Raised Terror Threat Prompts Government Talks

Caution No Excuse For Chaotic Response To IS

Updated: 6:52pm UK, Friday 29 August 2014

By Sam Kiley, Foreign Affairs Editor

This is a Corporal Jones moment: "Don't Panic!"

But it is one that, so far, has revealed that the British approach to the rapid emergence of Islamic State from almost nil to "a deeper and greater threat than we have ever seen before" has been as chaotic as the Dad's Army character.

David Cameron has now elevated IS above al Qaeda in terms of the danger it poses to the safety of British citizens.

And the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre has raised the immediate threat level for the UK from substantial to severe – which means it's likely.

The Prime Minister will announce new measures to restrict the ability of would-be terrorists to leave the UK to get training and to return to commit atrocities.

For now, though, he has continued to rule out the use of force to battle IS in its home territory.

Instead the UK will continue to offer logistical and intelligence support to the US which has been conducting very limited air strikes against the 'Caliphate'.

If, as the PM suggested, this is to be a conflict that could last years or decades, then there is clearly no rush.

But caution can no longer be an excuse for chaos in the response.

The world isn't the way that anyone would wish it. Not now and not for the foreseeable future.

The next generation of Britons will be facing a Malthusian struggle over resources with a hungry China, a Russia brimming with ambitious consumers, Africa's exploding population, India's intellectual empire, and global warming.

The mess that is the Middle East may have its roots in the collapse of the Ottoman Empire at the end of World War I and sectarian rivalry – but it will be further fuelled by the competition that is going to drive conflicts for years to come.

These may involve a long-term campaign against political Islamist terror.

But that won't be the only problem the UK and her allies will face.

For proof one only has to look at eastern Ukraine.

Nato's leaders are going to meet in Wales next week to thrash out priorities and strategy for the next few years.

Cameron's recent short speech and his appearance on Monday in the Commons, is a clear sign that he's steeling himself to grasp a handful of nettles.

He's bracing the British for a long haul conflict with the IS. He's fortifying the debate over what it is to be British by insisting that adopting "British values" are not an option or a choice but "a duty".

He will soon have to help drag more money for Nato out of its members.

And he'll be ordering his security services to come up with tactics and long-term strategies to deal with the uncomfortable realities of the modern world that politicians have been refusing to confront.

These are that it's going to get more dangerous, more expensive, harder work and just tougher all around. Few politicians will want to sell that less than 12 months from an election.

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Missing British Boy Ashya Could Be In Spain

Hampshire Constabulary has confirmed there is positive information to suggest the family of Ashya King may now be in Spain.

The police force said it now has information which suggests the family has strong links to the Marbella area and that they may be travelling there.

The family's car was spotted on Friday, according to police, which has shifted the focus of the search to Spain.

Officers are now working with Spanish authorities in a continued effort to locate the missing five-year-old, who has a brain tumour.

Five-year-old Ashya needs treatment for a brain tumour

Assistant Chief Constable Chris Shead said: "The need to find Ashya is now desperate. It is really important that we find him and ensure he receives medical attention at the earliest opportunity.

"We still don't know whether the King family has any spare batteries for the machine which administers food, the knowledge, or any way of recharging the battery. Without properly administered food Ashya's situation is very serious.

"We have information to suggest that the family may well be on the way to Spain and our search is concentrating on the Marbella area.

"I do have to stress although that's what we're focusing our attention at this point in time, they could equally be anywhere and we would urge anybody on the continent to stay vigilant, keep your eyes open, and if they see the vehicle they're travelling, if you see the family or indeed if you see Ashya please contact police."

Ashya was taken from the hospital by his parents Brett and Naghemeh

Mr Shead added officers would be contacting hospitals across Europe, looking for someone matching the little boy's description or symptoms to see if he has been admitted.

Ashya's family took him from Southampton General Hospital, where he was receiving treatment, at around 2pm on Thursday and travelled on a ferry to Cherbourg, France, two hours later.

The little boy is in a wheelchair and is being fed through a tube. He has undergone "extensive surgery" - with his last operation seven days ago.

Police were told by the hospital that the little boy was missing at 8.35pm that day - more than six hours after he was taken by his parents - Jehovah's Witnesses Brett King, 51, and Naghemeh King, 45.

The family, from Southsea, is travelling in a grey Hyundai I800 Style CRDI registration KP60 HWK.

Interpol has issued a yellow alert in 190 countries

Interpol has sent out a missing persons alert to its 190 member countries as concerns for the boy's welfare have grown.

Ashya is likely to be in a wheelchair or buggy, cannot communicate verbally and is immobile, a police spokesman said.

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust said Ashya was allowed to leave the ward under his parents' supervision and hospital staff raised the alarm when his absence "became a cause of concern".

Legal experts have said that it is "unlikely" that the Kings had committed an offence by taking Ashya out of hospital.

A post on Hampshire Constabulary's Facebook page said: "This is my mother's friend, she has run away in desperation because they cannot accept that there is nothing that can be done for their son and want to look for help abroad.

"Please don't judge, they are a very sweet loving family and I can only believe they are doing this because they want to help their son."

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James Argent: Towie Star Found 'Safe And Well'

The Only Way Is Essex star James Argent has been found "safe and well", his father has told Sky News, after his family reported him missing and a police hunt was launched.

Argent's father said his son had been in contact to explain his "phone was broken and he's now on his way to Blackpool".

