Lockerbie Anniversary: PM Praises Victims

David Cameron has paid tribute to the "fortitude and resilience" of those affected by the Lockerbie bombing as memorial services marking the 25th anniversary of the atrocity take place today.

Pan Am flight 103 was on its way from London to New York when it exploded above Lockerbie, in southern Scotland, on the evening of December 21 1988, killing 270 people - everyone on board and 11 on the ground.

The Prime Minister described it as "one of the worst aviation disasters in history and the deadliest act of terrorism" ever committed in the UK.

He said: "Though 25 years have passed, memories of the 243 passengers, 16 crew and 11 Lockerbie residents who lost their lives on that terrible night have not dimmed.

"Over the last quarter of a century much attention has been focused on the perpetrators of the atrocity. Today our thoughts turn to its victims and to those whose lives have been touched and changed by what happened at Lockerbie that night.

"To families, friends, neighbours, loved ones, and all those caught up in the painful process of recovery, let us say to them: our admiration for you is unconditional. For the fortitude and resilience you have shown. For your determination never to give up. You have shown that terrorist acts cannot crush the human spirit. That is why terrorism will never prevail.

"And even in the darkest moments of grief, it is possible to glimpse the flickering flame of hope."

Eleven people were killed on the ground in Lockerbie

Memorial events attended by politicians, officials, families and members of the community will take place in Lockerbie, London and in the US where most of the 270 victims were from.

Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond and Lord Wallace, Advocate General for Scotland, will attend a wreath-laying ceremony at Dryfesdale Cemetery in the Dumfries and Galloway town.

Mr Salmond said: "As the community of Lockerbie marks the milestone, memorial events will be held in Westminster Abbey, Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia and at Syracuse University which lost 35 students in the bombing.

"But, inevitably, a focus of the day will be on the memorial in Lockerbie and it is there that I will pay my respects and condolences on behalf of the people of Scotland."

Abdelbaset al Megrahi was the only person to be convicted of the bombing

Libyan Abdelbaset al Megrahi was found guilty of the bombing in January 2001 and given a life sentence.

He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2008, leading to a decision to free him under compassionate release rules.

Scotland's Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill took that decision on August 20 the following year, sparking a row among politicians on both sides of the Atlantic.

Megrahi died in Tripoli, Libya in May last year.

Despite the guilty verdict and Megrahi's decision to drop a subsequent appeal against conviction, politicians, campaigners and families of victims are still dealing with the impact, with some of the British relatives considering another appeal against his conviction when they meet with lawyers in the new year.

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Christmas Shoppers To Spend £12bn In Four Days

By Emma Birchley, Reporter

Shoppers are expected to spend £12bn in just four days as they make the most of slashed prices and promotions, according to retail forecasters.

The deals are being offered as a fierce battle for sales rages both on the high street and online.

Alan Dadswell relies on Christmas to keep his shop Toys 'N' Tuck in Southend-on-Sea going. And offering discounts is crucial.

He said: "To get people to spend the money they have got to feel they are getting a bargain and we have got to give them a bargain. We have to hunt with our suppliers to do good deals to get people in to the store."

A sluggish autumn has put added pressure on retailers.

But with 74% of shops offering deals, 13 million people are expected to shop on the high street on the last Saturday before Christmas.

And it will help that many people finished work for Christmas on Friday, leaving extra time to spend.

Offering discounts at Toys 'N' Tuck in Southend-on-Sea is crucial

But Diane Wehrle, from the shop footfall monitors Springboard, says shoppers are getting increasingly canny.

She said: "Tactics definitely come into it. Shoppers are becoming much more savvy than they used to be. They understand that retailers are slashing prices. They understand they are doing one-off specials and they wait for them.

"So they perhaps go window shopping before the Christmas trading period starts, look out for what they want to buy and then buy them when they are on offer."

Lizzy Clarke, armed with bags of gifts in Southend, has made the most of the offers.

"They've got some great deals ... 75% off in some stores and I've just bought some jumpers that cost me £30 last week and this week have cost me £7," she said.

But Rob Antoniazz, who is unconvinced, said: "The decent items in good shops are never up for sale because the demand is there to buy them."

Tesco's distribution centre in Erith, Kent, has gone into overdrive

Half of the money being spent in the four days to the end of Monday will be on food, with £900m going towards online groceries.

