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Gang conned elderly victims out of a total of £200,000Members of a gang that conned a 94-year-old woman out of almost £70,000 for building work worth just £250 were jailed today.The woman was one of 11 elderly victims swindled out of £200,000 for building work by David Evans, his sons and two accomplices. Two other victims were each charged £40,000 for work that should have cost just a few hundred pounds.Over five years the gang targeted vulnerable elderly people in Gloucestershire and convinced them that their homes needed maintenance work.The victims - aged between 81 and 94 - were often "confused" and were persuaded to hand over vast cheques for the "shoddy and vastly overpriced" work, Bristol crown court heard.Evans, 57, sons Buddy, 22, and Shannon, 21, and their friends Patrick...

Remains of Muslim teenager Shafilea Ahmed found in 2004 after she had refused arranged marriage and swallowed bleachThe parents of a Muslim teenager thought to be the victim of an "honour" killing were today arrested on suspicion of her murder.Workmen discovered the decomposed remains of 17-year-old Shafilea Ahmed, from Warrington, Cheshire, in the river Kent, Cumbria, in February 2004. She had disappeared from her home in Great Sankey five months earlier.It emerged that she had refused an arranged marriage, and, during a visit to Pakistan to meet a prospective suitor, had swallowed bleach and required regular hospital treatment for her injuries.Today, officers from Cheshire police arrested Shafilea's father, Iftikhar Ahmed, 50, and her mother, Farzana, 47, at their home. They were taken...

Avon and Somerset police question 39-year-old man over disappearance of Melanie Hall 14 years agoA man is being questioned today over the suspected murder of a young woman who disappeared after an evening out at a nightclub in Bath 14 years ago.Avon and Somerset police said the 39-year-old man was held on suspicion of the murder of Melanie Hall, whose remains were found at the side of the M5 last October by a workman clearing vegetation.The man, from Wiltshire, was arrested at 4pm yesterday after he went voluntarily to a police station, a spokesman said.Hall, who was 25, went missing after a night out at Cadillacs nightclub on 9 June 1996. In July this year a 38-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of her murder and disappearance, and was later released on bail.Detective Chief Inspector...

A drama about a high school chemistry teacher who's suffering from the world's worst case of mid-life crisis and becomes a criminal. As you probably know I've become quite a TV Series Junkie and have been rabidly looking for new awesome shows to watch. I guess it's partially do to with the fact movies in [...] Read the full post at shaolintiger.com....

Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif claim allegations are part of a conspiracy against themScotland Yard detectives conducting a criminal investigation into allegations of a conspiracy to fix an international cricket match are to reinterview three Pakistan players this week, the Guardian has learned.The news comes as Customs officers said Mazhar Majeed, the agent at the centre of the match-fixing allegations which erupted on Sunday, had already been under investigation by UK authorities as part of a money laundering inquiry.The Pakistani players, who were first questioned at their London hotel on Saturday evening, told Pakistani cricket officials they are innocent of the allegations and are ready to face an investigation. Pakistan's captain, Salman Butt, and opening bowlers...

The French Spiderman, also know by the more mundane name of Alain Robert, has been arrested in Australia after climbing a 57-storey building.Robert - who's previously scaled the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the New York Times building in New York - made it to the top within 25 minutes.But police who had been alerted to his impromptu climb without safety equipment were less than impressed and were waiting for the 48-year-old at the top.Fans who had gathered and the bottom of the Lumiere Building on Bathurst Street, Sydney, to watch the climb were no doubt unhappy to see their hero being led away by cops.Police are now threatening to throw the book at him… which mean he could soon be climbing the walls of a prison cell. A spokesperson for New South Wales Police said: "We look very...

Denis MacShane appeals to Lib Dems, as coalition invokes its right not to sign upDavid Cameron and Nick Clegg stand accused of sending the "wrong signal" to pimps and human traffickers across the world after the coalition decided against endorsing an EU directive designed to co-ordinate European efforts to combat the trade in sex slaves.As new figures show that fewer traffickers are being jailed than at any time in the last five years, Labour called for a government rethink on the directive, appealing to the pro-European Liberal Democrats to explain to their coalition partners the benefits of EU action.Denis MacShane, Labour's former Europe minister, launched the appeal after the government decided not to sign up to the directive. The document includes a common definition of the crime of...

