Paris Train Crash: Faulty Track Likely Cause

A loose steel component on a set of points may have triggered the derailment of a packed train outside Paris that left at least six people dead and dozens injured.

Pierre Izard, a general manager of the SNCF national rail company, said a joint bar, a kind of steel clip that links two rails on a switch, broke away, became detached and came out of its housing.

The detached joint "lodged itself at the centre of the switch, prevented the normal progression of the train's wheels and seems to have caused the train's derailment," he said, adding that checks had been ordered on some 5,000 similar devices on the network.

Carriages came off the tracks and smashed into Bretigny-sur-Orge station

The head of the SNCF, Guillaume Pepy, said the "detachment of this joint bar" was the focus of investigations.

He said the third and fourth carriages initially came off the track, then knocked the others off. He called the accident a "catastrophe", adding that "some cars simply derailed, others are leaning, others fell over".

Earlier, transport minister Frederic Cuvillier had said that human error was unlikely to have caused the tragedy, and that authorities were looking into a possible mechanical error in the switching system as well as other possibilities.

Rescuers pull survivors from the wreckage. Pic: @aishakurdish

The crash was France's deadliest in years, but Mr Cuvillier said it could have been worse and praised the driver who sent out an alert quickly, preventing a pile up.

Responding to criticism that France had not invested enough in maintaining infrastructure, he added: "For the moment we have no information that allows us to confirm that the dilapidation of the network was the cause of this derailment."

The seven-carriage service with 385 passengers on board was about 20 minutes into a three-hour journey to Limoges when it crashed 12 miles south of the capital at about 5.15pm local time on Friday.

Part of the metal roof over the platform was crushed as carriages came off the tracks and smashed into Bretigny-sur-Orge station.

Up to 200 passengers are said to have been injured in the smash

Interior minister Manuel Valls said at least six people had been killed. He added that nine people were gravely injured, and warned the number of dead could rise. In all, nearly 200 people were hurt.

A large, heavyweight crane is expected to be brought in later to try to lift one of the carriages which toppled over.

Sky's Ian Woods, who was at the scene, said: "They don't know for certain, but there may well still be people underneath that carriage they haven't been able to get to.

The French interior minister has called the crash a "catastrophe"

"It's unclear whether anyone at the station was hurt by the impact of the train and flying debris, or whether all of those injured were on the train."

Footage from the scene showed crushed metal on the platform and debris from the crash clogging up the stairs.

Emergency services went on red alert with 300 firefighters, 20 paramedic teams and eight helicopters deployed to the area.

All Paris regional hospitals were put on standby to deal with casualties.

Firefighters rescue passengers trapped in a carraige

Within hours French President Francois Hollande was at the scene and said: "I want to express our solidarity to all the families.

"It will take a long time to identify the victims. Investigations are under way and as soon as possible we will name them and inform their families - I understand their anxiety and pain."

Briton Graham Hope, a passenger in the third carriage, told Sky News: "The carriage I was in was bouncing for several seconds before we came to a halt.

"Everyone was very calm. A couple of people were quite concerned, but we worked together to get out of the carriage.

People at the station look on from across another platform

"When I got out we could see the rest of the train was further up the line ... I would be very surprised if people got out of the front carriage unscathed."

A witness in a nearby train, 19-year-old Bazgua El Mehdi told Le Parisien newspaper: "I heard a loud noise. A cloud of sand covered everything. Then the dust dissipated.

"I thought it was a freight train, but then we saw the first casualties ... many passengers on the (train) were crying."

The passenger train crashed into the platform and some cars tipped over

A police source said: "The train arrived at the station at high speed. It split in two for an unknown reason. Part of the train continued to roll while the other was left on its side on the platform."

But a passenger speaking on France's BFM television said the train was going at a normal speed and was not meant to stop at Bretigny-sur-Orge.

The station is expected to remain closed for several days during the investigation and clear-up operation.

French President Francois Hollande speaks to some of the injured

The crash comes as France prepares to celebrate its most important national holiday, Bastille Day, on Sunday.

Many people have been heading out of Paris and other big cities to see their families or to go on holiday.

Earlier, passengers observed a minute's silence at Austerlitz railway station in Paris as a mark of respect.

The train derailed at Bretigny-sur-Orge, just south of Paris

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Dartmoor Deaths: Family Was Known To Agencies

Police investigating the deaths of a woman and her two sons in an apparent murder and suicide have confirmed the family were known to care agencies.

In line with procedure they said the inquiry would now be the subject of a Serious Case Review.

Katherine Hooper, 24, and her five-year-old son Josh Patterson, died after falling 100ft from rocks at Haytor, a Dartmoor landmark popular with walkers and climbers.

The body of her youngest son Samuel Patterson, aged two, was later found at the family's home in Dukes Close in Paignton.

Katherine Hooper and Samuel

It has emerged that Ms Hooper suffered from depression and apparently had a difficult relationship with the boys' father, Neil Patterson, from whom she was estranged.

In a statement, Mr Patterson, 52, said: "On Friday evening I heard the devastating news that the three most important and cherished people in my life had been taken from me.

"I would gratefully appreciate for me and my family to be left alone to come to terms with this devastating loss and to grieve in peace."

Josh was found dead with his mother

Devon and Cornwall Police said it had launched a murder investigation.

Detective Superintendent Paul Burgan said: "We are keeping an open mind about all three deaths, but at this stage we are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.

"We are keen to speak to anyone who may have any information or might have been in the Haytor area earlier today, Friday."

An air ambulance, a police helicopter and members of the Dartmoor Rescue Group were called to the scene at 11.50am.

Samuel's body was found at the family's home

Neighbour Tracey Cole told the Western Morning News: "The whole community is feeling utterly shocked and devastated. This is a close-knit community.

"I really don't understand what happened. Kat was totally and utterly devoted to her children."

But next-door neighbour Johnathan Grant told The Daily Telegraph Ms Hooper and Mr Patterson had had a fractious relationship and there had been an "almighty bust-up".

Mr Grant, 28, was reported as saying: "One night in May they got into a huge argument where there was an almighty bust-up.

A neighbour said Ms Hooper was a good mother

"Since then she has suffered badly with depression.

"Samuel was meant to be starting his first day at the local nursery yesterday.

"The boys were lovely and played with my girls. Kat had lived there for three years. It is sick, utterly sick, what has happened."

Mr Grant added that following the breakdown of her relationship, Ms Hooper became anxious and was unable to carry on her job at a local hotel.

