Armed Robber Pinned Down During Raid Dies

An armed man has died after being restrained by customers during an attempted robbery at a bookmakers, police said.

The man, in his 50s, was believed to be wearing a gas mask and holding a gun when he entered a Ladbrokes branch on Crownhill Road in Plymouth shortly before 7pm.

Customers managed to disarm him and held him on the floor while others raised the alarm, Devon and Cornwall Police said.

Police arrested the man, who was already unconscious, but he was declared dead shortly afterwards.

"It quickly became clear the man was unresponsive and an ambulance was immediately requested by police who carried out CPR until they arrived," a police spokesman said.

"A few minutes later three paramedics arrived at the scene and continued to carry out further CPR. Around 20 minutes later the man was declared dead at the scene by the paramedics."

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has been informed of death.

Chief Inspector Ian Drummond-Smith said: "This is a very serious incident. We cannot speculate on what has actually taken place here today.

"A full investigation has now begun and while the IPCC carry out their investigation it is not appropriate to comment further."

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Weather: Snow Storm Brings M6 To Standstill

Hundreds of drivers have spent hours trapped in their vehicles on the M6 in Lancashire after heavy snow brought the motorway to a standstill.

The motorway became blocked in both directions between junctions 25 and 27, near Wigan, last night after vehicles became stuck in more than a foot of snow and some drivers abandoned their cars.

Lancashire Police said the motorway was moving again this morning, but north and south carriageways remained heavily congested with long tailbacks.

One man had to be taken to hospital after becoming ill in his car while it was stuck.

The M6 gridlock. Pic Kevin Collister

Many drivers - some stuck for up to eight hours - contacted Sky News overnight to share their tales of woe.

Kevin Collister, stuck on the motorway just past the M58 junction heading northbound, said: "There is absolutely no movement whatsoever on my side of the carriageway, all the snow is squashed down into ice and there are wagons trying to move and sliding sideways.

"It's an absolute nightmare, we've been here for three hours so far. A few people are saying we might be here for the night but we're just hoping we can get through."

Conservative MP David Morris, stuck on the southbound carriageway, said: "We've ground to a halt on both sides. Nothing is really moving.

"But the emergency services have been fantastic and are doing the best for us, and everyone is in good spirits.

Some M6 motorists made the most of the snow. Pic Ashley Pinches

"I've just seen a snowball fight and the man next door to me has built a snowman on top of his car roof ... it's very surreal."

Barry Pinches, on his way to Blackpool, told Sky News: "At one stage we didn't think we would make it but it looks like things are moving slowly now. We saw some snow ploughs on the southbound carriageway but there doesn't seem to be too many of them - they have their work cut out."

Pete Martin, from the Highways Agency, confirmed to Sky News that the carriageways had been gritted before the snow came down.

"We had an extremely intense fall of snow across Lancashire between 8.30pm and midnight and basically there wasn't enough traffic to keep the lanes moving," he said.

"A number of HGVs lost traction between junctions 25 and 27 and once they blocked the carriageway the snow stacked up and the result was a number of stranded vehicles.

"We've had traffic officers helping motorists, and gritters and snow ploughs trying to clear up - a lot of resources are dealing with what has happened."

The M6 was blocked both ways in Lancashire

Lancashire Police said officers, Highways Agency staff and mountain rescue teams were working in conjunction to help stranded drivers.

The force said: "We want to reassure anybody who's stuck that we're on our way with colleagues from the Highways Agency.

"The snow ploughs are out and about and the mountain rescue teams are also helping with recovery - be reassured we'll get to you."

It also warned drivers not to venture out while road and motorway conditions remained "treacherous".

Hazardous driving conditions have led to collisions and delays on many routes across the north of England, including the M18, M60, M65, M56 and M58.

Meanwhile, all flights have been suspended at Leeds Bradford International Airport this morning as a fresh blanket of snow covered most of the Yorkshire region.

North Yorkshire Fire Service said a couple had to be rescued from a snow drift on the North York Moors last night.

A spokesman said: "Due to extreme weather conditions a husband and wife had driven into a snow drift and were unable to get out. The wife had undergone surgery a week before and they had tried to dig themselves out for over two hours.

"A well-known breakdown company would not attend. Fire crews from Goathland and Whitby attended and managed to get the couple and the vehicle to the safety of a local hotel.

Hazardous conditions on the M61. Pic AA Special Operations

"Usually the fire service only attend life risk incidents but on this occasion an exception was made."

North Yorkshire Police said some main roads were blocked by snow and abandoned vehicles including the A59 between Harrogate and Skipton and the B6265 at Rylstone.

The Met Office has 12 amber warnings in place from the Midlands up to central England, urging the public to be prepared for likely disruption caused by the heavy snow.

There are also a number of yellow warnings in Wales, southwest England and London and the South East.

Weather experts have warned of the risk of flooding this weekend, as heavy rain moves in and rising temperatures spark a rapid thaw of the built-up snow and ice.

