Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 07 Maret 2015 | 20.48
The families of three London schoolgirls feared to have fled to Syria to become jihadi brides have accused the Metropolitan Police of failing to pass on a crucial letter.
They say a letter from the force requesting to interview the girls in relation to a classmate who ran away to Syria last year should have been handed directly to the families.
However, the letters were hidden by the girls in their school textbooks and their families never saw them.
Shamima Begum, 15, Kadiza Sultana, 16, and 15-year-old Amira Abase, who attended Bethnal Green Academy in east London, sparked a police hunt after they flew to Istanbul from Gatwick Airport last month. They are now believed to be in Syria.
Abase Hussein, the father of Amira, insisted that if he had seen the police letter he would have talked his daughter out of leaving and taken away her passport.
Video:Missing Amira's Dad: 'Come Home'
Halima Khanom, sister of Kadiza Sultana, said: "We wouldn't have been here today doing this if we'd got that letter and known what was going on."
Scotland Yard confirmed that it sent letters out to the three girls after their friend disappeared in December and that they were also spoken to by officers as part of a "routine inquiry".
A Metropolitan Police statement said: "The Metropolitan Police Service has been engaged with staff at the girls' school since December 2014 as part of the routine inquiry by officers investigating the disappearance of their friend.
Video:London Schoolgirls 'In Syria'
"There was nothing to suggest at the time that the girls themselves were at risk and indeed their disappearance has come as a great surprise, not least to their own families.
"The girls were spoken to in December 2014 as part of the routine inquiry by officers investigating the disappearance of their friend.
"We continue to liaise with the school and local education authority in connection with this ongoing investigation."
The Government's refusal to reveal the titles of four files related to child abuse has been branded "disgusting" by the family of a boy missing since 1979.
It is now over a month since the Cabinet Office confirmed it had found four more files relevant to the ongoing child abuse inquiries centred on VIPs in Westminster.
Officials have promised the files will be handed over to the police and various inquiries but they are still refusing to allow the titles of the files to be made public, let alone the contents.
Kevin Allen: 'They are playing with our lives'
At the start of February Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude said: "Officials have identified four additional relevant files, one of which was marked for destruction."
Despite repeated requests from Sky News over the course of the last month officials at the Government department say their position remains unchanged.
Video:NZ Judge To Chair Abuse Inquiry
It has angered many survivors and campaigners, not least the family of Martin Allen who was 15 years old when he vanished in London nearly 35 years ago.
The teenager was last seen on the London Underground with an unidentified man at Gloucester Road station on 5 November 1979.
His brother Kevin Allen told Sky News he was "pretty definite" there is a link between the establishment abuse networks in Westminster and his brother's disappearance.
He said he could not accept that the names of the files are still being withheld.
"It makes me very angry, because these people have got a hold over us.
"It is our information, these people are our employees taking our money which is more than 'Mr Average' earns probably in the course of a month. It is disgusting.
Video:21 Dec: 'No Transparency'
"It is our lives they are playing with. I hope they can sleep at night."
Mr Allen is in regular contact with Met police detectives leading abuse inquiries which include allegations boys were killed.
While the content of the files may be sensitive, refusing to reveal the names means the public has no way of tracking them or knowing how they are being dealt with.
Labour MP John Mann told Sky News the Cabinet Office's actions amounted to a "national disgrace".
He said: "We need this information coming out, there are people there who know things from the past that they are not revealing, including to the police investigation teams, and that is wholly unacceptable.
"It is time the Prime Minister forced them to do so."
Video:4 Dec: Abuse Victim Andy Kershaw
It follows a Sky News investigation which unearthed another classified file in January that the Cabinet Office had kept closed on grounds of national security.
After MPs raised the issue in the House of Commons, government officials were forced to release it to the National Archives.
The documents revealed former British diplomat, the late Sir Peter Hayman, was the subject of the secret file. The papers documented his "unnatural" sexual behaviour and his activities within the Paedophile Information Exchange group.
Neither the Hayman file nor the four new files were found during an earlier Home Office-commissioned search for documents relevant to ongoing abuse inquiries.
The Cabinet Office declined to make Mr Maude available for interview.
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Mr Nemtsov's funeral was held last week
Two suspects have been detained over the murder of Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov.
Russian state TV Rossiya-24 quoted the head of Russia's Federal Security Service, Alexander Bortnikov, as saying President Vladimir Putin has been informed of the detention.
"I would like to inform you that the work that has been conducted has resulted in two suspects in this crime being detained today. They are a Gubashev, Anzor and a Dadayev, Zaur," he said in a video posted on state TV Channel One's website.
No further details were provided about the suspects, but RIA Novosti news agency quoted Mr Bortnikov as saying that both were from the Caucasus.
No charges were immediately announced.
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Gallery: Boris Nemtsov: Funeral Of Murdered Putin Opponent Held In Moscow
People stand in line at a memorial service before the funeral of leading Russian opposition figure Boris Nemtsov in Moscow
Several hundred Russians, many carrying red carnations, queued to pay their respects. Mr Nemtsov was shot dead by an unknown gunman last week as he walked with his girlfriend
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The apparent assassination has shocked Russia. President Putin has blamed the killing on enemies trying to discredit the Kremlin
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Continue through for more pictures of the memorial service and funeral
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Mr Nemtsov, a former deputy prime minister and long-time critic of Mr Putin, was shot dead near the Kremlin in Moscow on 27 February.
It is not clear if either of the suspects was believed to have fired the shots that killed the politician, who was reportedly working on a report about Russian military involvement in the eastern Ukraine conflict at the time of his death.
Leading Russian opposition figures have suggested the murder was politically motivated, although authorities deny any involvement, saying it could have been a provocation aimed at tarnishing Mr Putin's image.
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Gallery: Thousands in Moscow to honour opposition politician
Russia's opposition supporters carry portraits of Boris Nemtsov through Moscow with the words "He fought for a free Russia," "He died for the future of Russia"
Riot police stand guard during the march in memory of Nemtsov
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Russia's top investigative body said it was investigating several possible motives and was looking into possible connections to Islamic extremism and Mr Nemtsov's personal life.
The chief witness to the killing was Mr Nemtsov's Ukrainian girlfriend, Anna Duritskaya, who has now left Russia.
His death sparked protests through the streets of Moscow, with people carrying placards declaring "I am not afraid" and "He died for Russia's future".
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Gallery: Profile: Who Was Boris Nemtsov?
