Intelligence Agency Heads To Be Quizzed Live

By Tim Marshall, Foreign Affairs Editor

The three heads of Britain's intelligence agencies will be questioned at a historic televised Parliamentary Committee later.

It is the first time they have appeared in public together and the first time the head of one of the agencies, GCHQ, has been seen in public.

The hearings come as the agencies are under fire following revelations by the NSA whistle-blower Edward Snowden that the UK is monitoring communications on a vast scale.

The three intelligence chiefs are Sir Iain Lobban, Director of GCHQ; Andrew Parker, Director General of Security Service (MI5) and Sir John Sawers, Chief of Secret Intelligence Service (MI6).

They were originally scheduled to appear in the spring of this year but the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) workload did not allow this, and then members were busy talking to the agencies following the killing of Drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich.

Anyone who follows intelligence affairs knew that modern agencies have the capability to monitor vast amounts of communications traffic, but Snowden gave details of how, and revealed that GCHQ was running a programme called Tempora.

This called into question whether the agencies were "overstretching" in their surveillance capabilities and intentions.

The MI6 building on next to Vauxhall Bridge on the River Thames

An inquiry found that Tempora falls within the UK laws governing monitoring, but the disquiet remains over "who guards the guards".

That is the framework for the ISC hearings.

In the UK, Parliament makes the laws the agencies should abide by and the newly empowered ISC tries to ensure they do just that.

This year it was given greater powers and a bigger budget.

Members are proposed by all major political parties and are then approved by the Prime Minister.

Sir John Sawers will appear at the committee

In the unlikely event he/she was to turn someone down, the ISC reserves the right to make this public. The ISC also now has powers to go into the headquarters of the agencies, look at documents and question officers.

It and the agencies are also overseen by two commissioners who are senior judges. They hold similar powers to the ISC.

The intelligence community is concerned that the UK public has the impression that millions of emails and phone calls are being listened to.

This is physically impossible, but what they are doing is monitoring vast amounts of digital traffic and using computers to try and track people they are already interested in, or to find patters of interest.

The GCHQ building in Cheltenham

Within that they may well come across an ordinary person's communications, but in law actually reading or listening to that requires another step.

When an agency wants to tap a phone, or read an email, it needs to apply to a secretary of state.

In the case of GCHQ and MI6 that is the Foreign Secretary, while the Home Secretary oversees MI5. A judge may be required to approve the request for monitoring.

Part of the job of the commissioners is to ask the agency chiefs to justify their applications.

There are more revelations to come from Snowden, and more public debate, which is part of the reason why the spies are emerging from the shadows and into the 21st century.

:: For live coverage of the Parliamentary Committee watch Sky News from 2pm.

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Waste: UK Homes Throw Away Six Meals A Week

The average UK household throws away the equivalent of six meals every week, costing almost £60 a month, a study has found.

The waste costs the UK £12.5bn a year despite a significant drive to reduce the problem, a report by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (Wrap) said.

The equivalent of 24 million slices of bread, 5.8 million potatoes and 5.9 million glasses of milk are thrown away every day, while 86 million whole chickens are discarded every year.

Recent research by the watchdog Which? found that 70% of consumers are worried about rising food prices.

But Wrap's Household Food and Drink Waste in the UK 2012 report suggested a lack of clarity around storage and labelling, over-estimating portions and buying more than is needed were some of the reasons consumers discarded edible food.

Households have cut avoidable food waste by 21% since 2007, saving consumers almost £13bn, but the rate of reduction has slowed in recent years and 4.2 million tonnes which could have been eaten is still thrown out.

Almost half of this food goes straight from fridges or cupboards to the bin without making it to the dinner plate.

Wrap chief executive Dr Liz Goodwin is calling for a "major combined effort" with retailers, brands, Government and consumers to cut avoidable household food waste by a further 1.7 million tonnes a year by 2025.

Tesco recently announced it is dropping some promotions for bagged salads after revealing it generated almost 30,000 tonnes of food waste in the first six months of 2013.

Dr Goodwin said: "Consumers are seriously worried about the cost of food and how it has increased over recent years.

