Newborn Left In Car With Note As Mum Shops

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent

A baby has been found alone in a locked car with a note attached to its blanket asking passers-by to call if there were any problems.

The newborn had been left in a car seat while the child's mother went shopping at a supermarket in Porirua on New Zealand's north island.

A photo of the baby, and the hastily scrawled note which had a mobile phone number on it, has sparked outrage after it was printed in a newspaper and posted online.

According to The New Zealand Herald, a man who parked next to the car with the abandoned baby raised the alarm.

He told the paper: "It was written from the baby's perspective, and it said, 'my mum's in doing the shopping, call her if I need anything', and it had the cellphone number.

"We waited there for a little bit, wondering if the mum was just going to be two seconds and come back.

"And my wife said, 'I'm not going in without someone being here with the baby'."

The baby was spotted in the car park of Pak'nSave on Saturday morning.

According to the newspaper, another two passers-by waited by the car, with one of them phoning the mother and telling her to come outside.

Senior sergeant Justin Rakena said police could not investigate if there had been no complaint, and no-one had come forward to talk to police about it.

They had not spoken with the mother.

Police would "absolutely" investigate if a complaint was made, he told NZ Newswire.

It is illegal in New Zealand to leave a child under 14 years old alone for an unreasonable time or in unreasonable conditions.

Doing so could result in a fine of up to NZ$2,000 (£1,000).

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Amanda Knox Awaits Kercher Retrial Decision

By Nick Pisa, Sky News Reporter

The sister of murdered student Meredith Kercher has spoken of the "unanswered questions" surrounding her death, ahead of a final court appeal.

Stephanie Kercher said she hoped for answers as Italian Supreme Court judges decide whether to order Amanda Knox and her former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito to stand trial again or to completely close the case.

Miss Kercher, 21, was found semi-naked and with her throat cut in her bedroom in the house she shared with fellow student Ms Knox and two other women in the town of Perugia.

Her sister said: "There are lots of questions without answers and that's why we are looking for the truth.

"We miss Meredith terribly and nothing will bring her back. We hope that the Supreme Court hearing will help to find some answers to what happened that night in November 2007 when our lives changed forever.

"We still get messages of support from all over the world. Meredith will never be forgotten but it's also important not to forget what happened, a beautiful young girl, my little sister, taken away from us too early in a brutal manner, with many aspects to still clarify.''

Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito were acquitted on appeal

Ms Knox, 25, and Mr Sollecito, 29, were initially found guilty of murder in 2009, with Ms Knox sentenced to 26 years in jail and Mr Sollecito handed a 25-year term.

But at their appeal in October 2011, defence lawyers and experts revealed how evidence had been contaminated or poorly handled by forensic teams and that the conviction should be considered unsafe.

They were immediately freed with Ms Knox returning to her home in Seattle while Mr Sollecito went back to Bisceglie on the southern Italian coast near Bari.

Today's hearing will be behind closed doors with neither of them in attendance, and only their lawyers representing them.

A panel of judges will rule whether the Italian legal code was applied correctly and fairly in both trials, and if they find grounds they can order a retrial - as prosecutors in Perugia have demanded - or they can close the case completely.

The case will be decided purely on paperwork and legal documents with no new witnesses giving evidence. A decision is expected by late this evening.

Luciano Ghirga, Ms Knox's lawyer, said: "She is very anxious about the hearing but she is waiting for it knowing full well that the outcome is very important."

Meredith Kercher's mother, brother and sister

Since returning to the US, she has maintained a low profile although she has written a book about her four years in an Italian jail and is due to give an interview to American TV station ABC next month ahead of its release.

Mr Sollecito has also written a book and has already given an interview on Italian TV about the case where he said he and Ms Knox were no longer lovers but were still in touch - he visited her earlier this year and they speak on Skype regularly.

His father, Francesco, said: "He is working hard on his studies. He's working on a project involving the movement of surgical instruments during operations. He is calm and serene even if we are all in a state of apprehension.''

Miss Knox and Mr Sollecito have always insisted they are innocent of murdering Miss Kercher, from Coulsdon, Surrey.

She had only been in Italy for two months before she was killed, having arrived for a year-long course as part of her Leeds University degree.

Drifter Rudy Guede is serving 16 years for the murder having initially being sentenced to 30 but this was later reduced on appeal.

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India Car Ads: Ford Sorry Over Women In Boot

Ford has apologised after car adverts in India showed women bound and gagged in the boot of vehicles.

