Hacking: Law Firms On List Handed To MPs

Law firms, insurance companies and financial services providers dominate a list of more than 100 companies from outside the media linked to illegal activities by rogue private investigators.

The list of more than 102 names - which also includes two celebrities - has been passed to the Home Affairs Select Committee by the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca).

Twenty-one law firms, nine insurers and eight financial service companies are on the list, the committee revealed.

Soca's list was handed to the committee on the grounds the names mentioned would not be released.

Committee chairman Keith Vaz told Sky News: "These organisations and individuals may well in the future be the subject of investigation by the Information Commissioner or the Metropolitan Police.

"What, very helpfully, they have agreed we can do is release the categories."

The Metropolitan Police allegedly holds a list of 200 more companies and individuals who may have used rogue private investigators to steal personal information.

Operation Tuleta, set up by the Metropolitan Police alongside a probe into alleged phone hacking by journalists, investigates claims of computer hacking and privacy breaches.

As well as hacking, private investigators are known to have accessed information through blagging - faking a person's identity to draw information from official sources.

James Clappison, a member of the Home Affairs Select Committee, said: "Some of these private investigators have been involved in very serious violations - hacking into computers, intercepting telephone conversations and getting people's personal details."

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said it was "aware of companies and individuals outside of the media industry who are suspected of having committed criminal offences".

He added: "We are not prepared to provide any information that may lead to the identification of any individual or company who may be of interest to that investigation.

"Tuleta is a complicated inquiry and we are not prepared to give a running commentary. The investigation will proceed without bias and will go where the evidence takes us.

"As this investigation is ongoing, and there have been a number of other investigations directly linked to the work of private investigators over a number of years, we do not hold any single definitive list of clients."

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Murdered Red Cap's Family To Sue Government

By David Bowden, Defence Correspondent

The family of one of the six Red Caps murdered by a mob in Iraq is suing the Ministry of Defence for negligence - a claim which could cost the MoD more than £250,000.

The case, the first of its kind, is being brought by the relatives of Corporal Russell Aston.

It follows a landmark judgement by the Supreme Court last month which ruled that soldiers at war in foreign lands are covered by human rights laws and owed a duty of care.

John Miller whose son Simon was killed in the ambush

The new claim on behalf of Corporal Aston's family alleges that commanders failed to take reasonable measures to keep the military policeman safe when he and five others went into a hostile town near Basra in June 2003 and were attacked by hundreds of violent locals who brutally murdered them all.

The details of the claim allege military chiefs were negligent because they failed to supply sufficient ammunition to enable the Red Caps to defend themselves when they arrived at the police station in Majar al Kabir and were confronted by the mob.

It also claims commanders failed to supply roadworthy vehicles and failed to supply effective communications to the Royal Military Police.

The five men who died alongside Corporal Russell Aston were Lance Corporal Thomas Keys, Sergeant Simon Hamilton-Jewell, Corporal Simon Miller, Lance Corporal Ben Hyde and Corporal Paul Long.

The site of the ambush at Majar al Kab near Basra

An inquest into their deaths in 2006 recorded a verdict of unlawful killing and heard evidence the soldiers had too little ammunition, old radios and no satellite phone when they were ambushed.

John Miller, whose son Simon was killed in the attack, said he too will sue the Ministry of Defence.

"Simon's patrol should have had a satellite phone and 150 rounds of ammunition; they were denied both, they couldn't call for help, they couldn't initiate a firefight because they didn't have enough ammunition against a mob of 500 firing RPGs and AK-47s. 

"Can anyone imagine that situation and be totally useless under it? All we want is an admission of guilt from the MoD. I'm so angry and very, very hurt.

The Ministry of Defence is yet to respond to the claims

"It could be classed as a blunt sword, but all I've wanted is to get these people into court and for the MoD to accept the failings that were identified by the board of enquiry.

"Nothing else would give me greater satisfaction, and I know nothing will bring my amazing son back, but if we could get that justice and admission of guilt, my wife and I could turn the chapter and pick up the threads of the life we once had."

Despite arresting eight Iraqis in connection with the killings in 2010, no one has been convicted of the murders and repeated requests for a public inquiry have been turned down.

