Mother is only person to escape catastrophic fire at her birthday party which killed four of her children - including four-year-old twins

-The four were named by family as Reece Smith, 19, four-year-old twins Holly and Ella Smith and Jordan Smith, two
-Mother Michelle Smith was celebrating her 36th birthday with friends at home when blaze broke out
-Grandfather Keith Smith, 56, 'deeply shocked' by tragedy


By Lucy Buckland


Tragedy: Four-year-old twins Holly and Ella lost their lives in the fire, neighbours said their brother Reece had tried to save them


A mother escaped a devastating house blaze which broke out at her own birthday party, killing her four children yesterday, including four-year-old twins.

Michelle Smith had been among friends and family celebrating her her 36th birthday in Lytham Road, Freckleton, Lancashire, last night. They were in high spirits drinking and dancing both inside and outside the family home when the catastrophic fire broke out yesterday at 11.30pm.

It is believed her 19-year-old son Reece Smith, ran into the house to try and save his four-year-old twin sisters Holly and Ella and younger brother Jordan, two.
Tragically all four died in the blaze.


Chaotic scenes: Reece Smith (left) is believed to have run into the home to save his brother Jordan (right)

Investigation continues: Police confirmed there was a birthday party at the house, which remains sealed off today

Last night neighbours said Ms Smith was led screaming from the house after the news that four of her nine children had perished in a smoke logged bedroom.

She and some of her children had only lived there three months after the property was given to her to live in by her mother who lives in nearby Lytham.

The house was one of two Michelle's mother inherited and was a former market garden small-holding on the main road through the village.

It is understood the property was in the throes of renovation and had not been lived in for twenty years.

Fire crews said there was 100 per cent damage to the stairs in the house with 50 per cent damage to a wardrobe in the bedroom.


Community in mourning: Tiny Ella, Jordan and Holly are believed to have only lived in the house for three months


'All hell broke loose': Neighbours said fire crews rushed to scene where four people, including three children lost their lives

Shocking: The twin's grandfather said he only heard of the tragedy on the news this morning

Arriving at the scene today Ms Smith's father Keith Smith, 56, said: 'I found out about it on the news and heard there had been a fire at a house in Lytham Road and I started to think it might be Michelle and the kids.

'It's very shocking, these are such tragic circumstances. I don't know anything about what happened last night. They have lived here for about two and a half years - this was their grandmother's former home.

'I haven't had chance to speak to Michelle yet. It is just terrible. I last saw them all just after Christmas. I can't think of any reason why this has happened. It has just come as a big shock.'

Neighbour Vernon Allan said 'all hell broke loose' as the fire took hold last night in the small village.


Party: Police confirmed there was a gathering at the home which was attended by at least ten people

Tragic: Despite all four siblings being pulled from the home in Lytham Road, Freckleton, they were pronounced dead on arrival at the Royal Preston Hospital

He said: 'I heard the sirens at about 11.30pm last night and looked out of the window and suddenly all hell broke loose.

'There were police and fire engines all down the street. When we found out this morning about the loss of lives, and all so young, we were devastated.

'It is sad day for Freckleton, the loss of four young people, it is truly awful. I didn't know them but would see them about and just can't believe what has happened.'

Fire chief at the scene Phil Cox said: 'The place was a frenetic scene when we arrived.Fire teams from three town were sent to the scene around midnight.'

'There were reports of people being trapped we led one adult out and carried out four other younger people.'

'They appeared to be suffering problems from smoke inhalation and were taken to hospital. My men, the police and the ambulance crews all worked on them in a bid to save them.'

'Tragically they have died. Now we need to know what happened in there.'

A joint police and fire investigation is now under way.


Devastation: A neighbour said it was a sad day for Freckleton



source:dailymail

Police investigate Liverpool FC after young black football star breaks down in tears after 'racist abuse from crowd'

-Witnesses claim the Tom Adeyemi was called 'a f****** black b******'


By David Gerges and Damien Gayle


Adeyemi, left, is consoled by a team-mate after being racially abused by fans


Racism in football reared its ugly head again last night as a young soccer star was so badly abused by the crowd in an FA Cup match that he broke down in tears.

Oldham defender Tom Adeyemi became upset after becoming the target of a section of the crowd at the famous Kop end at Anfield during Liverpool's tie with Oldham.

Police are investigating after fans allegedly called the youngster 'a f****** black b******' during their team's 5-1 victory over their lower league opposition.

It is understood that Adeyemi, 20, has given a statement to police in which he claimed he was the victim of a racist attack.

The event will undoubtedly mar the club's reputation following the recent suspension handed out to striker Luis Suarez for racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra.


And football is still reeling from the fact that England captain John Terry, meanwhile, is to face trial accused of racially abusing Queens Park Rangers' defender Anton Ferdinand during Chelsea's defeat at Loftus Road earlier in the season.

Race is also high on the political agenda, with this week seeing the jailing of two thugs, Gary Dobson and David Norris, for the murder of young black teenager Stephen Lawrence in 1993 in Eltham, South-East London.

It was near the end of the FA Cup 3rd round match at Anfield that last night's ugly incident took place.