The car manufacturer said it "deeply regretted" a series of adverts for the India-manufactured Ford Figo. 

One of the adverts shows a cartoon of Italy's ex-Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi flashing a Victory sign with three women captive in the boot.

Another depicts Paris Hilton driving with the Kardashian sisters - bound and gagged.

The tag line on both reads: "Leave your worries behind with Figo's extra-large boot."

The adverts were created in India, a country still reeling from a series of shocking sex attacks on women, including the gang rape of a student on a Delhi bus.

A salesman with customers and the Figo in a Mumbai showroom

They appeared online on the Ads of The World website but have been pulled before featuring on any other paid sites.

Ford said: "We deeply regret this incident and agree with our agency partners that it should have never happened. 

"The posters are contrary to the standards of professionalism and decency within Ford and our agency partners. Together with our partners, we are reviewing approval and oversight processes to help ensure nothing like this ever happens again."

Advertising agency WPP said it regretted the ads, which should never have been created in the first place.

In a statement to The Huffington Post, WPP said: "We deeply regret the publishing of posters that were distasteful and contrary to the standards of professionalism and decency within WPP Group.

"These were never intended for paid publication and should never have been created, let alone uploaded to the internet.

"This was the result of individuals acting without proper oversight and appropriate actions have been taken within the agency where they work to deal with the situation."

Mr Berlusconi is currently on trial for allegedly paying a 17-year-old girl for sex when she attended some of his parties. Both deny any wrongdoing.

The Figo - manufactured in Chennai, India - launched in 2010.

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Jim Carrey Video And Tweets Attack Gun Laws

Actor Jim Carrey says he feels "despised" but "free" after launching a Twitter attack on US gun laws and mocking former NRA president Charlton Heston.

Carrey has made a parody video called Cold Dead Hand where he plays Heston, who died in 2008, and also performs a song as a country singer.

The lyrics include: "(The angels) wouldn't take him up to heaven like he planned because they couldn't pry that gun from his cold dead hand.

"You're a big big man with a little bitty gland, so you need something bigger with a hairpin trigger."

The video sees Carrey accompanied by a band with actors dressed as Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln and John Lennon.

Actor Charlton Heston was a prominent figure in the pro-gun lobby not least during his five-year presidency of the US National Rifle Association.

He once famously held a rifle above his head and declared it would have to be prised from his "cold dead hands".

The actor has tweeted a series of posts over the last few days in response to opposition over changes to US gun laws following the Sandy Hook school massacre.

Explaining the video, Carrey tweeted: "Cold Dead Hand' is abt u heartless m************ unwilling 2 bend 4 the safety of our kids.Sorry if you're offended by the word safety! ;^}"

Heston appeared in films like Ben-Hur and Planet of the Apes

But some people are clearly upset by the 51-year-old's actions: "What an arrogant, condescending, self-righteous liberal," said one Facebook user.

Another posted: "When can we expect him to condemn his newest movie "Kickass 2" for gun violence?"

The Obama government wants stricter gun controls, such as wider background checks on people buying firearms.

However, the influential NRA is against the proposals and favours measures like better enforcement of existing laws and stronger school security.

Gunman Adam Lanza killed 26 people at the Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut last December, provoking a heated debate over America's right to bear arms.

Some residents of the small town reacted angrily this week after saying they had received recorded messages on their phones from the NRA urging them to oppose any law changes.

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Cyprus Bailout Deal Wins Eurozone Approval

Deposits above 100,000 euros (£85,000) in the Bank of Cyprus will be hit with a levy of "around 30%" under the EU bailout deal, a government official has confirmed.

Spokesman Christos Stylianides told state radio that the charge would be paid as the second largest Greek Cypriot lender is destined to be wound up.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev discussed issues with his deputies

The island's last-minute deal to secure a 10bn euro (£8.5bn) EU and International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved bailout by eurozone ministers, saved the country from a banking system bankruptcy and eurozone departure.

However Russia, which is the source of many large uninsured Cypriot accounts worth up to 20bn euros (£17bn), reacted angrily on Monday to the levy news.

Angry Greek Cypriots have taken to the streets

"The stealing of what has already been stolen continues," Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev was quoted by news agencies as telling a meeting of government officials.

A spokesman for President Vladimir Putin added that the president has asked the government to restructure a 2.5bn euro (£2.13bn) loan to southern Cyprus.

