UK ticket-holder scoops £115m EuroMillions jackpot

Staff reporter(wp/bbc):

A UK lottery player has come forward to claim the £115m New Year's Day EuroMillions jackpot.

The National Lottery said the win is the fourth biggest in UK history and follows a series of big British lottery successes in recent years.

A further 10 UK players have each pocketed £1m after the Millionaire Maker codes on their tickets were picked.

The winning numbers were 01, 08, 11, 25, 28, with Lucky Stars 04 and 06.

Tuesday's ticket-holder matched all seven numbers to take a total jackpot of £114,969,775.70.

Lottery operator Camelot said the winner will choose whether to be named when the ticket is validated and the prize money paid.

The win comes after builder Andrew Clark from Boston, Lincolnshire, was last month revealed as the winner of a £76m EuroMillions jackpot. He found his ticket tucked in the visor of his van six weeks after the draw.

The largest EuroMillions prize in the UK of 2018 - and the third biggest win of all time - was £121m to an anonymous ticket-holder in April.

The biggest lottery prize in UK history is the £161m EuroMillions jackpot won by North Ayrshire couple Chris and Colin Weir in 2011.

In August 2012, Adrian and Gillian Bayford, from Haverhill, Suffolk, won more than £148m.

EuroMillions is played in nine countries - the UK, Austria, Belgium, France, the Irish Republic, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland - with ticket-holders trying to win a share of the same jackpot.

Forced marriage victims asked to pay rescue costs

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British victims of forced marriages overseas are being asked by the Foreign Office to pay costs associated with their own rescue, it has been revealed.

An investigation by the Times found those unable to cover flights, food and shelter were made to take out a loan.

MPs have condemned the practice as "astonishing" and "immoral".

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he wanted the matter looked into and all British officials abroad should act with "compassion and humanity".

According to the report in the Times, British victims of forced marriage who ask for help abroad are informed about the costs.

UK officials will help them access their own funds, and contact friends, family or organisations that can assist them. But if they cannot find the money, they are asked to sign emergency loan agreements before returning home.

The Foreign Office says it will find funding options for those under the age of 18.

• Javid promises forced marriage crackdown

It has confirmed that between 2016 and 2017, 82 people were repatriated with the support of the government's Forced Marriage Unit and up to 12 loans were granted.

The Times says a Freedom of Information request showed the Foreign Office loaned £7,765 to at least eight victims in the past two years.

About £3,000 has been repaid, but debts of more than £4,500 are outstanding.

The victims helped last year are reported to include seven women found imprisoned in a "correctional school" in Somalia.

Four of the group, who were each charged £740, told the Times the demand had pushed them to the financial brink.

Under Foreign Office terms and conditions, a surcharge of 10% is added if the loan is not repaid within six months.

However, the department said its loans, which can be repaid at £5 a week, were more generous than commercial options.

Charging 'immoral'

Pragna Patel, the founder of Southall Black Sisters - which campaigns on the issue of forced marriage - described the policy as "unprincipled and immoral".

She said the costs would act as "a major deterrent" to people seeking protection from forced marriage.

Tom Tugendhat, the Conservative chairman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee, said MPs "will ask questions about this decision".

Writing on Twitter, he said the Foreign Office is "rightly proud" of the forced marriage unit "but we shouldn't be charging the most vulnerable for their own protection or dissuading them from asking for it".

Yvette Cooper, chairwoman of the Home Affairs Committee, tweeted: "Completely appalled by this. Forced marriage is slavery. For Govt to make victims pay for their freedom is immoral. Ministers need to put this right fast."

A leading expert on forced marriage said the policy was "morally wrong". "Protection should not have a price tag," tweeted Aisha Gill, Professor of Criminology at the University of Roehampton.

As home secretary, Theresa May introduced new laws targeting forced marriage in 2014, and the current Home Secretary Sajid Javid vowed in Augustto "do more to combat it and support victims".

The Foreign Office said emergency loans were used to remove vulnerable people from high-risk situations when there were no other options available to them but "as they are from public funds, we have an obligation to recover the money in due course".

It added that, in most cases, the person would have to give up their passport to the government in order to get a loan.

The passport is not returned until the owner has repaid their loan in full. If the loan is not repaid after six months a 10% surcharge is added to total.

Unless there are "exceptional circumstances", the Foreign Office will not help British nationals return home.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid said the Foreign Office and the Home Office were doing "an incredible amount to combat forced marriage".

"With this news it's something again for us to focus on and make sure we're doing everything we can," he added.

Mr Hunt, who is on a visit to Singapore, said he had asked officials to give him "proper advice on the whole issue".