"Yet as Wrap's research shows, we are still wasting millions of tonnes and billions of pounds.

"The UK is leading the way in tackling food waste and the 21% cut is a terrific achievement by millions of people who have taken action, saved money and helped safeguard our natural resources."

Resource management minister Dan Rogerson said: "Cutting avoidable household food waste by 21% is great news but there is still more to do.

"Cutting waste and driving business innovation will help to build a stronger economy. We will continue to work closely with food retailers and manufacturers to achieve this goal."

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Gosport Car Victim's Mother 'Kissed Her Goodbye'

The mother of one of two girls killed when she was struck by a car outside her home in Gosport kissed her daughter goodbye as she lay in the road.

Jasmine Allsop, 14, and Olivia Lewry, 16, were killed early on Sunday morning after being run down by a green Honda Civic on Ann's Hill Road. 

Jasmine died at the scene, while Olivia passed away in hospital, Hampshire Police said.

"It was just all a blur," Rosemary Allsop said at her home just metres from where the collision, which is being investigated as a murder, happened.

Ms Allsop said Olivia was at the house for a "girls' night in" and she assumed the pair were listening to music and talking about boys when she went to bed. 

"I went out and then a neighbour covered me in a blanket. I kissed her - it was four hours before they took her body away because I did not want to let her go.

"I told her she was my angel and I'd loved her since the day she was born. I can remember her big blue eyes staring.

Police at the scene of the car collision

"I'm empty inside and lost. I keep expecting her to come through the door."

A 20-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murdering the two girls.

Jasmine's father Kevin MacLaughlan, 58, a road worker from Thorne in South Yorkshire, said he would remember her as "the most beautiful, bubbly-natured girl". 

He had not seen Jasmine for two and a half months but said he drove straight down after hearing the news.

Mr MacLaughlan said his thoughts were with Olivia's family as well.

"We are sharing the same feelings and we'd like to meet up with them," he said. 

Brune Park Community School, which Olivia recently left to attend St Vincent College and where Jasmine was still a pupil, said the best friends "lived life to the full".

"Our thoughts and prayers are with their families at this dreadful time," it said in a statement.

"They were both independent, strong-minded individuals who lived their lives to the full with confidence and a sense of humour and a sense of fun.

"We will miss them both immensely and their unique talents which they displayed."

Mourners at the scene of the collision

Senior investigating officer Detective Superintendent Dick Pearson of the Hampshire Major Investigation Team renewed his appeal for witnesses to come forward.

"A dedicated team of officers and staff from a range of departments are working closely together to analyse leads from witnesses and forensics," he said.

"The green Honda Civic is the subject of further examinations to ensure all potential evidence has been gathered and preserved.

"A key line of enquiry is identifying as many witnesses as possible with information about the behaviour of the driver in the green Honda Civic around the Gosport area during the early hours of Sunday morning."

The suspect was originally taken into custody on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving but the offence was later changed to suspected murder, police said.

D/Supt Pearson also urged people to avoid posting rumours or details about the case online.

"This plea particularly applies to names and possible motives of people perceived to be involved in the circumstances surrounding this case," he said.

"Such speculation is upsetting and disrespectful to the victims' families, and can also have unintended effects on important lines of enquiry and evidence ahead of any future court case."

Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Major Investigation Team at Fratton Police Station on 101, quoting Operation Barb.

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Water Bills: Minister Urges Firms To Rethink

The Environment Secretary has urged water companies to "look closely" at whether price increases are necessary and urged them to introduce special tariffs for hard-pressed households.

In a letter to suppliers, Owen Paterson MP said they should recognise the financial strain that people were under.

The intervention came with Ofwat expected later this week to reject an application from Thames Water to increase bills by £29 in 2014-2015.

The regulator has questioned the profits being made by firms, and suggested its next Price Review could ease the upward pressure on bills by up to £750m after 2015.

Owen Paterson has urged water companies to reconsider price hikes

Mr Paterson said: "We know that household budgets are under pressure, and keeping water bills affordable is a crucial way we can help hardworking people.

