Australia’s prime minister threatens to deport asylum seekers who spit, swear or “irritate people”

Tony Abbott, Australia’s prime minister, has been accused of creating a “climate of terror” for asylum seekers after introducing a code of behaviour which threatens to deport those who swear, spit, irritate people or spread rumours.

Mr Abbott’s government revealed in December that asylum seekers who arrive by boat and are in Australia on temporary visas would have to sign a new code of conduct that bans harassment, bullying and disruptive behaviour.

Now a draft set of rules, leaked to refugee advocates, spells out the precise requirements for asylum seekers, saying they must not “irritate” people, “disturb someone”, spit or swear in public, or “spread rumours… or exclude someone from a group or place on purpose”.

“Antisocial means an action that is against the order of society,” the document says.

“This may include damaging property, spitting or swearing in public or other actions that other people might find offensive. Disruptive means to cause disorder or to disturb someone or something.”

Since his election last September, Mr Abbott has adopted a hard-line refugee policy aimed at stemming the flow of boat people who cross from transit camps in Indonesia. He has deployed the navy to tow back boats to Indonesian waters, though this led to a rift with Jakarta after navy vessels intruded into Indonesian territory.
Boat arrivals appear to have come to a virtual stop, but the government has faced growing criticism of its approach, which includes deporting all arrivals to offshore detention centres on remote Pacific islands.
The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, which released a leaked draft of the new behaviour code on its Facebook page, said the rules aimed “to create an environment for asylum seekers where Australia is a horrible place to live”.
“No other industrialised nation criminalises everyday behaviour,” Kon Karapanagiotidis, a spokesman, told The Telegraph. “The idea that spitting in public or getting a parking fine is enough to get you sent to an off shore detention centre is extraordinary. It is an abuse of power and creates a climate of terror for asylum seekers.”
The office of the immigration minister, Scott Morrison, referred to the minister’s comments in December. At the time, he said the code “sets out clear standards of behaviour and expectations relating to values that are important to Australian society”.

'APOCALYPTIC': Storm Brigid rages towards UK bringing 150MPH KILLER winds, rain and SNOW

A VIOLENT and destructive storm is hurtling across the Atlantic and will smash into Britain tomorrow. 

The entire country faces at least three days of torrential downpours, savage 150mph gales and weeks of relentless flood misery.
Storm Brigid is expected to hit UK shores in the early hours of tomorrow before the full force of the onslaught rips into the country on Saturday.
Experts say it threatens to cause destruction on a par with the ferocious October St Jude’s Day Storm and subsequent Storm Emily which hit in December.
It came as figures show some areas of England have already had their wettest January since records began. The Met Office said much of the south and Midlands already had twice the average rainfall for January by midnight on Tuesday - with three days still left in the month.
Several inches of rain are likely to fall in a matter of hours through the next few days, sealing the record for England’s wettest winter in history.
So far eight inches of rain have fallen since the beginning of December, with just eight more needed to beat the 1914/15 record of 16.
Officials have warned Britain will be crippled by frenzied winds capable of up ripping trees and tearing roof slates from buildings.
Rivers already close to overflowing are likely to burst their banks sparking a torrent of flood warnings and alerts across the nation.
Forecasters have warned a run of storms are lined up in the Atlantic threatening torrential rain and gales for at least a week.
Swathes of the country have been left under inches of water after heavy and relentless rain which has held out for weeks.
Government forecasters have issued a raft of severe weather warnings for rain today and tomorrow across the south with more than an inch expected.
There are also warnings for severe gale-force winds and potentially destructive waves along the west coast at the weekend.
A further Met Office warning has been issued for snow across Scotland tomorrow with brutal gales expected to trigger blizzards.
Chief forecaster Frank Saunders warned severe weather over the next few days is likely to lead to travel disruption and loss of power supplies.

He said: “Another very deep area of low pressure will spread heavy rain and strong to gale force winds eastwards across the UK tomorrow, before the associated frontal systemsclear the southeast of England during the early hours of Saturday.
“A band of heavy rain, reaching the west coast of Scotland early on Friday morning, will spread eastwards across the rest of Scotland during the day, with the rain turning increasingly to snow as it moves eastwards.
“The snow and heavy rain will also be accompanied by gale force winds, which may lead to localised disruption due to coastal flooding.
“The public should be aware of the likelihood of a spell of disruptive wintry weather, with impacts to travel and perhaps also to power supplies.”

Hope for Michael Schumacher as doctors begin the process of bringing him out of coma

MICHAEL Schumacher could begin to emerge from a coma as doctors have begun to reduce his sedation.

The Formula One legend has been in a coma for more than a month after he suffered a severe head injury in a skiing accident on December 29 in the French Alpine resort of Meribel.

Doctors placed Schumacher into a medically induced coma after undergoing emergency brain surgery to remove blood clots from his brain.

The seven-time world champion has remained sedated to reduce the swelling.

His manager, Sabine Kehm, has now announced that doctors at Grenoble University Hospital, will finally start to reduce his sedation to allow him to begin the "waking up process".

Ms Kehm warned that the process would take a "long time".

Her statement also included an appeal from the Schumacher family to give them some privacy while also expressing "sincere appreciation for the world wide sympathy".

Fans and former colleagues from around the world have shown huge support for the racing hero.

A statement on Ferrari's website released yesterday said that the team was "waiting" for his return.

It read: "You thrilled us so often, bringing us great joy, but the greatest one is yet to come: namely seeing you here in Maranello again, to meet your second family, the Ferrari one. 

"We are waiting for you."

Police fly in to Portugal arrest three suspects in Madeleine McCann hunt

POLICE probing the disappearance of Madeleine McCann were closing in on three suspects last night.

Hopes of a breakthrough in the form of arrests were raised after a Scotland Yard team arrived in Portugal.

Police were preparing to swoop on burglars pinpointed as being very close to the holiday apartment where the girl was staying with her family in Praia da Luz in May 2007.

After a cold-case review, detectives in London focused on the suspects following a painstaking trawl through mobile phone records.

It is understood there was significant phone traffic between them around the time the three-year-old vanished.

One theory is that the burglars raided the apartment and were panicked into snatching the little girl when she woke up and started to cry. There were reports of several break-ins at the Algarve holiday complex in the weeks running up to Madeleine’s disappearance.

Her parents, Kate and Gerry, were said to be “on tenterhooks”.