Theresa May: Home Secretary and an evil, loathsome woman.Having woken up to the existence of the European Arrest Warrant, Iain Dale shows a touching faith in Our New Coalition Overlords™ in his confident assertion that they will do something about the disgusting injustices visited on British citizens under this legislation.And if Theresa May is the woman I think she is, she will pick up the phone to her Greek counterpart tomorrow morning and ask him to put right this apparent massive injustice.Go on Theresa. You know you want to.If Theresa May is the woman that I think she is, she will sit on her fat arse and do fuck all. Theresa May couldn't give two fucks about the rights of British citizens, and nor do the rest of the Coalition: as many of us have said for years, the only thing...

Retail Newsagent published my sequel to my first article following the break in last October. The feature article deals with what has happened to us during the passed 10 months. Chris Rolfe, their feature editor has done a good job, thanks to you and the...

Officers who found body of Gareth Williams say it was 'a neat job', leading to speculation that it was a professional hitFurther questions have been raised over the death of an MI6 officer after police confirmed that reports of bondage equipment found at his flat and a "ritualistic" arrangement of his possessions were untrue.The body of Gareth Williams was found stuffed in a bag in the bath of an MI6 safehouse in Pimlico, south London, a week ago. Reports have said there was evidence of a break-in, and that sim cards containing the numbers of gay escorts were found at the flat, but police who found the body told Channel 4 News it was "a neat job", leading to speculation that Williams was killed in a professional hit.The police and security services seem to disagree over precisely what led...

Would you expect to get nicked and put in prison if you headbutted, bit and spat at a member of the Police outside of a Police station, with previous convictions already under your belt?Apparently not so...

MI6 officer Gareth Williams was seen on 15 August, according to police, who say they are still not sure his death was murderThe dead British intelliigence officer Gareth Williams was last seen alive eight days before his body was found stuffed in a bag at his flat, police have said.A confirmed sighting of the 30-year-old was made on 15 August in London, officers said as they continued to investigate his suspicious death.Meanwhile, Williams' family last night hit out at rumours that suggested the dead man was involved in risky sexual practices. In a statement, they said speculation linking the secret service employee to a male escort and bondage equipment had been "very distressing".The mathematics genius, who was on secondment to MI6, was found dead in a sports holdall in the bath of his...

Cousin says family in state of shock, as report says Gareth Williams was regular visitor to Pentagon listening postThe family of a murdered British spy said today they were "deeply upset" over claims about his private life and suggested the security services may be behind a smear campaign.Gareth Williams's body was discovered in a holdall in the bath of a flat in Pimlico, central London, on Monday. Police believe he may have been dead for two weeks.Williams, 30, worked at GCHQ, the eavesdropping and security centre, was days from completing a year-long secondment at MI6 and, it has emerged, was a regular visitor to the US national security agency that intercepts and analyses foreign communications.However, reports that police had found evidence linking him to a male escort and that...

Police, bodyguards and a media scrum mark tycoon's returnIn a blur of expensive suits, mirrored sunglasses and blacked out luxury cars, Asil Nadir, the 69-year-old fugitive Polly Peck millionaire, today returned to the UK for the first time since he fled British justice 17 years ago, accused of a £34m fraud.Surrounded by private security guards and accompanied by his 26-year old wife, Noor, Nadir touched down at Luton airport before sweeping into his new Mayfair base in London from where he promised to clear his name at the Old Bailey next month."My conscience is clear, I am innocent," he said as his borrowed Airbus A320 carried him and his entourage from Anatalya in Turkey. "I am just going to England and we'll see how life goes, we've got a little injustice to sort out."But even before...

Parents return from holiday to speak to police as picture emerges of MI6 officer as private and mild-manneredThe grieving parents of an MI6 intelligence officer whose decomposed body was discovered in a flat in London formally identified their son's remains today, as detectives continued to search for his killer.Gareth Williams's body was discovered in a holdall in the bath of a flat in Pimlico on Monday. Police believe he may have been dead for two weeks.Williams, a cycling and fitness fanatic who worked at GCHQ, the eavesdropping and security centre, was days from completing a year-long secondment at MI6.Tests are still being carried out to determine the cause of death. Initial reports that he was stabbed have been proved false. Further tests could determine whether Williams was...

Intelligence officer found dead in Pimlico flat never spoke about his job or home life, according to those who knew himA picture of an extremely private man began to emerge today as detectives investigated the murder of an intelligence officer. They were examining the private life of Gareth Williams, 30, a codes expert, as they wait for the results of toxicology tests after an inconclusive post-mortem examination.His decomposing body was found stuffed into a bag in the bath of his flat in Pimlico, central London, three days ago.Williams, a cycling and fitness fanatic who worked at GCHQ, the eavesdropping and security centre, was days from completing a year-long secondment at MI6.His parents, Ian and Ellen, travelled to London with his sister Ceri today from Anglesey to speak to police...

