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North Korea Threatens To Target The White House

Written By Unknown on Senin, 22 Desember 2014 | 23.39

The North Korean government has threatened to "stand in confrontation with the US in all war spaces" as the diplomatic row over a Sony film continues to escalate.

In a strongly-worded statement, officials branded America as "an ill-famed cesspool of injustice and terrorism".

And it warned that "tough counteraction will be boldly taken against the White House, the Pentagon and the whole US mainland".

Despite being accused by the US of being behind the recent Sony hacking, the secretive state continues to insist it had no involvement.

But Pyongyang praised the "surprisingly sophisticated, destructive and threatening cyber warfare" inflicted on the company, as the movie "dared to hurt the dignity of the supreme leadership of the DPRK".

Meanwhile, South Korea has claimed one of its nuclear power plants fell victim to hacking, but stressed no reactors were affected. The developed country has not implicated North Korea in the attack.

The Interview, which included the fictional assassination of leader Kim Jong-Un, was pulled from cinemas before its release after hackers threatened to target those who went to see the film.

A story from the Korean Central News Agency said: "The Interview is undesirable and reactionary. It should not be allowed in any country or any region. The movie has a story agitating a vicious and dastardly method of assassinating a legitimate head of state.

"DPRK is praising the 'guardians of peace' for their righteous deed which prevented in advance the evil cycle of retaliation – terrorism sparks terrorism."

The Pyongyang government claims it is taking a stand "on the US gangster-like behaviour against it" – and alleges it has clear evidence that American authorities were deeply involved in the movie's production, as it would be "effective propaganda against North Korea".

Its statement said: "The facts glaringly show that the US is the chief culprit of terrorism as it has loudly called for combating terrorism everywhere in the world, but schemed behind the scenes to produce and distribute movies inciting it.

"Nothing is a more serious miscalculation than guessing that just a single movie production company is involved. Our target is all the citadels of the US imperialists who earned the bitterest grudge of Koreans.

"The US should reflect on its evil doings that put itself in such a trouble, apologise to the Koreans and other people of the world, and should not dare pull up others."

North Korea's only significant ally, China, condemned the use of cyber-attacks and cyber-terrorism early on Monday – but stopped short of criticising the state.

President Obama, along with his advisers, is weighing up how to punish North Korea. The FBI concluded that Pyongyang was behind the Sony hacking – the first time that the US has accused another country of orchestrating such a significant cyber-attack.

David Boies, Sony's lawyer, has insisted the embattled entertainment company still plans to release its controversial film - but warned the hack was "a national security problem" and the US government needed to take the lead.

"How it's going to be distributed, I don't think anybody knows quite yet. But it's going to be distributed," he told NBC.


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Glasgow Crash: Witnesses Tell Of Screams

Horrified witnesses have been telling of the moment a bin lorry carreered along a Glasgow street, fatally hitting pedestrians.

At least six people died in the tragedy in George Square in the centre of the city.

One woman has told Sky News of "the noise, the bangs and the screams".

Still on the street in Glasgow as the daylight began to fade, she said the lorry was like "pinball" as it travelled up to 200 yards or more along the street.

"Quite horrific. Very scary," she said.

When Sky News' Scotland Correspondent James Matthews asked her to describe the people who had been hit, she said: "I can't do that."

She added: "When something is coming up behind them like that, how can they run out of the way?"

She also said there was a baby in a buggy. "There were actually two little kids. It was just horrific."

David Lyon escaped being hit by seconds, saying he moved out of the way, trying to save his girlfriend.

"It makes you appreciate life," he said.

Mr Lyon said: "I quite literally moved out the way of a moving truck. I feel quite lucky to be alive.

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  1. Gallery: Bin Lorry Crashes Into Glasgow Shoppers

    The rubbish lorry crashed through shoppers in Glasgow before hitting the Millennium Hotel in St George Square. Pic: Radio Clyde

Witnesses described the lorry mounting the pavement and driving for several hundred yards

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Westminster Child Abuse: Claims Of New Murders

By Afua Hirsch, Social Affairs Editor

Two whistle-blowers who had information about MPs' involvement in a paedophile ring could have been murdered, according to a Labour MP who has handed a dossier of evidence to Scotland Yard.

Speaking to Sky News, John Mann claims he has evidence relating to the suspicious deaths of two men – a former Lambeth council official named Bulick Forsythe, and a caretaker whose name he did not disclose.

He said the police were already aware of the potential link between one of the deaths and the child sex abuse ring, which involved "highly influential" politicians during the 1970s and 1980s.

Although Mr Mann has now handed the information to the Metropolitan Police, he has been aware of it since the 1980s and 1990s, when he said the police declined to fully investigate.

"Bulick Forsythe had significant information in relation to child abuse. The second was a caretaker who said he had tapes relating to sex parties that were taking place," he added. "Mr Forsythe went to the police at the time and got nowhere. What I want to see is both those suspicious deaths reinvestigated."

His dossier includes 22 names of MPs he believes were involved in paedophile rings in north Wales, Lambeth, Dolphin Square in London, Rochdale, and one other location which he declined to name for legal reasons.

The MPs named include 14 Conservatives, five Labour politicians and three from other parties. Of them, 13 are former ministers.

Mr Mann told Sky News that he has given the police enough evidence on some of the suspects that he would expect the police to act "soon".

"I am confident there will be people arrested," said Mr Mann. "In some cases I'd be surprised if it didn't happen soon."

The prospect of arrests for child abuse by MPs is likely to intensify calls for an inquiry into the historical allegations.

Home Secretary Theresa May has been dogged by setbacks after two successive chairs were forced to resign over their links to establishment figures in positions of power at the time.

Mrs May said last week that the inquiry should have the powers of a statutory inquiry in order to compel witnesses to give evidence but members of the panel are reported to be "devastated" that the existing inquiry, which has started preliminary work, is to be disbanded.

