Joins the Green Carpet Challenge

Gucci's Green Carpet Challenge Jackie bag. Photograph: Fabio Pianigiani

Something important happened at Paris fashion week on Monday. No, not Hedi Slimane's grunge revival or how laundromat checks are becoming a thing or Bono turning up in Stella McCartney's front row. Something, you know, important-important.

Livia Firth, the Observer's Lucy Siegle and Italian Vogue's Franca Sozzani hosted a panel discussion in the Brazilian embassy to mark the extension of Firth's ethical red carpet landgrab, the Green Carpet Challenge, into handbags.

This special edition of Gucci's iconic Jackie bag is pioneering a project to curb the deforestation of Brazilian landforest caused by cattle ranchers. If you missed Lucy's story in the Observer mag at the weekend, read it here. Deforestation and leather production is not exactly a sexy issue, so kudos to Siegle and Firth for persuading Gucci to take it on. As Firth put it, the bag takes "an unfashionable agricultural story, and gives it a beautiful twist".

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Chanel circles the globe

Catwalk for Karl Lagerfeld's autumn/winter 2013 creations for Chanel at Paris fashion week. Photograph: Benoit Tessier/Reuters One of the signature accessories – the furry, close-cropped aviator hat in bright colours. Photograph: Christophe Ena/AP

Karl Lagerfeld is probably the most recognisable fashion designer in the world, but the name in lights at Paris fashion week is that of Chanel, not Lagerfeld himself. Lagerfeld has presided over Chanel for 30 years, but remains the Thomas Cromwell of this kingdom. He is puppetmaster and strategist, too wily to allow his own ego to derail a masterplan.

The Chanel catwalk shows, held each season inside the cavernous Grand Palais with a cast of hundreds and an audience of thousands, bring central Paris to a standstill in a blare of traffic whistles.

The first message is one of scale. Recent show sets have featured wind turbines, icebergs and a 12-metre-long golden lion. On Tuesday, the space was dominated by an enormous rotating globe in the centre of the catwalk, a sparkling flag bearing the double-C trademark pinned to show the location of each Chanel boutique. It was an impressive show of global power – who knew Chanel had not one, but two boutiques in Honolulu? – but also neatly broadened the focus of the event, from the arcane procedures of a Paris show – the ritualistic pomp, the place names in traditional calligraphy – to the reality of a luxury brand in the 21st century.

One of Karl Lagerfeld's designs for Chanel's autumn/winter 2013 collection. Photograph: Christophe Karaba/EPA

But what matters most at any fashion show is beauty. And since there can be few human beings whose heart does not soar at the familiar yet awesome image of a gently spinning Earth as viewed from space, the globe was a triumphant centrepiece.

For all the space age symbolism, this was the most traditional Chanel collection Lagerfeld has shown for a while. (Perhaps that's what perspective does to you.) Ignore the crazy accessories and the look centred on the key moments in the Chanel story. Bouclé tweed suits came in glittering chic monochrome, in a melange of crimson and black, or in soft heathery pinks. Day dresses came in the drop waist silhouette so chic in Coco's heyday. For evening, elegant silk dresses in softly voluminous shapes took their cue from the atelier rather than the street.

But to ignore the crazy accessories would be to miss not only the fun, but a fundamental element of this brand. Cricket-ball sized globes dangled from Chanel's famous gold chains as next season's talking-point handbag. Furry, close-cropped aviator hats in bright colours brought a dash of the daredevil, globetrotting spirit of Amelia Earhart – a woman of the same era as Coco Chanel, of course – and conjoined it with the vogue for neon beanie hats which has seized the growing fashion blogger population during what has been an unusually chilly month of fashion shows in New York, London, Milan and Paris. The Earhart reference echoed through the jackets, which were cut longer than usual and with a multitude of pockets, flying-jacket style. Lagerfeld himself made cameo appearances woven into the catwalk persona, as he always does. This season he was represented by the leather leggings and by a staggering variety of fingerless gloves. One pair had the tiniest of windows cut into the leather over the fingernail, the better to showcase the latest brand of Chanel nail polish – a rich red called Accessoire, a bottle of which was handed to each show attendee in a beribboned Chanel bag. The devil is in the detail, and Lagerfeld is not one to miss a trick.