Russian news agencies quoted Mr Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, as saying that the president has instructed the government to work out the terms for restructuring the loan, which was made 2011.

The British arm of the so-called bad bank, Laiki Bank UK, said customers could continue to withdraw their cash but warned that large deposits may be at risk.

Laiki Bank UK operates as a branch of its parent and gave clearer guidance on its website on Monday telling customers they are protected up to 100,000 euros by the Cyprus Deposit Protection Scheme and not the UK's compensation scheme.

"This means that if our bank is unable to meet its financial obligations, your eligible deposits are protected up to a total of 100,000 euros per depositor," the notice said.

Christine Lagarde and the German finance minister at the Eurogroup

Key markets across Europe, excluding Italy because of a budget deficit issues, reacted positively in midday trading.

The second-largest bank, Popular Bank of Cyprus - known as Laiki - will effectively be shut down and split into a "good bank" and a "bad bank".

Sub-100,000-euro deposits in Laiki will be safeguarded and transferred to the Bank of Cyprus, the so-called "good bank", while those above the 100,000-euro limit, which under EU law are not insured, will be frozen and hit with the levy of around 30% to resolve the debt crisis.

The move will yield some 4.2bn euros (£3.6bn) overall - the bulk of the 5.8bn euros (£4.9bn) Cyprus needed to raise as part of the bailout conditions.

But it is unclear to say when the bailout and bank restructuring will return Cyprus to growth, European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso admitted afterwards.

Banks have been closed this past week

"I am confident that the programme will work, but let's be honest. At this moment, we cannot say exactly what the impact is going to be," Mr Barroso said.

"It will depend on the level of implementation and the commitment of Cyprus itself."

The deal followed fraught negotiations between Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and the troika of creditors - the IMF, European Commission and European Central Bank.

"We've put an end to the uncertainty that has affected Cyprus and the euro area over the past week," Jeroen Dijsselbloem, who chairs the meetings of the 17-nation eurozone's finance ministers, said.

"We believe that this will form a lasting, durable and fully financed solution," IMF chief Christine Lagarde said.

Advertised property for Russians in the southern Cypriot port of Limassol

President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, added: "I welcome the agreement reached by the Eurogroup and the Cypriot authorities early this morning.

"The agreement is essential to ensure a sustainable future for Cyprus in the euro area. This is first and foremost true for its people, who are living through times of great uncertainty."

After the eurozone's finance ministers' approval, several national parliaments, such as Germany's, must also approve the bailout deal, which might take another few weeks. EU officials said they expect the whole programme to be approved by mid-April.

Cyprus' outsized banking sector was crippled by exposure to crisis-hit Greece and has been used as a haven for foreign funds.

In a vote on Tuesday, the country's 56-seat parliament dismissed a levy on depositors as "bank robbery".

The country's finance minister Michael Sarris then spent three fruitless days in Moscow trying to win help from Russia. The two countries share historic religious ties.

Cypriots were outraged by the original proposal and have been queuing at cash machines ever since the government ordered banks to close last weekend.

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Killer Gary George Copied Film The Loved Ones

A horror film fanatic who killed his friend in a scene which mirrored one of his favourite spine-chillers has been jailed for life.

Gary George, 41, will serve a minimum of 30 years after he tortured and mutilated Andrew Nall, 53, in a "cruel and sadistic" attack.

George was obsessed with witchcraft and horror films, Chester Crown Court was told.

Among his favourites was The Loved Ones, a 2009 Australian film in which an attack takes place with "chilling similarity" to the death of Mr Nall, the court heard.

George beat his victim and inflicted 49 separate knife wounds, including a wound carved into his stomach which had salt poured onto it.

There was also a "creamy substance", thought to be cleaning fluid, found in Mr Nall's eyes, the prosecution said.

His body was discovered lying in a pool of blood in his bedroom at his flat in Liverpool Road, Chester, on August 30 last year.

After the killing George, a homeless alcoholic, went into an off-licence where he told the shop assistant: "I've just killed my best mate."

He initially denied the murder but changed his plea to guilty last week as his three week trial was coming to a close.

Passing sentence today, the Recorder of Chester, Judge Elgan Edwards, said: "This was a cruel and vicious attack. It was also a sadistic attack.

"I am satisfied that in behaving in the way you did, you were aping the conduct in a film of which you were obsessed, namely The Loved Ones."