The anxious couple, both 45, were being kept “fully informed”.

A source close to them said: “Clearly, police cannot say if arrests are imminent, but the fact that they are out there is significant.

“It doesn’t surprise us, it was only a matter of time. We knew officers would travel over as soon as they got the official nod.

Tories plan to keep kids in school nine hours a day, 45 weeks a year - CHILDREN will be made to stay in school for nine hours a day — 45 weeks of the year — under radical plans being studied by senior Tories.

The scheme, drawn up by David Cameron’s former Number Ten policy chief Paul Kirby, would see holidays slashed to just seven weeks and stretch the average school day from around 9am to 6pm. 

RADICAL plans for nine-hour school days would boost education standards, slash crippling childcare costs and allow millions of mums to return to full-time work, evidence suggests.
They would also aid the national economy by expanding the workforce and prepare pupils for the tough jobs market by getting them used to working full days.

Additionally they would slash youth crime, which peaks from 3pm to 6pm, by taking troublemakers off the streets.
Tory ministers are examining the proposals, which would cover all primary and secondary pupils from five to 18 — and would be strictly enforced by law.
The Sun has been told the idea is “a serious contender” for the Conservatives’ 2015 General Election manifesto.
Under the scheme — drawn up by David Cameron’s former No10 policy chief Paul Kirby — the average school day would run from around 9am until 6pm, 45 weeks of the year. Christmas, Easter and summer holidays would be reduced to little more than two weeks.
Mr Kirby said it would go a long way to solving a host of big issues for voters — “transforming the lives of most households in the UK within two years”.
He told The Sun last night: “This is a once in a generation reset that wouldn’t detract from the current school freedom agenda. It also involves dramatically expanding what schools actually do — into sport and other activities.
“All the lessons from abroad where this has happened previously, such as the United States, show that elongating the school day takes much of the stress away from teachers and pupils.
“It would also go a long way to solving the crisis around childcare affordability, a major issue for many parents.”
A massive stumbling block would be persuading left-wing teaching unions to sign up to so many more working hours.
They would demand billions more in pay for the UK’s 440,000 state school teachers. But backers of the plan argue it would save a fortune in the long term.
Ministers would pay out far less in child tax credits, plus childcare vouchers and land hundreds of millions more income tax from extra working mums.
Under Coalition reforms, schools can already set the length of their days and terms. A handful of pioneers have ten-hour days, but most refuse to keep kids after 3.30pm, claiming funding problems.
A source close to Education Secretary Michael Gove said: “We welcome all ideas on how to make schools stay open for longer, including this one.”
But a National Association of Head Teachers spokesman said: “Most schools provide extended services for children and the nature of those services are best determined by those children’s needs.”
TEACHING experts last night said the plan was a good chance to help kids.
The Campaign for Real Education — formed by parents and teachers — said: “Children do benefit from being in school.”
Chairman Chris McGovern added: “Some from deprived backgrounds do suffer over long summer holidays.”
Others remained unconvinced. Education union ATL said: “Children need breaks to refresh them. A lot of them are shattered at the end of the day.”
ROOFER James Doyle, 42, who lives with wife Karen, 37, and his kids Jacob, 13, and Olivia, 11, in Plymouth, Devon, said: “It would be quite a good idea as I have to finish work early to collect my kids.
“We have to pay up to £280 a week in the summer for my kids to go to a summer club so me and my wife can work. And my son Jacob thinks the holidays are miles too long. It will help prepare kids for working once they finish school.”
Nurse Joanne Hope, 44, who lives with kids Martin, 15, and Rachel, 13, in Plymouth, added: “Longer school days would prepare children for adult life. Schools should be more in keeping with parents’ work.”
ARCHIE Ferris, 15, who attends Backwell School in North Somerset, said: “It’s not a good idea as it would be hard to concentrate.
“We already have to sit around for eight hours. I play a lot of football after school and if we have to stay longer I’d really struggle to train as much.
“I know I’d mess around a lot more if I had to stay in school even longer — a lot of people would be the same, probably out of boredom. It’s not fun being in school as it is.”
Millie Pye, 17, an A-level student at Backwell School, added: “People just wouldn’t have the concentration span.
“I also think it’s silly to reduce holidays. We need them to relax and catch up with work.”
HEADTEACHER Kieran Earley, runs Devonport High School for Boys in Plymouth and said: “The idea that the school day starts at 9am and ends at 3.30pm is not a fair representation as schools already offer a great deal in terms of breakfast and after-school clubs.
“Teachers work incredibly hard already.”
Jackie Francis, 50, who teaches special needs kids at St Ivo School in St Ives, Cambs, said: “The day doesn’t finish when students leave. Often we stay till at least five o’clock and have to do marking when we get home.
“This would pile extra pressure on us. We’ve a right to family time too.”

A TODDLER was crushed to death by a runaway trailer in front of his horrified mum.

Distraught mum witnesses son, 3, crushed by runaway car trailer

Three-year-old Freddie Hussey was pinned to a garden wall after the trailer came loose from a Land Rover.
Distraught mum Donna, 31, screamed for help as she battled to free her son.
A lorry driver desperately tried to resuscitate little Freddie after helping to pull him out, but he died shortly after arriving at hospital.
Freddie and Donna were walking on the pavement after dropping his brother Archie at school in Bedminster, Bristol.

The family yesterday paid tribute to the youngster. A statement read: “He’s our little boy, this shouldn’t have happened. We called him Freddie Boo, we will never forget him.”
Neighbour Emma Newman, 38, who dialled 999, said: “The mother was screaming. Everyone is very shaken.”
Avon and Somerset Police last night said the driver, a man in his 30s, was helping them with their inquiries.

Katie Hopkins, aka Britain's favourite love-to-hate mouth-all-mighty, has vented her spleen again – this time targeting stay-at-home-mums.

She's at it again! Katie Hopkins slams stay-at-home-mums

Tweeted: 'Full-time mummy is not an occupation'

The 38-year-old professional s**t-stirrer has previously criticised overweight mums, mums on the school run and mums who educate their children at home.

But now she says that all mothers who stay home to look after their children are work shy.

The former Apprentice star told her 114,000 Twitter followers: "Full time mummy is not an occupation. It is merely a biological status."

She then stoked the fire by Tweeting about the Government's controversial welfare changes.