Tesco has sold twice as many turkeys over the internet than last year. At its distribution centre in Erith, Kent, staff are working around the clock preparing orders.

Simon Belsham, the managing director of Online Grocery for the chain said: "This is a really busy time of year for us. It really reflects that customers are looking for more and more convenient ways to shop for their Christmas presents and Christmas food."

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Adebolajo's Brother Refuses To Condemn Murder

By Tom Parmenter, Sky News Correspondent

The brother of Woolwich killer Michael Adebolajo has refused to condemn the murder of Lee Rigby.

Jeremiah Adebolajo told Sky News: "My brother's blood is no more expensive than the blood of an Afghan child, and I think Lee Rigby's blood is no more expensive than an Iraqi child."

When asked if he had any regrets over the murder in Woolwich, Mr Adebolajo replied: "My main regret is that foreign troops are in the land of the Muslims."

Like his brother, Mr Adebolajo believes the foreign policies of the UK and US justify direct action against British soldiers, who they believe are "enemy combatants".

The brothers grew up in Romford, Essex, with their parents and sisters.

Adebolajo was intercepted by Kenyan military trying to enter Somalia

Mr Adebolajo said: "We had a fairly ordinary upbringing. We grew up as any other Nigerian young men do I guess in east London, nothing extraordinary.

"My parents were protestant Christians. As you can imagine with most African parents, they consider religion to be something of great importance and we were no different."

Of his brother he said: "He was always concerned I guess with morality. He was a happy guy, he's a bit of a joker.

"A very athletic individual. He loves sports, football. He is an Arsenal fan."

Michael Adebolajo converted to Islam in his first year at the University of Greenwich, his brother said.

His brother said: "I don't think that there was a particular moment when he said 'I have become a Muslim'.

Lee Rigby was murdered in Woolwich on May 22

"It was a gradual change we saw in him in which he became more devoted, more practising."

Michael Adebolajo started joining street protests. In 2006 he was arrested and jailed for 51 days for assaulting two police officers when a demonstration turned violent outside the Old Bailey.

His brother, who also converted, rejects the assumption that Adebolajo was radicalised by prominent figures such as Anjem Choudray.

Jeremiah Adebolajo said: "The media have taken this line that we have a disenfranchised young Christian boy who was radicalised by these bogeymen figures, Anjem Choudary, Omar Bakri, it is a simplistic narrative.

"The truth is they had no ideological influence over my brother, none at all."

In 2010, Michael Adebolajo left his family in London and travelled to Kenya hoping to get into Somalia.

Adebolajo and Adebowale will be sentenced in January

It is widely reported he was trying to join al Shabaab but was intercepted by the Kenyan military and then deported back to the UK.

The British security services had a hand in his repatriation to Britain and were trying to recruit Adebolajo to work with them.

His brother said: "I think the public have a right to ask the security services why they brought him back when he wanted to live there under Islamic law."

Jeremiah Adebolajo also now lives abroad working as an English teacher at a university in Saudi Arabia, but has returned to London for the trial at the Old Bailey.

He has visited his brother inside HMP Belmarsh several times, most recently last Saturday.

Mr Adebolajo claimed that Michael was attacked by prison officers who knocked out the killer's front teeth during his time in prison.

He said: "It was five guys who attacked him. One of the reasons he doesn't want to get them (his teeth) fixed is because he doesn't want to hide it.

"My brother is the kind of guy that if we were young we would have a fight, he could get your teeth knocked out so it is not a huge major big deal."

On Thursday, the union for prison workers, POA, said in a statement that all five officers had been exonerated with the Crown Prosecution Service deciding there was no case to answer.

When challenged about the murder of Lee Rigby, Mr Adebolajo said he understood the condemnation of the public but added "we have to think about the reasons for these actions".

He said: "The young lady in Afghanistan who was raped and killed and burned alive by American soldiers, do you think her parents felt something similar to the parents of Lee Rigby?

"There is a danger in dehumanising Afghanistanis.

"My brother is under no illusion that his actions are going to have an overarching effect on foreign policy. He considers himself a soldier."

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Apollo Theatre Collapse: Investigation Launched

Nearly 80 people were injured, seven seriously, when part of a theatre ceiling collapsed during a packed West End show in London.