In southwest Wales, emergency services are already responding to a rise in calls as roads and properties become flooded.

There are also reports of flooding on the M5 between junction 25 for Taunton and junction 26.

The snow-blanketed racecourse in Bath

The Environment Agency has 19 flood warnings in place, 15 for the South West and four for Wales.

A further 76 flood alerts have been issued, including 41 for the South West, 16 for Wales, 15 for the South East and one for the North East.

A spokesman said: "Emergency teams from the Environment Agency will be out in force throughout the weekend to shore up defences, monitor river levels and clear blockages from watercourses."

Temperatures will steadily rise from tomorrow to an average of 4C before reaching more than 10C in the south on Sunday followed by wet and windy weather next week.

The severe weather over the past week has hit working hours, according to a survey of more than 2,000 workers by Green Flag Breakdown.

The motoring organisation said one in five people had been too afraid to drive because of the icy and snowy conditions, and a further 5% tried to take to the road but had to turn back.

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Elsa Salama: Plea For Abducted Girl's Return

By Gerard Tubb, North of England Correspondent

The mother of a little girl who was snatched by Egyptian relatives while on a family holiday has pleaded for her to be returned.

Naomi Button, 39, has not seen her daughter Elsa Salama since she was abducted in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el Sheikh on December 27, 2011 while visiting relatives.

Elsa's father, Egyptian-born Tamer Salama, 35, is in prison in England for refusing to comply with court orders to return Elsa to her mother.

Standing in her daughter's bedroom in Leeds, which has been kept just as she left it, Ms Button said she finds it difficult to cope.

Elsa was abducted in December 2011

"The worst times are when I wake up in the middle of the night, sometimes I wonder if that's because she's woken up and she's crying for me," she said.

Elsa will be six on February 2 and her mother has set up a Facebook page hoping that making a public appeal will finally bring her daughter home.

"I don't know what she's been told, I don't know if she thinks I didn't want her and I just left her in Egypt and that's mortifying to me," she said.

Salama was jailed in January 2012, having said Elsa was with his mother, but refusing to say where she was being held.

Ms Button is making a public appeal for the return of her daughter

Sentencing him, the judge Mr Justice Mitchell said: "It is unspeakably harmful to the emotional welfare of your daughter.

"It shows me that you are a man with a hard heart, determined only to get your own way."

Last week Salama was jailed for a further 12 months for his continuing failure to comply with court orders to return his daughter to her mother.

The couple met in Sharm el Sheikh in 2005 and were married in Egypt the following year, before moving to Leeds in 2007.

They separated in 2009 but agreed that Elsa should continue to see her family in Egypt.

Elsa's father is in jail for refusing to say where she is being held

Ms Button has a custody order in Egypt and the support of the Child Abduction Section of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Her lawyer, Kate Bannerjee, who heads the children's department at Jones Myers and is a panel member of the International Child Abduction and Contact Unit, warns that parental child abduction is on the increase.

"The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Child Abduction Section is receiving an average of four calls per day," she said.

"Understanding of parental child abduction is alarmingly low and cases can take years to resolve."

Ms Button has kept a pile of unopened Christmas presents in her daughter's room.

"I know that she wants to be back home with Mummy," she told us.

"My mission in life is to find my daughter and, no matter how long that takes, to be here for her.

"I want her to come back and see how her life was, so I do everything I can to find her but also to maintain the life she had, and that's what I get up for every day."

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Nick Clegg Suggests Coalition Cut Too Deeply

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has appeared to admit that the coalition cut spending too deeply when it took power.

Speaking ahead of the release of figures that are expected to show a fresh contraction in the UK economy, he said ministers had "comforted" themselves at the time that the reduction was in line with plans drawn up by the previous Chancellor, Labour's Alistair Darling.

In an interview with The House magazine, he said: "If I'm going to be sort of self-critical, there was this reduction in capital spending when we came into the Coalition Government.

"I think we comforted ourselves at the time that it was actually no more than what Alistair Darling spelt out anyway, so in a sense everybody was predicting a significant drop off in capital investment.

"But I think we've all realised that you actually need, in order to foster a recovery, to try and mobilise as much public and private capital into infrastructure as possible."

Bank of England governor Sir Mervyn King has predicted a weaker quarter

Rachel Reeves, shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, said: "This is the first admission that this Government has made serious mistakes on the economy."

Some experts believe gross domestic product (GDP) - released later today - will have fallen by 0.1% in the final quarter of 2012.

If the economy then contracts in the current quarter the nation would be officially back in recession.

Hopes of a rebound are fading after a snow-hit start to 2013, which some estimate cost Britain more than £500m-a-day in lost output.

A fourth-quarter downturn would be a sharp reversal of the 0.9% recovery seen in the third quarter, when output was fuelled by one-off factors such as the Olympics and as the economy clawed back activity lost during the Queen's Diamond Jubilee holiday.