Scotland Yard detectives were already investigating "credible" claims that the murders of three young boys - aged between seven and 16 - were linked to high-profile abusers, including MPs. One victim was allegedly run over by a car.

Last Thursday, a fresh appeal was launched for further victims of historical abuse at the Dolphin Square estate, in southwest London, to come forward.

Children were allegedly taken to sex parties at the plush property, which was popular with politicians.


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US Families Prepare For 'Modern Day Apocalypse'

By Dominic Waghorn, US Correspondent

From the outside America may seem to be a land of endless optimism and confidence. But could it be in danger of falling apart?

An increasing number of Americans seem to think so, and they're preparing for the end.

They call themselves preppers. Mainstream suburban Americans hoarding supplies and weapons while leading otherwise perfectly normal lives.

It's a national phenomenon and it's supporting a doom boom industry worth many millions.

Braxton Southwick is a typical father-of-six in Salt Lake City, who believes the nice suburban neighbourhood he lives in could soon be swept away by some kind of modern day apocalypse.

Like other preppers, he's afraid of some impending catastrophe but also what that will do to American society.

"I think that is what I'm scared of the most," he told Sky News, "Not the actual events. I've already prepared for that. It's the aftermath, when there are no police, there are no military to protect us, we're going to be protecting ourselves."

The trigger could be a terrorist attack, a monetary collapse, cataclysmic failure in power generation, or a natural disaster. Preppers fear what comes next and have no faith in either their government or human nature.

"Once people use up all their resources, they're going to come after the people that prepared and had more resources. So basically we have to take care of ourselves."

Braxton and his wife Kara have a basement that will see them through Armageddon, literally. Enough dried and canned food to last six months. Enough guns and ammunition to turn their family into a small army.

And they have trained each of their six children, including the youngest aged 15, how to defend themselves with guns to see off the mobs of marauding looters they predict could come after them after their world collapses.

At the other end of America, another family are preparing in exactly the same way. In Virginia, Jay and Holly Blevins hoard food and weapons and run a network of like-minded families.

"We're not talking about folks walking around wearing tin foil on their heads," Jay tells Sky News. "We're not talking about conspiracy theorists.

"I'm talking about professionals: doctors and lawyers and law enforcement and military. Normal, everyday people. They can't necessarily put their finger on it. But there's something about the uncertainty of our times. They know something isn't quite right."

Jay is a celebrity in the strange but increasingly mainstream world of preppers, writing prepper books and touring America, speaking at prepper expos where a bewildering range of survival supplies and techniques are on offer.

Why is it happening? Partly, no doubt, because it allows Americans to indulge in some of their favourite pastimes: consuming, camping and buying lots and lots of guns.

And partly because fear sells, drives up numbers for cable news, and increases sales for everything from dried food to assault rifles.

But it's also arguably a sign of a country coping with economic decline. The end of the American Dream has left people more uncertain about their future, and their country's.

Katy Bryson is in Jay's prepper network. Prepping, she says, puts Americans back in charge of their destiny.

"They're not in control of whether they lose their job or not but they are in control of whether they are prepared. So I feel like that's why the industry is just booming right now for preparedness," Katy added.

It is also a fundamentally American phenomenon. In a country built on the radical individualism of its founding fathers, people have an inbuilt mistrust in their government's ability to protect them.

Sociologist Barry Glastner wrote The Culture of Fear. He told Sky News: "Americans are fairly unique as world citizens in that we tend to believe that we control our own destiny as individuals to a much greater extent than we really do."

Ironically, he points out preppers may actually be reacting to their fears in the least effective way. Dangerous weather, terrorist attacks and economic collapses are all best dealt with by higher authorities, he said.

"Where there are real dangers, to take an individualistic approach is usually exactly the wrong thing to do. So the kinds of things that the preppers are preparing to protect themselves from are much better handled on a community-wide basis than they are in your own home."

:: Dominic Waghorn meets the preppers in The Doom Boom, this Tuesday at 9.30pm on Sky News.


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Tara Palmer-Tomkinson Arrested At Heathrow

Tara Palmer-Tomkinson has blamed a panic attack for a meltdown at Heathrow Airport which led to her being arrested by armed officers.

The socialite was detained following her reaction to being refused access to a first-class lounge, The Sun said.

Video footage filmed by a witness showed her sobbing, swearing and tearing out her hair extensions during the incident on Saturday, the newspaper said.

Palmer-Tomkinson, who has battled drug problems in the past, was taken to a west London police station and accepted a caution under the Public Order Act.

Following her arrest, the former reality television star said a panic attack triggered her behaviour.

She said: "I wasn't drunk, there was no disorderly. I was cautioned, I saw a doctor, they were nice to me."

Palmer-Tomkinson has since flown to Switzerland, where she will celebrate her 43rd birthday, the paper said.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "Police at Heathrow Terminal 5 were made aware of disturbance in the forecourt of the building at approximately 3.30pm on Saturday, 20 December.

"Officers arrived at the scene and arrested a 42-year-old woman.

"She was taken to a west London police station and subsequently accepted a caution under section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986."

In June Palmer-Tomkinson told Jeremy Kyle she had become a virtual recluse who barely left her house due to anxiety.

Last year, she was arrested at Zurich airport after a scanner picked up an image of a gun in her luggage. The apparent weapon turned out to be a pair of designer Chanel shoes with a high heel in the shape of a pistol.


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Pakistan To Execute 500 Terror Convicts

Pakistan plans to execute around 500 militants after the government lifted a moratorium on the death penalty in terror cases.

It comes after Taliban gunmen killed 149 people, including 133 children, in a school massacre in the northwestern city of Peshawar last week.

Six militants have been hanged since Friday amid rising public anger over the slaughter.

Around nine gunmen stormed the army-run school on 16 December taking teachers and students hostage and killing them in classrooms.

