Dublin Police Identify Mystery Street Woman

Police have identified a woman who was found wandering the centre of Dublin nearly a month ago - just hours after releasing a photograph of her.

Officers said that with the assistance of the public they were now "following a definite line of enquiry" and were "liaising closely with the Australian Police and the Health Service Executive to finalise the matter".

The woman, who was thought to be as young as 14 and from eastern Europe, is now understood to be an Australian aged 19-20 who appears to have travelled voluntarily, according to Sky sources.

"Police no longer believe there was any criminal involvement in the case of the girl found on O'Connell Street," a source said.

They hope to reunite her with her family soon, but for now she remains in the care of the HSE.

She was found in a dazed state in the Irish capital on October 10, but has yet to speak to the police.

It was thought the woman, now thought to be Australian, was eastern Europe

Interpol had been called in to try to identify the woman.

The woman, 5ft 6in tall, of slim build, with long blonde hair, was found wearing a purple hooded top, tight dark coloured jeans, flat black shoes and a grey woollen jumper.

It is believed her clothes were bought in major retailers in Ireland, but detectives could not determine when they were purchased.

The woman also has a brace, but paediatric orthodontists contacted in Ireland were unable to shed any light on her identity through their records.

A major investigation was launched into the circumstances surrounding the discovery of the woman.

The probe has so far involved more than 2,000 man hours and more than 115 lines of enquiry.

These include door-to-door enquires, vehicle and pedestrian checks in the area where the woman was discovered, and the seizure and viewing of CCTV from the city centre.

Police also showed her picture to specialised child interviewers throughout the country.

Officers sought High Court approval to release the picture of the woman, who is under an interim care order, after their early enquiries drew a blank.

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Dog Attack: Young Girl Dies After Being Bitten

A four-year-old girl has died after being bitten by a dog at her home in Leicestershire.

The victim, who has been named as Lexi Hudson, was taken by air ambulance to the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham where doctors were unable to save her.

Police were called to a flat in the quiet cul-de-sac of Rowena Court in Mountsorrel, a village between Leicester and Loughborough, just after noon on Tuesday.

It is not known if this was the dog that attacked Lexi

A spokesman said the dog involved was believed to be the family pet.

Neighbours said the animal was a rescue dog and had only been with the family for a few weeks, it was reported.

They described Lexi as a friendly girl who played outside her home and was often seen with quite a large dog, which potentially could be a French Mastiff.

Lexi lived in a flat with her mother Jodi Hudson and they had been there for about a year, neighbours added.

Lexi was described as always having a smile on her face

Police did not say what breed the dog was. It is not thought the animal was of one of the four breeds banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act.

The dog died shortly after the attack but police did not say how.

Arthur Nash, who lives in Rowena Court, said: "Everybody is in shock at the moment with Lexi dying.

"When I saw an ambulance pull up I thought it was an old lady on the court who had had a heart attack, and then the neighbour came up and said she had been killed by the dog. We're in shock."

The attack happened at Rowena Court, Mountsorrel, Leicestershire

Another neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: "We've seen all the activity today and I've just had a phone call from one of the neighbours to say she's died.

"The police have been and then the ambulance came and we heard.

"I always say hello when I pass, and the little girl used to play outside - she used to say hello when she was playing. It is just such a shock, such a sad shock."

Glennis Goddard, who has lived in the road for 27 years, said: "She was very happy, everything was fun - as it is when you're a four-year-old.

"You've only got to look at her and she'd got a big smile on her face."

Melanie Wright, a spokeswoman for East Midlands Ambulance, said handlers were being given support after responding to the "very distressing" 999 call.

She said: "The child was taken to the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham where, tragically, she has since died."

In September 2006 a five-month-old girl, Cadey-Lee Deacon, died after being savaged by two rottweiler dogs guarding a pub in nearby Leicester.

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Water Bills: Minister Urges Firms To Rethink

The Environment Secretary has urged water companies to "look closely" at whether price increases are necessary and urged them to introduce special tariffs for hard-pressed households.

In a letter to suppliers, Owen Paterson MP said they should recognise the financial strain that people were under.