The family's home in Dukes Close, Paignton

Last May police launched a major search and rescue operation after Ms Hooper suddenly disappeared with her two children.

After fears for their safety grew, officers called on the Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team to help find them.

Twenty-four hours later, Ms Hooper was found reportedly covered in mud and suffering from dehydration.

She was then taken to hospital while her two sons were taken into care.

Ms Hooper, Josh and Samuel only moved back into their home in Dukes Close a fortnight ago.

Post-mortems are due to take place and next of kin have been informed, police said.

In the meantime, detectives say they would like to hear from anyone who saw Ms Hooper or her two children in the days running up to their deaths.

They are asked to contact Devon and Cornwall Police via the 101 telephone number quoting log number 316 of 120713.

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Belfast Violence: 400 Extra Police Deployed

Around 400 extra police officers have been sent to Northern Ireland after sectarian tensions in Belfast spilled over into violence that left 32 police officers and an MP injured.

More than 600 officers from forces in England, Scotland and Wales were already in the region supporting the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) operation.

Trouble flared in the north of the city on Friday as the Orange Order protested against the decision to ban a contentious July 12 parade from a north Belfast flashpoint.

Loyalist bandsmen played sectarian tunes at police lines while bricks and bottles were thrown.

Officers attempting to enforce the ban were pelted with masonry, bottles and other missiles during clashes with loyalists in Woodvale Road.

Officers were hit by an array of missiles including sticks and fireworks

Water cannon were used to disperse the crowd and around 20 non-lethal rounds, known as Attenuated Energy Projectiles, fired.

Democratic Unionist Party MP Nigel Dodds, who had been near the police lines talking to officers, was taken to hospital after being struck on the head by a brick during the fighting, a party spokesman said. His condition is said to be stable.

The disorder spread to east Belfast during six hours of violence.

PSNI Chief Constable Matt Baggott on Saturday condemned those responsible for the trouble.

"The scenes were both shameful and disgraceful," he said.

"We said that we were resolved to uphold the rule of law and the Parades Commission determination not to allow the return parade past the Ardoyne shop fronts. We did that. We did so impartially. We did so firmly.

"I cannot praise highly enough the courage, the professionalism and the restraint of my PSNI colleagues, and those from England, Wales and Scotland who joined us in making sure the rule of law was upheld."

Water cannon is used on loyalist protesters

He also criticised those within the Orange Order who had called for protests, saying they needed "to reflect on whether they provided the responsible leadership asked for by myself and by the (main political) party leaders".

"Some of their language was emotive and having called thousands of people to protest they had no plan and no control and, rather than being responsible, I think the word for that is reckless."

The Republic of Ireland's deputy premier and minister for foreign affairs Eamon Gilmore added: "The violence and disrespect for the rule of law we witnessed in Belfast last night is an affront to the decent people of that city and of this island.

"The rule of law must be respected, even when people disagree with lawful decisions."

Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers also condemned the riots and said there was no justification for the trouble.

MP Nigel Dodds was taken to hospital after his head injury

"This sort of behaviour does nothing to promote 'Britishness' or the pro-union cause," she said.

Police were enforcing a Parades Commission ban. The ruling stops Orange Order lodges from walking on a stretch of road in north Belfast that separates loyalist and nationalist communities.

The Parades Commission - the adjudicating body set up after the Good Friday Agreement peace deal - had banned marchers from a 300-metre stretch of the Crumlin Road past the nationalist Ardoyne area.

Three lodges from the Ligoniel area had been able to walk the contested route out, but were prevented from making the return journey.

Trouble also broke out on the Newtownards Road in east Belfast. Bricks and bottles were thrown in both areas.

One man was arrested for disorderly behaviour and another for provocative behaviour.

Thirty-two officers were hurt during the 'serious disorder'

Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness, described the events as "shocking" and said the community had been "effectively terrorised".

"I think some of the scenes that we witnessed were shocking ... I hope now in the cold light of day that common sense will prevail," he said.

Mr McGuinness rejected claims of a "cultural war" being waged against the Orange Order, arguing that if that were the case, there would not have been a peaceful protest by thousands allowed in Londonderry on Friday.

"Leadership needs to be given by politicians, it needs to be given by the leadership of the Orange Order, and some of the absolutely blood-curdling remarks that were made over the course of the last 24 hours need now to be seen against the backdrop of contributing to the violence that we saw," he added.

Sinn Fein MLA Gerry Kelly also blamed the violence on the Orange Order and unionist politicians.

"Speech after speech at the various (Orange) demonstrations were clearly designed to stir up sectarian tension and have alongside the Orange Order's failure to abide by Parades Commission determinations led directly to the violence in Belfast tonight.

"No amount of hand wringing or denial in the coming days from the Orange Order and unionist politicians can alter that reality.

"People had a right to expect better, instead what we got was a very deliberate strategy with the inevitable results being seen on the streets this evening."

The Orange Order appealed for calm and asked that all parades be peaceful.

In a statement, it said: "The Parades Commission must go, but violence is not the way to achieve it. All protests must be peaceful.

"In support of the Grand Orange Lodge's appeal for calm, the Ligoniel Lodges (north Belfast) have decided to suspend their protest over the determination for the Crumlin Road."

DUP leader and Stormont First Minister Peter Robinson also called for calm.

"Violence and attacks on the PSNI and the wider community are wrong, can never be justified and must stop," he said.

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Pamplona Bulls Trample Trapped Runners

Dozens of people have been trampled at the famous Pamplona bull run after becoming trapped at the entrance to the bullring.

A 19-year-old Spanish man is in a "very serious" condition and a 28-year-old man from Ireland has suffered chest trauma, authorities said.

At least 23 other people are being treated in hospital after Saturday's event in the Spanish city.

Runners and bulls became trapped together in the bottleneck for almost two minutes when the weight of people forced shut a door normally kept open.

Goring injuries are not uncommon, but injuries from stampedes are rare.

Other injuries on the festival's penultimate day included a 35-year-old American gored in the buttocks, and an 18-year-old from Spain gored in the armpit.

The popular tourist event, which ends on Sunday, sees runners tearing frantically through the city's cobbled streets pursued by the bulls.

Fourteen people have died in the last 100 years of the San Fermin festival, an event that dates from the 13th century.

The bull run takes place at 8am every morning for one week in July. Saturday's run lasted just four minutes and 15 seconds.

The bulls are usually killed in the ring by bullfighters.

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Croatia: British Tourists Injured In Crash

Ten British tourists have been taken to hospital after the van in which they were travelling flipped over on a road in Croatia.

