Cockroach Burrows Into Sleeping Man's Ear

A man in Australia had to be rushed to hospital in terrible pain after a large cockroach crawled into his ear as he slept, and an attempt to suck it out with a vacuum cleaner failed.

Medical treatment initially only caused the inch-long insect to burrow further into the head of Hendrik Helmer.

The unwelcome invader was eventually extracted by a doctor with forceps, but only after Mr Helmer had endured the unpleasant sensation of it being in the "throes of death-twitching".

His ordeal began in the early hours of Wednesday morning when he was woken by a sharp pain in his right ear, according to Australian TV.

He said: "I was hoping it was not a poisonous spider ... I was hoping it didn't bite me."

As the pain got worse, Mr Helmer said he tried to suck the insect out with a vacuum cleaner before squirting water in his ear.

"Whatever was in my ear didn't like it at all," he told the broadcaster.

With the pain now excruciating, his flatmate rushed him to hospital where a doctor put oil down the ear canal.

Friends of Mr Helmer, from Darwin, are now going to bed with headphones on

But this only forced the two centimetre cockroach to crawl in deeper.

Mr Helmer, from Darwin, said: "Near the 10 minute mark ... somewhere about there, he started to stop burrowing but he was still in the throes of death twitching."

The doctor then pulled the insect out of his ear.

"She (the doctor) said, 'You know how I said a little cockroach, that may have been an underestimate'," he said.

"They said they had never pulled an insect this large out of someone's ear."

Mr Helmer said he would not be taking any added precautions when sleeping, although friends of his said they were so concerned over his experience that they had begun going to bed with headphones on.

Cockroaches are among the hardiest insects on the planet.

They are capable of surviving for long periods on little food and can even tolerate high doses of radiation.

They will eat almost anything, and some species can produce over 20,000 young in their lifetime.

Famous for their hissing, cockroaches can reach nine centimetres in length, although most species are much smaller.

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Video Of Plane Crashing During Beach Take-Off

A pilot in New Zealand made a safe emergency landing on a beach following engine failure - only to crash his plane later on take-off.

Miraculously, Dennis Horn and his co-pilot Manfred Scherbius walked away from both white-knuckle dramas unhurt.

It all unfolded after the aircraft's new engine cut out and the pair were forced to glide for several minutes before spotting the suitable shoreline landing site.

One young girl on the beach said: "All we saw was a plane coming towards us."

A faulty fuel valve was quickly identified as the cause of the single-engined aircraft's difficulties, and repairs were carried out.

Mr Horn said: "Basically the engine stopped.

"Sort of thing the pilot doesn't want to hear, especially if he's only got one engine.

"We actually landed along some rocks there which was a bit rough but it only damaged the aircraft slightly."

With the makeshift runway cleared it was time to beat the incoming tide and fly home.

Things did not go to plan, and the aircraft careered into the surf ending up on its nose in the sea.

"Because we were too cautious staying away from the trees and the boat and whatever," explained Mr Scherbius.

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Northern Lights Aurora Borealis In The UK

Scientists say the aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, came as low as the M4 corridor last night - and there will be an even better chance to see them tonight.

The natural light display, which usually takes place in the Arctic and Antarctic regions, may have been seen in the early hours by stargazers in southern Britain.

The northern lights appear as shimmering green waves of light when atoms in the Earth's high-altitude atmosphere collide with energetic charged particles from the sun.

The impact was weaker than expected on Thursday night, but the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is predicting a much stronger display later.

According to reports on Spaceweather.com, NOAA forecasters estimate an 85% chance of activity.

Joe Kunches, of The Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) in Colorado, told Sky News: "The geomagnetic storm that drives the aurora structure south is beginning right now.

"We're not sure how strong the storm will be but if it follows predictions there's a good chance of seeing it in southern Britain."

The SWPC predicted that the displays measured on what is called the KP Index could rise from a reading of one, which makes it visible in northern Scandinavia, to a reading of seven, visible in southern Wales and parts of southern England.

An eruption from the sun two days ago caused a cloud of electrically charged gas to move towards Earth, fuelling the rare event.

The phenomenon triggers a geomagnetic storm, increasing the chances of viewing the aurora.

However, Professor Jim Wild, a space scientist at Lancaster University, said the orientation of the magnetic field, which pushes the aurora south is not in the best position at present, although this could change.

He predicts that it is more likely that Scotland will witness the lights. Stargazers saw the aurora from northern Scotland earlier this week.

A key factor in viewing the lights again this evening will be how clear the skies are.

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Costa Concordia Could Be Towed To A British Port

By Sunita Patel-Carstairs, Online Producer

The team leading the Costa Concordia salvage operation has revealed they will begin removing the stricken cruise liner from near the Italian island of Giglio in June - before it is demolished later this year.

Exactly where the wreck will be towed to and destroyed has not yet been decided, but some 12 ports are in contention including ABLE Seaton Port, south of Seaton Carew, among others in Italy, Norway, Turkey, France and the Netherlands.

The British firm told Sky News: "ABLE UK Limited can confirm that it is in a tender process regarding the potential recycling of the Costa Concordia at its Teesside Environmental Reclamation and Recycling facility (TERRC) at Able Seaton Port in Hartlepool on the River Tees.

"TERRC was of course the yard selected by both the French and US Governments to recycle the former French aircraft carrier, Le Clemenceau and vessels from the US MARAD fleet respectively.