His agent Neil Dobias also confirmed the news: "I'm not sure of any of the details but he's called home and spoken to his mum. I just know that he's safe and well."

Police had earlier said they were concerned for Argent's welfare after he was reported missing by his family.

Argent with Towie's Tom Pearce at the National Television Awards in January

Known as "Arg" on the hit reality show, he was last seen at around 3am on Friday at his home in Woodford Green, Essex.

He was meant to be flying out of Gatwick on Friday morning, but he did not make his flight and did not contact his family, friends or agent, who he was supposed to be meeting.

They said it was was "unusual" and very out of character, so increasingly the concern grew for his well-being.

His agent told Sky News earlier: "James was meant to meet me at the airport yesterday morning for a work trip to Majorca but he never turned up and now we are all very concerned."

Argent completing the London Marathon in 2012

The 26-year-old, who joined the Towie cast along with his best friend Mark Wright when the series first aired in 2010, is known to frequent the Brentwood area and nightclubs in Redbridge.

Argent, who has more than 1.4 million followers on Twitter, mentioned missing his ex-girlfriend and Towie co-star Lydia Bright in his most recent tweet on Thursday.

He wrote: "I really miss my old pal @LydiaRoseBright will you hurry up and get back from Italy ASAP! #Needy x."

Their will they/won't they relationship was the focus of the Essex-based show's last series.

Argent with Lydia Bright

The response on Twitter to concerns about Argent's whereabouts was huge this morning.

Former Towie star Sam Faiers tweeted: "We're all worried come home @RealJamesArgent."

Fans also expressed their concerns on social media, with one tweeting: "I hope @RealJamesArgent is found unharmed and well!! Xx."

Another wrote: "Omg can't believe it, hope @RealJamesArgent is okay."

Argent collected Towie's Bafta Audience Award in 2011 and completed the London Marathon in just over six hours in aid of Cancer Research in 2012.

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Islamic State's Warning To Kurdish Fighters

Islamic State militants have released a video which appears to show a Kurdish man being beheaded in Iraq.

The six-minute video is titled "A Message in Blood" and shows men wearing orange jumpsuits who are said to be Kurdish fighters captured by IS.

The man is later seen kneeling outside a mosque in the city of Mosul before he is beheaded.

The jihadists have warned that other fighters will be killed if Kurdish leaders continue to back the US.

It comes after President Barack Obama called for a coalition of countries prepared to take military action against IS.

Mr Obama said the US was working to get more countries on board in order to strike at the jihadist group.

The new video shows captured Kurdish fighters wearing orange jump-suits

He said: "We are going to work politically and diplomatically with folks in the region, and we're going to cobble together the kind of coalition that we need for a long-term strategy as soon as we are able to fit together the military, political and economic components of that strategy."

Mr Obama played down the prospect of imminent US military action in Syria, saying "we don't have a strategy yet", but said it was time for Middle Eastern nations to "stop being ambivalent".

France has already ruled itself out. The UK has so far provided humanitarian assistance and Prime Minister David Cameron has said he does not want troops on the ground.

On Thursday, another IS video emerged showing hundreds of "executed" Syrian soldiers.

The soldiers were captured at the weekend when the Sunni militants seized an air base in the province of Raqqa, in northern Syria.

The Reuters news agency said the video, which was posted on YouTube and shows dozens of bodies, had been confirmed as genuine by an IS fighter.

An earlier video showed Syrian men being made to march in their underwear

"Yes we have executed them all," he said.

The video shows the bodies of scores of men wearing nothing but their underwear lying face down. The line of bodies appears to be dozens of metres long.

A caption written underneath says: "The 250 shabeeha taken captive by the Islamic State from Tabqa in Raqqa have been executed."

Shabeeha is the name of armed militia forces loyal to President Bashar al Assad. Tabqa is the location of the Syrian airbase captured by IS in the last few days.

The head of the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights later confirmed that Syrian soldiers had been "executed" at three different places, resulting in the deaths of at least 160.

Rami Abdel Rahman said it had happened after jihadists defeated the 1,400-strong garrison at Tabqa, of whom 200 were killed in fighting, 700 escaped and dozens of the remainder were captured as they fled.

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Boy With Brain Tumour Taken From Hospital

Police have launched a major investigation to find a boy with a brain tumour, taken without consent from hospital by his parents.

Hampshire Constabulary said "there are serious concerns" for the life of Ashya King as he needs constant medical care.

CCTV captures Ashya being taken from the hospital in his wheelchair

Officers said his parents - Brett King, 51, and Naghemeh King, 45, - boarded a cross-Channel ferry from Portsmouth to Cherbourg at 4pm yesterday.

The parents went with Ashya's six siblings, officers said.

Police said Ashya was taken from Southampton General Hospital at around 2pm yesterday by his family, who live in St David's Road, Southsea, Portsmouth.

Ashya needs 24 hour medical attention, say police (pic Naveed King)

CCTV images captured the moment the boy was wheeled out of the hospital, apparently by his father.

Ashya is still likely to be in a wheelchair or buggy, he cannot communicate verbally and is immobile, a police spokesman said.

The family, believed to be Jehovah's Witnesses, are travelling in a grey-coloured Hyundai I800 Style CRDI, registration KP60 HWK.

The family boarded a ferry from Portsmouth to Cherbourg They arrived in France at roughly 8pm Police believe the family are still in France

Police said they arrived in France at 8pm local time last night and are still thought to be in the country.

