Dartmoor Deaths: Family Was Known To Agencies

Police investigating the deaths of a woman and her two sons in an apparent murder and suicide have confirmed the family were known to care agencies.

In line with procedure they said the inquiry would now be the subject of a Serious Case Review.

Katherine Hooper, 24, and her five-year-old son Josh Patterson, died after falling 100ft from rocks at Haytor, a Dartmoor landmark popular with walkers and climbers.

The body of her youngest son Samuel Patterson, aged two, was later found at the family's home in Dukes Close in Paignton.

Katherine Hooper and Samuel

It has emerged that Ms Hooper suffered from depression and apparently had a difficult relationship with the boys' father, Neil Patterson, from whom she was estranged.

In a statement, Mr Patterson, 52, said: "On Friday evening I heard the devastating news that the three most important and cherished people in my life had been taken from me.

"I would gratefully appreciate for me and my family to be left alone to come to terms with this devastating loss and to grieve in peace."

Josh was found dead with his mother

Devon and Cornwall Police said it had launched a murder investigation.

Detective Superintendent Paul Burgan said: "We are keeping an open mind about all three deaths, but at this stage we are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.

"We are keen to speak to anyone who may have any information or might have been in the Haytor area earlier today, Friday."

An air ambulance, a police helicopter and members of the Dartmoor Rescue Group were called to the scene at 11.50am.

Samuel's body was found at the family's home

Neighbour Tracey Cole told the Western Morning News: "The whole community is feeling utterly shocked and devastated. This is a close-knit community.

"I really don't understand what happened. Kat was totally and utterly devoted to her children."

But next-door neighbour Johnathan Grant told The Daily Telegraph Ms Hooper and Mr Patterson had had a fractious relationship and there had been an "almighty bust-up".

Mr Grant, 28, was reported as saying: "One night in May they got into a huge argument where there was an almighty bust-up.

A neighbour said Ms Hooper was a good mother

"Since then she has suffered badly with depression.

"Samuel was meant to be starting his first day at the local nursery yesterday.

"The boys were lovely and played with my girls. Kat had lived there for three years. It is sick, utterly sick, what has happened."

Mr Grant added that following the breakdown of her relationship, Ms Hooper became anxious and was unable to carry on her job at a local hotel.

The rocks at Haytor where Ms Hooper and Josh died

Last May police launched a major search and rescue operation after Ms Hooper suddenly disappeared with her two children.

After fears for their safety grew, officers called on the Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team to help find them.

Twenty-four hours later, Ms Hooper was found reportedly covered in mud and suffering from dehydration.

She was then taken to hospital while her two sons were taken into care.

The family's home in Paignton

Ms Hooper, Josh and Samuel only moved back into their home in Dukes Close a fortnight ago.

Post-mortems are due to take place and next of kin have been informed, police said.

In the meantime, detectives say they would like to hear from anyone who saw Ms Hooper or her two children in the days running up to their deaths.

They are asked to contact Devon and Cornwall Police via the 101 telephone number quoting log number 316 of 120713.

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Moscow Bus Crash: 'At Least 18 Dead'

Eighteen people have been killed and at least 40 injured in a road crash outside Moscow, according to Russian officials.

A truck, a bus and several other vehicles were involved and the dead includes a young girl, said the interior ministry.

The accident took place when a truck carrying gravel turned onto a main road and ploughed into the bus, which was broken in two by the force of the collision.

Helicopter teams and 30 ambulance crews were sent to the scene. The number of dead was revised upwards after several of the injured died in hospital.

The crash occurred near Oznobishino, about 25 miles south of Moscow city centre.

Officials said that injuries were particularly serious as bus passengers were also hit with gravel being carried on the truck.

Twenty people remain remain in hospital, with 16 of them said to be in a serious condition.

Moscow deputy mayor Pyotr Birukov said that the truck's driver, a 46-year-old Armenian who survived the crash, had been fined for traffic offences six times over the last year.

Russia has one of the world's worst road safety records with some 25,000 people losing their lives in traffic accidents every year, although the government is trying to improve the situation with measures including a zero-tolerance ban on drink driving.

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Heatwave: Hottest Day Of The Year So Far

It has been the UK's hottest day of the year so far after temperatures reached 30C at Heathrow and Exeter airports, according to provisional Met Office figures.

They topped the previous high of 29.9C recorded at Edenfel, County Tyrone in Northern Ireland last Monday.

The heat has prompted warnings from health authorities urging the public to take care in the potentially "dangerous" heatwave conditions.

The hot spell shows no sign of ending with temperatures set to remain in the mid-to-high 20s well into next week.

The Saltburn Inclined Tramway at Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire

Although temperatures in London have soared, Sky News Weather Presenter Jo Wheeler said many other places would be a few degrees cooler with isolated thunderstorms expected over northern England and the East Midlands.

The North of the UK had seen the best temperatures over the last few days, with the highest recording in the region of 29.2C in Branham, Yorkshire, on Friday.

A warning issued by the Met Office has been escalated to a level three alert for Yorkshire and the Humber, while level two alerts are in place across most of England.

"Heatwaves can be dangerous, especially for the very young, very old or those with chronic diseases," the alert said.

A spokesman for Public Health England (PHE) said: "Level two alerts are triggered as soon as the Met Office forecasts that there is a 60% chance of temperatures being high enough on at least two consecutive days to have a significant effect on health.

"This will normally happen two to three days before a heatwave is expected to occur. As most deaths occur in the first two days, this is an important stage at which to ensure readiness and swift action to reduce harm from a potential heatwave."

Portstewart Strand on the Causeway coast - 60 miles north of Belfast

Dr Angie Bone, head of the PHE's Heatwave Plan, said: "Everyone can enjoy the sun safely by keeping out of the heat at the hottest time of the day, avoiding sunburn and staying hydrated with plenty of cool drinks.

"The elderly and those with long-term illnesses are particularly vulnerable to the effects of very hot weather, so it's important to look out for them and keep indoor areas as cool as possible."

More than 11 million motorists are planning to hit the road this weekend, according to the RAC.

Popular spots include the Lake District, Devon and Cornwall, the south coast of England, and Yorkshire.

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Pamplona Bulls Trample Trapped Runners

Dozens of people have been trampled at the famous Pamplona bull run after becoming trapped at the entrance to the bullring.

A 19-year-old Spanish man is in a "very serious" condition and a 28-year-old man from Ireland has suffered chest trauma, authorities said.

At least 23 other people are being treated in hospital after Saturday's event in the Spanish city.

Runners and bulls became trapped together in the bottleneck for almost two minutes when the weight of people forced shut a door normally kept open.

Goring injuries are not uncommon, but injuries from stampedes are rare.

Other injuries on the festival's penultimate day included a 35-year-old American gored in the buttocks, and an 18-year-old from Spain gored in the armpit.

The popular tourist event, which ends on Sunday, sees runners tearing frantically through the city's cobbled streets pursued by the bulls.

Fourteen people have died in the last 100 years of the San Fermin festival, an event that dates from the 13th century.

The bull run takes place at 8am every morning for one week in July. Saturday's run lasted just four minutes and 15 seconds.