She added: "1 in 3 dropped weekly sickness benefit claims in London ahead of assessment. How lame is that? 40 yrs old and still hiding from teacher."

One furious follower immediately replied: "My mum would have died without it, maybe some mentally ill people were too frightened."

Last month Hopkins was hounded with death threats ahead of a club appearance, forcing it to be cancelled. She has been dropped from ITV's This Morning after 75,000 signed a petition to keep her off the telly

AN opera singer who claims she can no longer perform without farting uncontrollably is suing the US government.

Opera diva cannot sing without farting after surgery

Amy Herbst, 33, says her career could be over because of “excessive flatulence” following a bungled operation during childbirth.
The mezzo-soprano is seeking £1.5million damages after doctors warned she might never recover.
Her attorney Charles Allen said: “She is suffering through a very embarrassing and very significant injury, and frankly, the prognosis of a fully successful repair is pretty low.”
Ms Herbst's lawsuit alleges a nurse botched an episiotomy - an incision to enlarge the birth opening - when she gave birth at a hospital on a US Army base in Kentucky, where her soldier husband James was stationed.
Legal papers claim the procedure was done without her consent and has since caused her “to experience faecal urgency and incontinence, including periodic leaking of stool and excessive flatulence”.
She says she also cannot have sex without severe pain.
The lawsuit adds: “As a result of her incontinence and excessive flatulence, Herbst has been unable to work as a professional opera singer.”
Ms Herbst, who sang with the Nashville Opera company before the birth of her son in February 2012, has been told she needs reconstructive surgery but it is unlikely to fix the problems completely.
She and her husband are suing the federal government for for $2.5million for negligence, pain and suffering, embarrassment and loss of income.

Black Death plague could return - A STRAIN of bubonic plague as deadly as the one that caused the Black Death could make a reappearance on Earth, scientists have warned.

A STRAIN of bubonic plague as deadly as the one that caused the Black Death could make a reappearance on Earth, scientists have warned. 

The evidence comes from research into one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, the Plague of Justinian, which killed half the world’s population.
Scientists who isolated genetic traces of the plague from the teeth of two 1,500-year-old victims found it was caused by a distinctly different bacterial strain from the one responsible for the later Black Death.
Both scourges were triggered by the bubonic plague bug Yersinia pestis, which can be spread from rats to humans by fleas.
The new research shows that the two infectious organisms were distinct strains. While the Justinian strain vanished from the Earth, the Black Death strain gave rise to another pandemic in the late 1800s.
The discovery suggests that a new deadly strain of plague could strike again without warning.
“We know the bacterium Y. pestis has jumped from rodents into humans throughout history and rodent reservoirs of plague still exist today in many parts of the world,” said Dr Dave Wagner, a member of the international team of scientists from Northern Arizona University in the US.
“If the Justinian plague could erupt in the human population, cause a massive pandemic, and then die out, it suggests it could happen again.
"Fortunately we now have antibiotics that could be used to effectively treat plague, which lessens the chances of another large-scale human pandemic.”
The Plague of Justinian struck in the 6th century and is estimated to have killed between 30 million and 50 million people as it spread across Asia, North Africa, the Middle East and Europe - virtually half the world’s population at the time.
Some 800 years later, the Black Death wiped out 50 million Europeans between 1347 and 1351.
The scientists managed to recover tiny DNA fragments of the bacterium from the teeth of two Justinian plague victims buried in Bavaria, Germany.
From these short remnants they reconstructed the genome of the Justinian strain of Y. pestis and compared it with a database of more than 100 contemporary strains.
The findings, published online in the journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases, revealed that the strain responsible for the Justinian plague was an evolutionary “dead end”. It came, did its damage, and disappeared from the Earth, having no connection with the later Black Death.
The 19th century pandemic which spread across the globe from Hong Kong was a likely descendent of the more successful Black Death strain, said the scientists.
Experts now think the Justinian strain of Y. pestis originated in Asia, not in Africa as originally thought.
But there was no molecular evidence of a link with earlier smaller epidemics such as the Plague of Athens in 430 BC and the Antonine Plague between the years 165 and 180.
These outbreaks could also represent separate, independent emergences of Y. pestis strains capable of infecting humans, it is believed.
“This study raises intriguing questions about why a pathogen that was both so successful and so deadly died out,” said Australian co-author Dr Edward Holmes, from the University of Sydney.
He added: “One testable possibility is that human populations evolved to become less susceptible.”

Man caught ‘having sex with sheep and cow’ next to Spurs training ground

AN IT worker accused of having sex with a sheep and a cow next to Tottenham Hotspur's training ground is due to stand trial today.

Paul Lovell, 61, was allegedly caught trying to have his wicked way with a sheep close to the state-of-the-art facility in Enfield, north London, on September 4.
Prosecutor Robert Hutchinson applied to amend the charge Lovell faces to include a second creature.
He is now charged with ’committing sexual acts or acts with animals’ which included a cow.
Lovell, of Enfield, spoke only to confirm his name when he briefly appeared at Wood Green Crown Court ahead of his trial yesterday.
He was released on bail on condition he does not return to Whitewebbs Lane or Archers Wood in Enfield.
A charge that he intentionally exposed his genitals contrary to section 66 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003’ was dropped after the prosecution offered no evidence.
Judge James Patrick told Lovell: "You will be back here before me for trial tomorrow."

A WOMAN killed herself after becoming obsessed about her hair following fears it had been dyed ginger, an inquest heard.

Blonde kills herself over ‘ginger’ hairdo

Frances “Frankie” Warren, 26, first changed her blonde colour after feeling “a bit down” but rang a pal in tears afterwards and said: “It’s gone ginger, hasn’t it?”
She changed her hair at least five more times, but was still unhappy with how it looked.
Frankie later sent a text to a friend saying: “I really don’t feel good about anything, it is all taking its toll with my hair. I cannot cope.”
Distraught boyfriend Sam Cotton told the inquest in Flax Bourton, near Bristol: “She was uncontrollably upset and wouldn’t listen when I said it was OK. It took over her life.”
Office worker Frankie, of Thornbury, Gloucs, was diagnosed with depression and underwent therapy, but refused to take the antidepressant medication she was prescribed.
Neither her doctor or psychologists believed she was a risk to herself, the hearing was told.
Frankie skipped work in May last year and bombarded hairdresser Kelly Hill with more than 50 texts asking for her to dye her hair again.
But she “hated” the result and drove 80 miles to remote woodland in Sedgley, West Mids, and hanged herself.
Assistant coroner Terence Moore recorded a conclusion that Frankie took her own life.