Abuse seemed to emanate from the famous Kop end of the ground where, according to witnesses, fans were seen wearing Luis Suárez T-shirts and brandishing scarves bearing the player's name.

Adeyemi turned to confront his abuser, becoming visibly upset. Players from both sides intervened with Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard and striker Dirk Kuyt among those attempting to reassure the Oldham player.

As players from both teams tried to calm down Adeyemi, fans in Liverpool's stands then began singing the name of Suárez, upsetting the young player even more. He appeared to be in tears as he lifted his shirt to wipe his face.

A witness who gave evidence to Liverpool officials and the police was quoted by the Guardian as saying: 'I was to the right of the Kop and the No11 turned to walk away after a tackle.

'I heard a single voice shout, "You f****** black *******." He spun round with shock on his face and started pointing at the crowd, from where the shout had come.'

Adeyemi, centre, is restrained by Dirk Kuyt, left and match referee after receiving a tirade of racial abuse from the Anfield crowd


Liverpool confirmed an incident took place and said investigations were continuing.

'An incident occurred in the second half of the match which is now being investigated by both the club and the police,' said a statement.

'We will continue to work with the police to establish the details of what actually happened and will make a further statement in due course.'

Local police have released a statement, adding: ‘Merseyside Police can confirm that no one has been arrested this evening (Friday, 6 January) on suspicion of racially aggravated behaviour during tonight's FA Cup fixture at Anfield.

‘However, the Force and Liverpool Football Club are investigating following an incident that occurred during the second half of the game.

‘The aim of the investigation is to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident to ascertain if any action needs to be taken.’

A section of the crowd at Liverpool's Kop end appear to taunt Adeyemi. It is not known which Liverpool fans caused the player make his complaint of racial abuse


Today football fans around the world were expressing their disgust with the events at the match on Twitter.

Sai Adithya wrote: 'The way the #LFC fans started singing Luis Suarez after abusing Adeyemi is plain disgraceful!'

Meanwhile, Paul Dunn was able to turn the abuse into a dark joke that reflected the bad feelings over Liverpool's handling of the case involving Suarez.

He wrote: 'Liverpool FC officials are desperate to identify the fans who racially abused Tom Adeyemi, so they know which names to print on the t-shirts.'

Others took the abuse, coming so soon after the Suarez scandal, as evidence that Liverpool was a 'racist football team'.

South African football fan Kabelo MKhonto wrote: 'Liverpool is a racist football team fi[r]st they abused Patrice Evra now Tom Adeyemi who was visibly upset and tearful...'

And back in the UK Patrick McCafferty from Doncaster tweeted: 'Shocking abuse aimed at Tom Adeyemi last night. LFC should be embarrassed and ashamed. Racists WILL WALK ALONE. Horrible club and fans.'

Oldham manager Paul Dickov said he had not spoken to the player about the incident, but accepted something had upset him.

'From my point of view I have not spoken to Tom about it but I know the kid and something has been said,' he said.

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, 2nd left, offers Adeyemi, right, his reassurance after the Oldham players was abused by the home crowd


The Scot continued: 'He is a placid boy, a kid who has been well-educated with a fantastic temperament and has been with us since the end of August and I've never seen him raise his voice.

'For him to react like that it is obvious something has been said but what has been said I don't know because I've not had a chance [to ask] - I was too busy praising my players.

'He is fine now. He has calmed down. He is a laid-back kid who just gets on with business.

'Our players went and calmed him down and the Liverpool players did as well, which was fantastic and is why they are top professionals.

'I have been told the police are investigating it but that is all I know.' Born and raised in Norwich, Adeyemi is on loan to Oldham Athletic from Norwich City, who he signed for in 2008, aged 17.

He made his debut for Norwich in 2009, and in 2010 was named Championship Manager Apprentice Of The Year at the Football League Awards.

Oldham boss Paul Dickov, left, is flanked by police and the fourth official during the clash


All eyes will be on the reaction of Liverpool, especially after the Suarez saga.

The Uruguayan was accused of calling the French international 'negrita' - literally translated as 'black' more than ten times during their 1-1 draw at Anfield.

He has since been banned for eight weeks and eventually apologised, but did not say sorry to the player himself.

Distastefully, Liverpool players showed solidarity for their team-mate by wearing Luis Suarez T-shirts after he was charged.

Racism is high on the political and social agenda at the moment after Labour MP Diane Abbott found herself enmired in a race row over comments on Twitter suggesting white people like to play 'divide and rule', apparently referring to colonialism.

Criticism of the Hackney North and Stoke Newington MP deepened after she yesterday suggested that taxi drivers were racist and would not stop for black people.




source:dailymail

Kung Fu keeper: Amazing scenes as goalie attacks fan who ran on pitch... and then match is abandoned as teammates storm off after HE is red carded

-AZ Alkmaar were visiting Ajax in the Dutch Cup
-Esteban Alvarado dismissed after kicking the supporter twice
-His Alkmaar teammates walked off the pitch in protest at his red card
-'He could have walked away', said referee


By Lee Moran



Kung-Fu fighting: AZ Alkmaar's goalkeeper Esteban Alvarado spots an Ajax fan charging at him just in time


A football hooligan stormed a Dutch Cup match to try and Kung Fu kick the rival team's goalkeeper - who himself was then sent off for flooring his would-be attacker.