The bulls are usually killed in the ring by bullfighters.

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Edward Snowden Wants Asylum In Russia

Intelligence services whistleblower Edward Snowden has told activists he wants to request asylum in Russia, after accusing the US of trying to block him from travelling to other countries.

Snowden has held closed-door talks with human rights groups and lawyers at the Moscow airport where he has been holed up for weeks.

Human Rights Watch representative Tanya Lokshina told the Interfax news agency that Snowden had revealed he "wants to stay" in the country.

Politician Vyacheslav Nikonov said Snowden wants to stay put

Russian parliament member Vyacheslav Nikonov, who was also in the meeting, also reported Snowden's intentions to seek asylum.

In a statement released after the 45-minute meeting, Snowden said: "That moral decision to tell the public about spying that affects all of us has been costly, but it was the right thing to do and I have no regrets."

Meanwhile, a spokesman for President Vladimir Putin said Snowden might be allowed to stay in Russia if he stops releasing leaks that would damage the US or Russia-US relations, repeating conditions Mr Putin had set out earlier.

But he said he was not aware of any formal request. Snowden has previously made a bid for asylum in Russia but he later withdrew it.

Pic: Courtesy of Tatyana Lokshina/Human Rights Watch

A picture of Snowden at the meeting, taken by Ms Lokshina, shows him with WikiLeaks representative Sarah Harrison on his right. 

In a letter to Human Rights Watch earlier, he said the US government was waging a campaign to stop him getting asylum in any other country.

He said: "I have been extremely fortunate to enjoy and accept many offers of support and asylum from brave countries around the world. These nations have my gratitude.

Protesters have shown their support for Snowden

"Unfortunately, in recent weeks we have witnessed an unlawful campaign by officials in the US government to deny my right to seek and enjoy this asylum under Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

"The scale of threatening behaviour is without precedent: never before in history have states conspired to force to the ground a sovereign president's plane to effect a search for a political refugee."

That remark appears to refer to how Austrian authorities last week searched the Bolivian president's plane when it was diverted to Vienna because the US suspected Snowden was on board.

Snowden is wanted by the US on espionage charges over a series of leaks about spying programmes, with his most recent claims involving collaboration between Microsoft and American intelligence services.

He fled to Moscow from Hong Kong on June 23 and has been in limbo in Sheremetyevo airport's transit area despite three countries - Venezuela, Nicaragua and Bolivia - saying they would be willing to grant him asylum.

Doubts had been raised about whether Snowden could fly from Moscow to any of those countries without passing through the airspace of the US or its allies.

Entrances were guarded during the meeting at the airport

He is seeking to avoid extradition after divulging embarrassing evidence about the activities of US spies, as well as the British eavesdropping agency GCHQ, to newspapers including The Guardian.

The latest files said Microsoft helped America's National Security Agency (NSA) to circumvent encryption so it could view web chats on the Outlook.com portal, which is replacing Hotmail.

Evidence seen by the paper said Microsoft also worked to give the NSA easier access to its cloud storage service SkyDrive, which has more than 250 million users. And by July 2012, nine months after Microsoft bought Skype, the Prism intelligence programme was collecting triple the amount of Skype video calls.

Microsoft told the paper it only provides information about users when demanded to do so by the government.

Snowden's files have also revealed the NSA claimed to have access to the servers of web firms including Apple, Google, Facebook and Yahoo, while GCHQ scans vast amounts of internet traffic through a system of fibre-optic cables.

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Lee Rigby's Funeral: Soldier 'A Gentle Soul'

By Mike McCarthy, North Of England Correspondent

Thousands of people lined the streets and filled Bury town centre for the funeral of Drummer Lee Rigby, who was described as a "gentle soul" and "loving father".

Crowds applauded the murdered soldier's family and comrades as they arrived at the military service at Bury Parish Church.

Relatives hugged each other on the church steps before entering the church.

His two-year-old son Jack wore a T-shirt with the words:  "My Daddy. My Hero" printed on the back.

On the front of son Jack's T-shirt were the words: "My Daddy's A Fusilier. Lee Rigby."

Mourners lined the street to the funeral to pay their respects

The father-of-one was hacked to death in broad daylight as he returned to Woolwich barracks from the Tower of London in May.

Drummer Rigby's fellow soldiers from 2nd Battalion Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (2RRF) held a two-minute silence in London as the funeral service began in Lancashire. 

The 25-year-old soldier's body had been guarded by comrades overnight following a vigil on Thursday.

Prime Minister David Cameron and London Mayor Boris Johnson were among dignitaries who attended the service in Bury.

As the crowds outside stood in the sweltering midday heat listening via loudspeakers, Drummer Rigby's friend and fellow soldier Sean Sheer gave a eulogy that brought laughter from mourners.

Mr Sheer said he first met Drummer Rigby he found him the "most annoying, campest man I have ever met", citing his singing and love of boyband Westlife as the reason.

Mr Johnson and Mr Cameron arrived together

Mr Sheer said his comrade's young son came "crashing" into his life but Lee "took to fatherhood instantly".

"Everywhere Lee went, Jack went with him," he said.

"Lee's time on this earth was tragically cut short" but he was a "loving father and devoted husband".

"We will love you and miss you," Mr Sheer said.

Drummer Rigby's commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Jim Taylor also delivered a eulogy, describing him as "truly charismatic".

"To be with Lee was to be where it was most fun - the centre of good times and much mischief," he said.

"Lee had a natural swagger and the confidence of someone truly comfortable in their own skin.

The Order of Service for the memorial

"He was always happy. His smile was infectious, as was his enthusiasm for soldiering and his passion for life."

Lieutenant Colonel Taylor said Drummer Rigby joined the Army in 2006 on his third attempt, fulfilling his "lifelong ambition".

 "Today we, his regimental family, salute a fallen comrade," he said.

"A talented soldier and musician. A larger-than-life character. A loyal friend and brother-in-arms. A gentle soul.

"Above all a true Fusilier - daring in all things. We all feel his loss keenly. We will remember him with pride always.

"Today we stand shoulder to shoulder with his family and friends. We will continue to do so in the years to come.

"So, thanks be to God for Lee Rigby - father, husband, son, brother, friend, Fusilier. We will remember him."

The hymns at the service were Who Would True Valour See, Lord Of All Hopefulness and I Vow To Thee My Country, and the choir sang Deep Peace Of The Running Wave.

Drummer Rigby took to fatherhood instantly, his friend said

Veterans lowered Union flags and the cortege then departed for a private family committal in Middleton, where Drummer Rigby lived.

The soldier's family had wanted a private funeral service and asked the public to show their respects by lining the streets.

Drummer Rigby served in Afghanistan as a machine gunner and was attached to the regimental recruiting team when he was killed.

His murder sparked nationwide shock and revulsion and led to an outpouring of support for his family from the public.

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F1 Legend Fangio's Car Fetches Record £19.6m

A classic Formula 1 Mercedes-Benz has become the most expensive car to be sold at public auction after fetching more than £19m.

The 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196 was the racing car driven by five-times F1 world champion Juan Manuel Fangio when he clinched the second of his titles in 1954.

