Category: news

The mother of two British children found dead in a hotel in north-east Spain is expected to appear in a Spanish court later.

Lianne Smith, 43, was arrested on suspicion of murdering daughter Rebecca, five, and son Daniel, 11 months, in Lloret de Mar, Costa Brava.

Post-mortem examinations established the children were asphyxiated.

Mrs Smith’s husband Martin, 45, has appeared in court in Cumbria charged with unrelated child sex offences.

Remember the children

Mrs Smith has been questioned by Spanish police in the nearby town of Blanes following the discovery of the children’s bodies.

Police have 72 hours from the time of arrest before they must present their case to a magistrate who will decide whether to bring any charges.

About 100 holidaymakers and locals gathered outside the resort’s town hall to remember the children on Thursday morning.

Cumbria County Council confirmed Ms Smith had worked in its children’s department, responsible for out-of-school activities but not working with children.

Rebecca was referred by police to its social care team following inquiries into Mr Smith, 45, who was remanded at Carlisle Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday until 7 June.

Child protection procedures were put in place before the allegations were passed to social services in Staffordshire, where Mrs Smith and her daughter moved to in October 2007. They were reported missing two months later.

Cumbria Police has now voluntarily referred itself, and Staffordshire Police, to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) about the family’s case.

The IPCC said it was assessing the details and would decide whether it needed to conduct an investigation.

Four-star hotel

Mr Smith, the father of both children, was extradited from Spain over 13 charges of sexual offences against a girl aged between seven and 18, and for failing to answer police bail.

He was told on Tuesday his children had been found dead at the Hotel Miramar in the resort. He had been arrested in Barcelona on 7 May.

He was charged with six counts of gross indecency with or towards a girl aged under 16 between 1995 and 2001, six counts of rape of a girl aged under 16 between 2001 and 2005, and one count of attempted rape of a girl under the age of 16 between 1997 and 2001.

Spanish police found the children’s bodies shortly before 1400 local time on Tuesday in a room at the four-star hotel.

The year the family went missing, Mr Smith had appeared on the television programme Most Haunted as a guest psychic investigating alleged paranormal occurrences at Brougham Hall near Penrith.

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Pakistan’s former President Pervez Musharraf says that he plans to return to politics in the country.

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Families of victims of the 7/7 suicide bomb attacks in London will learn later whether M15 officers will be called to give inquest evidence.

Lady Justice Hallett, who is acting as coroner, will announce the scope of the inquests, due to start in October.

Relatives want the inquests to examine whether the attacks in July 2005 could have been prevented.

The inquests have been delayed by court cases linked to the attacks in which 52 innocent people were killed.

Surveillance operation

With the fifth anniversary of the 7/7 bombings approaching, the bereaved have had a prolonged wait for the inquests.

Friends of the bombers were tried and acquitted of any involvement in the blasts.

Two of the bombers had cropped up in a surveillance operation more than a year before the attacks.

BBC home affairs correspondent June Kelly says this is why the families want the role of the police and MI5 to be examined as part of the inquests.

The families want the inquests to ask why the security service did not investigate the bombers’ ringleader Mohammed Sidique Khan further.

MI5 has said this evidence would give al-Qaeda an "invaluable weapon" and should not be disclosed.

Survivors decision

Lady Justice Hallett will rule on this and a number of other issues in a hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice in London.

The judge has been asked to decide whether the deaths of the 52 innocent victims of the blasts should be considered at the same time as those of the four suicide bombers.

Relatives of those who were killed are opposed to this, saying it would cause too much distress.

And she will rule on whether 7/7 survivors should be designated as interested persons, therefore having a voice at the hearings.

The suicide bombings took place in central London on Tube trains at Aldgate, Edgware Road and between King’s Cross and Russell Square, and on a bus at Tavistock Square.

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A report reveals the scale of disruption to exams caused by last winter’s heavy snow.

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A man from County Tyrone admits the manslaughter in New York of his former girlfriend, an NYPD forensic investigator.

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GPs should be careful about prescribing cholesterol-busting drugs say researchers who found “unintended” side effects.

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The entire genetic sequences of 178 microbes that live on, or in, the human body have been decoded by US scientsts.

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Migration from certain parts of the world can increase the risk of a child having autism, a study has suggested.

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President Barack Obama’s intelligence director resigns after a 16-month tenure marked by a series of security failures.