Mr Nall was the victim of a "cruel and sadistic attack, the court heard

The judge said he and the jury had had "the misfortune" of watching the movie's murder sequence during the trial.

He added: "I regret to say that, as in this film, you committed many acts while the unfortunate Mr Nall was still alive.

"And that included the substance in his eyes, be that cleaning fluid, and the carving of marks upon his chest."

George, wearing a navy blue jumper, stood upright in the dock with his arms behind his back and flanked by two custody officers.

George, prosecutor Ian Unsworth QC told the trial, had a keen interest in witchcraft.

Mr Unsworth added: "He watched horror films. One film in particular that he liked to watch was called The Loved Ones, a violent horror film.

"In a chilling precursor to what befell Andrew Nall, one scene depicts a man being stabbed on multiple occasions, his chest having a letter carved into it before salt was thrown on to the wound."

George was caught when he was arrested for assaulting another man 10 hours after the murder of Mr Nall.

George's co-defendant, Christine Holleran, 50, was cleared of murder and manslaughter by the jury on Friday.

Giving evidence, she said George was growling as he stabbed Mr Nall, and said: "He was like the devil."

In a statement released by Cheshire Police, Mr Nall's family said: "Andrew was brutally murdered by a man whom he invited into his home.

"He would have had no idea that Gary George was a sadistic bully capable of the most extreme violence.

"The cruel and callous way in which Andrew died leaves us unable to feel anything other than utter contempt for his killer."

George was also sentenced to 12 years, concurrent to the life term, for the second attack which followed the murder of Mr Nall.

The court heard he broke a bottle and slashed the hand and head of a man.

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Snow 'Winter War Zone' Hampers Rescue Efforts

Ice warnings are in place for much of Britain as the freezing cold weather conditions and snow continues to bring chaos to the roads and railways.

Drivers in snow-hit areas across the UK have been urged to postpone their journeys if possible, while train journeys have also been severely affected with services delayed or cancelled.

The AA has has said its patrols have faced a "winter war zone" - attending more than 1,100 call-outs to people either stuck in snow, ice or flood water since Thursday.

Huge snowdrifts - up to 15ft deep in some places - and abandoned vehicles are preventing energy companies from reaching some areas to restore power.

A man walks along a snow drenched road in Leeds, Yorkshire

Power has been restored to all 1,700 homes in Cumbria - but several thousands are still without electricity in other parts and many roads remain impassable with no end in sight to the severe weather gripping the UK.

Helicopters are being used to get engineers to affected properties in rural and exposed part of Northern Ireland.

Businesses have also suffered, while farmers - yet to recover from the disastrously sodden summer of 2012 - have said the Arctic weather has come at the worst possible time.

A motorist drives past snow covered trees near Dundrod in County Antrim

Blizzard conditions are claiming the lives of newborn lambs, affecting spring crops and forcing families to work all hours to try to keep stranded stock alive, according to the National Union of Farmers (NFU).

And the severe weather and bitterly cold temperatures are set to continue across most parts of the country right up until the weekend, forecasters have said.

This could mean the first white Easter in five years, as the nation enters British summertime.

The Met Office - which has extended its level 3 cold weather alert until Friday - has said there is a 90% chance the unseasonal cold snap will continue to keep large parts of Britain frozen for the rest of the week.

Farmer Roy Kerby feeds sheep after snowfall in Etwall, central England

Bitterly cold easterly winds will persist in the days to come, bringing snow showers to northeast England and light snow flurries across other parts.

It is a marked contrast to the warm spring weather the nation enjoyed this time last year.

On March 24, 2012, sun-seekers flocked to Brighton to bask in the sunshine and 18C (64.4F) heat. In comparison, the beach was deserted on Sunday with the temperature at just 2C (35.6F).

Some reports suggest Britain could be hit with a similar heatwave towards the end of spring.

But according to Sky News Weather Producer Jo Robinson: "Spring is a changeable season, with extremes possible. There's no evidence to suggest that a cold snap at the end of March means there will be a heatwave in April."

An abandoned car on the side of the road in the Briercliffe area of Burnley

A yellow warning - meaning be prepared for bad weather - is in place for north-east England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

But it is the ice that is causing the biggest concern, with large parts of the country being warned about the danger of black ice as commuters wrestle with journeys on foot, by car or public transport to work and back.

"Lying snow in many areas will melt on roads and pavements by day, refreezing by night to give icy patches," a Met Office spokesman said.