The Argentine drove the 2.5-litre car to victories in the 1954 German and Swiss Grand Prix races, the first successive triumphs achieved by the Mercedes-Benz team in its post-war comeback.

The single-seater was auctioned by Bonhams at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in Chichester, West Sussex. 

The previous world record for the most expensive car sold at public auction was a 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa which went for more than £10m in California in 2011.

The Mercedes was sold over the telephone to an undisclosed bidder. 

Racing historian Doug Nye said: "The first time I saw this car I needed oxygen. It's landmark technology and it was driven by a landmark driver.

The car was sold in its current condition, with noticeable blemishes and dirt.

"What's so special about it is that it has this wonderful, untouched patina," Mr Nye said.

"Some people think it looks grotty - that's not the point - the really rare cars today are the unrestored ones.

"Every car that's restored has lost a part of its history because it's been obliterated by repainting or by rebuilding. Nothing's been obliterated on this, it's just a beautiful survivor."

Mystery surrounds the discovery of the car after so many years out of the spotlight.

Auctioneer Bonhams would not comment on where the car was found, stating only that is was found "in a warehouse." 

Bonhams chairman Robert Brooks said: "I have handled some of the world's most desirable and important motor cars during a motoring auction career spanning five decades, but I have reached a peak today with this legendary Grand Prix car.

"It was a personal privilege to preside over the sale of this vehicle, which is not only one of the most significant motor cars of the 20th century, but also the most important historic Grand Prix racing car ever offered for sale...

"Mercedes has long been recognised for the world-class quality of its products and in 1954/55 they set out to rebuild their reputation for automotive excellence post-war. With this W196 and its sports car sisters they did just that, and how."

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'Nail Bomb' Near Mosque Probed By Terror Cops

Counter-terrorism officers are investigating a suspected nail bomb attack outside a mosque in the West Midlands, Sky sources say.

Police were called to Binfield Street in Tipton around 1pm after residents reported hearing a loud bang.

Officers said the explosion is being treated as a terrorist incident and some residents have reported finding nails and other debris in the area.

No-one is thought to have been injured but a cordon was set up in part of the town and several streets have been sealed off.

The blast was believed to have happened on a disused railway line behind the mosque.

It was reported near the Kanz-ul-Iman Muslim Welfare Association Central Jamia Mosque in Binfield Street, local councillors said.

Tipton Green councillor Ian Jones said residents in the area had described hearing a "loud thud", while councillor Syeda Amina Khatun said she was not aware of any previous attacks on the mosque.

"The explosion has gone off on the disused railway line behind the mosque," she said.

Several roads were closed after the suspected attack

"There are lots of police around so there must be want for them to be here. The whole estate has been blocked off. People are surprised that something like this has happened."

A police statement said: "Police have been called to Binfield Street in Tipton this afternoon following reports of a loud explosion.

"Officers were called at 1.06pm and are currently at the scene. A cordon has been set up and the immediate area has been evacuated.

"Some residents have reported finding debris in the area and finding nails. This is being investigated by counter terrorism detectives and forensic officers at the scene.

"There are no reports of any injuries to anyone at this time.

"An investigation is being led by the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit and it is being treated as a terrorist incident. There are some road closures in place around the Binfield Street area."

Among the road closures are parts of Sedgley Road East, Dudley Port, Jays Avenue, Tudor Court, Park Lane East, Crompton Road and Victoria Road.

Anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area is urged to call police on 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

The blast came on the day murdered soldier Lee Rigby was remembered at a private funeral service in Bury, Greater Manchester.

Meanwhile, West Midlands Police are still investigating an explosion which occurred near a mosque in the Caldmore area of Walsall on June 21.

The remains of a home-made explosive device were found on June 22 in an alleyway adjoining the Aisha Mosque and Islamic Centre in Rutter Street, Caldmore.

The earlier incident, in which no-one was injured, forced the overnight evacuation of around 150 people from their homes in the surrounding area.

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MPs Pay: Watchdog Backs Hike To £74,000

MPs have turned on the Commons' expenses watchdog after it recommended an inflation-busting rise in their pay to £74,000.

Education Secretary Michael Gove led a growing backlash against the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority's (Ipsa), calling it "silly".

As part of a wider overhaul, Ipsa proposed a pay hike of more than £6,000 or 9.26%, taking effect in 2015 and costing the taxpayer an extra £4.6m.

The regulator insisted the overall cost would only rise by £500,000 once changes to MPs' pensions, "golden goodbyes" and expenses are enforced.

And chairman Sir Ian Kennedy insisted it was "wrong" to keep MPs' pay low, blaming the 2009 expenses scandal on too much restraint.

However, the move to increase salaries at a time when millions of ordinary Britons are battling to stay afloat left members of the public disgusted.

Ipsa boss Sir Ian Kennedy: Changes are "fair"

Callers to a radio show as Sir Ian justified the changes called it "obscene" and asked "what planet are you on?"

Unions immediately demanded a matching increase for their members and threatened strike action and MPs rounded on Ipsa for exposing them to public vitriol.

All three party leaders criticised the proposal and Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg vowed to shun the extra money if the rise goes ahead.

Downing Street insisted it would be wrong for politicians to receive more cash when the public sector faces pay curbs until beyond 2015.

A spokesman for Number 10 said: "The cost of politics should go down not up and MPs' pay shouldn't go up while public sector pay is, rightly, being constrained.

"Ipsa is consulting on its proposals, which it will review after the next election as it is obliged to do by statute. It is independent, but the Government will repeat our view on the need for restraint."

Mr Miliband said: "I don't think MPs should be getting a 10% pay rise when nurses and teachers are facing either pay freezes or very low increases and people in the private sector are facing similar circumstances."

Mr Clegg added that a time when millions of public sector workers were working hard despite pay restraint was "about the worst time to advocate that MPs should get a double digit pay increase".

Mr Gove delivered the most blunt response yet from a senior figure during a school visit.

Asked if the rise should go ahead, he said: "Absolutely not. MPs are incredibly well paid at the moment anyway, as are ministers.

"It is an absolute privilege to be an MP or a minister. This organisation Ipsa, it is a bit of a silly organisation anyway. And as far as I am concerned, pay rise - they can stick it."

Tory MP Andrew Bridgen was one of the few prepared to speak out publicly in favour of the rise.

All three parties have suggested MPs should not get the pay rise

"MPs are paid about the same as a junior school headmistress or headmaster. I've got lots and lots of those in my constituency, there is only one MP," he said.

"I can't think of another job where there's only 650 of those roles in the whole of Great Britain that are paid on this sort of level,"

Ipsa rejected claims the current salary was putting off candidates or failing to attract those of a high enough quality, insisting there was no "compelling evidence" to back this view.

And it said any dissatisfaction with the job is more likely to be down to other factors because most politicians regard their work as a vocation and were well aware of the pay packet.

But under the recommendations, MPs will see their pay increase from £66,396 to £74,000 in May 2015. They will then rise annually in line with average UK earnings, in a move designed to ensure the issue is resolved for the long-term.