The driver of the van was also hurt in the crash on a road connecting the Adriatic coast with the capital, Zagreb.

None of the injuries are life-threatening, doctors said.

It was not immediately clear what caused the crash early on Friday.

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Alan Whicker: Broadcaster Dies Aged 87

The broadcaster Alan Whicker has died at the age of 87 after suffering from bronchial pneumonia.

The presenter and reporter - whose career spanned almost 60 years - passed away in the early hours of Friday, his spokeswoman said.

Whicker, who was probably best known for his Whicker's World TV series, died at home in Jersey.

The star - who had been with partner Valerie Kleeman for more than 40 years - regularly presented Whicker's World, which famously brought a glimpse of the exotic jet set lifestyles of the rich and famous into UK homes, for a little over three decades.

In 2009, he returned to some of the locations and people who featured over the years for a BBC series, Alan Whicker's Journey Of A Lifetime.

His distinctive voice and delivery led to him regularly being parodied by, among others, the Monty Python team, and a jokey rap delivered Whicker-style, called Wikka Wrap, even made the top 20 in 1981.

He once entered a Whicker soundalike contest and managed to finish in third place.

Whicker was parodied in a Monty Python sketch

Egypt-born Whicker had also been a war correspondent and, during his own service in the Second Word War, he was among the first group of Allied forces to enter Milan and he filmed footage of the body of Mussolini.

Whicker, who was awarded a CBE for his services to broadcasting eight years ago, moved to the UK as a child. He went on to become a captain in the Devonshire Regiment, and was in the Army Film and Photo Unit in Italy in 1943.

After the war, as a news journalist he was a correspondent in the Korean War, during which he was mistakenly reported to have been killed, but in a telegraph to reassure people he was still alive he wrote: "Unkilled. Uninjured. Onpressing".

After joining the BBC in 1957 he became a reporter for the Tonight programme and within a couple of years he had launched Whicker's World, which continued until 1990.

The show saw him interviewing the rich, glamorous and powerful as he presented viewers with a glimpse into the lives of figures such as Joan Collins, Peter Sellers, the Sultan of Brunei and the Haitian president Papa Doc Duvalier.

He was also an early shareholder in the ITV regional station Yorkshire Television, which produced Whicker's World for many years.

Whicker was honoured with the Richard Dimbleby Award at the Baftas in 1978 for his contribution to broadcasting.

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Lee Rigby's Funeral: Soldier 'A Gentle Soul'

By Mike McCarthy, North Of England Correspondent

Thousands of people lined the streets and filled Bury town centre for the funeral of Drummer Lee Rigby, who was described as a "gentle soul" and "loving father".

Crowds applauded the murdered soldier's family and comrades as they arrived at the military service at Bury Parish Church.

Relatives hugged each other on the church steps before entering the church.

His two-year-old son Jack wore a T-shirt with the words:  "My Daddy. My Hero" printed on the back.

On the front of son Jack's T-shirt were the words: "My Daddy's A Fusilier. Lee Rigby."

Mourners lined the street to the funeral to pay their respects

The father-of-one was hacked to death in broad daylight as he returned to Woolwich barracks from the Tower of London in May.

Drummer Rigby's fellow soldiers from 2nd Battalion Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (2RRF) held a two-minute silence in London as the funeral service began in Lancashire. 

The 25-year-old soldier's body had been guarded by comrades overnight following a vigil on Thursday.

Prime Minister David Cameron and London Mayor Boris Johnson were among dignitaries who attended the service in Bury.

As the crowds outside stood in the sweltering midday heat listening via loudspeakers, Drummer Rigby's friend and fellow soldier Sean Sheer gave a eulogy that brought laughter from mourners.

Mr Sheer said he first met Drummer Rigby he found him the "most annoying, campest man I have ever met", citing his singing and love of boyband Westlife as the reason.

Mr Johnson and Mr Cameron arrived together

Mr Sheer said his comrade's young son came "crashing" into his life but Lee "took to fatherhood instantly".

"Everywhere Lee went, Jack went with him," he said.

"Lee's time on this earth was tragically cut short" but he was a "loving father and devoted husband".

"We will love you and miss you," Mr Sheer said.

Drummer Rigby's commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Jim Taylor also delivered a eulogy, describing him as "truly charismatic".

"To be with Lee was to be where it was most fun - the centre of good times and much mischief," he said.

"Lee had a natural swagger and the confidence of someone truly comfortable in their own skin.

The Order of Service for the memorial

"He was always happy. His smile was infectious, as was his enthusiasm for soldiering and his passion for life."

Lieutenant Colonel Taylor said Drummer Rigby joined the Army in 2006 on his third attempt, fulfilling his "lifelong ambition".

 "Today we, his regimental family, salute a fallen comrade," he said.

"A talented soldier and musician. A larger-than-life character. A loyal friend and brother-in-arms. A gentle soul.

"Above all a true Fusilier - daring in all things. We all feel his loss keenly. We will remember him with pride always.

"Today we stand shoulder to shoulder with his family and friends. We will continue to do so in the years to come.

"So, thanks be to God for Lee Rigby - father, husband, son, brother, friend, Fusilier. We will remember him."

The hymns at the service were Who Would True Valour See, Lord Of All Hopefulness and I Vow To Thee My Country, and the choir sang Deep Peace Of The Running Wave.

Drummer Rigby took to fatherhood instantly, his friend said

Veterans lowered Union flags and the cortege then departed for a private family committal in Middleton, where Drummer Rigby lived.

The soldier's family had wanted a private funeral service and asked the public to show their respects by lining the streets.

Drummer Rigby served in Afghanistan as a machine gunner and was attached to the regimental recruiting team when he was killed.

His murder sparked nationwide shock and revulsion and led to an outpouring of support for his family from the public.

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Edward Snowden 'Wants Asylum In Russia'

Intelligence services whistleblower Edward Snowden has reportedly told activists he wants to request asylum in Russia, after accusing the US of trying to stop other countries giving him safe haven.

Snowden is holding closed-door talks with rights groups and lawyers at the Moscow airport where he has been holed up for weeks.

A picture of Snowden at the meeting, taken by a Human Rights Watch official, shows him with WikiLeaks representative Sarah Harrison on his right.

In a letter to Human Rights Watch earlier, he the US government was waging a campaign to stop him getting asylum elsewhere.

A Russian lawyer speaks to reporters just before entering the meeting

He said: "I have been extremely fortunate to enjoy and accept many offers of support and asylum from brave countries around the world. These nations have my gratitude.

