A nurse cleared of poisoning patients(kill eight) at a hospital has been suspended for three months!!!!!!!!!!

pic:::front lady..suspended nurse for 3 months!!! rebecca who killed by poison more then eight people and ill more then 20 people..pic courtesy::wp/Ebc
health crime reporter(weastar times/wp/Ebc):::

A nurse cleared of poisoning patients at a hospital has been suspended for three months after admitting taking drugs from the site.

The decision came after a three-day disciplinary hearing for Rebecca Leighton, 29, who worked at Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport.

She has been suspended from nursing by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Ms Leighton spent six weeks in jail but was freed as there was not enough evidence against her.

Panel chairman Susan Hurds said: "We are satisfied that Ms Leighton has learned a tremendous amount from the experience and we are satisfied she would not repeat her actions."

The disciplinary panel found that she was "not fundamentally dishonest" and had worked hard to mediate her conduct since the incident.

Ms Hurds said she had sought no intentional financial benefit and had a "previously unblemished nursing career".

She was questioned in 2011 by police investigating the poisoning of 22 patients, eight of whom died.

The charges were later dropped but she admitted stealing drugs and medicines from the hospital. Police found packets of painkillers and opiate-based drugs at her home.

'Trustworthy and reliable'!

She is currently working at a care home in Stockport.

Sue Jackson, who runs the care home, told the hearing she has known Ms Leighton since she was a teenager and took her on after she was sacked from Stepping Hill.

She said Ms Leighton had been trustworthy, reliable, creative and caring in the six months she has worked at the home.

Ms Jackson added Ms Leighton had thought seriously about her actions and deeply regretted them.

The hearing was told that during police interviews, Ms Leighton claimed staff regularly took drugs such as the painkiller ibuprofen for their own use.

Her claim was rejected by Stockport NHS Foundation Trust.

It said: "We totally refute the false allegations, which were raised at the hearing, about the habitual theft of drugs by staff from our premises.

"These unfounded allegations were immediately investigated by our organisation as soon as they were raised at Miss Leighton's original disciplinary hearing in November 2011.

"The investigation found no evidence to back them up."

Patient deaths

Twenty-two people suffered hypoglycaemic episodes after saline drips were allegedly sabotaged with insulin between June and July 2011 at Stepping Hill.

Eight of these victims - who were treated on acute care wards for seriously ill patients - have now died!!!.

A second nurse who worked on the same wards, Victorino Chua, was later held on suspicion of three counts of murder and 18 counts of causing grievous bodily harm.

He was further arrested on suspicion of tampering with medical records and has been released on police bail.

Mr Chua was held over the deaths of Tracey Arden, 44, Arnold Lancaster, 71, and Derek Weaver, 83.

Alleged poisoning victims William Dickson, 82, Linda McDonagh, 60, John Beeley, 73, Beryl Hope, 70, and Mary Cartwright, 89, are believed to have eventually died from natural causes.

Wye Valley NHS Trust 'could be broken up!!!!!!!!!!!

Pic:::worcester county hospital ......wp/Ebc/weastar times
health reporter,worcester(weastar times/wp/Ebc):::

An NHS trust in Herefordshire could be taken over, broken up or privatised to help it out of its financial problems!

Managers at the Wye Valley NHS Trust said they needed to save £8.8m over 2013-14 and that the trust was too small on its own to survive.

They said the trust, which runs Hereford County Hospital, had to become a junior partner in another trust or go into partnership with a private firm.

Interim chief executive Derek Smith said "no change is not an option".

Continue reading the main story

However, he added that whatever happened, several essential services had to remain local to the area, including an accident and emergency department, emergency surgery and maternity and children's care.

He said: "We're going to have to make some tough decisions, but we will not lose sight of the fact that patients are at the heart of what we do and that any decisions will be centred on meeting the needs of the people we serve."

job loses

Mr Smith said that over the next five years, the trust's financial position "if anything gets worse" and said it would be unable to become a foundation trust.