"I have always stressed to embassies and posts abroad that they need to use discretion," he told BBC Radio 4's Today.

"Of course, we should behave with compassion and humanity in every situation but I want to get to the bottom of this particular issue."

Sajid Javid defends Channel migrant response on visit to Dover

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Sajid Javid has told migrants thinking of crossing the English Channel not to risk their lives, as he watched the work of border patrol teams off Dover.

The home secretary defended his call to declare a major incident last week, saying there had been a steep increase in the numbers making the journey.

In response, the UK is to step up the number of vessels patrolling the area.

Mr Javid questioned why "genuine" asylum seekers had not sought refuge in France or elsewhere on the continent.

While the UK would process asylum applications in the normal way, he said he wanted to send a "strong message" that economic migrants would not be allowed to illegally settle in the UK.

Twelve migrants were found on the Kent coast last week, bringing the total number of people to have reached the UK by boat since November to 239.

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French police said they stopped 14 migrants attempting to cross the channel from Boulogne on Tuesday, the latest in a growing number of people intercepted by the French authorities in the past month.

As part of a joint action plan agreed with France, Mr Javid - who cut short his holiday to deal with the issue - has ordered two UK Border Force boats to be redeployed from overseas to patrol the Channel.

Only one of the five Border Force cutters - specialist boats which the force describes as being capable of rescuing several migrant boats at the same time - had been working in the Straits of Dover.

The two being brought back are currently in the Mediterranean, where they have been taking part in Operation Frontex, the pan-European effort to deal with much larger migration flows from North Africa and the Middle East to Italy and Greece.

Speaking during a trip to the UK's largest port, in which he went out on patrol on HMC Searcher, the home secretary said the intensified operation would "make a big difference" in protecting human life, as well as securing the UK's borders.

He defended escalating the UK's response, saying 80% of the 539 people who had attempted to cross the Channel in small boats in 2018, had done so since October.

"We have seen a real step change in attempts in the last three months," he said.

"People should not be taking this very dangerous journey and, if they do, we also need to send a very strong message that you won't succeed."

The UK, Mr Javid said, would of course consider asylum applications from victims of political or religious persecution in their native countries.

'Concerning'

But he suggested the UK would take a tough line on economic migrants, so as to send a message to the people smugglers who were exploiting them.

"The question has to be asked - if you are a genuine asylum seeker, why have you not sought asylum in the first safe country that you arrived in?

"We need to send a strong message that these gangs preying on you and selling you a false prospectus will not succeed.

"If you somehow do make it to the UK, we will do everything we can to make sure you are ultimately not successful because we need to break the link."

The Refugee Council said Mr Javid's comments were "deeply concerning".

"The outcome of an asylum application cannot be pre-judged before it has been made and must be processed on its individual merit, irrespective of how that person reached the country," Dr Lisa Doyle, director of advocacy at the Refugee Council, said.

"Let us not forget that we are talking about people who are in desperate need of protection, having fled countries with prolific human rights abuses."

Missed GP appointments 'cost NHS England £216m'

Health reporter(wp/bbc):

Patients who miss GP appointments are costing NHS England £216m a year, officials have said.

Data shows more than 15 million consultations are being wasted because patients fail to show up.

NHS England said cancelling appointments would free doctors, nurses and other professionals to see people who need care and attention.

The British Medical Association urged patients to "play their part" to help the NHS cope with rising demand.

NHS Digital GP appointments data shows more than 1.2 million GP hours are being wasted each year.

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NHS England said each appointment cost an average of £30 and the overall expense of patients not cancelling appointments could pay for the annual salary of 2,325 full-time GPs.

BBC Reality Check: How did they calculate the cost?

If you have a booked GP appointment in England, when the time rolls around your surgery will mark it as either "attended" or "did not attend" in their records.

The figures we have tell us how many booked appointments were not attended by the person who booked them. What it doesn't tell us is whether this time was actually wasted.

GP surgeries can overbook to allow for the fact that some people will not attend. And they may also leave some flexibility for people showing up on the day without a pre-booked appointment.

At the moment, it's not possible to tell how many of these missed appointments resulted in a GP being unoccupied for that slot and how many were taken up instead by a different patient.

Patients missing appointments can certainly cause a headache for surgeries and the Royal College of GPs says it slows down the system.

But the notional cost - calculated by multiplying the £30 average cost of an appointment by how many were missed - doesn't necessarily represent the true cost to the NHS.

'Every appointment precious'

Dr Nikki Kanani, acting director of primary care for NHS England, and a GP in south-east London, pointed out that £216m could also fund about 58,000 hip operations or 220,000 cataract operations.

She told the BBC: "When a patient misses an appointment, my first instinct is to worry. I worry why that person has missed that appointment but then I can't use that time for somebody else.