The intervention came with Ofwat expected later this week to reject an application from Thames Water to increase bills by £29 in 2014-2015.

The regulator has questioned the profits being made by firms, and suggested its next Price Review could ease the upward pressure on bills by up to £750m after 2015.

Owen Paterson has urged water companies to reconsider price hikes

Mr Paterson said: "We know that household budgets are under pressure, and keeping water bills affordable is a crucial way we can help hardworking people.

"That is why we are pressing hard to make sure customers get a fair deal, by encouraging water companies to look closely at any price increases, introduce social tariffs for vulnerable customers and crack down on bad debt."

Water bills have risen by more than 60% in the last decade and the average household bill is now £388.

Since 2009, average increases in water and sewerage bills have been in line with inflation, but this has still outstripped increases in household income.

Water companies have blamed the price increases on the costs of environmental improvements including replacing ageing Victoria water pipes.

It comes after the cost of living has become increasingly important on the political agenda after Labour leader Ed Miliband pledged to freeze energy prices if his party wins the 2015 General Election.

Mr Miliband will accuse the coalition Government of "shrugging their shoulders" about low wages and rising prices this week and will challenge Conservative and Lib Dem MPs to back his policy of freezing energy bills in a Commons vote on Wednesday.

During a speech at Battersea Power Station, he will say: "The cost of living crisis isn't just an issue for the lowest paid, it affects the squeezed middle just as much.

"This is not just an issue facing Britain. It is the issue facing Britain. It is about who our country is run for."

Prime Minister David Cameron last week said he wanted to "roll back" environmental taxes that bump up energy bills, and promised more details in Chancellor George Osborne's Autumn Statement on December 4.

:: Read the full letter here

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Wonga Chief Defends Company Practices

The chief operating officer of payday loan company Wonga has defended its practices as it released a film telling the stories of 12 of its customers.

Niall Wass told Sky News that Wonga decided to make 12 Portraits to dispel the "negative" image of the company, as MPs prepare to grill three payday loan companies as part of a crackdown on the short-term lending sector.

The film was made by an independent director who picked 12 customers from the company database and followed their decision to take a loan from Wonga.

He said: "We felt the need to release it because we felt that the voice of the customer, really the silent majority of people using our service, was not being heard.

Wonga will appear with two other lenders in front of MPs later on Tuesday

"Generally you hear a lot of criticism about our service out in the media and actually the super positive stories that we see every day from our customer feedback are not being heard, so we wanted to redress that balance and allow their voice to come out.

"We didn't think it was fair the characterisation of some of our customers, so we want people to reconsider, judge for themselves have a look at our site have a look at those videos and see what you think."

Representatives from Wonga, QuickQuid and Mr Lender - three of the largest payday lending firms - will appear before the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee on Tuesday.

MPs are expected to follow up on a damning report by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) that found "deep-rooted" problems in the way payday loans attract and treat customers.

Lenders have come under intense scrutiny from the Competition Commission and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) since the report was published in September.

New curbs proposed by the FCA in October will force lenders to place "risk warnings" on promotions and advertising, urging customers to "think" before taking out a payday loan.

Representatives from Which? and the Citizens Advice Bureau will also address the committee.

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'Plebgate' Officers Facing New Investigation

Three police officers accused of deceiving MPs over the so-called Plebgate scandal are to face a new investigation by the police watchdog.

The officers - police federation representatives - will also be called back before an influential committee of MPs over evidence they gave to it previously.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission said there were "procedural irregularities" in an earlier probe.

Andrew Mitchell tried to take his bike through the Downing Street gates

Inspector Ken MacKaill, Detective Sergeant Stuart Hinton and Sergeant Chris Jones are accused of giving misleading accounts of a meeting with former chief whip Andrew Mitchell.

The Conservative MP met the officers last October to try to clear the air after an alleged foul-mouthed confrontation with police in Downing Street the previous month.

The trio were initially told they would face no action for misconduct over misleading press statements they made immediately after the meeting.

But the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has now said it will hold an investigation into their behaviour.

IPCC deputy chairwoman Deborah Glass said the watchdog was holding its inquiry to avoid damaging public confidence.