"Snow blowing off fields in strong to gale force winds will also affect some roads, especially over high ground."

Brighton beach - this time last year compared to this weekend

In northern England, many cross-Pennine routes remain blocked by drifting snow, including the Snake Pass and Woodhead Pass, between Manchester and South Yorkshire.

Gritting teams in Sheffield said they have experienced drifts in excess of five metres (16ft 4ins) to the north and west of the city.

The Department for Transport has warned motorists to take precautions and only set off from home if they have checked the latest travel conditions.

A spokesman said: "The unseasonal weather is affecting transport networks. Our staff and other transport operators are working tirelessly around the clock to keep roads open, and keep other services running."

People clearing the road to access their homes in the village of Cargan

Sky's Mike McCarthy, in Buxton, Derbyshire, said: "What is happening is these bitterly cold easterly winds are making the snow drift over the roads, even when it has been cleared by the snow ploughs and gritters.

"We've seen a number of people struggling with the weather, some abandoned cars still, and in other parts of the country, Cumbria for example, they are saying 'don't return to your abandoned car just yet - contact the police first', because the conditions are still very severe."

The electricity grid has been hit by the wintry conditions over the past few days. Ice has packed onto power lines, causing them to buckle under the weight.

Engineers have been working to restore supplies to around 7,000 homes in Northern Ireland and 10,000 in Scotland, as well as 500 properties on the Isle of Man.

A snow covered narrow boat sits in a frozen canal in Birmingham

Some 3,500 people are cut off in Kintyre and 1,500 are without electricity on the Isle of Arran. The Caledonian MacBrayne ferry between the mainland and Arran was laden with engineering support to be deployed in the Island.

Sky's Scotland Correspondent, James Matthews, said: "Lorries carried generators and fresh telegraph poles. There was also a small fleet of outdoor catering vans which had been drafted off duty at commercial public events to come and supply islanders running short of supplies."

Emergency oxygen supplies had to be airlifted to an elderly man trapped by heavy snow in Northern Ireland.

Those living in remote areas there have been warned it could be days before they have electricity again, but water supply has now been restored to most of the 1,000 homes affected.

A man found dead in deep snow after he started walking home in severe weather has been named by police.

Gary Windle (left) was found dead in deep snow near Burnley

The body of Gary Windle, 25, was found by a farmer in Brierfield, near Burnley, in Lancashire, at around 1.30pm on Saturday.

Police said his death was not being treated as suspicious and there were indications it was a "very tragic incident" after he started walking home from a night out with friends.

On Friday, a woman, named locally as Susan Norman, died when her house in Looe, Cornwall, collapsed during a landslip following torrential rain.

A 57-year-old hill walker, named by police as James Jack, died in the Scottish Highlands, although police said it was not clear whether his death was linked to the poor weather.

Sky News Weather Presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said the heavy snow had subsided but added: "As we head towards this Easter weekend, it's going to remain unsettled, In fact, on Good Friday, there's the risk of more widespread snow."

Bookmaker Ladbrokes has cut the odds of snow at Easter to 4/5 after taking a flurry of bets in the past 48 hours.

Forecasters have predicted it could be the coldest March in 50 years. In 1962, average temperatures for the month were 2.8C (37F).

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London Fire: 100 Firefighters In Walworth

Nearly 100 firefighters used aerial platforms to tackle a major fire at a building in Walworth, south east London.

The blaze ripped through a building on Walworth Road, Walworth, shortly after 12.30pm.

London Fire Brigade said 15 fire engines, with 97 firefighters, were at the scene.

There are currently no indications of how the fire started and no injuries have been reported, a fire brigade spokesman added.

Smoke can be seen billowing from the roof of the building. Pic: Gary Zelnis

The building houses Newington Library, a museum of Southwark's history and a one-stop shop for residents to access council services.

Leader of the council Peter John said: "Whilst our first concern is for the safety of residents and our staff, we are also worried about possible damage to the museum's collection.

"It does not appear at this time that surrounding buildings or any residential properties have been affected, but we will continue to monitor the situation very closely and continue to assist the emergency services where we can."

The building houses a library and a museum of Southwark's history

A fire service spokesman said the whole of the roof of the library and museum was ablaze.

Station Manager Peter Critchell said: "Flames are coming through the roof and there is thick grey smoke billowing up.

"Firefighters are still working hard at the scene to try and bring the blaze under control.

