - Madeleine holding tennis balls and sitting at the side of a swimming pool.

There was also previously unseen family video of Madeleine.

:: Sky News will show a special investigation tonight at 8.30pm on Sky Channel 501, Virgin Media 602 and Freeview 82

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Baker Wants Career Colleges For Teenagers

By Anushka Asthana, Political Correspondent

Teenagers would be taught to become chefs, carers and health workers at a network of 'career colleges' under new plans.

Students would be able to leave the traditional classroom two years early to enter the colleges at the age of 14.

They would still be taught core subjects such as English and science and do GCSEs but also focus heavily on a specialist subject.

The radical colleges - modelled on technical schools in New York - are the brainchild of former Tory education secretary Lord Baker.

He says urgent action is needed to tackle a skills gap that has left one million young people unemployed and jobs filled by those from overseas.

Lord Baker wants urgent action

"It is about time that we filled this gap with our own young people," he wrote in The Independent.

"By starting at 14, youngsters have a head start in preparing for the world of work as they do in Austria, Denmark and the Netherlands, where youth unemployment is much lower."

The peer is outlining plans for 40 new colleges to be opened over four years, starting with one in Oldham next year.

He hopes to build on the success of his network of "university technical colleges" (UTCs) which are based on a similar model but with a focus on science and engineering.

There are 17 UTCs with 27 more in the pipeline.

Students under 16 spend 60% of time on traditional subjects and the rest on their specialism.

The first to open was the JCB academy in Staffordshire which has been highly successful in its GCSE results, with all students gaining five A* to C's including in engineering.

David Cameron praised the college in his speech at his party's annual conference in Manchester earlier this month.

"We in this Party are ambitious for all our children and we have got to finish the job we started," he told Tory members.

"We have already got technical colleges run by great companies like JCB. I say: let's have one of those colleges in every single major town."

Lord Baker is being supported by Tory minister for skills Matthew Hancock, although officials have played down the plans.

A spokesman from the Department of Education said: "These are proposals from Lord Baker. It is not Government policy."

Critics have also warned that 14 is too young for children to specialise so heavily in one area.

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The Rise Of Europe's Anti-Immigration Parties

As the global financial crisis continues to bite, there has been an increase in the number of populist, mostly right-wing, anti-immigration movements across Europe.

Political analysts from the left draw a parallel with the rise of fascism after the 1929 stock market crash.

But these parties are not in ideological lock-step. Instead, they reflect a wide spectrum of national concerns and domestic political realities.

However, they do advocate a similar position on immigration - especially from outside Europe and the European Union.

Front National leader Marine Le Pen

They believe the influx is challenging resources at a time of need, taking already scarce jobs away from local workers and changing their country's national complexion.

Golden Dawn in Greece, which is under investigation for alleged criminal activity after a rapper was stabbed to death in Athens last month, is the most extreme and militant example, while the Swiss People's Party commands the largest electoral share in a European country of 28.9%.

The anti-immigration parties are no longer on the fringes. In France the Front National - led by Marine Le Pen - is the third largest party and is expected to make large gains in local elections in France next March, while in Norway the Progress Party - once a political home to mass killer Anders Behring Breivik - is part of a coalition government.

So the parties may differ in levels of ferocity and support, but they reflect a large increase in anti-immigration sentiment across the continent.

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Immigration: Britons Want 'Drastic Action'

By Joey Jones, Deputy Political Editor

More than two thirds of the British public believe the UK population is too large and the Government needs to take "drastic action" to reduce immigration, a Sky News poll has found.

Some 67% of people questioned do not believe the coalition's attempt to reduce net migration to 100,000 a year is sufficient and think more should be done.

More than a quarter of those polled (27%) believe the wave of immigration Britain has experienced in the last decade has brought no positive benefit to the nation.

And more than half (52%) say they will be more likely to vote for a party that promises to "significantly" reduce the level of migration.

The poll of 1,508 adults was conducted for Sky News by Survation

The poll, conducted by Sky News as part of a week-long examination of the issue of immigration, found the people most concerned about the impact of immigration are the ones least likely to have been exposed to migrants.

For example, 71% of people who live in the countryside think drastic action is needed, compared with 53% in urban areas.

And 71% of people who don't know any immigrants well support drastic action, compared with 58% who say they know immigrants well.

Chancellor George Osborne, speaking from Beijing, stressed that the Government was determined to "get immigration down" and pointed out it had already fallen by a third since 2010.