• Phone and sim cards found laid out in 'ritual' manner • Police examine private life of likeable fitness fanaticThe private life of an MI6 officer who was murdered at his home close to the UK's foreign intelligence service headquarters is being investigated by Scotland Yard detectives. The body of Gareth Williams was stuffed in a holdall and dumped in his bath.Williams is believed to have been killed two weeks ago. His body was badly decomposed when his two-bedroom, top floor flat in Pimlico, central London, was searched by police after colleagues raised the alarm. A postmortem examination found that he had not been stabbed, as had been reported earlier, but the cause of death has yet to be established. Further tests, including analysis of his blood for evidence of drugs and alcohol,...

Just a quick one. Does anybody know what you have to do to get the boot from the Catholic Church. Seems murder or kiddie fiddling aren’t enough....

Police officers have been told to think more carefully about the underwear they wear on duty and ditch brightly coloured pants.Cops at West Midlands Police have also been told they should not be wearing particularly sexy undies which might get noticed.A notice was recently issued which even told them they should avoid having a visible panty line (VPL) and undies should be "inconspicuous" under their uniform. But while some officers say they feel like they're being treated as children the force insist the advice is just that and not a new underwear policy. One WPC said the move was so nannying she was going to join the army -- at least that's what we think she meant about going commando. A police spokesman said: "There's no new force policy on underwear."ll officers and staff...

Wendy Lewis was convicted of urinating and committing a sex act at the Cenotaph memorial in BlackpoolA woman has fled court before being sentenced for urinating and committing a sex act on a war memorial – the fourth case of its kind in Britain within a year.A warrant was issued for the arrest of 32-year-old Wendy Lewis, who arrived at court with her head under a hooded fleece as a dozen veterans slow-handclapped.Blackpool town magistrates earlier heard that police had been called by CCTV operators who saw Lewis urinate next to a poppy wreath at the town's main Cenotaph memorial near the seafront in June. When police arrived she was giving oral sex to a "straggly-haired man" who has not been identified.Lewis was described as "the most disgusting woman in Britain" by the former head of...

Group alleged to have created and uploaded songs that they repeatedly purchased using stolen and cloned credit cardsTwelve people will appear in court next month accused of making tens of thousands of pounds by buying their own songs through iTunes using stolen credit cards.The suspects were questioned by members of Scotland Yard's e-crime unit after a series of raids in London, Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Kent. The move followed a joint investigation with the FBI into claims that an international criminal gang had targeted the iTunes and Amazon online music stores.The gang is alleged to have created and uploaded about 20 songs. They used about 1,500 stolen or cloned British and US credit cards to buy songs worth £469,000 and cream off the royalties.Eight men will appear on bail at...

TV presenter told BBC programme he killed his partner, who was dying of AidsA BBC presenter who claimed on a television programme to have killed his dying partner is due to be charged with wasting police time today, according to reports.Ray Gosling told the East Midlands Inside Out programme in February that he had smothered his lover, who was dying of Aids in hospital. Gosling said that his partner had been in "terrible pain" when a doctor told him there was nothing more that could be done. He said that he asked the doctor to leave them alone and then "I picked up the pillow and smothered him until he was dead".Gosling, 71, was arrested on suspicion of murder 36 hours after the programme aired. He is due to answer police bail in Nottingham this afternoon, when according to the Times...

Sion Jenkins, who was acquitted of murdering his stepdaughter Billie-Jo after spending six years in prison, has been refused compensation. He talks about his brutal time inside – and how difficult it is to prove his innocence'How can I prove my innocence when the criminal justice system does not provide for proof of innocence?" Sion Jenkins is responding to the pronouncement last week by the Ministry of Justice that compensation awards for miscarriages of justice will only be paid in cases where there is "clear proof of innocence". We're sitting in the pretty garden of the home he shares with his wife Tina and stepson Oscar in Hampshire. He looks lean and fit and unusually youthful, given the extraordinary and extreme life experiences he has endured over the last 13 years.In February...

A police officer in the US was trapped in his squad car for more than three hours when 50,000 bees landed on the vehicle.Sheriff’s Deputy Brandon Jenkins had been called to a broken down lorry in North Carolina in the early hours of the morning.However, when he got there he found the cargo - 60 boxes of bees had escaped - and as he approached they all swarmed towards him.The officer ran back towards his car and managed to get inside but the thousands of bees proceeded to land on his car trapping him inside and forcing him to call for help.He probably asked for a 'swat' team to come and free him in a 'sting' operation.  The force arranged for two beekeepers to attend the scene and use smoke and a sugar water strap to move the bees back into containers....