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Caryn Franklin: My double life as a carer

Fashion expert Caryn Franklin at home in west London. She was awarded an MBE in the Queen's 2013 New Year honours list. Photograph: Chris Floyd

In her late 20s, Caryn Franklin fell madly in love. Mandu Saldaan was a few years younger. "Mandu was this very politicised, handsome young man and I was this easy-going middle-class girl. He was mixed race and proudly working class, a writer from Hackney, working on a film called Young Soul Rebels, which was all about race and music. It went on to win the critics' prize at the Cannes film festival. I was so attracted to his thinking. It was a brilliant intellectual lust."

From the outset it was not a relaxed relationship and Caryn wasn't sure it would continue. "There was this one thing he would do which made me feel very special. He would just grab me and hold on to me in the street. He was always telling me that he didn't like public displays of affection, so I thought, I'm that special that he's hugging me in the street for five minutes.

"What I didn't know was that he was already having numbness in one of his legs. He needed me for balance."

Six months into the relationship, Mandu was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

"The diagnosis was basically: 'Sorry, you've got MS. There's nothing we can do. When you need a wheelchair, you will come back and tell us, won't you?'

"That was it. We had only been together for six months and were already struggling to get on. But I didn't think about that. I just went into Nurse Caryn mode for the next four years."

By the time the Cannes film festival came around, Mandu was too ill to go.

"He didn't have any support. His mother was in the US, he has no siblings and no father. So he became my charge. He was losing the use of his eyes and his legs. It was a crisis situation. I was in south London and he was in north London and needed help getting around, so it made sense that we moved in together. By then I was driven by the desire to make everything better for him. It never occurred to me that I could leave or that I should leave, even though the relationship was in tatters."

They set up home in Hackney, east London. Leaving became even less of an option. "He stopped earning. The despair and the depression kicked in. So I was financing both of us. I was never planning to go on the telly but at this point we were looking at big Harley Street bills and television was offering more than magazine work. I had this surreal life where I was on primetime telly every week and returning to this war zone where his frustrations about his health hung thick in the air. It became a very destructive environment for both of us."

By this point, Caryn was presenting The Clothes Show on BBC1, which ran between 1986 and 1998. As life at home became increasingly difficult, she had an idea that gave her hope. "Deciding to become a parent was a conscious choice. I sat down and said to Mandu, 'I have given up a lot. But I am not willing to give this up. And I'm offering you a future here. Here is something that will give you joy.'"

When she went into hospital to have their daughter, Mateda, Mandu was with her. But he was too ill to participate in the birth. "Two months after Mateda was born, we were in crisis. I had a full-time job and took my newborn with me. In the evenings I returned to care for him and we argued incessantly. It brought us to breaking point. I said to him, 'This can't go on any longer.'

"Eventually he went to live with his mother and then into supervised 24-hour care in a specially adapted home. For the last 19 years he has had full-time care."

Caryn, 54, went on to marry Ian Denyer, a film-maker, and they have a daughter, Roseby, 13. Mateda, 20, lives with them in their west London home. Caryn is now known as an activist and campaigner. When she met Mandu in the 1980s she was fashion editor and then co-editor of i-D magazine. She has since co-chaired Fashion Targets Breast Cancer for 17 years, come up with the idea for the Centre for Sustainable Fashion at London College of Fashion and co-founded All Walks Beyond the Catwalk, an initiative promoting "diverse beauty ideals". On 12 March, she will collect an MBE "for services to diversity in the fashion industry".

Behind all this "glamour-with-a-conscience" activity, Mandu's illness has loomed large. For many years she and Mateda visited twice a week. He lost the ability to speak when his daughter was a baby. "Towards the end of my pregnancy, there was a point where I recognised that his voice was starting to go. I felt the urgency to keep some part of him for Mateda to know. I said, 'Put your voice on tape.' And I would say, 'You're a writer, write to this baby.'

He never managed those things. At the point where she was learning to speak, he fell silent. So she has never had a message from him and has struggled to make a connection with him.

Caryn Franklin in the early 90s with her former partner Mandu Saldaan and their daughter, Mateda

"When she was little we would take him out in his wheelchair and she'd sit in his lap, even though the tremors meant that she would sometimes get knocked in the face. When she was 12 and he was very poorly, she plucked up the courage to say, 'I find it so hard to see him like this.' And I decided to honour what she was asking for.