After the deadliest terror attack in Pakistani history, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ended the six-year moratorium on the death penalty, reinstating it for terrorism-related cases.

"Interior ministry has finalised the cases of 500 convicts who have exhausted all the appeals, their mercy petitions have been turned down by the president and their executions will take place in coming weeks," a senior government official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Of the six hanged so far, five were involved in a failed attempt to assassinate the then-military ruler Pervez Musharraf in 2003, while one was involved in a 2009 attack on army headquarters.

Police, troops and paramilitary Rangers have been deployed across the country and airports and prisons put on red alert as the executions take place and troops intensify operations against Taliban militants in northwestern tribal areas.

Mr Sharif has ordered the attorney general's office to "actively pursue" capital cases currently in the courts, a government spokesman said.

The decision to reinstate executions has been condemned by human rights groups, with the United Nations also calling for it to reconsider.

Human Rights Watch described the executions "a craven politicised reaction to the Peshawar killings" and demanded that no further hangings be carried out.

Pakistan began its de facto moratorium on civilian executions in 2008, but hanging remains on the statute books and judges continue to pass death sentences.

Before Friday's resumption, only one person had been executed since then - a soldier convicted by a court martial and hanged in November 2012.


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Burglary Suspect Dies After Taser Shooting

A burglary suspect has died after being shot with a Taser by officers in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Staffordshire Police had been called to a block of flats after receiving reports of a break-in shortly after 1am on Monday morning.

The occupants of a first floor flat, understood to be a young couple with a little boy, were not inside when officers arrived, according to a force spokesman.

However, another man was in the flat and officers deployed a Taser.

The suspected burglar became unresponsive after being taken to a police vehicle.

Paramedics from the West Midlands Ambulance Service tried to treat the man, but he died a short time later.

Uniformed officers remain on guard outside the flat's doorway, while residents spoke of their shock at the night's events.

A resident living on the ground floor with his pregnant girlfriend said he saw a "drunk-looking" man being supported and escorted by at least three police officers into a custody van.

The 22-year-old, who declined to be named, said at about 1.45am he heard the white male call "help me", as he was walked along a short path leading from the front of the flats to the main road.

He added that the first he heard of any trouble was "shouting in the corridor", but initially thought nothing of it.

"I just thought it's the lads having a few beers, but then there was banging," he said.

The resident, who lives right by the front door to the block of flats said he grew alarmed, and helped his six-and-a-half month pregnant girlfriend into her car and off to her parents while he stayed.

"It's something when you have to put your missus in the car and send her off," he said. "I just locked the door and wanted nothing to do with it."

The incident has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

A spokesman for the Staffordshire force said: "A detailed investigation is under way and the scene will remain cordoned off while the investigation continues.

"Local officers will be in the community throughout the day talking to residents."


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Seal Stranded In Field In St Helens - Really

Take the dog out for a walk and what do you expect to find in the field? A seal, of course.

Police and residents of one Merseyside town are completely baffled after one such water-loving mammal was discovered stranded in an inland field - seven miles from the nearest waterway.

The seal was spotted by a dog walker in Newton-le-Willows, near St Helens at around 9.45am on Monday.

Officers had warned members of the public not to approach the animal, which was in a field next to a main road.

He was described as "very distressed".

Pictures showed the animal looking quite sorry for itself as it lay on a muddy patch in the field.

The animal has since been contained by officers, with conservation experts coaxing him into a trailer using mackerel.

In a statement, Merseyside Police said: "Police in St Helens were called at around 9.45 this morning by a dog walker, reporting that she'd seen what appeared to be a seal in the middle of a field in the St Helens area."

They added earlier: "Police have contained the seal and representatives from the British Diver Marine Life Rescue Service are making their way to the scene.

"Seals are powerful animals and potentially dangerous. Police are advising the public to stay away from the area."

It is thought the animal may somehow have arrived in the field from the estuary of the River Mersey which starts at Runcorn.

The mammal is being taken to the Mersey, where it is hoped it will join a seal colony there.


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Glasgow: Six Dead As Lorry Runs Over Shoppers

A bin lorry has smashed into a crowd of Christmas shoppers in Glasgow city centre, killing six people.

The number of people injured in the accident is believed to be in double figures.

The crowd were waiting to cross the road outside Queen Street station by the Millennium Hotel in the centre of the city and some people are thought to have been thrown up to 15 metres from the site of impact. 

As many as six ambulances are at the scene, along with the police and fire service and pictures on social media show people being treated along the length of the street.

A woman who witnessed the entire event told Sky News: "The only way the lorry stopped was actually hitting the building."

Sky correspondent James Matthews who is at the scene asked the witness to tell him about the people on the pavement who had been hit.

The distressed woman said: "I can't, honestly I just can't do that."

She went on to say: "When something is coming up behind them like that, how can they run out of the way? It's such a horrific thing. There was noise and bangs and screams.

"There was a baby in a buggy. There were actually two little kids. It was just horrific."

Sky's James Matthews said: "There is no structural damage to the hotel. This is bang in the middle of Glasgow's shopping area.

"The lorry collided with pedestrians before ramming into the hotel."

A witness told Sky News: "People were just in shock Just standing about screaming. A mother with her baby in the pram she had fainted. Apparently the lorry had just missed her and her child."

Police have declared the scene a major incident. A statement released by Police Scotland said: "About 2.30pm today, a Glasgow City Council bin lorry was travelling north on Queen Street when it appeared to strike pedestrians outside the Gallery of Modern Art.

"It continued to travel towards George Square, when it crashed at the Millennium Hotel on Queen Street at George Square.

"There have been a number of fatalities and people injured. Emergency services are currently at the scene."

Police say the lorry travelled 300 metres from the moment of initial impact until it stopped.

Lauren Gilmore, a shopper in George Square, said: "Just over a year ago, we had another tragedy in Glasgow – it was the helicopter crash. And now this has happened again just before Christmas."