"Unfortunately, in recent weeks we have witnessed an unlawful campaign by officials in the US government to deny my right to seek and enjoy this asylum under Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Protesters have shown their support for Snowden

"The scale of threatening behaviour is without precedent: never before in history have states conspired to force to the ground a sovereign president's plane to effect a search for a political refugee."

That remark appears to refer to how Austrian authorities last week searched the Bolivian president's plane when it was diverted to Vienna because the US suspected Snowden was on board.

The letter continues: "This dangerous escalation represents a threat not just to the dignity of Latin America or my own personal security, but to the basic right shared by every living person to live free from persecution."

Snowden is wanted by the US on espionage charges over a series of leaks about spying programmes, with his most recent claims involving collaboration between Microsoft and American intelligence services.

He fled to Moscow from Hong Kong on June 23 and has been in limbo in Sheremetyevo airport's transit area despite three countries - Venezuela, Nicaragua and Bolivia - saying they would be willing to grant him asylum.

It is unclear whether Snowden could fly from Moscow to any of those countries without passing through the airspace of the US or its allies.

He is seeking to avoid extradition after divulging embarrassing evidence about the activities of US spies, as well as the British eavesdropping agency GCHQ, to newspapers including The Guardian.

The latest files said Microsoft helped America's National Security Agency (NSA) to circumvent encryption so it could view web chats on the Outlook.com portal, which is replacing Hotmail.

Evidence seen by the paper said Microsoft also worked to give the NSA easier access to its cloud storage service SkyDrive, which has more than 250 million users. And by July 2012, nine months after Microsoft bought Skype, the Prism intelligence programme was collecting triple the amount of Skype video calls.

Snowden's latest evidence concerns the NSA spying on Skype video calls

Major tech firms in Silicon Valley have been calling on the Obama administration to let them reveal more about their co-operation with the NSA, to alleviate customers' privacy concerns.

Microsoft told the paper it only provides information about users when demanded to do so by the government.

Snowden's files revealed the NSA claimed to have access to the servers of web firms including Apple, Google, Facebook and Yahoo, while GCHQ scans vast amounts of internet traffic through a system of fibre optic cables.

The US on Thursday told China it was "disappointed" that Snowden was not handed over before he had a chance to leave Hong Kong. He had fled to the Chinese territory after he began to leak documents.

President Barack Obama expressed his "concern" as he met with Chinese officials in Washington, a month after he and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping had agreed to co-operate more on "difficult issues".

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Shard Protest: Activists Climb London Landmark

Six protesters from Greenpeace have evaded security at London's Shard skyscraper and are attempting to climb to the top.

Officers were called at 4.20am when the activists, who are from the UK, Canada, Sweden, Poland, Holland and Belgium, began to ascend the 72-storey building.

A statement from Greenpeace said the action was part of their campaign against oil and gas drilling in the Arctic and that the activists carried out a safety assessment beforehand. 

The climbers scaling the Shard

The women were able to access the Shard from the roof of nearby London Bridge station, after months of planning and training.

The campaigners said they chose the Shard because of its proximity to oil company Shell's three London offices.

"Shell is leading oil companies' drive into the Arctic, investing billions in its Alaskan and Russian drilling programmes," Greenpeace said in a statement.

The lead climbers are understood to be 'free climbing' (scaling the building without assistance) but are fixing safety ropes as they make their way to the summit. 

Greenpeace are streaming live video of the attempt from a camera worn by one of the climbers.

The group of six women began their climb at 4.20am. Pic: Greenpeace

A statement on the Greenpeace UK Twitter account said: "Look up London. We're attempting to scale the Shard, Europe's tallest skyscraper."

The women are understood to be planning to unveil protest artwork "that captures the beauty of the Arctic" if they manage to reach the summit, which could take them all day.

One of the climbers is Victoria Henry, 32, a Canadian living in London. 

They accessed the Shard from London Bridge station. Pic: Greenpeace

"We'll try to hang a huge art installation 310m up that will make Shell think twice before sending their rigs into the Arctic," she said.

"It's going to be really hard work, it's going to be nerve-shredding for all of us and we may not succeed, but we're going to do everything we can to pull it off."

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: "We were called at 4.20am today to a group of protesters attempting to climb up the Shard. We are in attendance and monitoring the situation along with British Transport Police."

Climbers Sabine, Sandra, Victo, Ali, Wiola & Liesbeth. Pic: Greenpeace

A Shard spokesman said: "The Shard continues to work with the emergency services and we are in constant discussion with the Greenpeace representatives to ensure the safety of the protestors.

"We have asked them to stop climbing and come back into the building as what they are doing is dangerous. We take security, health and safety of all our occupiers and visitors to the building extremely seriously.

"The protestors have gained access in the early hours of the morning through an adjacent building and what they are doing is extremely dangerous."

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Taser Death: Jordan Begley Dies In Manchester

A man who died after police shot him with a Taser has been named locally as Jordan Begley.

The 23-year-old suffered a "medical episode" and died after police fired at him with the stun gun in Manchester.

Police were responding to a disturbance in Beard Road, Gorton, at about 8.15pm where a man was armed with a knife.

Assistant Chief Constable Garry Shewan said: "Officers were dispatched immediately and arrived in eight minutes.

"On arrival, a Taser was discharged to detain a 23-year-old man.

"At this time it is unclear what happened but at some point afterwards the man suffered a medical episode.

"Paramedics performed first aid on the man at the scene before he was taken to hospital where he sadly died."

ACC Shewan said help has been provided for Mr Bagley's family.

"Specially trained family liaison officers are supporting his family during this very difficult time," he said.

A forensic tent was put up in the road

A friend of Mr Bagley's said: "I think he has some problem with his heart."

The friend, who did not want to be named, also said that eight armed response officers attended the family home.

"They turfed his mum outside and then went in and battered him," said the friend.

"There were about eight armed response officers went in.

"He didn't have a knife though. I know for a fact he would not have had a knife.

"There was no need to use a Taser on him."

A neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said: "There's a lot of bad boys around here but Jordan was one of the good guys."

Another neighbour, Kirstie Porter, said she saw Mr Begley being brought out of the house and put into an ambulance.

A police cordon surrounded 10 houses in the street

"Paramedics were working away on the CPR with the doors open," she said.

"Everybody was out in the street, all the neighbours.

"There was police everywhere, loads of vans turned up, there was police all over with guns all over.

"The ambulance was there for about five or 10 minutes and then it drove off.

"His mum and brother were sobbing in the street."