A BUILDER has become the latest victim of the new wave of flesh-eating false widow spiders sweeping Britain.

Builder the latest victim of spider bite as flesh-eating monsters are STILL here

Dean Greenhill, 35, has suffered seven weeks of agony since he was bitten while working in south London.
He was left unable to walk and has needed two operations to drain pus and poison from his thigh.
The dad of two said: “I think we disturbed them while working on an old building and one got in my trousers.
“I was up on a roof and felt a sharp pain in my left leg. I dropped my trousers quickly and could feel the poison going up my leg.
“Soon after I was having trouble walking and the bite had swelled to the size of a tennis ball.

“First I went to an out-of-hours GP, but later I needed an operation to drain and clear the wound. Then it swelled up again and I had to go back in and have a second op. It’s still not sorted, seven weeks on.”
After missing weeks of work, Dean, of Ware, Herts, says he and his workmates are terrified. Worse still, on his first day back Dean found another of the spiders, a cousin of the deadly black widow, at a different site.
He said: “I kept clear this time. They’re definitely something people should be on the lookout for.”

Sleepwalking mum broke BACK and NECK in life-threatening fall - and only woke up in the ambulance !

Morag Fisher, 40, who only woke up in the ambulance, also broke both wrists, her jaw, nose, eye socket and cheek bones

A sleepwalking mum broke her back and neck when she plunged down the stairs while staying at a friend’s house.
Morag Fisher, 40, was fast asleep when she suffered the horrific injuries in the bizarre accident.
She also broke both wrists, her jaw, nose, eye socket and cheek bones after tumbling down the staircase.
The mum-of-one, who has a history of sleepwalking, was found in a pool of blood with life-threatening injuries.
Morag was staying with pal Carl Muggleton in Long Eaton, Derbys, when she plummeted down the stairs last November.
She stayed fast asleep throughout the entire incident and only came around when paramedics woke her up in the ambulance.
The customer services assistant spent 10 days in a major trauma unit - but is now hoping to return to work in two months.
Morag, from Witham-St-Hugh’s, Lincs, said: “When they found me I was bleeding a lot. My friend, who used to be a nurse, thought I was dead.
“It was a week before I looked at myself in the mirror because my face was such a mess. I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.
“Now, when I do look at myself I feel lucky to be alive and even luckier to be walking. It’s a miracle I didn’t die.
“I have sleepwalked before but usually I just wander around and then go back to bed, but because I was at a friend’s house it was unfamiliar and I fell.”
Recalling the accident, pal Carl, 39, said: “I woke up to an almighty crash and jumped out of bed and saw her lying at the bottom of the stairs in a pool of blood.
“I knew that she did sleepwalk but never expected anything like this.
“I have a very sharp set of stairs and there is not a lot of room at the bottom so she is lucky to be with us today.”
Morag, who has a six-year-old daughter Olivia, has now installed baby gates at her home to stop it happening again.
Rohan Revell, from the Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham, said: “When she came in she looked like she had gone 10 rounds with someone.”
Last year scientific studies revealed around 10 million people in Britain suffer from sleepwalking.

Man finds WASP in Cadbury's chocolate bar as company launch investigation

The Birmingham-based confectionery company has told Jake Keating, from Liverpool, it is taking the matter 'seriously'

As if I have just found a WASP in my chocolate!! @CadburyUK What are you gonna do about this!?! #nofilter pic.twitter.com/P2Dpeh9t6f
— Jake Keating (@Jakeating_) January 22, 2014

A man has complained to Cadbury's after he claimed he found a WASP embedded in his chocolate bar.
Jake Keating, from Liverpool, tweeted a photo of the bar containing the much-hated insect trapped inside what appears to be a Dairy Milk.
He told @CadburyUK: "As if I have just found a WASP in my chocolate!!! What are you gonna do about this!?!".
The Birmingham-based confectionery company, the second largest in the world, responded saying it was investigating Mr Keating's claim.
It tweeted: "We'd love to reply with a pun, but we want you to know how seriously we're taking this, so we won't."
The photograph became a talking point on Twitter and Cadbury's rushed to reassure concerned customers of the probe.
Cadbury is best known for its Dairy Milk bar, the Creme Egg, Wispa and variety boxes of Roses.

Now it's 50 Shades of CHAV: Single mother-of-four publishes her saucy tales of sex on a Gateshead council estate

A single mother-of-four’s saucy tales of sex on a council estate have been published as a book

Mel Dutton, 37, caused an internet sensation by writing about her own X-rated adventures with her fictional partner 'chav Barry' around her home in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear.
Now, the stories - which were first called 'Fifty Shades Of Chav' after the hit EL James series ‘Fifty Shades Of Grey’ - are available to read in paperback under the new title ‘Mel & Barry’.

Miss Dutton said: ‘I got the delivery of the books just before in December and it was like all my Christmases coming at once. I was over the moon.
‘It's been nearly two years now since it first started and I think back to all the times I was going to give up and I didn't. To have the book finally in my hands is amazing.’
The author added that she has now gone beyond X-rated stories and takes a humorous look at all aspects of council estate life, based on her experiences living in the Dunston area of Gateshead.

Miss Dutton, who is mother to Mark, 16, Billy, 14, Jade, 13, and Lacie, two, said writing has become her escape from normal life.
She added that although she has always enjoyed putting pen to paper, it was only when she posted her stories online she realised she had a talent for making people laugh.

With chapters in the 110-page book called Giro Day, The Blaydon Bullies, Jezza Kyle Special and the Pervert 'n' the Course of Justice, many of the original stories have been re-vamped for publication.

She said: ‘I love the story about The Jeremy Kyle Show. The hardest thing to write though was the introduction about myself. Some of those issues I've not talked about in 20 years.’
After going to junior school in Gateshead, she, moved with her father Jimmy Dutton to Bow in East London age of 11 before moving back to the North-East six years ago to be closer to her family.

The book is available on Amazon for £5.99 in paperback or £2.05 as a Kindle download.
Fifty Shades of Grey is a trilogy of books written by British writer EL James. More than 70 million copies of the book have been sold worldwide since it was launched three years ago.
It detailed a love affair between a publishing graduate and a company CEO. A number of scenes were erotic and involved sadomasochist acts, which some readers found offensive.
Despite this, the book was very successful and is currently being adapted into a film directed by Sam Taylor-Wood, set to be released in February 2015 and starring Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan.