Chaos erupted 36 minutes into Ajax's clash with AZ Alkmaar at the Amsterdam Arena stadium last night after the drunk 19-year-old ran onto the pitch.

AZ Alkmaar's Costa Rican keeper Esteban Alvarado spotted him launching his flying kick and skilfully tripped him - before himself launching an attack with a series of kicks.

Attacked turned attacker: Alvarado turns the tables on the hooligan by kicking him on the ground


Security guards dragged the supporter away before referee Bas Nijhuis red carded the keeper for violence. Alkmaar coach Gertjan Verbeek then ordered his side to walk off in protest.

Nijhuis said: 'I understand that Esteban was defending himself, but he walked to him (the supporter) and kicked him multiple times. He could also have walked away.'

Ajax was leading the round-of-16 match 1-0 after a goal by Gregory van der Wiel. Attempts to convince Alkmaar to continue were fruitless.

Alkmaar club director Toon Gerbrands said his players 'didn't feel safe any more in this situation'.


Down and out: The hooligan winces in pain as Alvarado launches a series of kicks at him

Calming down: Stewards rushed on to the pitch to intervene following the attack


Ajax apologised for the security lapse and said the supporter would receive a lifetime ban from games.

Dutch Football Association director Bert van Oostveen said his organisation was considering the incident, but is not certain whether the game will be replayed.

Ajax coach Frank de Boer, a renowned former defender for the Netherlands' national team, said of Alvarado's reaction: 'Maybe I would have done the same thing, maybe not. But emotionally I do understand it.'


Chaos: AZ Alkmaar players protest after referee Bas Nijhuis red carded their goalkeeper

You're coming with us: The pitch invader is led away by security staff after disrupting Ajax against AZ Alkmaar


It is not the first time a player has attacked a fan. In 1995, Manchester United's then star Eric Cantona famously lashed out at an abusive supporter who was sitting in the front row during the team's clash with Crystal Palace.

Cantona was fined £20,000, banned for nine months and stripped of his French captaincy after the incident.

He claimed the fan shouted racial insults and threw a missile at him as he walked off the pitch after being given a red card for kicking another player during a tackle.


Anger: AZ Alkmaar players cannot believe their eyes as referee Bas Nijhuis shows a red card to their goalkeeper following the incident


Game over: AZ boss Gert Jan Verbeek orders his team to leave the field in protest at Esteban's sending off


Nothing to do: Ajax players are forced to walk off after AZ refuse to play on following Esteban's red card



source: dailymail

THE OBESITY FILES

Believe it or not, these women were all once clinically obese. So how did they finally regain pride in their bodies?


By Helen Carroll

A quarter of British women are now obese, according to recent figures. Not only that but we are the most overweight nation in Europe. But what does it feel like to have fought back from obesity? Here, four women, all formerly obese, tell HELEN CARROLL what it’s like to become slim again.

Sam Jones, 37, from East Sussex, owns a commercial cleaning company and is a single mother to Oscar, six. She weighed 24 stone before having a gastric band fitted. She says:

At school, I was called ‘Fat Sam’, which is devastating for a little girl, but I just loved my food. I used to tiptoe to the fridge so my parents couldn’t hear, and eat chunks of cheese or ham.
I weighed about 18st in my 20s and then, when I was pregnant with my son, I gained an extra 5st that just wouldn’t shift.

The obstetricians told me I was obese and at risk of diabetes and pre-eclampsia during pregnancy. It left me sick with fear that something might happen to my baby, but he was born healthily. Afterwards I remember pushing Oscar along the street in his pram when some men travelling past me in a car shouted ‘Who ate all the pies!’ I went home and wept for days.

Sam Jones: Before 24st, size 30, left, after 11st 6lb, size 12


After that, I rarely went out and started internet shopping for groceries. I loved pies, pizzas, crisps, sweets, fizzy drinks and would get through around 5,000 calories a day. It was all comfort eating.

When I broke up with my son’s dad, he said hurtful things about my weight. His words were very painful but ultimately he did me a favour as they finally gave me the impetus to slim.

After he left, I lost a lot of weight through Lighter Life — which involves meal replacement shakes and one small meal in the evening — then put it all back on again. Stopping myself eating was incredibly hard because I was always hungry.

I’d lie awake at night rigid with terror that I was so obese I might die from a heart-attack, leaving my son without a mother. Then I’d creep downstairs and eat cheese sandwiches to comfort myself. By now, at 5ft 6in, I was tipping the scales at 24st and was morbidly obese. In desperation, I took out an £8,500 loan and had a gastric band fitted in February 2010.

Over the past 22 months, I’ve lost 12-and-a-half stone. With the band, I only have room in my stomach for a fraction of what I used to eat. However, I was left with so much excess skin I still couldn’t stand to look at my body in the mirror. My breasts were like huge dogs’ ears and I had over-hanging flesh on my knees.