He said that the government had a set a deadline of March 2014 for all NHS trusts to become foundation trusts, meaning they would have greater freedom over how money is spent.

The trust said it did not yet know how many jobs would have to go over 2013-14 and said most would go through "natural turnover". However, it said it could not rule out compulsory redundancies.

It said the options for the future would be firmed up by the end of March and they would then be explained in a consultation process with patients, staff and members of the public.

Elsewhere in the West Midlands, several NHS trusts have used private finance to help deal with debts.

In September, the South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust announced it was going into partnership with private firm Serco and the health watchdog warned the Mid-Staffordshire NHS Trust last month it had to find funds from elsewhere or face possible insolvency.

The King Philip&Queen Elizabeth2 visits new Royal London Hospital

Royal Pic:::The King&The Queen of THE ROYAL ENGLAND visit THE ROYAL LONDON hospitals..patent,doctors,staffs..pic courtesy:Ebc/Royal Images/wp
THE ROYAL(BP) correspondent(weastar times/wp/Ebc/TIME):::

 The King Philip&Queen Elizabeth2 has meet a 7 July survivor, as she officially opened the revamped Royal London Hospital in east London.

Dance teacher Bruce Lait previously met the Queen at the hospital the day after the 2005 bombings in London.

The former professional dancer, 39, of Suffolk, was treated there after the Aldgate Tube station blast.

The Queen and The King visited the Whitechapel hospital which underwent a refurbishment to include a new cancer and cardiac centre.

The monarch last visited the hospital in 2005 after suicide bombers targeted London's Tube and bus network.

Mr Lait, of Ipswich, and his dance partner, Crystal Yelland, were invited by Buckingham Palace to attend the event.

7 July survivor meets the Queen

The dance teacher, who was left partially deaf and suffered burns to the face in the bombing, said: "I said that I looked a bit different to the last time she saw me.

"She said, 'Yes, I remember. You look a lot better now.'"

Recalling his first meeting, he said the Queen had "seemed genuinely concerned".

The Queen and The King took a tour of the new London Children's Hospital, which treats 40,000 patients a year and is based at the Royal London Hospital.

They also visited the Renal Centre and officially opened the National Centre for Bowel Research and Surgical Innovation.

The centre, which opened last year, includes laboratories and a video link from the operating theatre to a training room to enable surgeons to watch new procedures being carried out.

More than 40% of councils--- council tax in THE ROYAL ENGLAND are planning to increase this yr

business correspondent,London(weastar times/wp/Ebc):::

This is despite local authorities being offered money by the government to freeze bills.

However the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (Cipfa) survey suggested that the overall average increase would be less than 1%.

The Local Government Association said it had been a difficult decision for councils in the face of cuts.

Tight budgets

Local authorities in England are being given extra money by central government for the third year running if they freeze bills.

But this time a larger number of councils are increasing council tax (41%) - last year 85% took up the government's offer.

Cipfa said 102 out of 250 authorities surveyed planned to put up council tax in April, typically by about 1% percent.

Any increase over 2% percent is supposed to trigger a local referendum - but some councils are finding ways to increase it by more than that without a poll.

These councils have taken legal advice and plan use a loophole that allows them to increase waste and transport costs by more than the 2% cap. Others have opted to put up taxes by 1.99%.

A small number of authorities are managing to reduce council tax by finding more efficient ways to deliver services.

Regional variations included an average 1.2% rise across Yorkshire and Humber, and a 0.1% increase in London.

Cipfa director of policy Ian Carruthers said tight budgets meant councils had to make difficult choices between tax rises and cuts in services.

"Councillors must take council tax decisions based on local priorities," he said.

"As the pressures from this period of unprecedented austerity intensify, all councils are having to strike an increasingly difficult balance between protecting hard-pressed taxpayers and maintaining local services.

