North Korea Says 'We Are At War With South'

North Korea says it has entered a "state of war" with South Korea in the latest threat aimed at Seoul and Washington.

Amid escalating tensions, Pyongyang also threatened to shut down a factory complex that is the last major symbol of inter-Korean cooperation.

South Korea said the North's threats "are never acceptable" but noted there was no visible movement of troops at the border.

Russia urged restraint, while Britain said the threat risks further isolating North Korea, one of the world's most reclusive states.

"We have made clear to North Korea that its long term interests will only be served by constructive engagement with the international community. These threatening statements will only seek to isolate it further," a Foreign Office spokesperson said.

Travel advice for British nationals was "under constant review and we will update it as necessary".

The announcement by Pyongyang was broadcast by the official Korean Central News Agency.

"As of now, inter-Korea relations enter a state of war and all matters between the two Koreas will be handled according to wartime protocol," it said.

"The long-standing situation of the Korean peninsula being neither at peace nor at war is finally over."

The statement also warned that any military provocation near the North-South land or sea border would result "in a full-scale conflict and a nuclear war".

North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Un

Hours later, a spokesman for the North Korean office controlling the Kaesong industrial complex threatened to close the factory park, saying the South was undermining its dignity.

He was referring to media reports saying the factory - just across the border in North Korea - had remained open because it is a source of hard currency for the North.

The two Koreas have always technically remained at war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.

Earlier this month, the North said it was ripping up the armistice and other bilateral peace pacts signed with the South in protest against South Korea-US joint military exercises.

Russian foreign ministry official Grigory Logvinov said: "We expect all sides to show maximum responsibility and restraint, and that no-one will cross the line after which there will be no return."

"Naturally, we cannot remain indifferent when an escalation of tensions is taking place at our eastern frontiers," the diplomat told the Interfax news agency. "We cannot but worry."

South Korea's defence ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok said: "North Korea's continuing threats against South Korea such as saying it is 'entering a state of war' are never acceptable since it is harming peace and stability on the Korean peninsula."

The US has used B-2 bombers as a 'deterrence' measure in the region

He said recent military exercises with the US "were defensive in nature against North Korea's possible provocations".

The ministry also said "no particular troop movement" had been observed along the border.

Former South Korean foreign minister Han Sung Joo told Sky News that the announcement amounted to "certainly more than rhetoric, even by North Korean standards".

The US said it was taking the new threat "seriously" but said it was following a familiar pattern.

"We've seen reports of a new and unconstructive statement from North Korea. We take these threats seriously and remain in close contact with our South Korean allies," said Caitlin Hayden, spokeswoman for the National Security Council.

Most analysts still believe this will remain a rhetorical rather than a physical battle, but the situation has now become so volatile that any slight miscalculation carries the potential for rapid escalation.

Sky's Asia Correspondent Mark Stone said: "It is more rhetoric by North Korea until they actually do something. Wars tend to begin with bangs not announcements on state news agencies, so this is Mr Kim pushing the rhetoric up another level.

"The problem is, he hasn't got any more levels to go to after this other than actual war - that is the big worry and the big unknown. Does his belligerence have a limit or not?"

South Korean soldiers at a check point during a drill near the border

Sources in Pyongyang say life is continuing as normal in the city.

There are signs of civil construction with thousands of workers. Many of them are conscripts, and if war was imminent, then Kim would have called them up and they would not be busy building apartment blocks and hotels.

Earlier this week, the North's leader Kim Jong-Un has ordered missile units to prepare to strike US mainland and military bases, vowing to "settle accounts" after US stealth bombers flew over the South.

US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel stressed that Washington would not be cowed by Pyongyang's threats and stood ready to respond to "any eventuality".

The standoff has its roots in the North's successful long-range rocket launch in December and the third nuclear test it carried out in February.

Both events drew UN sanctions that incensed Pyongyang, which then switched the focus of its anger to the annual joint South Korea-US military drills.

As tensions escalated, Washington has maintained a notably assertive stance, publicising its use of nuclear-capable B-52s and B-2 stealth bombers.

The long-distance deployment of both sets of aircraft was intended as a clear signal of US commitment to defending the South against any act of aggression.

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Justin Bieber's Pet Monkey Seized At Airport

A monkey has been seized from pop star Justin Bieber after he flew it into Munich from the US on a private plane.

The pet, a capuchin called Mally, is thought to have been given to the singer for his 19th birthday on March 1 by music producer Jamal Rashid.

Earlier this week Rashid, also known as Mally Mall, uploaded a picture of Bieber and Mally to his Instagram feed with the caption: "OG MALLY FIRST PIC WITH HIS POPS @JUSTINBIEBER."

Bieber took Mally on a Cessna Citation X he rents for £13,000-a-time from LA to Munich's Franz Josef Strauss Airport on Thursday, The Sun reported, ahead of his gig at the city's Olympiahalle.

The Canadian star was detained "for some time" while customs officials took Mally into quarantine at the airport.

The singer faces a fine of more than £10,000 and will have to pay for the animal's care.

A customs spokesman confirmed to Sky News that Justin Beiber tried to bring his monkey into Germany without the correct papers on Thursday.

The monkey is currently being held in quarantine until the singer produces the correct paperwork.

On Monday, Bieber, who has been touring for months, had flown from Poland to Los Angeles and caused a stir at Lodz airport by stripping off his shirt as he walked through security.

Earlier in the month Bieber and his entourage were asked to leave the Hotel Le Meurice in Paris apparently because of the "nuisance caused by the presence of his fans around the buildings".

Bieber stripped off his shirt to walk through security at Lodz airport

And before that Bieber, who has 36 million Twitter followers, was forced to apologise to fans in London after arriving late on stage.

Many young fans left the capital's O2 Arena without seeing their idol, sparking anger among both the devotees and their parents.

He also collapsed on-stage at another UK concert and received oxygen before staying overnight in hospital.

He later cancelled a concert in Portugal, saying he had had a "rough week" in London.

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Nelson Mandela 'Breathing Without Difficulty'

Nelson Mandela is now "breathing without difficulty" after being treated for pneumonia, South Africa's president has said.

Jacob Zuma's office issued the statement after the 94-year-old had fluid drained from his chest.

It said the treatment had "resulted in him now being able to breathe without difficulty".

"He continues to respond to treatment and is comfortable," the statement added.

It comes after Mr Zuma's spokesman Mac Maharaj gave an upbeat report on Friday.

"He was in good spirits, he had a full breakfast, and the doctors report that he's making steady progress,"  he said.

"He sat up and had his breakfast in bed."

It remains unclear how long Mr Mandela will remain at the undisclosed hospital.

The former South African president's recent health troubles have triggered an outpouring of prayers, with his country coming to terms with the mortality of the revered Nobel Peace Prize winner.

Nearly 20 years after he came to power in 1994, he remains a unifying symbol in a country still riven by racial tensions and deep inequality.

It is the second time this month that he has been admitted to hospital, after spending a night for check-ups on March 9.

That followed a hospital stay of nearly three weeks in December, when Mandela was treated for another lung infection and underwent gallstone surgery.

He was diagnosed with early-stage tuberculosis in 1988 during his 27 years in prison under the apartheid regime and has long had problems with his lungs. He has also had treatment for prostate cancer and has suffered stomach ailments.

Mandela's ex-wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela told public broadcaster SABC that "Tata (father) is doing well".

"He's responding very well to treatment," said Madikizela-Mandela, who attended a Friday church service in Soweto where the congregation prayed for Mandela.

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Barnsley Bans Under-16s From Town At Night

Young people have been banned from Barnsley town centre at night - in a move branded "just plain wrong" by a leading civil rights group.

The 9pm-6am curfew affects children aged under 16 and was introduced on Friday night by South Yorkshire Police and Barnsley Metropolitan Council to try to curb bad behaviour.