"The facility, including one of the world's largest dry docks, has full planning permissions and environmental accreditations to undertake this type of activity. The previous contracts were completed in October 2010 and employed over 100 personnel."

A technique known as parbuckling was used to right the ship

The job of dismantling and recycling the vessel has been put out to tender which is being overseen by London Offshore Consultants.

It is hoped the salvage team will have made a decision on the ship's final destination by early March.

Italian environment minister Andrea Orlando and experts disclosed the details of the next phase of the mammoth operation at a news conference in Rome - three days before the second anniversary of the tragedy.

The 114,000-ton ship was hauled upright from its partially submerged position in September last year in a complicated 19-hour operation.

More than 1,000 concrete stacks and six underwater platforms are being used to keep the vessel stable.

It is expected to be towed away from the Mediterranean holiday island by the summer and eventually broken up for scrap.

Costa Concordia raised from the depths

Franco Porcellacchia, who is in charge of removing the wreck, said: "We will start fitting in the systems and equipment that are needed to enable us to remove the ship from mid-April. It is a very complicated operation.

"If there are no unexpected events the whole operation will be completed by the end of June, probably by the middle of June.

"Then we will have to make the wreck float again, and this will take about seven to 10 days, so our reasonable goal is to refloat the wreck by the end of June."

Michael Thamm, chief executive officer of Costa Cruises, said: "We are very confident that we can remove this ship within the month of June. This is not very far away - and then a great job will be done."

He said the company would maintain ownership of the vessel "until the very last moment", until the wreck is demolished later this year.

The full cost of the completed salvage operation was expected to reach around €600m (£497m), he added.

Cabin owners of the safes recovered from the wreck are to be contacted soon and their contents returned to them.

The seven-day Mediterranean cruise turned to tragedy just hours after the vessel, packed with more than 4,000 passengers and crew had left the port of Civitavecchia on January 13, 2012.

The Concordia's captain, Francesco Schettino, is on trial for alleged manslaughter, causing the shipwreck and abandoning ship during a confused and delayed evacuation.

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Red Arrows Death: Friend Saw Ejection Tragedy

A friend and colleague of a Red Arrows pilot who died after he was ejected from his cockpit has described how he watched the tragedy unfold.

Corporal David Morris watched in horror as Flight Lieutenant Sean Cunningham was propelled 200-300ft in the air from his Hawk T1 aircraft while it was on the ground at RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire.

The parachute on the ejector seat did not deploy and the 35-year-old South African-born pilot later died in hospital.

Cpl Morris said he was standing with a colleague when the canopy blew, scattering debris across the ground which they had to duck to avoid, and it took a few seconds to realise what had happened.

He told an inquest in Lincoln: "I watched it from start to finish and when I saw the drogue deploy the seat stabilised but from where I was standing it looked like Flt Lt Cunningham was trying to stabilise himself.

"I could see his limbs moving and then the seat seemed to come to some sort of position where it was falling properly and that's when I thought it would separate from Ft Lt Cunningham.

The pilot's funeral service at Coventry Cathedral in December 2011

"He came down almost in slow motion, but obviously fairly quickly, and hit the floor. I could hear and feel the thud beneath our feet."

Asked by Richard Seabrook, counsel to the inquest, if he saw any signs of life, Cpl Morris paused to take a deep breath before answering: "No."

Flt Lt Cunningham was a highly-regarded and experienced pilot as well as an Iraq war veteran.

The team were preparing to fly to RAF Valley in Wales at the time of the tragedy on November 8, 2011. Ground crew had been carrying out their pre-flight checks, as had the pilots in their cockpits.

Earlier this week, Central Lincolnshire Coroner Stuart Fisher said tests showed Flt Lt Cunningham had used Night Nurse, which includes the ingredient promethazine, the evening before the incident.

"It is conceivable that side effects of this medication can include drowsiness, blurred vision, disorientation or poor concentration, and could have been responsible for a degree of cognitive impairment, but there is no way of proving this with certainty," the inquest heard.

However, in written evidence to the inquest another doctor reported it was very unlikely that any sedative effect had remained the following morning.

Following the incident, the RAF grounded all non-essential flying of aircraft fitted with the Mk10 Martin Baker built ejector seat "as a precaution", but flights later resumed in December 2011, with air chiefs saying they had "no remaining safety concerns".

Evidence from around 70 witnesses is expected during the inquiry, which is expected to last around three weeks.

The inquest continues.

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Woman And Two Children Found Dead In London

A murder investigation has been launched after the bodies of two children and a woman were found at a home in London.

The 33-year-old woman and two boys, one aged five years and the other seven months, were found at 5.20pm on Thursday at a property in Kenton, near Harrow.

At this stage the deaths of the children are being treated as murders, while police are not treating the death of the woman as suspicious and they are not looking for anyone else.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police Service said police were called to the property in Woodgrange Close to reports of a woman and two children with injuries.

When officers arrived, the three were pronounced dead at the scene by medical staff.

Post-mortem examinations would be held, police said.

The spokesman said: "Detectives are not seeking anyone else in connection with the incident."

Councillor Reg Colwill, who represents Kenton ward, said: "I think everybody is the same, they are shocked at what's happened.