Rose to prominence under Boris Yeltsin in the 1990s and grew into a fierce critic of Vladimir Putin. He was also an environmentalist, a nuclear scientist and father of four
In 1997 he was made deputy prime minister and put in charge of economic reform. The economic crisis of 1998 cost him his job in parliament and any presidential hopes he had
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On Tuesday, hundreds of mourners queued to see the 55-year-old's body lying in state in central Moscow ahead of a burial at the Troekurovskoye cemetery on the outskirts of the city.
Former British prime minister Sir John Major was among the European politicians and diplomats who attended the funeral.
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Two Suspects Held Over Boris Nemtsov Shooting
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Mr Nemtsov's funeral was held last week
Two suspects have been detained over the murder of Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov.
Russian state TV Rossiya-24 quoted the head of Russia's Federal Security Service, Alexander Bortnikov, as saying President Vladimir Putin has been informed of the detention.
"I would like to inform you that the work that has been conducted has resulted in two suspects in this crime being detained today. They are a Gubashev, Anzor and a Dadayev, Zaur," he said in a video posted on state TV Channel One's website.
No further details were provided about the suspects, but RIA Novosti news agency quoted Mr Bortnikov as saying that both were from the Caucasus.
No charges were immediately announced.
1/6
Gallery: Boris Nemtsov: Funeral Of Murdered Putin Opponent Held In Moscow
People stand in line at a memorial service before the funeral of leading Russian opposition figure Boris Nemtsov in Moscow
Several hundred Russians, many carrying red carnations, queued to pay their respects. Mr Nemtsov was shot dead by an unknown gunman last week as he walked with his girlfriend
]]>
The apparent assassination has shocked Russia. President Putin has blamed the killing on enemies trying to discredit the Kremlin
]]>
Continue through for more pictures of the memorial service and funeral
]]>
]]>
Mr Nemtsov, a former deputy prime minister and long-time critic of Mr Putin, was shot dead near the Kremlin in Moscow on 27 February.
It is not clear if either of the suspects was believed to have fired the shots that killed the politician, who was reportedly working on a report about Russian military involvement in the eastern Ukraine conflict at the time of his death.
Leading Russian opposition figures have suggested the murder was politically motivated, although authorities deny any involvement, saying it could have been a provocation aimed at tarnishing Mr Putin's image.
1/8
Gallery: Thousands in Moscow to honour opposition politician
Russia's opposition supporters carry portraits of Boris Nemtsov through Moscow with the words "He fought for a free Russia," "He died for the future of Russia"
Riot police stand guard during the march in memory of Nemtsov
]]>
Russia's top investigative body said it was investigating several possible motives and was looking into possible connections to Islamic extremism and Mr Nemtsov's personal life.
The chief witness to the killing was Mr Nemtsov's Ukrainian girlfriend, Anna Duritskaya, who has now left Russia.
His death sparked protests through the streets of Moscow, with people carrying placards declaring "I am not afraid" and "He died for Russia's future".
1/6
Gallery: Profile: Who Was Boris Nemtsov?
Rose to prominence under Boris Yeltsin in the 1990s and grew into a fierce critic of Vladimir Putin. He was also an environmentalist, a nuclear scientist and father of four
In 1997 he was made deputy prime minister and put in charge of economic reform. The economic crisis of 1998 cost him his job in parliament and any presidential hopes he had
]]>
On Tuesday, hundreds of mourners queued to see the 55-year-old's body lying in state in central Moscow ahead of a burial at the Troekurovskoye cemetery on the outskirts of the city.
Former British prime minister Sir John Major was among the European politicians and diplomats who attended the funeral.
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Top Stories
Breaking News: Miliband Brands PM 'Chicken' Over TV Debates
Ed Miliband has told broadcasters he will take part in all three televised debates ahead of the election - as he accused David Cameron of "chickening out".
In a speech to the Scottish Labour conference, the party leader said the Prime Minister was "running scared" after only agreeing to appear in one of three of the debates.
Mr Miliband told delegates: "You can refuse to face the public, but you can't deny your record.
"You can try to chicken out of the debates, but don't ever again claim to provide strong leadership for your country."
Mr Miliband said "with or without Mr Cameron" he will be at the debates.
Video:Clegg Hits Out At 'Arrogant Tories'
Campaign chairman Douglas Alexander confirmed in a letter to broadcasters that Mr Miliband was prepared to appear, even though David Cameron appears unlikely to take part.
The four broadcasters - the BBC, ITV, Sky and Channel 4 - announced they will stick to their previously-announced plans for three debates during the election campaign, and urged the Prime Minister to "reconsider" his refusal to take part in these shows, including a head-to-head showdown with Mr Miliband.
But Mr Cameron's chief spin doctor Craig Oliver said their response was "disappointing" and restated the Prime Minister's "final position" was for a single debate to take place in the week starting 23 March.
Earlier Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg said it was "arrogant" for the Tories to think they can dictate the terms of the debates.
Video:Cameron: I Debate Ed Every Week
"These aren't the debates run by the Conservative Party, they belong to the British people," he said.
"To suggest, as the Conservatives have, that they will only deign to participate in one debate, before they've even published their manifesto, suggests that not only do they not want to defend their record in Government, they don't even want to promote their own manifesto in competition with other party leaders."
Broadcasters are planning a seven-way debate involving Mr Cameron, Mr Miliband, Mr Clegg and the leaders of the Greens, Ukip, Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru on ITV on 2 April, followed by a second show on BBC featuring the same line-up on 16 April.
A final one-on-one clash between the Tory and Labour leaders would be broadcast on Sky News and Channel 4 on 30 April - exactly a week before the 7 May election.
Written By Unknown on Jumat, 06 Maret 2015 | 20.48
Four drug dealers have been found guilty of ambushing and stabbing to death two rivals to steal their client list.
Aaron Carriere, 21, and Josiah Manful, 20, were lured to a quiet residential road in Leytonstone, east London, where they were "boxed in" by four cars.
They were then stabbed 24 times in less than a minute.
Although there were drugs and cash in the car, only one item was stolen - a phone containing their drug dealing "client list".
Gang members Devonte Campbell, Casey Jones, Alex Bernard and Omar Hassan were all found guilty of two counts of murder and will be sentenced later.
The victims were lured to Montague Road in Leytonstone
Opening the murder trial last year, prosecutor Lisa Wilding QC said the victims were subjected to a "swift, frenzied, utterly brutal attack" in their black Ford Fiesta on Montague Road.