Other changes would see the existing final salary pension scheme downgraded to career average, putting it in line with the rest of the public sector.

The retirement age will also be the same as for the state pension and death in service benefits will be slashed from 4.25 times salary to double.

Ipsa claims the pension changes will save £2.5m in the first year.

"Golden goodbyes", paid out when MPs lose an election, will still be paid in 2015 and be worth up to £33,000 per politician.

But by 2020 defeated MPs will only be entitled to two weeks' pay for every year of service if they are under 41 and three weeks if they are older.

Expenses face a further clampdown, which Ipsa says will save £178,000 in 2015 with a £15 dinner allowance axed and tighter rules on the use of taxis and hotels.

MPs will also no longer be able to claim for the cost of TV licences and contents insurance on their second homes.

Sir Ian said all MPs would be paid the higher salary, and it would be up to them whether they kept the money.

"We are not going to run 650 employment schemes, that would be daft," he said. "MPs can do what they want to do."

I"The aim is to have as transparent a system as possible. The public will know what MPs get for their costs and expenses, their salaries and pensions, and what they have done.

"There is no easy way forward on this. We have put together a package of reform which we think is fair and which ends the anomalies of the past."

The watchdog claims changes already made to expenses have saved the taxpayer £35m and that its regime will be £7m-a-year cheaper than the one they inherited.

It is now putting its proposals out for consultation before they are finalised in the autumn. Party leaders cannot stop the watchdog without changing the law.

TaxPayers' Alliance chief executive Matthew Sinclair called the hike "totally unpalatable" and branded Ipsa an "unaccountable quango putting up two fingers to the British public".

"Ipsa is right to be reforming the gold-plated parliamentary pensions and cutting golden goodbyes for retiring or defeated MPs, but it beggars belief that they have come up with a plan that will increase the cost of our politicians when everyone's budgets are under such pressure," he said.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow warned: "Be in no doubt, RMT will be fighting for pay rise parity with MPs in all of our negotiations and will have no hesitation in striking to get for our members what the politicians have got for themselves.

"If inflation-busting pay increases are good enough for the political class then they are good enough for nurses, transport workers, firefighters and the rest of the working class."

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Shard Protest: Activists Climb London Landmark

Six protesters from Greenpeace have evaded security at London's Shard skyscraper and are attempting to climb to the top.

Officers were called at 4.20am when the activists, who are from the UK, Canada, Sweden, Poland, Holland and Belgium, began to ascend the 72-storey building.

A statement from Greenpeace said the action was part of their campaign against oil and gas drilling in the Arctic and that the activists carried out a safety assessment beforehand. 

The climbers scaling the Shard

The women were able to access the Shard from the roof of nearby London Bridge station, after months of planning and training.

The campaigners said they chose the Shard because of its proximity to oil company Shell's three London offices.

"Shell is leading oil companies' drive into the Arctic, investing billions in its Alaskan and Russian drilling programmes," Greenpeace said in a statement.

The lead climbers are understood to be 'free climbing' (scaling the building without assistance) but are fixing safety ropes as they make their way to the summit. 

The women attracted the attention of police and passers-by

Greenpeace are streaming live video of the attempt from a camera worn by one of the climbers.

A statement on the Greenpeace UK Twitter account said: "Look up London. We're attempting to scale the Shard, Europe's tallest skyscraper."

The women are understood to be planning to unveil protest artwork "that captures the beauty of the Arctic" if they manage to reach the summit, which could take them all day.

One of the climbers is Victoria Henry, 32, a Canadian living in London. 

The group of six women began their climb at 4.20am. Pic: Greenpeace

"We'll try to hang a huge art installation 310m up that will make Shell think twice before sending their rigs into the Arctic," she said.

"It's going to be really hard work, it's going to be nerve-shredding for all of us and we may not succeed, but we're going to do everything we can to pull it off."

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: "We were called at 4.20am today to a group of protesters attempting to climb up the Shard. We are in attendance and monitoring the situation along with British Transport Police."

Climbers Sabine, Sandra, Victo, Ali, Wiola & Liesbeth. Pic: Greenpeace

A Shard spokesman said: "The Shard continues to work with the emergency services and we are in constant discussion with the Greenpeace representatives to ensure the safety of the protesters.

"We have asked them to stop climbing and come back into the building as what they are doing is dangerous. We take security, health and safety of all our occupiers and visitors to the building extremely seriously.

"The protestors have gained access in the early hours of the morning through an adjacent building and what they are doing is extremely dangerous."

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Runaway Train Blast: Town Mourns Victims

The identities of up to 50 people killed when a runaway train carrying crude oil exploded in Quebec have started to emerge as police admitted the missing were presumed dead.

Twenty bodies have been recovered following the blast in Lac-Megantic, according to officials, which has been blamed on the train's engineer failing to set the train's brakes properly.

Quebec police inspector Michel Forget said he told a meeting of families of the dead and missing "of the potential loss of their loved ones".

"You have to understand that it's a very emotional moment," he said.

Many of the victims had been at the Musi-Cafe, a popular late night bar and live music venue on the town's rue Frontenac.

The disaster scene with the remains of the Musi-Cafe in the foreground

A 40th birthday party for Josee Lafontaine had been taking place attended by her friends and family, with live music played by Guy Bolduc and Yvan Ricard.

But just after 1am the celebrations came to a sudden halt when the train derailed and exploded in flames just metres from the venue.

One of the guests at the party was Gaetan Lafontaine who had stepped outside moments before the blast occurred.

He immediately rushed into the inferno to look for his wife, Joanie Turmel, but neither of them survived. The couple left behind two children.

The crude oil freight train was out of control when it crashed

Mr Lafontaine's brother, Pascal, and his sister-in-law, Karine Lafontaine, who also had two children, were in the cafe at the time of the first explosion and have not been seen since.

Raymond Lafontaine lost a son, two-daughters-in-law and an employee.

"I cannot tell you what my heart is feeling," he told the National Post.

"The more you scratch, the more it hurts. As long as I am active and keep moving, I will be able to talk. But the day I stop, I am going to cry all the tears in my body."

Parts of the town were completely destroyed by the wall of fire

Mr Ricard had briefly left the venue to smoke a cigarette during an interval in the music, a move which saved his life.

But his colleague, who had gone to the bar for a drink just before the blast, was unable to escape. Mr Bolduc was married with two children.

"The last words he said to me were, 'Yvan, I really like playing with you. We have so much fun together,'" Mr Ricard told TVA.

Local resident Geneviève Breton had finished work at a local pharmacy and had one to the Musi-Cafe to meet her boyfriend.

Ms Breton was training to be a teacher and was well known in the town after her appearance in a Quebec singing competition.

Although her boyfriend escaped the inferno, Ms Breton died in the blast.

"Everybody loved her," her mother Ginette Cameron told the National Post. "She sang like an angel."

Just across the road from the Musi-Cafe lived Jimmy Sirois with his partner, Marie-Semie Alliance, and their 18-month old daughter, Milliana.

The accident was Canada's worst railway tragedy in 150 years

The couple were killed when the blast flattened their apartment, but Milliana had a miraculous escape as she had been staying with Mr Sirois' parents that evening.