So in October I paid to have a breast uplift and then in November a thigh uplift, both at the Harley Medical Group. Finally, I’m happy with my body and can even forsee a time when I get back onto the dating scene and meet someone new. More importantly, I’m fit enough to go rollerblading and cycling with my son and no longer lie awake worrying I might die and leave him.

Melanie Ryding, 40, a teacher, is married to Mark, 47, a cereal producer, and lives in Wellingborough, Northants. She weighed 15st 7lb and was a size 18 before going on a diet and training to become a Great British triathlete. She says:

Obese is such a horrible word. I was first described as such in my 20s, during a medical for a job. At 5ft 10in, my BMI (body mass index) was 36 (anything over 30 is classed as obese) and I recoiled in shame. By then I had developed asthma and a problem with my knee joint, which needed surgery, from carrying so much weight around.

I knew the solution was to eat less and exercise more, but high-fat food seemed to leap out at me from supermarket shelves. I lived on Chinese takeaways, pizzas and pasta — and hated myself for it.

Children I taught at school would shout ‘muffin top’ and other hurtful names at me when my back was turned. But I was so embarrassed about my size, I’d pretend I hadn’t heard.

Melanie Ryding: Before 15st 7lb, size 18, left, after 11st 9lb, size 10


Soon, I assumed everyone I came into contact with thought I was fat and ugly and my self-esteem fell so low I became depressed. By my early 30s, I felt suicidal. It sounds extreme, but I actually fantasised about taking my own life to end the misery of constantly thinking about my weight.

I was prescribed antidepressants and referred to counsellors, but it didn’t make me feel better because I was still fat. My husband was a great support, he told me I was beautiful and I knew he loved me.

Then in December 2005, I had an epiphany in the changing rooms at Dorothy Perkins when I could no longer fit into a pair of size 18 trousers. I was so disgusted with myself for gaining yet more weight that I decided in that moment I was finally going to slim down.

The first thing I did was register to run a half-marathon and join Weightwatchers. Incredibly, I lost 4st in four months. Having discovered I actually enjoy exercise, I then entered a triathlon, which involved swimming, cycling and running.

I hired a coach who recognised I had the potential to compete in my age group bracket as a Great British triathlete. I’ve been doing that for three years now. As someone who was once obese, I am living proof that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. And my husband is delighted, saying it’s like he’s traded me in for a sparkier, slimmer version.

Katie Robinson, 38, lives in Telford, Shropshire, with husband, Neil, 41, an IT worker, and daughters Aimee, five, and Cleo, two. Katie weighed 16st before going on a weight-loss plan. She says:

When I was 12 I was weighed at school and labelled the heaviest in the class. I was already very self-conscious because other children would call me ‘fatty’. It was so hurtful that now I find it hard to even say the word ‘fat’. I battled with my weight throughout my 20s, then when I was pregnant with my daughters, it really piled on. After my youngest was born I tipped the scales at 16st.

Being obese had a massive impact on my self-esteem. My health suffered, too, as I had a permanent bad back for which my GP prescribed anti-inflammatory tablets to help me cope with the pain. I hit a real low one evening when my husband and I had gone out for dinner and decided to book the restaurant we were in for my daughter Cleo’s Christening party.

Katie Robinson: Before 16st, size 20, left, after 11st 2lb, size 10/12


Cleo was almost a year old by then and the waiter looked at my stomach and asked when my baby was due. There was no music playing and the ten other people in the restaurant all heard him, and me explaining that my baby was already born. I was so embarrassed and wept into Neil’s jacket all the way home.

Around the same time I made the mistake of sitting down on my daughters’ plastic sandpit and crashed right through the lid. Neil took a photograph of me wedged inside. It made my family laugh but I felt sick and really sad that I’d grown so heavy. I then managed to lose a few pounds, through counting calories and exercise, before I started the Cambridge Weight Plan on January 3 this year.

My consultant told me that my first target was to get my BMI, which was 34, out of the obese range and into the overweight bracket. For ten weeks Cambridge meal replacements — totalling 415 calories a day — were my only source of nutrition and I lost four stone.

After that I increased my calorie intake to 810 a day, and by mid April, I weighed 11st 9lb. I craved toast throughout but was so desperate not to be obese, I resisted temptation. I’ve lost another half a stone since then, eating around 1,300 calories a day and exercising regularly. At 5ft 7in, I’m now delighted with my figure. This is the forever me — I’ve got rid of all my size 20 clothes because I’ll never be obese again.

Sarah Stinson, 50, is a civil servant and divorced mother-of-two from Bletchley, Bucks, who weighed 23st 7lb and was a size 30 before weightloss surgery at the BMI Chiltern Hospital in Buckinghamshire. She says:

I’d been overweight all my adult life but just after my 40th birthday, my GP told me I had type II diabetes, as a result of being obese.That should have spurred me on to lose weight, but over the next few years, I actually gained another couple of stone.

I’ve always been very active — walking, swimming twice a week and putting in lots of hard graft renovating houses — and somehow managed to delude myself that, even at 23st, I was fit.
The problem was I ate far too much because I never felt full.

