Clarkson Hints At Possible Top Gear Exit

Jeremy Clarkson has hinted he may be ready to leave Top Gear after being suspended over a bust-up with a producer.

Writing in his column for the Sun newspaper he appeared to refer to himself as a "dinosaur", explaining that "the day must come when you have to wave goodbye to the big monsters". 

He wrote: "Nature made a mistake when it invented the dinosaur. It was too big, too violent ...

"All the dinosaurs died and now, years later, no-one mourns their passing.

"These big, imposing creatures have no place in a world which has moved on."

Video: Family: We Saw Clarkson's Abuse

Clarkson, 54, has been suspended over a row in which he allegedly tried to hit a producer, named in reports as Oisin Tymon. 

A petition calling for Clarkson to be reinstated has reached more than 840,000 signatures.

But the controversial presenter wrote: "You can start as many campaigns as you like and call on the support of politicians from all sides, but the day must come when you have to wave goodbye to the big monsters, and move on. 

"We lose one animal and get another. The world turns."

He goes on to say: "As you may have heard, I've been suspended by the BBC following a fracas at a North Yorkshire hotel.

Video: 'I'm Off To The Job Centre'

"I don't intend to dwell here on what happened then or what will happen in the future. I'm sure you're as fed up with the story as I am.

"One of the things which has cheered me is how many people have expressed support in the last few days. I'm touched and grateful."

Clarkson is being summoned to appear before a BBC disciplinary panel that will decide his fate.

The panel will be chaired by Ken MacQuarrie, the head of BBC Scotland who conducted the investigation into Newsnight's false expose of Lord McAlpine.

The corporation has not revealed when or where the hearing will take place.

Video: Clarkson Is TV's Kevin Pietersen

:: Read Sky News' interview with a family who say Clarkson launched into an expletive-ridden rant at the producer.

According to reports, he lashed out because he was unable to order a steak at the Simonstone Hall Hotel near Hawes, North Yorkshire, where the production team were staying.

The Sun and Daily Mirror said the hotel's chef had gone home by the time they arrived and they were only offered cold meat platters, although Clarkson had ordered a £21.95 steak.

The papers quoted a source who claimed Clarkson blamed Mr Tymon for not arranging hot food and said there had been a "scuffle".

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At Least 8 Killed By Powerful Cyclone Pam

Powerful winds from Cyclone Pam have caused widespread destruction in the Vanuatu islands, killing at least eight people, aid officials have said.

Unconfirmed reports say dozens more people are feared dead.

The Category Fire storm struck the South Pacific archipelago with winds of up to 167mph, threatening more than 267,000 residents.

The storm blew roofs off houses, uprooted trees and downed power lines.

Officials in Port Vila say there is no power or running water in Vanuatu's capital.

Video: Cyclone Pam Hits South Pacific

There are reports of entire villages being destroyed in more remote areas, according to Chloe Morrison, a World Vision emergency communications officer.

"It's still really quite dangerous outside. Most people are still hunkering down," she said.

"The damage is quite extensive in Port Vila but there are so many more vulnerable islands.

"I can't even imagine what it's like in those vulnerable communities."

Australia is preparing to send a crisis response team to Vanuatu if needed, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said.

"There are destructive winds, rain, flooding, landslides, sea surges and very rough seas and the storm is exceedingly destructive there," she said.

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1. Gallery: Red Alert In Vanuatu Ahead Of Cyclone Pam

   A satellite image of Cyclone Pam. Pic: Japan Meteorological Agency

Pic: Japan Meteorological Agency

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Family: Clarkson Said He'd Have Colleague Fired

By Gerard Tubb, North of England Correspondent

Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson is facing new allegations over the "fracas" at a Yorkshire Dales hotel that led to his suspension by the BBC on Monday.

Four members of the same family who overheard the row say Clarkson told a colleague he would have him fired because there was no hot food at the end of a day's filming.

The Ward family from Leeds told Sky News that Clarkson ranted for up to half-an-hour at the Simonstone Hotel near Hawes and say they were shocked at his language and the way he treated his colleague.

They also claimed he criticised the BBC, saying it was "getting worse".

A picture taken by the Wards of Clarkson the morning after the fracas

Sue Ward, 54, a medical receptionist, described Clarkson's behaviour towards the unnamed employee as shocking.

"He said he hadn't done his job properly, it was ridiculous that there was nothing to eat, obviously there was lots of expletives in between all this, and that he would be losing his job, he would see to it that he would lose his job," she said.