Hampshire Constabulary said: "We are working with our counterparts in France to activate their emergency child rescue alert procedures to locate the family as soon as possible.

"If we do not locate Ashya today there are serious concerns for his life.

Ashya with his father in hospital (pic: Naveed King)

"He is receiving constant medical care within the UK due to recent surgery and ongoing medical issues.

"Without this specialist 24-hour care Ashya is at risk of additional health complications which place him at substantial risk."

In a video posted on YouTube last month, Naveed King said his little brother Ashya had been diagnosed with a brain tumour and was undergoing emergency surgery.

Ashya King was being cared for at Southampton General Hospital

Speaking into the camera in a message directly to Ashya, he said: "I haven't slept. I've been awake all night worrying.

"We love you so much. We're all here for you. "Everyone is praying for you. We just want to see your smile again.

"No kid at the age of five deserves to have a brain tumour.

Hampshire Police have launched a social media campaign to find Ashya

"Let's just hope the doctors know what they're doing and they know exactly where to operate and what to take out, and they take everything out and you can be better.

"And when we look back in 10 years' time when you're 15, we can actually see that things have changed for the better.

"Just because they're bad at one point doesn't mean they'll always be bad.

Ashya with his mother Naghemeh (pic Naveed King)

"I love you so much. I can't wait to see you."

Naveed also posted footage of a visit to his brother in hospital, having to cut away as the young boy breaks down in tears.

On August 18 he posted an update on Facebook signed "King family", saying Ashya had been "progressing slowly but continuously with only minor problems along the way".

Father Brett King is thought to have taken the boy from hospital

The post included several pictures, one showing Ashya with his mother and another of a large stitched wound at the back of the boy's head and neck.

Naveed, whose Instagram profile says he is 20, describes himself as a Jehovah's Witness on the social networking site.

Jehovah's Witnesses refuse blood transfusions on religious grounds but are open to other medical procedures.

A spokesman for Brittany Ferries confirmed the family had travelled on board its cross-Channel ferry and the company was assisting Hampshire Police with its inquiries.

Detective Superintendent Dick Pearson, of the Hampshire Major Investigation Team, said: "He needs to be taken to a medical facility for his urgent health requirements as soon as he is located.

"We have also launched a social media appeal and would urge everyone to share this appeal, particularly if you have friends and relatives in France and bordering countries."

Anyone with information about Ashya's whereabouts should contact Hampshire Constabulary on 101, quoting Operation Aquilion.

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US Accuses 'Lying' Russia Of Ukraine Incursion

The United States has accused Russia of sending combat forces across the border into Ukraine as it warned Moscow economic sanctions may be tightened.

Speaking at the White House, President Barack Obama said Russia has been supporting pro-Moscow separatists in eastern Ukraine "for months".

He ruled out any direct US military intervention but said Russia - which has repeatedly denied any involvement in Ukraine - would incur "more costs and consequences". 

"I consider the actions that we've seen in the last week a continuation of what's been taking place for months now," Mr Obama said.

"The separatists are backed, trained, armed, financed by Russia. Russia determined that it had to be a little more overt in what it had already been doing, but it's not really a shift."

Ukraine said on Friday Russia's call for separatists to open a 'humanitarian corridor' to allow encircled Ukrainian troops to withdraw clearly showed they were "led and controlled directly from the Kremlin".

Meanwhile, Washington's envoy to the United Nations hit out at Russia during an emergency session of its Security Council 

US Ambassador Samantha Power said: "Russia has to stop lying and has to stop fueling this conflict.

"The mask is coming off. We see Russia's actions for what they are: a deliberate effort to support and now fight alongside illegal separatists in another sovereign country."

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Russia has stepped up its military presence in the east.

She said Russia has sent "combat forces, armoured vehicles, artillery, and surface-to-air systems" to Ukraine.

Ms Psaki also accused Russia of "playing a direct supporting role to the separatists' proxies and mercenaries".

A pro-Russian separatist seen in the eastern city of Donetsk

The US and European countries have imposed tough sanctions on Russia over its annexation of Crimea in March.

Nato is due to hold an emergency meeting on the crisis later today, while German Chancellor Angela Merkel said an EU summit on Saturday would discuss the prospect of further sanctions.

A spokesman for Ukraine's National Security Council, Colonel Andriy Lysenko, said earlier two columns of tanks had fired at a border post, before rolling into Ukraine.

His comments followed Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's claim on Thursday that Russian forces had "entered" the country.

The tanks are reported to have crossed into a southern area of the Donetsk region, where the separatists have made significant gains in recent days.

Satellite image purportedly showing a Russian military incursion

A Nato official said at least 1,000 Russian troops had crossed into Ukraine with sophisticated equipment and had been in "direct contact" with Ukrainian forces, resulting in casualties.

At a crisis meeting of the UN Security Council, Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin accused Kiev of "waging war against its own people."

However, British Ambassador to the UN, Mark Lyall Grant, listed "overwhelming" evidence to the contrary.

"It is simply not credible for Russia and its proxies in (the eastern regions of) Donetsk and Luhansk to keep claiming that these serving members of the Russian armed forces are in Ukraine by accident or on holiday," he said.

Fighting in eastern Ukraine erupted in April, a month after Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula after the toppling of a pro-Moscow president in Kiev.

A United Nations report this week said more than 2,200 people have been killed in the violence, not including the 298 who died when a Malaysian airliner was shot down over rebel-held territory in July.