Witness Connor Gillies a reporter with Radio Clyde told Sky News that the whole of Queen Street has been cordoned off and emergency services are arriving by the minute.

Describing the scene on Twitter, Brett Molloy tweeted: "Christ something major has kicked off at Queen St."

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  1. Gallery: Bin Lorry Crashes Into Glasgow Shoppers

    The rubbish lorry crashed through shoppers in Glasgow before hitting the Millennium Hotel in St George Square. Pic: Radio Clyde

Witnesses described the lorry mounting the pavement and driving for several hundred yards

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Lorry Crash Live Updates: 'Noise And Bangs'

Lorry Crash Live Updates: 'Noise And Bangs'

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  1. Breaking News: Six Dead As Bin Lorry Crashes Into Shoppers
  2. Breaking News: Glasgow: Witnesses Tell Of Screams
  3. Breaking News: Westminster Child Abuse: Claims Of New Murders
  4. US Families Prepare For 'Modern Day Apocalypse'
  5. North Korea Threatens To Target White House


23.39 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sandy Hook Families Sue Gun Manufacturer

Written By Unknown on Senin, 15 Desember 2014 | 23.38

Sandy Hook Families Sue Gun Manufacturer

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By Sky News US Team

The families of nine of the 26 people killed by a gunman at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut have sued the manufacturer of the rifle used in the attack.

The negligence and wrongful death lawsuit also names the distributor and seller of the Bushmaster AR-15 rifle.

The families claim the rifle should not have been made available to the public because it is a military weapon unsuited for civilian use.

"The AR-15 was specifically engineered for the United States Military to meet the needs of changing warfare," attorney Josh Koskoff said in a release.

"In fact, one of the Army's specifications for the AR-15 was that it has the capability to penetrate a steel helmet."

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  1. Gallery: Weapons Found At Sandy Hook Scene

    Adam Lanza opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School using this semi-automatic rifle.

The 20-year-old gunman smashed his way into the primary school in Connecticut by firing at a window.

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Lanza killed 20 children and six adults at the school just weeks before Christmas 2012.

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An array of weapons and ammunition was found after the shooting.

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Police released this picture of Lanza's bedroom, with blacked-out windows and only a limited amount of furniture.

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Sandy Hook Families Sue Gun Manufacturer

We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.

By Sky News US Team

The families of nine of the 26 people killed by a gunman at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut have sued the manufacturer of the rifle used in the attack.

The negligence and wrongful death lawsuit also names the distributor and seller of the Bushmaster AR-15 rifle.

The families claim the rifle should not have been made available to the public because it is a military weapon unsuited for civilian use.

"The AR-15 was specifically engineered for the United States Military to meet the needs of changing warfare," attorney Josh Koskoff said in a release.

"In fact, one of the Army's specifications for the AR-15 was that it has the capability to penetrate a steel helmet."

1/8

  1. Gallery: Weapons Found At Sandy Hook Scene

    Adam Lanza opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School using this semi-automatic rifle.

The 20-year-old gunman smashed his way into the primary school in Connecticut by firing at a window.

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Lanza killed 20 children and six adults at the school just weeks before Christmas 2012.

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An array of weapons and ammunition was found after the shooting.

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Police released this picture of Lanza's bedroom, with blacked-out windows and only a limited amount of furniture.

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23.38 | 0 komentar | Read More

Five Boys Held For Murder After Argument

Five boys, all believed to be aged 13 and 14, have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a man was stabbed in north London.

The 52-year-old victim was attacked during an argument as he tried to get into a block of flats where he lived in the Edmonton area on Sunday night.

Police say the victim - who was with a woman - continued into the block but was followed by two of the males and he was then stabbed.

The young males did not know the victim, who died at the scene shortly before 8.40pm.

Detective Chief Inspector Neale Baldock said: "Our initial enquiries have established that there was a supervised party taking place at another address within the block and the group of males were trying to gain access to this.

"The victim and this group were not known to each other - what started as a minor verbal altercation has escalated into a shocking act of violence."

Sky Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt said: "There is a good deal of police activity at the scene, much of it focused on talking to people that live in this block of flats.

"They're trying to establish how what appears to have been an altercation turned into such a drama."


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Former Hostage Describes Terror Of Captivity

Former Hostage Describes Terror Of Captivity

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A former hostage described the terror he felt while being held captive and urged those caught up in an armed siege in the Sydney cafe to remain calm.

The siege was brought to end after more than 16 hours when armed police stormed the building.

Around 20 seconds of gunfire was heard and several people have been injured.

Mark Henderson was taken hostage in 2003 by left-wing rebels while trekking in the Colombian jungle.

"You are completely powerless, everything you took for granted is gone, you have no freedom," he told Sky News.

Speaking about the siege in the Lindt cafe, he said: "The one thing I would say is to stay calm, to try to understand what is going on around you.

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  1. Gallery: Latest Images From Australia

    A bomb disposal robot moves towards Sydney's Lindt Cafe after armed police moved in to end the seige in a barrage of gunfire.

A woman is carried out of the cafe after armed police stormed the building where a gunman was holding up to 20 hostages

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A second woman is carried out of the cafe

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Armed officers were apparently forced to go into the building after a group of five hostages made their escape

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Former Hostage Describes Terror Of Captivity

We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.

A former hostage described the terror he felt while being held captive and urged those caught up in an armed siege in the Sydney cafe to remain calm.

The siege was brought to end after more than 16 hours when armed police stormed the building.

Around 20 seconds of gunfire was heard and several people have been injured.

Mark Henderson was taken hostage in 2003 by left-wing rebels while trekking in the Colombian jungle.

"You are completely powerless, everything you took for granted is gone, you have no freedom," he told Sky News.

Speaking about the siege in the Lindt cafe, he said: "The one thing I would say is to stay calm, to try to understand what is going on around you.