He told Sky News: "We inherited a situation from the Labour government where they had signed away all these treaties which allowed these new countries to join the European Union to come to Britain.

"There were no controls on the borders. We have got a grip on that situation. David Cameron, Theresa May and the whole government have imposed limits on immigration."

Two thirds of the rising population is likely to come from immigration

Championing foreign investment, he added: "One of the things Britain has to do is not rely on immigration for its economic success. We need to go and make our own way in the world."

The UK population is set to rise from 62 million in 2010 to 73 million by 2035.

Approximately two thirds of the increased population is likely to come from increased immigration.

Between 2001 and 2011 the population of England and Wales grew by 3.7 million - the biggest increase in 200 years - with 2.1 million immigrants accounting for the majority of the increase.

The poll of 1,508 adults - conducted for Sky News by Survation - found widespread concern among the public about the impact immigration has had on public services.

The majority of those questioned believe the NHS, education system, and housing and welfare systems have been negatively affected by immigration.

And almost three quarters (74%) are concerned about the prospect of Romanians and Bulgarians being allowed free entry to Britain later this year.

Almost two thirds of those who took part in the poll (64%) believe employers should be given tax breaks for employing young, unemployed Britons.

And over half (52%) say companies should be forced to offer jobs to UK-born workers first.

Some 42% of those questioned believe the current debate about immigration in the UK is being unfairly shut down by accusations of racism.

A similar number, 40%, feel they will be labelled a bigot if they raise the issue in public.

In some good news for the coalition, almost two thirds of people (63%) support a new rule for British people to have a minimum income of £18,600 if they want to bring a non-EU spouse into the country.

A similar number, 65%, agree with a Home Office proposal that travellers from certain countries judged to be "high-risk" should pay a £1,000 bond to be allowed to visit Britain.

:: Immigration UK: A week of special coverage on Sky from October 14 to 18 - watch on Sky 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202, Freeview 82, Skynews.com and Sky News for iPad

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Madeleine McCann Suspect's E-Fit Released

Madeleine: Key Events Timeline

Updated: 9:48am UK, Monday 14 October 2013

Here is a timeline of the key events since Madeleine McCann's disappearance.

2007

:: May 3 - Kate and Gerry McCann leave their three children asleep in their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz while they dine with friends at a nearby tapas restaurant.

Jane Tanner, one of the friends eating with the McCanns, later reports seeing a man carrying a child away earlier that night.

:: May 5 - Portuguese police reveal they believe Madeleine was abducted but is still alive and in Portugal, and say they have a sketch of a suspect.

:: May 14 - Detectives take Anglo-Portuguese man Robert Murat in for questioning and make him an "arguido", or official suspect.

:: May 25 - Detectives release a description of the man reported by Jane Tanner three weeks earlier after pressure from the McCanns, their legal team and the British Government.

:: May 30 - Mr and Mrs McCann meet the Pope in Rome in the first of a series of trips around Europe and beyond to highlight the search for their daughter.

:: August 6 - A Portuguese newspaper reports that British sniffer dogs have found traces of blood on a wall in the McCanns' holiday apartment.

:: August 11 - Exactly 100 days after Madeleine disappeared, investigating officers publicly acknowledge for the first time that she could be dead.

:: September 7 - During further questioning of Mr and Mrs McCann, detectives make them both "arguidos" in their daughter's disappearance.

:: September 9 - The McCanns fly back to England with their two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie.

:: October 2 - Goncalo Amaral, the detective in charge of the inquiry, is removed from the case after criticising the British police in a Portuguese newspaper interview.

:: October 25 - The McCanns release a new artist's impression drawn by an FBI-trained expert showing the man described by Jane Tanner.

2008

:: March 19 - Mr and Mrs McCann accept £550,000 libel damages and front-page apologies from Express Newspapers over allegations they were responsible for Madeleine's death.

:: April 7 - Three Portuguese detectives, led by Paulo Rebelo, fly to Britain to re-interview the seven friends on holiday with the McCanns when Madeleine vanished.

:: July 17 - Mr Murat receives £600,000 in libel damages from four newspaper groups over "seriously defamatory" articles connecting him with the child's disappearance.

:: July 21 - The Portuguese authorities shelve their investigation and lift the "arguido" status of the McCanns and Mr Murat.