SNEAK PREVIEW: TWO EXCERPTS FROM MEL & BARRY BY MEL DUTTON

'Mr Barry needed his time alone when he was on the phone to the Samaritans it was only right. They didn't half kick him while he was down though cos just when he needed them most they'd changed their phone number.
'Instead of the Samaritans my Barry kept getting put through to a "Racy Stacey". I didn't mind though because my Barry said she was a dead good listener and at three quid a minute you'd expect em to have a good listening ear.
'Our Stevie-Leigh-Charlie-Harrie-Larrie-Leroy had nicked me a load of make-up out of Superdrug for Mothers' day so it weren't long til I looked liked Kat out of Eastenders.
'Mr Barry also said I looked like her with me make-up on but he'd always get his K's and P's the wrong way round.
'I didn't have time to put me extensions in or nothing cos I only had five more minutes to get ready and leave before my Barry was gonna go pure off it. I was that cold I had to keep pulling me boob tube dress up loadsa times while I waited for me taxi outside of next doors.'

'It was a hot humid Saturday nite and that could only mean one thing.. a few bottles of Lambrini from Costcutters.
'I'd got a loan off the Provi on Wednesday so I was going to treat my Barry to a crate of Stella.
'I'd dug out my whitest grey bra especially for the occasion.
'I returned home to find Barry bouncin' like a good'un around the kitchen.
'I asked him why he was so happy and he revealed his new Nike Air Max had been delivered out the catalogue.
'Life felt great. The combined sound of him slurpin' his Stella and the squeakiness from his Nike Air Max bouncin' up and down sent a shiver down my spine.
'Well actually he'd dribbled some Stella on me back but it only added to the excitement.
'He passionately grabbed my side pony tail to move me out of the way of the telly. I love it when he took remote control...'

Video has emerged of a cyclist being punched in the face in an apparent road rage attack on a busy city street.

YouTube footage emerges of cyclist attacked in ‘road rage’ incident

SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO.......

The incident was filmed by another cyclist, captured on his head-cam, while riding his bike through Farringdon, central London.
The cameraman – known only as Jude – uploaded the footage to YouTube, saying: ’I have reported this to the police, I am trying to find the cyclist as I tried to tell him I had it on video, but he looked pretty dazed. Need him to report the incident in order to get prosecutions.’
Footage shows a white Audi pulling into an advanced stop line – a designated space at traffic lights to give cyclists a head-start on motorists.

When a cyclist tells the motorist he’s in a bike lane, the driver speeds off and ‘possibly’ runs over the commuter’s foot, according to the clip’s description.
The cyclist gives chase and the cameraman catches up with both parties at the next set of traffic lights – capturing the moment the cyclist is punched in the face and pushed into a taxi.
It is unclear whether the attacker is the driver or a passenger in the Audi.
The incident took place at the junction of Farringdon and Clerkenwell Roads on January 23, at 9.15am.
A Scotland Yard spokesman said they are ‘keen’ for the victim to contact them so they can investigate the incident.
The clip, which has so far been viewed more than 250,000 times, has received a mixed response on YouTube, with some claiming the cyclist was ‘asking for it’ because he reprimanded the motorist.

SIX residents of TV's Benefits Street have been charged with drug offences, including show star 'Black Dee'.

Drugs bust on Benefits Street as TV star 'Black Dee' is among SEVEN charged

West Midlands Police carried out raids at a number of addresses on James Turner Street last June.
The street, in Winson Green, Birmingham, is infamous as the subject of a Channel 4 documentary.
The show claims to reveal life on what is said to be one of Britain's most welfare-dependent streets.
Officers have now charged seven people with a number of offences.
All have been bailed to appear before Birmingham Magistrates' Court on February 6.
Class A and B drugs were recovered by police during the raids, which were prompted by concerns raised by the local community.
Among those charged is Samora Roberts, 32, known to viewers as 'Black Dee'.
She has been charged with conspiracy to supply a class B controlled drug, conspiracy to supply a class A controlled drug (crack cocaine), possession of a Class A controlled drug (diamorphine) and possession of ammunition for a firearm without a certificate.
Tina Thomas, 46, of James Turner Street, was charged with conspiracy to supply Class B drugs (cannabis) and possession of ammunition without a certificate.
Charlene Wilson, 29, of James Turner Street, was charged with conspiracy to supply Class A drugs (crack cocaine) and Class B drugs (cannabis) and possession of diamorphine.
Ian Wright, 38, of James Turner Street, was charged with conspiracy to supply Class A drugs (crack cocaine) and conspiracy to supply Class B drugs (cannabis).
Monique Walker, 28, of James Turner Street, was charged with conspiracy to supply Class A drugs (crack cocaine).
Marvin Scott, 37, of James Turner Street, was charged with conspiracy to supply Class A drugs (crack cocaine).
Omari George, 20, of Dora Road, Handsworth, was charged with conspiracy to supply Class A drugs (crack cocaine) and Class B drugs (cannabis).

Five people including a toddler injured in two-car crash - A Peugeot and a Citroen crashed at the

Five people including a toddler were injured in a two-car crash in Dudley overnight.

A Peugeot and a Citroen crashed at the junction of Peartree Lane and Hulbert Drive, Dudley, shortly after 7.30pm yesterday, forcing the Citroen off the road and into a wall and some gates.
All five people were out of the cars by the time paramedics arrived.
The driver of the Peugeot, a woman in her 20s, suffered chest pain in the crash, while the toddler suffered a minor head injury. They were both taken to Russells Hall Hospital.

The front seat passenger, a man in his 20s, suffered a suspected pelvic fracture. He was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham for treatment.
The driver and the passenger of the Peugeot, both men in their 20s, were taken to Russells Hall Hospital for treatment to minor injuries.

We’ve had to cut down from four bottles of vodka a day to just one

Says unemployed Shaun Barlow, as we reveal truth abouth Britain's other benefits streets

TV documentary series Benefits Street has gripped and often horrified viewers with its scenes of life on one of Britain’s most welfare-dependent roads.