Despite suffering 11 wounds, Mr Manful managed to get out of the driver's seat to call for help before collapsing.
Both men were pronounced dead at the scene following the attack on 1 March last year.
Each of the defendants played their part in the murders, with some wielding knives, some lending support through physical intimidation and others acting as getaway drivers.
Afterwards, some of the defendants tried to evade capture by dumping cars and fleeing the country.
Mr Carriere was a "successful drugs dealer" who traded in crack cocaine, heroin and cannabis in Leytonstone, jurors heard.
Unbeknown to him, he was the subject of an undercover police probe.
Mr Manful had apparently been worried for his safety and had stashed a lock knife in his boxer shorts, the court heard.
Campbell, Jones, Bernard, and Hassan, all from east London, denied two counts of murder.
Fellow east Londoners Wail Alawi, 23, Abraar Amin, 18, and a 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were cleared.
A former policewoman who seized CCTV as a "tool to blackmail" Liverpool footballer Steven Gerrard has been jailed for 22 months.
Helen Jones, a former PC with Merseyside Police, obtained footage of a street bust-up by "flashing her warrant card" to the manageress of a bank.
The incident involved friends of Gerrard arguing with other men at a bar near the star's home.
The row spilled on to the street and was captured by cameras controlled by a nearby bank.
Local businessman Paul Lloyd, 35, claimed Gerrard "threw the first punch".
However, at an earlier hearing prosecutors said the then England captain was acting as a peacemaker on the evening of 4 August, 2013.
Ms Jones did not deny improperly using her status as a police officer to get the CCTV.
The 32-year-old, who has moved from Formby to Chatham in Kent, admitted misconduct in a public office but said she was doing a favour for a friend.
This was discounted by Judge Stuart Baker at a three-day hearing last November.
He said the CCTV was secured to use "possibly as a lever to cause Mr Gerrard to pay money to suppress it or, at the very least, to use it in a away which would potentially cause embarrassment, as has in fact occurred".
Jailing her today, Judge Baker told Ms Jones: "This was deliberate and calculated misconduct in a public office.
"You deliberately created a false impression in the mind of the bank manager that you were investigating a criminal offence."
Judge Baker conceded that Jones may not have known who, eventually, the CCTV would be passed to or for what purpose.
But he said she had caused Gerrard and his friend Lee McPartland "serious personal embarrassment" - and damaged the reputation of Merseyside Police.
Two hundred holidaymakers needed a dramatic rescue after a cable car stopped working in hurricane-strength winds.
The skiers were suspended in mid-air for several hours after a tree fell on power lines in the Val Gardena resort in northern Italy.
A painstaking operation saw rescue teams lowered from a helicopter to each of the 20 cabins in turn.
Rescuers then forced open the cabin doors, tied those inside to ropes and lowered them slowly back to the snow.
All this had to be carried out in freezing temperatures and winds of up to 80mph.
"We were really lucky," one holidaymaker said.
"A staff member noticed the tree and stopped everything. They must build a monument to this gentleman because if the car had hit the tree we would have had a tragedy."
Four more people have been charged in connection with the murder of teenager Becky Watts.
Karl Demetrius and Donovan Demetrius, both 29, along with Jaydene Parsons, 23, all of Barton Court, Bristol, have been charged with assisting an offender.
James Ireland, 23, of Richmond Villas, Avonmouth, faces the same charge.
They have been remanded in custody and are due before Bristol Magistrates' Court this afternoon.
A fifth person, who was arrested on Monday, has been released without charge.
Police are continuing to search addresses in the city
It comes after Becky's stepbrother Nathan Matthews appeared in crown court for the first time charged with her murder.
Matthews appeared via video link unshaven in a grey sweatshirt and in a hearing that lasted 15 minutes he spoke only to confirm his name.
Prosecutor James Ward told the court: "The allegations of this case have been well-rehearsed in the press recently and I do not propose to go into the finer details.
"There are still people helping the police with their inquiries. Therefore, it would be wrong to place before the media further details about this case."
Matthews was remanded into custody and will next appear before a judge on 26 March.
On Thursday he appeared before Bristol magistrates with his 21-year-old girlfriend Shauna Hoare.
Hoare is charged with intending to pervert the course of justice and will also appear in Bristol Crown Court on 26 March.
Becky, 16, disappeared from her home in the St George area of Bristol on 19 February.
Police launched a huge search for the teenager and a social media campaign that reached millions of people.
Body parts were later found at a house in the Barton Hill area of the city.
Bouquets, teddies and cards have been left at Becky's home, as well as at Barton Court, and mourners have attended churches across the city to pay their respects.
Written By Unknown on Kamis, 05 Maret 2015 | 20.48
Ed Miliband has accused David Cameron of "cowering from the public" after the Prime Minister ruled out a head-to-head TV debate.
The Labour leader told Mr Cameron it was time to "stop ducking and weaving and name the date".
Last night the Prime Minister issued an ultimatum to broadcasters saying he will only take part in one 90-minute TV election debate with at least seven party leaders before the end of March - ruling out going toe-to-toe with Mr Miliband.
The move has sparked an angry response and Mr Cameron has been accused of "moral cowardice", being "frit" and of trying to "bully" broadcasters.
Mr Miliband said: "It is now clear that David Cameron is ducking the debate with me. He is cowering from the public.
Video:Cameron: I Debate Ed Every Week
"The British people deserve this debate. I'll debate him any time, any place, anywhere."
But Mr Cameron denied the claim he was "cowering" from the British public and said was putting forward a proposal which "unlocked the logjam the broadcasters caused".
The Electoral Reform Society has said it would be a "national embarrassment" if the debates did not take place.
Video:Cameron Is 'Weasling And Wriggling'
Chief Executive of the Electoral Reform Society Katie Ghose said: "Compared to other advanced democracies around the world, Britain has been extremely late to the party when it comes to TV debates.
"It would be a national embarrassment if we end up being the first to leave that party as well. No TV debates in 2015 would be a backward step in terms of our democratic development."
Nick Clegg has suggested he take the Prime Minister's place at the head-to-head with Mr Miliband.
Video:Debate Plan Is A 'Squabblefest'
Speaking on his weekly LBC radio phone-in he said: "Having been in government for five years, I also have this old-fashioned view that I want to defend the record of this Government.
"If David Cameron is too busy or too important to defend the record of this Government with Ed Miliband, then I offer myself. I'll do it instead."