:: August 4 - Thousands of pages of evidence from the Portuguese police files in the exhaustive investigation into Madeleine's disappearance are made public.

2009

:: January 13 - Mr McCann returns to Portugal for the first time since coming back to the UK without his daughter.

:: March 24 - The McCanns launch a localised new appeal for information focused on the area in the Algarve where Madeleine disappeared.

:: April 4 - Mr McCann goes back to Portugal to help film a reconstruction of the events on the night his daughter vanished.

:: April 22 - The McCanns fly to the US to record an interview with chat show host Oprah Winfrey to mark two years since Madeleine's disappearance.

:: June 14 - Dying paedophile Raymond Hewlett says he was in the Algarve when Madeleine disappeared and has an alibi - but has no plans to reveal it.

:: August 6 - Detectives say they are hunting a "Victoria Beckham lookalike" with an Australian or New Zealand accent, reportedly seen in Barcelona three days after the little girl went missing.

2010

:: Feb 18 -  Kate and Gerry McCann say they are "pleased and relieved" at a judge's decision to uphold a ban on a book by former detective Goncalo Amaral.

:: Mar 3 -  A newly-released file from Portugese police on possible sightings is called "gold dust" and could lead to a breakthrough, says a spokesman for the McCanns.

:: May 1 - Kate McCann reveals she had thoughts about being "wiped out" in a motorway crash to end the pain of losing Madeleine - but vows never to give up.

:: November 10 - Madeleine's parents launch an online petition to help force a UK and Portuguese joint review of all evidence in the case.

:: November 15 -  The McCanns sign a deal to write a book about their daughter's disappearance.

2011

:: May 13 - The Prime Minister David Cameron asks London's Metropolitan Police to help investigate the case.

:: November 23 - Kate and Gerry McCann appear at the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics.

They tell how media pressure affected their family life and accuse newspaper editors of hampering the search for their missing daughter.

Kate McCann says she felt "violated" when her diary was published without her permission.

:: December 5 - Scotland Yard detectives spend time in Barcelona as part of their re-examination of the case.

2012

:: March 9 - Portuguese police in Oporto launch a review of the original investigation.

:: April 26 - Scotland Yard says Madeleine McCann may still be alive and release an artist's impression of what she may look like as a nine-year-old.

:: July 6 - British detectives examine a claim that the little girl's body is buried near the apartment from where she vanished. It comes after a self-styled investigator sends police radar scans he claims show a burial site.

2013

:: Feb 11 - Gerry McCann calls for politicians to implement the conclusions of the Leveson Inquiry in full, backed by legislation.

:: Feb 13 - Police say the results of DNA tests on a girl in New Zealand who was mistaken for Madeleine reveal that she is not the missing British girl.

:: Feb 21 - Retired solicitor Tony Bennett who published claims that Madeleine McCann's parents caused her death is given a suspended jail sentence.

:: May 2 - Madeleine McCann's parents tell Sky News a police review into their daughter's disappearance is making "excellent progress" as they mark the sixth anniversary since she went missing.

:: May 17 - Scotland Yard say they have identified a number of "people of interest" they want to speak to. It believes it has found enough evidence to reopen the case but the Portuguese authorities are still resistant. 

:: June 15 - The Home Office agrees to fund a full-scale investigation by the Metropolitan Police.

:: October 13 - UK detectives reviewing the case say key details in the timeline of her disappearance have "significantly changed".

:: October 14 - A fresh appeal is launched in a bid to find a suspect detectives say is of "vital importance", with two new separate e-fits - thought to be of the same man seen on the night Madeleine went missing - released by police.

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Cyclone Phailin Slams Into India's East Coast

A powerful cyclone has ripped through India's east coast, killing at least five people and forcing more than half a million into shelters.

Cyclone Phailin, with winds up to 130mph, made landfall on Saturday night near the town of Golpalpur in Orissa state and is moving inland.

The storm, covering an area larger than France, lost some of its strength before hitting the coast, but it remains India's strongest since a typhoon killed 10,000 people in the same region 14 years ago.

Four people were killed by falling trees, while another died when the walls of her home collapsed.

Officials said the storm has already caused cause large-scale power and communications outages and shut down road and rail links.

A satellite image of the cyclone

The evacuation of around 450,000 people in Orissa and 100,000 in Andhra Pradesh state is one of the biggest exercises in the country's history.

Many people have fled low-lying villages for shelters, but others have refused to leave their homes.