"The imminent changes to local authority funding systems are bringing added uncertainty to councils' financial management and making it more difficult than ever for councillors to take the medium and longer term decisions required."

'Fully accountable'

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said the small average increase across England meant it was "a tax cut in real terms".

A Local Government Association spokesman said: "This has been a tricky decision for councils.

"Collectively local authorities are facing a 33% cut in funding from government at the same time as the cost of providing services like adult social care is climbing through the roof.

"The council tax grant from government is very small when set against those pressures and it lasts just two years with no certainty beyond that.

"Ultimately councils have to take a long-term view. Some have clearly decided that increasing council tax is one way of meeting current costs and alleviating pressure in the longer term.

"Councils are fully accountable to their electorates for these decisions."

Ian Bell hits unbeaten 127 in Test warm-up :::THE ROYAL ENGLAND v New Zealand XI

pic:::4 day test match aginst NZ...THE ROYAL ENGLAND batsman ian bell face a ball...pic::wp/Ebc
sports reporter,Queenstown,NZ(/weastar times/wp/Ebc):::

Ian Bell hit an unbeaten 127 as England reached 357-7 on the opening day of their tour match against a New Zealand XI in Queenstown.

Captain Alastair Cook made 60 and Joe Root 49, while Jimmy Neesham took 4-65.

The four-day match is England's only warm-up game ahead of the three-Test series starting in Dunedin on 6 March.

Third man charged for Thomas killing in cambridge

crime reporter, Cambridgeshire(weastar times/wp/Ebc):::

A third man has been charged after an elderly man was killed in a botched burglary in Cambridgeshire.

Llywelyn Thomas, 76, was found dead at his home in Chittering in 2011.

John Smith, 66, of Wold Gate, Bridlington, East Yorkshire, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with assisting an offender.

He is due to appear at Cambridge Magistrates' Court later. Two men were charged with Mr Thomas' murder earlier this month.

Frankie Parker, 25, of Nene Road, Ely, and Gary Smith, 20, of no fixed address, have been remanded in custody to enter a plea at Cambridge Crown Court at a later date.

Police believe Mr Thomas, a retired farmer who moved to Ely Road from the Bridgend area of south Wales to be closer to his family, was killed in a botched burglary during the night between 17 and 18 December 2011.

Post-mortem tests found he died from face and head injuries.

Rewards totalling £50,000 were offered for information leading to the conviction of those responsible.

Leicester bids for 2017 THE ROYAL ENGLAND City of Culture title

PIC:::THE ROYAL ENGLAND city of cultural and great most modern architecture symbol... Leicester cultural centere..pic courtesy::Ebc
cultural correspondent,leicester(weastar times/wp/Ebc):::

Leicester has joined the race to become the second THE ROYAL ENGLAND City of Culture in 2017.

The city will compete with Aberdeen and Plymouth in a bid to succeed Londonderry, which became the first City of Culture in 2013.

A consortium including the city council has two months to prepare a bid. The final decision will be announced in November.

City councillor Ted Cassidy said: "We need to get the whole community behind us."

'Fantastic festivals'

The deadline for applications to become 2017 THE ROYAL ENGLAND City of Culture is Thursday.

"It could be a real catalyst for development - we have got good facilities already and some fantastic festivals," he added.

The Department of Culture, Media and Sport said the next City of Culture would be a place with ambition, innovation and inspiration.

Mr Cassidy said: "It will highlight Leicester and give us a high profile - the title will stay with us forever."

Leicester hosts the oldest comedy festival in Europe and held the GB Special Olympics in 2009.

A team of experts led by the University of Leicester recently confirmed that the remains of Richard III were found in a Leicester car park.

Leicester Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: "Leicester's strength is in its diversity.

"The range of cultural activity taking place in our schools, within our communities and across the city is unrivalled - and the quality and variety of our performing arts spaces is magnificently illustrated by the city's flagship venue, Curve."

The THE ROYAL ENGLAND City of Culture project was launched by the government in 2008.