"For years we both visited frequently. Now I mostly see him alone and, yes, a great deal less. I often find myself thinking that the gift he wanted to give his child is not the gift he has ended up giving – Mateda has seen all her life the example of a body in deterioration so she understands what happens when a perfectly healthy body stops serving you."

This has been the backdrop to Caryn's campaigning stance on fashion. "It was an education about the body for me. What happens when the body can't support you any more? I became so grateful for my health because of this daily reminder of what happens when it is not there. That has always informed how I approach what I do. Fashion is not just about superficial messages defining appearance. It's also about personal identity and self-esteem."

She lectures design students about airbrushing, the power of imagery and the need to cut clothes for real women, not just for size zero mannequins: stealth feminism she calls it. It's all part of this drive to celebrate diversity in all its forms, she says. "I'm just one of those people who needs a purpose. I always think, what am I doing and why am I doing it? What I love about fashion is that you can celebrate being an individual.

"We have this culture completely in service to profit and return, which depends on one rigid physical ideal. But I know everybody gets something out of seeing a broader range of bodies, skin tones and ages – because they come up in the street and tell me."

"I have had this amazing education in a way. When I first met Mandu he ramped up my thinking. It was completely linked with falling in love. He had this razor-sharp brain, which would always get to the bottom line. That was one of his sayings, 'Babes, what's the bottom line?' He would say it in this really thick Hackney accent. He would laugh at me and say: 'Here comes the BBC presenter, voice of the Empire,' and mimic a 1950s debutante accent."

Mandu is now immobile and fed through tubes. "There was a time when Mateda was six that we thought he wouldn't live much longer. He must have an incredibly strong body that he's still here in silent dignity all these years later. He can barely communicate but has an incredibly strong will to be here."

In his own family, Mandu's illness has left a powerful, positive legacy.

"Mateda has said that she feels like she's one of the only ones in her circle who doesn't have body-image anxieties. She'll tend to think – as I do – if only you appreciated what your body can do instead of wasting your time on minor imperfections! Mandu's influence has been a gift to both of my daughters. Because Roseby grew up around him too. We didn't know it would turn out to be a gift from him. But it has, and that is something for us all to celebrate together."

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Saint Laurent at Paris fashion week: What did the critics say?

Hedi Slimane's Saint Laurent show at Paris fashion week. Photograph: Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters

Jess Cartner-Morley, the Guardian's fashion editor, applauded the controversial choice of grunge as a much-needed brand-change the legendary fashion house had been striving for, while still keeping in the ethos of Yves Saint Laurent:

"Slimane delivered the punch that was expected of him – albeit a fashionable six months late. Yves Saint Laurent himself was a rebel within the fashion industry. For Slimane to alight upon an era in which YSL has no particular relevance is, therefore, perhaps in keeping with the spirit of the house. There was a bold energy and a youthful iconoclasm to this collection … In California, where Slimane lives and to where he has moved the design studio, nineties grunge is a deeply felt part of everyday folklore; but in Paris, it is an abstract concept."

Hedi Slimane's Saint Laurent show at Paris fashion week. Photograph: Ian Langsdon/EPA

The Cut's Stella Bugbee thought the dishevelled styling was a sharp move, and commended Slimane's assertiveness:

"The message was literally loud, clear, and confident: Anyone expecting something 'more traditionally YSL' can piss off. Hedi has firmly asserted himself at the house. He's doing Hedi, and that's okay. This is a lifestyle brand for musicians and those who want to hang out with them"

Rebecca Lowthorpe at Elle saw the California grunge collection as of its time:

"Just as Yves Saint Laurent tapped into the mood of the moment, reflected the shifts in women's independence and liberation – with the trouser suit, leather jacket and many more, all of which were shockingly new at the time – was Slimane not reflecting the current status quo?"

Hedi Slimane's Saint Laurent show at Paris fashion week. Photograph: Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters

WWD.com reported that the "use of expensive clothes to achieve a deliberately down-market attitude" is evidence of Saint Laurent aiming at a younger audience, but questioned if such a gamble could contend with the big players, asking:

"Is playing a cutesy, disaffected-youth hand enough to propel the house of Saint Laurent into today's luxury stratosphere – especially if the targeted air space is that in which Chanel and Dior reside?"