Sarah Stinson: Before 23st 7lb, size 30, left, after 12st 13lb, size 12


I’d have cereal for breakfast, a sandwich and cake at lunchtime and a lasagne or mousaka ready-meal in the evening. But an hour after my dinner, I’d feel hungry again and raid the cupboards for sandwiches, biscuits or crisps.

I tried lots of different diets over the years, but always put the weight back on again. I have a successful career and can achieve most things I put my mind to, but my body felt like the one area where I just couldn’t take control.

Then in April 2009, with my 50th birthday looming, it dawned on me that I’d just existed, rather than fully lived, through my 30s and 40s. I wanted to see more of the world and do things I felt too big for before I grew too old.

Diets hadn’t worked so, after a year of consideration and research, I withdrew £12,000 from my savings and paid to have a gastric bypass. The first couple of months afterwards were hard, living on pureed food, but the surgery reduced the size of my stomach so I can now manage only half portions.

And over the past 20 months I’ve lost 10st and weigh 12st 13lb. At 5ft 9in tall, that means I’m a size 12 — which I never dreamed I would be. My first thought every day is ‘What shall I wear?’. It sounds trivial to anyone who hasn’t been obese but putting on skinny jeans and fitted dresses makes me genuinely happy.


source:dailymail

Family of four, including children aged nine and one, found dead in a bedroom killed in 'murder-suicide' NOT by carbon monoxide

-Parents and two boys dead in tragedy in Pudsey, West Yorkshire
-The bedroom where bodies were found was fire-damaged
-Nobody is being sought in connection with the deaths
-Family friend names the dead as Richard and Clair Smith and their children Ben, nine, and Aaron, one

By Graham Smith


Distraught: Cheryl Heights (left) and Sara Turnbull bring flowers to lay at the street in Pudsey, Leeds, where a family of four was found dead yesterday. Police have launched a murder inquiry


Police today launched a murder inquiry after the bodies of two adults and two boys were found in a house.

The bodies of Richard and Clair Smith were found in an upstairs bedroom of their home in Pudsey, near Leeds, along with their two sons Ben and Aaron.

Emergency services were called to a quiet cul-de-sac late yesterday afternoon when family members made the grim discovery.

Detectives are thought to be working on the theory that the deaths were a case of murder-suicide. No one else is being sought.

West Yorkshire Police said the bedroom where the bodies were found was fire-damaged.


Tributes: The bouquets were laid outside the house which was cordoned off with police tape

Family friend Sarah Wilson and an unidentified youth leave after placing flowers near the house


They said they had found the bodies of two adults - a 37-year-old man and a 36-year-old woman - and two boys aged nine and one. They were named locally today.

Part of Sheridan Way where the house is located was initially cordoned off amid fears that dangerous chemicals might be present.

Detective Superintendent Paul Taylor of the West Yorkshire Police homicide and major inquiry team said: 'Initially, we had concerns regarding the release of harmful chemicals or gases.

'Following testing, we no longer have any concerns with regards to those working at the scene and we will continue our investigations today.


Investigation: Forensic teams work at the house today after the family was found in a bedroom last night

Cul-de-sac: Detectives are thought to be working on the theory that the deaths were a case of murder-suicide. No one else is being sought


'Inquiries are at an early stage and I would ask anyone with information about the incident to contact the homicide and major inquiry team.'

Neighbours said the Smiths were an ordinary family who had been living in the modern stone-built house for only a few months.

Paul Grimley, who lives nearby, told the Daily Mail: ‘I knew the father very well. A real great guy, lived for his sons. So, so sad.’

Family friend Sara Turnbull was in tears as she left flowers at the police cordon outside the property.

The message on her bouquet said: 'You were such a beautiful family. All our love to you. We can't believe you are all gone.'


Tragedy: Neighbours described the father found dead as a 'great guy'

Tragedy: The bodies of two adults and two boys were found in the property


Her husband Dean said the families had known each other for 15 years and been on a number of holidays together.

He said he had not seen Mr and Mrs Smith for a while but bumped into them again recently.

Mr Turnbull said: 'We can't take it in. All we know is they are a lovely family, lovely two kids and we're in shock.

'We hadn't seen them for a while but we saw them last week. I went out for a drink a week or so ago and I saw Richard and Clair out.

'I said we'll come round and see you, we haven't seen you for a while.

'We went to their new house and it was superb. Brilliant. We really enjoyed ourselves.'

Mr Turnbull said: 'There was no sense of any problems.'


Sealed off: Emergency workers in protective clothing prepare to enter the house last night. Officers initially thought the family might have died as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning


Under watch: An officer guards the property in the early hours of this morning

Mr Smith's cousin Gary Tempest added: 'It is so unbelievable this has happened. They were the perfect family.'

Asked whether Mr Smith could have hurt his family, Mr Tempest said: 'I don't believe that for a minute. He thought the world of them.'

He said his cousin was football mad and had no money worries. He said they both had good jobs.

'I've known Richard all my life. There's never been any bad things - arguing or anything.'

It is understood that concerned family members discovered the bodies yesterday and chemical concerns were raised after a mystery residue was found on the bedroom wall by police.

Mr Smith worked for a shopfitting firm.