The new claim is seeking damages on behalf of Corporal Aston's family - he had a young daughter when he was killed.

It is understood to have been lodged on Tuesday night.

If the Aston family claim is successful it could pave the way for many more similar actions from other soldiers, or their families, who have been killed or injured in battle and feel more should have been done to keep them safe.

An MoD spokesman said: "Our thoughts remain with the families of those who lost their lives in this incident. However, it would be inappropriate to comment on any forthcoming legal proceedings."

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Ireland: Missing Boys 'Found Dead In Car Boot'

The bodies of two boys who went missing in Ireland are understood to have been found in the boot of their father's car after a crash.

Eoghan Chada, 10, and his five-year-old brother Ruairi disappeared from the family home in Bagenalstown, Co Carlow, on Sunday evening.

They were found by police attending a car accident during which their father Sanjeev was injured, although they are believed to have died beforehand.

Mr Chada, who is being treated in hospital, will be questioned by detectives.

Eoghan Chada (L) and his younger brother Ruairi

The 43-year-old's two sons were the subject of a nationwide search amid fears he had abducted them after telling his wife Kathleen he was taking them bowling.

Police issued the first ever amber alert for missing children in Ireland, triggering nationwide broadcasts, social media alerts and traffic and travel messages, after he failed to return home.

At the time of the alert, officers said they had no knowledge of any breakdown in relations in the family and insisted that the couple were not estranged.

Eoghan and Ruairi were described as extremely popular and "two little sports fanatics" who were members of their local junior hurling club.

Father Declan Foley, parish priest near their home in the tight-knit village, was with the Chada family when news of the car accident was broken to the boys' mother and other relatives.

"It was like an earthquake hit the place. It was devastating for all of us," he said.

"You can't put into words the shock and numbness and pain and grief of that news coming through."

Mr Chada's car crashed in Clooneen, Rosbeg, on the coast road to Louisburgh, in Co Mayo, around 185 miles from the family home.

Forensic examinations were carried out at the scene, while post-mortem examinations will be carried out on the boys' bodies in Mayo General Hospital, Castlebar.

Police have appealed for anyone who witnessed the crash or saw Mr Chada's dark green Ford Focus, registration number 06 CW 238, in the hours after the boys' disappearance to get in contact.

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Florida Gas Plant Explosions: Workers Found

All workers at a gas plant rocked by explosions have been accounted for after officials initially feared as many as 15 people had been killed.

At least 24 people were working the night shift at the plant in Tavares, Lake County, when a series of blasts happened just before 11pm local time.

The missing employees were found alive hours later as firefighters battled to contain the flames. Details of any of their injuries are not yet known.

The roof was blown off the plant. Pic: Tyler Mackenzie Photography

Seven workers had initially been taken to hospital, some with serious injuries, after emergency crews were called to the Blue Rhino propane processing plant.

The explosions were strong enough to blow the roof off and were felt by residents living up to 10 miles away from the scene, although no neighbours were injured.

Firefighters' efforts were hampered when more fuel containers exploded as the flames spread. They are starting to contain the flames and the cause of the explosions is being investigated.

"I heard a loud bomb sound," resident Lisa Garner told the Orlando Sentinel.

Residents, many of them elderly, were evacuated

Local businessman Jim Mamula told Sky News: "We could see the flames and the initial explosion knocked us off our feet. We could see the heat from the flames and it was light like daytime."

"There were two short explosions larger than anything we've seen since. The secondary explosions immediately followed.

"There are at least three large holding tanks about 30,000 gallons each of propane. They're intact and only about 40ft forty feet from the flames. The heat is pretty intense."

Resident Norman Hope said: "We're a retirement area mainly and a lot of people have difficulty breathing."

Fox News reporter Tracy Jasem, in Tavares, told Sky News: "Everybody thought there would be fatalities - it was such a massive fire.

"Although there were other containers that could have exploded, it seems we've escaped that possibility."

Lake County Sheriff Department spokesman Lt John Herrell later said the evacuation zone around the scene had been reduced from a mile to half a mile.

Several of the evacuated residents were taken in by a local church.

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