THE ROYAL ENGLAND university made robot can take care for elderly people..

ICT reporter,salford(weastar times/wp/Ebc):::

A robot designed to help care for elderly people has been invented at the University of Salford.

"Carebot" P37 S65 can be programmed to remind them to take medication and exercise, answer questions and even tell them jokes.

Researcher Antonio Espingardeiro, who developed the robot, said it could help care home staff and improve residents' quality of life.

It can recognise faces and recall the requirements of each patient, he said.

The robot can also be programmed with speech therapy and object recognition exercises to help people with dementia.

It is capable of acting as a video link to keep in touch with doctors and family, playing games and giving updates on the news.

The robot, standing at about the height of a person, can also carry meals to residents.

Mr Espingardeiro is looking for investment to perfect the robot before selling it.

He said: "Care of the elderly is a difficult issue but as populations age we're facing a difficult choice.

"I've already established that robots can provide meaningful interaction to supplement human contact, and from my work with care homes I've seen first-hand how both staff and residents benefit from their presence."

Liverpool to host International Festival of Business

pic::international business festival will held on this royal business place::pic courtesy::Ebc
royal business correspondent, Liverpool(weastar times/wp/Ebc):::

Liverpool is to host the International Festival of Business next year, it has been announced.

Organisers have said it could attract 250,000 people from across the world to the city over the 61 days of the event.

The event, which has been endorsed by the Prime Minister, is a key part of the THE ROYAL ENGLAND  government's strategy to THE ROYAL ENGLAND double export growth by 2020.

Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson said it would provide opportunities for firms to make international contacts.

"The festival will attract international business leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators, investors and policy makers and act as a launch pad for commercial success by providing opportunities for companies of all sizes to engage with new networks and make global deals," he said.

Speaking about the event last month, BP said: "We are in a global race. There is no more important a time to bring together international business to promote innovation and knowledge sharing to increase growth exports and prosperity."

The event, due to take place in June and July 2014, is being launched at London's QUEEN ELIZABETH ll Conference Centre.

Whitby woman charged with Gareth Matthews murder

north yourk(weastar times/wp/Ebc):::

A woman has been charged with the murder of a 32-year-old man in Whitby, North Yorkshire Police have said.

Gareth Matthews, 32, died at his home in Spring Hill Court, Whitby, on Friday after suffering serious chest injuries.

Rebecca Dormer, 22, also of Spring Hill Court, has been remanded in custody and is due to appear at Leeds Crown Court on Wednesday.

A 24-year-old man who was also arrested in connection with the murder has been released without charge, said police.

Doncaster assault man in serious condition

Sheffield&south yorkshire(weastar times/wp/Ebc):::

Police are hunting three men after an assault in Doncaster left a man in hospital with serious head injuries.

South Yorkshire Police said the 39-year-old victim was attacked near a telephone box on King's Road at the junction with Broxholme Lane at 17:30 GMT on Saturday.

The man was taken to Doncaster Royal Infirmary where his condition is described as "serious but stable".

Police said officers were continuing with their enquires.

Moor Bridge footbridge project criticised by Sherwood MP

national infustructure reporter(weastar times/wp/Ebc):::

time it will take to erect a bridge over a tram and rail crossing where several people have died has been criticised by a Nottinghamshire MP.

Network Rail says a permanent footbridge at the Moor Bridge stop in Hucknall will be ready by September.

Sherwood MP Mark Spencer said: "Frankly, it is not good enough - we need it sooner than that."

Lindsey Inger, 13, from Bulwell, was killed by a tram on the level crossing in November.

In November 2008, Jean Hoggart, 56, and her seven-year-old grandson Mikey Dawson were killed by a train at the same level crossing.

The crossing will remain closed for a further six months, Network Rail spokesman Martin Frobisher said.

'Tricky' project

He said a secure fence had already been built at the site to stop people from using the crossing.