"If it's accurate that the woman took her own life she must have been at her wits' end and didn't ask for help, or didn't get the help she asked for. It's two young children, it's very sad."

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Care Workers Jailed Over Abuse 'For Sport'

By Nick Martin, News Correspondent

Three care workers who abused elderly dementia sufferers at a nursing home have been jailed.

Residents at Hillcroft nursing home in Slyne-with-Hest, Lancaster, were mocked, bullied and tormented because they would have no memory of the abuse, with one man having his foot stamped on deliberately and another nearly tipped out of his wheelchair.

The vulnerable victims were also pelted with bean bags and balls at their heads "for entertainment".

In November, Carol Ann Moore, 54, Katie Cairns, 27, and Gemma Pearson, 28, were found guilty by a jury at Preston Crown Court of ill-treatment or neglect of a person who lacks capacity, under the Mental Capacity Act, after a four week trial.

Darren Smith, 35, from Lancaster, who admitted ahead of the trial eight counts of ill-treatment in which he threw bean bags or ball at eight residents, has been jailed for eight months.

Moore, the care team leader from Lancaster, was found guilty of one count in which she struck a resident. She has been sentenced to four months in prison.

The court heard she walked up to the male victim and slapped him after a complaint was made from the man's wife about a lack of activities at the home.

Cairns, from Morecambe, was convicted of three charges including stamping on a man's foot, throwing bean bags at another male and mocking another. She has been jailed for five months.

A catalogue of abuse took place at Hillcroft nursing home in Lancaster

Pearson, of Carnforth, was also convicted of attempting to tip another resident out of his wheelchair. She was given a 12-month community order with supervision and told to carry out 40 hours of unpaid work.

Following the convictions, the families of the victims said they thought there had been failings by the owners and management of Hillcroft, Lancashire County Council Adult Services, NHS Lancashire and the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

All the offences spanned from May 2010 to September 2011 and related to seven men and one woman, all aged in their 70s or 80s, with the eldest aged 85.

Sentencing them, Judge Michael Byrne said: "Much evidence in the trial revealed that there was, at the relevant times, a lax regime with weak and inadequate management on the unit which allowed the kind of conduct to carry on undetected and without proper and adequate control."

He said the offences committed were "an indictment" on Hillcroft management.

"A lack of proper management allowed a culture to develop where conduct of this sort was allowed to carry on," he said.

He continued: "Some of the offences were gratuitous sport at the expense of vulnerable victims.

"Each of these defendants broke the trust placed in them."

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Hulme, of Lancashire Constabulary, said all four had showed a complete disregard for the well-being of the people they had been entrusted to care for.

"Further to that, their ill-treatment was directed at some of the most vulnerable members of our community - these people couldn't speak out or defend themselves.

"Their behaviour was utterly contemptible and I can only hope they will now reflect on their actions and see just how cowardly their conduct was."

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Plebgate Police Officer Admits Misconduct

A police officer involved in the Plebgate scandal has pleaded guilty in court to misconduct in public office.

PC Keith Wallis has admitted sending an email in which he lied when he said he had witnessed an incident between the former Chief Whip Andrew Mitchell and a police officer at the gates of Downing Street in 2012.

During the incident, Mr Mitchell was alleged to have called the officer a "****ing pleb" after they became embroiled in an argument when the PC refused to let him cycle through the main gates.

Details of the row appeared in national newspapers and Mr Mitchell was forced to resign.

The Tory MP has always maintained that he never used the word "pleb" - the word judged to have caused the political damage - but admitted swearing during the altercation with PC Toby Rowland.

Mr Mitchell with his bike at the gates of Downing Street

Following the incident Wallis, a member of the Metropolitan Police Diplomatic Protection Group, sent an email to the deputy chief whip John Randall, who was his MP, saying he had been sightseeing in the capital when he saw the row.

Wallis sent the email from a private address but it was quickly established that he was a serving officer and that he was not present at the gates of Downing Street during the incident.

At the Old Bailey today, Wallis, 53, of West Drayton, pleaded guilty to misconduct and the court heard that he would offer his resignation from the police force. He will be sentenced on February 6.

Andrew Mitchell at a press conference in November

Mr Mitchell, MP for Sutton Coldfield, said: "I am pleased that justice has been done in a criminal court today.

"It is very sad and worrying for all of us that a serving police officer should have behaved in this way. There remain many questions unanswered, in particular why PC Wallis wrote this email and who else was involved in this process."

Prime Minister David Cameron said: "It is completely unacceptable for a serving police officer to falsify an account of any incident.

"Andrew Mitchell has consistently denied the version of events presented in the email and I welcome the fact that the officer concerned has now pleaded guilty."

The case and the subsequent police investigation into the incident have been acknowledged by the Metropolitan force to have significantly damaged the public trust in it.

Mr Mitchell's resignation letter to David Cameron

The guilty plea comes as the Met is facing a fierce backlash over the case of Mark Duggan, who was shot dead by officers on the streets of Tottenham and whose killing sparked the London riots in 2011.

An inquest jury this week concluded Mr Duggan was lawfully shot but there remain significant questions over the police handling of the case and claims regarding collusion over the evidence of officers.

Speaking after the guilty plea, Met Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe said: "This investigation has been a ruthless search for the truth as at the heart of this are extremely damaging allegations that officers have lied and falsified statements against a Cabinet Minister.