Eyewitnesses described "chaos and panic" as chunks of plaster and masonry crashed on to people seated in the stalls 40 minutes into a performance of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

They said there was a loud creaking before the cave-in, which left the Apollo Theatre engulfed in thick dust and debris. One witness reported hearing an actor yell "watch out" to the audience.

Structural engineers and a district surveyor from Westminster City Council are due to carry out a structural assessment of the building this morning.

Stretchers carried out some of the more seriously injured

Nimax Theatres, which owns the Apollo, described the collapse as a "shocking and upsetting incident", and said its thoughts were "with the audience and staff".

Police commandeered three London buses to take the injured to hospital, many of whom were described as "walking wounded". A makeshift triage centre was set up at the nearby Gielgud Theatre.

Many of those injured were described as "walking wounded"

London Ambulance Service said it treated 76 patients, of whom 58 were taken to four hospitals. Of those, 51 had suffered minor injuries and seven more serious injuries.

Chief Superintendent Paul Rickett, of the Metropolitan Police, said there was "no suggestion at this stage that (the collapse) was as a result of a criminal act".

There were around 720 people watching the show when disaster struck.

Some people were initially trapped by debris but all have now been freed

Martin Bostock, who was in the lower stalls with his family, received a head injury after he was hit by falling debris.

He told Sky News: "It was just terrifying and awful. I think the front part of the balcony fell down. At first we thought it was part of the show. Then I got hit on the head.

"It was complete chaos in the theatre. We got out with cuts and bruises. I think most people did."

School worker Hannah George, 29, said: "I heard someone scream and you heard a shriek - then a chunk of the ceiling collapsed.

The Apollo's ceiling collapsed on to theatre-goers

"It actually missed the balcony and must have hit people down below in the stalls - you couldn't see anything down there.

"Very quickly ushers held the doors open. It wasn't every man for himself, it was very ordered. There were people in front going, 'You OK?' and trying to get people out.

"There were people coming out who were more seriously injured. There were loads of people coming out shaking, and a fellow next to me had quite a badly bleeding arm and a ripped shirt."

The collapse reportedly took place as a reference was made to waves crashing on Brighton rocks, leading some in the audience to believe the noise was part of the show.

Mark Haddon, author of the book which the play is based on, tweeted: "I hope that those who were seriously injured are ok. I'm sorry, too, that so many people went through such a terrifying experience. I'm hugely relieved that no-one has died."

Emergency services arrived within minutes, according to one witness

Mark Tait, an actor in the production, tweeted: "Thoughts are with all the audience. Horrific and unbelievable."

The theatre - a Grade II listed building - was completed in 1901 and seats 755 people.

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Jayden Parkinson: Police Find Body In A Grave

Police searching for missing teenager Jayden Parkinson have found a body in a cemetery grave in Didcot, Oxfordshire.

The 17-year-old disappeared on December 3 after she was last seen leaving the town's railway station.

Formal identification of the body has yet to take place, but police believe the remains are those of the missing teenager.

Thames Valley Police said: "We can confirm that we have found a body in a recently disturbed grave in the cemetery of All Saints Church, Didcot.

"The body is believed to be that of missing teenager Jayden Parkinson. A formal identification has yet to take place.

"Jayden's family has been informed and is being supported by specially trained officers.

"Our thoughts are with them at this extremely difficult and distressing time."

Police made the discovery in All Saints Church in Didcot

Officers and forensic scientists are continuing to work at the cemetery.

More than 100 uniformed officers and detectives have been working on the case, backed up by specialists from the National Crime Agency, since she disappeared.

On Wednesday, the man leading the investigation, Detective Chief Superintendent Andy Murray, said police had received "significant and highly relevant information" which led their search efforts to a specific grave in the churchyard.

Jayden's former boyfriend, 22-year-old Ben Blakeley, of Reading, has appeared at Oxford Crown Court charged with her murder and perverting the course of justice.

A 17-year-old youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has also been charged with perverting the course of justice between December 3 and December 10 by assisting in the disposal of Jayden's body and other evidence.

:: A police news conference is due to take place at 8am. Watch live on Sky News on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Woman Killed As High Winds Hit UK And Ireland

Further strong winds are expected to batter the UK today after two people died in gale force conditions.

The Met Office has an amber warning - its second-highest level - for Northern Ireland and parts of western Scotland, where gusts of up to 90mph are expected.