"So I'll check up on the patient but I'm not able to get anyone else in."

Dr Kanai said it was becoming increasingly easy to manage appointments through the online access offered by many surgeries. adding: "Our message is clear. If you cannot make it to your appointment or no longer need a consultation, please let your GP practice know in advance."

Prof Helen Stokes-Lampard, chairwoman of the Royal College of GPs, said: "There may be many reasons why a patient might miss an appointment, and in some cases it can be an indication that something serious is going on for that individual - but we would urge patients to let us know if they can't attend as soon as possible."

Dr Richard Vautrey, the BMA's GP committee chairman, said: "Every appointment at a GP practice is precious, especially at a time when GP services are struggling to cope with rising patient demand, staff shortages and inadequate budgets.

"Practices will try many ways to address this problem, but ultimately patients do need to play their part."

Bristol student dies after 500ft Ben Nevis fall

Educational reporter(wp/bbc):

A climber has died after falling 500ft from a mountain on New Year's Day.

The female student, who was studying at the University of Bristol, was climbing with three others on Ben Nevis when she plunged to her death.

Mountain Rescue was alerted at about 10:30 to locate the group and remove them from the mountain.

It is the second recent death on Britain's highest peak - Patrick Boothroyd, 21, from West Yorkshire, died in a fall on 16 December.

John Stevenson, from Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team, said that in the latest incident, the woman and her friends had been climbing what is known as the "ledge route".

He said: "I think the rocks would have been pretty icy. It was a big fall."

'Sad start to 2019'

He added: "We had to get the other three off the mountain - they were stuck.

"The weather cleared and the helicopter managed to get in and airlift them.

"The woman was located, she hadn't survived."

A statement posted on the Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team Facebook page said: "The team had to recover a young climber who unfortunately lost her life following an accident on Carn Dearg on Ben Nevis.

"We pass on our sincere condolences to her family and friends. A very sad start to 2019."

A University of Bristol spokeswoman said: "It is with great sadness that we can confirm that on 1 January 2019 one of our students died in an accident whilst on a hiking trip to Ben Nevis in Scotland. The student was part of a larger group of students who had organised this new year trip to the Highlands.

"Our hearts go out to the family and friends of this student. This tragic accident will be deeply felt across our university community, and we will make sure we have support available to all those affected."

Kirton house fire: Murder investigation under way

Crime reporter(wp/bbc):

Two more bodies have been found inside a house that was gutted in a fire in the early hours of New Year's Day.

A murder investigation is under way following the blaze in Pear Tree Road, Kirton, near Boston in Lincolnshire.

Police initially said one person had died but have now revealed that three people were found dead in the house.

The murder inquiry is being treated as "domestic-related" and police are not looking for anyone in connection with the deaths.

Two other people were taken to hospital after the blaze, but their injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

The first floor and roof of the house were gutted in the fire.

Police said on Tuesday that because of the ferocity of the fire it might take "a number of days" to establish how it started.

Details about those who died have not been released.

More news from across Lincolnshire

The murder investigation is being conducted by officers from the East Midlands Specialist Operations Unit, which has appealed for witnesses to come forward.

Supt Di Coulson said: "This is a tragic crime and our thoughts are with the family and friends of those involved.

"We are in contact with the families and will ensure that this is a thorough investigation as we try to understand what happened."

Gang's £2m 250-burglary haul revealed by police

Pic-1:(Left to right, top row to bottom) Charlie Webb, Danny Stone-Parker, Joe John Spencer Loveridge, John Eli Loveridge, John Stanley Loveridge, Johnny Oakley, Joseph Holmes, Richard Oakley, Timothy Stone-Parker/bbc-wp

Pic-2:Thomas Pateman, Simon Oakley and James Pateman were found guilty at Norwich Crown Court/wp/cambridgeshire police
Crime reporter,cambridgeshire(wp/bbc):

Rolex watches, diamond rings and coins are among "thousands of items" police are hoping to reunite with their owners after a gang responsible for 250 burglaries was jailed.

The 12-man extended-family gang stole jewellery, cash, cars and guns worth a total of £2m across five counties in an 11-month crime spree.

The haul included a Kuwait War medal, saddles, power tools and cameras.

Cambridgeshire Police are appealing for their owners to get in touch.

Ten gang members admitted conspiracy to commit burglary or were found guilty in 2018, at Norwich Crown Court.

The "prolific criminal gang" broke into homes and businesses and stole cash machines across Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex.

The burglary rate in Norfolk halved after the gang, aged 20 to 55, was arrested in December 2017, police said.