Police and scientific support officers were at the scene this morning. The house, which has an integral garage, has a broken lounge window - the only other sign of anything out of the ordinary.

A police spokesman said officers were called to the house at about 5.30pm yesterday.

The tragedy comes just days after a police officer who had been dismissed by his force attacked his family before apparently killing himself.

Toby Day is thought to have killed his primary school teacher wife Samantha and youngest daughter Genevieve, six, in a frenzied attack at their home just days after he was sacked by Leicestershire Police.

He also attacked their other children Kimberley, 15, and Adam, 13, before taking his own life at their home in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, on Thursday.


source: dailymail

Deafblind girl refuses to go to school after teachers BAN guide dog from dining hall because another pupil has allergy

Another pupil who uses the canteen is severely allergic to dogs

By Jessica Satherley


A deaf and blind teenager is refusing to go to school after teachers banned her guide dog from the dining hall.

Molly Watt, 17, says she was left to eat lunch alone in a separate room because another pupil who uses the canteen is allergic to the dog.

She has since been signed off sick by a doctor after suffering a panic attack when she was separated from her black Labrador-retriever cross named Unis.

Best friends: Molly Watt, 17, says she was left to eat lunch alone in a separate room because another pupil is allergic to her dog


The A-level student, from Maidenhead, Berkshire, has not attended classes at Mary Hare School in Newbury, Berkshire, since November 3.

And the pupil, who has been nominated by deafblind charity Sense to carry the Olympic flame, says she will not return until the ban is lifted.

Her mother Jane, 46, said Molly is ‘besotted’ with her dog and becomes ‘distressed’ when her companion is not by her side.

Jane, a charity worker, said: ‘The school has banned Molly from taking Unis into the dining room.

‘The dog gives her independence and freedom and means everything to her.

‘She has been left to eat alone in a separate room and that stress has left her feeling incredibly down.

‘She should be able to socialise with friends at lunchtime like everybody else.

‘She was shaking, having panic attacks and was unable to sleep after being asked to leave Unis in a sideroom. Her doctor has signed her off sick.

Home-bound: The A-level student, from Maidenhead, Berkshire, has not attended classes at Mary Hare School in Newbury, Berkshire, since November 3


‘My main concern is Molly's well-being and education. She doesn't deserve what is happening to her.’

Molly - who is studying English, textiles and performing - was born deaf and lost her sight aged 14.

That prompted her to move from mainstream education to the specialist boarding school for deaf children.

She initially relied on a cane or a friend to guide her between rooms but was ‘embarrassed’ to be seen with the stick.

No dogs allowed: Mary Hare School chiefs have banned Molly's dog from the school dining room


She was given Unis in July and returned to school before the start of term in September so the two-year-old dog could learn the layout of the buildings.

But concerns were raised about the welfare of another pupil who has a ‘hyper sensitivity to allergens’ - particularly animals.

It means he is at risk of a fatal anaphylactic shock if he comes into contact with the dog.

Her mother said: ‘Molly used to bump into things and be covered in bruises.

‘She is a young girl who is fashion conscious and did not like to be seen with a cane. She would rather fall over.

‘The alternative arrangements the school has put in place are not good enough.’

School principal Tony Shaw says he consulted medical experts and charity groups before making alternative arrangements, which included re-timetabling lessons and banning the dog from the dining room.

Family portrait: Molly with her mother Jane, a charity worker


He said it leaves Molly without Unis for less than two hours a week and he believes she could use alternative support - such as a stick or friend - to guide her during this time.

Mr Shaw said it was ‘regretful’ that restrictions were necessary but stressed they had the backing of the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association.

He added: ‘One pupil has recently been provided with a guide dog to ensure her safe mobility and the school has been working hard to accommodate her needs.

‘Another student has a current medical diagnosis of hyper sensitivity to allergens and in particular to the allergens from animals, including dogs.

‘Mary Hare has an equal duty of care to both students and a duty to ensure that any adjustments affecting the use of a guide dog are reasonable and proportionate.

‘The solution has involved re-timetabling and changes of class locations to avoid use of the same rooms and two restrictions on the movements of the guide dog.

‘These restrictions involve the hall used for weekly assembly and the main dining hall.

‘The expert medical advice has been that if the dog enters either room, the other pupil cannot use them.’

Molly was named Young Deafblind Person of the Year 2010 by deafblind charity Sense and was nominated to carry the Olympic flame.

A petition called Justice 4 Deafblind guide-dog Owner Molly Watt has been signed by more than a thousand people, including former alumni.



source:dailymail

Woman reveals horrific damage to her face after it was injected with cement and tyre sealant by 'butt implant doctor'

By Chris Murphy and Tamara Abraham


An alleged victim of 'fake doctor' Oneal Ron Morris has come forward to show the horrific state of her face after it was injected with a toxic mixture of cement and tyre sealant.

Rajee Narinesingh, 48, from Miami, Florida, says her face was ruined by Morris, who had just been released from custody after she was accused of administering the potentially lethal shots to another victim.

Ms Narinesingh, who, like Morris, 30, was born a man, but lives as a woman, said she suffered acutely lumpy cheeks, misshapen chin and ballooning upper lip after the back room beauty treatment.