1/49

  1. Gallery: Latest Images From Australia

    A bomb disposal robot moves towards Sydney's Lindt Cafe after armed police moved in to end the seige in a barrage of gunfire.

A woman is carried out of the cafe after armed police stormed the building where a gunman was holding up to 20 hostages

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A second woman is carried out of the cafe

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Armed officers were apparently forced to go into the building after a group of five hostages made their escape

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Teenager Killed By Shark On Australian Reef

A teenager has died after being bitten by a shark on the thigh and arm while fishing on a reef in Queensland, Australia.

Ambulance officials said the 18-year-old, named as Daniel Smith by the ABC network, was dead by the time he reached shore, despite resuscitation attempts by his friends.

It is reported that they were on a private boat near Rudder Reef off Port Douglas, which is around 60km (37 miles) north of Cairns.

Queensland Ambulance Service executive manager of operations Greg Thiedecke said the boy went into cardiac arrest immediately after being bitten on his right upper leg, groin and upper arm.

"It would be speculating but (there are) a lot of large blood vessels in the groin area, so for him to go into cardiac arrest that quickly would be probably blood loss," he told the Cairns Post.

Veteran diver Col McKenzie, who heads the Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators, told reporters Rudder Reef was not a common spot for dive tourism operators.

But he said it was popular with spear fishing enthusiasts, and there was a fatal shark attack at nearby Opal Reef almost a decade ago to the day.

It is not known what type of shark was responsible for the attack.

Experts say attacks by sharks, which are common in Australian waters, are increasing as water sports become more popular.

In October, a young surfer lost parts of both arms in an attack by two great white sharks off the south coast of Western Australia.

The most recent fatality was in September when a British ex-pat was killed in front of his wife while swimming at Byron Bay on the east coast.


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FCA Life Ban For Fare-Dodging Jonathan Burrows

The financial watchdog has banned a top fund manager from any role in the City after it was discovered he paid £43,000 to avoid prosecution for dodging train fares.

Jonathan Paul Burrows, who was a London-based managing director at US investment firm BlackRock, admitted his actions sullied the reputation of the City.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) banned Mr Burrows for "not being a fit and proper" person.

It launched an investigation after a furore when it emerged an unnamed City worker paid the money to Southeastern Railway to avoid prosecution for repeated fare dodging.

In November 2013, a ticket inspector at Cannon Street station noticed an irregularity with the payment history of Mr Burrows' Oystercard.

Under caution he admitted regularly not paying for tickets from his home in Stonegate, East Sussex, where there were no ticket barriers.

It was claimed he only paid £7.20 for a Oystercard single ticket in London instead of the standard single fare of £21.50 from Stonegate.

It emerged he had stopped buying annual season tickets in 2008, despite continuing to work in the City for another five years.

"Burrows held a senior position within the financial services industry. His conduct fell short of the standards we expect," FCA director of enforcement Tracey McDermott said.

"Approved persons must act with honesty and integrity at all times and, where they do not, we will take action."

According to the Daily Mail, father-of-one Mr Burrows owned two mortgage-free multi-million pound mansions in East Sussex and drove a Porsche sports car.

A heated public debate developed over how a wealthy worker was able to pay a five-digit sum to avoid prosecution.

Following his banning, his former employer said: "Jonathan Burrows left BlackRock earlier this year. What he admitted to the FCA is totally contrary to our values and principles."

After being banned on 15 December, Mr Burrows released his own statement through a PR firm and said: "I have always recognised that what I did was foolish.

"I have apologised to all concerned and reiterate that apology publicly today."

"The settlement I made with Southeastern in March 2014 was for an amount significantly in excess of the value of the fares not paid by me on the small number of occasions that I failed to pay.

"Indeed the size of the settlement could be said to have led to a distorted perception of the scale of my wrongdoing."

Approached by Sky News, Southeastern Railway defended its decision not to prosecute Mr Burrows at the time.

In a statement it said: "We reached a £43,000 settlement with Mr Burrows regarding allegations of fare-dodging earlier this year.

"We believe that the actions that we took were in the best interests of our passengers (and taxpayers) by giving us the best opportunity to recover a substantial sum in respect of the allegation."


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Gunman 'Notorious For Violence'

A man who took up to 20 people hostage in a Sydney cafe has been named as Iranian refugee Man Haron Monis, aged 49.

Sydney police said the self-styled Sheikh - who raised a flag with Arabic writing similar to that used by Islamic State and placed human shield in the window before police officers moved into the building - was well-known to them.

Channel Nine reporter Airlie Walsh told Sky News that the existing charges against him include accessory to murder and sexual assault.

"The list of charges against the Sheikh are extremely long and extremely worrying," she said.

He is believed to be currently on bail for 47 sexual assaults.

Ms Walsh added: "He's a very secretive man on a personal level, but he is notorious for his acts of violence."

He moved to Australia in 1996 from Iran.

He is notorious in Australia for sending abusive letters to family members of soldiers killed in Afghanistan.

Monis operated a website which was taken down shortly after he was named as the hostage-taker in the media.

He appears to have last posted a message on the site on Sunday, accusing the US, Britain and Australia of "oppression and terrorism".

The page also included images of dead children.

Sky's foreign affairs editor Sam Kiley said Monis may have a "fetish for self-publicity" which could have proved "useful to the hostage negotiators".

He added that Monis was a "fantasist" with a "really very chaotic background".

His former lawyer Manny Condits said he believed that Monis was acting alone.

"This is a one-off random individual. It's not a concerted terrorism event or act. It's a damaged goods individual who's done something outrageous," he said.

"His ideology is just so strong and so powerful that it clouds his vision for common sense and objectiveness."

:: Watch Sky News' special report on the Sydney siege at 8.30pm and 9.30pm on Sky Channel 501, Virgin Media 602, Freesat 202 and Freeview 132.


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Police Storm Building To End Belgium Siege

Three men have been detained by police who stormed an apartment in Belgium after reports of a man being taken hostage in an armed siege.