"We now have water jets attacking the fire from the four corners of the building. We evacuated 30 people from inside the museum and firefighters will be making efforts to salvage as many of the artefacts as possible."

Onlookers were kept back by a cordon as firefighters battled the flames using aerial platforms.

Peter Critchell, a spokesman for London Fire Brigade, said: "At the moment the roof has been severely damaged but there will be more inspections needed to see what damage there is inside the building once it is safe for us to get inside."

Richard Rees, a 62-year-old who works in the community, said parts of the building were listed.

He said: "It's a listed building, it was one of the very few treasured buildings in the community. It took a long time to get it listed and it is a very sad day for us."

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Shark Forcing Head Into Cage Caught On Camera

A Canadian tourist has captured dramatic footage on his mobile phone of the moment a great white shark tried to smash through a diving cage off South Africa.

In the video, the shark crashes its head into the cage as divers try to get out of the way. Onlookers can be heard screaming and swearing.

Bryan Plummer, who filmed the video, told Sky News he only decided to go on the trip because his sister and friends were visiting him from Canada.

He said: "Shark diving is one of the things to do in South Africa so we kind of figured why not. It wasn't on my list of things I had to do while I was here but with them being there I thought we would."

Mr Plummer, who had never before been shark watching or even worn a wetsuit, spent about 25 minutes in the water watching three sharks who had swum close to the cage after a tuna head had been thrown out by the crew as bait.

The shark approaches the cage

"When our time was up, I jumped out, got dry and picked up my iPhone - it's kind of an expensive outing so I wanted to catch as much as I could," he said.

As they watched, the great white pushed its head through the gap in the front of the cage designed to give divers an unobstructed view.

Twisting and turning, half in and half out of the cage the divers can be seen in the footage darting away before the scene is obscured by the thrashing of the shark.

"We saw some red in the water and we thought for sure that the guy in the cage had been bit ... people started screaming and I ended up swearing," Mr Plummer said.

"I realised something bad was happening but the film was already rolling so carried on and then yelled 'get back, get back' as I didn't really know what was going to happen.

"There were some women who were losing their minds because they thought this guy had had his head bit off."

But after a few seconds the great white swam away and the divers in the cage emerged unscathed. One diver told the others on the boat he had escaped the shark's jaws by swimming down below the opening and out of its reach.

"Roger Grey popped up and had a huge scream of joy. I can't even imagine what he saw down there but his reaction dictated the mood on the boat," Mr Plummer said.

"He took it very well considering."

Mr Plummer and his friends even returned to the cage for a second dive after the attack.

"I was definitely much more alert the second time, much more aware of where I was putting my fingers and toes, it kind of brought me back to reality."

"I do believe it was a freak accident and it wouldn't happen again ... but it have never really been that totally into sharks.

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Bogus Film: Five Jailed Over Tax Credit Fraud

Five fraudsters who pretended they were making a film backed by Hollywood A-listers as part of a £2.8m tax scam have been jailed.

The group had told inspectors that top actors would be starring in a £19.6m film called Landscape Of Lives, which would be shot in the UK.

They were able to claim nearly £3m in VAT and tax credits designed to help genuine British filmmakers.

But officials grew suspicious when the only footage produced was seven minutes of "completely unusable quality", Southwark Crown Court, in central London, heard.

To cover their tracks, the fraudsters quickly set about making a film on a shoestring budget of £84,000 called A Landscape of Lies, drafting in unwitting actors and filmmakers.

That production went on to win a prize at the 2012 Las Vegas Film Festival.

Bashar Al Issa, 34, a former Iraqi national who is now British, of Rodney Court, Maida Vale, London, described as the orchestrator of the fraud, was jailed for six-and-a-half years by Judge Juliet May.

Actor Aoife Madden, 31, a British and Irish national, of Maclise Road, west London, said to have submitted a "pack of lies" to inspectors about the project, was sentenced to four years and eight months.

Tariq Hassan, 52, a Pakistani national, of Willingale Road, Loughton, Essex, and Osama Al Baghdady, 51, an Iraqi national of Lowther Road, Crumpsall, Manchester, were each jailed for four years.

A fifth defendant, architect Ian Sherwood, 53, of Esher Drive, Sale, Manchester, who allowed his offices to be used for the fraud, was sentenced to three-and-a-half years.

Judge May said the fraud had been based on an "entirely bogus film project".

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