Wind warnings are in place across much of the Republic of Ireland, with Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo, as well as Munster, Leinster, Cavan and Monaghan, all braced for winds of up to 70mph.

As much as 20cm of snow could fall in Scotland, while icy roads may create treacherous driving conditions in Wales and across much of eastern England.

The League Cup game at Stoke was halted by a hail storm

It comes after storms caused by an Atlantic depression left two people dead and thousands of people without power.

A 23-year-old woman was killed in Ireland when a tree fell onto her car near Mullingar, County Westmeath.

Paramedics cut her free from the wreckage of the vehicle but she died from her injuries.

In Warwickshire, a man suffered head and chest injuries when a tree hit his car on the A45 between Stretton-on-Dunsmore and Rugby.

Flood warnings have been issued across the UK

A 19-year-old passenger in the car also suffered facial injuries.

Meanwhile, coastguards and an RAF helicopter were forced to call off a search after a man fell overboard from a cargo ship on the River Trent in Lincolnshire.

The 45-year-old, who was not thought to have been wearing a life jacket, became entangled in ropes, according to a coastguard spokesman.

The winds knocked out power to around 7,000 homes and businesses in Northern Ireland, with another 3,500 affected in northwest England and 900 in south Wales, although most people have now been reconnected.

The gales also caused widespread damage to overhead power and train lines.

The Environment Agency issued 29 flood warnings and 114 flood alerts, mostly in the west of the UK.

In Ireland, the strong winds ripped off part of the roof of Kent railway station in Cork, leaving one passenger with minor injuries.

The roof of Kent railway station in Cork collapsed in the high winds

The roof of a hotel was blown off in Moota, Cumbria, forcing police to close the A595.

Sheffield Wednesday's Championship game against Wigan had to be abandoned in the second half because of a waterlogged pitch and Manchester United's game against Stoke was temporarily halted by a hail storm.

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Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs Dies Aged 84

Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs has died at the age of 84 after years of ill health, Sky sources say.

Biggs was part of a 15-member gang that robbed a Glasgow to London Royal Mail train in 1963 and escaped with a then record haul of £2.6m, the equivalent of more than £40m today.

He was last seen in public in March at the funeral of Bruce Reynolds who masterminded the audacious robbery.

The gang pounced shortly after 3am on August 8, 1963, Biggs 34th birthday, as the train passed through the Buckinghamshire countryside close to Cheddington.

The train driver, Jack Mills, was struck with an iron bar and never worked again.

Biggs was jailed for his part in the robbery itself but for escaped from jail after serving just 15 months of a 30-year sentence.

He escaped from Wandsworth prison in south-west London by climbing a 30ft wall and fleeing in a furniture van.

The fugitive avoided British justice for almost 40 years, mainly living in Brazil and Australia.

He finally returned to England in 2001 as his health failed, and served eight years of his original sentence before being released on compassionate grounds in 2009.

Biggs lived his final years in a care home completely reliant on nursing staff. He spent his final years at the Carlton Court Care Home in East Barnet, North London.

In his 2011 biography, Odd Man Out: The Last Straw, Biggs said he believed the public saw him as a "loveable rogue".

Asked whether he was remorseful, he firstly replied "No", then qualified it by saying he regrets the robbery but not fleeing justice.

After suffering a series of strokes, Biggs used a homemade letters board to communicate and effectively dictated his book to a ghostwriter.

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Syria: Sky News Gains Access To UK Jihadists

By Stuart Ramsay, Chief Correspondent

Sky News has gained the first access to a previously unknown brigade of exclusively British jihadists fighting in Syria.

Until now, the existence of this UK brigade has been kept a secret, but it reveals that British security services have hugely underestimated the scale of UK nationals involved in the bloodshed.

In a series of wide-ranging and frank interviews, the jihadists, who have asked Sky News to protect their identities for fear of a backlash against their families in the UK, reveal that hundreds of young men from Britain have joined the fight against Bashar al Assad's government and that "at least" four die each month.

They also claim that the UK remains the largest single source of private fundraising for jihadi fighters, outdoing countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE.

In the interviews, carried out by US journalist and Muslim convert, Bilal Abdul Kareem, exclusively for Sky News, the Islamic fighters insist they have no intention of attacking UK targets or waging jihad on British soil.

One of the men, identified as Mustafa, is asked directly if he is part of al Qaeda and why he insists on hiding his identity.