But James Turner Street in Birmingham – the subject of the Channel 4 series – is just one of many deprived areas throughout Britain.
New figures show unemployment is falling faster than at any time since 1997 — and last week Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith claimed this vindicated the Government’s tough approach to welfare.
But an investigation by The Sun on Sunday has found four other streets around the UK where residents see things VERY differently.
Here we hear from people living in these troubled roads in Hastings, Wolverhampton, Middlesbrough and Manchester.
Benefits Street continues on Channel 4 tomorrow at 9pm.

'Houses are derelict. I've got rats and cockroaches for neighbours' SHAUN BARLOW grins as he poses clutching a bag of beer cans before inviting us into his home.
Then, cuddled up inside with partner Toni-Marie Reed, 26, and surrounded by empty bottles, cans and cigarette butts, he says: “We need David Cameron out.
“He goes on about cuts — we’ve had to cut back from four bottles of vodka a day to just one between us. We need help.”
The pair have just come out of hospital suffering from “alcohol-related issues”.
Shaun has been unemployed for three years. He gets £106 a week benefits.
He adds: “If David Cameron helped us deal with our alcohol addiction, then I could get a job.
“The TV cameras want to come around here. We’ve got a smashed front window we can’t fix and if you go out at night there are prostitutes offering you sex for £15.
“We’ve got no heating, we can’t afford it, which is one of the reasons why we drink, to stay warm. Our days generally start by going to the chemist then sitting in drinking.”
Wentworth Street sits in a forgotten part of Middlesbrough — the UK town with the highest unemployment rate.
It is surrounded by rows of houses that have been derelict for 20 years.
Around a third of the street’s 60 homes, built towards the end of the 19th Century, are now boarded up and around 80 per cent of its remaining inhabitants live on benefits — including Michael McNicholas, 34, who has been out of work and claiming benefits for five years due to depression.
He says: “This is the real Benefits Street. Someone even put the words ‘Benefits Street’ in graffiti on a wall, which was later scrubbed out. The show glorifies life on benefits but people watching don’t realise they’re drinking so much to forget how hard life can be.”

Josie Gibson's deaf brother left battered and bloodied by thugs 'because he couldn't give them directions'

Harry was set upon in Bristol when he began to sign a reply, rather than speaking aloud 

Sick thugs beat up the deaf brother of reality star Josie Gibson during a night out - because he wasn't able to give them directions.
The Big Brother winner was out celebrating her 29th birthday in Bristol with friends and family last night when the attack took place.
It is understood Harry, who is deaf, was approached by at least two men who asked him for directions.
When he started to sign a reply rather than speaking aloud, the callous thugs turned on him and beat him up.
A distraught Josie later tweeted a picture of Harry covered in blood.

Lost all faith in man kind tonight. I went to the toilet and my brother got beaten up for being deaf!!! What a disgusting world we live in!
— Josie Gibson (@Josiestweet) January 26, 2014

"I'm going to hunt the bullies who did this!The nicest guy ever was beaten up because they thought he was deaf & dumb," she wrote.
Josie won Big Brother in 2010 and has gone on to be a TV presenter.

Katie Hopkins is at it again and this time she's divided mums into five offensive categories - do you think there's any truth in what she's said?

Katie Hopkins' "five types of mums"
Controversial mum Katie Hopkins has been at it again.

Hopkins is a very outspoken Yahoo! blogger and she recently took to her column to express her views on what she calls the “five types” of mums. These include fat mums, home schooling mums, dad-mums, eco mums and PTA mums.

 

She even offered up advice on what you should do if you come across these particular mothers. For example, she advises you to avoid the PTA mum “at all costs”, and to “pity” the kids of eco mums.

 

Not surprising, the outspoken mother-of-two hit a nerve with many parents around the country. However, while most took to Twitter and Facebook to voice their anger, Karen Bower sat down and wrote an open letter to the former Apprentice star on her blog, Railman.blog.co.uk.

 

Bower, who is chair of a school’s PTA and also home schools her kids, wrote: “This isn’t about you. This is to every single mum and Dad who got up this morning determined to do the best for their child. Even when breakfast was supposed to be banana museli but ended up being chocolate pancake. Even when the school run degenerated into a series of rants about lost ties and shoes and unbrushed teeth. Even when homeschool started with a game of minecraft.”

 

She added: “Life isn’t about living in a box.”

A TRAFFIC warden claims he was sacked for his golly key ring.

Golly ring dad fired

Dad-of-one Mike Bower, 52, says bosses ruled the 50p golly was an “inappropriate racial object”.
Mike, of Radcliffe, Gtr Manchester, who worked in Bury for parking firm NSL, said: “I’m shocked. I'm not racist. Having a golly key ring doesn't make you a racist.”
NSL said he was fired for breaching policy and “serious discourtesy to a colleague”.
Mike, who is seeking legal advice, said a Facebook comment he made was misinterpreted.

A TEENAGER had to have a chunk of her hand cut out after a venomous spider bit her as she watched a HORROR film.

Stephanie Georgiou, 18, was nipped by a suspected false widow at her local Cineworld cinema.

She said: “I felt a sudden sharp pain, like an electric shock. Afterwards I felt dizzy, hot then shivery. The bite grew, became sore and swollen.”
Stephanie needed an op to cut out the venom.
Four days later, after her condition worsened, she had another to halt the infection — and is due to have a skin graft tomorrow.

The childcare student said: “I have a hole in my hand. It’s so upsetting.”
Stephanie, of Enfield, North London, was watching Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones.
She said: “It’s about a teenager marked by a devil — and I was marked by a devilish spider.”
The false widow is the most venomous UK spider, although its bites have caused no reported deaths.
It likes dark, warm buildings to escape the cold — and numbers have surged to up to 10million.
Last night Cineworld said pest experts were inspecting the cinema.

A CITY banker was gunned down by a balaclava-clad attacker as he went to catch an early morning train to work.

The victim, 44, was shot in the thigh at 5.45am at Shenfield station carpark in Essex.
He was rushed to nearby Basildon Hospital with serious leg injuries. They are not thought to be life-threatening.
Witnesses have described hearing two loud bangs “like a car backfiring”.
Cops said the victim has no known links to crime or gangs. No arrests have been made yet and the reason for the shooting remains unclear.
A British Transport Police spokesman said: "A 44-year-old man from Essex arrived at Shenfield rail station this morning in a car shortly before 6am.