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Rotherham Victim 'Verbally Abused By Police'

A victim of the Rotherham child sex abuse scandal has told Sky News she was verbally abused when she sought help from police.

She said the violence she suffered was ignored by authorities because her attacker was Asian and they were worried about causing racial unrest in the South Yorkshire town.

The woman gave a disturbing account of how she was treated by some police officers - claiming they called her a string of derogatory names.

One even said her attacker had every right to abuse her, she said.

Her grooming began when she turned 14 and was introduced to the man through friends in Rotherham.

She said he treated her well to start with and she fell in love with him, but after a few months he became violent.

"The more time we spent together the more he started to change," she said. "He became controlling, violent ... a relationship that was domestic violence."

She said she felt so scared at times she thought about killing herself.

"I had a fear of heights and he did a lot of things to try to scare me through that," she said.

The victim claims her abuse was ignored by Rotherham officers

"He once drove us to the edge of a cliff and said he was going to kill us both. He then dragged me out of the car and said he was going to throw me off."

She added: "He once tried to throw me over a balcony, luckily two people kind of stopped him from doing that.

"I had a child with me at the time, that were only a few months, in a pushchair, and he even kicked the pushchair over."

She said during her two years of abuse, the attacks went from once a week to two or three times a week.

His brothers were grooming other young girls, she said, but unlike many child victims in Rotherham she was sexually exploited by one man.

She was 16 when she went to police, but said her complaint was ignored.

Her abuser was even granted immunity from prosecution, she claimed.

"I explained to him (the police officer) what relationship we had and he said: 'Well, what do you expect? I think he's got every right to.'

"My Dad went absolutely mental and told him to get out of the house. The police officer then apologised, and we put a formal complaint into the police about him.

Rotherham Council leader Roger Stone stood down in the wake of the report

"But just his manner of how he dealt with it - he didn't seem to care about it, he was so unprofessional."

When asked why her abuse was ignored by social workers, police and council bosses, she said: "I think it was because of the fact he was Asian.

"I don't think they wanted to start communities colliding together, and starting confrontation between communities."

She said Rotherham Council chiefs should face action for ignoring the plight of the 1,400 child victims targeted in the town.

"The people that were involved back then ... I think they need hanging," she said.

"I don't know what legal stuff can be done, but I think they all need to be in a courtroom and tell people exactly what they knew.

"I think it should be some kind of criminal offence that 1,400 girls have been allowed to be abused by professionals."

South Yorkshire Police say they have no knowledge of allegations concerning derogatory remarks made against the victim.

A spokesman said the suggestion a deal was struck with her abuser has been fully investigated and no evidence was found to support the claim.

"This case forms a part of Operation Clover looking into a series of child sexual exploitation investigations in Rotherham," he added.

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Shaun Wright 'Should Face Criminal Probe'

Police Commissioner Shaun Wright should face a criminal investigation over the Rotherham child abuse scandal, a Labour MP has said.

John Mann told Sky News he is writing to Home Secretary Theresa May asking for police to investigate Mr Wright with a view to bringing a case of misconduct in public office against him and others responsible for childcare while hundreds of children were abused.

The Bassetlaw MP said an independent force, rather than Mr Wright's South Yorkshire Police, should take charge of the inquiry.

Speaking on Sky News Sunrise, he said: "I'm writing to the Home Secretary and to South Yorkshire Police asking for an investigation into misconduct into public office, which is a criminal offence, for wilful neglect of duty.

Shaun Wright is facing fresh calls to resign over the Rotherham scandal

"Having looked at the law, it seems to me that there is a case to be heard, potentially by him - also potentially by others involved in this scandal for wilfully failing to act."

Mr Wright is facing fresh calls to resign after he quit the Labour Party to keep his £85,000-a-year job on Wednesday night.

He announced his move less than an hour after Labour threatened to suspend him from the party over his perceived failings in the key child protection role from 2005-2010.

Mr Wright was a Rotherham councillor, charged with heading up the local authority's child protection services at the height of the scandal, where an estimated 1,400 children are believed to have been groomed and abused by gangs of Asian men.

Sonia Sharp has apologised to victims of abuse in Rotherham

On Tuesday, a highly critical report highlighted widespread failings at both Rotherham Council and South Yorkshire Police for allowing that abuse to continue unchecked for more than 16 years.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg - speaking on his LBC radio phone-in - became the latest senior politician to call for Mr Wright to go.

He said: "As Theresa May said, she can't tell the police and crime commissioner, who clearly should do the decent thing and stand aside, to do so.

"All we can do, which is what I'm doing now, which is what everybody's doing, across parties, is to say 'please, do the decent thing and stand aside because you have to take responsibility and then let's try ... to go after the perpetrators."

Rotherham's former director of children's services has said sorry to children abused in the town and said she wished more could have been done to help them.

Sonia Sharp, who was in the key role from 2005-2008, said it was known "that there were many children in the community at risk and feared that this was the tip of an iceberg".

Dr Sharp, now working for the Australian state of Victoria's department of education and early childhood development, said: "You can't be a director of children's services and not take responsibility for what happens to children. 

"I am sorry that these children and young people suffered terrible abuse and I wish we could have done more to prevent the abuse of children and young people in Rotherham."

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Immigration: 'Significant' Rise In Last Year

New immigration figures show a "significant increase" in net migration in the year to March, with 243,000 long-term migrants.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) described the net figure of 243,000 - the difference between people arriving in the UK and leaving - as being "statistically significant".