"I'm not part of al Qaeda, and I've never been a part of al Qaeda - ever,"  he says.

UK jihadists say they are no threat to Britain

"I'm not a terrorist in any way. If people could see how much goodness we have in our hearts, how much mercy we have for people and how much you know we are driven by compassion to help other people they wouldn't think that we were terrorists.

"But this is a line that they have been fed and there are people that benefit from pushing that narrative about us, so I protect my identity."

This denial follows warnings from the heads of the UK's security services that young men travelling to Syria risk being radicalised before returning home to carry out terror attacks in Britain.

Fighting on a mountain top in the northeast of the country, these men look like hardcore jihadists, but when they speak they are pure Brits.

They say they will not attack UK targets

They joke and laugh between themselves, sometimes comparing the now ubiquitous "selfies".

But they hardly speak any Arabic and are dependent on one of their number to give orders on the battlefield.

Like British soldiers, they discuss kit and the best things to buy for jihad. In one exchange a young man, advised to buy new binoculars, naively asks if eBay will deliver.

"No man," one of the more seasoned fighters laughs in reply, shaking his head, "eBay won't deliver here man."

It is pure comedy. The men insist they have a moral obligation to help in Syria because of the outside world's refusal to intervene in the near three-year-old civil war, and deny they are terrorists.

"When you see atrocities carried out like what you see from the images that you see from Syria, then really as a human being, you know morally there should be an obligation just being part of the human race to defend such people," one of the brigade's leaders told Sky News.

"But if morals can't, if that's not enough to motivate you, our religion demands for us that people that cannot defend themselves, that somebody needs to get up and respond to their call. Ethically, it's the only right thing to do," he said during a pause in the fighting.

The Britons say they were angered by the lack of international intervention

The armed opposition to President Assad in the north of the country is now being waged almost exclusively by a myriad of jihadist groups supported by a significant number of foreign fighters from the USA, Canada, Northern Europe, North Africa and the former Soviet republics of Chechnya and Dagestan.

The British contingent say their numbers are increasing daily and social networking sites are helping to organise the influx into Syria.

They know that returning to their families in the UK will be extremely difficult from now on, but in reality they probably won't get the chance - the fighting footsoldier's life expectancy in Syria is very short once serious combat begins.

This committed group buck many stereotypes used to describe the Islamist fighters in Syria.

Whether anyone agrees or disagrees with them is not in itself relevant, not yet at least, as this is the first time we have ever heard them speak.

:: A spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: "Syria is the number one destination for jihadists anywhere in the world. There are thousands of foreign fighters in Syria, including large numbers of Europeans, gaining combat experience and forging connections with extremists.

"Some people who travel from the UK to Syria for jihadist fighting will pose a security threat when they return. We are concerned that Al-Qaeda affiliates such as Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and the Al Nusrah Front (ANF) are now able to operate in the large areas of ungoverned space that have been created by the conflict.

"We are aware of at least 200 UK-linked individuals of concern who have travelled to Syria, but the true number is likely to be higher."

The FCO said it is taking the following action:

:: Intelligence agencies and police are working to identify and disrupt potential threats.
:: The police have the power to examine and detain individuals at the UK border to investigate any concerns of terrorism involvement.
:: UK nationals of concern seeking to travel from the UK can have their passports removed or withdrawn. And foreign nationals resident in the UK can have their leave to remain revoked if they are deemed non-conducive to the public good.
:: Working with our international partners we have secured the designation of the al-Nusrah Front under the UN al Qaeda sanctions regime.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602 and Freeview channel 82.

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The Ashes: England Lose To Rampant Aussies

England have lost the Ashes with a third successive defeat to Australia in Perth, despite a maiden Test century from Ben Stokes.

Stokes' 120 was the cornerstone of England's belated defiance on the fifth day, but the team were still bowled out for 353 early on the final afternoon.

The loss sees Australia regain the urn with a 150-run win and an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series.

In pursuit of a world-record 504 to win at the Waca ground, Stokes deserved credit for resisting the Australian bowling attack for so long.

Australia has taken an unassailable 3-0 lead in the Ashes series

His century was England's first of a series in which they have fallen short against hosts keen to take revenge for three successive Ashes defeats.

Stokes was eventually caught behind by Brad Haddin off the bowling of spinner Nathan Lyon.

Australia won the opening test of the series in Brisbane by 381 runs and the second in Adelaide by 218 runs.