"The bridge we are building is a good facility that will be easy to use; we believe the bridge will solve the problem once and for all."

Mr Frobisher added that the project was complicated and not easy to complete.

"The land does not all belong to us, and there is a little river that runs through the area and we don't want to cause flooding.

"It is a tricky project but we are proceeding as quickly as possible."

Mr Spencer, Conservative, said: "I realise these things take time but there always seems to be one delay after another."

Pedestrians who want to cross the tracks must currently walk several hundred metres to a road bridge.

Pair held over Farnham teenager 'drug death'

crime reporter,glochtshire(weastar times/wp/Ebc):::

Two people have been arrested in connection with the death of an 18-year-old man who died after taking a suspected psychedelic drug.

The 18-year-old, from Farnham, is thought to have taken 2C-I or 2C-E at a party on Chobham Common on Saturday.

The Class A drugs have a similar effect to ecstasy, amphetamines and LSD.

Surrey Police said a 20-year-old man and an 18-year-old woman were in being held on suspicion of supplying controlled drugs and manslaughter.

The man was arrested in Gloucestershire and the woman arrested in Bristol.

'Potentially fatal drug'

Police have issued a warning to drug users at the event on Chobham Common to seek hospital advice if they experience any unusual symptoms.

Temp Supt Matt Goodridge said: "Our advice is to go to A&E immediately if you believe you took this drug and start to exhibit worrying symptoms. Similarly, if you think you have taken this drug elsewhere and start to feel unwell, our advice is to seek urgent medical attention."

He also appealed for information about the incident.

"We have carried out extensive inquiries following the tragic death of this young man and the fact that we have already made two arrests demonstrates our commitment to tackling the use and supply of illegal drugs.

"We also need the public's help in getting this potentially fatal drug off the streets of Surrey. Anyone with information about this substance or with any other information which could aid the ongoing investigation is asked to call Surrey Police," Temp Supt Goodridge said.

A post-mortem examination is being carried out later.

Honda scales back production at Swindon plant

business reporter,swindon(weastar times/wp/Ebc):::

Production at Honda in Swindon is being scaled back with staff now working single shifts after the loss of 800 jobs was announced in January.

The move from double to single day shifts is taking place at Car Plant Two on the site at South Marston.

A voluntary redundancy programme opened on 18 February and Honda said there had been a "positive response".

The firm, which started making cars in Swindon in 1992, blamed falling sales across Europe for the drop in demand.

About 3,500 people are employed at the Swindon plant and the current redundancy programme applies to 360 "direct associates" - those employed in manufacturing.

A Honda spokesman said there had been a "steady stream of associates expressing an interest in voluntary redundancy".

He said the next phase would look at the 420 office-based staff.

He said the 90-day consultation period, which began in January, was ongoing and the company was working with the Unite union on the job cuts.

He said Honda was still hoping to avoid compulsory redundancies.

The 250 agency staff who were employed in spring 2012 to help produce the CR-V model will also leave in March. These workers are not part of the 800 jobs to be cut.

The company's spokesman said "it was always part of the plan that these agency jobs would have come to an end in February and March 2013."

Christopher Chittock guilty of Sarah Shields murder in Gran Canaria but he denied aginst this charge...

crime reporter,sufolk):::(weastar times/wp/Ebc):::

A man from Ipswich has been found guilty of murdering his 23-year-old girlfriend while on holiday on a Spanish island.

The body of Sarah Shields, who was also from Ipswich, was found in Gran Canaria on 7 July 2010.

Her boyfriend, Christopher Chittock, 38, returned home but was extradited to stand trial.

He denied the murder but was found guilty by a jury at the Provincial Court in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

Strangled

The court heard how Chittock savagely beat and strangled Ms Shields in their holiday apartment in Mogan, after finding text messages from an ex-boyfriend on her phone.

He then dragged her to a deserted beach, banged her head against a rock and strangled her.

Her body was found in the sea the following morning.