The previous 12 months saw a net flow of 175,000.

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Schools Divert Cash To Cover £1bn Funding Gap

A £1bn shortfall in funding for places is forcing many schools to borrow money as well as cut back on repairs and building projects, according to a new poll.

More than three quarters of authorities in England claim they have not received enough cash from the Government to create the extra school places needed by 2017.

The research by the Local Government Association (LGA) is released as concern grows about a squeeze on school places fuelled in part by a rising birth rate and changes in local populations.

Councillor David Simmonds, chairman of the LGA's children and young people's board, said: "The scale of this black hole is such that the cost of the creation of new school places cannot be met by council taxpayers.

"The lack of school places is no longer confined to primary schools but is spreading to secondary schools, and across the country we estimate more than 200,000 places will be needed.

"Councils face a challenge to create places on time and in the right areas, in a climate where they are also short of money to do so."

Local councils were asked by the LGA if money provided by the Department for Education (DfE) had fully met the cost of providing school places between 2011/12 and 2016/17.

Of those that responded - around 79 councils - a total of 77% said the funding had not been enough.

More than a third (38%) of the councils who said they did not receive enough funding said they had borrowed money, two thirds (67%) used money from developers, over a fifth (22%) took funds from other building programmes and half (50%) used cash from other school projects, such as school building maintenance, the LGA said.

The LGA claims 130,000 new places will be needed by 2017/18, along with 80,716 new secondary places by 2019/2020.

A DfE spokeswoman said: "We are making every effort to stop an unprecedented increase in pupil numbers affecting class sizes, and councils have a legal duty to provide school places for children in their area.

"We have also confirmed a further £2.35bn to support councils to create the places needed by September 2017.

"In addition we are allowing good schools to expand without the restrictions and bureaucracy they faced in the past.

"And there are now more than 320 free schools open or in the pipeline which will provide a further 175,000 places - the vast majority of which are in areas of need."

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Rotherham Abuse: Pressure Grows On Police Chief

By Becky Johnson, North Of England Correspondent

Pressure is growing on South Yorkshire's Police Commissioner to resign in the wake of the Rotherham abuse scandal, after it emerged he was once a councillor with responsibility for children's services there.

A damning report has revealed more than 1,400 children were victims of abuse there between 1997 and 2013.

It detailed examples of 11-year-olds being gang raped and children being forced to watch violent sex abuse while being threatened that they would be next.

It has emerged authorities in the town "could and should" have done more to stop the abuse but did not listen to children trying to report it.

In some cases victims were treated with contempt.

Shaun Wright was a Labour councillor for Rotherham until he was elected Police Commissioner in 2012, and was in charge of children's services from 2005 to 2010.

Colin Ross, the leader of the Lib Dem group on Sheffield City Council, said it is "difficult to see how local people can have confidence in him to continue as our Police and Crime Commissioner".

UKIP Yorkshire and Humber MEP Jane Collins also called on Mr Wright to go, adding: "The apologies we have heard are totally insincere and go nowhere near repairing the damage done."

Alexis Jay's highly critical report detailed "appalling" abuse

A spokesperson for Mr Wright said: "The Commissioner has previously apologised for the failure of Rotherham Council while he was in its cabinet from 2005 to 2010.

"He repeats that apology today and he fully accepts that there was more that everyone at Rotherham Council should have done to tackle this terrible crime.

"Since becoming Police and Crime Commissioner he has repeatedly publicly made tackling child sexual exploitation his number one priority."

The leader of Rotherham Council, Roger Stone, stepped down with immediate effect following the publication of the report.

Rotherham Council leader Roger Stone has left his post

The council has apologised for its failings but confirmed no staff will face disciplinary action.

South Yorkshire Police also issued an apology but it too revealed that no officers have been disciplined.

Several of the individuals named in the report are still working in child protection.

Chief Superintendent Jason Harwin, police district commander for Rotherham, said no officers had faced disciplinary action but added: "A number of individuals that were in the service then are no longer in the service.

Chief executive Martin Kimber revealed no council staff will face action

"Clearly we have failed on this occasion. We know that but we need to understand understand what we need to do next."

"If people have done things they shouldn't have done they should be held to account."

Jim Gamble, former Chief Executive of CEOP, told Sky News: "Every person particularly in a leadership role who has got it wrong whether today, yesterday, or in the years before must take responsibility for their actions.

"There's a couple of things, you need to make sure; 1) that they're not in a position of authority in any other local safeguarding board, in any other organisation that works to protect children and 2) if there is evidence that individuals supressed information that there's a criminal investigation."

A lawyer who represents some of the victims has told Sky News they intend to take legal action against the authorities.

Solicitor David Greenwood said he was "appalled" by what he called a "systematic failure".

He added that some of the girls involved have displayed symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and will need "a lot of input to get their lives back on track".

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Abuse Scandal 'Happening All Over Country'

The child exploitation scandal in which 1,400 youngsters were abused over 16 years is not "peculiar" to Rotherham, according to a leading children's charity.

A damning report on abuse in the South Yorkshire town detailed examples of 11-year-olds being gang raped and children forced to watch violent sex abuse.

Barnardo's was called to the town by police last year to tackle the problem - but the charity says it is also working with other councils to "learn lessons from the past".