Under-16s not with an adult will be breaching the order and removed from the town centre by police regardless of whether they have done anything wrong.

But Emma Norton, a lawyer at campaign group Liberty, said the policy may be unlawful and urged families who want to fight it on human rights and discrimination grounds to contact them.

"A blanket ban on 15-year-olds walking around on summer nights is discriminatory, counter-productive and just plain wrong," she said.

"The police should target offenders of whatever age, not show disrespect and distrust of a whole generation.

"This policy is challengeable in the courts and we urge any family affected by it to contact Liberty after Easter."

Police will also be able to use the powers to disperse groups of two or more people from anti-social behaviour blackspots and target rowdy night-time revellers or football fans.

Inspector Julie Mitchell, of South Yorkshire Police, said: "Many interventions have been put in place by the police and partners and, although some measures have had some success, nuisance behaviour still persists on an almost daily basis.

"The common theme that appears to cause the most concern is rowdy, inconsiderate and abusive behaviour.

"This behaviour is often from people in large groups and has led to members of the public and business community reporting the feeling of being harassed and intimidated.

"The order is not intended to be applied without discretion; we want to encourage residents and visitors to come into the town centre for retail and leisure."

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Two Dead In Car Crash After Police Pursuit

Two men have died in a car crash during a police pursuit in Haringey, London.

The men died early this morning after the Audi car they were in collided with a bridge on Seven Sisters Road near to the junction with St Ann's Road.

The 30-year-old driver of the Audi tried to make off from the scene on foot, police said.

But he was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and driving whilst disqualified.

The police car is taken away for examination

He has been taken to hospital, but his injuries are not believed to be serious.

Police say that officers on routine patrol at around 2am became suspicious of a car that appeared to make off at speed when passed in the opposite direction.

After several minutes searching for the Audi, the officers saw it several hundred metres away and tried to catch up, a Metropolitan Police spokesman said.

"The Audi was driven through a red light and a short time later it clipped a white van and subsequently collided with a bridge," the spokesman said.

Two male passengers in the Audi, both believed to be aged in their late 20s or early 30s, were seriously injured.

Officers gave CPR prior to the arrival of ambulances, but both were pronounced dead at the scene.

Enquiries continue to establish the identity of the two men.

Traffic officers are investigating. Officers from the Directorate of Professional Standards have been informed.

Local road closures are in place.

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Withnail & I Actor Richard Griffiths Dies

Actor Richard Griffiths, best known for his roles in The History Boys, Withnail & I and Pie In The Sky, has died.

He died of complications following heart surgery at the University Hospital of Coventry and Warwickshire. He was 65.

Born in Thornaby-on-Tees in North Yorkshire in 1947, Griffiths established himself as a much-loved character actor in dozens of films and television series over five decades.

His best-known roles included his turn as the lascivious Uncle Monty in the cult 1987 movie Withnail & I, and as Hector in the stage and film version of Alan Bennett's The History Boys.

He had recently been introduced to a new generation of fans with his performances as Vernon Dursley in the Harry Potter films.

Receiving his OBE from the Queen

Griffiths worked with big-name Hollywood directors - featuring in Martin Scorsese's Hugo and Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow - as well as appearing in TV comedies like The Vicar Of Dibley, Ted And Ralph and Lovejoy.

Between 1994 and 1997 he starred in the BBC series Pie In The Sky as detective-turned-restaurateur Henry Crabbe.

Having originally made his name on stage with Shakespearean roles including Falstaff and Bottom, he appeared last year as the Duke of Burgundy in Henry V as part of the BBC's celebrated Hollow Crown series.

He had recently been appearing in Neil Simon's The Sunshine Boys with Danny DeVito in the West End and had been due to reprise his role in the production in Los Angeles in September.

Griffiths took a dim view of phones in theatres

He was awarded an OBE in 2008 for services to drama.

Griffiths was famously said to have had little patience for people who allowed their mobile phones to ring in the theatre, reportedly stopping during a performance of The History Boys and telling the offending audience member: "I am asking you to stand up, leave this auditorium and never, ever come back."

Born to deaf parents he learned sign language at an early age.

He is survived by his wife, Heather Gibson.

Richard E Grant, who played Withnail in Withnail & I, wrote on Twitter: "My beloved 'Uncle Monty' Richard Griffiths died last night. Chin-Chin my dear friend."

Co-star Paul McGann wrote: "A brilliant, funny, principled man, and a true gent. Led the way on Withnail & I. Wore his great skill lightly and his great heart out. RIP."

Daniel Radcliffe, who starred as Harry Potter and also appeared alongside Griffiths in the play Equus, led tributes to the actor.

He said: "In August 2000, before official production had even begun on Potter, we filmed a shot outside the Dursleys', which was my first ever shot as Harry.

Griffiths with Daniel Radcliffe

"I was nervous and he made me feel at ease.

"Seven years later, we embarked on Equus together. It was my first time doing a play but, terrified as I was, his encouragement, tutelage and humour made it a joy.

"In fact, any room he walked into was made twice as funny and twice as clever just by his presence. I am proud to say I knew him."

National Theatre director Sir Nicholas Hytner, who directed Griffiths in The History Boys and The Habit Of Art, said: "Richard Griffiths wasn't only one of the most loved and recognisable British actors - he was also one of the very greatest.

"His performance in The History Boys was quite overwhelming: a masterpiece of wit, delicacy, mischief and desolation, often simultaneously.

Appearing in The History Boys

"But that was just one small part of a career that spanned Shakespeare, cutting-edge new plays and major work in film and television."

His agent Simon Beresford said: "Richard brightened my days and enriched the life of anyone he came into contact with.

"On stage he allowed us to share in our own humanity and constantly question our differences. Richard gave acting a good name. He was a remarkable man and one of our greatest and best-loved actors. He will be greatly missed.

"Our thoughts and deepest sympathy go to his devoted wife Heather and his family at this sad time."

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Tanzania Building Collapse Buries Dozens

School children are among at least 45 people missing in the rubble of a building that has collapsed in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

At least three people have died but many others are under the rubble, with some desperate survivors calling for help using their mobiles.

Among those trapped are believed to be a number of children from a school in the area.

Hundreds of people, including residents and army rescuers, are clawing through piles of rubble after the collapse in an affluent area of the country's economic capital.

Dozens of people are believed trapped in the rubble

The building collapsed as many people including children were working or playing nearby, witnesses said.

"I thought there was an earthquake and then I heard screaming. The whole building fell on itself," witness Musa Mohamed said.

Dar es Salaam regional police chief Suleiman Kova said the rescue operation was "going well".

"So far we have managed to retrieve 19 people," he said as he briefed Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete during a visit to the scene.

Rescuers search for survivors

Mr Kova said that although it was too early to establish the cause of the accident, "the owner of the building would be held responsible and taken to task".

Scores of people were reportedly working in and around the building at the time of the incident at around 8.45am.

Residents said that during normal working days, the area bustles with activity from a mix of business people, passers-by and playing children.

A survivor is pulled from the rubble

"My children normally come to play here during Sundays and holidays. I am not sure whether they are also trapped," one desperate local resident Elizabeth Richard sobbed.

In 2008, another building collapse in Dar es Salaam claimed at least four lives.

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Three British Activists Raped In Libya

Three British women travelling in an aid convoy were raped after being kidnapped in Benghazi, Libyan authorities say.

Two of the women, who are of Pakistani origin, were travelling with two male companions on their way to the airport when they were snatched by pro-government militiamen.

The Deputy Prime Minister, Awad al Barassi, has visited the women in hospital and said that they were in "very bad shape" following the ordeal on Tuesday.

The women had been travelling with other activists as part of a convoy bound for Gaza to break and Israeli blockade, according to officials.

The organisation responsible for the mission negotiated with the kidnappers for the group's release.