Tony Blair's former spokesman Alastair Campbell accused Mr Cameron of "weasling and wriggling" out of the debates and said he was guilty of "moral cowardice".
Video:PM Accused Of Bullying Broadcasters
He said: "He doesn't want to do it. He is worried that he is going to lose."
And he added: "I think it underlines the utter contempt David Cameron actually has for people."
Lib Dem election campaign leader Lord Ashdown told Sky News Mr Cameron's proposals amounted to a "90-minute, bite-size squabblefest" and accused the Prime Minister of being "frit".
Video:Debate Row Dominates PMQs Once More
But Mr Cameron claims the public already knows what the Conservative and Labour proposals are.
The Prime Minister's final offer on the debates, which he said in 2010 were vital to democracy, was made in a letter sent to Sue Inglish, the chair of the broadcasters' leaders' debates committee, by his communications director Craig Oliver.
In a joint statement the broadcasters said: "The broadcasters are committed to providing our audiences with election debates. 22 million people watched the debates in 2010 and we believe the debates helped people to engage with the election."
Video:A History Of TV Debates
The BBC and ITV have proposed each staging a debate involving Mr Cameron, Mr Miliband, Nick Clegg, the Greens' Natalie Bennett, Nigel Farage of UKIP, the SNP's Nicola Sturgeon and Plaid Cymru's Leanne Wood.
A Sky News poll found 79% of people would be less likely to vote for a party leader who refused to take part in a debate.
The stepbrother of Bristol teenager Becky Watts has been remanded in custody charged with her murder.
Nathan Matthews, appearing at Bristol Magistrates' Court, spoke only to confirm his name, address and date of birth.
Becky, 16, disappeared from her home in the St George area of the city on 19 February.
Matthews - unshaven and wearing a blue T-shirt - was handcuffed to a dock officer and led away after a one-minute hearing.
Matthews entered the court through a back entrance
The 28-year-old will appear before Bristol Crown Court via video link on Friday.
His girlfriend, Shauna Hoare, 21, appeared after him in the same packed courtroom, charged with perverting the course of justice.
Video:Uncle: It's Hard To See The Light
She was remanded in custody to appear before Bristol Crown Court on 2 April.
Four men and a woman in their 20s, who were arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, remain in police custody after officers were given more time to question them.
On Tuesday, police said they had found body parts at an address in the city after a massive search for the teenager that started on 20 February when her family reported her missing.
Video:Flowers Laid By Becky's Family
She left her house without telling anyone where was going, taking her phone, laptop and tablet computer, but not a change of clothes.
Becky's family members, including her uncles and aunt, have laid tributes at her home.
In an earlier statement, her mother Tania Watts, brother Daniel and grandmother Pat said they were "at an utter loss to understand why anyone would want to hurt our beautiful Becky in such a brutal way".
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Gallery: Tributes to Becky Watts
Public lay flowers near a property in Barton Court, Bristol, as a tribute to teenager Becky Watts
Family members have also been leaving tributes outside her home
An armed robber bragged about his plans to steal cash from a supermarket just minutes before he was picked up by police.
Andrew Hennells posted "Doing. Tesco. Over" on Facebook at 7.25pm on 13 February, 15 minutes before Norfolk Police were called by a member of the public who witnessed a man demanding money at a branch in King's Lynn.
The 31-year-old - who was carrying a knife - was found in a nearby pub after walking away with £410 in cash.
He pleaded guilty to robbery and carrying a knife as an offensive weapon when he appeared at Norwich Crown Court.
Sgt Pete Jessop, from King's Lynn CID, said the Facebook post helped investigators build the case against Hennells.
"It was a bizarre and unusual case," he said. "The pictures and posts on Facebook helped us confirm what we already knew.
"None of this takes away from the seriousness of the crime or the trauma experienced by the victims of the robbery."
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'Macer Gifford' gave up a job in the City to fight Islamic State in Iraq
A former Young Conservative who gave up his City job to fight Islamist militants in Iraq has told Sky News he has had "amazing success" in fierce battles with Islamic State.
'Macer Gifford', who is operating under an assumed name, left in December to join the Kurdish People's Protection Unit (YPG) in northern Iraq, insisting he would not be taken alive by the enemy.
Speaking of his latest battle he said: "We completely smashed them. We've taken a huge amount of land from ISIS (Islamic State) and had some amazing successes over the past week or so.
Former Royal Marine Erik Scurfield who was killed fighting IS in Iraq
"The firefights are very one sided and we've been overrunning their positions quickly because they don't have heavy weaponry. When we ambush them they're not expecting us at all."
The 28-year-old, who spoke to Sky News from the Iraqi town of Tel Hamis, claimed the fear and violence spread by IS was leading to inaction in the West and he felt he had to do something.
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Gallery: Fighting IS Militants In Iraq
Shi'ite fighters fire a rocket during clashes with Islamic State militants in Salahuddin province in Iraq
Thousands of Iraqi soldiers and Shi'ite militiamen have sought to seal off IS fighters in Tikrit and nearby towns
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The operation is Iraq's biggest offensive yet against a stronghold of the Sunni militants
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Lieutenant General Abdul-amir al-Zaidi, the operations commander, uses a handheld radio in the town of Hamrin in Salahuddin province
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An armed Shi'ite fighter takes his position during the clashes. Continue through for more pictures
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"I had a regular job in the City and was watching with horror what was coming out of Iraq as I know everyone else was. I believe in British values and democracy so I made the decision to come here and help in any way I can.
"My family haven't taken my decision very well. I call my mum whenever I can get a signal and she's obviously concerned for my welfare but I have no immediate plans to come back."
Mr Gifford fought alongside 25-year-old former Royal Marine Konstandinos Scurfield who was killed in Iraq's northern province of Hasakah last week, and 28-year-old Australian Ashley Johnson who was killed days earlier.
Mr Scurfield's family said they were devastated to learn of his death, adding they were "reeling" and "struggling to get our heads around everything".
A statement released by the family said: "His flame might have burned briefly but it burned brightly with love, courage, conviction and honour and we are very proud of him."
Video:19 Feb: Ex-Public Schoolboy Fights
Mr Gifford said: "I trained with Ash a month ago and on the first day of our last operation we lost 10 people, including him. He was shot twice in the chest just 20 metres from IS fighters.
"Konstandinos collected his body. Every time there was fighting he would go in and pick up the dead bodies.
"I've no idea what would happen if I were captured; but what about the thousands of Yazidi women that have already been captured and used as sex slaves in Raqqa? Isn't that enough to put boots on the ground?"