Chief executive Javed Khan told Sky News: "Barnardo's is working very closely with that council and many other councils across the country.

"We're trying to help those professionals learn lessons from the past.

Some 1,400 children were abused in Rotherham over 16 years

"This is happening all over the country - it isn't just peculiar to Rotherham.

"It's important that they learn the lessons from the past, work with agencies like ours that have experience.

"We work with more than 2,000 children who've been sexually exploited every year. We know how to spot the signs and put it right."

The report on abuse in Rotherham, between 1997 and 2013, said authorities in the town "could and should" have done more to stop the abuse.

But officials did not listen to children trying to report it, the report said.

Council leader Roger Stone resigned after the report was published

Council leader Roger Stone resigned after the report was published - and there have been calls for South Yorkshire's Police Commissioner to follow.

Shaun Wright was elected in 2012 - but his previous role as a councillor put him in charge of children's services between 2005 and 2010.

However, Mr Khan insists it is important the victims are not forgotten amid the "recriminations".

"I'm sure Shaun Wright is doing some deep thinking about what he did and what he could have done differently - many other people will be doing as well," he said.

"Apart from the recriminations, the important thing is that we learn the lessons about how to protect children.

"Whatever actions need to be taken, let's focus on the victims and make sure this never, ever happens again to children who need our support.

"I'm not sitting on the fence. Children were failed. But the report says children's services in Rotherham are fit for purpose now - that's what interests me.

"What we're trying to do is work with the schools, work with the police, work with the social services, so they're more aware and more able to spot the signs of children who need our support."

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'Dreadful' Referendum Clash Turns Off Voters

By James Matthews, Scotland Correspondent

The verdict was fairly unanimous in the Glasgow tenement where I watched the Salmond v Darling debate - this politicians' shouting match didn't speak to real people.

The residents of Lauderdale Gardens in Glasgow's West End thought both men lost through a failure to deliver clarity on the important issues. 

In an unedifying spectacle, both seemed on a mission to destroy, not inform.

David Mullane, a retailer, sat down to watch the TV debate with an open mind. 

David Mullane said he didn't learn anything from the debate

He is contemplating a Yes vote in the referendum but was unconvinced by anything he saw on television.

He told Sky News: "I didn't learn anything at all and I got so annoyed during the cross-examination that I very nearly pressed the off button. Dreadful."

Writer Carmen Reid, a No voter, was similarly unimpressed. 

She said: "I didn't enjoy that debate at all, I thought it was really old-school 'which politician can shout the loudest'.

Carmen Reid described Alex Salmond as 'hectoring'

"I thought Alex Salmond in particular was very hectoring, very bullying. I don't really feel that's what we wanted.

"If anything I liked him less by the end of the debate than I did before."

Tom Quinn, a businessman, is intending to vote No.

He told Sky News: "I thought Darling's arguments were stronger, Salmond is obviously a very strident, bar room debater; you get what you get from him.

The residents we spoke to thought neither man came out well

"He probably did better than he did the last time because he was probably better prepared and he knew what he was going to get.

"But he played to the crowd and what he said didn't really add up."

As an exercise in political point-scoring, the event might have served its purpose.

As a viewing spectacle, it seems clear it was a switch-off. 

For both men, the late opportunity to sell the message to the voters sold them short.  

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Leaders Clash Over Currency In Scotland Debate

First Minister Alex Salmond and Better Together leader Alistair Darling have clashed on using the pound in a fiery final debate on Scottish independence.

The 90-minute debate, held in front of an audience of 200 at Glasgow's Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery, offered both men a key opportunity to appeal to voters ahead of the referendum on September 18.

North Sea oil, the National Health Service, welfare reform and Trident nuclear missile submarines at Faslane were also at the centre of the BBC-hosted face-off.

Mr Salmond ventures out from behind his rostrum to make a point

Answering questions on the currency union, Mr Salmond said: "No one can stop us using the pound sterling, it's an internationally tradeable currency.

"I'm seeking the best option for Scotland, so our prosperous economy keeps the pound sterling."

Mr Darling replied: "You are taking a huge risk if you think it is just all going to fall into place.

"I think the currency union would be bad for Scotland because our budget would have to be approved not by us, but what would then be a foreign country."

Mr Darling attacked his opponent as having "no plan B" on currency union

Both men also clashed over a "plan B" if a currency union failed, with Mr Salmond claiming he had three alternative options, including a Scottish currency, a flexible currency union and a fixed exchange rate, and also hinting at a refusal to meet debt obligations if a formal agreement could not be reached.

Mr Darling also admitted Scotland could still use sterling, even if an agreement failed.

During the debate, Mr Salmond used the tactic of walking out from behind his rostrum to answer questions put by members of the audience.

Sky News Political Editor Faisal Islam tweeted: "The first minister has gone walkies, abandoning the rostrum, whilst riffing on currency union... Sensational!"

North Sea oil was at the centre of the debate again

Mr Darling questioned North Sea oil revenue figures provided by the Yes campaign, and said: "You are promising all sorts of things on the basis of a revenue that is very volatile.

"To rely so much on something ... it is gambling our children's future which is totally unacceptable."

Both men had promised to create a fairer Scotland in their opening statements at the start of the debate.

Mr Salmond said: "We are a rich nation, a resourceful people. We can create a prosperous nations and a fairer society, a real vision for the people of Scotland.

"This is our time, it's our moment, let us do it now."

