Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe retires

Pic: Sir Bernard Hogan
Staff reporter(wp/es):
Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe announced today he was retiring after five years in charge of the Met Police.
The Commissioner, who had been expected to stay in the role until September, will continue until February to give enough time for a successor to be found.
Sir Bernard, who was first appointed to the role in September 2011, spoke today of his pride at leading London’s police force.

 Here is his statement in full:

"I am so proud of the remarkable men and women who serve Londoners as police officers and staff and make this such a safe place for people to live, work or visit.
"I want to thank all of them for what they do, and the risks they take each day to protect the public.
"I want to thank all the partners we work with in government, in City Hall and across London.

"And I want to thank the public for the support they show the Met, and have shown me personally, as we do our difficult jobs.
"I came into this job determined to fight crime and make the MPS the best, most professional police service.

"I wish my successor well as they take on this amazing responsibility.
"It has been a great privilege to be the Met's Commissioner. I have loved my time in the role and I have loved being a police officer.
"It's the most rewarding of jobs to protect good people and lock up the bad guys."

Stockwell Green mosque under investigation over 'promoting killing of Muslim Ahmadis sect'

Staff reporter(es/wp):
A London mosque is being investigated by the charities watchdog following allegations it promoted the killing of Muslims from a minority sect.
The Charity Commission announced the inquiry into Stockwell Green mosque today after reports that leaflets were found suggesting Ahmadis who did not convert to mainstream Islam within three days should face “capital punishment” — the death penalty.
Mosque leaders previously denied the leaflets were found at the premises.
Ahmadis are banned from referring to themselves as Muslims in Pakistan because they believe their founder, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, was a prophet — something perceived as blasphemous by many Muslims.

The commission first visited the mosque — also known as Aalami Majlise Tahaffuze Khatme Nubuwwat, a registered charity — in May and launched the statutory inquiry this month.
It will probe suspicions of poor governance, financial management and trustees “carrying out activities outside the charity’s stated objects”.
A mosque spokesman could not be reached for comment.
The probe comes after the killing of Ahmadi shopkeeper Asad Shah in Glasgow last March in a sectarian attack.

Sainsbury’s hits back at Aldi as price war takes toll on tills

Business correspondent(wp/es):
Sainsbury’s today hit back at suggestions Aldi and Lidl could eat its lunch, saying its prices have never been closer to the discounters’.
Despite reporting another fall in quarterly sales, chief executive Mike Coupe downplayed the threat posed by the German retailers, whose growth has triggered a fierce industry price war.
Like its big four rivals — Tesco, Morrisons and Asda — Sainsbury’s has fought back by slashing prices. It has also moved away from multi-buy promotions to regular low prices.
Referring to Aldi’s claims earlier this week that it remains significantly cheaper than mainstream competitors, Coupe said: “You can use whatever surveys you want to dress up whatever story you want. Our price position relative to discounters has never been sharper.”
Coupe also dismissed the assertion that Aldi and Lidl are set to push further into Sainsbury’s home turf of London and the South-East.

“The idea they are marching into the South-East is somewhat misguided. All the evidence we have… suggests that broadly speaking they are opening stores where they already exist, for Aldi in the North-West and the Midlands and Lidl in the South.”
Sainsbury’s reported a 1.1% fall in same-store sales in its second quarter.
That narrowly beat expectations, but compares unfavourably with Morrisons, which reported second-quarter sales growth of 2% earlier this month. Meanwhile, Tesco’s sales declines are slowing, according to the latest industry data.

Secondary school bans all homework

staff reporter(wp/es):
A secondary school has taken the controversial step of banning homework to give their teachers more time to plan lessons.
Phillip Morant School and College in Colchester, Essex, has abolished all homework set by teachers in favour of pupils selecting their own extra learning through the school’s website.
A letter sent to parents from the Teaching and Learning Team stated the new system would give pupils a “greater responsibility for their own learning”.
The letter reads: “We are changing our approach to homework and moving away from the traditional style towards a more independent model.”

“Students will be expected to select appropriate tasks based on guidance from their teachers, their own targets and their own interests.”
Principal Catherine Hutley told the Daily Gazette that she expected the new system would be controversial but she was convinced that students would benefit from it.
She said: “The job of a teacher is impossible. There are not enough hours in the day for a teacher to teach, set homework, mark homework, and plan their lessons.

“We have the most dedicated and committed staff you could possibly ask for.
“They are working every hour God sends but planning lessons can fall by the wayside.
“We want it to be the number one priority so teachers can plan for students’ individual needs and keep on top of their progress on a daily basis.”
Ms Hutley added that homework will now be completed in lessons and that tasks on the school website for students were still encouraging independent learning.
Students taking part in out of class learning on the school website will be offered rewards for completing tasks.
Phillip Morant has 1,650 students and was given a “good” rating in its last Ofsted report.
 The school has also banned students from using mobile phones on the premises and removed academic banding.