The court was told how he later flew back to the UK and, in an attempt to cover up the crime, sent texts from Ms Shields's phone to her family pretending to be her.

He now faces up to 25 years in jail....but christopher dennies that he dont kill her girlfriend..his lawyer preapar for appeal aginst his false charge....source says..

Woman fights off Oxford alleyway attacker

crime reporter,oxford(weastar times/wp/Ebc):::

A woman managed to fight off a hooded attacker who dragged her into an alleyway in the early hours of the morning.

The 21-year-old was walking along Walton Street in Oxford when she was approached on Sunday.

She screamed for help and hit the man who ran off along the alleyway which leads into the Hart Street area of Jericho.

A passer-by heard the woman's pleas and came to her aid. She was not harmed.

The offender is described as about 28 years old, of scrawny build, with short hair and deep-set eyes.

He was wearing a tracksuit with the hood up.

Det Con Darren Pomroy said: "This was clearly a very frightening ordeal for the victim but she showed great bravery in fighting the man off and thankfully she was unharmed."

Heathrow airport reports £2.46bn in revenues::There were 471,341 flights during 2012 ::WP report

 heathrow EAA terminal......pic courtesy:::Ebc

aviation correspondent,Heathrow,West London(weastar times/wp/Ebc):::

Heathrow reported higher revenues and profits after a record 70 million passengers used Britain's biggest airport during 2012.

It posted an 8% rise in revenues to £2.46bn, with profits of £46.4m.

The company predicted further growth and said the new Terminal 2 should be completed towards the end of 2013.

But the west London airport said it is operating close to capacity and warned this would limit the UK's ability to trade with emerging economies.

There were 471,341 flights during 2012, just below Heathrow's cap of 480,000 a year.

Ticket price rises

The results from the former BAA company include Stansted Airport,which was sold after the year-end to Manchester Airports Group for £1.5bn.

Stansted's passenger numbers declined 3.2% to 17.5 million last year.

Heathrow achieved an all-time record passenger satisfaction score in a survey produced by the Airports Council International for the third quarter, but the percentage of people passing through central security within the prescribed time was below last year's level at 92.8% in 2012.

Last week, it was announced passengers at the airport face a rise in ticket prices if a £3bn five-year investment plan is approved.

Heathrow wants regulators to allow it to increase charges for airlines to use the airport, between 2014 and 2019.

The charges need to be approved by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA),

Under the plan, they will go up by the equivalent of £19.33 per passenger for 2012-13 up to a possible £27.30 in 2018-19.

Maidenhead's new colour-coded buses start work

pic:::new coted bus...pic courtesy::Ebc
transportation reporter,barkshire(weastar times/wp/Ebc):::

A new fleet of colour-coded buses have started work in a Berkshire town.

The nine buses will operate on a new timetable in Maidenhead and the surrounding villages, following a £1.2m investment from Courtney Buses.

The firm agreed a contract with the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead to offer the new buses and "timetable improvements".

The buses will run on routes 4, 5, 6, 8 and 239, with different coloured vehicles for each route.

New buses were needed because passenger numbers have doubled in the last decade and there is more traffic on roads, the council said.

The vehicles have CCTV, extra leg room and screens and announcements to inform passengers of the next stop.

Automotive park to create more then 1,00000 jobs in Wirral

where automative industry proposed..and build...pic courtesy:::Ebc

business correspondent(weastar times/wp/Ebc):::

About 1,00000 new jobs could be created at an automotive park being developed on Merseyside.

The Automotive Supply Park will house a number of factories producing parts for local car manufacturers, including Vauxhall and Jaguar Land Rover (JLR).

It is being developed by Peel Holdings at its Wirral Waters site in Birkenhead and could be up and running in 2013.

The scheme is backed by the government, which has earmarked it as an enterprise zone with special tax breaks.