Video: Clarkson 'Off To Job Centre'

"Even someone who's really inept at their job should be told properly, in a proper manner," she said

"But the fact that it was in a public place, I didn't want to listen to that language."

Sue's brother in law Bob Ward, 60, said Clarkson arrived with his co-presenters by helicopter at around 9.30pm and refused to have his picture taken.

"I said 'Any chance of a selfie Jeremy?' and he said 'No, not with the day I've had today'."

Within minutes, Bob's wife Denise, 51, said Clarkson was shouting and swearing and had spoiled the evening they had been looking forward to.

Video: Clarkson's Fate 'For BBC To Decide'

"We were sort of, 'Ooh, celebrities, will we see them?' and then it was just the shock of how can someone be so rude?" she said.

"It was just the swearing and the length of time and this poor guy that he was ripping into," she added.

Top Gear is the BBC's biggest global brand, worth more than £50m a year, but with Clarkson suspended the next three episodes have been scrapped.

The only Top Gear fan among the Ward family, Sue's husband Alan, 56, agreed with the three quarters of a million people who have signed an online petition for Clarkson to keep his job.

"He's brash, we know what he's like, he's been in trouble before and I think he'll be in trouble again," he said.

Video: PM Calls Clarkson 'Huge Talent'

"I think he'll continue to do that job because without Clarkson there's no Top Gear."

Sky News has approached Clarkson for a comment but he has not responded.

Meanwhile, it has emerged that Clarkson's Twitter profile has changed from saying, "I am a presenter on the BBC2 motoring show, Top Gear" to "I am probably a presenter on the BBC2 motoring show, Top Gear".

One fan responded by tweeting "brilliant", while an opponent wrote "You'll soon be changing the verb tense in your profile then?"

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Rochdale Abuse: Police Will Face No Action

By Becky Johnson, Sky News Correspondent

Greater Manchester Police has admitted failing to properly investigate child sexual exploitation in Rochdale.

The extent and gravity of crimes being committed was not recognised by officers, a report by the force's Professional Standards Branch has concluded.

But despite the damning findings, the report reveals no officers will be formally disciplined for their part in the failures.

In total, the conduct of 13 officers was examined. Of those, seven officers were formally investigated.

The force concluded that only one, an inspector, had a case to answer for misconduct.

The officer retired last year before the findings of the long-awaited report were made public, and hence no action was taken against him.

Simon Danczuk says the force has failed to protect vulnerable young girls

Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk told Sky News: "Whilst there were lots of failures there hasn't been any action taken against those responsible for those failures.

"This report shows that Greater Manchester Police are good at protecting the careers and pensions of senior officers but they aren't any good at protecting vulnerable young girls across Rochdale."

Video: Ex-Detective: Victims Abandoned

The report looked at the conduct of officers when victims first told police about the abuse in 2008.

It found that appropriate resources were not given to looking into the claims.

There were not enough officers and there was a lack of specialist training and experience among those tasked with carrying out the investigation.

When the CPS dropped the case due to concerns about the credibility of a witness, the police did not challenge the decision.

One victim recalls how she and other girls were made to feel by officers.

"I got called a prostitute by a uniformed copper," she told Sky News.

"It's like they were calling everyone liars because when you went and told them about something then they weren't listening to you."

It wasn't until 2010, when more resources were put into investigating child sexual exploitation in Rochdale, that the earlier reports from victims were reinvestigated.

Further girls came forward and in 2012 nine men who ran a child exploitation ring were jailed for offences including rape and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child.

Their trial heard in detail how they preyed on vulnerable girls and plied them with drugs and alcohol before passing them around for sex.

The report recommends that in future Greater Manchester Police needs to "focus more professionally on investigating the crime rather than investigating the victim".

It added that "there has been too great an emphasis on examining the credibility of the victim".

Assistant Chief Constable Dawn Copley said: "I want to start by saying we openly acknowledge that mistakes were made and victims were let down.

"For our part in that we apologise to the victims and we give them our assurance that lessons have been learned, changes have been made and we are determined to use this to continue making improvements.

"This matter was referred to the IPCC in December 2010. They decided to supervise the investigation which was then conducted by our Professional Standards Branch.

"It is clear that mistakes were made in this investigation. We have, and continue to make significant improvements because of the lessons we have learned.

"We urge victims to come forward knowing that we will take them seriously and thoroughly investigate what has happened to them. People who abuse children will be traced and brought to justice."

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Reports: Two Police Officers Shot In Ferguson

By Sky News US Team

Two officers have been shot outside the police department in Ferguson, Missouri, according to reports.