After Mr Begley's death, a police cordon surrounded 10 terraced houses at the end of Beard Road.

A forensic tent was put up in the road within the cordon which was guarded by uniformed officers, a police van and two patrol cars.

Mr Begley's death has been reported to the coroner and to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

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G4S Faces Fraud Probe Over Tagging Charges

The Serious Fraud Office has been called in to investigate security giant G4S for overcharging for the tagging of criminals.

Justice Secretary Chris Grayling told MPs the overcharging of the Government by the company and its rival Servo came to "tens of millions of pounds".

An initial audit uncovered charges made when neither firm was providing tags and in a few cases where the offender had died, Mr Grayling said.

The overcharging began at least as far back as the start of the current contracts in 2005 but could also have happened under the previous deals of 1999, the report found.

Officials in the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) discovered some of the issues after a routine inspection in 2008 but nothing was done, Mr Grayling said.

Serco has agreed to take part in an additional independent forensic audit so that the Government can rule out any dishonesty but G4S has refused to do so.

Serco has agreed to an extra independent forensic audit

Serco has also agreed to withdraw from the tender process for electronic monitoring. G4S is still trying to bid but the Justice Secretary is taking steps to exclude it.

"The billing practices in question were clearly unacceptable and the Government will take all necessary steps to secure a refund for the taxpayer," he told MPs.

The current contracts covering tagging of offenders on bail and under community supervision were awarded under Labour in 2004 and are due to expire shortly.

The first audit was commissioned when billing issues were uncovered as the contracts went back out to tender.

Auditors found the firms had charged the Government for tags on prisoners who were back in prison, had had their tags removed, left the country or had never been tagged in the first place.

Mr Grayling expressed astonishment at the charges, which he called "a wholly indefensible and unacceptable state of affairs".

"The House will also be surprised and disappointed to learn that staff in the Ministry of Justice were aware of a potential problem and yet did not take adequate steps to address it," he added.

He told MPs he had no information about any dishonesty at either firm but had asked the SFO to consider whether it needs to investigate G4S and look at whether either company had gone beyond contractual breaches.

G4S suffered losses of £88m after bungling its Olympics contract

The MoJ is now conducting forensic audits of all existing contracts it has with G4S, and the Cabinet Office is reviewing all contracts held by G4S and Serco across Government.

The revelations have affected the bid to take over management of prisons in Northumberland and Yorkshire.

Serco was the leading bidder for the Yorkshire services but Mr Grayling has delayed awarding the contract until the audit is complete. Sodexho won the Northumberland bid.

The probe comes as Mr Grayling rolls out plans that will see up to 70% of probation services turned over to the private sector or charities, under what he has dubbed a "rehabilitation revolution".

The likes of G4S and Serco were set to bid for a wide range of payment-by-results contracts to supervise low to medium level offenders across England and Wales.

Figures last month revealed Government spending on contracts with the security giant soared in 2013/13 to £394m, a rise of 20% on the previous year.

Shares in both companies fell by almost 4% after the Commons statement.

G4S is no stranger to controversy after it botched its London 2012 Olympics contract by failing to provide enough security staff for the £284m contract. More troops had to be called in to fill the gap and the firm was left nursing losses of £88m.

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MPs Pay: Watchdog Backs Hike To £74,000

MPs have turned on the Commons' expenses watchdog after it recommended an inflation-busting rise in their pay to £74,000.

Education Secretary Michael Gove led a growing backlash against the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority's (Ipsa), calling it "silly".

As part of a wider overhaul, Ipsa proposed a pay hike of more than £7,000 or 11%, taking effect in 2015 and costing the taxpayer an extra £4.6m.

The regulator insisted the overall cost would only rise by £500,000 once changes to MPs' pensions, "golden goodbyes" and expenses are enforced.

And chairman Sir Ian Kennedy insisted it was "wrong" to keep MPs' pay low, blaming the 2009 expenses scandal on too much restraint.

However, the move to increase salaries at a time when millions of ordinary Britons are battling to stay afloat left members of the public disgusted.

Ipsa boss Sir Ian Kennedy: Changes are "fair"

Callers to a radio show as Sir Ian justified the changes called it "obscene" and asked "what planet are you on?"

Unions immediately demanded a matching increase for their members and threatened strike action and MPs rounded on Ipsa for exposing them to public vitriol.

All three party leaders criticised the proposal and Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg vowed to shun the extra money if the rise goes ahead.

Downing Street insisted it would be wrong for politicians to receive more cash when the public sector faces pay curbs until beyond 2015.

A spokesman for Number 10 said: "The cost of politics should go down not up and MPs' pay shouldn't go up while public sector pay is, rightly, being constrained.

"Ipsa is consulting on its proposals, which it will review after the next election as it is obliged to do by statute. It is independent, but the Government will repeat our view on the need for restraint."

Mr Miliband said: "I don't think MPs should be getting a 10% pay rise when nurses and teachers are facing either pay freezes or very low increases and people in the private sector are facing similar circumstances."

Mr Clegg added that a time when millions of public sector workers were working hard despite pay restraint was "about the worst time to advocate that MPs should get a double digit pay increase".

Mr Gove delivered the most blunt response yet from a senior figure during a school visit.

Asked if the rise should go ahead, he said: "Absolutely not. MPs are incredibly well paid at the moment anyway, as are ministers.

"It is an absolute privilege to be an MP or a minister. This organisation Ipsa, it is a bit of a silly organisation anyway. And as far as I am concerned, pay rise - they can stick it."

Tory MP Andrew Bridgen was one of the few prepared to speak out publicly in favour of the rise.

All three parties have suggested MPs should not get the pay rise

"MPs are paid about the same as a junior school headmistress or headmaster. I've got lots and lots of those in my constituency, there is only one MP," he said.

"I can't think of another job where there's only 650 of those roles in the whole of Great Britain that are paid on this sort of level,"

Ipsa rejected claims the current salary was putting off candidates or failing to attract those of a high enough quality, insisting there was no "compelling evidence" to back this view.

And it said any dissatisfaction with the job is more likely to be down to other factors because most politicians regard their work as a vocation and were well aware of the pay packet.

But under the recommendations, MPs will see their pay increase from £66,396 to £74,000 in May 2015. They will then rise annually in line with average UK earnings, in a move designed to ensure the issue is resolved for the long-term.

Other changes would see the existing final salary pension scheme downgraded to career average, putting it in line with the rest of the public sector.

The retirement age will also be the same as for the state pension and death in service benefits will be slashed from 4.25 times salary to double.