Mr al Barassi said that the women were abducted by a taxi driver and a group of men in military uniforms, then attacked and robbed.

Demonstrations continue in Benghazi two years after the uprising

Britain's Foreign Office said in a statement: "We are aware of an incident in Libya involving a number of British nationals who were part of an aid convoy. We are providing consular assistance."

Pakistani Foreign Ministry Aizaz Ahmad Chaudry said that the Pakistani embassy in Libya had lodged a strong protest with Libyan authorities.

He said: "A heinous crime has been committed against these female activists."

Less than two years after the uprising that ended with the death of Muammar Gaddafi, Libya is struggling to build a unified army and police force amid increasingly powerful militias.

The government depends on some of the militias to fill the security vacuum.

More follows...

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Newtown Gun Massacre Took Just Five Minutes

Newtown gunman Adam Lanza had access to a vast arsenal of weapons and took just five minutes to kill his 26 victims and himself, according to newly-released police documents.

Search warrants reveal several guns, a safe with shotgun shells, a bayonet and several swords were found at his home.

The Connecticut prosecutor leading the investigation said Lanza fired 154 bullets from a Bushmaster .223-calibre rifle to kill the 20 students and six adults, before shooting himself with a Glock 10mm handgun.

He added that Lanza had another loaded handgun with him inside the school as well as three, 30-round magazines for the Bushmaster.

Nancy Lanza was shot dead by her son before his killing spree

A loaded 12-gauge shotgun was also found in the passenger compartment of the car Lanza drove to the school containing 70 shotgun rounds.

The 20-year-old was found dead after the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School last December wearing a bulletproof vest and military-style clothing.

Among the other items police seized in their search of the house he shared with his mother were a bolt-action rifle, another pistol and hundreds of rounds of ammunition for a variety of weapons.

Investigators also recovered articles on other shootings and a cheque made out to Adam Lanza for the purchase of a firearm, written by his mother, Nancy.

Lanza shot her in the head at the start of his deadly shooting spree, the warrants revealed.

The home also contained books about living with autism and Asperger's syndrome, as well as an NRA guide to the basics of pistol shooting.

Although detectives list Lanza's journal and other personal documents among the evidence, nothing about the contents is revealed.

Twenty school children and six adults died in the massacre

Police said they found a smashed computer hard drive and a gaming console.

Lanza, an academically-gifted but emotionally-disturbed young man, was known to be an avid gamer who played Call of Duty and other violent games and rarely left his home.

Some details have been redacted, including the name of a witness, telephone numbers, serial numbers on items found and a few paragraphs of an affidavit.

Authorities have said it will take until June or later for the investigation to be completed.

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Nelson Mandela Responding Well In Hospital

Nelson Mandela is said to be "responding positively" to treatment after being taken back to hospital suffering from a lung infection.

The 94-year-old former president of South Africa remains under observation, the office of President Jacob Zuma said.

Earlier, Mr Zuma confirmed that Mr Mandela was readmitted just before midnight on Wednesday and said: "We appeal to the people of South Africa and the world to pray for our beloved Madiba and his family and to keep them in their thoughts.

"We have full confidence in the medical team and know that they will do everything possible to ensure recovery."

Mr Mandela's spokesman Mac Maharaj told Sky News that the former president was "conscious".

He said: "At the moment doctors are saying it is a recurrence of an old lung infection. It is a matter of concern ... 

"They are doing everything they can to keep him comfortable and happy."

The most recent picture of Mr Mandela, taken on February 2

He said that last time he had seen Mr Mandela he had been frail but in a "good frame of mind".

Mr Mandela spent 18 days in hospital in December, where he was treated for a lung infection and gallstones.

He was discharged on December 26, however, doctors warned he was "not yet fully recovered" and he continued to receive medical treatment at his Johannesburg home, including being given extra oxygen.

Mr Mandela has had recurring lung problems since contracting tuberculosis in 1988, during his 27 years in prison under the apartheid regime.

The Nobel Peace Laureate spent a night in hospital on March 9 for what was described as a scheduled medical check-up.

Mr Mandela at his home (Picture: Being Mandela/Cozi TV)

However, Sky News' Special Correspondent Alex Crawford said that it was now understood that the visit was required for further treatment of the lung infection and that on that occasion he is believed to have had his lungs drained.

She said that there were now significant concerns over his health and added: "The time of his hospitalisation certainly suggests they were alarmed at his deterioration."

In February, Mr Mandela's granddaughters showed the first picture of him to be seen in more than seven months as they promoted a reality television series in which they star.

He was seen with his great grandson, Zen, sitting on his lap at his Johannesburg home.

Earlier this month, George Bizos, the human rights lawyer who represented Mr Mandela at his treason trial, said that he was suffering memory lapses and sometimes forgot his fellow anti-apartheid activists were dead.

Mr Mandela contracted tuberculosis during his time in prison

In an interview he told Eyewitness News: "Unfortunately he sometimes forgets that one or two of them had passed on and has a blank face when you tell him that Walter Sisulu and some others are no longer with us."

In February 2012 Mr Mandela, who is known by his tribal name of Madiba in South Africa, spent the night in hospital after a minor exploratory procedure to investigate persistent abdominal pain.

In 2001 he had radiotherapy treatment for prostate cancer.

Mr Mandela, who was released from prison in 1990, suffered damage to his tear glands because of being forced to smash limestone rocks in the quarry on Robben Island due to the alkalinity of the stone. He had cataract surgery at the age of 75, in 1994, a few months after being sworn in as president.

Mr Mandela stepped down after one term as president. He has not appeared in public since South Africa's World Cup final in 2010, six years after retiring.

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Cyprus Banks Finally Reopen But Anger Lingers

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent in Cyprus

Cyprus' banks have opened their doors after the longest enforced bank holiday in Europe's history.

Queues grew outside branches across the country, with no signs of panic as employees limited the number of customers allowed in at any one time.

But many residents expressed anger at the country's controversial bailout - which requires Cyprus to raise 5.8bn euros (£4.9bn).

After a rush when the doors first opened, customers queued calmly

"They have stolen our money," Milton Loucas told Sky News.

"I have been working for 60 years. I am 80 years old. I cannot work again for my living - they have cut the lot.

"Our money, our social insurance - they have cut them. How are we going to live?"

Another Cypriot, Stelios, came out of the bank empty handed.

"I tried to get my February wages and they gave me a piece of paper only," he said.

"I have two children in the army and they asked for money - I don't have money to give them.

"The Government didn't pay anybody. My old parents didn't get their pension."

Banks are giving customers information about the capital restrictions

The country's President - who has cut his own salary by 25% - tweeted his thanks to Cypriots for showing "maturity" as the banks reopened.

"I would like to thank the Cypriot people for their maturity and collectedness shown in their interactions with the Cypriot Banks," Nicos Anastasiades said on his official Twitter account.

Cash withdrawals and other transactions are subject to tough restrictions, introduced by the country's Finance Ministry in an effort to avoid a run on the banks.

The country's crippled banking system was effectively closed down on March 16 while the terms of the 10bn euro (£8.5bn) bailout were agreed and implemented.

Large depositors face losses of as much as 40% of their savings as part of the deal, leading to fears that customers would attempt to withdraw large amounts of money when the banks reopened.

Demonstrations against austerity measures continued in Cyprus on Wednesday

As a result, strict capital controls include a withdrawal limit of 300 euros (£253) a day and a ban on cashing cheques.

Travellers leaving the country can only take up to 1,000 euros (£845), or the equivalent in foreign currency, with them in cash - significantly less than expected.

Police and security staff were deployed to maintain order at branches, and G4S guards called in to work alongside police officers and other security firms across the country.

The giant global firm was the contractor that failed to meet their promises over security at the London Olympics prompting the British military to step in.