The gang favoured homes in rural areas, where they could make easy getaways and stole high-performance vehicles to give themselves a better chance of out-running police.

Detectives said those who believe any of the items belongs to them should get in touch with their details, including a crime number and proof of purchase or photographs.

The nine convicted over the burglaries were:

• Charlie Albert Webb, 20, from Newton Flotman, Norfolk
• John Eli Loveridge, 42, of Greenways, Carleton Rode, Norfolk
• John Stanley Loveridge, 23, of Greenways, Carleton Rode, Norfolk
• Joseph Holmes, 21, of Schole Road, Willingham, Cambridgeshire
• Danny Stone-Parker, 28, of Braintree Road, Great Dunmow, Essex
• Timothy Stone-Parker, 24, of Clay Way, Ely, Cambridgeshire
• Joe John Spencer Loveridge, 19, of Winchester Road, Sandy, Bedfordshire
• Richard Oakley, 27, of Sandy Park, Beck Row, Suffolk
• Johnny Oakley, 25, of Sandy Park, Beck Row, Suffolk

Simon Oakley, 45, of Alburgh Road, Hempnall, Norfolk, was also found guilty of conspiracy to burgle in November.

Brothers Thomas Pateman, 54, of Fen Road, Chesterton, Cambridgeshire and James Pateman, 55, of Woollensbrook, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire were found guilty of handing stolen goods.

Rail fares rise 'kick in the wallet' after delays

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Rail fares have increased by an average of 3.1% in England and Wales - and almost 3% in Scotland - despite a raft of issues on the network in 2018.

The rail industry says 98p of every pound spent on a ticket is invested back into the network.

But Wednesday's price hike was called "yet another kick in the wallet" by campaign group Railfuture.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said the government had made a "record investment" in rail.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn condemned the increase as a "disgrace" and said it "drives people away from public transport".

Mr Grayling also announced that a new railcard extending child fares to 16 and 17-year-olds in full-time education or training will be available by September.

A discount railcard for 26 to 30-year-olds went on sale at 12:00 GMT. Like the existing card for 16 to 25-year-olds, it costs £30 and reduces fares by a third.

Initial demand for the new railcard was high - Network Rail's online queuing system showed wait times of more than an hour.

Some fares in London will stay the same after a decision by Mayor Sadiq Khan to freeze Transport for London prices. However, on average Travelcards and price caps have increased by 3.1% in London.

Campaigners held protests against rises outside stations across the country.

The rise in England and Wales - the highest since January 2013 - will see the price of some annual season tickets go up by more than £100.

ScotRail defended its average increase of 2.8%, despite breaching performance targets with cancellations throughout November and December.

The company said its fare rises were lower than in England and Wales, adding that it was investing "millions of pounds to build the best railway Scotland has ever had".

Analysis from the Labour Party of more than 180 UK routes claimed that since the Conservatives came into power in 2010, the average commuter is paying £786 more for their annual season ticket.

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The increases come despite one in seven trains being delayed by at least five minutes in the past 12 months - the network's worst performance since September 2005, according to the Press Association.

Chaos caused by new timetables from Northern and Govia Thameslink added to problems of extreme weather, strikes and signal failures hitting routes across the country.

Shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald said the latest increases were "an affront to everyone who has had to endure years of chaos on Britain's railways".

Around 45% of fares are regulated by government, and capped at July's retail price index inflation figure - 3.2%.

Other increases are decided by the train companies.

Transport secretary Chris Grayling blamed unions for threatening a national strike when the government offered to use a lower measure of inflation for fare increases in return for smaller pay rises.

Mr Grayling told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "The reality is the fare increases are higher than they should be because the unions demand - with threats of national rail strikes if they don't get them - higher pay rises than anybody else."

Mick Cash, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union, said it was "scandalous" that Mr Grayling was trying to blame rail workers for problems "caused by privatisation of the railways".

'Value for money?'

Robert Nisbet, regional director of industry body the Rail Delivery Group, said investment was at its highest level since the Victorian era and "that money has to come from somewhere".

He said by 2021 there would be 7,000 new carriages across the country and 6,400 new services.

The UK's railways are predominantly funded by customers' fares: last year's figures from the Office of Rail and Road show they yield £9.7bn, while the government provides £6.4bn - excluding loans from Network Rail.

However, almost a third of the government funding was given specifically to the HS2 high-speed rail project.

Campaign group Transport Focus said only 45% of passengers were satisfied with the value for money of their tickets.

Chief executive Anthony Smith told the BBC: "The industry should be becoming more efficient and that efficiency should be passed back to passengers to reflect a poor year."

The Department for Transport has commissioned former British Airways chief executive Keith Williams to carry out a review of Britain's railway network - including fares.