Ipsa claims the pension changes will save £2.5m in the first year.

"Golden goodbyes", paid out when MPs lose an election, will still be paid in 2015 and be worth up to £33,000 per politician.

But by 2020 defeated MPs will only be entitled to two weeks' pay for every year of service if they are under 41 and three weeks if they are older.

Expenses face a further clampdown, which Ipsa says will save £178,000 in 2015 with a £15 dinner allowance axed and tighter rules on the use of taxis and hotels.

MPs will also no longer be able to claim for the cost of TV licences and contents insurance on their second homes.

Sir Ian said all MPs would be paid the higher salary, and it would be up to them whether they kept the money.

"We are not going to run 650 employment schemes, that would be daft," he said. "MPs can do what they want to do."

I"The aim is to have as transparent a system as possible. The public will know what MPs get for their costs and expenses, their salaries and pensions, and what they have done.

"There is no easy way forward on this. We have put together a package of reform which we think is fair and which ends the anomalies of the past."

The watchdog claims changes already made to expenses have saved the taxpayer £35m and that its regime will be £7m-a-year cheaper than the one they inherited.

It is now putting its proposals out for consultation before they are finalised in the autumn. Party leaders cannot stop the watchdog without changing the law.

TaxPayers' Alliance chief executive Matthew Sinclair called the hike "totally unpalatable" and branded Ipsa an "unaccountable quango putting up two fingers to the British public".

"Ipsa is right to be reforming the gold-plated parliamentary pensions and cutting golden goodbyes for retiring or defeated MPs, but it beggars belief that they have come up with a plan that will increase the cost of our politicians when everyone's budgets are under such pressure," he said.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow warned: "Be in no doubt, RMT will be fighting for pay rise parity with MPs in all of our negotiations and will have no hesitation in striking to get for our members what the politicians have got for themselves.

"If inflation-busting pay increases are good enough for the political class then they are good enough for nurses, transport workers, firefighters and the rest of the working class."

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Missing Teen Holly: Police Recover Body

Police investigating the disappearance of a 14-year-old girl who was last seen in difficulty in the sea have recovered a body.

Holly McClymont, from Glasgow, has not been seen since she went swimming off Barry Island in South Wales last Sunday.

More than 40 specialist officers were deployed in the search for the missing teenager, as well as a helicopter and Coastguards.

Chief Inspector Marc Lamerton, of South Wales Police, confirmed that a body had been found.

"The body has not been formally identified," he said.

"But the family of Holly McClymont, who was reported missing on Sunday afternoon, have been informed of this development and our thoughts are with them at this difficult time."

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China Floods: Up To 40 Buried In Landslide

Between 30 and 40 people have been buried by a landslide in China's Sichuan province, as heavy rains in the area also destroyed homes and bridges.

The landslide in Zhongxing on Wednesday morning was triggered by days of rain, the local fire brigade said on its verified website.

A Zhongxing official told AFP news agency that "so far we only know 11 families were buried and more than 200 residents have been evacuated", but that workers were still searching for others.

Much of China has been hit by heavy rainfall in recent days, including most of Sichuan, where homes have been destroyed and three bridges have collapsed since Monday.

Rescuers are searching for 12 people missing after a bridge in Jiangyou, Sichuan, collapsed on Tuesday, local officials said.

Six vehicles were confirmed to have plunged into the Panjiang River after the bridge collapsed, the Jiangyou government said.

But Lin Rui, who was driving a minivan across the bridge and swam to safety through a torrential river, believed the figure could be higher.

He said there were 15 to 18 vehicles on the structure at the time.

"There were several cars ahead of me," he told state broadcaster CCTV. "A bus or a coach, I can't remember clearly, was running ahead."

Twelve people are missing after the Jiangyou bridge collaspe

A man also died in Shifang in Sichuan on Tuesday after a three-storey building collapsed as a result of the floods, which have been described as the worst in the region in 50 years.

The building housed the offices of a local mine.

More than 480,000 people have been affected by the torrential rains, according to a government estimate on Wednesday.

The landslide also destroyed a high-profile memorial to a devastating 2008 earthquake in Sichuan.

In Beichuan, the flooding destroyed buildings and exhibits at the memorial for the earthquake that left 90,000 people dead or missing.

The quake left the Beichuan region unliveable, and the abandoned ruins were turned into a memorial and museum.

Landslides and flooding are common in China's mountainous areas, killing hundreds of people every year.

Deforestation has led to soil erosion and made some parts of China prone to mudslides after strong rains.

China's deadliest natural disaster in three decades struck in Sichuan in 2008, when an earthquake left more than 80,000 people dead. Shoddy building construction was blamed for the high number of deaths.

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Royal Mail Sale: Cable Outlines Flotation

Royal Mail staff will get free shares under the Government's plans for the privatisation of the service, despite strong opposition to the sell-off among the workforce.

The Business Secretary Vince Cable confirmed in a statement to MPs the intention to float a majority stake in Royal Mail initially, with the rest following depending on market conditions.

As he announced that staff would hold 10% of the business under proposals first revealed by Sky News, members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) took to an open-top bus in the City to denounce the sell-off.

Royal Mail workers took to a 'protest' bus in London to make their point

Some of the protesters - most of them employees of the postal service - held placards reading: "Save our Royal Mail" or "You own it, don't buy it."

They argued that they cared more about the future of the service, their pensions, jobs and working conditions than the prospect of a windfall worth more than £2,000 each for the 150,000-strong workforce.

The union's deputy general secretary, Dave Ward, dismissed reassurances about future employment rules to warn of the prospect of strikes unless legally-binding agreements were put in place to guarantee his members' conditions.

Chuka Umunna questioned the Government's motives for the sale

Mr Cable had told the Commons: "These shares will be free to eligible employees, recognising that many of them would otherwise find them unaffordable."

He said the flotation, which was expected to value the business at £3bn, would begin over the next year and the shares would be listed on the London Stock Exchange. They will be available to the general public as well as institutional investors.

"This is logical, it is a commercial decision designed to put Royal Mail's future on to a long-term sustainable basis," he said.

"It is consistent with developments elsewhere in Europe where privatised operators in Austria, Germany and Belgium produce profit margins far higher than the Royal Mail but have continued to provide high-quality and expanding services.

"Now the time has come for Government to step back from Royal Mail, allow its management to focus wholeheartedly on growing the business and planning for the future."

Labour said it would oppose the flotation.

Shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna said: "Having nationalised the organisation's debts by taking on its pension liabilities, they now want to privatise the profit at the very time it is making money.