G4S's managing director in Cyprus, John Arghyrou, told Sky News: "I feel we have the resources, I feel extremely confident as a security company that we can undertake and meet the requirements of our customers."

With just 860,000 people, Cyprus has around 68bn euros (£57bn) in its banks.

This outsized financial system attracted deposits from foreigners but has struggled since investments in neighbouring Greece went sour.

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Romanian Gold Gang Told: 'UK Not A Soft Touch'

A Romanian gang who carried out seven raids in six months after coming to the UK specifically to steal gold from jewellery shops have been jailed.

An Old Bailey judge said the 10 members, who made off with more than £1m in gold, had not done a day's legitimate work while in the country.

He handed down prison terms totalling 82 years and 10 months despite the crooks pleading guilty and having no previous convictions.

Judge Timothy Pontius told them they would be deported after serving their sentences and he warned eastern European criminals that British courts would not be a "soft touch".

He said: "None of the defendants appear to have done an honest day's work while they were here. All will be deported, and rightly so."

The 10 gang members were jailed for a total of 82 years

He said there were fears an influx of people from Romania and Bulgaria when restrictions are lifted next year would lead to an increase in crime.

And the judge warned: "Anyone who comes to the UK - irrespective of whatever part of the world - wanting to commit serious crime, must clearly understand such abuse of the hospitality of this country and its people must be seriously punished.

"It follows that the more grave the crime, the more severe the retribution will be. No one should think for a moment that courts in the UK will be a soft touch.

"Sentences such as these must be a powerful deterrent not only to homegrown but imported criminals."

The Romanian gang, which pleaded guilty to conspiracy to rob, emptied display cabinets and fled in minutes before police could respond to alarms.

A jewellers in Wembley was one of the gang's targets

They targeted Asian and Turkish jewellers in London where there was a large quantity of high-carat gold which could be melted down and sold.

The raids usually involved one of the gang, dressed in pin-stripes and a trilby hat, being buzzed in and holding the door for an accomplice to smash his way in with a sledgehammer.

The rest of the gang would then run in and batter display cabinets with bats and hammers before fleeing with gold jewellery.

They would make off over railway lines, discarding their weapons and outer clothing.

The gang netted more than £1.1m last year but only £135,580 has been recovered.

They were caught red-handed during a robbery in north London last September after officers kept watch on a makeshift campsite they were using on waste ground near the A12 in Essex.

Following his arrest, one of the gang members, 25-year-old Ovidiu Gabor, told police: "I don't care, I go to prison to go on holiday."

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Dog Attack: 'No Warnings' Before Jade Killed

There were no previous complaints about dangerous dogs at a house where a 14-year-old girl is thought to have been killed by a pack of "aggressive and out-of-control" dogs, police said.

Jade Lomas-Anderson's body was discovered with wounds consistent with a dog attack shortly after 2pm on Tuesday, following reports she was unconscious.

Superintendent Mark Kenny of Greater Manchester Police said: "The most likely scenario is that Jade was attacked by four dogs, that is still part and parcel of the investigation. That clearly is the most likely scenario of what's happened but we're looking obviously at all options."

He said the attack would have happened between 1pm and 2pm.

Jade was described as 'shy' by friends (Pic: Facebook tribute page)

A post-mortem examination is due to take place later.

The teenager was visiting the house in Chaucer Grove, Atherton, near Wigan, and was alone with the dogs, believed to include two bull mastiffs and two Staffordshire bull terriers.

Four animals were shot dead by police marksmen and a fifth was contained.

Supt Kenny said: "We have had no contact or reports, Greater Manchester Police, regarding reports for example of dangerous dogs at this location. We've certainly not had any incidents here.

Two dogs were believed to be Staffordshire bull terriers (file picture)

"This is the first incident of this nature we have attended at this location."

Officers have spoken to the owner of the dogs, the owner's family and neighbours since Jade was found.

Friends have paid tribute to the "quiet" and "timid" teenager, who is thought to have returned to the property from the shops with a meat pie when she was attacked.

Flowers were laid at the backyard where Jade was attacked. A sign on the gate read: "Beware of the Dog."

Locals said Jade was there to see a friend, Kimberley Concannon, 16, who lives there with her twin Catrina and mother Beverley Concannon.

One 15-year-old said of Jade: "She goes to my school in the year below.

"She's shy, quite timid, if you didn't know her you wouldn't recognise her around and about. It's horrible what's happened.

"She picks her little sister up Sienna from school, every day and walks past my house.

"She had a pie in her hand and has gone to bite it, she moved the pie and the dog's gone for her throat and then they have all gone for her."

Another friend said the dogs at the house were large and aggressive animals.

Friends are said to be 'deeply shocked' (Pic: Facebook tribute page)

"Every time you walk past the house they would be barking and barking and going mad," she said. "You would jump out of your skin."

Jade was a pupil at Fred Longworth High School in Tyldesley, which open to help pupils affected by the death.

Headteacher Janet Garretts said: "We are all deeply shocked and saddened by Jade's tragic death. She had only been a pupil at the school since the summer but had made a real impact in that short time.

"Jade was a lively student who always had a smile on her face. She loved music and dance and was a regular at our after school dancing club.

"At what turned out to be her last day at school, Jade was given a progress report by her teachers and told everyone was delighted with the progress she was making."

More than 11,000 people joined a Facebook group created to pay tribute to Jade, including the aunt of a four-year-old boy who was killed by a banned breed of dog.

A policeman stands guard outside the house in Atherton, near Wigan

John-Paul Massey died at his grandmother's house in Liverpool after suffering "massive injuries" inflicted by a pitbull.

Tricia Massey wrote on Jade's page: "Such a tragic thing to happen. I know what your poor family must be going through and how they are feeling, I lost my four-year-old nephew three years ago.

"He was killed by a dangerous dog in Liverpool. Something needs to be done about these aggressive animals.

"Sleep tight Jade, I'm sure my John-Paul will look after you."

Natasha Hunt posted: "RIP my beautiful baby girl! Don't know what I'm going do without you!

"Love you loads, you will never be forgotten, you will always be in my heart."

Norman Bradbury, a local councillor, told Sky News the whole community was in shock.

He said: "We need to establish what occurred with this horrible incident and how it an be avoided in future but we have to wait for the police to investigate what happened, how Jade died and the circumstances."

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Cyprus Imposes Limits Ahead Of Bank Reopening

Cyprus is to impose strict limits on money transfers as it prepares for the planned reopening of its crippled banking system.

The measures, aimed at preventing a run on banks in the wake of the nation's controversial bailout, will include restrictions on large-scale transfers from the country's two largest and most troubled lenders, Bank of Cyprus and Laiki, it is understood.

They are expected to reopen tomorrow, almost two weeks after the Cypriot banking system was effectively shut down while the terms of the sovereign rescue were agreed and implemented.

Big depositors face losses of as much as 40% of their savings under the terms of the 10bn euro (£8.5bn) EU bailout.

Leaks of the draft capital controls include limits of 3,000 euros (£2,530) on the amount of cash individuals can take abroad.

The cashing of cheques will not be accepted though the authorities are looking to increase the daily cash withdrawal limit per account from 100 euros to 300 euros.

Payroll payments will be allowed in order to help businesses, which have taken a huge hit as people cut down on their spending amid the uncertainty about the banks.

Local media said that other measures would limit what travellers could take out of banks while credit card purchases would also be restricted.

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Stephen Seddon Guilty Of Parents' Murder

A man who tried to kill his parents by driving them into a canal has been found guilty of shooting them dead four months later.

Stephen Seddon, who had an "insatiable thirst for cash", carried out the cold-blooded "execution" to get his hands on his inheritance.

The 46-year-old convicted fraudster had once before tried to murder his father, Robert Seddon, 68, and mother, Patricia, 65, in a staged car accident.