Polls put the Better Together campaign in the lead ahead of the referendum

The former Chancellor replied: "I know people want change, but they also want security on jobs, on pensions, on their children's future.

"A good line is not always a good answer, it's answers now we need."

He had questioned Mr Salmond on currency plans for an independent Scotland in the first TV debate on August 5.

Mr Salmond also targeted his opponent's links to the Westminster establishment, accusing the life-long Labour politician of being "in bed with the Tory party".

Mr Darling drew on his experience as Chancellor to warn of the risks of going it alone - including over-reliance on unpredictable oil revenues and vulnerability to economic turmoil like that of the 2008 global financial crisis.

Voters have to register to cast postal ballots by September 3, meaning some could cast their votes within days.

After the debate, a Sky News poll carried out on Twitter saw more than 2,000 retweets for a Salmond win, compared to under 500 claiming Darling had topped the debate.

A Guardian/ICM poll gave the debate to Mr Salmond with 71% of the vote.

Mr Darling was widely judged to have won the first.

A poll of polls, carried out by Sky News before the debate, put 39% in favour of Scottish independence, with 50% against and another 11% undecided.

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Salmond Wins With 'Debt Is Yours' Threat

By Faisal Islam, Political Editor

Finally, Alex Salmond delivered to the hype in the television debate with Alistair Darling on Scottish independence.

The surroundings in Glasgow were grand, next door to the Commonwealth Games bowling green, but this was more of a blood sport.

The innovative ramble in to the centre of the stage. The bulldozing of plausible and legitimate concerns about his lack of a currency plan.

The blitzing of Mr Darling's attempt to reuse lines from the first debate. And the clear message shouted from the rooftops: Darling is a Tory Trojan horse.

On food banks, on the bedroom tax, on Trident, and NHS "privatisation", Mr Salmond painted the leader of Better Together as an enabler of centre-right control over centre-left Scotland.

Happily for the First Minister, a rather high number in the audience seemed to share in this vitriol, launching highly personalised attacks on Mr Darling.

Alistair Darling points at Mr Salmond during an exchange

Voting "Yes" is the only way to protect Scotland, was Salmond's sell. Mr Salmond critiqued the No campaign's so-called "project Fear" a fortnight ago. On Monday night he doubled up on his own version, Project Feartie, perhaps.

The debate was brutal. Mr Darling was accused by an audience member of essentially shaming Nye Bevan's legacy in creating the NHS.

He was also "accused" of privatising the Post Office (untrue). Mr Salmond jabbed his finger at Mr Darling as he blamed him for the bedroom tax (which he and the Labour party will rescind).

And he also tried to make a huge play of Darling admitting that Scotland could use the pound unilaterally (the "Panama" option). (This is true, but Scottish banks would lose access to central bank funding, so goodbye RBS HQ).

But, for me, the really big development, was the candid, transparent use of threat by Mr Salmond over currency union.

No currency union, means no share of assets, which means "the debt is yours". The First Minister said this repeatedly and clearly. This is high wire stuff with implications for the banking system.

More than that, it suggests that a yes vote will lead to a messy divorce, not an amicable split.

And that Yes vote was made a little bit more likely or rather, less unlikely. Indeed the ICM/Guardian exit poll had a thumping win for the First Minister.

We are in for an interesting few weeks.

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First Briton With Ebola Virus Begins Treatment

A Briton who contracted the deadly ebola virus in Sierra Leone is being treated at a specialist hospital after being evacuated to the UK.

The volunteer nurse, who is understood to be William Pooley, tested positive after treating patients suffering from the disease at Kenema Government Hospital (KGH) in the south-east of the country.

It is the first confirmed case of a Briton contracting ebola during the outbreak. There is no cure and outbreaks have a fatality rate as high as 90%.

Mr Pooley, who is understood to be in his late 20s or early 30s, was transported to the UK on a specially-equipped C-17 Royal Air Force jet, which landed at RAF Northolt in west London on Sunday evening.

He was then taken to the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, north London, which has the UK's only high level isolation unit.

The nurse is taken off the plane and into a waiting ambulance

His bed will be surrounded by a specially-designed tent with its own controlled ventilation system.

The only people allowed inside are specially-trained medical staff.

Dr Robert Garry, from Tulane University in New Orleans, has worked at KGH for around a decade on a virus research project.

He said he was told by a university colleague that the test results for William were received on Saturday.

"They worked as hard as they could, as fast as humanly possible to make these arrangements," he said.

William was treating ebola patients in Sierra Leone

"Of course they were wanting to make sure that he got the best care possible.

"It was kind of a remarkable turnaround, barely over 24 hours (later) he was heading towards that plane."

Mr Pooley was working at a hospice in the capital, Freetown, but moved to Kenema when he found out other workers at the hospital had died from ebola.

In an interview with a blogger for freetownfashpack.com published earlier this month, he is reported to have said: "It's the easiest situation in the world to make a difference.

"I'm not particularly experienced or skilled, but I can do the job and I am actually helping."

The C17 plane lands at RAF Northolt on Sunday evening

Dr Garry praised William's decision to help. He said: "It's a very honourable thing. He saw the need.

"He read about our nurses who were unfortunately dying there and took it on himself to come over and volunteer and learned how to be as safe as he could.

"But when you work hard like that, when you put in so many hours, you're going to make a mistake and unfortunately that seems to have happened in this case.

"I just hope the best for him, that he can get the best treatment he can get."