The confrontation was caught on CCTV and shown on Channel 4

She said: "Evidence given to the Home Affairs Select Committee on October 23 revealed a number of procedural irregularities between the production of the draft and final West Mercia reports."

The officers have also been recalled to the Home Affairs Select Committee to apologise for giving "misleading answers" on October 23.

Committee chairman Keith Vaz said: "We were appalled by the evidence given by DS Hinton, Sgt Jones and Inspector MacKaill. It is now clear that DS Hinton and Sgt Jones misled the committee, possibly deliberately.

"We have recalled them to correct the record and if they do not, they will be in prima facie contempt of Parliament."

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Maidstone Prison 'Riot' Brought Under Control

A "riot" at Maidstone Prison has been brought under control, the Prison Service has said.

Officers from special prison service riot units across the country were called in to deal with the Maidstone incident in a system known as Operation Tornado.

A prison officers union said it had been told the riot involved up to 180 prisoners, but the Prison Service said just 40 inmates took part in the "incident".

Riot units were called to the prison

Prison Officers Association vice chair Ralph Valerio told Sky News negotiators had been sent to the scene in Kent to try to contain the disturbance.

He said he had been told that at one point inmates were smashing up the Thanet Wing at the prison.

Mr Valerio said he had been led to believe that between 160 to 180 foreigners were involved - and some staff could have been assaulted.

Up to 180 foreigners are thought to have taken part in the disturbance

He said prison staff had been forced to retreat to safety. Thanet Wing, where the riot occurred, is separated from the other wings.

Jackie Hipwell, the landlady of a pub nearby, said the whole road in front of the prison was filled with fire engines and riot vans.

She said it started around 4pm and there were so many vehicles deployed she was unable to use the road.

The location of Thanet Wing at Maidstone Prison

A Prison Service spokesperson said later: "An incident involving around 40 prisoners at HMP Maidstone has been successfully resolved with no injuries to staff or prisoners.

"An investigation is under way and the perpetrators will be dealt with appropriately by the prison."

Mr Valerio believes staff shortages and the impact this has had on the prisoners is a possible reason behind the rioting.

Maidstone, with an inmate population of about 600, is a category C training prison that predominantly houses sex offenders from the Kent and Sussex areas.

Its website says it aims to "create a therapeutic environment that supports, embraces and empowers change with a primary focus on risk reduction and protection".

The prison also takes in foreign prisoners with more than 18 months to serve and provides forums with the UK Border Agency.

Kent Police confirmed it was aware of the incident, but a spokeswoman said prison services were dealing with the matter.

Meanwhile, a passive demonstration took place at G4S-run Rye Hill Prison, near Rugby,  involving 60 inmates. However, this was resolved peacefully and was not linked to the Maidstone riot.

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Paul Gambaccini: BBC DJ Held Over Sex Claims

Veteran BBC broadcaster Paul Gambaccini has been arrested on suspicion of historical sexual offences.

He was held at his home in south London on Tuesday morning as part of Scotland Yard's Operation Yewtree.

The radio presenter, whose broadcasting career spans 40 years at the BBC, answered questions in police custody before being released on bail.

A BBC spokesman said Gambaccini denies the allegations against him.

"Paul Gambaccini has decided that, in light of [Friday's] media attention, he would rather not be on-air at present and we respect that decision," he said.

"Therefore, Paul will not be presenting on BBC Radio in coming weeks and replacement programmes for the period will be announced soon."

Yewtree has been investigating claims of historical sexual offences since the Jimmy Savile scandal broke last year.

Scotland Yard detectives have run the investigation in three strands - allegations involving Savile, those involving Savile and others, and those involving others.

Gambaccini was arrested under the strand known as "others", meaning the arrest is not connected to the Savile inquiry.

The DJ, one of Britain's foremost authorities on music, hosts a weekly show on BBC Radio 2.

He is the 15th person arrested under Yewtree and was bailed until January.

The presenter was highly vocal last year in the wake of Savile's years of sexual abuse being made public, and said it was known among BBC staff that the late presenter targeted vulnerable, "institutionalised" young people.

A 16th person - a 74-year-old who has not been named - was arrested at a separate address in south London on Tuesday, and also bailed until January.

 

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