"The evidence against PC Wallis was such that he has entered a guilty plea.

"To lie about witnessing something and provide a false account falls way below the standards that I and PC Wallis's colleagues expect of police officers.

"His actions have also negatively impacted upon public trust and confidence in the integrity of police officers.

"I would also like to apologise to Mr Mitchell that an MPS officer clearly lied about seeing him behaving in a certain manner. I will be writing to him offering to meet and apologise in person.

"I expect my officers to serve the public without fear or favour. Where officers break the law, they must expect to be held to account and answer for what they have done."

The investigation into the Plebgate incident has cost the public more than £300,000 and involved 1,100 statements being taken and 439 exhibits seized.

Mr Mitchell has always claimed he was "stitched up" and that he was a victim of police revenge for Government-led cuts.

In November, the Crown Prosecution Service announced that it had no evidence to suggest that PC Rowland was involved in any wrong-doing and there is nothing to suggest he knew about the Wallis email.

Last month the officer announced he was suing Mr Mitchell for libel over comments made in the fall-out of the Downing Street incident.

Mr Mitchell announced in March that he was suing The Sun for libel over the original story.

In total, 11 officers face disciplinary proceedings in relation to the Plebgate story and risk losing their jobs.

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Thames Homes Flooded As River Bursts Banks

Homeowners along the River Thames face mopping up operations after the River Thames burst its banks on Friday.

Parts of the river, stretching from Buscot in Oxfordshire to Bourne End in Buckinghamshire, were under flood warnings as heavy rain over recent days caused river levels to rise.

Residents were warned on Thursday to expect flooding, with many moving belongings to prevent damage.

Ground floors and gardens along the River Thames are under water

Images captured homes close to the banks of the river underwater, with flood waters causing damage to ground floors and gardens.

Affected areas included Marlow and Cookham in Buckinghamshire, as well as Shiplake and Wargrave in Berkshire and parts of south Oxford.

People use a boat to get around

The Environment Agency (EA) has 94 flood warnings in place - meaning immediate action is required due to expected flooding - the majority of them in the South East.

Although there is not expected to be significant rainfall over the weekend, the EA said there remained a medium risk of further flooding - mainly in the South - where groundwater levels are high and surface run-off continues to enter already swollen rivers.

Homes in Marlow, Cookham, Shiplake and Wargrave have flooded

Parts of Dorset and Wiltshire are also at risk of flooding, with warnings of possible travel disruption.

David Cameron visited flooded homes in his Witney constituency on Friday.

It comes as climate experts backed the Prime Minister's comments on the increase of "abnormal" weather events and their link to climate change.

David Cameron visits flooded homes in his Witney constituency

Mr Cameron made the comments this week as communities around the UK dealt with the aftermath of a succession of storms in December.

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Hollande 'Affair' Story Pulled From Website

A French magazine that published photos allegedly showing French President Francois Hollande having an affair with an actress has said it will remove the story from its website.

Closer printed seven pages of pictures taken outside a Paris apartment, including an image of a man it says is Mr Hollande arriving on the back of a scooter wearing a black helmet before leaving in the morning.

The gossip magazine also showed a woman, which it claims is 41-year-old actress Julie Gayet, arriving at the apartment at night.

"Around New Year's Day, a helmeted head of state joined the actress at her apartment, where he has got into the habit of spending the night," Closer said on its website.

Mr Hollande 'deplores' the invasion of privacy, said a presidential source

However, it later said it would remove the online report.

Managing Editor Laurence Pieau said: "At the request of the actress Julie Gayet, Closer will remove from its website information published today regarding her alleged affair with President François Hollande.

"Julie Gayet's lawyer contacted us to ask us to remove all references relating to this from the site and from Google searches.

"We will remove the news, probably tonight, because this is a very clear injunction. However, we have had no contact with the Elysée (Palace)," she added.

Julie Gayet previously complained about rumours of the affair

The editor said the magazine would not be pulled from newsstands.

It claimed that the person pictured driving the scooter in the photos is the president's bodyguard and Closer also published a picture allegedly showing him fetching croissants for the couple.

The magazine also claimed it was a security concern that the president is apparently being protected by only one bodyguard.

Mr Hollande, who has threatened legal action over the pictures, is not married but has a long-term partner, Valerie Trierweiler, who acts as France's first lady.

Valerie Trierweiler is Mr Hollande's long-term partner

The 59-year-old also has four children from a previous relationship with a senior member of his Socialist Party, Segolene Royal.

In a statement, Mr Hollande said he was "looking into possible action, including legal action".

A source from the president's office added that Mr Hollande "greatly deplores the invasion of his privacy, to which he has a right as any citizen does".

Gayet, a mother of two, is an established actress in France who also appeared in a 2012 election film for Mr Hollande.

In March, she made a complaint over rumours of the affair, which she said were a breach of privacy.

Opinion polls show that Mr Hollande is deeply unpopular in France, mainly because of his inability to revive the economy, but the effect of the allegations remains to be seen.

French voters have proved to be reasonably tolerant of the personal lives of their leaders.

Jacques Chirac, president from 1995 to 2007, is said to have had many affairs, while predecessor Francois Mitterrand had a daughter born to a mistress.

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US Helicopter Crash Bodies 'Can Be Removed'

Work is getting underway to recover the bodies of four crew killed in a US military helicopter crash, police have said.