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The US Senate votes to end debate on reforms of Wall Street, clearing the way for a final vote on finance reforms.

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An EU taskforce of finance ministers is to meet in Brussels to brainstorm ways to prevent another crisis like that in Greece.

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Scientists in the US succeed in developing the first living bacterial cell to be controlled entirely by synthetic DNA.

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A war of words has broken out between the Rugby Football Union and Saracens over a disputed disciplinary case.

Sarries criticised the way boss Brendan Venter was handed a misconduct charge following an incident at Leicester.

The RFU blasted the Saracens management calling their criticisms "unfounded", with Saracens then hitting back again.

"Perhaps it is time for English rugby to be run like a modern professional sport and not a rural prep school," said chief executive Edward Griffiths.

Director of rugby Venter received a 14-week ban on Tuesday for "making provocative and inappropriate gestures" at Leicester two weeks ago – a decision against which Sarries have now confirmed they will appeal.

The South African was cleared of another charge of pushing a female Leicester fan but Saracens were unhappy with the manner in which Venter was handed a misconduct charge by the RFU.

"It is astonishing that the RFU has brought and publicised these charges after requesting statements only from Leicester supporters and stewards and so hearing only one side of the story," added Griffiths in a statement on Tuesday.

"Brendan, a medical doctor, is rightly appalled that charges have been brought before anybody has even had the courtesy of speaking to him." Saracens also went on to ask for the process to be "revised".

The RFU dismissed the complaint, pointing out that the statements they had gathered meant Venter would have faced a disciplinary hearing regardless of any counter-arguments from the Vicarage Road club.

"Any criticism that they should first have interviewed Saracens staff before deciding to lay the charge is unfounded," said Judge Jeff Blackett, the RFU’s disciplinary officer, in his summary comments on Thursday.

"There was sufficient evidence from the complainant and others to provide a strong prima facie case and gathering contrary statements would not have prevented a hearing.

"In fact, by listing an early hearing, Saracens was galvanised into action to gather other statements. It was much more important to the image of the sport, and it was in both Dr Venter and the RFU’s best interests, that this case was brought expeditiously.

"We are satisfied that there has been no procedural unfairness."

The RFU also called on Saracens to accept responsibility for their actions after criticising their statement.

"The response of the Saracens management to these proceedings has been very disappointing," said the RFU.

"Statements on their website criticising these proceedings do the club no credit.

"Their staff were clearly involved in some unpleasant events on 8 May which could have led to significant crowd trouble, but they have sought to lay blame elsewhere.

Why did the RFU provide biscuits if they were not to be eaten?

"All clubs have a responsibility to maintain the core values of the game and to ensure their staff’s conduct is exemplary.

"On this occasion Saracens should have done more to ensure better behaviour amongst their own staff and to reprimand them for their poor behaviour afterwards."

Venter was cleared of allegedly striking the female Leicester supporter after it was deemed that he had accidentally struck her whilst gesticulating at what was happening on the pitch.

But Saracens posted a further statement on Wednesday expressing their surprise at the length of Venter’s ban.

That suspension will prevent him from attending the re-match against the Tigers in the Premiership final on Saturday 29 May, and the comments from Blackett have infuriated Saracens.

"This kind of public attack on a leading club does the RFU no credit at all," added Griffiths in a statement on Thursday.

"We find ourselves in a ludicrous situation where Brendan Venter, our director of rugby, has been banned from attending the Premiership final because, during our recent match at Leicester, he was given a seat with a restricted view… he stood to follow the play… he was shouted down and abused by home supporters… in response, he did not swear at anybody and did not make any obscene gestures.

"Blackett’s judgement borders on self-parody, citing Venter eating a biscuit as alleged evidence of disdain for the process. Why did the RFU provide biscuits if they were not to be eaten?"

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Six more teenagers have been charged with killing a 15-year-old boy at London’s Victoria Station in March.

Nineteen people have now been charged over the death of Sofyen Belamouadden, of Acton, London, who died after being chased into the station and stabbed.

The six boys – aged 15 to 17 – will appear at Sutton Youth Court on Friday.

So far 12 teenage boys – who cannot be named for legal reasons – and 18-year-old Victoria Osoteku have appeared in court and been remanded in custody.

A number of others have been arrested and later bailed by police.

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A 45-year-old woman is seriously injured after falling 80ft from a cliff at the bottom of her garden in Fife.

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