Bank of England governor Sir Mervyn King has already warned that the quarter would be "considerably weaker", while the IMF believes the UK contracted by 0.2% overall in 2012.

It also expects expansion of just 1% during this year.

Today's figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) represent the initial estimate of GDP and are subject to revision over subsequent months.

But the run of gloomy economic indicators increases the threat to the UK's prized AAA rating, with all three major ratings agencies placing the country on negative outlook.

Construction has so far been the only bright spot, according to recent industry surveys, with activity surging to a 15-month high in December.

But it accounts for only 10% of the economy and the far bigger services sector has not fared so well.

The first official estimate of fourth-quarter GDP will not include overall household consumer spending figures, which will be taken into account in the second estimate.

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Baby Death: Nanny Could Face Murder Charge

Investigators say a bloody pillow, blanket and wipes were found in the room of a baby who died after she was allegedly assaulted by her Irish nanny.

Aisling McCarthy Brady, 34, from Quincy, Massachusetts, is alleged to have been the sole carer for the one-year-old US girl on January 14 - her first birthday - when she suffered injuries "consistent with abusive head trauma".

The baby, Rehma Sabir, died two days later in hospital after suffering brain damage.

She was also found to have multiple healing bone fractures.

In court documents, police said they found a blood-stained pillow and blanket in a crib and bloody baby wipes discarded in a nappy pail.

The hospital where Rehma was treated and later died

The medical report into the death of the one-year-old baby is expected to be released later.

Brady - who is living illegally in America - has been remanded in custody after pleading not guilty to assault and battery on a child causing substantial bodily injury.

However, further charges are anticipated following the conclusion of the final report by the Chief Medical Examiner, the district attorney's office said on its website.

Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone said: "This is an extremely troubling case where we allege the defendant violently assaulted a one-year-old child, causing a devastating head injury and broken bones."

Irish priest, Kevin Fay, from Lavey, Co Cavan, said the family were "well-known and respected" in the area and that there is no foundation to the charges against Brady.

A farmer in Lavey where Brady grew up described her as a very nice girl.

But neighbour Tommy Collins told Sky News: "She was just angry, really angry, angry person. When I found out about this on Tuesday night, the sad part about it was it didn't surprise me in the least bit."

A statement on the District Attorney's website said: "Through their investigation, including interviews with witnesses, police determined that the defendant had sole custody of and contact with the child during the time that she sustained injuries consistent with abusive head trauma."

Court documents filed on Tuesday described how a concerned neighbour heard the infant crying for almost an hour before it changed to "extreme crying", the Associated Press reported.

The woman said she knocked on the front door of the apartment for about 90 seconds, timing the knocks in between the baby's gasping so it would be heard by someone inside, but they were not answered.

Rehma's injuries could have happened at any time, Brady's lawyer told the Associated Press.

Immigration authorities said Brady arrived from Ireland in 2002 with a permit to stay for 90 days.

Rehma's father reportedly comes from London and her mother from Karachi, Pakistan.

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North Korea Plans Nuclear Test 'Aimed At US'

North Korea plans a nuclear test plus more long-range rocket launches, aimed at what it calls its "arch-enemy" the United States.

"We do not hide that the various satellites and long-range rockets we will continue to launch, as well as the high-level nuclear test we will proceed with, are aimed at our arch-enemy the United States," the National Defence Commission said.

The mention of the test, which would mark the country's third detonation of a nuclear device, came towards the end of a commission statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency.

It gave no indication of when the test might be carried out, or explained the meaning of "high-level". The country's two previous nuclear tests were held in 2006 and 2009.

Much of the statement was devoted to condemning Tuesday's announcement by the UN Security Council of expanded sanctions against Pyongyang in response to its long-range rocket launch last month.

"We absolutely refute all the illegal and outlawed resolutions adopted by the Security Council," the commission said.

Sky's Asia Correspondent Mark Stone said: "The statement from the state news agency is pretty alarming."

Tuesday's resolution, proposed by the United States, was adopted unanimously by the 15-nation council, including North Korea's sole major ally China.

North Korea's foreign ministry had denounced the move on Wednesday, when it also gave the first hint that Pyongyang would react with a nuclear test, saying the country would take "physical actions" to boost its nuclear deterrent.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency, citing a South Korean intelligence source, reported that Pyongyang had finished technical preparations and could conduct an atomic test within days of a decision by leader Kim Jong-Un.

Last month, a US think-tank reached a similar conclusion based on satellite photos, suggesting the North had repaired rain damage at its nuclear test site and could conduct a detonation at two weeks' notice.

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Irish Nanny Charged Over Baby Death In US

An Irish nanny living illegally in America has been charged with violently assaulting a baby who later died.

Aisling McCarthy Brady, 34, from Quincy, Massachusetts, is alleged to have been the sole carer for the girl on January 14 - her first birthday - when she suffered injuries "consistent with abusive head trauma", it is claimed.