Strapped in the back seats of a car, Seddon drove the pair into a canal on March 20, last year, in a faked road accident.

He then "played the hero" in the aftermath of the "accident" when he was forced to abort his plot to kill them after bystanders went to their aid in the submerged vehicle.

On July 4 - four months later - he shot the couple dead with a sawn-off shotgun at their home in Clough Avenue, Sale, Greater Manchester.

His parents had made the father-of-three sole beneficiary of their £230,000 estate in their will - and paid with their lives.

After a five week trial, a jury at Manchester Crown Court on Wednesday found him guilty of two counts of attempted murder and two counts of murder.

There were cried of "Yes!" from the victims' family in the public gallery who burst into tears and hugged each other when the verdicts were announced.

Seddon, of Benevente Street in Seaham, County Durham, who now faces life in prison for the killings, will be sentenced on Thursday.

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Burglar Jailed Over Street Cleaner Murder

A burglar has been jailed for the murder of a Polish street cleaner who tried to stop him with his broom.

Roger Buckingham was sentenced to a minimum of 27 years at the Old Bailey.

Piotr Mikiewicz, 40, was stabbed through his heart as he tackled Buckingham as he was leaving a house in west London with a stolen laptop.

Buckingham, 31, of Shepherd's Bush, London, was found guilty of murder and jailed for life.

The Recorder of London Judge Brian Barker said "cowardly" Buckingham must serve at least 27 years.

Buckingham, a petty criminal and drug addict with 25 previous convictions for 51 offences, had taken the life of an exceptional man, he said.

The judge said: "He was a brave man who acted beyond the call of duty. He ignored his own safety and he paid for his actions with his life.

"He was a truly exceptional man. He was a valued member of the community."

Buckingham had acted "in frustration and temper", said the judge. "On any view, it was cowardly and selfish."

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Amanda Knox Faces Retrial Over Kercher Death

Italy's highest criminal court has overturned the acquittal of Amanda Knox and her ex-boyfriend for the murder of British student Meredith Kercher, and ordered a retrial.

Knox and Italian Raffaele Sollecito, who were originally sentenced to 26 and 25 years in prison for killing and sexually assaulting Miss Kercher in 2007, were acquitted on appeal in 2011 after four years in prison.

Reacting to the Supreme Court's decision, Knox said it was "painful" to have the acquittal overturned "when the prosecution's theory of my involvement in Meredith's murder has been repeatedly revealed to be completely unfounded and unfair".

Ms Kercher, 21, was found half-naked with her throat slashed in a pool of blood in her bedroom in the house that she shared with Knox in Perugia in November 2007.

The sister of the murdered Briton, Stephanie Kercher, told Sky News her family welcomed the ruling by the Italian court.

Raffaele Sollecito also faces retrial over Ms Kercher's death

Speaking from Coulsdon in Surrey, the elder sibling said there were "still questions that are unanswered and we are all looking to find out the truth".

"Rudy Guede was convicted along with others so we need to to find out who those other people are but as a family we know there is still a long way to go.

"We welcome the decision that a retrial has been ordered and are pleased it is a step forward to finding an answer to some of those questions," she added.

Knox returned home to Seattle immediately after her release. It is possible that she will be tried in absentia in the new hearing, which will take place in Florence, because the United States does not normally extradite its citizens to face legal action.

Knox's lawyer Carlo Dalla Vedova said the 25-year-old student was upset but "willing to fight" and had not yet decided whether she would turn up for the trial in person or not.

A date for the retrial has not yet been set, but it is thought it could be as early as the summer. It is understood that all the DNA evidence will be reviewed.

Rudy Guede is currently in prison over the murder

A third person, Ivory Coast-born drifter Rudy Guede, who like the other two has always denied the murder, is the only person still in jail for the crime.

After choosing to undergo a separate, fast-track trial in 2008, he was found guilty of sexual assault and murder and sentenced to 30 years in prison. This was reduced to 16 years on appeal.

The Kercher family insists that 47 knife wounds on Meredith and the apparent use of two different knives in the attack meant that more than one killer was involved, leaving the second murderer still at large.

Initial handling of the long-running case has been sharply criticised by independent forensic experts.

In her statement following the Supreme Court's decision, Knox said: "I believe that any questions as to my innocence must be examined by an objective investigation and a capable prosecution.

"The prosecution responsible for the many discrepancies in their work must be made to answer for them, for Raffaele's sake, my sake, and most especially for the sake of Meredith's family. Our hearts go out to them.

Meredith Kercher's family have welcomed the latest court ruling

"No matter what happens, my family and I will face this continuing legal battle as we always have, confident in the truth and with our heads held high in the face of wrongful accusations and unreasonable adversity."

Knox had been scheduled to speak about the trial for the first time on American television in April, when her book about the case, called Waiting To Be Heard, is due to be released.

Sollecito, who turned 29 on Tuesday, is now living with his family near Bari in southern Italy.

Before the decision was known, Giulia Bongiorno, the lawyer representing Sollecito said she was convinced the court would not over-rule the acquittal.

"We are hopeful. We know Raffaele Sollecito is absolutely innocent and we expect that it ends here. Even if it doesn't end here we just need to follow the precis, but I am convinced this case will end here," she said before entering the court.

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Hospital Inspector To Name Failing NHS Trusts

A new Chief Inspector of Hospitals will name and shame failing NHS trusts in a shake-up sparked by the Mid Staffordshire scandal.

The new Chief Inspector will give hospitals Ofsted-style rankings for their performance and act as "whistleblower-in-chief".

If trusts fail to deliver, they could be put into a "failure regime" - the equivalent of special measures - and could end up in administration.

Failing NHS bosses will also be put on a blacklist to ensure they cannot just move to a different part of the organisation and keep working.

And NHS providers will have a new "statutory duty of candour" to ensure patients are fully informed if anything goes wrong with their care.

Trusts that fiddle mortality data figures could also face legal sanctions at a corporate level.

In further moves to restore a culture of compassion, student nurses will spend up to a year performing basic frontline work.

Hundreds of people may have died needlessly at Stafford Hospital

Initially under a pilot scheme, they will have to do a placement as a support worker or healthcare assistant in order to receive funding for their studies.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt unveiled the changes as he delivered the Government's initial response to the Francis report into Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust.

Robert Francis QC made 290 sweeping recommendations for healthcare regulators, providers and the Government.

As many as 1,200 patients may have died needlessly after they were "routinely neglected" at the hospital.

Many were left lying in their own urine and excrement for days, forced to drink water from vases or given the wrong medication.

The Health Secretary said the scandal was "a betrayal of the worse kind" and admitted it was "the NHS' darkest hour".

But he demanded that it become "not a byword for failure but a catalyst for change" as he set out a string of new measures.

He told MPs they would help embed a "culture of zero harm and compassionate care" with patients at its heart.

It is unclear how many of the 290 recommendations were taken up by the Government but a number of key measures were noticeably absent.

Mr Francis had called for a regulation system for healthcare assistants but Mr Hunt only announced a code of practice and minimum training standards.

He claimed a regulatory system would create a "bureaucratic quagmire".

The QC also wanted staff to be criminally liable as individuals if they harmed or killed patients but the Health Secretary is waiting on a further report before making a decision.

And instead of creating specialist registered nurses to look after elderly patients, Mr Hunt strengthened nurse training in the field.

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Choirmaster And Ex-Wife Jailed For Sex Abuse

By Nick Martin, News Correspondent

A choirmaster who sexually assaulted a pupil at a music school more than 30 years ago has been jailed for six years.

Michael Brewer, a former National Youth Choir music director, and his ex-wife were found guilty on five counts of indecently assaulting his student Frances Andrade more than 30 years ago.

During the trial, Ms Andrade, 48, was found dead at her home less than a week after she gave evidence against Brewer at Manchester Crown Court. She had reportedly killed herself.