Police were called after four armed men were reportedly seen entering a building in the Dampoort district of the city on Monday morning.

A spokeswoman for the state prosecutor said the victim was safe and well.

"Three men have been taken away though there were no weapons found. The earlier reports were of four men with kalashnikovs," she said. "... It's not entirely clear whether someone was in fact taken hostage."

Armed police in balaclavas emerged at about 1pm from the cordoned-off building.

"It's over," one police officer said.

Belgian broadcaster VRT cited neighbours as saying that the flat had been used by drug dealers.

A federal police spokeswoman said the incident was not terrorism-related.

Television pictures showed police blocking traffic at a cordoned-off intersection while a helicopter hovered overhead and sirens blared in the background.

Local media reported that two months ago there was another hostage incident in Ghent, linked to extortion.

The siege happened as a gunman held a number of people hostage at a cafe in Sydney, Australia.


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Murdered Club Owner's Son Appears In Court

The son of stabbed London nightclub tycoon David West has appeared in court charged with his murder.

The 44-year-old, who has the same name as his father, appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court where the case was referred to the Old Bailey.

The body of Mr West, 70, was found at an address near Piccadilly - believed to be his home - on Friday night.

The cause of death was a single stab wound, according to a post-mortem examination.

Mr West reportedly owned the nightclub Hey Jo, as well as Russian restaurant Abracadabra.

He made millions selling alcohol from a Calais warehouse having started out with a flower and grocery stall at Romford market.

In 2007 he hit the headlines after he hired Cherie Blair to mount a legal challenge against the smoking ban.

Friends have described him as a flamboyant figure who reportedly bought the title of "Lord of the Manor of Hollesley" on eBay.

Neighbour Stephen Fry told The Sun that he heard "horrifying screams" on Friday night and wondered what was going on.

"I looked out the window and saw Dave's body taken out of his home and placed on the road outside.

"The emergency services were desperately trying to revive him but were unfortunately unable to do so.

"I saw them place a cloak over him after he had passed away. It's an absolute tragedy."


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Sydney Hostage Drama: What We Know About Siege

The gunman took an unknown number of people hostage in a cafe at the height of Monday morning's rush hour.

The siege ended about 16 hours later when armed police stormed the building and gunfire and explosions were heard.

The gunman and a hostage were reported to have died. Several other people were injured.

Here are the facts we know:

:: A gunman went in to the Lindt cafe in Sydney at around 9.45am local time (10.45pm GMT).

:: The suspect has been named as Iranian Man Haron Monis - who is currently on bail for a number of violent offences. 

:: Police were alerted when a woman reported seeing a man carrying a gun in a blue bag.

:: The man appeared to be middle-aged, with a beard, and was wearing a black and white headband. There were reports he was known to police and media outlets.

:: A flag with Arabic writing was displayed at the cafe window and several hostages were seen with their hands up against the window.

:: The writing on the flag appears to be the shahada, or profession of faith in Islam, and says: "There is no god but Allah; Mohammed is the Messenger of Allah."

:: Australian prime minister Tony Abbott said there were indications the siege could be politically motivated.

:: The scene of the drama, Martin Place, is in Sydney's financial centre and houses several prominent buildings, including the New South Wales parliament, the US consulate, the country's central bank and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

:: Some six hours into the siege, three men emerged from the popular cafe and ran for their lives, two from the front door and one from an emergency exit.

:: Around an hour later two women who appeared to be staff members also fled into the arms of police.

:: It is understood that they all escaped and were not released.

:: Police confirmed that negotiators have made contact with the gunman.

:: The two female hostages told Channel Ten news the gunman claims there were four bombs; two inside the Lindt cafe and two in Sydney's financial district.

:: Just after 2am local time (3pm GMT), five more hostages ran out of the building.

:: A few minutes later, armed police stormed the building and gunfire and explosions were heard. Police then declared the siege over and a number of people were injured.

:: A bomb disposal robot was seen outside the building.

:: The fate of the gunman was not known.

:: It was not clear how many hostages had been held. Reports vary from eight to 50 people.

:: However, police said the numbers are "not as high as 30".

:: Anyone who works in the area has been advised to work from home on Tuesday.

:: Australia raised its terror threat level in September.

:: Watch continuous live coverage on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 132 and Freesat channel 202.


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Two Dead After Police Storm Sydney Cafe

One hostage and the hostage taker are reported to have died after police stormed a Sydney cafe where up to 20 people have been held for 17 hours.

At least half a dozen heavily-armed police threw flash grenades through an entrance to the building, then advanced into the cafe with their guns raised.

A series of loud explosions were heard at the scene before glass shattered onto the pavement from a nearby window.

Moments earlier at least five more panicked hostages escaped from the Lindt cafe in the city's central business district.

Seven people were also taken from the Martin Place cafe on stretchers. Five of those hostages are being treated at the scene.

An elderly lady was helped from the cafe by specialist police officers. One woman was seen with blood spattered on her foot.

There was a series of loud explosions and flashes as officers rushed through the building's entrance.

A man dressed in bomb-disposal kit also stood poised to enter the premises.

:: Follow live updates here

Alarms rang in the street as more police officers and ambulance crews were sent into the cafe, where a gunmen has held at least 15 hostages in a tense stand-off.

After the hostages escaped and police entered the cafe, a bomb-disposal robot approached the doorway.

Former SAS member Pete Winner told Sky News it appeared Australian police believed the hostages were in immediate danger.

"It looks like they've done a full assault with explosive entry," he said.

"It appears the gunfire was probably the taking down of the gunman."

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  1. Gallery: Latest Images From Australia

    A bomb disposal robot moves towards Sydney's Lindt Cafe after armed police moved in to end the seige in a barrage of gunfire.