Alton Towers owner Merlin fined £5million

staff reporter(wp/es):
Alton Towers operator Merlin Attractions has been fined £5million for health and safety breaches over the Smiler rollercoaster crash.
Teenagers Vicky Balch, then 19, and Leah Washington, then 17, each lost a leg in the tragic incident in June last year.
Stafford Crown Court heard the victims watched with "disbelief and horror" before ploughing into an empty carriage on the track, with the impact likened to a 90mph car crash.
Merlin was fined after the court heard an engineer "felt pressure" to get Smiler back into service after it developed a fault shortly before the devastating crash.

An expert witness report, compiled by consultant Stephen Flanagan, also said Alton Towers management linked bonuses to "acceptably low levels of downtime" on their rollercoasters.
Judge Michael Chambers QC called the accident a "catastrophic failure" by the company involving basic health and safety measures.
He also said the “absolute shambles of what occurred” could have been easily avoided” by a suitable system to deal with ride faults and a proper risk assessment.

He added: "This was a needless and avoidable accident in which those injured were fortunate not to have been killed or bled to death."
According to Judge Chambers, the victims “endured great pain and distress” while waiting for medical help, with the first 999 call not made until 17 minutes after the crash.

It took up to five hours for them to be freed from the wreckage, with those at the front of the rollercoaster having their legs crushed in the tangled steel.
All 16 people aboard the carriage suffered injuries to various degrees.

Judge Chambers added that the relatives and the injured had shown "great courage and fortitude" in the aftermath.
Beginning the sentencing, He said: "Human error was not the cause as was suggested by the defendant in an early press release.

"The defendant now accepts the prosecution case that the underlying fault was an absence of a structured and considered system not that of individuals' efforts, doing their best within a flawed system.
"Members of the public have been exposed to serious risk of one train colliding with another with a computer control system was reset, having been overridden to address a fault."

Woman raped by stranger

Crime reporter(es/wp):
A woman was raped in a "shocking" attack by a stranger who had climbed over a fence and into a back garden, police said.
Detectives said the woman, in her 30s, was dragged to the ground as she tried to flee her attacker in Dagenham
She was then allegedly raped by a man who ran away after the attack.
Police today released an e-fit image of a man wanted in connection with the rape in the early hours of Monday, August 1.
The suspect is described as a "very dark-skinned black man, 5ft 6ins to 5ft 8ins in height, of medium build and aged in his early to mid 20s."

He is said to have smelled "unwashed" and had a poor, spotty complexion.
DC Jay Gardner, from the Met's sexual offences unit, said: "This is a shocking attack which has left the victim very distressed.
"We are now issuing this e-fit image and urging the public to help us identify this man. If you think you may know the man depicted in the e-fit, please do call us.
"Substantial enquiries have been conducted with the local community but we urge anyone who may have been in the area at this time to come forward."
There have been no arrests.

Labour plan to raise minimum wage to £10 an hour

political correspondent(wp/es):
A major increase in the minimum wage to £10 was pledged by Labour today as Jeremy Corbyn’s party tried to turn from infighting to policies for the next general election.
The flagship announcement was made by shadow chancellor John McDonnell, who said it was “the level needed for a decent life”.
In a move that would strengthen trade unions, he also vowed Labour would bring back national wage bargaining, arguing this would “end the race to the bottom”.
Mr McDonnell told conference that the Living Wage — currently £7.20 per hour for workers aged over 25, £6.70 per hour for those aged 21 to 24, and £5.30 per hour for ages 18 to 20 — was too low.
Although it is due to rise to more than £9 in 2020, he said Labour would go further if elected and make it £10 an hour.
“Under the next Labour government, everyone will earn enough to live on,” he declared. “When we win the next election we will write a real Living Wage into law.”

He said 200,000 workers were getting less than the legal minimum.
Today’s National Executive Committee backed a  10-point statement of party values drawn  up by Mr Corbyn, including a commitment to a “more equal society”, universal childcare, rent controls and opposing wars.
Earlier, Mr McDonnell had urged Labour MPs who have resigned from the shadow cabinet to return to the party’s front bench, saying: “I’d like to see virtually all of them back.”
He hinted that the next shadow cabinet reshuffle was being postponed until November to allow for a wider look at Labour’s internal democracy.

However, that apparent olive branch only alarmed centrist MPs who believe the leadership is plotting to let grassroots activists — who back Mr Corbyn — choose shadow cabinet members.
Mr McDonnell also set out plans to borrow £100 billion to support industry, saying Labour would offer an “interventionist government” ready to protect key home-grown businesses against global market pressures.
“We are setting up a national investment bank,” he said. “We are putting into that bank £100 billion. Yes, that will be borrowed, but it will be  borrowed at the cheapest rates in our history.”
Shadow defence secretary Clive Lewis announced that Labour would build three new ships to be deployed in support of aircraft carriers. He presented the move as a boost for members of trade unions Unite and the GMB, saying: “Your members help defend us and we will help defend them.”