"As he got out of the car he was approached by an unknown man and received a single gunshot to the leg.
"The man, wearing a balaclava, ran from the scene of the incident and left in a vehicle parked nearby."
Affluent Shenfield is a short train journey from central London and is popular with city workers.
Dozens of armed officers from Essex Police were scrambled to the scene and a large section of the car park remains taped off as investigations continue.
Officers have been bagging up items and removing them for further investigation.
Rail services in and out of London are stopping at the station again after only going through earlier today.
One commuter said: “There were loads of police cars blocking the entrance to the car park and there were police cars outside the entrance to the station.
“There were a number of ambulances. We weren’t being told anything initially but it transpired there had been a shooting.”
A taxi driver outside the station this morning heard the shots being fired and described them as being “like a car back firing”.
An Essex Police spokeswoman confirmed: “Officers from British Transport Police and Essex Police attended Shenfield railway station this morning after reports of a man with leg injuries in the car park at the station.”
Twitter users took to the social networking side to post messages about the shooting. Sophie Gilbert wrote: "Shenfield station all taped off by police... Eek, what on earth."

A mother has been jailed for life with a minimum of 14 years for murdering her 11-month-old baby son.

Mum Jailed For 14 Years For Murdering Baby

Emma Wilson, 25, from Windsor in Berkshire attacked her own toddler inflicting a catalogue of 'catastrophic' injuries.
Callum Wilson was born on April 23 2010 and spent the his first months with foster parents.
In November 2010, Callum returned to the care of his mother at her flat in Paddock Close.
In March 2011 neighbours described hearing five or six loud bangs coming from the flat, the following morning Ms Wilson called paramedics to help her son who she said was "lifeless and not doing anything".
During the trial at the Old Bailey prosecutor Paul Dunkels QC told the jury: "The effect of the injuries would have been immediate and catastrophic."
In court Ms Wilson tried to blame the injuries on the toddler's two year old brother who she said was "boisterous".
The jury though returned a unanimous verdict of guilty to murder.
The jury were also shown a series of 'selfie' photograph taken in the days before the fatal attack where Ms Wilson was smiling at the camera with her son behind her - at this stage he could be seen with minor injuries.
Judge Stephen Kramer QC told Wilson: "You are adept at lying and once you have decided to lie you are adept at sustaining that lie."
As she was taken down to the cells Wilson was in tears, as were members of her family who were watching on from the public gallery.
Speaking after the verdict, Det Ch Insp Ian Hunter from Thames Valley Police said: “This case has been a harrowing and emotional journey for all involved.
"Callum's life was cruelly cut short and he suffered an abhorrent catalogue of abuse at the hands of his mother.
"This conviction demonstrates the absolute commitment of the prosecution team and witnesses to ensure justice was served. Our thoughts will always be with Callum."
A neighbour and friend of Ms Wilson, who didn't want to be identified, told Sky News: "I thought she was a good mum.
"I don't know why if people saw him going downhill at nursery or whatever they didn't step in earlier."
More follows...

MUST WATCH - Russia: Elevator is stuck ---> Watch what happens next.

Elevator is stuck. Watch what happens next.
"Kick it again, comrade."
Scroll down for video..........
Watch at the end when the guy that released the elevator jumps the gap !!!

Revealed: The 20 worst postcodes for burglary in Britain - is yours on the list ?

M21 covering Chorlton-cum-Hardy is the nation's hotspot while Basingstoke in Hampshire and East Riding of Yorkshire are among the safest

More than half of the UK's top 20 burglary hotspots are in London.
Research by comparison website MoneySuperMarket.com found the capital has 12 of the most badly-affected postcode areas in the country.
Despite this, Manchester had the most insurance claims for burglary in the past 12 months - with 45.2 per thousand people.
Herne Hill and Tulse Hill in London SE24 came close behind with 41.8, while Muswell Hill in N10 scored 40.9.
Liverpool and Birmingham each have two postcode districts in the top 20, but Leeds saw the biggest fall in robbery claim hotspots.
"Just because somewhere is named a claim hotspot it doesn't actually mean the area in question is not a nice place to live," said MoneySuperMarket.com's home insurance expert Kevin Pratt.
"Thieves often target areas with wealthy residents and desirable properties where the rewards are potentially greater or quieter areas where they think there is less risk of being caught red-handed."
The top 20 was compiled using information from more than three million home insurance quotes, and reveals that households in high risk areas pay about 24 per cent more for insurance each year.
Jim Maddan, chairman of the Neighbourhood and Home Watch Network, said: "The majority of burglaries are opportunistic and criminals will often simply choose the easiest-looking target.
"Something as simple as being on speaking terms with your neighbours and passing the time of day could mean that they notice when something is wrong - or it might be you who notices something is amiss and saves your neighbour from misfortune.
"Crime does not flourish in communities where people care about each other."
Postcodes in Hampshire's Basingstoke are among those least likely to have made a claim, as are postcodes in Devon, the East Riding of Yorkshire and Londonderry, Northern Ireland.
Here's a full list of the ten worst burglary postcodes in the country, according to the number of claims made per thousand people:

1. M21 - Chorlton-cum-Hardy; Barlow Moor, Manchester, 45.2

2. SE24 - Herne Hill; Tulse Hill (part), London, 41.8

3. N10 - Muswell Hill, London, 40.9

4. RM8 - Dagenham; Becontree; Becontree Heath, London, 35.9

5. N2 - East Finchley; Fortis Green; Hampstead Garden Suburb (part), London, 34.5

6. L18 - Allerton; Mossley Hill, Liverpool, 33.3

7. L22 - Waterloo, Liverpool, 32.6

8. N18 - Upper Edmonton; Edmonton (part), London, 32.3

9. UB6 - Greenford; Perivale, London, 30.9

10. SE27 - West Norwood; Gipsy Hill (part), London, 30.5

11. B73 - Boldmere; New Oscott; Wylde Green, Birmingham, 29.5

12. E8 - Hackney Central; Dalston; London Fields, London, 29.4

13. DN2 - Intake; Wheatley; Wheatley Hills, Doncaster, 28.7

14. N20 - Whetstone; Totteridge; Oakleigh Park, London, 28.0

15. E9 - Homerton; Hackney Wick; South Hackney; Hackney Marshes; Victoria Park, London, 27.8

16. N11 - New Southgate; Friern Barnet; Bounds Green; Arnos Grove (part), London, 27.7

17. N16 - Stoke Newington; Stamford Hill (part); Shacklewell; Dalston (part); Newington Green (part), London, 27.7

18. LS16 - Adel, Bramhope; Cookridge; Eccup; Far Headingley; Holt Park; Ireland Wood; Lawnswood; Moor Grange; Tinshill; Weetwood; West Park, Leeds, 27.6

19. B24 - Erdington; Tyburn, Birmingham, 27.6

20. HP10 - High Wycombe; Flackwell Heath; Handy Cross; Hedsor; Loudwater; Penn; Tylers Green; Wooburn; Wooburn Green; Wooburn Moor, Buckinghamshire, 27.3

Two British men in court charged with 'planning to travel' to Syria to engage in acts of terrorism

Two Britons appeared in court yesterday charged with travelling to Syria to engage in acts of terrorism. 