The series now moves to Melbourne for the Boxing Day test, followed by the final match at the Sydney Cricket Ground in the New Year.

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New Runways For Gatwick And Heathrow Airports

Building a controversial third runway at Heathrow airport is one of the options shortlisted by the Airport Commission in its first report.

The findings of an independent inquiry led by the former head of the Financial Services Authority has also recommended a second runway for Gatwick airport.

Sir Howard has also said he would consider the idea of building a new airport in the Thames Estuary, plans for which have been dubbed "Boris Island", although he did not include it on the shortlist of options.

To cope with the increasing number of passengers flying into the UK, one of the new runways must be operational by 2030, according to the commission. The second should be up and running by 2050.

But it stopped short of proposing a new runway for Stansted or Birmingham airports, as had been suggested.

If the UK does not expand its airports then it will cost the economy £45bn over 60 years, the report warned.

Sir Howard said: "The UK enjoys excellent connectivity today. The capacity challenge is not yet critical but it will become so if no action is taken soon and our analysis clearly supports the provision of one net additional runway by 2030.

"In the meantime we encourage the government to act on our recommendations to make the best of our existing capacity."

Mr Johnson has been bitterly opposed to building a third runway at the UK's largest airport calling the idea of expansion scandalous".

Last week Mr Johnson threatened to call for a judicial review if plans for a four-runway airport on the Isle of Grain were not included in the commission's report.

The commission said it had not shortlisted the Thames Estuary plan "because there are too many uncertainties and challenges surrounding them at this stage".

However, it did suggest undertaking a further study of the options for the new airport in the early part of next year with a view to seeing whether it was a "credible proposal" to be included on the final options for expansion in the summer.

Mr Johnson said today: "It is clear that Gatwick is not being considered as a hub airport, meaning a second runway there would only provide temporary relief to Heathrow.

"And that means Sir Howard has effectively told the Government it has two choices - proceed with the creation of a monstrous Heathrow... or proceed with the construction of a new hub in the inner estuary that can be built for the same cost as a four-runway Heathrow, and would bring new jobs, homes, and long-term competitiveness.

"A new airport in the inner estuary is the only credible hub option left, and the only one that would uphold this country's claim to be the natural financial, commercial and economic capital of Europe. By keeping it on the table, Davies is saying you have a choice - between a damaging U- turn or a radical new vision for expansion."

Heathrow - one of the world's busiest airports - is currently operating at 98% of its capacity with 70m passengers using it in 2012.

If it is not allowed to expand, those in favour of a third runway claim that travellers to Europe will opt to fly into airports in France or Germany instead, at a cost to the UK economy.

Heathrow representatives told the commission that a third runway could be operating by 2029 allowing 260,000 more flights a year.

The last Labour government has supported building a new runway but it was ruled out by the coaltion when it came to power in May 2010.

But the plans have met with fierce resistance from people living in the flightpath and environmentalists.

 Tory MP Zac Goldsmith said last week that any decision by the Prime Minister to back Heathrow expansion would represent an "off-the-scale betrayal" and that David Cameron would "never be forgiven in west London".

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Jayden Parkinson: Man Charged With Murder

A 22-year-old man has been charged with the murder of Oxfordshire teenager Jayden Parkinson, police have said.

Ben Blakeley, of Christchurch Road, Reading, has also been charged with perverting the course of justice.

He has been remanded in custody to appear at Oxford Magistrates' Court later this morning.

A 17-year-old boy, who was also arrested on suspicion of murder, remains in police custody.

Jayden has been missing for nearly two weeks and is thought to have been killed.

She was last seen leaving Didcot Parkway train station, in Oxfordshire, at 4.27pm on December 3 - and did not return home that evening as planned.

The police search is continuing

Specialist search teams backed by helicopters and police dogs have continued searching an area of farmland just outside the village of Upton, near Didcot, where they appear to be focusing on a small patch of woodland near the church.

The police's inquiry team has now grown to more than 100 officers as the force tries to discover what has happened to the teenager.

Oxfordshire police commander Superintendent Christian Bunt said officers were also continuing to sift a grassy area of wasteland in the Lydalls Road area of Didcot.

Residential addresses have also been searched and a recycling bin was earlier removed for further examination.

Supt Bunt thanked the public for their help with the inquiry so far, but urged people not to carry out their own searches as these could prove a risk to the ongoing police investigation.