"That is why we are pressing hard to make sure customers get a fair deal, by encouraging water companies to look closely at any price increases, introduce social tariffs for vulnerable customers and crack down on bad debt."

Water bills have risen by more than 60% in the last decade and the average household bill is now £388.

Since 2009, average increases in water and sewerage bills have been in line with inflation, but this has still outstripped increases in household income.

Water companies have blamed the price increases on the costs of environmental improvements including replacing ageing Victoria water pipes.

It comes after the cost of living has become increasingly important on the political agenda after Labour leader Ed Miliband pledged to freeze energy prices if his party wins the 2015 General Election.

Mr Miliband will accuse the coalition Government of "shrugging their shoulders" about low wages and rising prices this week and will challenge Conservative and Lib Dem MPs to back his policy of freezing energy bills in a Commons vote on Wednesday.

During a speech at Battersea Power Station, he will say: "The cost of living crisis isn't just an issue for the lowest paid, it affects the squeezed middle just as much.

"This is not just an issue facing Britain. It is the issue facing Britain. It is about who our country is run for."

Prime Minister David Cameron last week said he wanted to "roll back" environmental taxes that bump up energy bills, and promised more details in Chancellor George Osborne's Autumn Statement on December 4.

:: Read the full letter here

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Gosport 'Car Murder': Two Teenage Girls Named

A 20-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after two teenage girls died when they were hit by a car.

Jasmine Allsop, 14, died at the scene in Ann's Hill Road in Gosport, while Olivia Lewry, 16, was taken to hospital but also died, Hampshire Police said.

Detective Superintendent Dick Pearson said: "This is an extremely tragic incident which has resulted in the death of two young girls.

"I currently have a team of detectives and other officers, including expert road collision investigators, working on this case to fully investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths of these two teenage girls.

Forensic staff have been examining the scene.

"I would appeal to anyone who knows anything which could help this investigation to contact my team as soon as possible."

The girls were pedestrians and were involved in a collision with a green Honda Civic car which was being driven along the road at about 4.15am on Sunday.

The older girl was taken to the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth with serious injuries but did not survive.

A man was originally taken into custody on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving but the offence was later changed to suspected murder, police said.

Mourners brought flowers to pay their respects to the girls.

He remains in custody.

A bouquet of flowers placed near the scene read: 'In loving memory of Olivia and Jaz, thinking of you lots of love.'

One local resident Aaron O'Sullivan told the Portsmouth News: "It's horrible – what a waste of life, especially coming up to Christmas, it's just shocking."

Sky News reporter Siobhan Robbins spoke to some of the girls' friends, saying they described them as 'outgoing and bubbly'.

One local resident Daniel Close said: "It's tragic. It's got to be the worst news you can get."

Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Major Investigation Team at Fratton Police Station on 101, quoting Operation Barb.

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Missing Terror Suspect Hunted By Police

A terror suspect who escaped surveillance by changing into a burka on a visit to a mosque is being hunted by counter-terrorism officers.

Mohammed Ahmed Mohamed was last seen at a west London mosque on Friday afternoon.

He entered the building wearing Western-style clothes, but CCTV images issued by Scotland Yard later show him leaving with his face and body fully covered by the traditional Islamic garment.

The 27-year-old is subject to a Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures notice (Tpim).

A court-imposed anonymity order banning the publication of Mr Mohamed's name has been lifted to allow police to make a public appeal, following an application from the Home Secretary.

Mr Mohamed is "not considered at this time to represent a direct threat to the public", Scotland Yard said, but anyone who sees him is urged to call 999 immediately.

Security Minister James Brokenshire said: "National security is the Government's top priority and the police are doing everything in their power to apprehend this man as quickly as possible.

Mr Mohamed, pictured before he vanished

"The police and security services do not believe that this man poses a direct threat to the public in the UK.

"The Home Secretary, on police advice, yesterday applied to the High Court for an order protecting anonymity to be lifted in order to assist with their investigation."

Somalia-born Mr Mohamed, who is 5ft 8in tall and of medium build, arrived at the An-Noor Masjid and Community Centre in Church Road, Acton, at 10am on Friday and was last seen there at 3.15pm that day.