Mr Gifford's decision to fight IS mirrors that of Britons Jamie Read and James Hughes who claimed to have spent three weeks on the front line alongside Kurdish forces last year.
They were questioned by police on their return but, unlike other Britons that have travelled to fight in the Syrian civil war, they were not arrested.
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We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.
'Macer Gifford' gave up a job in the City to fight Islamic State in Iraq
A former Young Conservative who gave up his City job to fight Islamist militants in Iraq has told Sky News he has had "amazing success" in fierce battles with Islamic State.
'Macer Gifford', who is operating under an assumed name, left in December to join the Kurdish People's Protection Unit (YPG) in northern Iraq, insisting he would not be taken alive by the enemy.
Speaking of his latest battle he said: "We completely smashed them. We've taken a huge amount of land from ISIS (Islamic State) and had some amazing successes over the past week or so.
Former Royal Marine Erik Scurfield who was killed fighting IS in Iraq
"The firefights are very one sided and we've been overrunning their positions quickly because they don't have heavy weaponry. When we ambush them they're not expecting us at all."
The 28-year-old, who spoke to Sky News from the Iraqi town of Tel Hamis, claimed the fear and violence spread by IS was leading to inaction in the West and he felt he had to do something.
1/15
Gallery: Fighting IS Militants In Iraq
Shi'ite fighters fire a rocket during clashes with Islamic State militants in Salahuddin province in Iraq
Thousands of Iraqi soldiers and Shi'ite militiamen have sought to seal off IS fighters in Tikrit and nearby towns
]]>
The operation is Iraq's biggest offensive yet against a stronghold of the Sunni militants
]]>
Lieutenant General Abdul-amir al-Zaidi, the operations commander, uses a handheld radio in the town of Hamrin in Salahuddin province
]]>
An armed Shi'ite fighter takes his position during the clashes. Continue through for more pictures
]]>
"I had a regular job in the City and was watching with horror what was coming out of Iraq as I know everyone else was. I believe in British values and democracy so I made the decision to come here and help in any way I can.
"My family haven't taken my decision very well. I call my mum whenever I can get a signal and she's obviously concerned for my welfare but I have no immediate plans to come back."
Mr Gifford fought alongside 25-year-old former Royal Marine Konstandinos Scurfield who was killed in Iraq's northern province of Hasakah last week, and 28-year-old Australian Ashley Johnson who was killed days earlier.
Mr Scurfield's family said they were devastated to learn of his death, adding they were "reeling" and "struggling to get our heads around everything".
A statement released by the family said: "His flame might have burned briefly but it burned brightly with love, courage, conviction and honour and we are very proud of him."
Video:19 Feb: Ex-Public Schoolboy Fights
Mr Gifford said: "I trained with Ash a month ago and on the first day of our last operation we lost 10 people, including him. He was shot twice in the chest just 20 metres from IS fighters.
"Konstandinos collected his body. Every time there was fighting he would go in and pick up the dead bodies.
"I've no idea what would happen if I were captured; but what about the thousands of Yazidi women that have already been captured and used as sex slaves in Raqqa? Isn't that enough to put boots on the ground?"
Mr Gifford's decision to fight IS mirrors that of Britons Jamie Read and James Hughes who claimed to have spent three weeks on the front line alongside Kurdish forces last year.
They were questioned by police on their return but, unlike other Britons that have travelled to fight in the Syrian civil war, they were not arrested.
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Detectives investigating the disappearance of 16-year-old Becky Watts have until this afternoon to charge or release Nathan Matthews, who is reported to be her stepbrother, and his girlfriend Shauna Phillips.
The pair, who are aged 28 and 21, are believed to have been arrested on Saturday on suspicion of kidnap and later re-arrested on suspicion of murder.
Avon and Somerset Police said on Wednesday that Ms Phillips was taken to hospital overnight after feeling unwell in custody. She was seen by a doctor and taken back into custody a short while later.
Becky disappeared from her home in Crown Hill, in the St George area of Bristol, on 19 February.
Body parts were found at a house in the Barton Hill area of the city, close to the home of Mr Matthews and Ms Phillips, which has also been examined by forensic experts.
However, police said formal identification procedures have not yet been completed.
Video:Becky Watts Home Video
On Tuesday, Avon and Somerset police revealed four other men, two aged 29 and two aged 23, and a 23-year-old woman, had been arrested on suspicion of helping an offender.
Becky's aunt, Sarah Broom, wrote on Facebook: "So today my brother got his baby girl back - 12 days of pure hell filled with heartache.
"He is completely and utterly broken and there is nothing in this world of comfort to him - how does a parent ever recover from this? How can a family?
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Gallery: Becky Watts: Body Parts Found
Police investigating the disappearance of teenager Becky Watts say they have found body parts at a house in Bristol
Four men and one woman have been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and a 28-year-old man and a 21-year-old woman remain in custody on suspicion of murder
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Video:Lover's Threatening Phone Call
A mother and her lesbian lover have been found guilty of killing an eight-year-old girl during their affair.
Polly Chowdhury, 35, and Kiki Muddar, 43, were convicted at the Old Bailey on Wednesday of the manslaughter of Chowdhury's daughter Ayesha Ali.
Both women held their heads in their hands as the verdicts were read out.
The cause of the girl's death was recorded as a head injury, but Ayesha had suffered more than 50 injuries, including a bite mark on her shoulder and carpet burns. When paramedics found her she had been dead for some time.
Polly Chowdhury, left, was controlled by her lover Kiki Muddar
During proceedings, the court was told how the women's affair revolved around fictional Facebook characters that Muddar used to control Chowdhury.
The jury was also told how the little girl was terrorised at night by the women wearing nightmarish masks.
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Gallery: Ayesha Ali, 8, Killed After 'Campaign Of Abuse'
Ayesha Ali, eight, died from a head injury on 29 August, 2013
The Old Bailey heard that Ayesha suffered a campaign of abuse at the hands of her mother and her lover
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The little girl wrote a "naughty list" in the months before she died
]]>
Polly Chowdhury was controlled by Kiki Muddar
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Muddar was heard in a phone call to a friend threatening to kill the little girl
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Examples from the 41,000 text messages were read out in court to show how Muddar would influence her lover by telling her that Ayesha was "evil".
The court heard that on 29 August, 2013, Muddar dialled 999 to report Chowdhury had tried to kill herself in the bath and that Ayesha was dead.