Jayden was living in a hostel in Oxford before she disappeared

Jayden recently left home in Didcot to live in Oxford.

In a heartfelt plea, her mother Samantha Shrewsbury posted a message on social media site Facebook on Sunday saying: "My baby, my princess, my heart is so heavy, baby girl.

"I just want to see you walk through my door with a 'ta-dar'. I need you little lady, my heart feels so empty without you."

Police have pieced together her movements in the run-up to her disappearance, and believe she walked up Oxford's High Street through the town centre, arriving at the train station at 4.07pm, where she then boarded a train to Didcot.

The very last sighting of her is when she left Didcot train station at about 4.27pm.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Child Abuse: 42% Rise In Investigations

By Jason Farrell, Sky News Correspondent

A Sky News investigation has revealed up to one in 20 children in some parts of the country have been the subject of investigations into whether they are victims of abuse or neglect.

In 2012/13 English councils launched 127,060 high-level investigations - known as section 47s - into children thought to be at risk, analysis of official figures shows.

That is the equivalent of one in 100 of the country's entire population of under-18s and represents a 42.3% increase in cases since 2009/10.

In some areas the figure is much higher with the equivalent of 4.5% of children in Blackpool, 2.6% in Doncaster and 2.1% in Peterborough being investigated.

Experts said the significant increase in suspected abuse cases could be explained by the heightened awareness of the issue following the tragic case of Baby Peter Connelly in 2008.

However, they also said the impact of the recession on households had led to a marked rise in ill treatment of children.

The figures follow a series of high-profile cases of child abuse including that of four-year-old Daniel Pelka who was starved, tortured and brutally beaten to death by his mother and stepfather.

Daniel Pelka, four, was a victim of horrific abuse

Ray Jones, professor of social work at Kingston University, told Sky News that economic pressures were linked to abuse and neglect.

He said: "I think we're aware of the dangers more than we were before and I think we're more determined to act on them, but I do think that there are some families who are getting into difficulty now who wouldn't have got into difficulty before because of increasing deprivation and indeed destitution."

Professor Jones warned that social services were increasingly struggling to cope.

"We have a child protection system and a care system where the work has been increasing year on year on year for the last five years and I really am worried about it.

"I'm worried about it because it's at the point of breakdown now, because that's at the time of public sector cuts."

In Blackpool the number of cases being investigated is more four times the national average.

Charlene Downes who went missing in 2003 is presumed dead

In 2011 it emerged that police investigating the disappearance of 14-year-old Charlene Downes in the town had uncovered a gang of men which had groomed 60 underage girls from the area for sex.

Her mother Karen Downes told Sky News: "I was shocked when I first heard about it. I was absolutely disgusted. I didn't have any knowledge at all of any girls being abused.

"We didn't even know about the darker side of Blackpool until all this with Charlene came about."

Richard Scorer, a solicitor who specialises in child abuse cases at the Pannone law firm in Manchester, warned that many cases end up being ignored by social services.

"Cases involving chronic neglect and physical and emotional abuse tend to fall by the wayside or tend to be ignored," he said.

"And I think the other thing that comes out is the difficulties that social services have in monitoring and keeping track of children who are part of a shifting population that moves in and out of the town."

He also warned that cuts could make the situation worse.

'Julie' has an alcoholic mother and has left home several times as a result

"I think this is one of these examples of a situation where we have to decide as a society if we want to take child abuse seriously and we want to deal with it properly then we have to make sure social workers and others have the resources to deal with it properly," he said.

Sky News met several teenage girls in Blackpool who are sleeping rough and refusing to return home.

"Emma", 17, said she had been on the streets since she was 15 and "has her reasons" why she can't go home.

She sleeps in what are known as 20p hotels - toilet cubicles you pay to use.

"It's cold, it's cold as hell. You can like put your bags against the door to stop the draught coming in, but the floor gets so cold," she said.

"And it's scary as well, like every time you hear people go past shouting and that in case they come in or whatever."

"Julie", 18 said she started sleeping rough after an argument with her alcoholic mother when she was 17.

She claimed she was smoking aged seven, drinking by 11 and smoking crack by the time she was 13. 

She also alleged that she was raped by a man who pretended to be her friend and took her in for the night.