Norfolk Police Chief Superintendent Bob Scully said the coroner had given clearance for the bodies to be removed after carrying out a daylight assessment of the area.

He said the operation could last until Thursday as investigators would have to take care not to disturb evidence that may form part of their probe.

Aerial images of Norfolk's Cley Marshes Nature Reserve show a scene of utter devastation, with debris from the crash spread across scarred marshland where the Pave Hawk helicopter came down.

Mr Scully said some roads around Cley Next the Sea would remain closed until next Monday while police work alongside British and American military specialists to establish what happened.

The helicopter was based at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk

He said: "I'm asking the public to have sympathy with the families of the victims and understand the need for a thorough investigation."

Earlier, Mr Scully warned that the crash site poses a risk to the public because of ammunition scattered across a wide area.

He said the wreckage is spread across an area of difficult terrain "the size of a football pitch".

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He said a cordon will remain in place for most of the day while investigators carry out a full examination and work to preserve evidence.

Police have cordoned off the scene of the crash

He said: "The crashed aircraft did contain ammunition. This is not of any great significance - it is bullets, if you will - but it is scattered across the area.

"The site is a hazard to members of the public and people who would normally visit for birdwatching and other nature activities."

The Pave Hawk - based at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk - was taking part in a low-flying exercise when it came down at around 7pm on Tuesday.

The investigation will soon be passed over to the Air Accidents Investigation Branch and its counterparts in the US, Mr Scully said.

Emergency services worked at the scene throughout the night with the help of military personnel and volunteers.

A second helicopter from RAF Lakenheath was also in the area at the time of the crash and set down on the marshes to try to assist.

Mr Scully refused to speculate on whether the second helicopter had any involvement in the incident but said that, as it was nearby at the time, it made sense that it went to help.

Residents told of hearing a "heavy and very unusual" sound overhead as the helicopter - which specialises in recovering troops from war zones - plummeted into marshland at the Norfolk Wildlife Trust Cley Marshes Nature Reserve.

The Pave Hawk - a derivative of the more famous Black Hawk - gets its name from the PAVE acronym standing for Precision Avionics Vectoring Equipment.

The helicopter is used for combat search and rescue, mainly to recover downed aircrew or other isolated personnel.

It usually has a four-man crew and can carry up to 12 troops.

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US Navy Helicopter Crashes Off Virginia

A search and rescue effort is under way off the coast of Virginia for a downed CH-53E helicopter, the US Navy has said.

The US Coast Guard says five were aboard when the helicopter crashed about 18 miles east of Virginia Beach.

Petty Officer David Weydert said the helicopter was reported down about 11am local time.

He said there was no immediate word on any casualties.

Two Coast Guard vessels have responded to the crash site.

The CH-53E is primarily used by the Navy to transport heavy equipment and supplies for amphibious assault missions.

The crash is the second US military helicopter accident in as many days.

Four crew members were killed when their Pave Hawk helicopter crashed in Norfolk, England, during a training mission on Tuesday.

The helicopter was taking part in a low-flying exercise when it came down in Cley Next the Sea.

More follows...

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Duggan Family: 'Mark Was Executed By Police'

The family of Mark Duggan has vowed to fight for justice in his name, saying the 29-year-old was "executed" by police.

Speaking outside London's Royal Courts of Justice, Mr Duggan's aunt Carole Duggan said: "The majority of people in this country know that Mark was executed. He was executed and we still believe that.

"We're going to fight until we have no breath in our body: for justice, for Mark, for his children, for all of those deaths in custody. We are not giving up. No justice, no peace."

Mr Duggan was shot dead by police in Tottenham in August 2011, sparking rioting in London that spread to other cities.

An inquest jury found today that Mr Duggan was unarmed when he was gunned down, but was lawfully killed.

The verdict led to angry scenes both inside and outside the court, as supporters of the Duggan family shouted abuse at the jurors and reportedly smashed a door.

Shouts of "no justice, no peace" could be heard as angry supporters walked outside the court following the verdict.

The family's solicitor Marcia Willis Stewart described the verdict as "a perverse judgment".

"The jury found that he had no gun in his hand and yet he was gunned down. For us that's an unlawful killing.

"The family are in a state of shock and we would ask that you respect their shock.

"They can't believe that this has been the outcome. No gun in his hand and yet he was killed."

More follows...

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Boris Wants Water Cannon For London's Streets

Boris Johnson has requested the Metropolitan Police to be able to use water cannon on the capital's streets by this summer.

The London Mayor said the weapons would be used only in "the most extreme circumstances", but there are fears the cannon could be deployed to break up small-scale legitimate protests.

He said the water cannon were necessary in case there was a repeat of the summer riots of 2011.

The violent outbreaks and looting in cities across the country led David Cameron to warn that the machines could be used on the British mainland for the first time ever.

Mr Johnson wrote a letter to the Home Secretary, Theresa May, who would make the final decision on whether to licence the water cannon.

Water cannon are used in Northern Ireland to control crowds

Plans have been laid out to buy three water cannon, at a cost of £30,000 each, from a German manufacturer, but Mrs May has turned down a request that the Government pay for such a weapon for the Metropolitan Police as a national asset.

Scotland Yard mulled using water cannon during the student riots in London in 2010, however, Mrs May then said in the House of Commons: "I don't think anyone wants to see water cannon being used on the streets of Britain."