Three of the cafe's employees were also killed in the blast, including Andrée-Anne Sévigny and Jo-Annie Lapointe. Stephane Lapierre, who lived in an apartment above the cafe, also died.

Lucie Vadnais was unable to escape the explosion as it ripped through the bar. She ran a daycare centre according to Josée Lemieux, a neighbour who often left her son there during the day and who described her as an "angel".

Henriette Latulippe, who worked in a beauty parlour on rue Frontenac,  was believed to have been asleep at home a hundred metres from the accident when she was caught in the blast.

The disaster forced 2,000 of the town's 6,000 residents from their homes and was Canada's worst railway tragedy in 150 years.

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Lee Rigby: Vigil For Murdered Soldier In Bury

Well-wishers have been lining the streets to pay their respects to murdered soldier Lee Rigby on the eve of his funeral.

They watched quietly as a cortege carried the Fusilier's coffin to Bury Parish Church, where his family and friends were to hold a private vigil.

His loved ones will gather around his coffin before a comrade at arms keeps a guard of honour overnight at the church in Greater Manchester.

Earlier his family thanked the public for their "overwhelming support" since the 25-year-old was hacked to death near Woolwich barracks in May.

The father of one had served in Afghanistan and was attached to the regimental recruiting team when he was murdered in broad daylight in an attack that shocked the nation.

His funeral on Friday is expected to be attended by hundreds of people.

Bury has strong links with Fusilier Rigby's regiment, whose roots go back to the Lancashire Fusiliers, based in Bury, just two miles from the soldier's home town of Middleton.

Drummers from the 2nd Battalion Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (2RRF) drummed the cortege past soldiers of the Regiment lining the route to Bury Parish Church.

The procession was not far from the soldier's home town

Prime Minister David Cameron this week told the Commons the whole of the UK will be mourning with Fusilier Rigby's family and friends at his funeral.

The family's wishes are for a private military funeral with the public and media asked to pay their respects outside the church, with the service broadcast to those outside on loudspeakers.

A book of condolence is open for signing at The Fusilier Museum in Bury.

:: Michael Adebolajo, 28, and Michael Adebowale, 22, have been charged with the murder of Fusilier Rigby and are due to stand trial at the Old Bailey on November 18.

They will appear at the same court for a plea and case management hearing on September 27.

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Danny Nightingale Guilty Of Gun Possession

A former special forces sniper has been found guilty of illegally possessing a Glock 9mm pistol and 338 rounds of ammunition.

Sergeant Danny Nightingale was convicted by a five-person court martial board in Bulford, Wiltshire.

He had pleaded not guilty to possession of a prohibited firearm between November 26, 2007 and September 16, 2011, and had also denied possession of the ammunition on or about September 16, 2011.

The 38-year-old of Crewe, Cheshire, said afterwards that the verdict "came as a great shock".

The pistol found in Sgt Nightingale's wardrobe

"If I didn't have such a strong family we'd be broken," he said, adding that they were "close to financial ruin".

His wife Sally, who has attended the proceedings throughout, added: "He isn't guilty and he is not a criminal."

The items, said to be brought back from Iraq, were recovered by civilian police in September 2011 in the rented house the father-of-two shared with another SAS soldier, known only as Soldier N.

The pistol was found in Sgt Nightingale's wardrobe and the ammunition was under his bed in a plastic box.

Sgt Nightingale, who was serving in Afghanistan at the time, said he had no knowledge of them being in his bedroom and said someone else had put them there.

"I have physical or tangible memory. I have no recollection of receiving the gun," he told the court martial.

He said he was a "diligent" soldier who would not have "randomly" stored ammunition at home.

The Crown said Sgt Nightingale had put the public at risk by having the lethal arsenal stored in an insecure house.

Prosecutor Timothy Cray told the trial: "No soldier, no matter what his experience is or what unit he is attached to, is above the law.

"On the specific facts alleged - that is, the defendant's attitude to the retention of arms and ammunition - is that he made a series of mistakes that put the public at risk and that is why he now comes before this court martial.

"No matter how he tries to deny it, the gun and ammunition were there in his bedroom because he put them there and he kept them there."

The ammunition recovered by civilian police from Sgt Nightingale's bedroom

Mr Cray accused the soldier of changing his story after originally telling police the pistol was a "trophy" brought back from Iraq in 2007 and that he had accumulated the ammunition from training sessions in the UK.

But Sgt Nightingale insisted his confusion followed a serious brain injury he suffered while taking part in an endurance event in Brazil in 2009, which had significantly affected his memory.

William Clegg QC, defending, suggested Soldier N had brought the Glock pistol to the UK from Iraq.

Soldier N was sentenced to two years' military detention last year after admitting possessing a Glock 9mm pistol, which he brought back from Iraq in 2003.

He also pleaded guilty to possessing ammunition that was recovered by police at the house he shared with Sgt Nightingale.

Mr Clegg said Soldier N had good reason to disassociate himself from the second pistol as having two would have looked like he was collecting them.

"One can be a souvenir; two begins to suggest a collection," he suggested.

During the trial, which began last week, several members of the SAS gave evidence anonymously.

One serviceman said the storing of weapons in accommodation was a "gross breach" of Army regulations, while Soldier N said bringing back trophies from overseas operations was "part of the course".

Sgt Nightingale had originally pleaded guilty to the two charges in November last year and was sentenced to 18 months' military detention.

He appealed against that sentence and it was reduced to 12 months' imprisonment, suspended for a year.

The Court of Appeal later quashed Sgt Nightingale's original convictions and a fresh trial was ordered.

The ex-SAS sniper was released on bail after Wednesday's verdict.

Sentencing was adjourned to a later date pending a Court of Appeal judgement on the sentencing powers of the court.

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Tour De France: 'Urine' Thrown At Cavendish

British cyclist Mark Cavendish has reportedly been sprayed with urine during a time trial for the latest leg of the Tour de France.

French competitor and friend, Jerome Pineau, wrote on Twitter that Cavendish told him he had been whistled at and had urine thrown at him, possibly by a spectator.

"Yesterday I was so proud to see the support at the race but today I am ashamed," tweeted Pineau.

"Ashamed when my friend @MarkCavendish tells me he has been whistled and even sprayed with urine on the course. It's scandalous."

Cavendish declined to talk when asked about the incident, but a member of his team said with a grin there had "been a smell" when the road-racing professional returned to their bus.

Cavendish was blamed by many fans for a crash in the final 100 metres of Tuesday's stage 10 which sent Tom Veelers crashing to the ground, although he was cleared by race officials.

Omega Pharma team CEO Patrick Lefevere said he believed the clash was the reason for this incident.

"Probably some spectators were not very pleased with what happened yesterday and they yelled to him and then one other idiot threw urine at him," he said.

"Mark is really disappointed because he thinks he didn't deserve this."

Tony Martin set the early pace in the first individual time trial. The world time trial champion completed the 33km course to Mont-Saint-Michel in a time of 36 minutes 29 seconds to sit 39 seconds ahead of the second-best time, set by Vaconsoleil's Thomas De Gendt.