A woman is carried out of the cafe after armed police stormed the building where a gunman was holding up to 20 hostages

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UK Base Jumper Killed In Oz 'A Beautiful Soul'

Written By Unknown on Senin, 08 Desember 2014 | 23.38

Tributes have been paid to a British base jumper who was killed after falling off a cliff in Australia.

Gareth Jones, 25, plunged 90 metres (300 feet) on to a rock platform in Manly, Sydney, during an outing with friends, police say.

Mr Jones, who is thought to be from Brighton, reportedly climbed a fence at the Fairfax Walk lookout at North Head at about 6.45am on Sunday.

The Foreign Office said it was ready to support his family.

An FCO spokesman said: "We can confirm the death of a British national in Manly, New South Wales on December 7. We are in touch with local authorities and stand ready to provide consular assistance to the family."

Mr Jones made his name as a daredevil who leapt from landmarks including the Kuala Lumpur Tower, but his death appears to be a tragic accident.

Nine News reported that two of Mr Jones' friends rushed down to the base using ladders used by fishermen but they discovered he was unresponsive.

His body was later retrieved by a police helicopter.

A fellow extreme sports fanatic, who said he filmed Mr Jones when he base jumped from the Eiger in the Swiss Alps, paid tribute on his Facebook page.

"Sad to announce that Gareth, who featured in my first Base video, passed away yesterday," Bouken Boy Media wrote.

"A sport like that draws vibrant personalities, and he was an immensely fun and cheerful dude."

Other friends paid tribute on the social media site and spoke of his adventurous spirit.

Bella Smart said: "Gareth Jones. G Jones. Mate. Never will I find a man that I hate to love and love to hate so much all at the same time. So proud of the man you were becoming and the beautiful soul you let us see. You will be forever missed but never forgotten. Fly free x."

Daniel Campbell, from Burgess Hill, West Sussex, said: "You took me over the edge. A proper mate and you'll be missed like crazy. R.I.P buddy."

Another tribute from Echo Giesel Widmer said Mr Jones was a "wild child" who was "never boring" and "always challenged the norm".


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Why Has The Dewani Case Collapsed?

By Nick Ludlam, Africa News Editor, in Cape Town

It took the South African authorities four years to put Shrien Dewani on trial, only for a judge to throw the case out after two months.

Mr Dewani, who has been ruled not guilty by the Cape Town court, has always denied any involvement in the murder of his wife Anni in 2010.

Judge Jeanette Traverso said in her ruling on Monday that there was no reasonable evidence to bring a conviction.

Here are some of the contributing factors behind her decision.

The credibility of Zola Tongo's and other witnesses' evidence:

Zola Tongo was the state's star witness and agreed to testify against Mr Dewani as part of a plea bargain.

The taxi driver was jailed for 18 years in 2010 for his part in the murder of Ms Dewani and claimed he was paid just over £1,000 to arrange the murder.

CCTV revealed in court showed Mr Dewani and Tongo locked in conversation at the hotel a few days before the murder.

Tongo claims Mr Dewani asked him if he knew anyone that could "have a client of his taken off the scene".

However, Judge Traverso said Tongo's evidence was "riddled with contradictions".

She said he had changed his version of events frequently when under cross-examination.

He admitted he made mistakes in relaying to police how the new bride was murdered.

Judge Traverso said his "evidence was of such a poor quality, one does not know when the lies end and when the truth begins".

She also said it soon emerged under cross-examination that witness Mziwamadoda Qwabe, who has also pleaded guilty to the murder, was a self-confessed liar.

The evidence of Monde Mblolombo, a hotel worker granted immunity from prosecution, was also discredited.

Evidence about Shrien Dewani's private life ruled inadmissible:

In a sensational admission at the beginning of the trial, Mr Dewani admitted having physical relationships with male prostitutes.

He also admitted surfing gay dating websites the day after his bride's body was found.

Veteran South African lawyer, Mannie Witz, who followed the trial, said: "The defence seized on that immediately and said 'you can't attack his character and his sexuality'. And the judge said 'I think the defence are right, I don't want to hear anything more'."

The prosecution had been relying very heavily on this evidence and it was a big blow to them when the judge told them this type of 'character evidence' was inadmissible.

In court the care home owner from Bristol claimed he was in love with the 28-year-old - despite being bisexual.

But in an interview before the trial, Ms Dewani's sister Ami Denborg said the relationship was up and down.

CCTV recorded on the night she was killed does seem to show a young couple in love.

Their picture is taken by hotel staff and later they sit with their arms draped around each other.

Shrien Dewani's side of the story:

Mr Dewani, 34, maintained his innocence throughout the case and said he had been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder since the murder.

The South African authorities spent a lot of time and money arranging his extradition ahead of the trial.

Ms Dewani's family claimed Mr Dewani had insisted throughout the case that he would clear his name and that his legal team had promised the court dozens of times he would give his own version of events.

The family have waited years for answers, but Mr Dewani has never been cross-examined.

Last week Ms Dewani's brother, Anish Hindocha, called a news conference on behalf of his family and begged Mr Dewani to "tell the world what happened the night she died".

Mr Hindocha said: "My message is simple: Don't let Shrien Dewani walk away without giving us, South Africa and people all over the world the full story."

Now that the case has collapsed they may never know the full facts.


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Tory Peer Says 'Poor Don't Know How To Cook'

A Conservative peer has said she chose the wrong words after suggesting hunger in Britain is caused by poor people being unable to cook.

Baroness Jenkin was speaking at the House of Commons launch of the Feeding Britain report which calls for action from the Government, supermarkets and utility companies to stop increasing number of people using food banks.

Lady Jenkin, who served on the inquiry team that produced the document, said hunger stemmed in part from the disappearance of the knowledge needed to create cheap and nourishing meals.

"We have lost our cooking skills," said the peer, the wife of Conservative MP Bernard Jenkin.

"Poor people don't know how to cook.