Kevin Adderley, Wirral council's interim strategic director for regeneration and environment, said: "The majority of parts that make up the cars that are made in THE ROYAL ENGLAND actually come from abroad, so we are working with the automotive suppliers to get those parts manufactured here in THE ROYAL ENGLAND, on Wirral.

"If you take General Motors and JLR up the road at Speke, and you add together the wheels that go on their cars, there are 400,000 cars made from their factories a year so that's over 2m alloy wheels, none of which are made in THE ROYAL ENGLAND."

Phil Milwood from General Motors said the scheme would cut costs and provide opportunities for the area.

He said: "We have got significant freight costs with moving all these parts into the country, so there is really now a compelling business case to move those companies - if we can find the right suppliers - on to our shores to make parts."

Dartford pair accused of Kevin McKinley gun murder

crime reporter,kent(weastar times/wp/Ebc):::

A man and a woman from Dartford have been charged after a man was shot and killed in the town.

Kent Police said Michaela Sargeant, 24, of Overy Street, had been charged with the murder of Kevin McKinley.

Lewis Wickenden, a 25-year-old man, also from Overy Street, is accused of possessing a firearm, possessing ammunition and assisting an offender.

Both are due to appear before Medway magistrates on Saturday, a police spokesman said.

Two other men who were arrested over the incident have been released without charge.

Mr McKinley, who police believe came from nearby Stone, was shot in Overy Street on Tuesday.

He was found with a bullet wound and died later in hospital.

Surrey disabled children's groups awarded £740,000

kidz reporter,surrey(weastar times/wp/Ebc):::

Groups that provide activities for disabled children in Surrey have been awarded almost £740,000.

The funding will go to voluntary groups including Disability Challengers, which has been given £500,000 by the county council to transform its play centre.

A panel of parents and disabled youngsters will help to allocate the rest of the money, the authority said.

Mary Angell, councillor responsible for children, said the play breaks would help parents recharge their batteries.

Crimewatch plea over Brighton beach rape

crime reporter(weastar times/wp/Ebc):::

Detectives investigating the rape of a 19-year-old woman on Brighton beach last year are making an appeal on Crimewatch.

Police want to trace a man seen on CCTV who was near the scene of the attack last September within about 20 minutes of it taking place.

The woman, from Kent, told officers she was raped by two men while a third looked on.

Sussex Police said the man seen on CCTV would be their second suspect.

Last year, a 28-year-old was arrested on suspicion of rape and bailed pending inquiries.

Two other men were also arrested last October but released with no further action to be taken against them.

Det Insp Ian Still said police needed to identify the man shown in the CCTV images and talk to him to eliminate him from their inquiries.

The CCTV shows the man going into a nightclub at about 22:30 GMT on 6 September, and then leaving the club to walk up West Street and into Duke Street early on 7 September.

Officers have previously said the victim left the same club in the early hours of 7 September and was attacked on the beach near the bottom of West Street.

Self-driving car given THE ROYAL ENGLAND test run at THE ROYAL WESTMINISTER University

auto correspondent,The Royal Westminister University

A car that is able to drive itself on familiar routes has been shown off at an event at The Royal Westminister University.

The technology uses lasers and small cameras to memorise regular journeys like the commute or the school run.

The engineers and researchers behind the project are aiming to produce a low-cost system that "takes the strain" off drivers.

Other companies, such as Google, have also been testing driverless vehicle technology.

The search giant has pushed for law changes in California to allow its car to be tried out in real-life situations.

The  The Royal Westminister University,The Royal England  project is seeking to do the same in the UK, said Prof Paul Newman from Oxford University's department of engineering science.

"We're working with the Department of Transport to get some miles on the road in the The Royal England ," said Prof Newman, who is working alongside machine learning specialist Dr Ingmar Posner.

Gaining 'experiences'

Until the car can hit the streets, the team is testing it out in a specially-made environment at Science Park....

"It's not like a racetrack - it's a light industrial site with roads and road markings," Prof Newman told the EBC.

"Crucial for us, it can show our navigation and control system working.