In the summer 4,000 Metropolitan Police officers were trained in Hampshire in how to use the water cannon so they could support their Northern Ireland counterparts ahead of the G8.

In 2010, Mrs May said: "No one wants water cannon on Britain's streets"

Northern Ireland has used the weapons for crowd control for some time but they have never been used on the British mainland.

In his letter the mayor told Mrs May he was consulting the public and key figures on the use of the water cannon and was "broadly convinced" by the idea.

He said: "Should the engagement plan reveal serious, as yet unidentified, concerns I will, of course, take these into consideration and share them with you before you make any decision to licence this non-lethal tool."

There have been some instances reported of water cannon causing serious injuries to people including to a German protester who was blinded in 2010.

Mrs May told delegates at the Police Federation last year that she was considering requests from a number of UK forces to use the machines.

London Assembly member Jenny Jones said: "Would the Mayor have supported the deployment of water cannon against students protesting against their fees going up?

"What happens if the Commissioner wants to deploy water cannon but the Mayor doesn't? Londoners need to know when and in what circumstances the Mayor would agree with the Met using this weapon.

"Allowing water cannon on the streets of London is a step in the wrong direction towards arming our police like a military force, and it goes against our great tradition of an unarmed police service.

Calls for the use of water cannon were fuelled by the London riots in 2011

"People have a democratic right to protest and my fear is that once the Mayor allows these weapons onto our streets we will see them being used against people exercising their legal right to protest."

A spokeswoman for the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) said: "Since the riots in August 2011 the police and the independent Inspectorate of Constabulary have argued that water cannon should be available as one of a range of tools to respond to serious public disorder.

"This is supported by the vast majority of the public. MOPAC will now be undertaking a period of public engagement to get the views of Londoners, prior to any final decision to purchase water cannon."

A final decision is expected to be made in February.

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Polar Vortex Fallout To Sweep Into UK

More heavy rain and wind is on on the way at the end of the week as the fallout from the the blast of freezing polar air battering the US hits the UK.

A weather system forming part of the record-breaking polar vortex that has affected half of America is heading across the Atlantic, warming as it comes.

The Met Office had already extended its severe weather alert until Thursday morning, warning of more floods as saturated ground and swollen rivers in the south of England and Wales may not cope with more rain.

But further heavy falls will be swept in when the US weather system reaches the UK on Friday.

People with a canoe near flood barriers in Oxford

Sky's US Correspondent Dominic Waghorn said the worst of the big freeze in America should now be over, with temperatures set to rise.

"That's good news for Americans but not necessarily for the rest of us," he said.

"Meteorologists warn that when a polar vortex breaks up it scatters its forces literally to the four winds, meaning that the extreme weather experienced here this week could be flung as far afield as Europe."

The Met Office has its lowest warning in place, forecasting "periods of heavy rain" in the south west of England and Wales on Wednesday into Thursday.

Environment Agency workers check river defence barriers

Between 30-40mm of rain is expected to fall in the wettest spots.

A Met Office spokesman said: "The public should be aware of the potential for further flooding, especially in the areas which have been affected recently.

"Given current sensitive hydrological conditions, there is a risk of further surface water flooding in Wales, and both river and surface water flooding in Cornwall, Devon and Somerset."

There are no longer any severe flood warnings in force from the Environment Agency, but there are 114 flood warnings in place across the country.

An Environment Agency map showing the alerts and warnings

A further 195 low-level flood alerts are also in force.

Paul Mustow, flood risk manager at the EA, said: "The risk of flooding continues this week, with communities in the South West and South East urged to stay safe and sign up to free flood warnings."

Seven people have died and more than 1,700 homes and businesses have been flooded in England since the beginning of the Christmas period, with around 550 properties flooded since the new year.

Some 140 properties have been flooded in Wales.

Flood defences protected 220,000 properties over the Christmas period and another 800,000 were protected during the coastal flooding in early December.

High winds over Christmas also left 250,000 homes without power, with some families waiting days for electricity to be restored.

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said on Tuesday the Government was working closely with local councils, the insurance industry and others to ensure that people could quickly get the help they need.

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Schumacher Ski Accident Off 'Well-Marked' Slope

Prosecutors investigating Michael Schumacher's ski accident said examination of his helmet camera showed he had left a properly marked out trail at the time of his fall.

Albertville prosecutor Patrick Quincy said the two-minute film from the helmet camera was very clear and showed the former  Formula 1 driver lost his balance in the French resort of Meribel and struck his head on a rock.

The fall left him in a critical condition and he has been in a medically induced coma since December 29.

Investigators said they had established the signage on the slopes was in accordance with regulations, but the area where Schumacher was hurt was "virgin territory" so was not marked and could be dangerous.

"There are French standards setting rules on safety, signalling, demarcation ... The checks we have made show these standards had been respected," Mr Quincy said.

However, he said the investigation would take time to establish whether the area where he was skiing could be classed as an "official piste" in French law.

Investigators have visited the scene of the accident in Meribel

The video will now be examined by a police expert in mountaineering.

Problems with the rented skis Schumacher was wearing have also been ruled out.

Mr Quincy said Schumacher was "obviously a very good skier" but had not been able to slow himself down in the rocky area of the slope where he fell.