"There is every sign this treasured national institution is being sold off on the cheap to get income quickly to a Treasury whose economic strategy has failed."

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BBC Bosses Grilled Over Bumper Pay-Offs

BBC bosses are being grilled by MPs over how senior staff were given hefty pay-offs that often breached the corporation's own guidelines.

Director-general Tony Hall and chairman of the BBC Trust Lord Patten are appearing before the Public Accounts Committee, along with human resources director Lucy Adams and trust member Anthony Fry.

The session in the House of Commons comes after a National Audit Office (NAO) report showed huge payments, of hundreds of thousands of pounds in some cases, were made even though executives were not always entitled to the money.

Lord Patten began by telling the group of cross-party MPs that it was "a question of shock and dismay for us" when it emerged that staff had been paid more than they were contractually owed in some cases.

Committee chair and Labour MP Margaret Hodge demanded answers

He said the BBC Trust has been pressing for an overall pay reduction since 2009.

According to the NAO in the three years up to last December, the BBC spent £25m on severance payments for 150 high-ranking staff.

And since 2005, the corporation has made payments totaling £60m to more than 400 senior managers.

Among them, former BBC director-general George Entwistle was awarded twice the money he was entitled to. He was paid £450,000 despite being in the job for just 54 days amid the Jimmy Savile sex scandal.

Lord Patten says he was shocked at the NAO's findings

A pay-off to former chief operating officer Caroline Thomson has also been criticised. She left last year with £670,000 - more than twice her salary.

And former deputy director-general Mark Byford was paid £949,000 when he left two years ago.

But the former BBC2 controller, Roly Keating, who was given a £375,000 pay-off, returned the money after learning it had not been properly authorised.

More follows...

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Kidlington Siege: Armed Man Frees Daughters

An armed man is holed up in a property where he was holding his two-year-old twin daughters, police have said.

Thames Valley Police said they are in "regular communication" with the 38-year-old, who released both girls from the flat hours after a woman escaped and raised the alarm.

Police have said the siege is over a "domestic incident" and they believe the man is in possession of "a number of firearms".

The first girl was released at around 9.45am, while the second girl emerged from the property just under two hours later.

A Land Rover pulled up at the scene at around 11.30am and team of around six armed officers with shields and helmets got out and went straight into the property, the Oxford Mail reports.

Police are at the scene in Kidlington, central Oxfordshire

They emerged moments later from the property in Kidlington, Oxfordshire, with four officers "carrying the girl sideways", according to the paper.

The fire service and a doctor joined police at the scene as the cordon was widened to include nearby Yarnton Road.

A woman, believed to be the man's estranged partner, is believed to have called police at around 3.40am after escaping from the property.

A police spokesman said: "Thames Valley Police can confirm a second child has been released unharmed from the property in Morton Avenue, Kidlington, as part of the ongoing domestic-related incident which the force is currently dealing with."

Up to 50 officers, including firearms experts, have been at the scene

Police said the man did not make any threats to harm the girls.

Armed police were deployed to the scene and a cordon has been placed around the property - with up to 50 officers involved with the incident.

An ambulance is also parked outside and police are warning local families and motorists to stay away from the area.

Area commander Superintendent Christian Bunt said: "It is believed the man is armed, although no indication has been given that he wishes to harm the children.

"We are doing all we can and our officers are determine to bring this situation to a close as soon as is possible."

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Whole-Life Inmates Win Human Rights Victory

Locking up some of Britain's most notorious killers for life without any prospect of release is a breach of their human rights, European judges have ruled.

Murderer Jeremy Bamber is among those facing a review of their whole-life tariffs after winning an appeal that the sentences were "inhuman and degrading".

The judges found that for a life sentence to remain compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights there had to be both a possibility of release and a possibility of review.

It means the Government must amend the law to ensure it complies with human rights legislation, and opens the door to demands for early release from prisoners who were told they could never walk free.

The panel of 17 judges in the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights said their decision did not mean Bamber and two other men - Douglas Vinter and Peter Moore - can look forward to being freed in the near future.

They said: "In finding a violation in this case … the court did not intend to give the applicants any prospect of imminent release."

However, the decision has been slammed by many in Westminster - including Prime Minister David Cameron, who said he was "very, very disappointed".

Bamber arrives for a previous court hearing

A spokesman said: "He is a strong supporter of whole-life tariffs."

Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said people would find the ruling "intensely frustrating".

"I think this will simply reinforce the desire in this country for wholesale reform of our human rights laws," he told Sky News.

"I suspect that the vast majority of the public think the court is just getting this wrong - at the very least it should be a matter for the British Parliament."

However, Eric Allison, a journalist who spent 15 years serving time in British prisons, said it was a "victory for the possibility" of rehabilitating even the worst of criminals.

"I've seen people who've done some awful things and I've seen them change their character completely in prison," he said.

The appeal was brought by Vinter, who stabbed his wife in February 2008, and means the cases of Bamber - who killed his parents, sister and two young children in August 1985 - and Moore, who killed four gay men in 1995, will also be considered.

Bamber, 51, has been behind bars for more than 25 years for shooting his wealthy adopted parents June and Neville, his sister Sheila Caffell and her twin sons Daniel and Nicholas at their farmhouse in Tolleshunt D'Arcy, Essex.

A statement from Bamber described winning the appeal as "hollow" as he is in prison "for a crime I did not commit".

The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg

He added: "My whole life order has now been given a system of reviews, but there is no provision for someone who is wrongly convicted to prove that they are worthy of release, such hope is in reality, no hope at all."

In their ruling the judges said it was up to national authorities to decide when a review should take place, but existing laws point to a review happening no later than 25 years after a life sentence is handed down.

Current UK law says whole-life tariff prisoners will almost certainly never be released because their offences are deemed to be so serious.

Only the Justice Secretary can free them on compassionate grounds - if, for example, they are terminally ill.

The judges said the decision on whether to release prisoners jailed for their entire lives would depend on whether there were legitimate grounds for their continued detention.

Until 2003, whole-life tariff prisoners had a right to a review but this was removed in a change to the law.

Vinter's lawyer Simon Creighton, of Bhatt Murphy Solicitors, said the ruling could not be used as a "get out of jail free" excuse.

He said: "They have not said that anyone must be released, what they have said is that it must be reviewed.

"It's now for the Government to respond."

The ruling comes shortly after Home Secretary Theresa May voiced her frustrations with the European courts in the House of Commons in the wake of the lengthy and costly fight to boot radical cleric Abu Qatada out of the country.