"I used to turn up to my lessons under the influence. I used to snort cocaine off my religious studies book right in front of the teacher. I just didn't care," she said.

"(Teachers) always had meetings with my social workers. They just tried to take me away, and then every time they took me away, my mum went to rehab, and then she got clean for a few weeks.

"Then I went back to her, then it all went back downhill again and it just kept repeating itself."

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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Mandela Funeral: Thousands Pay Final Respects

Thousands of people are saying a final farewell to former South African president Nelson Mandela as he is laid to rest in his ancestral home.

Some 4,000 people are attending the state funeral of the anti-apartheid hero, including family members, African leaders and several heads of state.

The mourners include retired Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who was earlier said to have been "heartbroken" to have apparently missed out on an invite, and the Prince of Wales, who is representing the Queen.

Members of the armed forces marched alongside Mr Mandela's coffin

Mr Mandela's coffin, draped in his country's flag, was carried to the service on a military carriage, as a 21-gun salute echoed around the village of Qunu, his childhood home.

It was placed in front of a stage, on which 95 candles - one for each year of his life - were lit and a huge portrait of a smiling Mr Mandela displayed.

High-profile guests at the service included businessman Sir Richard Branson and TV chat show host Oprah Winfrey, while prominent US civil rights activist Reverend Jessie Jackson and Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams also made the journey to South Africa.

Ahmed Kathrada, who was imprisoned on Robben Island for 26 years with Mr Mandela, gave a heartfelt tribute to a man he described as his "elder brother".

Speaking directly to his friend, he said: "What can we say ... in these, our last, final moments together?

"Your abundant reserves of love, simplicity, honesty, service, humility, care, courage, foresight, patience, tolerance, equality and justice continually serve as a source of enormous strength to millions."

Mr Kathrada said his close friend was an "enormous" source of strength

Holding back tears, he added: "My life is in a void and I don't know who to turn to."

Hailemariam Desalegn, the Ethiopian Prime Minister and chairman of the African Union, said: "(Mr Mandela) was one of Africa's greatest sons and an iconic figure of exceptional contribution to humanity.

"Madiba's life has been a record of all the trials and tribulations the entire continent has had to endure.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu initially thought he had missed out on an invite

"His was a life of struggle in the face of unparalleled odds. A life of suffering in the hands of malicious perpetrators of injustice. A life of perseverance in the face of challenge."

He added: "We are not mourning. We are celebrating humanity at its finest. We should find consolation that his legacy will live on for eternity."

A military plane, escorted by two fighter jets, brought Mr Mandela's body from a farewell service in Pretoria to Mthatha in South Africa's Eastern Cape.

Oprah Winfrey and Sir Richard Branson are among those attending the service

Tens of thousands of people lined the roads as the funeral procession passed by, although some were angry the cortege did not stop to allow them time to pay their respects.

Preparations for service - the first ever state funeral in South Africa - were marred by a public spat between the country's government and Mr Tutu, one of the most prominent survivors in the long struggle against apartheid.

Mr Tutu, a Nobel laureate who has been critical of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party, initially said he was not invited - an apparent snub that the government has denied.

A 21-gun salute heralded the arrival of Nelson Mandela's coffin

"Much as I would have loved to attend the service to say a final farewell to someone I loved and treasured, it would have been disrespectful to Tata (Mandela) to gatecrash what was billed as a private family funeral," he said.

"Had I or my office been informed that I would be welcome there is no way on earth that I would have missed it."

However, when the South African presidency said a solution would be found allowing Mr Tutu to attend, a spokesman for the 82-year-old foundation confirmed he would be travelling to the Eastern Cape to attend the funeral of his close friend.

Mr Mandela's body was driven to Qunu amid tight security

More than 100,000 people saw Mr Mandela's body lying in state in Pretoria over the last three days, but some had to be turned away.

The former leader, who was imprisoned for 27 years for opposing racist apartheid before emerging in 1990 to forge a new democratic South Africa, died on December 5.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602 and Freeview channel 82.

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Nelson Mandela Funeral: Live Updates From Qunu

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Mandela's funeral ceremony as it happens, where thousands are paying their respects to the anti-apartheid icon.

7:53am UK, Sunday 15 December 2013

Nelson Mandela guided South Africa from the shackles of apartheid

Live Stream: Nelson Mandela's Funeral Service

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• Video Stream: Nelson Mandela's Funeral Service

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