Chowdhury had left a series of notes, in which she appeared to admit the killing, saying: "I have taken my life and Ayesha's life."
Muddar had befriended Chowdhury when they lived next door to each other, and she used the Facebook alter egos to seduce her and turn her against her daughter, telling her "you have no right to ever love or like your evil daughter".
Both women had denied murder, manslaughter and causing or allowing the death of a child between 1 March and 29 August, 2013.
Muddar, who was diagnosed with a borderline narcissistic personality disorder, refused to give evidence but claimed she was at her parents' house on the night Ayesha died.
The Metropolitan Police said Muddar left the house in Chadwell Heath, East London, on 28 August and later returned having appeared to have bought a new shower hose. A statement from police said this implied the existing shower hose had been used to assault Ayesha.
Chowdhury told the court Muddar was giving her daughter a cold bath as punishment for wetting herself when she received her fatal injury.
She said she found Muddar with her foot on the girl's chest in the bathroom, but after pushing her off went back to looking for a job on her computer.
The child's father, Afsar Ali, 35, attended the trial each day and has told how he will never forgive his ex-wife for falling under the spell of their next-door-neighbour.
"It's completely destroyed my life from now until I die," he said.
"She loved life and her family and all she wanted was to be part of a happy family. I was her super hero, her super daddy.
"The reason why I wanted to attend every day was I wanted to relive Ayesha's life, feel the pain. I don't think I can ever imagine what she had to go through."
Judge Christopher Moss QC remanded the women in custody. They will be sentenced on Friday.
Speaking outside court, Detective Sergeant Andy Nimmo said: "Ayesha Ali was an innocent and defenceless eight-year-old child caught up in a bizarre set of circumstances and manipulated by two adults who were intent on causing her harm.
"Through social media and text, Muddar created a sophisticated web of lies and deceit which took officers months to unpick. What unravelled was a picture of enormous hatred directed towards Ayesha by both Muddar and Chowdhury.
"Ayesha should have been able to turn to one person who she could trust - her mother - but Chowdhury had allowed herself to become influenced by Muddar and together they inflicted serious emotional and finally physical harm on Ayesha."
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Mother Guilty Of Killing Daughter Amid Affair
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Video:Lover's Threatening Phone Call
A mother and her lesbian lover have been found guilty of killing an eight-year-old girl during their affair.
Polly Chowdhury, 35, and Kiki Muddar, 43, were convicted at the Old Bailey on Wednesday of the manslaughter of Chowdhury's daughter Ayesha Ali.
Both women held their heads in their hands as the verdicts were read out.
The cause of the girl's death was recorded as a head injury, but Ayesha had suffered more than 50 injuries, including a bite mark on her shoulder and carpet burns. When paramedics found her she had been dead for some time.
Polly Chowdhury, left, was controlled by her lover Kiki Muddar
During proceedings, the court was told how the women's affair revolved around fictional Facebook characters that Muddar used to control Chowdhury.
The jury was also told how the little girl was terrorised at night by the women wearing nightmarish masks.
1/9
Gallery: Ayesha Ali, 8, Killed After 'Campaign Of Abuse'
Ayesha Ali, eight, died from a head injury on 29 August, 2013
The Old Bailey heard that Ayesha suffered a campaign of abuse at the hands of her mother and her lover
]]>
The little girl wrote a "naughty list" in the months before she died
]]>
Polly Chowdhury was controlled by Kiki Muddar
]]>
Muddar was heard in a phone call to a friend threatening to kill the little girl
]]>
Examples from the 41,000 text messages were read out in court to show how Muddar would influence her lover by telling her that Ayesha was "evil".
The court heard that on 29 August, 2013, Muddar dialled 999 to report Chowdhury had tried to kill herself in the bath and that Ayesha was dead.
Chowdhury had left a series of notes, in which she appeared to admit the killing, saying: "I have taken my life and Ayesha's life."
Muddar had befriended Chowdhury when they lived next door to each other, and she used the Facebook alter egos to seduce her and turn her against her daughter, telling her "you have no right to ever love or like your evil daughter".
Both women had denied murder, manslaughter and causing or allowing the death of a child between 1 March and 29 August, 2013.
Muddar, who was diagnosed with a borderline narcissistic personality disorder, refused to give evidence but claimed she was at her parents' house on the night Ayesha died.
The Metropolitan Police said Muddar left the house in Chadwell Heath, East London, on 28 August and later returned having appeared to have bought a new shower hose. A statement from police said this implied the existing shower hose had been used to assault Ayesha.
Chowdhury told the court Muddar was giving her daughter a cold bath as punishment for wetting herself when she received her fatal injury.
She said she found Muddar with her foot on the girl's chest in the bathroom, but after pushing her off went back to looking for a job on her computer.
The child's father, Afsar Ali, 35, attended the trial each day and has told how he will never forgive his ex-wife for falling under the spell of their next-door-neighbour.
"It's completely destroyed my life from now until I die," he said.
"She loved life and her family and all she wanted was to be part of a happy family. I was her super hero, her super daddy.
"The reason why I wanted to attend every day was I wanted to relive Ayesha's life, feel the pain. I don't think I can ever imagine what she had to go through."
Judge Christopher Moss QC remanded the women in custody. They will be sentenced on Friday.
Speaking outside court, Detective Sergeant Andy Nimmo said: "Ayesha Ali was an innocent and defenceless eight-year-old child caught up in a bizarre set of circumstances and manipulated by two adults who were intent on causing her harm.
"Through social media and text, Muddar created a sophisticated web of lies and deceit which took officers months to unpick. What unravelled was a picture of enormous hatred directed towards Ayesha by both Muddar and Chowdhury.
"Ayesha should have been able to turn to one person who she could trust - her mother - but Chowdhury had allowed herself to become influenced by Muddar and together they inflicted serious emotional and finally physical harm on Ayesha."
An Egyptian bride and groom were placed in a cage by masked men brandishing knives as part of an Islamic State-themed wedding.
The video, which was shot in Menoufia, Egypt, begins with a wedding attendant with his face covered conducting as a jihadi anthem used in propaganda released by the militants is played.
He then leads the bride and groom into the cage, similar to that used in the horrific video of Jordanian pilot Mu'ath Al Kassasbeh being burned alive in February.
Inside the newlywed break into dance along with the masked attendants as other guests clap and cheer them on.
The idea was apparently thought up by the groom, who had told his bride-to-be he was planning something different for the wedding.
Only the groom, his attendants and the photographer, Ahmed Kassem, knew of the plan beforehand.