The baby, Rehma Sabir, died two days later in hospital after suffering brain damage.

Rehma was also found to have multiple healing bone fractures.

Brady is currently being held on $500,000 (£316,000) bail after pleading not guilty to assault and battery on a child causing substantial bodily injury.

Brady could face further charges

However, further charges are anticipated following the conclusion of the final report by the Chief Medical Examiner, the district attorney's office said on its website.

Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone said: "This is an extremely troubling case, where we allege the defendant violently assaulted a one-year-old child, causing a devastating head injury and broken bones.

"Children are our most vulnerable victims and where, as here, the offender has been entrusted with the care of a child who depends on them, the allegations are all the more egregious."

A statement on the District Attorney's website said: "It is alleged that on January 14, the child was in the care of the defendant, her nanny.

"Through their investigation, including interviews with witnesses, police determined that the defendant had sole custody of and contact with the child during the time that she sustained injuries consistent with abusive head trauma."

Rehma's injuries could have happened at any time, Brady's lawyer told the Associated Press.

The hospital where Rehma was treated and later died

Immigration authorities said Brady arrived from Ireland in 2002 and was only permitted to stay for 90 days.

A spokeswoman for Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said: "We are aware of the case and have been in contact with the family.

"We are ready to provide any consular assistance if it is needed."

The Boston Herald has reported that Rehma's father is from London and her mother is from Karachi, Pakistan.

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David Cameron To Pledge 'In-Out' EU Referendum

Cameron And The EU: A Q&A

Updated: 3:46pm UK, Tuesday 22 January 2013

By Nicola Boden, Sky News Online

David Cameron's speech on Britain's position in Europe is significant for his party and for the country. Here is an explainer.

Why is Cameron making a speech?

Mr Cameron's speech on Britain's position in Europe has been a long time coming.

He wants to set out his views on the future role the UK should play in the European Union to try and settle rumblings in his own party and beyond.

The issue has become increasingly significant as the eurozone crisis developed and single currency members started pushing for closer integration in a bid to prevent a repeat of the crippling financial crisis.

This will require a new treaty, which could allow Britain to renegotiate its membership on a looser basis.

Mr Cameron wants to use this as a way of addressing growing calls for a referendum due to fears about the steady loss of sovereignty to Brussels.

Why was it delayed?

The speech was first planned months ago but put off until after Christmas.

It was initially planned for January 22 but then Downing Street were told this clashed with the anniversary of the signing of the Elysee Treaty between France and Germany and the timing would therefore play badly with these two key European allies.

January 21 was not an option because of Barack Obama's inauguration.

It was moved to January 18 and Amsterdam was fixed as the location, only for it to be delayed again because of the hostage crisis in Algeria.

Mr Cameron will now speak in London because it fits best with his schedule.

Why is it significant?

This speech has been billed as the most important foreign policy speech made by Mr Cameron since he first became Tory leader.

Europe is certainly becoming an increasingly pressing issue within the Tory party and nationally.

Senior ministers including Michael Gove have now openly talked about leaving the EU if powers cannot be brought back to Britain.

The Prime Minister wants to settle the question by setting out a clear strategy for the years ahead, with the prospect of a referendum in the next parliament should the Conservatives win in 2015.

Europe has long been a fault line in the Tory party and Mr Cameron hopes he can keep his party united as he increasingly focuses on winning the next general election.

It also represents an opportunity to steal a march on Labour, whose leader Ed Miliband is very woolly about his own position, and the Lib Dems - led by renowned europhile Nick Clegg.

And significantly, it could help stem the flow of support to UKIP, who advocate total withdrawal from the EU and have been surging in recent opinion polls.

What are Tory eurosceptics pushing for?

There are varying degrees of feeling on the Conservative benches but it has been suggested that a document drawn up by the "Fresh Start" group could become party policy.

This called for:

:: the repatriation of all social and employment law, such as the Working Time Directive;

:: an opt-out from all existing policing and criminal justice measures;

:: an emergency brake on any new legislation affecting financial services;

:: stopping the European Parliament moving between Brussels and Strasbourg.

What is David Cameron's position?

The Prime Minister wants to establish a "fresh settlement" with Brussels and then hold a referendum on it in 2018.

His plan would be to negotiate a looser relationship for Britain while allowing the single currency countries to forge stronger links, thus retaining the common market.

The referendum pledge relies on the Tories winning power outright in 2015 and is unlikely to hold if they have to enter another coalition, which would anger Tory MPs.

Downing Street seems confident the public would vote to stay in the EU if significant powers were returned to the UK.

Mr Cameron insists he wants Britain to remain in the EU but accepts that the "status quo" cannot continue.

Is repatriation of powers realistic?

This is the million-pound question.

Other EU members are unlikely to take kindly to British attempts to pick and choose what it wants to sign up to.

There is a risk that they could call Mr Cameron's bluff and say that Britain should just leave if it no longer wants to play a proper part.

What about pro-Europeans?