Back room beauty treatment: Rajee Narinesingh, 48, from Miami, Florida, says her face was destroyed after it was injected with a toxic mixture of cement and tyre sealant by 'fake doctor' Oneal Ron Morris


She admitted that she initially turned to Morris because she did not have the money to pay a licensed plastic surgeon. She says she learned of him by word-of-mouth in the transsexual community.

She told Miami television station CBS4: 'It becomes so dire that you want to match your outside with your inside that you're willing to roll the dice and take your chances.'

'As a transgender person, you're thinking, "Oh, my God, I can start to look like I want to look like and I don't have to spend a lot of money."'


Damage: Ms Narinesingh suffered acutely lumpy cheeks, misshapen chin and a ballooning upper lip

Desperate: Ms Narinesingh admitted that she initially turned to Morris because she did not have the money to pay a licensed plastic surgeon, and heard her name via word-of-mouth


Ms Narinesingh has since had several plastic surgery procedures to repair the damage, and faces more still.

'I had to end up going to surgery, to get me even to this point,' she revealed.

Morris, who was released from custody late last night after posting $15,000 bail, declined to comment as she left the Miami Dade County Jail.

She said only that she has a lawyer to answer reporters' questions, and the lawyer claims she is innocent.


Allegations: Oneal Ron Morris, who was released from custody late last night after posting $15,000 bail, declined to comment as she left the Miami Dade County Jail

'Fake doctor': Prosecutors say Morris administered the potentially lethal shots to three alleged victims


She was arrested earlier this month for practising medicine without a licence and causing serious bodily injury after a patient complained that she injected cement and a chemical compound called Fix-a-Flat, which is used to mend car tyres, into her backside.

The treatment left the victim with life threatening injuries, needing several surgeries and round-the-clock care.

Since Morris's alleged practices came to light, prosecutors say several victims have come forward.

A court was told that Morris used cement, mineral oil and Fix-a-Flat, in her backroom beauty treatments.

It heard that she then used superglue to patch up entry wounds in the skin.

Her arrest photographs show an apparently enhanced rear. Detectives say she performed the potentially lethal treatment on herself.

Morris is now free on bond but the probe by the Miami Gardens Police and health officials is continuing.

Dr Dr John Martin, who is now treating Ms Narinesingh, said he has been giving her therapeutic injections that he hopes will eventually soften the hard nodules that formed in her face and return her to a more normal appearance.

'There is not an easy solution to this nightmare,' he said.

Ms Narinesingh says she is grateful to Dr Martin for trying to help give her a face back.

'I have learned my lesson,' She said. 'I could have died. I know that now.


source:dailymail

Kate's new best friend: Sharing beauty tips and royal do's and don'ts, how Camilla has become Kate's mentor

By Richard Kay and Geoffrey Levy


From one Duchess to another: Camilla and Kate share a moment - and similar outfits - together on Remembrance Sunday this year


Of all the Royal Family’s hopes and expectations when Kate Middleton married Prince William, no one could have anticipated it would transform the former Mrs Camilla Parker Bowles.

Thanks to Kate, the Duchess of Cornwall’s stock has never been higher within the palace walls, especially with the Queen — who once looked upon Prince Charles’s former mistress as a potential threat to the stability of the monarchy.

Her resoundingly successful visit to the set of Strictly Come Dancing at the weekend — where she chatted animatedly to Sir Bruce Forsyth, joked with contestants and cast her glowing verdict on a rehearsal of the quick-step — was that of a woman at ease with herself who is enjoying new-found royal favour.


The reason for this heartening approval is that Camilla, 64, has taken the Duchess of Cambridge firmly under her wing. Camilla has claimed the crucial role of making sure Kate that feels ‘at home’ as a royal.

It was always clear that Kate would need help to see her through the difficult early years of life in the royal goldfish bowl — something no one gave Princess Diana, with tragic results.

William couldn’t really help very much. Indeed, he is viewed as lamentably inadequate in this area. ‘He’s not always the easiest of people, entirely understandably, given how old he was when Diana died,’ says a close family friend.

‘At the best of times, the royal men just don’t have much sensitivity when it comes to helping ease new members into the royal life. They’re not unkind — they just don’t think.’

Enter the Duchess of Cornwall, a woman who has lived more than a little. She is ‘in regular touch’ with Kate and has become her sounding board on practically everything: from how to deal with other, more prickly members of the family such as Princess Anne, to coping with photo-graphers. She told Kate that one trick is to focus on the faces of one or two cameramen she recognises in order to help her look more relaxed.

The Royal men, including Prince William and Prince Charles, don't have much sensitivity when it comes to easing new members into royal life, according to a close family friend

Advice: Camilla has also been offering matronly guidance to Princess Beatrice, left, and Princess Eugenie, right, the daughters of the Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, centre

Quietly, Camilla is creating a senior role for herself by also proffering matronly advice to Prince Andrew’s daughters Beatrice and Eugenie. ‘Believe me, we hope the lesson of Diana has been well and truly learned,’ says the friend.

Camilla, of course, had a private, ringside view of the totally avoidable tragedy of Diana’s unhappiness.