"I had a large bowl of porridge today, which cost 4p. A large bowl of sugary cereals will cost you 25p."

She later acknowledged that her words had been badly chosen and said she was trying to get across the message that home-cooked meals are often cheaper and more nutritious than packaged food.

She told BBC Radio 4: "What I meant was as a society we have lost our ability to cook. That seems no longer to be handed down in the way that it was by previous generations.

"I am well aware that I made a mistake in saying it and apologise to anybody who's been offended by it.

"The point is valid. If people today had the cooking skills that previous generations had, none of us would be eating so much pre-prepared food."

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who will be president of the new Feeding Britain group, said it was "shocking" to see thousands of people in a wealthy country reduced to seeking food handouts, and told the launch meeting that its proposals to end hunger were "eminently practical and not unreasonably expensive".

Prime Minister David Cameron said there were "elements" of the report that the Government would "want to take forward", but there was no immediate response to a plea from the Archbishop for £100,000 in state money to kick-start a new organisation designed to eliminate hunger in the UK by 2020.


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Shrien Dewani Walks Free As Trial Is Thrown Out

There have been angry scenes outside court after a judge threw out the case against Shrien Dewani, who was accused of plotting to murder his wife Anni on their honeymoon.

Judge Jeanette Traverso said prosecution arguments had "fallen far below" the level needed to secure a conviction, paving the way for the British businessman's acquittal.

Mr Dewani, of Westbury-on-Trym near Bristol, denied arranging the murder, and said his 28-year-old bride, whose maiden name was Hindocha, was killed during a botched carjacking in Cape Town in November 2010.

Anni's sister, Ami Denborg, told Sky's Alex Crawford: "The justice system has failed us."

In a statement outside court, the Hindocha family said: "The knowledge of not knowing is going to haunt us for the rest of our lives."

They later added that Anni would not have married  Mr Dewani "if she had known about his secret sex life".

Mr Dewani, who is now free to return to the UK, breathed a large sigh of relief as the judge cleared him.

Members of the 34-year-old's family wept and embraced as he quickly left the dock.

Anni's family bowed their heads as shouting was heard from the public gallery.

The family say they will review the case with their lawyers to see if they can file a lawsuit against Mr Dewani in the UK.

Sky News understands Mr Dewani will return to the UK on Tuesday.

The state's key witness, cab driver Zola Tongo, said Mr Dewani paid him to hire two men to carry out the murder.

The prosecution claimed Mr Dewani, who is bisexual, wanted to get out of the relationship and the men carried out the killing for 15,000 rand (£830).

Tongo, Mziwamadoda Qwabe and gunman Xolile Mngeni were convicted for their part in Anni's death.

Qwabe is currently serving a 25-year sentence.

Mngeni was serving life for firing the shot that killed Mrs Dewani, but died from a brain tumour in October.

Giving her ruling on the application to dismiss the case, Judge Traverso said the evidence from the men was "so improbable, with so many mistakes, lies and inconsistencies you cannot see where the lies ended and the truth begins".

She added that the only reason not to grant the application would be in the hope that Mr Dewani would implicate himself during his testimony.

However, to do so would be a "manifest misdirection", Judge Traverso said.

South African National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Nathi Ncude denied the case had collapsed because of "shoddy" police work.

He said: "The judgment centres around evidence that was given by three people. Nothing has been said about the police, nothing was said about how the prosecution could have done better.

"The fact of the matter is that we were relying on people who were themselves involved and implicated in the case."

The ruling ends a four-year wait for Mr Dewani and his family to clear his name, which has included spells in mental health units, allegations about his private life and an extradition battle.


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Sexual Abuse A 'National Health Epidemic'

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

There could be more than 11 million survivors of sexual abuse in the UK, a Government adviser has told Sky News.

Experts say they are now dealing with a "national health epidemic", while there has been a huge surge in people looking for support since the Jimmy Savile scandal.

Some are related to recent high-profile cases, but sexual abusers are more likely to be people who are already known to the victim.

Founder of the Lantern Project on Merseyside, Graham Wilmer, told Sky News: "There are potentially about 11.7 million victims out there at the moment who have not disclosed, and many of those people will start to come forward in very significant numbers."

Mr Wilmer, who was recently appointed to the Government's Independent Panel Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, explained that the figures are based on accepted statistics that suggest one in six boys under the age of 16 have been sexually abused - for girls the figure is one in four.

He said the country was facing "a massive, massive problem".

"From what we have seen, if you don't provide the right level of support and intervention to support people when they come forward you see very significant health problems, mental health and physical health, which have a direct cost to us as a society," Mr Wilmer said.

"We look upon child abuse and its impact now as a national health epidemic."

There are around 130 similar groups offering support around the country that sit under the umbrella organisation The Survivors Trust, but access to services is still patchy in some parts of the UK.

Psychotherapist Brian Mynott, a survivor himself, runs the Real Dawn group in West Yorkshire and says there is a desperate need for more people to be properly trained to offer professional help.

He told Sky News: "It is a million miles from being enough.

"There is only one of me when there should be about a dozen of me in the Wakefield area alone, and that is not me validating myself - that is what is missing.

"I have absolutely no shame in recording to anybody that I have been a victim, but to get to that point is a journey that cannot be covered by volunteers alone."

He added: "It is very sad that when people phone me up I can't refer them on somewhere and it is very sad when people can't get my services because I am booked up. These are people that need help now."

Mr Mynott is now also working with Leeds Trinity University to ensure students are aware of the growing demand for his services.

The Home Office, the Department of Health and the NHS have all committed to continue improving services for abuse survivors.

Mr Wilmer said investing in the support system is more important than the precise number of victims.

"All of the forces of law, and the forces of support work that are available are all gearing towards saying this number is a big number, whether it is 11.5 million or 11.1 actually isn't really relevant," he said.

"The fact is that it is a massive number and because it is a massive problem we are now focusing on it and we are going to do something about it."


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