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Business Secretary Vince Cable have both warned that tabling a referendum will encourage uncertainty and put off investors, costing much-needed jobs at a time of economic fragility.

Business chiefs including Sir Richard Branson also published a letter earlier this month, urging Mr Cameron not to jeopardise relations with Brussels by pushing for a "wholesale renegotiation" of British membership.

Meanwhile, the Obama administration has declared that it wants a "strong British voice in the EU" - a view repeated by Barack Obama on the phone to Mr Cameron last week.

Where do the other parties stand?

Both Labour and the Lib Dems are on tricky territory when it comes to Europe.

Labour leader Ed Miliband was tied in knots last week when asked to outline his position.

He has refused to back a referendum but also suggested he would not overturn the current "referendum lock" which means a vote would have to be held if any more powers are transferred.

He created further confusion by suggesting he too would try to repatriate some powers.

Nick Clegg has called Mr Cameron's plans to bring back powers from Brussels a "false promise wrapped in a Union Jack".

In their manifesto in 2010, the Lib Dems expressed their commitment to an in/out referendum the next time Britain has to sign up to a "fundamental change" in the UK-EU relationship.

But now the Lib Dem leader says holding referendum would be putting "the cart before the horse" because Europe is still reeling from the eurozone crisis.

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Prince Harry: I Killed Taliban In Afghanistan

Harry: I Let Myself Down In Vegas

Updated: 12:18am UK, Tuesday 22 January 2013

By Paul Harrison, Royal Correspondent

Prince Harry has spoken for the first time about how he believes he let himself down in Las Vegas last year.

The prince has also launched a scathing attack against the media and their treatment of him and his family, calling them an "unstoppable force."

Speaking at Camp Bastion during his five-month tour, Captain Harry Wales argued his naked antics in America's Sin City were "probably a classic example of me being too much 'Army' and not enough 'prince', it's a simple case of that".

The prince was pictured frolicking in the nude with an unnamed woman, and the photos were published on websites around the world, as well as in The Sun newspaper.

"Back home everyone, all my close friends rallied round me and were great," he added.

"At the end of the day I probably let myself down, I let my family down and let other people down, but I was in a private area and there should have been a certain amount of privacy that one should expect."

But the 28-year-old believes some sections of the media behaved irresponsibly when the naked photographs of him emerged: "The papers knew I was going to Afghan anyway. So the way I was treated by them I don't think was acceptable."

A broken news blackout five years ago ended the prince's first tour to Afghanistan.

This time, a different agreement was reached between the Ministry of Defence and the media, one which sits uncomfortably with the co-pilot gunner.

"I never wanted you guys to be out here but there was an agreement made to invite you out on a deal that you, the media, didn't speculate before my deployment. That's the only reason you guys are out here."

Prince Harry says he also excited about becoming an uncle, but is equally unrelenting about the press' handling of the royal parents-to-be.

"Obviously I'm thrilled for both of them, it's about time and I can't wait to be an uncle," he said.

"I think it's very unfair they were forced to publicise it when they were, but that's just the media for you.

"I'm literally am very, very happy, but I just only hope she and him, but mainly Catherine, gets the necessary protection to allow her, as a mother-to-be, to enjoy the privacy that comes with it. I seriously hope that's going to be able to happen."

The third in line to the throne also accused sections of the press of printing stories that were not true.

"I spoke to them both and didn't send a letter of congratulations like most of the papers said," he said.

"How any of the papers think they know the relationship between myself and my sister-in-law is quite remarkable. But they're wrong as always. But, yeah, I spoke to my brother and her, and they're both very well and very happy, obviously."

Harry also has strong feelings about the opportunities available to him, but not Prince William.

He said: "There is a bit of jealousy and not just because I get to fly this but he'd (William) love to be out here.

"To be honest with you, I don't see why he couldn't. His job out here would be doing Chinook missions, just the same as us.

"No one knows who's in the cockpit, yes he'd get shot at, but, you know, if the guys who are doing the same job as us are being shot at on the ground I don't think there's anything wrong with us being shot as well.

"People back home might have issues with that - but we're not special - the guys out there are, simple as that."

Returning to public life brings with it for Harry a sense of foreboding. His mistrust of the press is firmly entrenched.

"I think it's fairly obvious how far back it goes - to when I was very small," said the prince.

"If there's a story and something's being said about me I want to know what's being said. But all it does is upset me and anger me that people can get away with writing the stuff they do.

"I don't believe there is any such thing as a private life anymore. I'm not going to sit here and whinge.

"Everyone knows about Twitter and the internet. Every single mobile phone has a camera on it now.

"You can't move an inch without someone judging you and I suppose that's just the way life goes.

"It's not helped by media, it's an unstoppable force."

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Bali: Brit Woman Sentenced To Death For Drugs

British woman Lindsay Sandiford has been sentenced to death for drug smuggling on the Indonesian island of Bali.