She said she wanted the Human Rights Act itself to be scrapped.

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Miliband Vows To Reform Labour's Union Ties

Ed Miliband has made one of the biggest gambles of his leadership by vowing to radically reform Labour's relationship with the unions.

In a move that could cost his party millions in funding and lost membership, Mr Miliband unveiled a series of steps to weaken union influence.

Under the plans, union members would no longer be automatically affiliated to Labour and candidates would have to obey a new code of conduct.

Spending caps for would-be candidates and any organisation backing them would apply in domestic and European parliamentary elections.

And standard constituency agreements with unions would aim to ensure no one involved in the selection process could be subjected to "undue local pressure".

A system of US-style primaries would also be used to pick Labour's next candidate for mayor of London and potentially future parliamentary candidates in certain constituencies.

In a bid to shift the pressure onto other party leaders, Mr Miliband also laid down a challenge by pledging to limit MPs' outside earnings if he wins power in 2015.

Unite boss Len McCluskey

And he called for the reopening of stalled talks on party funding, repeating his offer to cap donations from individuals, businesses and trade unions.

His speech in London was sparked by the Falkirk ballot-rigging scandal, which the party leader said was an example of the "death throes of the old politics".

Police are investigating after the Unite union was accused of trying to use its members to secure the selection of a particular candidate in the Scottish constituency.

"Every time something like Falkirk happens, it confirms people's worst suspicions," Mr Miliband said. "I want to build a better Labour Party - and build a better politics for Britain."

His reforms would see union members given the change to "opt in" to a £3 donation which currently goes straight to the party.

"I do not want any individual to be paying money to the Labour Party in affiliation fees unless they have deliberately chosen to do so," he said.

Officials acknowledge ending automatic affiliation will represent a financial "hit" for the party but Mr Miliband claimed it was also an opportunity to mobilise union members.

"It could grow our membership from 200,000 to a far higher number, genuinely rooting us in the life of more people of our country," he said.

In a surprise move, the Labour leader also attacked MPs who earn significant amounts from outside jobs and raised the wider issue of party funding.

He insisted being an MP was a "privilege and a duty" rather than a sideline and called for new rules to limit second jobs and avoid conflicts of interest.

Union affiliations of Labour Party members

Unite general secretary Len McCluskey described Mr Miliband's plans as "very brave" and suggested they could be historic if his vision is realised.

He made clear he too wanted the status quo to change and said he was "attracted" by the ideas set out because it would make trade unionists more active.

But he warned "dramatically" fewer union members would sign up to be affiliated to Labour if an opt-in was adopted.

"I think this is in a sense a dangerous road for him," he said on Sky's Boulton & Co show.

Conservative Party Chairman Grant Shapps claimed the "weak" plans were meaningless and pointed out that a code of conduct already exists.

"It would still be the same old Labour Party - bankrolled by the unions, policies rigged by the unions and candidates chosen by the unions," he said.

"The reality is Ed Miliband cannot change Labour because he cannot stand up to the union barons who elected him. That means he's too weak to stand up for hardworking people and too weak to run the country."

But former prime minister and Labour leader Tony Blair told Sky News he believed it was a defining moment for his successor.

"It is bold and strong. It is real leadership," he said. "He is carrying through a process of reform in the Labour Party that is long overdue and frankly probably I should have done it when I was leader.

"At the same time what he is doing is sending a very strong message to the country that in the end he will do what is right and that he will govern for all the country and not simply one section of it."

Party sources insist Mr Miliband had always intended to deliver reforms but did not deny that the timing was linked to the Falkirk scandal.

After his speech, the leader insisted: "We are going to make this change happen, let me make that clear", but admitted no timetable had yet been set out.

He has appointed former Labour general secretary and union official Lord Collins of Highbury to lead work on the introduction of the new system.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said he was prepared to work with Labour to legislate for an opt-in using the Third Party Funding Bill and called on Mr Miliband to "turn words into actions".

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G4S: Deported Man Unlawfully Killed On Plane

The Crown Prosecution Service is to reconsider its decision not to bring criminal charges after an inquest ruled a father-of-five was unlawfully killed while being deported.

Jimmy Mubenga, 46, was about to return to his native Angola on a British Airways flight in October 2010 when the three G4S security guards restrained him.

He died later in hospital after the plane was stopped on the Heathrow runway to seek urgent medical care.

Three G4S guards - Terence Hughes, Stuart Tribelnig and Colin Kaler - accompanied Mr Mubenga on the flight, but said he was restrained when he attacked one of the guards after boarding the plane.

After four days of deliberations, the jury at Isleworth Crown Court recorded by a majority decision of nine to one that he was unlawfully killed.

A CPS spokesperson said: "Following this verdict, we will consider our original decision in light of any new evidence or information from the inquest, including any conclusions reached by the jury."

Mrs Kambana said he husband was treated "worse than an animal"

The inquest heard that Mr Mubenga died of cardio-respiratory collapse, where the heart stops beating and a person stops breathing.

No criminal charges have ever been brought against the security guards or G4S.

The Angolan was being deported after serving a prison sentence for assault.

Returning the unlawful killing verdict, the jury foreman said: "Based on the evidence we have heard, we have found Mr Mubenga was pushed or held down by one or more of the guards.

"We find that this was unreasonable force.

"The guards would have known that they would have caused harm to Mr Mubenga, if not serious harm."

Other passengers on board the flight said they heard Mr Mubenga wailing for help after saying he could not breathe, with one of the guards apparently replying: "Yes, you can."

Mr Mubenga and his wife, Adrienne Makenda Kambana, had been living in Ilford, east London, after arriving in the UK from Angola in 1994.

G4S said the death of Mr Mubenga was a "tragic event"

He was applying to stay in the UK permanently when it was decided he should be deported after serving two years in jail for causing actual bodily harm.

Speaking outside the court, Mrs Kambana said her husband was treated "worse than an animal".

"What the witnesses said, they heard Jimmy asking for help. Nobody helped him," she said.

"Jimmy should be here, but because he didn't get help, that's why he's not here."

Mrs Kambana said her late husband was a "loving person" who had served his time in jail and did not deserve to die.

She also called for more monitoring of how deportations are handled.

A G4S spokeswoman said Mr Mubenga's death was a "very tragic event" and that the welfare of those in its care was its top priority.

"Our employees were also trained, screened and vetted to the standards defined by strict Home Office guidelines," said the spokeswoman.

"We believe that at all times we acted appropriately and in full compliance with the terms of our contract with UKBA (UK Border Agency).

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