It happened as police confronted protesters gathered outside the station after the resignation of police Chief Thomas Jackson on Wednesday.

Sky's US correspondent Greg Milam said one officer was hit in the shoulder and the other in the face.

Police arrest a protester

The extent of their injuries was not immediately clear. Both were taken to hospital. 

One is thought to be a St Louis County officer and the other from a town near Ferguson.

Video: Ferguson Police Chief Stands Down

Witnesses said up to four shots were fired. A large number of officers, some in riot gear, later formed a guard around the police station.

Chief Jackson resigned following a scathing government report that exposed racial biases in his department and a profit-driven court system.

An earlier report cleared white police officer Darren Wilson of civil rights charges in the shooting of a black teenager Michael Brown last summer.

The St Louis suburb has been hit by unrest ever since.

Video: Ferguson Racism Report Explained

Mr Jackson is the sixth Ferguson city official to quit or be fired in the wake of the reports.

On Tuesday the city council voted unanimously to accept the resignation of City Manager John Shaw, who oversaw the police department.

That followed Municipal Court Judge Ronald Brockmeyer's decision to step down on Monday.

Mr Jackson, who had previously resisted calls from protesters and some of Missouri's top officials to resign, told the St Louis Post-Dispatch he felt it was time to move on.

Video: Attorney General On Ferguson Report

"I believe this is the appropriate thing to do at this time," he said. "This city needs to move forward without any distractions."

The 57-year-old embattled chief was widely criticised for his handling of the 9 August shooting of Mr Brown and subsequent protests.

In his resignation letter, obtained by the Post-Dispatch, Mr Jackson said: "It has been an honor and a privilege to serve this great city and to serve with all of you.

"I will continue to assist the city in any way I can in my capacity as private citizen."

Video: Ferguson: How The Protests Grew

Ferguson Mayor James Knowles denied rumours that he would also resign, the newpaper reported on Wednesday.

The city plans to launch a nationwide search for a new police chief, it said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Mr Brown's family have said they will file a civil wrongful death lawsuit against Ferguson and Darren Wilson, the former officer who shot dead the unarmed teenager.

Mr Wilson, who said he acted in self-defence, was cleared by a grand jury and the Justice Department of any wrongdoing.

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Unrest In Ferguson: How The Protest Grew

By Sky News US Team

Sky News looks at crucial events in the wake of the shooting death of Michael Brown, which sparked protests in Ferguson, Missouri.

Here is a timeline:

:: 9 August: Michael Brown is shot dead by police in Ferguson, a predominantly black suburb of St Louis, Missouri.

Police say the shooting took place during a scuffle where Mr Brown was shot multiple times. 

At least two witnesses say Mr Brown had his hands raised when the officer fired at him repeatedly.

Michael Brown, 18, was shot to death on 9 August

:: 10 August: St Louis County Police Chief Joe Belmar says Mr Brown was unarmed.

Violence erupts in the streets of Ferguson after a peaceful candlelight vigil. Several businesses are vandalised and looted.

Unrest breaks out as police say Mr Brown was unarmed

:: 11 August: Protests continue, with demonstrators demanding justice for Mr Brown.

The Justice Department announces an investigation.

Twitter users complain of alleged racial bias in the media portrayal of Mr Brown, and the hashtag "IfTheyGunnedMeDown" goes viral.

The teen's family appeals for calm and demands justice for Mr Brown's death. The family hires lawyer Benjamin Crump, who also represented the family of Trayvon Martin, the unarmed black teen who was shot dead in 2012 in Florida.

Mr's Brown family appealed for calm, but demanded justice

:: 12 August: Police say death threats have been received and they withhold releasing the name of the officer who shot Mr Brown.

President Barack Obama appeals for calm in his first statement on the case.

Protests continue.

:: 13 August: Police say the officer involved in the shooting was injured in the confrontation.

Police fire tear gas to disperse protesters

Police chief Tom Jackson says "race relations are our top priority".

At violent protests during the night, two reporters are briefly detained by police. They are later released without any charges.

:: 14 August: Mr Obama addresses the nation and urges calm, saying there is "no excuse" for "excessive force" by Missouri police.

Some demonstrations are peaceful

The Missouri governor, Jay Nixon, names a State Highway Patrol captain to assume control of security in Ferguson. Captain Ron Johnson is an African-American who was born and raised in the area.

Peaceful demonstrations return to Ferguson as thousands of Americans hold rallies in 90 cities, including New York and Los Angeles, in memory of Mr Brown.