The 56-year-old grandmother had been found guilty of violating the country's strict drug laws.

Sandiford was arrested in May 2012 at Bali airport when customs officers found 3.8kg of cocaine worth £1.6m in her luggage, but she claimed she had been forced to smuggle the drugs into Bali from Thailand by a criminal gang.

Prosecutors announced in December that they would be recommending a 15-year jail sentence, after Sandiford agreed to co-operate in a sting operation after her arrest in which police swooped on four other suspects.

Sandiford was caught attempting to smuggle 4kg of coccaine into Bali

Delivering their verdict, a judge panel headed by Amser Simanjuntak said that Sandiford had damaged the image of Bali as a tourism destination and weakened the government's programme of drug annihilation.

"We find Lindsay Sandiford convincingly and legally guilty of importing narcotics,"  said Simanjuntak.

In her witness statement, Sandiford said: "I would like to begin by apologising to the Republic of Indonesia and the Indonesian people for my involvement.

Sandiford apologised to the Indonesian people after her arrest

"I would never have become involved in something like this but the lives of my children were in danger and I felt I had to protect them."

The Foreign Office confirmed that the suspects being held include Rachel Dougall and fellow British nationals Julian Ponder and Paul Beales. An Indian man was also arrested.

Dougall, whose young daughter is reportedly being cared for by their maid and gardener on the island, has claimed she was the victim of a "fit-up".

Reprieve, a charity which seeks to enforce human rights for prisoners, said Sandiford was targeted by drug traffickers.

She claimed she was coerced into taking the drugs into Bali

Spokeswoman Harriet McCulloch said: "Lindsay was targeted by drug traffickers who exploited her vulnerability and made threats against her children.

"Following her arrest, she was interrogated by the Indonesian police without a translator, legal representation or the assistance of the British Embassy for 10 days.

A statement by Dr Jennifer Fleetwood, an expert on the coercion of women in the international drug trade, was also read out, which suggested that Sandiford's "vulnerability" would have made her an ideal target for drugs traffickers. 

"There is evidence to suggest that a trafficker would seek someone who was vulnerable. Having reviewed extracts from Lindsay's medical records I know that Lindsay has a history of mental health issues.

"This may have unfortunately made her an attractive target for threats, manipulation and coercion by one or more parties over a period of time, which led to her being stopped at Ngurah Rai International Airport".

More follows...

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Algeria Crisis: Missing Brit Hostages Sought

David Cameron is to update MPs on the aftermath of the Algerian hostage crisis - as officials work to establish the fate of the final missing British workers.

Three Britons are now known to have died in a four-day siege at the BP gas plant and three more are believed to be dead. A UK resident is also thought to have died.

The first of the British victims to be officially named was 46-year-old Paul Morgan, from Liverpool.

He was reported to be a former Foreign Legion soldier and Gulf War veteran who was in charge of security at the In Amenas plant.

His mother Marianne, 65, and partner Emma Steele, 36, described him in a statement as a "true gentleman".

Paul Morgan

In a statement they said: "Paul was a true gentleman, a family man, he very much loved his partner Emma, his mum, brothers and sister, of whom he was very proud.

"He loved life and lived it to the full. He was a professional man proud to do the job he did and died doing the job he loved.

"We are so proud of him and so proud of what he achieved in his life. We are devastated by Paul's death and he will be truly missed."

The siege ended on Saturday and Algerian authorities warned the figure of 23 hostages killed at the remote facility would rise sharply.

Another image shown on Algerian TV

Bomb squads searching for booby-trap devices left by the Islamist militants discovered 25 bodies, some so badly disfigured they could not be identified.

Thirty-two terrorists also died and there were reports last night that five others had been captured alive.

Veteran jihadist Mokhtar Belmokhtar sent a video to a Mauritanian-based news website in which he claimed one of his cells, known as "Those Who Sign In Blood", was responsible for the attack.

Foreign Secretary William Hague branded the militants "cold-blooded murderers" and said reports they had "executed" seven of their hostages before the final battle could well be true.

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Woman Dies After Collapsing In Snow In Kent

A woman has been found dead in the snow after collapsing in snow in Kent as the winter weather takes its toll in the UK.

The woman, believed to be in her 20s, was discovered by a man walking his dog in Church Meadow, Deal, Kent, at 7.30am on Sunday morning, police said.

She was pronounced dead at the scene.

A police spokesman said: "The woman's death is not being treated as suspicious but it is unexplained.

"A post-mortem examination will be held later this week."

There has been a spate of accidents as a fresh deluge of snow causes major disruption across parts of the UK, with severe delays expected on the roads, railways and at airports.

One person person died following a crash in snowy conditions on the A12 near Kelvedon, Essex, and drivers are being warned  to take extra care on journeys.

A snowman outside Buckingham Palace

Also in Kent, a man was taken to hospital with broken bones in his face when he was racially attacked after confronting a group of youngsters throwing snowballs at him.