Yusuf Sawar and Mohammed Ahmed, from Handsworth, Birmingham, were arrested at Heathrow on Monday after arriving on a flight from Turkey.
The men, both aged 21,  who are charged with engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts contrary to section 5(1) of the Terrorism Act 2006, were remanded in custody by Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London.
It is alleged the offence took place ‘on or before May 15, 2013, with the intention of committing acts of terrorism’ and that they ‘planned and travelled to Syria, via Turkey, in order to engage in acts of terrorism’. The pair, who spoke only to confirm their names and dates of birth, will next appear at the Old Bailey on January 31.

In a separate development,  it was disclosed yesterday that two French schoolboys have travelled to Syria to become  Al Qaeda fighters.
The youngsters, who cannot be named for legal reasons, did not arrive at school on January 6, instead using a credit card to book flights to the Middle East.

The father of one of the boys appealed for their return, saying his son had been lured into extremism via the internet.
He said: ‘My son was brainwashed online. There were exchanges on Facebook, and he watched videos about the war in Syria.’
The father, who spoke to his son on Tuesday, added: ‘He said we wouldn’t hear from him for a month, if he was still alive. He was with Al Qaeda fighters. During the call he talked about the fighters as his brothers.’
l The main Syrian political opposition group in exile,  the Syrian National Coalition, last night agreed to attend internationally sponsored  peace talks in Switzerland  on Wednesday.

Speak English or lose benefits: Cameron to stop payouts to immigrants who use taxpayer-funded translators

David Cameron plans to strip welfare handouts from immigrants who cannot speak English 

In a radical bid to slash Britain’s benefits bill, the Prime Minister intends to stop printing welfare paperwork in foreign languages and prevent claimants using taxpayer-funded translators at benefits offices.
The move – which would also hit British residents who cannot speak English – was due to be announced tomorrow, but has been delayed following a row with Nick Clegg.
Tories hope that axeing foreign-language versions of documents explaining how to claim benefits would make it harder for immigrants such as newly arrived Romanians and Bulgarians to cash in on the UK’s benefits system, encourage others already here to learn English – and save money spent on translators.
Referring to the controversial Channel 4 programme, one Conservative aide said: ‘The Benefits Street culture must end. Period.’
The plans were been drawn up by Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith. One Tory insider said: ‘The vast majority of voters will think this idea is plain common sense. It is unreasonable to expect taxpayers to spend huge sums on translators when people should be learning to read and write English.’
Former Tory Cabinet Minister Liam Fox also gave the scheme the thumbs-up, saying: ‘The principle is a good one but it needs to be introduced in a way that’s fair and reasonable.
If it is, it will meet with general public approval. The ability to speak English is one of the most empowering tools in the labour market and we should be encouraging as many people as possible to learn it.’The announcement of the changes was delayed after a behind-the-scenes dispute between the Coalition partners – just the latest in a series of clashes between Mr Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Mr Clegg. 

But Tory sources say they are ‘optimistic’ the changes will be confirmed later this week if the Lib Dems can be won over.
One official involved in the plan said: ‘Cameron and Duncan Smith are very enthusiastic about it, but the Lib Dems had a wobble. They are nervous of being portrayed as being too harsh on immigrants.’
Labour’s Keith Vaz, chairman of the Commons’ home affairs committee, also expressed reservations saying: ‘In principle, it is a good idea, but it could cost the taxpayer more because if people are refused benefit and have a genuine claim, they will sue the Government.’
At present the inability of claimants to speak or write English is no bar to them obtaining benefits. Translation services are available in all Jobcentres while local councils provide information leaflets in dozens of different languages.
Latest figures show the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) spends £5 million on language services a year. The vast majority, £4.5 million, is spent on face-to-face and telephone help, with £415,000 more on ‘document translation’.

The DWP used interpreters 271,695 times in the space of one year to assist foreign claimants, statistics released under the Freedom of Information Act show. Most of the money is paid to The Big Word, Britain’s biggest language services firm, which received £3.5 million in public money during 2011.
Benefits offices deal with more than 140 languages, including Icelandic and Vietnamese as well as the more common Polish, Czech, Slovak, Urdu and Gujarati.
Town halls such as Tower Hamlets in East London publish guides on how to claim benefits in foreign  languages which would be paid for separately to the DWP figures.
In most cases, a claimant at a Jobcentre would be put on the phone to an interpreter at a call centre to help them complete forms. The service receives up to 22,000 calls a month and is usually able to provide an interpreter within 60 seconds. There is also a service for face-to-face meetings, used 13,000 times a year.

Tories and Lib Dems have fallen out over several immigration and welfare issues. In October, Home Secretary Theresa May was forced to scrap sending vans with signs telling illegal immigrants to go home to areas with large ethnic populations.
The two parties are at odds over Mrs May’s plan to cut annual immigration from the EU to 75,000 a year. And they disagree over whether immigrants make the UK better or worse off.
Mr Clegg has denounced Chancellor George Osborne’s pledge to slash another £10 billion from the welfare budget. And the Lib Dem leader vetoed a move by Mr Cameron to scrap housing benefit for under 25s.

The latest proposed crackdown reflects the influence of Australian-born Tory election chief Lynton Crosby. Mr Crosby is said to have given orders that the party must produce ‘a new policy to curb immigrants and benefits’ every week.
Growing public pressure for a tougher approach to curb the UK’s ‘handout culture’, as highlighted on Channel 4’s Benefits Street series, is reflected in a policy switch Labour is set to announce this week.
Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Rachel Reeves is expected to say that welfare handouts should be linked more closely to how much people have paid into the system.
It could lead to higher payments for most adults, but lower payments to under-25s.