So for Diana’s friends, at least, it is a bitter irony that the fabled ‘third person’ in the Princess’s marriage should apparently be setting out to make herself indispensable to the popular young woman who would have been Diana’s daughter-in-law.

They see it — unfairly, perhaps — as the strategic move to take control of an older and more experienced woman from a family that has been close to the royals for generations.

But Camilla’s expanding sphere of influence is something that seems to have started to take shape before William and Kate’s marriage in April.

Many believe that her influence was stamped on the guest list, which excluded long- standing friends of Diana who had known William since he was a child, such as Rosa Monckton and Lady Annabel Goldsmith.

Several weeks before the ceremony, Camilla and her daughter, Laura, enjoyed a girlie lunch with Kate and her sister Pippa at Koffman’s, the Berkeley hotel restaurant in London’s Knightsbridge.

One word in particular reached the ears of fellow diners during their animated conversation — ‘advice’.

On the day of the wedding, Camilla arranged for Kate to have her nails done by her own favourite manicurist, Marina Sandoval, from the Jo Hansford hair salon in Mayfair. She also gave Kate a highly personal wedding gift — a gold charm-style bracelet with a small disc engraved with hers and Catherine’s cyphers.

Each is a large ‘C’ under a coronet, though Camilla’s is surrounded by a circle. What makes the gift so significant? Camilla has a similar bracelet of her own that she rarely takes off.

‘Camilla’s exceptional warmth has really touched Catherine,’ says one of Kate’s friends.

At the weekend it also emerged that Camilla has introduced Kate to beauty therapist Deborah Mitchell, who specialises in a £165-a-time bee sting facial — hailed as the ‘non-surgical facelift’ and an organic alternative to Botox.

Former beauty queen Deborah is said to have been treating the Duchess of Cornwall for six years and to have been giving Kate tips on her complexion since the wedding.

In other ways, too, there is a growing closeness between the two women.

On Remembrance Sunday earlier this month, Camilla was chatting and exchanging warm smiles with Kate on the Foreign Office balcony overlooking the Cenotaph. Lip-readers claimed the 29-year-old Duchess of Cambridge wondered out loud ‘if William will be nervous’.

The other area about which she has been talking to Camilla is which charities to support.

One idea is for Kate to help a specific charity intensively for a limited time of one or two years during special appeals. This could be more beneficial than if she spread herself thinly over dozens of good causes. Obviously, she is in high demand.

These charities include those helping young people and military veterans as well as those in areas such as conservation and art therapy.

But perhaps Camilla’s greatest help so far in smoothing Kate’s path as a fledgling royal is the change she has brought about in Prince Charles.

Though he adores Kate, he is the one figure who has found it difficult to adjust to her arrival in the Royal Family, mainly because of all the uncomfortable memories thrown up by constant comparisons between her and Diana.

Camilla, pictured right next to the Queen and Carole Middleton, played a vital role in supporting Kate during the Royal Wedding earlier this year


‘At one stage he was almost tearing his hair out at the endless references to Diana and what she was like, because it always led to talk of his own shortcomings,’ says an aide. ‘It went on for months, and he has only recently calmed down.’

It was Camilla who soothed him, in the same reassuring way that she has been handling Charles’s glooms and fretfulness for 30 years. But now comes a new challenge.

After the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee next year, the Prince of Wales will have to put up with Kate becoming chatelaine of Kensington Palace, the place everyone associates with Diana and her unhappy marriage — and with the powerful memory of the lake of flowers created by a mourning public after her death.

Earlier this month, it was announced that William and Kate would be moving into the late Princess Margaret’s old apartment there in 2013. Prince Harry is also due to move there, taking over the cottage that William and Kate currently use as their London base.

But with a bitter irony that dismays Diana’s ever-loyal friends, Camilla is likely to be the key influence on young housewife Kate. Setting up home in this vast apartment of 21 rooms on four floors will need the guidance and advice of a woman with experience of that very different life as a royal.

First home: Kate and William will move into Kensington Palace, west London, where she will be waited on by a string of servants


Kate’s biggest challenge will be giving up her idyllic days of normal married life at their farmhouse in Anglesey, where William is based as an RAF air-sea rescue helicopter pilot. (In February, after Kate’s 30th birthday, he leaves for the Falklands on a six-week posting).

Camilla has already warned Kate that at Kensington Palace she and William will require a minimum staff of a butler, a housekeeper, a ladies’ dresser, a valet, a cook, chauffeur and several other workers.

Unlike Diana, an Earl’s daughter who had grown up with servants, Kate is still uncomfortable having staff pirouetting around her. But she knows that, on moving into Kensington Palace, she will have to accept the inevitable.

Camilla has also advised her that a personal dresser is vital if she is to perform the royal role the public expect of her.

As for choosing the staff, the Duchess of Cornwall — mature, knowledgeable, reassuring, and the chatelaine these past six years of Clarence House, Highgrove and Birkhall — will be there to help.

If ever the former Mrs Camilla Parker Bowles dreamed of playing a crucial role at the centre of the Royal Family, this is it.



source:dailymail