As the scene unfolded, some guests believed the wedding was being stormed by IS militants, according to the Youm7 newspaper.
Last month, footage emerged showing the beheading of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians by IS militants in Libya.
Egypt responded by bombing IS camps, training sits and weapons storage areas along the border with Libya.
Prince William's trip to China has ended with embarrassment after he visited an animal sanctuary where elephants are forced to perform for tourists nearby.
At the same moment that the Prince was being photographed with an elephant, others were waiting in enclosures less than a mile away with their legs shackled.
The Prince is in Yunnan Province on the last leg of his tour of China. His visit to this far southwestern province was supposed to help highlight a cause close to him: the fight to conserve and save endangered species and highlight the trade in endangered wildlife.
Sky News spent an hour at the show in which we watched tourists sitting on elephants trunks and riding on them. The animals, some wearing giant spectacles, sat down and balanced on tiny stools. Others kicked around footballs.
The show lasts an hour, happens twice a day and is watched by hundreds of Chinese tourists.
Video:Prince Feeds 'Ran Ran' The Elephant
Sky News asked the Prince if he was aware the elephant entertainment was taking place down the road. He turned around but did not respond.
Some 250 elephants live in Wild Elephant Valley near a town called Xishuangbanna. They represent the only 'wild' Asian elephants in China. However from what Sky News witnessed, many of them cannot be classed as living in the wild.
Prince William, who is the patron of the Tusk Trust, wanted to use his last day here to learn more about China's role in fighting the illegal trade in wildlife.
Video:Shackles For Performing Elephants
Speaking to journalists at the sanctuary about the global illegal wildlife trade, the Duke said: "It is appalling that elephants and many others may be extinct in the wild in our lifetimes, and we seem to be hurtling towards the tragic outcome.
"The extinction of animals such as elephants, rhinos and pangolins would be an immeasurable loss to the whole of humanity."
Conservation groups agree that China is the main protagonist in the trade, with tonnes of ivory smuggled into the country from Africa.
Video:William Silent Over Elephant Show
While there is no suggestion that the elephant William met or those performing are affected by the illegal trade, they are not living in the wild and are trained to entertain.
Conservationists Sky News spoke to expressed surprise that palace officials would allow William to be seen to endorse a centre at which elephants perform.
Fleur Dawes from Animal Defenders International said: "'Using animals for entertainment in any sphere is completely wrong and fosters disrespect for the animals.
Video:Pangolin Being Eaten To Extinction
"What we want is to protect these animals in their wild and natural environment. Reducing them to caricatures simply undermines that message.
"So we would urge Prince William and all of the royal family to really bear that in mind. You simply cannot recreate the kind of natural environment in a wild life park where animals are forced to perform."
A three-year study by the World Animal Protection in 2014 into the welfare of captive elephants in Asia concluded that entertainment venues where elephants are forced into unnatural performances often causes them pain and suffering.
Written By Unknown on Selasa, 03 Maret 2015 | 20.48
The family of 16-year-old Becky Watts have said they are "devastated" after police looking for the missing teenager announced they had found body parts.
A massive search for the teenager has been under way since she was reported missing from her home in Bristol on 20 February.
Becky's family said in a statement that they were "at an utter loss to understand why anyone would want to hurt our beautiful Becky in such a brutal way".
Two people - a 28-year-old man and a 21-year-old woman - were yesterday arrested by Avon and Somerset Police on suspicion of Becky's murder.
They had previously been arrested on suspicion of her kidnap.
In a statement on the latest development, Detective Superintendent Mike Courtiour said: "As a result of new information received late last night, we attended a house at Barton Court in the Barton Hill area of Bristol.
"The information suggested that Becky's body had been cut up and a search at the new location resulted in the discovery of body parts.
"Although formal identification procedures have not yet been completed, we have made Becky's family aware of this discovery.
As a result of this latest development, a further four men and a woman have been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.
"They remain in police custody at this time as do the man and the woman arrested on suspicion of Becky's murder," he said.
He added: "This is devastating news for Becky's family and friends and our thoughts are with them. We will continue to offer every support we can to them during this terrible ordeal."
Becky was reported missing on 20 February
Becky left home on 19 February with her phone, laptop and tablet computer but did not tell anyone where she was going.
A statement released by Becky's mother Tania, grandmother Pat and brother Daniel said: "We are at an utter loss to understand why anyone would want to hurt our beautiful Becky in such a brutal way.
"We are grateful to the police for all they have done and are continuing to do in this investigation.
"Whilst there are people in custody, none of whom are connected to the Watts family, we will not be making any further comment and we ask that our privacy is respected at this horrific time."
Detectives have seized a black Vauxhall Zafira - registration HY06 HYA - and say they want to speak to anyone who had ever owned the car or had seen it between 19 and 23 February.
Police have been put up a white tent outside a property in Barton Court while forensic teams continue their work.
The property is a mid-terrace home close to Cotton Mill Lane, where police were carrying out searches on Monday.
Officers have also previously carried out searches at her home in Crown Hill, St George, and at a house in Wilton Close, Southmead.
Here is a timeline of events detailing Becky Watts' last known movements and the police investigation since her disappearance:
18 February
:: Sixteen-year-old Becky goes to stay the night with a friend.
19 February
:: The teenager returns mid-morning to her home in the St George area of Bristol.
She goes out again without telling anyone where she is planning to go. She takes her phone, laptop and tablet computer, but does not take a change of clothing.
20 February
:: Becky's family report her missing at 4pm.
23 February
:: Becky's father Darren Galsworthy and Becky's grandmother appeal for her to come home.
24 February
:: Local communities are urged to join in the search for the missing girl.
26 February
:: Police insist there is "nothing to suggest" anything has happened to Becky after her father said he was worried she might have been attacked.
27 February
:: Open-water searches are carried out in a pond in St George's Park in Bristol. Police say the searches are "routine", not related to specific information.
28 February
:: Two people are arrested in connection with the missing teenager's disappearance, a man aged 28 and a woman aged 21.
1 March
:: Police reveal they have not found anything of significance in their searches of an area with 1.25 miles of Becky's family home.
2 March
:: Police re-arrest the 28-year-old man and the 21-year-old woman on suspicion of murder and are given another 36 hours to question them.
Officers say they have seized a black Vauxhall Zafira - registration HY06 HYA - and appeal to members of the public who saw the car between 19 and 23 February, or who may have previously owned the vehicle, to get in touch.