"My son had to stay back with his wife because of the cattle and belongings ... I don't know if they are safe," said 70-year-old Kaushalya Jena, who has taken refuge in a makeshift shelter.

In Bhubaneshwar, the capital of Orissa, government workers and volunteers have been putting together hundreds of thousands of food packages for relief camps.

Floods have already ripped down power lines

The state's top official, chief minister Naveen Patnaik, said: "I request everyone to not panic. Please assist the government. Everyone from the village to the state headquarters have been put on alert."

The army's National Disaster Response Force said 1,700 of its troops have been sent to both states.

"As soon as the fury of the cyclone abates our boys will start their work," said the force's director general Krishna Chaudhary.

"The teams have medical first responders (for first aid), heavy cutting equipment, life-saving equipment that responds to breathing and even to warmth. In the case of cyclones there is a likelihood of collapsed buildings."

People walk among debris from a broken wall brought down by a wave

While the full extent of the damage cannot yet be measured, India's meteorological department said the cyclone posed a danger to a 95-miles stretch of coastline.

Forecasters have likened its size and intensity to Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the US Gulf coast and New Orleans in 2005.

Dr Liz Bentley from the Royal Meteorological Society told Sky News: "This particular part of the coastline is very low-lying so it (Phailin) will penetrate quite well in land.

"It is like a mini-tsunami hitting that - not caused in the same way as a tsunami but it's the same effect."

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Madeleine McCann Timeline Of Events 'Wrong'

British detectives working on the Madeleine McCann investigation have revealed that key details in the timeline of her disappearance were wrong.

The revised details will be documented in a new Crimewatch appeal on the case to be broadcast on Monday.

Speaking ahead of the BBC programme, senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, of the Metropolitan Police, said: "The timeline we have now established has given new significance to sightings and movements of people in and around Praia da Luz at the time of Madeleine's disappearance.

"Our work to date has significantly changed the timeline and the accepted version of events that has been in the public domain to date.

"It has allowed us to work with Crimewatch to build the most detailed reconstruction as yet, and highlight very specific appeal points.

"I hope that when the public see our investigative strands drawn together within the overall context of that appeal, it will bring in new information that moves our investigation forward."

The timeline of Madeleine's disappearance has 'significantly changed'

The full reconstruction of the events six years ago when Madeleine went missing starts with a scene of Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry playing tennis.

Madeleine, dressed in pink shorts, T-shirt and hat, then runs across the court, holding a batch of tennis balls.

In another clip, the McCanns are asked how often they think of their daughter, who went missing when she was three years old on May 3, 2007 from a holiday apartment as her parents dined at a nearby tapas restaurant with friends.

Mr McCann says: "When it's a special occasion, when you should be your happiest and Madeleine's not there, that's when it really hits home. Obviously, Madeleine's birthday goes without saying."

Mrs McCann adds: "It's when you have big family occasions really. That's it isn't it? 'Family occasion' and you haven't got your complete family."

During the programme, DCI Redwood discusses how the police have approached the inquiry.

Gerry and Kate McCann tell Crimewatch their anguish is undiminished

He says: "Primarily what we sought to do from the beginning is try and draw everything back to zero if you like. Try and take everything back to the beginning and re-analyse and reassess everything, accepting nothing.

"The careful and critical analysis of the timeline has been absolutely key.

"Primarily, we're focused on the area between 8.30pm and 10pm. We know at 8.30pm that was the time Mr and Mrs McCann went down to the tapas area for their dinner and we know that around at 10pm that was when Mrs McCann found that Madeleine was missing."

A number of e-fits are also to be shown in the appeal in a bid to "identify the men and eliminate innocent sightings".

Scotland Yard detectives, who have interviewed 442 people as part of their review-turned-investigation, hope to track down as many people present in the Portuguese town at the time.

Since launching its own investigation, 41 people of interest have been identified by the Met Police, including 15 UK nationals.

Madeleine seen on the day before she went missing in May 2007

Detectives have issued 31 international letters of request to mostly European countries in relation to some of the persons of interest as well as accessing phone records.

A large but "manageable" list of phone numbers identified as being in Praia da Luz - though not necessarily used to make phone calls - has been drawn up by detectives with a "significant" number unattributed to any named person.

British detectives launched a fresh investigation in July this year - two years into a review of the case.

The Met Police now has a team of six Portuguese detectives based in Faro who are carrying out inquiries on its behalf.