Susannah Frankel, writing for Grazia, thought the show exhibited youthfulness but still retained appeal for Saint Laurent's established audience:

"The core Saint Laurent customer, meanwhile, may not quite be ready for an indecent hem line … but she'll cut quite a dash in a beautifully cut Nappa trench coat"

Melanie Rickey thought the show was far from original:

My @ysl verdict. My 17 yr old stepdaughter had a party Sat night and the girls looked like this, but happier. My other verdict: The Kooples

— Melanie Rickey (@fashedatlarge) March 4, 2013

Writing for vogue.com, Hamish Bowles complimented the presentation but thought the collection left the audience hanging:

"It was certainly a bravura exercise in styling … but one longed for a few more design twists on the Yves borrowings."

Bowles also made comparisons with the work of the house's original designer:

"[Yves'] work was always shot through with innate class, and this collection – doubtless luxurious in the hand and elegantly merchandised in the showroom – looked at times a little too contemporary market on the runway."

Tim Blanks at style.com, while suggesting that many people on the frow weren't troubled by the collection's nostalgia, was concerned by the the lack of anything really new.

"Almost nothing looked new. Which didn't trouble Alexandra Richards, Alison Mosshart, and Sky Ferreira in the least. Such dream clients were all thrilled by what they'd seen. "That's the way I dress anyway," was their party line on the baby dolls, the schoolgirl slips, the vintage florals, the random mash-ups of sloppy cardigans, plaid shirts, and sparkly dresses accessorized with ironic strings of pearls and black bows, fishnets and biker boots. All well and good, and money in the bank for retailers etc., etc., but anyone expecting the frisson of the future that Slimane once provided would have to feel let down yet again."

The best reaction of the night was surely from the collection's muse Courtney Love, who publicly tweeted her approval – direct to the man of the hour:

@hedislimanetwithaving gasms at the idea of rich ladies buying what we used to wear, finally someone got the actual look exact, no beanies

— Courtney Love Cobain (@Courtney) March 5, 2013

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Kirstie Allsopp: Too posh to push caesarean label 'unfair'

On Saturday The Daily Telegraph reported that caesarean rates were as high as one in three in some hospitals in middle-class areas.

But responding in a letter to the paper, the presenter of the Channel 4 programme Location, Location, Location argued: “The phrase ‘Too posh to push’ does nothing to ease the distress of women who may have been through a very traumatic experience and major abdominal surgery.”

She noted that caesareans were “more common when mothers are older, something that is more likely in affluent areas, and have had medicalised conceptions”.

The presenter, who gave birth to her first son at 34 and her second at 36, said she had little genuine choice in them both being by C-section.

The first was an emergency procedure while in the second she was strongly advised to have a caesarean, because of the baby’s position during pregnancy.

She wrote: “The current obsession with how a baby is born and fed can lead to huge distress on the part of women who feel that they have failed to give birth “naturally” or are unable to breastfeed.

“We should all look to celebrate the safe delivery of a baby, and be thankful that we have easy access to a procedure which saves countless lives.”

Speaking on Sunday, she said: "In 2010 the National Childbirth Trust undertook a survey and found that 32 per cent of its attendees had caesareans. That's among those who are looking to have a 'natural' birth."

She thought this was because those going to NCT classes tended to be older than average.

She said the stigmitisation of women who had caesareans was an important issue because new mothers went through a period of "extraordinary vulnerability".

"To be thinking that you have somehow failed by having a caesarean, and you are 'too posh to push', does not help," said Allsopp.

Nationally, 25 per cent of babies are now born by caesarean, up from nine per cent in 1980.

Part of this is driven by demographics: there are more older mothers than there were. There are also more overweight and obese mothers, which doctors know increases the chance of needing a caesarean.

However, two years ago researchers from the Government’s Medical Research Council claimed there was evidence that it was driven by demand too.

While 30 years ago mothers having caesareans "were more likely to come from deprived social backgrounds", by 2000 they were more likely to be from "higher social classes", said Ruth Dundas, of the MRC.

But NHS statistics show the proportion of planned caesareans has actually dropped slightly since 1980, from 44 to 40 per cent.

Other research indicates that women rarely actively choose them, and that more than nine in 10 are performed on medical advice.