Armed police were called to investigate a student in Atlanta who'd been seen carrying a Samurai sword… which turned out to be an umbrella.Officers were put on alert when a man was spotted wearing his umbrella - which has an authentic samurai sword handle - on his back and entering a building.A SWAT team was dispatched to the college campus and, fearing a loopy student going on a sword rampage, the residence building was quickly evacuated.But the student had already left (without the brolly) and it was only when he returned to show the heavily armed cops the umbrella, they believed him.The umbrella, which is now being sold with a "May incite SWAT teams" warning, has now been banned on the campus. Writing to ThinkGeek, where the Samurai sword umbrella was bought, the man's...

Pair spared custody but put on offender register amid criticism over decision to hear trial in adult courtTwo 11-year-old boys found guilty of attempting to rape an eight-year-old girl were spared custody today after a judge ruled they did not realise the severity of their crime. The pair were instead given a three-year supervision order that will see them rehabilitated in their communities under the watch of probation, police and social services.The boys are among the youngest people on the sex offenders register after their conviction at the Old Bailey in May.They were 10 last October when they tried to assault the girl on their housing estate in west London in an incident described by one of their barristers as "a game called show me yours and I will show you mine".A jury acquitted...

Police count of trafficked sex workers prompts new debate on extent of illegal trade in UKMen who use brothels are escaping a new law intended to crack down on the coercion of women into prostitution, the Guardian has learned.Sources at the Metropolitan police and the Crown Prosecution Service said only three men have been cautioned for going with prostitutes who were coerced or threatened into working, since it became a criminal offence in April 2009.Jacqui Smith, the then home secretary, said the legislation would "turn the spotlight on those who create the demand that leads to trafficking and people being held almost as slaves".Two men using a brothel in east London were picked up on the day the legislation was introduced and only one other has been cautioned since. The figure emerged...

New DoorThis week we have had new floor tiles laid to replace those damaged when our new shop front was fitted last December. I do have to admit that I did over look this small detail, but it is now done and we can move on. All that is left is to pay the bill and make this final claim on our insurers I have already spoken to the loss assessor about the final detail and he has told me that as soon as he has the evidence of cost he will authorise the settlement.10 months on from the burglary that unsettled our lives so much we have regained our lives and our business has survived the trauma. In many ways we have been fortunate as the 3 men who interfered with our lives in the early hours of 21st October 2009 were only interested in robbery not violence. It is all to sad that all to many...

Old Bailey judge deems custodial sentence counter-productive but says lessons must be learned from trialTwo 11-year-old boys who were convicted of trying to rape an eight-year-old girl were each given a three-year supervision order at the Old Bailey today.They were aged 10 last October when the girl told her mother that she had been assaulted in Hayes, west London.In May the boys became two of the country's youngest convicted sex offenders after a jury found them guilty of two charges of attempted rape but cleared them of rape.Jurors rejected claims by defence barristers that the boys – one of whom was described as a model pupil by his teacher – were just being naughty and playing a game like doctors and nurses.Sentencing them today, Mr Justice Saunders said: "I do not accept that...

Residents who picked up cash left near Winchester branch of Barclays Bank urged to return it to police to be used as evidencePolice are appealing to the better nature of Winchester residents after a thief with idiosyncratic views on the redistribution of wealth robbed a bank of £1,600 only to scatter the money along a nearby street moments later.Detectives are asking anyone who picked up money yesterday morning after the robbery at Barclays Bank in Jewry Street to hand it in as evidence.It is thought that only £300 has been recovered.Police said that the robbery took place at 10.20am when a man went into the bank and threatened staff.Detective Inspector Andy Symes of Hampshire police added: "He claimed he was armed, but a subsequent search after arrest proved that he had no weapon on...

Police move to shut down criminal network suspected of global fraud using premium-rate phone lines and stolen iPhonesPolice have moved to shut down a criminal network suspected of running a complex global scam which made millions of pounds from UK mobile phone networks using stolen iPhones and premium-rate phone lines.Eight men and one woman were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud in a series of early morning raids across England today.Officers had been investigating a complex conspiracy where mobile phones were purchased using false identities, and then the SIM cards used to call premium-rate phone lines owned by people involved in the scam.City of London police detectives seized dozens of mobile phones, hundreds of SIM cards, thousands of pounds in cash and fake...