:: 15 August: Police name Darren Wilson as the officer who shot Mr Brown. Mr Wilson is a six-year police veteran who had no previous complaints against him.

Police also give details of a robbery at a local convenience store that took place moments before the shooting. Documents distributed by police name Mr Brown as a suspect.

A Grand Jury has decided not to charge Officer Darren Wilson

Violent protests resume.

:: 16 August: Mr Nixon declares a state of emergency and imposes a curfew. But that fails to quell demonstrators, who clash with police in riot gear.

:: 17 August: Attorney General Eric Holder orders a separate federal autopsy on the teen.

Mr Nixon tells CBS' Face The Nation that releasing CCTV video of the robbery "had an incendiary effect".

A private autopsy performed at the request of Mr Brown's family finds that the teen was shot at least six times, including twice in the head, according to the New York Times.

Police release CCTV footage of the robbery

As protests continue, Mr Nixon announces the deployment of the National Guard.

:: 18 August: Police clash with protesters overnight yet again, leading to 31 arrests.

Capt Johnson says bottles and Molotov cocktails were thrown from the crowd and two guns were confiscated from protesters. At least two people were shot.

With no let-up in the violence, the National Guard is called in

Some of those arrested came from as far away as New York and California.

:: 19 August: Tensions rise after a "knife-wielding" suspect is shot dead by police in north St Louis, some four miles from Ferguson, 

Despite fewer protesters in Missouri than in previous nights, police charge crowds and arrest 47 people.

:: 20 August: Attorney General Eric Holder visits Ferguson, where he holds a private meeting with Mr Brown's parents.

Michael Brown's funeral is held in Missouri

He delivers a briefing on the Justice Department investigation into the killing and tells community leaders he understands why black people do not trust police, recalling being pulled over twice while in his car and accused of speeding.

:: 22 August: As protests calm down, the National Guard begins a partial withdrawal. 

:: 25 August: Mr Brown's funeral in St Louis.

:: 8 October: The shooting of another black teenager by Missouri police rekindles protests, and an American flag is burned.

Police say that victim Vonderrit D Myers, 18, was armed and fired three times before his gun jammed and he was fatally wounded. He was shot 17 times.

:: 13 October: Some 50 people are held in a day of protests and acts of civil disobedience in memory of Mr Brown dubbed "Moral Monday" and held in and around St Louis.

:: 24 November: A Grand Jury decides not to bring charges against Mr Wilson, sparking violent protests. Mr Obama appeals for calm.

:: 3 March: A Justice Department report finds patterns of racial bias in the police department in Ferguson.

:: 5 March: Michael Brown's family announce they will sue Ferguson police and Officer Wilson.

:: 9 March: Municipal Court Judge Ronald Brockmeyer steps down.

:: 10 March: Ferguson City Council votes unanimously to accept the resignation of City Manager John Shaw, who oversaw the police department

:: March 11: Ferguson police chief, Thomas Jackson, resigned following the Justice Department report.

:: March 12: Two officers are shot outside the police department.

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Lambeth Council Abuse: Key Findings

By Afua Hirsch, Social Affairs & Education Editor

Details of an internal investigation documenting allegations of sexual assaults and abuse carried out by officers within Lambeth council in the 1990s have been revealed. They include:

:: There were two sites on Lambeth council property used to carry out sexual assaults. They were used for this purpose "on many occasions over the years".

:: Two private removal firms were "frequently" on site, and were believed to have removed evidence of equipment used during sexual assaults, and washed the area down. One firm had keys to all internal lockers, including a cabinet where evidence in a criminal case was kept and later went missing.

:: Items handed to police following the rape of a female member of staff by a colleague on council premises included a semen-stained blanket, soiled tissues, cassettes and a penknife.

:: Bulic Forsythe, a manager in the housing department, told colleagues he was going to "spill the beans" after a visit to one of these sites.

He clashed with an individual who held a senior position and is named in the report as the head of the ring involved in abuse, and then moved from the housing department to social services.

Whilst in social services Bulic told another colleague he believed the individual in housing could still 'get to him'. After his death in 1993, colleagues reported that a report he had compiled went missing from his office.

:: Three male employees, including one in a senior position, were suspended from their jobs in the housing department as a result of the internal investigation.

Despite the findings of rape and sexual assault, and possessing indecent images of children, they were suspended on grounds of a 'breach of the council's equal opportunities policy'.

:: The report recommends a criminal investigation into the allegations of rape, child rape and images of abuse. The Metropolitan Police has confirmed no investigation was ever undertaken at the time.

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