He is the second person to breach a Tpim since they were introduced to replace control orders in early 2012.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "The Counter Terrorism Command immediately launched inquiries to trace Mr Mohamed and these continue.

"Ports and borders were notified with his photograph and details circulated nationally. Public safety remains our priority."

Tpims, which include restrictions on overnight residence, travel and finance, are imposed by judges who are given access to secret evidence that can not be placed before juries.

Another CCTV image shows the burka-clad figure, believed to be Mr Mohamed

They do not allow for the relocation of suspects, as control orders did and unlike control orders, Tpims have a maximum time limit of two years.

Control orders could be extended year on year without limit, while Tpims can be extended after a year for another 12 months before they expire.

As of August 31, there were nine Tpims in force, including eight against British suspects, the latest written update to MPs showed.

Last December, Ibrahim Magag, who is understood to have attended terrorist training camps in Somalia, absconded from a Tpim notice after ripping off his electronic tag. The police search for him is continuing.

The terrorism watchdog warned earlier this year that Tpims could allow those deemed potentially dangerous to be left "free and unconstrained" in the absence of prosecution or new evidence of terrorism-related activity.

Police are still hunting Ibrahim Magag, who absconded in December 2012

David Anderson QC, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, said in his first report on Tpims, that the two-year limit was the "boldest" change from control orders made by the Government, adding that it was "tempting, in the most serious cases, to wish for longer".

Speaking in March, he said: "Some subjects who have been judged by the Home Secretary and by the courts to be potentially dangerous will then, absent prosecution or new evidence of terrorism-related activity, be free and unconstrained."

Mr Anderson said a longer time limit was tempting as allegations against some Tpim subjects were at the "highest end of seriousness, even by the standards of international terrorism".

However, he concluded that the two years of constraint now permitted were "a very strong power by international or indeed historic British standards".

Mr Brokenshire has defended the measures, describing them as providing a "robust mechanism" to manage suspects and reassure the public.

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Maidstone Prison 'Riot' Brought Under Control

A "riot" at Maidstone Prison has been brought under control, the Prison Service has said.

Officers from special prison service riot units across the country were called in to deal with the Maidstone incident in a system known as Operation Tornado.

A prison officers union said they had been told the riot involved up to 180 prisoners, but the Prison Service said that just 40 took part in the "incident".

Riot units were called to the prison

Prison Officers Association, Vice Chair, Ralph Valerio, told Sky News that negotiators were sent to the scene in Kent to try to contain the disturbance.

He said he had been told that that, at one point, inmates were smashing up Thanet Wing at the prison.

Mr Valerio said he was led to believe that between 160 to 180 foreigners were involved and some staff could have been assaulted.

Up to 180 foreigners are thought to have taken part in the disturbance

He said the prison staff were forced to retreat to safety. Thanet Wing, where the riot occurred, is separated from the other wings.

Jackie Hipwell, the landlady of a pub nearby, said the whole road in front of the prison was filled with fire engines and riot vans.

She said it started around 4pm and there were so many vehicles deployed she was unable to use the road.

The location of Thanet Wing at Maidstone Prison

A Prison Service spokesperson said later: "An incident involving around 40 prisoners at HMP Maidstone has been successfully resolved with no injuries to staff or prisoners.

"An investigation is under way and the perpetrators will be dealt with appropriately by the prison."

Mr Valerio believes staff shortages and the impact this has had on the prisoners is a possible reason behind the rioting.

Maidstone, with an inmate population of about 600, is a category C training prison that predominantly houses sex offenders from the Kent and Sussex areas.

Its website says it aims to "create a therapeutic environment that supports, embraces and empowers change with a primary focus on risk reduction and protection".

The prison also takes in foreign prisoners with more than 18 months to serve and provides forums with the UK Border Agency.

Kent Police confirmed they were aware of the incident, but a spokeswoman said prison services were dealing with the matter.

Meanwhile, a passive demonstration took place at G4S-run Rye Hill Prison, near Rugby,  involving 60 inmates. However, this was resolved peacefully and was not linked to the Maidstone riot.