Describing the sequence of events after the former F1 driver went off-piste, he said: "At one point his skis touch a rock, he loses balance and falls forward and his head hits a rock which is 3.5 metres below.

"The rock he hit is eight metres from the edge of the piste and Mr Schumacher on the ground, inanimate, is nine metres from the edge of the piste. That's the information we have with regard to the inquiry."

Early viewings of the helmet camera footage appear to confirm this sequence of events.

Prosecutors said Mr Schumacher's wife Corinna had been 'very co-operative'

The inquiry has not yet been able to confirm reports that Schumacher - who was on a family holiday - was going to the aid of a relative when he fell or the speed at which he was travelling, Mr Quincy said. 

Police chief Stephane Bozon said Schumacher's speed increased when he entered the steeper off-piste section and he had tried to slow down but had difficulty because of the nature of the slope.

Mr Quincy said investigators have also spoken to emergency services and doctors and visited the scene of the accident.

The Albertville prosecutor's office carries out around 50 investigations into serious skiing and climbing accidents every year, he added.

On Monday, a source said he had made a "slight improvement" but remained in a stable but critical condition.

There was initially speculation that Schumacher was travelling up to 100kph (60mph) when he crashed, after it was revealed his helmet had split on impact.

But subsequent reports suggested he was travelling at a "leisurely pace" of up to 20kph (12mph).

Schumacher, known affectionately as 'Schumi' by fans, is the most successful F1 driver in history, racking up a record 91 race wins.

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Qatar World Cup 'Will Not Be Held In Summer'

By Paul Kelso, Sport Correspondent

The 2022 World Cup will not be played in Qatar during June and July, Fifa Secretary General Jerome Valcke has said.

Speaking to French radio, Valcke ruled out holding the controversial tournament in the heat of the Gulf state's summer, when temperatures can reach 50C, saying a date between November and January 2023 would be more appropriate.

"The dates for the World Cup will not be June to July," Valcke, the second most powerful man in international football's governing body, told Radio France.

"To be honest, I think it will be held between November 15 and January 15 at the latest.

The Lusail Stadium will host the tournament's opening match and final

"If you play between November 15 and the end of December that's the time when the weather conditions are best, when you can play in temperatures equivalent to a warm spring season in Europe, averaging 25 degrees.

"That would be perfect for playing football."

Valcke's comments appear to pre-judge a consultation he is leading on the instruction of the Fifa executive committee.

Last October, Fifa President Sepp Blatter said he would consult all those affected by a dramatic change to football's traditional calendar before making a definitive decision.

Fans in Doha, Qatar, celebrate winning the right to host the World Cup

Valcke has been speaking to football authorities around the world including the Premier League in order to find a solution to a problem of Fifa's own making.

The Premier League would prefer the tournament not to be moved but will find a November tournament easier to accommodate than one played in January, when the domestic calendar is busier.

Fifa's top inspector, Harold Mayne-Nicholls, said in October that a summer tournament in Qatar would be "impossible" - even with the cooling technology proposed by organisers.

Qatar surprised many when it secured the tournament in a 2010 Fifa vote

FA chairman Greg Dyke also told Sky News that the temperatures "would be impossible for the fans".

Fifa shocked many in the football world when it awarded the World Cup to the Arab state following a vote in December 2010, where it beat the likes of the US and South Korea.

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Footballer Thomas Hitzlsperger Says He Is Gay

Former Aston Villa, West Ham and Germany footballer Thomas Hitzlsperger has announced that he is gay.

The 31-year-old, who also played for Everton and VfB Stuttgart, is the most prominent player to say he is homosexual and the first to have appeared in the English Premier League.

He said he was speaking out in a bid to break the taboo of homosexuality in sport.

The midfielder, who ended his playing career in September due to persistent injuries, told Germany's Die Zeit newspaper that now was "a good time" for him to reveal his true sexuality.

"I'm coming out about my homosexuality because I want to move the discussion about homosexuality among professional sportspeople forwards," he said.

The midfielder played more than 50 times for his country

Hitzlsperger said he had only realised "in the past few years" that he would "prefer to live together with another man", saying the issue is otherwise taboo inside the dressing room.

"I've never been ashamed of the way I am," he said.

He conceded it had not always been easy to live with some of the comments dished out on the subject.

"Just picture 20 men sat around a table together drinking - you've just got to let the majority be, just as long as the jokes are halfway funny and the talk about homosexuality doesn't get too insulting," he said.

"In England, Germany or Italy, homosexuality is not taken seriously as an issue, at least not in the dressing room."

The German government and  the country's football association (DFB) both praised Hitzlsberger's decision to come out.

Government spokesman Steffen Seibert said: "It's good that he talks about something that is of importance for him and that might as well also free him.

"We live in a country in which nobody should be afraid to commit to his sexuality out of intolerant reasons."

DFB president Wolfgang Niersbach said: :"It shows that he is a bright and clever young man. I have always had great respect for him and his message from the interview makes this respect even greater."

Former Leeds and United States winger Robbie Rogers announced he was gay last year.

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PC David Rathband Took His Own Life - Coroner

The policeman shot and blinded by gunman Raoul Moat took his own life, a coroner has ruled.

Police Constable David Rathband was found hanged at his home in Blyth, Northumberland, in February 2012. 