And a teenager was left fighting for his life after suffering head injuries in a sledging accident in Middlesbrough.

Up to eight inches of snow is forecast in Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland, while hundreds of schools throughout the country are closed due to bad weather.

In South Wales and the south and east of England, the Met Office is warning motorists of treacherous icy conditions.

Various train operators are reporting anticipated hold-ups for passengers and a reduced service will be in place on routes between London and Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool.

A reduced number of flights are scheduled in and out of Heathrow Airport,where hundreds of passengers have been forced to camp out in terminals.

Delays are predicted at Gatwick and Stansted, Birmingham and Edinburgh airports and passengers are advised to check with airlines before setting out. Manchester said a "small number" of flights had been cancelled.

:: Insurance firm RSA estimated that the bad conditions meant around a third of the workforce stayed at home - costing the UK economy around £500m a day.

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Britain's Big Freeze Here To Stay

Britain faces another week of travel disruption as forecasters warn there is more snow and ice on the way.

With travel chaos across the country and Britain's busiest airport cancelling more than 110 flights, forecasters predicted further misery in the coming days.

Following Friday's deluge of snow, a blanket of snow is expected to fall across more of the nation today, hitting London and the South East of England first before spreading into the Midlands, north east Wales, East Anglia and central England.

Freezing temperatures will ensure icy conditions endure for some time, with more snow in northern England expected as the week begins.

The Met Office has issued yellow warnings for ice over much of the country - and a red, severe warning for South Wales which experienced the worst of the weather.

"There will be a quite significant accumulation and it will be seen first in London and the South East before moving north later in the day."

BA says it has cut its flights by a fifth because more snow is on the way

The Sky News weather team said: "Central and southeast England will see persistent snow moving in, giving another 2-5cm, locally more near the coast.

"Most other places will be dry, with the best of any sunshine over northern Scotland and Ireland, but there will be a few snow flurries around.

"During the afternoon, snow will push a little further north over eastern England, while another band of rain, sleet and snow will move into Kerry and Cork. It will feel cold again, particularly in the raw wind.

"On Monday, north-east Britain will have snow and strong winds, but elsewhere it will be drier and calmer."

Heathrow Airport in west London said it was reducing the number of flights scheduled for today by at least a fifth after forecasters predicted another 2-6cm of snow and low visibility in the area.

Passengers are being urged to check with their airlines before travelling to the airport - where bosses are warning weather conditions at other European airports could further decimate schedules.

:: Are you stuck at Heathrow? Contact the Sky news desk on news@sky.com

Passengers at Heathrow have been facing disruption after many were stranded on planes for seven hours or forced to spend a night on the floor.

A woman sleeping on the floor at Heathrow's Terminal 5

More than 100 Saturday flights were cancelled and travellers complained about check-in queues of up to two hours as staff battled to clear a backlog caused by 400 cancellations on Friday.

BA and the airport have insisted they were doing everything they could in difficult circumstances.

Travellers at regional airports including Leeds Bradford, Humberside and Newcastle were also frustrated by delays and disruption caused by the wintry weather.

Liverpool John Lennon and Manchester airports were running normally but advised passengers to check with their airlines.
Train passengers did not fare much better, with reduced services across the country.

Virgin Trains cancelled a number of services from the capital to Birmingham and Manchester, and others were delayed.

The freezing temperatures also prompted motoring organisations to issue warnings.

Darron Burness, the AA's head of special operations, said: "With the snow compacting down and turning icy, we're likely to see treacherous driving conditions throughout the weekend. Any fresh snow on top will just add to the problems."

The RAC said it had dealt with nearly 9,000 breakdowns - 10% more than usual.

Some have been making the most of the snow this weekend

 :: Send in your weather photos and videos

A young woman from Peterborough was killed in a crash involving a number of vehicles shortly after 6pm on Friday, Lincolnshire Police said.

It is not known if anyone else was injured in the accident, which happened in bad weather on the A1 at Little Ponton, near Grantham.

Humberside Fire and Rescue said seven passengers were taken to hospital after a double-decker bus collided with two cars and ploughed into a garden.

In Edinburgh, a 16-year-old broke his leg when his sledge ran out of control and he plunged down a 150ft embankment.

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Algeria Hostage Crisis Ends, Brits Feared Dead

Five British nationals and a UK resident are believed dead or missing after the Algeria hostage crisis ended in a bloody showdown.

Algerian special forces mounted a "final assault" on the last Islamist militants holding out at the remote BP gas plant at In Amenas on Saturday, bringing to an end the four-day stand-off in the desert.

The Algerian interior ministry later reported that, in all, 23 hostages and all 32 terrorists had died, and 107 foreign workers and 685 local employees had been released.

Sky News understands that 20 British nationals caught up in the crisis are now back in the UK with another four to return home by lunchtime on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Algerian authorities are working to dismantle explosives left by the terrorists who booby-trapped the sprawling plant before the final shoot-out.