Police in France have warned men to be wary of attractive women who approach them as they are withdrawing money from an ATM – particularly if the women flash their boobs at them !!! Seems two women in their 20′s, described by their victims as ‘attractive’ have been baring their breasts to men withdrawing money from cash machines. While the man’s gaze is distracted by the sight of bare boobs bobbing in front of him, the other woman snatches the cash and the pair then run off Source . . . http://tinyurl.com/28mr7k4...

Lewisham Council's media team has issued the following announcement about a major public consultation:Plans to trial a borough-wide Designated Public Order (or Drinking Control Zone) have been given the go-ahead by the Mayor, Sir Steve Bullock. Before the pilot can be put in place, Lewisham Council must conduct a public consultation so that people have an opportunity to express their views. The Designated Public Order will give police a discretionary the powers to stop people and confiscate, demand and dispose of any alcohol within the boundaries of Lewisham borough. The DPPO is not a ban on alcohol consumption in a public place, and does not make drinking in a public an offence, but is a measure that can assist in tackling problematic street drinking linked to anti-social behaviour. The...

A driver faces what is believed to be the world's biggest speeding fine after he was caught doing 186 mph on a Swiss motorway. The massive £640,000 fine is calculated on a combination of the 37-year-old's income and the speed at which he was clocked.Police say the Swedish motorist was going so fast in his £140,000 Mercedes SLS that it even took him almost half a mile to stop.And embarrassingly they claim he avoided a number of radars on his route between Bern and Lausanne because they are only capable of registering speeds up to 125mph.When they were eventually able to apprehend him, the speedy driver claimed his speedo must be broken. LINKSSwedish Police Service    ...

Metropolitan police arrest man after two women found dead in Newham, east LondonA man has been arrested after a mother and daughter were found stabbed to death in east London, the Metropolitan police said.Police were called at 7.30am to reports of a woman stabbed in Stansfield Road, Newham. London ambulance service attended but the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. She was believed to be about 40 years old.Inquiries led the police to a nearby property in Leamouth Road, which was on fire. When officers entered the house they found a woman on the ground floor with stab wounds. London fire brigade extinguished the fire.A man was found in the loft area of the property with serious knife wounds, believed to be self-inflicted. The woman was believed to be in her late 60s or early 70s.The...

It seems a chav on the run from the law hopped over a railway crossing and was instantly smeared all over the railway lines. The light at the end of the tunnel was the oncoming 17:30 from Enfield. My question to rail transport technicians is this. You know during the Second World War they painted little Swastikas or Rising Suns on the side of the plane when they downed Jerry or Tojo. Are you allowed to paint a little Burberry Cap on the side of your train once you’ve been exonerated by the board of enquiry?Props to Arrse...

Normally when you see 'Cops' style reality TV show arrests people are hiding their faces and non-too-happy about being filmed. But a US woman had an unusual reaction to police and a TV crew knocking on her door and arresting someone from the house -- she was ecstatic about it. As soon as the elderly woman spotted the camera she quizzed officers about what it was for. When she was told it was "County Law' she couldn't hide her excitement. After asking when the show would air she repeatedly whooped "County Law, County Law, County Law!" So cringe-worthy was her outburst that her pal - who was (let's not forget) being arrested on TV - begged her to stop because it was embarrassing. LINKSMontgomery Police ...

Rise tempered by figures showing underlying slowdown in growth which questions plan for massive prison building planThe prison population in England and Wales is predicted to rise by a further 3,500 to a record 88,500 by 2016 unless there are major changes in sentencing policy, according to new Ministry of Justice projections published today .The official estimates show that even if Ken Clarke's promised "rehabilitation revolution" succeeds in persuading the courts to adopt a less punitive sentencing policy it is unlikely to cut the current 85,115 prison population by any more than 2,000.The annual prison population projections show that an even more punitive approach, encouraged perhaps by tougher "law and order" justice and home secretaries, could push the jail population up to 93,600...

Justice in BrooklynPensioner wrestles armed robber to floor at betting shopRaoul's ghouls: Mother and three children travelled 276 miles to funeral of 'hero' killer they did not know. In sickeningly sympathetic comments, Ms Bystam continued: 'I absolutely loved him. I just think he is a hero and I wanted to pay my respects.'He kept them coppers on the run all that time. Fair enough people died but they must have deserved it.'Police raid greenhouse on drugs tip - and find tomato plantsThe 9 Dumbest Cops Caught on TapeSeven Dallas Residents Indicted for Intentionally Torching Homes to Get Red Cross DoughA woman was arrested and hauled to court for swearing at a group of youths after a brick was thrown through her windowRecord numbers of 'lifers' on Britain's streetsWoman wakes up to find...