The 44-year-old was out on patrol when Moat, 37, shot his former partner Samantha Stobbart and killed her new boyfriend Chris Brown in July 2010. After a tense stand-off he was shot dead.

The inquest into Mr Rathband's death heard that his encounter with Moat was the "first step" in a series of events which led to the father-of-two's suicide. 

Raoul Moat was killed after a six-hour stand-off with armed police

He became a national hero after the incident and used his profile to establish the Blue Lamp Foundation to support 999 staff injured on duty. But Mr Rathband became desperate after the breakdown of his marriage and struggled to cope with his disability. 

Coroner Eric Armstrong said none of those involved in what happened should blame themselves.

In a statement read out by her lawyer after the hearing, his widow Kath said: "It has been an immensely difficult few years for us all. Now that the inquest has been concluded I would like to ask for privacy for Ashley, Mia and myself so we can look to rebuild our lives while remembering David and all that he meant to us."

During the hearing in Newcastle it was revealed Mr Rathband, who lived alone, had made threats to kill himself and told his lover - 7/7 survivor Lisa French - that he had attempted to hang himself but could not do it.

Ms French saw him on the day he died. Although his family were concerned for his welfare they did not consider him to be at immediate risk of suicide.

Kath Rathband (centre) at her estranged husband's funeral

The three-day inquest was told Mr Rathband's wife had put up with his previous infidelity, but his affair with Ms French effectively ended their marriage. He moved out of the home they shared in August 2011.

Mrs Rathband told her husband their marriage was finished before he flew to Australia for a holiday with his identical twin brother Darren. While he was there Mr Rathband desperately tried to contact her, often calling up to 50 times a day.

The last time Mrs Rathband saw her husband alive was on the night he died - February 29. She said he looked "awful" and needed help. However, she thought she was not the right person to do that and contacted his sister Debbie Essery and his welfare officer Inspector John Heckles.

Mrs Essery contacted DC Brown via Facebook to raise her concerns. Later that evening, officers broke into Mr Rathband's home and found him hanging in the dark with music playing on his mobile.

Some of his friends and family believe the police could have done more before he died. Superintendent Jim Napier said that, because Mr Rathband had made suicide threats on previous occasions and his family had only raised their concerns via Facebook, he did not think there was an immediate threat to his life.

Speaking after the inquest, Mrs Essery said they would continue with Mr Rathband's legal action against Northumbria Police.

:: Samaritans is available 24 hours a day on 08457 90 90 90 in the UK or in the Republic of Ireland on 01850 60 90 90.

Emergency service workers carry the coffin of PC David Rathband

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Duggan Verdict: 'Unarmed But Lawfully Killed'

Mark Duggan was unarmed when he was shot dead by police but was lawfully killed, an inquest jury has found.

The jury said they believed he had a gun with him in the taxi when police stopped the vehicle, but had thrown it over railings by the time the second, fatal shot was fired.

Screams and shouts of "rubbish" and "he was murdered" were heard inside London's Royal Courts of Justice as the verdict was delivered.

Some supporters of Mr Duggan stormed out of the courtroom, others had to be restrained, and a door was reportedly smashed in.

The 29-year-old was shot dead by armed police in Tottenham in August 2011, sparking rioting in London that eventually spread to other cities.

Carole Duggan, Mr Duggan's aunt, told reporters outside court: "He was executed and we still believe that.

"We are going to fight until we have no breath in our body for justice for Mark, for his children, for all the deaths in custody."

A photo of Mr Duggan's clothing was shown at the inquest

The family's lawyer, Marcia Willis Stewart, said they were "in a state of shock" and called the outcome a "perverse judgement".

Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley was barely heard as angry supporters heckled him during a police statement.

Police intelligence in 2011 had suggested Mr Duggan was a gang member involved in gun and drugs crimes.

On the day he was killed, officers believed he had just collected a gun from east London.

However, the jury of seven women and three men also decided that police had not done enough to collect and react to intelligence about those claims.

A firearms officer shot Mr Duggan twice on the streets when he emerged from a minicab that police had performed a 'hard stop' on in Tottenham.

Carole Duggan: 'We are going to fight until we have no breath in our body'

One bullet went through his arm, the other hit his chest and killed him.

At the centre of the inquest was the issue of a handgun, found, said police, 10 to 20 feet from Mr Duggan's body and on the other side of park railings.

In heated exchanges with the Duggan family lawyer, police denied suggestions they had planted the gun.

The weapon was wrapped in a sock.

The handgun was a major point of contention in the inquest

Neither had any trace of Mr Duggan's DNA or fingerprints, but his prints were found on a shoebox police said had been used to carry the gun inside the minicab.The jury

One witness, Witness B, told jurors Mr Duggan was "definitely" holding a phone in his hand when he was killed.

But the police marksman who fired the shots, granted anonymity, told the inquest he had "an honestly held belief" that the suspect had a gun and was about to shoot him.

The inquest was shown a dummy pinpointing where the shots hit Mr Duggan

Mr Duggan's death prompted rioting in Tottenham, north London, which eventually spread to other areas of the capital and beyond.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission is still investigating the incident.

In an interim statement in August, it said it had so far found no evidence of criminality by police officers.

But Mr Duggan's family has said it has not been kept fully informed of the investigation's progress and condemned the IPCC for suggesting early on that Mr Duggan, a father-four, had died in "a shoot-out with police".

More follows...

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