3 March
:: Police say there is a "significant development" in the search for missing Becky as body parts are found at an address at Barton Court, in the Barton Hill area of Bristol.
Detectives announce that four men and one woman have been arrested on suspicion of helping an offender. The two people previously arrested remain in custody.
Six vulnerable girls continued to be raped and abused for five years because authorities failed to take them seriously and bring a paedophile ring to justice.
The girls were reported missing 500 times between 2005 and 2010, according to a Serious Case Review looking at the case in Oxford.
One told how she turned up at a police station covered in blood in the early hours, but was ignored.
The review found multiple failings and said authorities could have stopped the abuse in 2005, rather than 2010 when it was finally uncovered.
However, it found no evidence of "wilful professional neglect" by police and social workers.
The victims' horrific accounts of abuse and torture are documented within the review, along with their contact with authorities.
One girl said: "I turned up at the police station at 2/3am, blood all over me, soaked through my trousers to the crotch. They dismissed it as me being naughty, a nuisance."
Another told the authorities: "The Asian men felt they ran Oxford. That was exciting. People were afraid of them. I felt protected. People respected them."
Thames Valley's police chief said she deeply regretted her force's failings.
"We are ashamed of the shortcomings identified in this report and we are determined to do all we can to ensure nothing like this ever happens again," said Chief Constable Sara Thornton.
Between 2005-10 the vulnerable girls were reported missing 500 times - half of those when they were in council care - but it did not raise alarm bells with authorities.
Five of the seven men who were convicted of abuse in May 2013
Chair of the Oxfordshire Safeguarding Children Board Maggie Blyth said: "The Serious Case Review has seen no evidence of wilful professional neglect or misconduct by organisations, but there was at times a worrying lack of curiosity and follow through, and much work should have been considerably different and better."
The report reveals 373 girls have now been identified as possible victims of sexual exploitation within the last 16 years in the county.
Video:May 2013: Oxford Sex Ring 999 Call
In May 2013, seven men were convicted of 43 offences including trafficking and rape.
Their trial detailed how they "actively targeted" girls from the ages of 11 and 12, the majority of whom had been sent to live in care homes.
The girls were plied with alcohol, introduced to drugs, then sold for sex in guest houses, private houses and hotels, and abused by multiple men, some of whom had travelled to Oxford from "far afield".
The humiliation and degradation involved knives, meat cleavers and baseball bats. The girls' ordeals sometimes lasted days.
Like similar cases in Rotherham, Rochdale and Derby, the report states the victims were white girls and the perpetrators mainly men of Asian heritage and Muslim culture, but says "no one was aware of evidence of any holding back due to ethnicity".
However, it recommends more research needs to be done at a national level, saying "it cannot be parked as too potentially sensitive or inflammatory to pursue openly at that level".
The report found the abuse could have been identified as early as 2005, when police had "considerable concern" about some girls.
But it said too often the girls, who were seen as "precocious" and "difficult", were not believed, and their accounts were thought to be "exaggerated" by authorities.
They were seen as young adults and it was assumed that they had control over their actions.
The report also highlighted the ordeal of one parent who "went hunting the streets of SE England night after night" looking for her daughter who now "suffers nightmares, flashbacks and is depressed".
It said some parents felt authorities had "no empathy" when they reported abuse and they "felt patronised".
Since the trial, Thames Valley Police said approximately 700 children in Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire have been referred to them where there is a suspicion they might be being sexually exploited.
"Like the whole community we are horrified at what happened in Oxford," said Jim Leivers, Oxfordshire County Council's head of Children, Education and Families.
"We fully accept that we made many mistakes and missed opportunities to stop the abuse."
A senior detective has warned there are cases of child sexual exploitation in "picturesque towns" where people would never imagine abuse could be happening.
Detective Chief Supt Andrew Murray said there have been 20 large-scale investigations across the Thames Valley since the Oxford grooming scandal was uncovered.
He added it was not a problem confined to the big urban areas like Rochdale and Rotherham.
He told Sky News: "We have made sure that the most experienced, the most highly trained detectives are investigating the complex cases of child sexual exploitation.
"Since the Bullfinch case we have done approximately 20 large scale investigations right across Thames Valley.
"We have uncovered exploitation going on in places that you wouldn't really imagine it to happen, not just in the large urban areas but there are allegations, court cases currently in Banbury.
"There will be future court cases in places like Aylesbury ... it does prove the adage that if you look for it you will find it."
He added: "In my view if you want to call yourself a detective in the 21st century you have to learn how to protect children, you have to learn how to investigate child abuse.
"We have proved that if you look for this you will find it, we have found it not just in our large urban areas but in areas of Thames Valley you would consider as picturesque market towns
"The sad fact is that there will always be people out there who will abuse children, they will always be there so what we need to do is guarantee that we listen to those children and we never give up on them."
His comments come after Professor Alexis Jay, who carried out a report into the abuse of 1,400 children in Rotherham, cautioned: "No one knows the true extent of child sexual exploitation in any community.
"You need to look for it. Professionals need to seek it out and address it.
"I'm confident that Rotherham was not unique, where I found conservatively that 1,400 young people had been abused through sexual exploitation, and I would be sure that similar numbers would be elsewhere."
Det Chief Supt Murray, the most senior detective on Thames Valley Police, also acknowledged the victims of sexual exploitation in the city were badly let down before gang members were finally arrested in 2012.
The Serious Case Review found signs of the abuse were evident as early as 2005 but not acted upon.
He told Sky News: "We have apologised to those children but an apology is not enough, unless you learn the lessons from the past.
"It is a cultural change, we need to make sure that the reason we failed to investigate in the past is put right in the future.
"The main lesson I have taken away from this, as a detective, is that we need coordinated and sustained investigation into allegations of child sexual exploitation."
He said since the Oxford case 700 children had been referred to the force on the suspicion they might be being sexually exploited.
The difference, he said, was that now each child had a "plan put around them" by education and health care professionals - and an proper investigation.
With echoes of cases in Rotherham and Rochdale, most of the offenders prosecuted in Oxford were British Pakistani.
Det Chief Supt Murray pointed out that 90% of the cases he and his colleagues deal with involve abuse within families where ethnicity is not the issue.
However, he does see a pattern with street grooming. He said: "There does appear to be more men of a British Pakistani heritage and more men from a black African heritage.
"I think it is evolving picture. I would like there to be independent academic analysis as to why that would be ... but I don't think it should alter in any way how we investigate."