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Sarah Burton brings ceremonial splendour to Alexander McQueen

A model wears a Sarah Burton dress for Alexander McQueen during the autumn/winter ready-to-wear collection show in Paris. Photograph: Francois Guillot/AFP/Getty Images

In fashion as in comedy, timing is everything. Sarah Burton, designer of Alexander McQueen, found herself with a scheduling issue when the due date of her twin daughters clashed with McQueen's slot at Paris fashion week, a situation the brand resolved by downsizing this season's show to a small presentation of 10 outfits. But in another sense, her timing could not have been more apt. Her collection was based on ecclesiastical wear, a hyperstyled, ultra-chic take on the wardrobes of popes and nuns, on cardinals' robes and communion gowns. (Burton has already pulled off a fashion coup when she dressed the Duchess of Cambridge for her wedding; is a commission for the next papal inauguration so very far fetched?)

This being McQueen, the grand gowns had more than a hint of the gilded cage about them. The models' heads were enclosed in diamond-patterned gilded cages, studded with teardrop pearls; their bodies within embroidered bodices, and hoop skirts. The fishnet tights studded with pearls might be a little risque for the Holy City, but the ornate ruffs and lavishly cartridge-pleated skirts were redolent of pomp and ceremony.

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Stella McCartney gets straight to the point in Paris show

Stella McCartney's autumn-winter 2013 collection hits the catwalk during Paris fashion week. Photograph: Alfred/SIPA/Rex Features

Stella McCartney is the type of person to get straight to the point.

The power play between masculine and feminine codes in fashion, territory the British designer has always prowled, has been a recurring theme of this fashion season. So at her Paris Opera house catwalk show, McCartney cut to the chase.

The first outfit was a double-breasted pinstripe suit, the traditional uniform of the gentleman's club and of the most male-dominated workplaces. But into the skirt was inserted an extra circular swirl of fabric which gave a soft, swaying movement as it moved; double-sided stretch material hugged the waist to give the jacket a curving silhouette.

"I didn't just want to take feminine elements and stick them on to a masculine silhouette," McCartney said backstage after the show, "Because that's not how it works. I believe all women have a masculine side to their personality, but that it comes from within them. It's about inner strength, not about surface. So I wanted the flicks and kicks that represent femininity to come from within the pinstripe, rather than be an afterthought.

"A collection is always about an emotion, rather than a look."

"Feistiness?", suggested one reporter. McCartney, precise in all things, shook her head. "No, it's not feisty exactly. That's too aggressive. It's more about an inner strength that runs beneath femininity."

One of the designer's first internships was at Christian Lacroix, the most lavishly flounced and ribboned of Parisian houses, another was with a Savile Row tailor, and both aesthetics run through her label.

Notwithstanding some Stella classics – the grey wool sweater dress, this season with black lace inserts; the coloured coat, this season in deep violet – the centre of gravity of this label continues to shift towards eveningwear. The label has a growing presence on the red carpet, and the modern approach that has won McCartney celebrity fans is bringing in paying customers also.

The designer recently noted that eveningwear can be tricky as much of it tends to be either prematurely ageing, or inappropriately over-youthful. Having identified a gap in the market for eveningwear which is neither deadly sober nor absurdly whimsical, she is making clothes to fill it.

And eveningwear was a highlight of this show, with softly gathered silk dresses in the strapless silhouette enjoying a renaissance led by Raf Simons at Dior, and smartly tailored cocktail pieces with lapel detailing borrowed from the traditions of men's tailoring.

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Red wine drug 'could help us live to 150'

The drugs are synthetic versions of resveratrol, found in red wine, an organic chemical believed to have an anti-ageing effect, by boosting activity of a protein called SIRT1.

GSK, the pharmaceutical firm, is testing them on people with particular medical conditions, namely Type II diabetes and psoriasis, a serious skin condition.

David Sinclair, professor of genetics at Harvard University, said ageing might not actually be an "irreversible affliction".

He said: “Now we are looking at whether there are benefits for those who are already healthy.

"Things there are also looking promising. We're finding that ageing isn't the irreversible affliction that we thought it was.

"Some of us could live to 150, but we won't get there without more research."

He explained that increasing SIRT1 activity improved how well our cells operated, making them less sluggish. In previous experiments, mice, bees and flies given the SIRT1-boosting compounds lived longer.