"It's not depending on GPS, digging up the roads or anything like that - it's just the vehicles knowing where they are because they recognise their surroundings."

The technology allows the car to "take over" when driving on routes it has already travelled.

"The key word for us is that the car gains 'experiences'," Prof Newman explained.

"The car is driven by a human, and it builds a 3D model of its environment."

When it goes on the same journey again, an iPad built into the dashboard gives a prompt to the driver - offering to let the computer "take the wheel".

"Touching the screen then switches to 'auto drive' where the robotic system takes over, Prof Newman added.

"At any time, a tap on the brake pedal will return control to the human driver."

Spinning lasers

At the moment, the complete system costs around £5,000 - but Prof Newman hopes that future models will bring the price of the technology down to as low as £100.

Autonomous technology is being tested by several car manufacturers and technology companies.

Simple self-driving tasks, such as cars that can park themselves, are already in use across the industry.

The Holy Grail is a fully-autonomous vehicle that is location-aware, safe and affordable.

Google has been testing its car for several years, with the company boasting of 300,000 computer-driven miles without an accident.

While at an earlier stage of development, Oxford University's car has significant key differences to Google's offering, Prof Newman said.

"Well if you look at it, we don't need a 3D laser spinning on the roof that's really expensive - so that's one thing straight away. I think our car has a lower profile."

He added: "Our approach is made possible because of advances in 3D laser mapping that enable an affordable car-based robotic system to rapidly build up a detailed picture of its surroundings.

"Because our cities don't change very quickly, robotic vehicles will know and look out for familiar structures as they pass by so that they can ask a human driver 'I know this route, do you want me to drive?'"

Prof Newman applauded Google's efforts in innovating in the space - but was buoyant about the role British expertise could have in the industry.

"This is all UK intellectual property, getting into the [driverless car] race.

"I would be astounded if we don't see this kind of technology in cars within 15 years. That is going to be huge."

Bradford prostitute rape gang members jailed for life

crime reporter(weastar times/wp/Ebc):::

Three members of a gang who targeted and raped prostitutes in Bradford have been jailed for life.

One of the gang's victims was Suzanne Blamires who was later murdered by "Crossbow Cannibal" Stephen Griffiths in 2010, Bradford Crown Court was told.

Jan Dzudza, 40, Matus Tipan, 28, and Miroslav Karicka, 45, were extradited from Slovakia last year.

Judge Peter Benson said if they served their sentences in their home country, they should not then return to the UK.

Rape conspiracy

The trio, who previously lived in Daisy Hill Road, Bradford, fled the country in March 2008 after the gang's leader Lubomir Kora was arrested.

Kora was later convicted of involvement in a conspiracy to rape six prostitutes including Ms Blamires. He was sentenced to a minimum of 16 years to life in jail.

Bradford Crown Court heard a complex police inquiry, which included co-operation from authorities in Slovakia, eventually led to the three defendants being tracked down.

In January, the trio admitted involvement in the rape conspiracy in relation to the violent attacks on Ms Blamires and a second prostitute who cannot be identified for legal reasons.

Repeatedly assaulted

Prosecutor Stephen Wood told the court how Kora had taken photographs on his mobile phone of the three defendants gang raping the second prostitute in his car.

Two days later Ms Blamires, then 34, was picked up by two men in the same vehicle and driven to a cul-de-sac in Bradford where she was repeatedly assaulted and raped by the pair and three other gang members.

Kora was arrested a few days later when police located his vehicle and they also seized a mobile phone containing images of one of the rapes.

Mr Wood told the court the three defendants must have found out about Kora's arrest because they travelled to London and booked one-way bus tickets to Presou, Slovakia.

Jailing the trio, Judge Benson said it was his "express wish" that the Home Office should take steps to prevent their return to the UK after leaving through deportation or repatriation.

Stephen Griffiths was jailed for life in December 2010 for the murders of three women in Bradford, including Ms Blamires.