The 68-year-old was convicted of sexually abusing her in his office at Chetham's School of Music in Manchester when she was aged 14 and 15.

Passing sentence, Judge Martin Rudland said: "You were, and may still be, a predatory sex offender. Of that let no-one be in any doubt.

"The extent of your breach of trust in this case cannot be overstated."

Frances Andrade gave evidence against Michael Brewer at his trial

Brewer's ex-wife, Kay Brewer, 68, was also convicted of indecently assaulting Mrs Andrade, then known as Shorney, when she was an adult at their former family home. She was sentenced to 21 months in prison.

The jury returned not guilty verdicts on charges that Brewer raped Mrs Andrade when she was aged 18 and that Mrs Brewer aided and abetted the attack.

Brewer was also cleared of one charge of indecently assaulting Mrs Andrade when she was a child in his home.

The Crown Prosecution Service decided to continue with the trial and the judge ruled that news of Mrs Andrade's death should be kept from jurors until after they reached their verdicts.

Mrs Andrade was visibly agitated on occasions as she gave her evidence over two days on January 16 and 17.

She chose to take to the witness box in full view of everyone in the courtroom, including the two defendants in the dock.

Michael Brewer was a teacher at Chetham's School of Music in Manchester

The jury heard that the police investigation was sparked by National Youth Choir teacher Jenavora Williams after Mrs Andrade, her friend, told her about her time at Chetham's.

The mother-of-four, from Guildford, Surrey, who was married to acclaimed viola player Levine Andrade, was supported from the public gallery by one of her sons.

At one point she complained about Brewer smiling as she gave her evidence, but she chose to press on without drawing a curtain to block off the dock.

The judge remarked that she was "clearly undergoing a cathartic experience, whatever the source" while giving evidence.

He said she was "combative" during cross-examination by Kate Blackwell QC, representing Brewer, adding that she had taken personal issue with some of the barrister's questions, although the judge indicated that Ms Blackwell had acted professionally.

Jurors were only told of Ms Andrade's death after reaching their verdicts

During the cross-examination, Mrs Andrade told her: "You are hugely insulting, even though it's your job."

Her son, Oliver Andrade, described his mother as "an amazing person", but appeared to criticise authorities for failing to provide more support despite two previous attempts to kill herself.

He said in a statement: "Like all people she was not impervious. Being repeatedly called a 'liar' and a 'fantasist' about a horrific part of her life in front of a court challenged her personal integrity and was more than even she could bear.

"She was forced to relive the many times Michael Brewer had sexually abused her as a child, both to the police on multiple occasions and in court to a hostile party."

Brewer went on to become the artistic director of the National Youth Choirs of Britain and has directed the World Youth Choir.

The judge told him: "The care and attention which you gave her, in so manipulative and depraved a way, were regarded by her as blessings.

"She was prepared to submit to almost anything, which clearly she did, as you pushed the boundaries further and further - treating her as your sexual plaything in the context of a false loving relationship which she readily accepted."

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Sky Sources: Gary Neville's Father Arrested

Neville Neville, the father of footballer Gary Neville, has been arrested on suspicion of indecent assault, say Sky sources.

His arrest follows an alleged assault in Bury on Saturday. Greater Manchester Police said a 63-year-old man has been bailed until May.

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Bogus Film: Five Jailed Over Tax Credit Fraud

Five fraudsters who pretended they were making a film backed by Hollywood A-listers as part of a £2.8m tax scam have been jailed.

The group had told inspectors that top actors would be starring in a £19.6m film called Landscape Of Lives, which would be shot in the UK.

They were able to claim nearly £3m in VAT and tax credits designed to help genuine British filmmakers.

But officials grew suspicious when the only footage produced was seven minutes of "completely unusable quality", Southwark Crown Court, in central London, heard.

To cover their tracks, the fraudsters quickly set about making a film on a shoestring budget of £84,000 called A Landscape of Lies, drafting in unwitting actors and filmmakers.

That production went on to win a prize at the 2012 Las Vegas Film Festival.

Bashar Al Issa, 34, a former Iraqi national who is now British, of Rodney Court, Maida Vale, London, described as the orchestrator of the fraud, was jailed for six- and-a-half years by Judge Juliet May.

Actor Aoife Madden, 31, a British and Irish national, of Maclise Road, west London, said to have submitted a "pack of lies" to inspectors about the project, was sentenced to four years and eight months.

Tariq Hassan, 52, a Pakistani national, of Willingale Road, Loughton, Essex, and Osama Al Baghdady, 51, an Iraqi national of Lowther Road, Crumpsall, Manchester, were each jailed for four years.

A fifth defendant, architect Ian Sherwood, 53, of Esher Drive, Sale, Manchester, who allowed his offices to be used for the fraud, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years.

Judge May said the fraud had been based on an "entirely bogus film project".

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Snow 'Winter War Zone' Hampers Rescue Efforts

Ice warnings are in place for much of Britain as the freezing cold weather conditions and snow continues to bring chaos to the roads and railways.

Drivers in snow-hit areas across the UK have been urged to postpone their journeys if possible, while train journeys have also been severely affected with services delayed or cancelled.

The AA has has said its patrols have faced a "winter war zone" - attending more than 1,100 call-outs to people either stuck in snow, ice or flood water since Thursday.

Huge snowdrifts - up to 15ft deep in some places - and abandoned vehicles are preventing energy companies from reaching some areas to restore power.

A man walks along a snow drenched road in Leeds, Yorkshire

Power has been restored to all 1,700 homes in Cumbria - but several thousands are still without electricity in other parts and many roads remain impassable with no end in sight to the severe weather gripping the UK.

Helicopters are being used to get engineers to affected properties in rural and exposed part of Northern Ireland.

Businesses have also suffered, while farmers - yet to recover from the disastrously sodden summer of 2012 - have said the Arctic weather has come at the worst possible time.

A motorist drives past snow covered trees near Dundrod in County Antrim

Blizzard conditions are claiming the lives of newborn lambs, affecting spring crops and forcing families to work all hours to try to keep stranded stock alive, according to the National Union of Farmers (NFU).

And the severe weather and bitterly cold temperatures are set to continue across most parts of the country right up until the weekend, forecasters have said.

This could mean the first white Easter in five years, as the nation enters British summertime.

The Met Office - which has extended its level 3 cold weather alert until Friday - has said there is a 90% chance the unseasonal cold snap will continue to keep large parts of Britain frozen for the rest of the week.

Farmer Roy Kerby feeds sheep after snowfall in Etwall, central England

Bitterly cold easterly winds will persist in the days to come, bringing snow showers to northeast England and light snow flurries across other parts.

It is a marked contrast to the warm spring weather the nation enjoyed this time last year.

On March 24, 2012, sun-seekers flocked to Brighton to bask in the sunshine and 18C (64.4F) heat. In comparison, the beach was deserted on Sunday with the temperature at just 2C (35.6F).

Some reports suggest Britain could be hit with a similar heatwave towards the end of spring.

But according to Sky News Weather Producer Jo Robinson: "Spring is a changeable season, with extremes possible. There's no evidence to suggest that a cold snap at the end of March means there will be a heatwave in April."

An abandoned car on the side of the road in the Briercliffe area of Burnley

A yellow warning - meaning be prepared for bad weather - is in place for north-east England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

But it is the ice that is causing the biggest concern, with large parts of the country being warned about the danger of black ice as commuters wrestle with journeys on foot, by car or public transport to work and back.

"Lying snow in many areas will melt on roads and pavements by day, refreezing by night to give icy patches," a Met Office spokesman said.

"Snow blowing off fields in strong to gale force winds will also affect some roads, especially over high ground."

Brighton beach - this time last year compared to this weekend

In northern England, many cross-Pennine routes remain blocked by drifting snow, including the Snake Pass and Woodhead Pass, between Manchester and South Yorkshire.