The Royal Free Hospital in north London

The Department of Health said he was not "seriously unwell", while health chiefs have insisted that the risk to the public from ebola is "very low".

There have so far been 2,615 confirmed cases and 1,427 deaths in the outbreak in Africa.

Ebola is contracted through contact with an infected person's bodily fluids and there is currently no cure or vaccine.

Symptoms of the virus appear as a sudden onset of fever, headache, sore throat, intense weakness and muscle pain.

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James Foley's Letter From Hostage Cell Revealed

The family of journalist James Foley, who was beheaded by Islamic State (IS) militants, have released the final letter he sent them from his hostage cell.

He writes that dreaming of his family and friends "takes me away and happiness fills my heart".

The letter continues: "I know you are thinking of me and praying for me. And I am so thankful.

"I feel you all especially when I pray. I pray for you to stay strong and to believe. I really feel I can touch you even in this darkness when I pray."

Diane and John Foley speak to people at the service in memory of their son

Video emerged last week of an IS fighter, who spoke with a British accent, killing Mr Foley.

The 40-year-old, who was captured in Syria in November 2012, wrote numerous letters during his captivity, but all of these were confiscated by his captors.

So Mr Foley asked another hostage, who was due to be released, to commit a letter to memory.

This was later dictated to Mr Foley's mother Diane.

A prayer card from the memorial

The full text has been posted on the Find James Foley Facebook page, which was set up by his friends and family.

Mr Foley describes the conditions he is being held in, revealing he was held in a cell along with 18 others.

They passed the time talking about films, sport and trivia, and managed to find ways of playing chess, checkers and Risk.

"I have had weak and strong days," he admits.

Parishioners wait to greet the family of James Foley after the service

"We are so grateful when anyone is freed; but of course, yearn for our own freedom.

"We try to encourage each other and share strength."

The letter, which includes messages for different family members, ends with Mr Foley addressing his grandmother.

"Grammy, please take your medicine, take walks and keep dancing. I plan to take you out to Margarita's when I get home," he says.

"Stay strong because I am going to need your help to reclaim my life."

A funeral will be held for James Foley in October

Hours before the letter was released, a memorial service was held for Mr Foley in Rochester, New Hampshire.

Roman Catholic Bishop Peter Libasci said he was living his faith by bringing images to the world of people suffering because of war and oppressive regimes.

People stood three deep at the back of the Our Lady of the Holy Rosary church and along both sides of it.

The bishop frequently addressed Mr Foley's parents and stressed their son's connection to family.

"Jim went back again so that we might open our eyes," Bishop Libasci said.

James Foley in Libya three years ago

"That we might indeed know how precious is this gift. May almighty God grant peace to James and to all our fragile world."

Bishop Libasci said after the service that people should not think of vengeance and read a letter from the Vatican extending the condolences of Pope Francis.

"Look at what it's done already," he said. "Look at the heartbreak."

"Thank you for loving Jim," Diane Foley told the crowd afterwards.

A funeral for Mr Foley will be held on October 18, what would have been his 41st birthday.

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Richard Attenborough: Director Dies Aged 90

Tributes are being paid to Oscar-winning director Richard Attenborough, who dominated the British film business for more than half a century.

Lord Attenborough, who won two Academy Awards for directing and producing Gandhi in 1983, died at lunchtime on Sunday.

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta) described its former president as a "titan of British cinema" who set an example of "industry, skill and compassion" that business would do well to live up to. 

2005: Lord Attenborough with his wife Sheila whom he married when he was 21

He was president of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (Rada) and championed the British film business for more than 60 years as an actor, director and prolific movie-maker.

Gandhi was the highlight of his career, winning eight Oscars, including best film. He also directed Young Winston, A Bridge Too Far and Cry Freedom.

As an actor he won acclaim for starring roles in films such as Brighton Rock and 10 Rillington Place. 

Lord 'Dickie' Attenborough was born in Cambridgeshire in 1923 and educated at Wyggeston Grammar School and Emmanuel College Cambridge.

Richard Attenborough was a 'titan' of cinema for decades, says BAFTA

He was the older brother of naturalist Sir David Attenborough.

He married the actress Sheila Sim when he was 21. His son Michael was born in 1949, followed by two daughters, Jane and Charlotte.

Tragedy struck on Boxing Day 2004 when his elder daughter Jane Holland, her daughter Lucy, and her mother-in-law, also Jane, died in the south-Asian tsunami.

Director Steven Spielberg said: "Dickie Attenborough was passionate about everything in his life -  family, friends, country and career. 

With his brother, naturalist David

"He made a gift to the world with his emotional epic Ghandi and he was the perfect ringmaster to bring the dinosaurs back to life as John Hammond in Jurassic Park.

"He was a dear friend and I am standing in an endless line of those who completely adored him."

David Cameron said: "His acting in Brighton Rock was brilliant, his directing of Gandhi was stunning - Richard Attenborough was one of the greats of cinema."

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon, Labour's leader in the House of Lords, said she was "proud" that the actor was a Labour peer.

Former Cabinet minister Peter Hain also paid tribute to the "brilliant actor and film director" who he also hailed as an "anti-Apartheid, Labour and Chelsea Football Club stalwart".

In a statement on their website, Chelsea said: "Chelsea Football Club is tonight deeply saddened to learn of the passing of our Life President Lord Attenborough.

"His personality was woven into the tapestry of the club over seven decades. He will be greatly missed."

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