Cavendish set a time of exactly 42 minutes, more than four minutes behind team-mate Martin.

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BBC Boss 'Shocked' Over Bumper Pay-Offs

BBC bosses are being grilled by MPs over how senior staff were given hefty pay-offs that often breached the corporation's own guidelines.

Director-general Tony Hall and chairman of the BBC Trust Lord Patten are appearing before the Public Accounts Committee, along with human resources director Lucy Adams and trust member Anthony Fry.

The session in the House of Commons comes after a National Audit Office (NAO) report showed huge payments, of hundreds of thousands of pounds in some cases, were made even though executives were not always entitled to the money.

Lord Patten began by telling the group of cross-party MPs that it was "a question of shock and dismay for us" when it emerged that staff had been paid more than they were contractually owed in some cases.

George Entwistle was paid £450,000 for being in the top job for 54 days

Asked why he did not know some pay-offs had gone beyond what was contractually needed, Lord Patten appeared to suggest former director-general Mark Thompson should be called to give evidence.

He told the committee: "If you call a previous director general of the BBC I will be as interested as you are why we didn't know."

Speaking about Mr Thompson's eventual successor George Entwistle, who stood down after a few weeks in the job amid the Jimmy Savile sex scandal, Lord Patten said his pay-off of £450,000 was necessary to prevent a potentially larger bill if they had got bogged down in legal argument.

He said: "We would have fetched up paying more than we in fact had to pay him."

The pay-offs to Mark Byford and Caroline Thompson have been criticised

Lord Patten admitted Mr Entwistle was paid for an extra 20 days work for the BBC to help manage the transition to a new director-general but "as it happened he wasn't required to do anything".

Lord Patten also revealed that the BBC Trust has been pressing for an overall pay reduction since 2009.

He suggested to the MPs that some of the payments had been approved to "get people out of the door" after the BBC decided to cut the number of senior managers it employed.

He agreed with committee member Austin Mitchell MP that the size of some of the payments had discredited the licence fee and said: "It's not only the licence fee payer that has been shocked by what's happened, it's people who work for the BBC".

Roly Keating handed back his pay-off

According to the NAO in the three years up to last December, the BBC spent £25m on severance payments for 150 high-ranking staff.

And since 2005, the corporation has made payments totaling £60m to more than 400 senior managers.

Among the pay-offs criticised was one to former chief operating officer Caroline Thomson, who left last year with £670,000 - more than twice her salary.

And former deputy director-general Mark Byford was paid £949,000 when he left two years ago.

But the former BBC2 controller, Roly Keating, who was given a £375,000 pay-off, returned the money after learning it had not been properly authorised.

Lord Patten says he was shocked at the NAO's findings

Ms Adams, who is paid a salary of £320,000, said Mr Byford had an expectation of a payment in lieu of notice of 12 months because it had become "custom and practice" at the BBC.

She said she raised the possibility of a cap on redundancy payments in 2011, adding: "I was well aware this was unsustainable".

Mr Fry told the committee that some BBC staff were "out to lunch" in regard to how much they expected senior executives to be paid, and some people had got "unreasonable" salaries and pay-offs.

He said members of the trust, which is the governing body of the BBC, were not always included in all decision making.

There were times when "people like me were asked in not particularly pleasant words to get back into our box," he added.

Lord Patten said the BBC would publish the full cost of the Pollard review into a dropped Newsnight investigation which featured allegations of sexual abuse by the late TV presenter Savile next Tuesday.

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Royal Mail Sale: Cable Outlines Flotation

Royal Mail staff will get free shares under the Government's plans for the privatisation of the service, despite strong opposition to the sell-off among the workforce.

The Business Secretary Vince Cable confirmed in a statement to MPs the intention to float a majority stake in Royal Mail initially, with the rest following depending on market conditions.

As he announced that staff would hold 10% of the business under proposals first revealed by Sky News, members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) took to an open-top bus in the City to denounce the sell-off.

Royal Mail workers took to a 'protest' bus in London to make their point

Some of the protesters - most of them employees of the postal service - held placards reading: "Save our Royal Mail" or "You own it, don't buy it."

They argued that they cared more about the future of the service, their pensions, jobs and working conditions than the prospect of a windfall worth more than £2,000 each for the 150,000-strong workforce.

The union's deputy general secretary, Dave Ward, dismissed reassurances about future employment rules to warn of the prospect of strikes unless legally-binding agreements were put in place to guarantee his members' conditions.

Chuka Umunna questioned the Government's motives for the sale

Mr Cable had told the Commons: "These shares will be free to eligible employees, recognising that many of them would otherwise find them unaffordable."

He said the flotation, which was expected to value the business at £3bn, would begin over the next year and the shares would be listed on the London Stock Exchange. They will be available to the general public as well as institutional investors.

"This is logical, it is a commercial decision designed to put Royal Mail's future on to a long-term sustainable basis," he said.

"It is consistent with developments elsewhere in Europe where privatised operators in Austria, Germany and Belgium produce profit margins far higher than the Royal Mail but have continued to provide high-quality and expanding services.

"Now the time has come for Government to step back from Royal Mail, allow its management to focus wholeheartedly on growing the business and planning for the future."

Labour said it would oppose the flotation.

Shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna said: "Having nationalised the organisation's debts by taking on its pension liabilities, they now want to privatise the profit at the very time it is making money.

"There is every sign this treasured national institution is being sold off on the cheap to get income quickly to a Treasury whose economic strategy has failed."

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Whole-Life Inmates Win Human Rights Victory

Locking up some of Britain's most notorious killers for life without any prospect of release is a breach of their human rights, European judges have ruled.

Murderer Jeremy Bamber is among those facing a review of their whole-life tariffs after winning an appeal that the sentences were "inhuman and degrading".

The judges found that for a life sentence to remain compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights there had to be both a possibility of release and a possibility of review.

It means the Government must amend the law to ensure it complies with human rights legislation, and opens the door to demands for early release from prisoners who were told they could never walk free.

The panel of 17 judges in the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights said their decision did not mean Bamber and two other men - Douglas Vinter and Peter Moore - can look forward to being freed in the near future.

They said: "In finding a violation in this case … the court did not intend to give the applicants any prospect of imminent release."

However, the decision has been slammed by many in Westminster - including Prime Minister David Cameron, who said he was "very, very disappointed".

Bamber arrives for a previous court hearing

A spokesman said: "He is a strong supporter of whole-life tariffs."

Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said people would find the ruling "intensely frustrating".

"I think this will simply reinforce the desire in this country for wholesale reform of our human rights laws," he told Sky News.

"I suspect that the vast majority of the public think the court is just getting this wrong - at the very least it should be a matter for the British Parliament."

However, Eric Allison, a journalist who spent 15 years serving time in British prisons, said it was a "victory for the possibility" of rehabilitating even the worst of criminals.

"I've seen people who've done some awful things and I've seen them change their character completely in prison," he said.

The appeal was brought by Vinter, who stabbed his wife in February 2008, and means the cases of Bamber - who killed his parents, sister and two young children in August 1985 - and Moore, who killed four gay men in 1995, will also be considered.