Gritting teams in Sheffield said they have experienced drifts in excess of five metres (16ft 4ins) to the north and west of the city.

The Department for Transport has warned motorists to take precautions and only set off from home if they have checked the latest travel conditions.

A spokesman said: "The unseasonal weather is affecting transport networks. Our staff and other transport operators are working tirelessly around the clock to keep roads open, and keep other services running."

People clearing the road to access their homes in the village of Cargan

Sky's Mike McCarthy, in Buxton, Derbyshire, said: "What is happening is these bitterly cold easterly winds are making the snow drift over the roads, even when it has been cleared by the snow ploughs and gritters.

"We've seen a number of people struggling with the weather, some abandoned cars still, and in other parts of the country, Cumbria for example, they are saying 'don't return to your abandoned car just yet - contact the police first', because the conditions are still very severe."

The electricity grid has been hit by the wintry conditions over the past few days. Ice has packed onto power lines, causing them to buckle under the weight.

Engineers have been working to restore supplies to around 7,000 homes in Northern Ireland and 10,000 in Scotland, as well as 500 properties on the Isle of Man.

A snow covered narrow boat sits in a frozen canal in Birmingham

Some 3,500 people are cut off in Kintyre and 1,500 are without electricity on the Isle of Arran. The Caledonian MacBrayne ferry between the mainland and Arran was laden with engineering support to be deployed in the Island.

Sky's Scotland Correspondent, James Matthews, said: "Lorries carried generators and fresh telegraph poles. There was also a small fleet of outdoor catering vans which had been drafted off duty at commercial public events to come and supply islanders running short of supplies."

Emergency oxygen supplies had to be airlifted to an elderly man trapped by heavy snow in Northern Ireland.

Those living in remote areas there have been warned it could be days before they have electricity again, but water supply has now been restored to most of the 1,000 homes affected.

A man found dead in deep snow after he started walking home in severe weather has been named by police.

Gary Windle (left) was found dead in deep snow near Burnley

The body of Gary Windle, 25, was found by a farmer in Brierfield, near Burnley, in Lancashire, at around 1.30pm on Saturday.

Police said his death was not being treated as suspicious and there were indications it was a "very tragic incident" after he started walking home from a night out with friends.

On Friday, a woman, named locally as Susan Norman, died when her house in Looe, Cornwall, collapsed during a landslip following torrential rain.

A 57-year-old hill walker, named by police as James Jack, died in the Scottish Highlands, although police said it was not clear whether his death was linked to the poor weather.

Sky News Weather Presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said the heavy snow had subsided but added: "As we head towards this Easter weekend, it's going to remain unsettled, In fact, on Good Friday, there's the risk of more widespread snow."

Bookmaker Ladbrokes has cut the odds of snow at Easter to 4/5 after taking a flurry of bets in the past 48 hours.

Forecasters have predicted it could be the coldest March in 50 years. In 1962, average temperatures for the month were 2.8C (37F).

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Shark Forcing Head Into Cage Caught On Camera

A Canadian tourist has captured dramatic footage on his mobile phone of the moment a great white shark tried to smash through a diving cage off South Africa.

In the video, the shark crashes its head into the cage as divers try to get out of the way. Onlookers can be heard screaming and swearing.

Bryan Plummer, who filmed the video, told Sky News he only decided to go on the trip because his sister and friends were visiting him from Canada.

He said: "Shark diving is one of the things to do in South Africa so we kind of figured why not. It wasn't on my list of things I had to do while I was here but with them being there I thought we would."

Mr Plummer, who had never before been shark watching or even worn a wetsuit, spent about 25 minutes in the water watching three sharks who had swum close to the cage after a tuna head had been thrown out by the crew as bait.

"When our time was up, I jumped out, got dry and picked up my iPhone - it's kind of an expensive outing so I wanted to catch as much as I could," he said.

As they watched, the great white pushed its head through the gap in the front of the cage designed to give divers an unobstructed view.

Twisting and turning, half in and half out of the cage the divers can be seen in the footage darting away before the scene is obscured by the thrashing of the shark.

"We saw some red in the water and we thought for sure that the guy in the cage had been bit ... people started screaming and I ended up swearing," Mr Plummer said.

"I realised something bad was happening but the film was already rolling so carried on and then yelled 'get back, get back' as I didn't really know what was going to happen.

"There were some women who were losing their minds because they thought this guy had had his head bit off."

But after a few seconds the great white swam away and the divers in the cage emerged unscathed. One diver told the others on the boat he had escaped the shark's jaws by swimming down below the opening and out of its reach.

"Roger Grey popped up and had a huge scream of joy. I can't even imagine what he saw down there but his reaction dictated the mood on the boat," Mr Plummer said.

"He took it very well considering."

Mr Plummer and his friends even returned to the cage for a second dive after the attack.

"I was definitely much more alert the second time, much more aware of where I was putting my fingers and toes, it kind of brought me back to reality."

"I do believe it was a freak accident and it wouldn't happen again ... but it have never really been that totally into sharks.

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London Fire: 100 Firefighters In Walworth

Nearly 100 firefighters are tackling a major fire which has engulfed a museum and library in south east London.

The blaze ripped through a building on Walworth Road, Walworth, shortly after 12.30pm.

London Fire Brigade said 15 fire engines, with 97 firefighters, were at the scene.

There are currently no indications of how the fire started and no injuries have been reported, a fire brigade spokesman added.

Smoke can be seen billowing from the roof of the building. Pic: Gary Zelnis

The building houses Newington Library, a museum of Southwark's history and a one-stop shop for residents to access council services.

Leader of the council Peter John said: "Whilst our first concern is for the safety of residents and our staff, we are also worried about possible damage to the museum's collection.

"It does not appear at this time that surrounding buildings or any residential properties have been affected, but we will continue to monitor the situation very closely and continue to assist the emergency services where we can."

A fire service spokesman said the whole of the roof of the library and museum was ablaze.

Station Manager Peter Critchell said: "Flames are coming through the roof and there is thick grey smoke billowing up.

"Firefighters are still working hard at the scene to try and bring the blaze under control.

"We now have water jets attacking the fire from the four corners of the building. We evacuated 30 people from inside the museum and firefighters will be making efforts to salvage as many of the artefacts as possible."

Onlookers were kept back by a cordon as firefighters battled the flames using aerial platforms.

Peter Critchell, a spokesman for London Fire Brigade, said: "At the moment the roof has been severely damaged but there will be more inspections needed to see what damage there is inside the building once it is safe for us to get inside."

Richard Rees, a 62-year-old who works in the community, said parts of the building were listed.

He said: "It's a listed building, it was one of the very few treasured buildings in the community. It took a long time to get it listed and it is a very sad day for us."

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Immigration: PM Talks Tough On Social Housing

Immigrant families will be kept off council house waiting lists for up to five years under a crackdown being unveiled by Prime Minister David Cameron.

He is to set out a tougher approach on housing and benefits in a keynote speech today - promising to tackle the culture of "something for nothing".

Councils currently have powers to impose local residency tests for social housing but ministers are frustrated that only around half do so.

Arguing that Britain became a "soft touch" for immigrants under Labour, Mr Cameron will announce that statutory guidance is being issued.

Local authorities will have to introduce minimum residency times of between two and five years for joining waiting lists - or justify why they are not.

The Prime Minister is likely to cite figures in his speech showing that nearly one in 10 new social lettings go to foreign nationals. The proportion has risen from 6.5% in 2007-08 to 9% in 2011-12.

The harder line will please the Tory right, who have blamed the lack of action in such core areas for the party's dismal third place behind UKIP in the Eastleigh by-election.

Concerns have been rising of an influx from Bulgaria and Romania when movement restrictions are loosened at the end of this year.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg performed a U-turn last week by abandoning the Liberal Democrats' controversial "earned citizenship" policy, which would allow illegal immigrants to stay once they have been in the country for more than 10 years.