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'Plebgate' Officers Facing New Investigation

Three police officers accused of deceiving MPs over the so-called Plebgate scandal are to face a new investigation by the police watchdog.

The officers - police federation representatives - will also be called back before an influential committee of MPs over evidence they gave to them previously.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission said there were "procedural irregularities" in an earlier probe.

Andrew Mitchell tried to take his bike through the Downing Street gates

Inspector Ken MacKaill, Detective Sergeant Stuart Hinton and Sergeant Chris Jones are accused of giving misleading accounts of a meeting with former chief whip Andrew Mitchell.

The Conservative MP met with the officers last October in a bid to clear the air after an alleged foul-mouthed confrontation with police in Downing Street the previous month.

The trio were initially told they would face no action for misconduct over misleading press statements they made immediately after the meeting.

But the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has now said it will hold an investigation into their behaviour.

IPCC deputy chairwoman Deborah Glass said the watchdog was holding its inquiry to avoid damaging public confidence.

The confrontation was caught on CCTV and shown on Channel 4

She said: "Evidence given to the Home Affairs Select Committee on October 23 revealed a number of procedural irregularities between the production of the draft and final West Mercia reports."

The officers have also been recalled to the Home Affairs Select Committee to apologise for giving "misleading answers" on October 23.

Committee chairman Keith Vaz said: "We were appalled by the evidence given by DS Hinton, Sgt Jones and Inspector MacKaill. It is now clear that DS Hinton and Sgt Jones misled the Committee, possibly deliberately.

"We have recalled them to correct the record and if they do not, they will be in prima facie contempt of Parliament."

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Paul Gambaccini: BBC DJ Held Over Sex Claims

Veteran BBC broadcaster Paul Gambaccini has been arrested on suspicion of historical sexual offences.

He was held at his home in south London on Tuesday morning as part of Scotland Yard's Operation Yewtree.

The radio presenter, whose broadcasting career spans 40 years at the BBC, answered questions in police custody before being released on bail.

A BBC spokesman said Gambaccini denies the allegations against him.

"Paul Gambaccini has decided that, in light of [Friday's] media attention, he would rather not be on-air at present and we respect that decision," he said.

"Therefore, Paul will not be presenting on BBC Radio in coming weeks and replacement programmes for the period will be announced soon."

Yewtree has been investigating claims of historical sexual offences since the Jimmy Savile scandal broke last year.

Scotland Yard detectives have run the investigation in three strands - allegations involving Savile, those involving Savile and others, and those involving others.

Gambaccini was arrested under the strand known as "others", meaning the arrest is not connected to the Savile inquiry.

The DJ, one of Britain's foremost authorities on music, hosts a weekly show on BBC Radio 2.

He is the 15th person arrested under Yewtree and was bailed until January.

The presenter was highly vocal last year in the wake of Savile's years of sexual abuse being made public, and said it was known among BBC staff that the late presenter targeted vulnerable, "institutionalised" young people.

A 16th person - a 74-year-old who has not been named - was arrested at a separate address in south London on Tuesday, and also bailed until January.

 

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Pair Charged With Murder Over Bodies In Garden

The daughter and son-in-law of an elderly couple who went missing from Mansfield have been charged with murder, say police.

Susan Patricia Edwards, 55, and Christopher John Edwards, 57, have each been charged with two counts of murder, according to Nottingham Police.

The pair, of no fixed address but who are believed to have been living outside the UK, will remain in police custody until their appearance before Nottingham magistrates tomorrow.

The remains of a man and woman were found buried in the back garden of a house in Blenheim Close, Forest Town, on Wednesday 9 October 2013.

Police have not yet formally identified the pair, but believe they are William and Patricia Wycherley, who lived at the house in the 1990s.

A police spokesman said: "A Home Office pathologist has determined that both people died as a result of being shot."

The elderly couple moved to the address in 1987 and according to neighbours, disappeared in 1998.

Officers have said Mrs Wycherley is believed to have been born in Fulham, west London, and would now have been 79. Her husband would have been 100.

Police said bone analysis has shed further light on the remains.

More follows...

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