Bamber, 51, has been behind bars for more than 25 years for shooting his wealthy adopted parents June and Neville, his sister Sheila Caffell and her twin sons Daniel and Nicholas at their farmhouse in Tolleshunt D'Arcy, Essex.

A statement from Bamber described winning the appeal as "hollow" as he is in prison "for a crime I did not commit".

The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg

He added: "My whole life order has now been given a system of reviews, but there is no provision for someone who is wrongly convicted to prove that they are worthy of release, such hope is in reality, no hope at all."

In their ruling the judges said it was up to national authorities to decide when a review should take place, but existing laws point to a review happening no later than 25 years after a life sentence is handed down.

Current UK law says whole-life tariff prisoners will almost certainly never be released because their offences are deemed to be so serious.

Only the Justice Secretary can free them on compassionate grounds - if, for example, they are terminally ill.

The judges said the decision on whether to release prisoners jailed for their entire lives would depend on whether there were legitimate grounds for their continued detention.

Until 2003, whole-life tariff prisoners had a right to a review but this was removed in a change to the law.

Vinter's lawyer Simon Creighton, of Bhatt Murphy Solicitors, said the ruling could not be used as a "get out of jail free" excuse.

He said: "They have not said that anyone must be released, what they have said is that it must be reviewed.

"It's now for the Government to respond."

The ruling comes shortly after Home Secretary Theresa May voiced her frustrations with the European courts in the House of Commons in the wake of the lengthy and costly fight to boot radical cleric Abu Qatada out of the country.

She said she wanted the Human Rights Act itself to be scrapped.

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Murdoch Invited Back By Commons Committee

Rupert Murdoch has been invited to re-appear before the Commons Culture Media and Sport committee.

It comes after a tape recording emerged of him apparently telling journalists he regretted the level of co-operation given by News UK - formerly News International - to the investigation into phone hacking and illegal payments.

No date has yet been agreed, but it is not expected to be until the autumn.

The boss of News Corp - which part-owns BSkyB, the owners of Sky News - appeared before MPs in July 2011.

The news came as Scotland Yard said it will "fully assess" the contents of the tape recording of his comments in a meeting with News International journalists.

Critics have insisted the tape showed Mr Murdoch's real attitude to the crises that have engulfed his empire, in contrast to the contrition he displayed when giving evidence to the committee two years ago.

Mr Murdoch was recorded describing the treatment of journalists who had been arrested as a "disgrace" and suggesting that he regretted the extent to which the company had co-operated with the investigation.

The audio, obtained by the Exaro investigative website and broadcast by Channel 4 News, was said to have been made during a meeting with journalists from The Sun at his British newspapers' headquarters in Wapping, east London, in March.

Mr Murdoch is heard railing at the way the police behaved.

"Still, I mean, it's a disgrace. Here we are, two years later, and the cops are totally incompetent," he said.

"The idea that the cops then started coming after you, kick you out of bed, and your families, at six in the morning, is unbelievable.

"But why are the police behaving in this way? It's the biggest inquiry ever, over next to nothing.

"And now they're arresting their own, who never even took money... They're going to put all newspapers out of business."

When one of the journalists present questioned why so much material had been handed over to the police by News Corp's management and standards committee (MSC), Mr Murdoch indicated that he believed they had gone too far.

"Because - it was a mistake, I think. But, in that atmosphere, at that time, we said, 'Look, we are an open book, we will show you everything'. And the lawyers just got rich going through millions of emails," he said.

He added: "All I can say is, for the last several months, we have told, the MSC has told, and (name withheld), who's a terrific lawyer, has told the police, has said 'No, no, no - get a court order. Deal with that'."

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Kidlington Siege: Man Arrested By Police

A man who held his two-year-old twin daughters during an armed siege has been arrested, Thames Valley Police revealed.

The 38-year-old, who was believed to be in possession of a firearm, was Tasered by armed officers before he was detained at a flat in Morton Avenue, Kidlington, Oxfordshire.

Officers had been in "regular communication" with the man, who released both girls unharmed earlier today. They added the siege was over a "domestic incident".

A woman, believed to be the man's estranged partner, is thought to have called police at around 3.40am after escaping from the property.

The first girl was released at around 9.45am, while the second girl emerged from the property just under two hours later.

Police are at the scene in Kidlington, central Oxfordshire

A police spokesman said: "Thames Valley Police can confirm that the armed incident in Kidlington has now concluded.

"The 38-year-old man inside the property in Morton Avenue was detained by officers at the scene at 3.37pm after he exited the property.

"Officers did deploy and discharge a Taser device in order to gain the man's compliance. He has now been taken into custody."

A Land Rover pulled up at the scene at around 11.30am and a team of around six armed officers with shields and helmets got out and went straight into the property.

Up to 50 officers, including firearms experts, have been at the scene

They emerged moments later from the property in Kidlington, Oxfordshire, with four officers "carrying the girl sideways", according to the Oxford Mail.

The fire service and a doctor joined police at the scene as the cordon was widened to include nearby Yarnton Road.

The girls have since been reunited with their mother, the paper reported.

A police spokesman said: "Thames Valley Police can confirm a second child has been released unharmed from the property in Morton Avenue, Kidlington, as part of the ongoing domestic-related incident which the force is currently dealing with."

Police said the man did not make any threats to harm the girls.

Armed police were deployed to the scene and a cordon had been placed around the property - with up to 50 officers involved with the incident.

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Edward Snowden 'Accepts Political Asylum Offer'

Confusion surrounds claims from a Russian politician that US intelligence whistleblower Edward Snowden has accepted an offer of political asylum from Venezuela, after the statement was deleted from Twitter.

In a tweet, the head of the Russian parliament's foreign affairs committee, Alexei Pushkov wrote: "Snowden has given his agreement to (Venezuelan President Nicolas) Maduro's offer of political asylum."

However the tweet was quickly removed from his account and replaced by the clarification: "I got the information from the 18pm news bulletin from (Russian state TV channel) Vesti 24. All questions to them."

Pushkov then added a further tweet, which said:  "As Vesti 24 reported sourcing Maduro, Snowden has accepted his asylum offer. If that is so, he's chosen that option as most reliable."

But the statement has led to confusion as Vesti has only been reporting that Venezuela had received an asylum request from Snowden.

Since Snowden's arrival in Russia, Alexei Pushkov has acted as the Kremlin's unofficial spokesman on the affair.

Former National Security Agency employee Edward Snowden leaked details of a US intelligence programme used to monitor Internet activity and is on the run after espionage charges were filed against him.

He is believed to have been in a transit zone in Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport since June 23 after arriving from Hong Kong and reportedly failing to board an onward flight to Cuba.

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Bull Terrier 'Bites Head Off Harmless Pet'

Police have seized a Staffordshire bull terrier which allegedly bit the head off a family pet dog in a vicious attack.

Gemma Antell claimed her pet Pomeranian, Elvis, was decapitated outside the home of her mother-in-law in Warrington on Saturday after the larger dog entered the front garden, dragging its handler behind it.