He said such an amnesty now risked "undermining public confidence".

Under the new rules, ministers will take steps to ensure British nationals are protected when they move for "genuine reasons" - such as work or family breakdown - by ensuring local authorities retain the ability to set exceptions.

Such protection is already legally in force for members of the Armed Forces.

Mr Cameron is also expected to use his speech to reiterate his commitment to reduce net immigration.

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Snow And Ice: Thousands Still Without Power

At least 20,000 people are still without power after heavy snow, with the RAF called out to help in some of the worst affected areas.

Engineers are working to restore supplies to around 12,500 homes in Northern Ireland and 10,000 in Scotland, as well as 500 properties on the Isle of Man.

A search and rescue team from RAF Valley in Anglesey, Wales, was drafted in to help police in Northern Ireland.

RAF Valley's mountain rescue team prepare to fly to Northern Ireland

They also landed on the Isle of Arran to fly an elderly woman suffering from hypothermia to hospital.

Squadron Leader Dave Webster, of RAF Search and Rescue, said its fleet of helicopters remained on stand-by but added: "There have been remarkably few call outs considering the disruption that's been caused."

The freezing weather is thought to have led to the death of a 27-year-old man who was trying to get home after a night out with friends in Lancashire.

A 57-year-old hill walker died in the Scottish Highlands, although police said it was not clear whether his death was linked to the poor weather.

On Friday, police in Looe, Cornwall, found a body in a block of flats that had been flattened by a landslide thought to have been triggered by torrential rain.

Northern Ireland Electricity said conditions were improving but warned some customers may be without power for several days.

Work to restore power supplies in Northern Ireland

Spokesman Julia Carson said: "Some roads are still impassable - access has been restricted because of drifting snow and abandoned vehicles."

In Cumbria, police said around 40 people who left their cars on the roadside were given shelter in hotels in Millom, Waberthwaite and Bootle, while in Staffordshire, snow ploughs have been battling through drifts of up to 12ft on some exposed routes.

In Kent, a section of the White Cliffs of Dover, as well as a cliff-top bench and fencing, collapsed into the English Channel. The collapse is thought to have been triggered by high winds and freezing rain water, which causes cracks in the cliffs to expand.

Meanwhile, the Met Office warned of a risk of ice, despite lifting its yellow "be aware" weather alert.

"Lying snow in many areas will melt on roads and pavements by day, refreezing by night to give icy patches," a spokesman said.

Snow and ice are causing treacherous driving conditions in many places

"Snow blowing off fields in strong to gale force winds will also affect some roads, especially over high ground."

The weather has wreaked havoc across the transport network over the last two days, with delays on roads, railways and at airports including Leeds Bradford and Doncaster's Robin Hood.

Sky News weather forecaster Isobel Lang said the snow would become "less of a concern after today" but added: "The risk of more unsettled conditions with rain and further snow increases towards the Easter weekend."

Bookmaker Ladbrokes has cut the odds of snow at Easter to 4/5 after taking a flurry of bets in the past 48 hours. If it does snow, it would be the first white Easter in five years.

Forecasters have predicted it could be the coldest March in 50 years. In 1962, average temperatures for the month were 2.8C (37F).

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Berezovsky Death: Police Give Home 'All Clear'

Boris Berezovsky: A Profile

Updated: 10:23pm UK, Saturday 23 March 2013

Boris Berezovsky was once one of Russia's most powerful kingmakers, a member of the influential group of Russian tycoons referred to as the "oligarchs".

Born in Moscow in 1946, the son of a civil engineer, he gained a doctorate in applied mathematics, before becoming one of a number of Russian businessmen who took advantage of Perestroika.

He made his money founding the car company LogoVAZ in 1989, selling local Russian cars and importing Mercedes.

As his wealth grew so too did his sphere of influence and in 1993 he entered the Kremlin's inner circle, eventually earning the nickname Rasputin, after the mystic adviser to the Romanovs.

By the mid-1990s Mr Berezovsky owned a stake in the oil company Sibneft and had a majority share in Russia's main television channel, ORT.

In 1997 Forbes estimated his wealth was $3bn.

At Davos in 1996 he joined forces with other businessmen who had flourished in the ruins of the Soviet Union and they formed a pact, known as the "Davos Pact" in which they agreed to bank roll Boris Yeltsin for his second presidential run.

Together with members of Mr Yeltsin's family, like his daughter Tatyana Yumasheva, and like-minded politicians, like Anatoly Chubais, Yegor Gaidar and Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov, they effectively ran Russia during Mr Yetsin's second term as his health faltered.

When it was clear a successor was needed, it is said that it was Mr Berezovsky who hand-picked the ex-KGB head, Vladimir Putin.

He may have made him king but Mr Putin soon made it clear that he was not to be anyone's puppet and shortly after he became President the two men fell out.

Mr Berezovsky resigned from the Duma and set himself up in opposition then left the country on business. He never returned.

In November 2000, while travelling, he was summoned for economic crimes but he did not respond and set up home in London. He was granted asylum in the UK in 2003.

Mr Berezovsky vowed that he would bring Mr Putin down, but after a series of assassination attempts, he also lived in fear for his life.

According to Alexander Litvinenko, the former Russian FSB agent who was assassinated in London in 2006, a Russian agent was preparing a hit on Mr Berezovsky in September 2003.

Mr Litvinenko had also claimed in 1998 when he was an FSB agent that he himself had been ordered to kill Mr Berezovsky.

In 2007, Scotland Yard said it had foiled a plot to assassinate Mr Berezovsky in the UK. The alleged hitman, a Chechen national, was arrested in London and deported to Russia.

Mr Berezovsky also survived an assassination attempt in Russia in 1994 when a car bomb exploded, wounding him and decapitating his driver.

And as Mr Berezovsky's power faded in his self-imposed exile, so did his wealth.

According to the Sunday Times Rich List by 2011, his net worth was only about $900m (£591m).

Mr Berezovsky's stake in Sibneft eventually led to a court battle with Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich, which is estimated to have cost him £100m, and speculation about his financial well-being.

In 2012, he lost the High Court case in which he accused his fellow oligarch of breach of trust, breach of contract and claimed Mr Abramovich "intimidated" him into selling shares in Sibneft for a "mere $1.3bn" (£800m) - "a fraction of their true worth".

In July 2011 his ex-wife Galina Beshanrova, 53, won the biggest divorce settlement in history, said to be worth hundreds of millions of pounds.

Mr Berezovsky ran up further legal bills of more than £250,000 later in 2012 fighting a case against his former lover, Elena Gorbunova.

Ms Gorbunova, who had two children with Mr Berezovsky, complained that she had not been given millions promised by him.

On Wednesday, Mr Berezovsky sold Red Lenin, an Andy Warhol screen print, for £133,875 at Christie's auction house, prompting more speculation about his financial situation.

Demoralised by the Abramovich case, the Kremlin claims that Mr Berezovsky, the kingmaker, was a broken man in the days before he died.

He had written, Mr Putin's spokesman claimed, to beg forgiveness and to finally return to Russia.

He never did.

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Man Injured As Car Ploughs Into House

A man was seriously injured when a car crashed into a house in Lowestoft.

The Audi TT is thought to have left the road, hit a vehicle on the drive and smashed into the northern corner of the home in Long Meadow Walk.

Emergency services were called to the scene, at the road's junction with Uplands Road North at around 1.45am, and found a man in his 20s trapped in the vehicle.

Police closed the road before the injured man was taken to James Paget Hospital with serious head injuries.

The injured man has since been transferred to Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge.

Structural engineers have been called to attend the property.

According to police there were people in the house at the time, but no-one was hurt.

"Just shocked", said a spokesman.

The road has now been reopened.

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