Freed British hostages Peter (left) and Alan (right). No surnames available

The interior ministry strongly defended the rescue operation, despite criticism of the high death toll.

"To avoid a bloody turn of events in response to the extreme danger of the situation, the army's special forces launched an intervention with efficiency and professionalism to neutralise the terrorist groups that were first trying to flee with the hostages and then blow up the gas facilities," it said in a statement.

It said that troops had recovered an arsenal of six machine guns, 21 rifles, two shotguns, two 60mm mortars with shells, six 60mm missiles with launchers, two rocket-propelled grenades with eight rockets and 10 grenades in explosive belts.

The state news agency, APS, reported that the terrorists had killed seven of the hostages they were still holding before they were killed themselves by the special forces.

David Cameron said he had spoken to Algerian prime minister Abdelmalek Sellal, who confirmed that the military operation against the terrorists was "effectively ended".

Algerian police escort freed Norwegian hostage Oddvar Birkedal

In a statement, the Prime Minister added: "It is our priority now to get people home as quickly as possible and to look after the survivors. Many are already home or on their way back.

"Let me be clear. There is no justification for taking innocent life in this way. Our determination is stronger than ever to work with allies right around the world to root out and defeat this terrorist scourge and those who encourage it."

Foreign Secretary William Hague said that on the basis of the available information they believed five British nationals and a UK resident were either "deceased or unaccounted for" - in addition to the Briton killed on the opening day of the terrorist attack.

It is thought that two of the Britons feared dead are Scottish.

Mr Hague insisted that it was too early to come to any judgement about the Algerian operation.

Japan's Prime Minister tells reporters 10 Japanese workers remain missing

"I don't want to at this stage enter into criticism or judgement because there will be a lot to be learned yet about this operation," he said.

In contrast, French president Francois Hollande gave his immediate backing to Algeria's tough tactics, saying they were "the most adapted response to the crisis".

Several hours after the troops stormed the gas plant, President Barack Obama said the US was seeking from Algerian authorities a fuller understanding of what took place, but added that "the blame for this tragedy rests with the terrorists who carried it out".

Meanwhile, BP chief executive Bob Dudley said the company was "unable to confirm the location or situation" of four employees at In Amenas and had "grave fears" that they are likely to have suffered fatalities.

The situation at the plant remains unclear and Mr Dudley said that it could be some time before they establish exactly what happened. Two BP employees suffered injuries although they are not life-threatening.

An Algerian army truck in a street of In Amenas, near the gas plant

"Our focus remains on our colleagues, who we have not yet been able to locate, and on supporting their families through a time of agonising uncertainty," he said.

He said 25 of the 56 BP workers in Algeria at the time of the attack have now left in a "staged process" of withdrawing all non-essential staff from the country.

The kidnappers, who call themselves 'Those Who Sign In Blood', had earlier told a Mauritanian news agency they were holding seven foreigners: one British, three Belgians, two Americans and one Japanese.

The drama began on Wednesday when a group of about 30 heavily-armed militants mounted a dawn raid at the plant close to the Libyan border, seizing hostages from among the 700 Algerian and foreign workers at the site. Two workers, including one Briton, died in the initial assault.

The following day, Algerian special forces mounted an operation to take back the plant, to the initial dismay of the British and other governments who were not notified in advance despite offering assistance to the Algerian authorities.

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond with US Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta

The Algerians, however, insisted that they had to act immediately amid fears that the militants were about to flee into the desert, taking hostages with them.

By Friday it was reported that about 100 foreigners, from a total of 132, and 573 Algerians were freed, with a "provisional" figure of 12 hostages and 18 militants killed in the fighting, although the kidnappers claimed 35 foreigners died.

But it was also clear that a group of militants, still holding hostages, was continuing to hold out.

The kidnappers, part of the Masked Brigade - a terrorist splinter group led by the veteran jihadist, Mokhtar Belmokhtar, which broke away from al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb - initially claimed the attack was in retaliation for the French military intervention in neighbouring Mali.

It was subsequently reported that they were demanding the release of two terrorists held in the US, including 1993 World Trade Centre bombing mastermind Omar Abdel Rahman, in return for the release of two US captives.

Algerian police guard the entrance of a hospital located near the gas plant

The plant at In Amenas is jointly operated by BP, Norwegian company Statoil and Algerian state oil company Sonatrach.

As freed hostages began to leave the plant, accounts emerged of their horrific treatment at the hands of the kidnappers.

One Algerian worker, who gave his name only as Chabane, described how from his hiding place he heard the militants speaking among themselves with Libyan, Egyptian and Tunisian accents. At one point, he said, they caught a Briton.

"They threatened him until he called out in English to his friends, telling them 'Come out, come out. They're not going to kill you. They're looking for the Americans'," he said.

"A few minutes later they blew him away."

The family of British survivor Darren Matthews, from Saltburn-by-the-Sea in Cleveland, expressed their relief that he had escaped unhurt.

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