Ms Antell says her family were left traumatised by the attack

After the attack on Elvis, a member of the public took a picture of the Staffordshire bull terrier and the woman holding its leash, whose arm was covered in blood. 

Gemma posted the picture onto Twitter in an attempt to identify the owner.

"The dog literally ripped his head off," Ms Antell said in a post on Facebook. "It ripped Elvis in half. It is my son's birthday and my kids are in tears and my whole family are traumatised.

"The worst part of this is the dog 'owners' witnessed the attack and just walked off saying it was not their fault.

"Two poor children witnessed the attack as well as my mother-in-law and passers-by. I have added (to Facebook) the two photos of the incident as well as photos of poor Elvis who is obviously a tiny harmless family pet.

"The next time this happens it might not be a family pet it could be a local child!!!"

After the owner was identified, police visited an address at midnight on Sunday where they seized a white Staffordshire bull terrier.

Cheshire police have confirmed they are investigating the incident and have asked for witnesses to call them on 101 or to ring Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Chief Inspector Darren Hebden, said: "This was a horrendous attack and was clearly very distressing for the owners to witness.

"I am aware of pictures that have been circulated on social media which will undoubtedly cause concern for the community but can I reassure people that we have now seized the offending dog so there is no risk to the general public.

"We will be speaking to the owners in due course and will do all we can to deal with the incident appropriately within the guidelines of the law. Extra patrols will be in the area to talk to concerned residents and address any issues in the area."

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San Francisco Crash Survivors Tell Of Horror

Survivors have spoken of the terrifying moment a pilot tried to abort a landing seconds before it crashed onto the runway in San Francisco.

Two Chinese teenagers died after the Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 struck the runway shortly after the jet reportedly hit a sea wall.

Benjamin Levy said: "The nose of the plane, as you know, goes up a little bit. And then full throttle starts hitting hard and then we felt that we were going up again, so that's why I said maybe the guy is about to pull one of those almost mislandings and go back up.

"But it didn't happen, we just crashed back. So as I say - if we flipped, none of us would be here to talk about it."

Xu Da, a product manager from China, was sitting with his wife and teenage son near the back of the plane.

He stood up and saw a gaping hole through the back of the plane where its galley was torn away along with the tail.

The tail of the plane was torn away. Pic. NTSB/Twitter

Xu and his family escaped through the opening. Once on the tarmac, they watched the plane catch fire, and firefighters hose it down.

In the chaotic moments after the landing, Wen Zhang grabbed her four-year-old son, who hit the seat in front of him and broke his leg.

Spotting a hole at the back of the jumbo jet where the bathroom had been, she carried her boy to safety.

"I had no time to be scared," she said.

Eugene Rah said: "The seat I was sitting in, it has one more strap coming across my chest here in addition to the one that goes around the waist because It was a sleeper seat. If I did not have that, I would have hit the ceiling: that's how hard the impact was."

Oxygen masks dropped from the ceiling during the crash. Pic. NTSB/Twitter

Fred Hayes filmed the crash from around a mile away "I was watching it come in and I did notice that nose being up in the air. My initial reaction was that it was trying to abort the landing and go back up," he told CNN.

"There was big boom and then it pitched forward and bounced off its nose."

One of the flight attendants described the chaos as she and her colleagues began their evacuation of more than 300 people.

Sky's Asia correspondent Mark Stone said Lee Yoon Hae told South Korean media that she first went to the cockpit to see if the pilots were alive. She then made three announcements telling the 291 passengers to remain calm and prepare to evacuate.

There were four pilots on the plane: two in the cockpit and two more reserve pilots in the main cabin. One of the reserve pilots opened the front door with an axe and ordered the evacuation.

Video showed hundreds of people running down emergency chutes

Stone said Mrs Lee, 40, explained how one of her colleagues had a leg trapped. She helped to release her leg and at the same time tried to calm the passengers, some of whom were panicking.

Mrs Lee said that many of the passengers were confused and disorientated.

She shouted to the Chinese passengers to evacuate immediately. Many of them tried to take their hand baggage with them, but she said she was forced to order them not to.

Mrs Lee said several fires broke out within the cabin and she was not aware that the tail of the plane had broken off because the ceiling between her and the rear of the aircraft had collapsed.

She helped one badly injured female passenger to the emergency slide and then returned back into the aircraft to help others and was one of the last to leave the aircraft.

Mrs Lee, who has already been given 14 awards for her work at Asiana Airlines, broke her coccyx in the accident, but was unaware of her injuries until she arrived at the hospital.

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Video Shows Aftermath Of San Francisco Crash

The dramatic evacuation of a Boeing 777 that crashed onto the runway in San Francisco has been captured on film.

Two teenagers were killed and around 180 people were injured, many of them seriously, when Asiana Airlines flight 214 slammed into the runway.

The pilot who was flying the plane when it came down had just 43 hours' experience flying that type of aircraft, aviation officials have said.

The amateur video taken immediately after the crash shows black smoke billowing from the plane as the 305 passengers and crew evacuated using the emergency inflatable chutes.

The plane spun as it hit the ground (Pic. CNN/Fred Hayes)

It also clearly shows that the aircraft's tail has been torn off and other parts of the plane were significantly damaged.

Air crash investigators said the crew tried to abort the landing less than two seconds before impact.

Although the captain, Lee Gang-guk, had spent nearly 10,000 hours at the controls of other planes, he had never landed at San Francisco before.

He was sitting alongside another pilot who had flown 3,200 hours in 777s and around 12,000 hours in total.

The mangled interior of the Boeing 777 (Pic: NTSB/Twitter)

The head of the airline has described as "intolerable" media reports that pilot inexperience may have been to blame for a fatal weekend crash.

Meanwhile, officials are looking at whether one of the two teenagers killed in the crash was run over by a rescue vehicle.

It is not clear whether she died during the crash or whether she was knocked down as emergency crews rushed to the scene.

The landing gear was separated from the fuselage (Pic: NTSB/Twitter)

As air crash investigators continue to look for the cause of the crash, they published a series of pictures, including one taken inside the wreckage of the plane, showing oxygen masks hanging from the ceiling of the cabin and seats bent at various angles.

They have recovered both "black box" in-flight recorders from the 777, which should reveal exactly why the aircraft came down.

Deborah Hersman, head of the National Transportation Safety Board, said the plane was travelling well below its target speed of 157mph.

Investigators study the aircraft's tail fin (Pic: NTSB/Twitter)

She said a piece of safety equipment that warns pilots of an impending stall went off moments before the crash.

Cockpit voice recordings revealed the crew's desperate attempts to climb back into the sky but did not suggest any mechanical problems.

No warnings were issued to air traffic controllers until seven seconds before impact.

Teenagers Wang Linjia and Ye Mengyuan died in the crash

Although the cause of the crash is yet to be confirmed, one theory is that the plane clipped a sea wall at the end of the runway as it came in to land.

Amateur video obtained by CNN shows the plane landing on the runway and then appearing to spin counter-clockwise before crashing down again with black smoke billowing from its tail.

The two pilots - part of a crew of 16 - had around 22,000 flying hours between them.

There were 291 passengers on board, many of whom were Chinese.

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