The Portuguese investigation is officially closed but authorities there are backing the Scotland Yard inquiry and officers from both countries are working together in pursuing new leads.

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Boris And Osborne Make Chinese Trade Visits

By Mark Stone, China Correspondent in Beijing

The Chancellor and the Mayor of London have arrived in Beijing on separate trade visits to China.

Both George Osborne and Boris Johnson will spend a week in the country, promoting British business but also trying to attract more Chinese investment in the UK.

Mr Osborne's arrival signals the end of a diplomatic spat between Beijing and London which has lasted more than a year.

Both men are expected to sign a number of multimillion pound investment deals in which Chinese companies will fund or part-fund UK infrastructure and building projects.

Mr Osborne is expected to announce the names of the Chinese backers behind an £800m development at Manchester Airport.

Using Chinese money, five million square feet of land next to the airport will be developed into retail, office and manufacturing space.

Creating 16,000 new jobs over 15 years, the airport will be turned into a hub destination in its own right.

Similar projects in Amsterdam and Frankfurt have proved successful and eased congestion at other airports.

An £800m investment in Manchester Airport will create thousands of jobs

Speaking to Mark Stone, Sky's Beijing correspondent, Mr Osborne said: ""£800m of investment; 16,000 new jobs; one of the biggest developments since the Olympic games, and I think it shows our economic plan of doing more business with China and also making sure that more economic activity happens outside the city of London is working.

"That's good for Britain and is good for British people."

He is travelling with the UK Trade Minister Lord Green, City Minister Lord Deighton and the Minister for Science and Innovation, David Willetts.

With them are executives from a variety of British technology companies who will try to showcase the best of Britain's digital technology industry in China.

The delegation will hope the trip allows UK companies to gain access to the rapidly expanding Chinese market.

"The Chinese economy is changing," Mr Osborne said.

"Those who think it is just a low-wage, low-tech economy are making a mistake.

"It is becoming a cutting edge player in industries like technology and this is a huge opportunity for Britain."

Chinese tech company Huawei is investing £1.3bn in British broadband

The Chancellor will lead the delegation to the Shenzhen-based headquarters of Huawei, the world's largest telecommunications manufacturer, and TenCent, the world's third largest gaming and social media firm.

Huawei's growing footprint in Europe and America has caused controversy, with some suggesting that Chinese involvement in Western telecoms firms poses a security risk.

Despite that, Huawei has already pledged to invest £1.3bn in the UK's broadband network over the next four years.

Mr Osborne's visit is a clear endorsement of the company.

Alongside the commercial strands of his visit, the Chancellor will also hold governmental meetings with his Chinese counterpart Ma Kai.

Known as the UK/China Economic Financial Dialogue, the discussions will focus on a range of financial issues including the global economic recovery, the US debt ceiling debacle and London's efforts to become a Chinese currency trading hub.

Significantly, the talks represent the first face-to-face bilateral ministerial contact between the UK and China for over a year.

The UK has been in the political dog house with China since May 2012 when David Cameron and Nick Clegg chose to meet and be photographed with the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibet.

Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg met the Dalai Lama last year

The meeting enraged Beijing given the controversial claim China holds over Tibet.

Ministerial meetings between the two countries were cancelled and Beijing made its disapproval very clear.

Diplomatic sources in the Chinese capital have suggested the move was designed by Beijing not only to punish the UK but to send a clear message to other countries that it is not worth upsetting the world's second largest economy.

However, British officials are always keen to stress that despite the Dalai Lama meeting, for which the UK refused to apologise, trade between the two countries been unaffected by the spat.

Diplomats point out that inward Chinese investment to the UK in the last 18 months has been greater than the past 30 years combined.

The London Mayor's trip is separate but the broad objectives are the same.

Mr Johnson is travelling with the chief executives of several large companies including Justin King of Sainsbury's and Marc Bolland of Marks & Spencer.

He will spend three days in Beijing, where he will visit a UK brands fair, take a ride on the subway and attend a private meeting with China's richest man, Wang Jianlin, whose company Dalian Wanda is investing heavily in the Nine Elms area of London.

Mr Johnson will then travel to Shanghai before ending his trip in Hong Kong.

Both men are effectively cashing in on the thawing of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

By the end of the week, they hope to have signed a variety of deals, forged new relationships and facilitated meetings between UK and Chinese firms.

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