Writing in the journal Science, Prof Sinclair claimed to have performed experiments which showed these resveratrol-based compounds were having a direct effect on health. Some scientists have argued that the effect was not real, but experimental artifice.

Despite the controversy, there have already been promising results in some trials with implications for cancer, cardiovascular disease and heart failure, Type II diabetes, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, fatty liver disease, cataracts, osteoporosis, muscle wasting, sleep disorders and inflammatory diseases such as psoriasis, arthritis and colitis.

Current trials look at how the compounds might help treat these age-related disease.

But Prof Sinclair believed that in time they would also be examined for their preventative effect. Just as statins are used today to prevent heart disease and strokes, so these compounds could be used to slow a wide-range of diseases.

Prof Sinclair is a consultant and inventor on patents licensed to Sirtris, the GSK company running the trials.

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Retired urged to 'face up to old age'

Unwillingness to face up to getting older threatens to condemn the newly retired to spend their final years in isolation or institutions, a coalition of experts led by a former care services minister warns today.

The belief that people should be “young forever” has created a taboo around ageing that could turn elderly people in the future into “passive victims”, unable to make a choice about where they live, they said in a letter to The Daily Telegraph.

The group, which includes Paul Burstow, a former care services minister, and Baroness Greengross, is calling for more openness among those approaching old age to the idea of taking steps now, such as downsizing, which could help them avoid moving into care homes.

They are challenging the idea that it is better to “sit tight” in the family home.

The group also includes the heads of 13 charities and private companies providing housing for the elderly. They say it is “to the nation’s shame” that many older people are faced with a stark choice between spending their final years in institutions such as nursing homes, or struggling on in their family home, despite loneliness.

Polls have suggested that one person in five aged over 65 in Britain spends the day alone, and a quarter of over 75s spend a typical weekend without seeing or talking to anybody else.

There are 1.5 million people in Britain over the age of 85, a figure set to double in the next 20 years, and to reach five million by the middle of the century.

Less than 1 per cent of elderly people in the UK live in retirement villages or in housing designed to be easily adapted as people get older so they do not need to move.

Mr Burstow said that while people are “emotionally tied” to the homes they have lived in for many years, many might benefit in the long term from moving to somewhere adaptable while they are relatively young.

“It is a conversation that people need to have,” he said.

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Threat posed by resistance to antibiotics 'ranks alongside terrorism'

The problem is a “ticking time bomb” and should be put on the National Risk Register — which also includes “catastrophic terrorist attacks” and other civil emergencies, Prof Dame Sally Davies said.

Routine operations such as hip replacements could become fatal in just 20 years time if we lose the ability to fight infection, she said.

Dame Sally said the problem is “as important as climate change for the world” and urged the Government to raise the issue when meeting political leaders at the G8 summit in London in April.

In a report, Dame Sally also calls for better incentives for the pharmaceutical industry to develop new drugs.

The register sets out an assessment of the likelihood and potential impact of a range of different risks that may affect the UK. It is also designed to increase awareness about the types of threats and help government, individuals and organisations to think about their readiness.

Dame Sally’s report says: “Antimicrobial resistance is a ticking time bomb not only for the UK but also for the world.

“We need to work with everyone to ensure the apocalyptic scenario of widespread antimicrobial resistance does not become a reality.”

She added: “If we don’t act now, any one of us could go into hospital in 20 years for minor surgery and die because of an ordinary infection that can’t be treated by antibiotics.

“That’s why governments and organisations across the world, including the World Health Organisation and G8, need to take this seriously.”

The report also highlights the importance of better hygiene to avoid infections and of only prescribing antibiotics when needed.

The Department of Health said it is to publish the UK Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy setting out a five-year plan to address the issue.

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oldenough2burmom: Everyone — after you’re done taking pictures...

Sit down and STFU. Your hypocrisy is showing.

This is to point out the hypocrisy of the people who should know better, but instead they choose to ignore what's right. If you can't understand how people would be FOR a health care system that discriminates based on pre-existing conditions. If you can't understand people who want less government but then want to legislate their religious beliefs to interfere with abortions and gay marriage. If you can't understand the ignorance behind those who say that global warming is a myth cuz they have snow where they live. If the fact that racism, sexism, misogyny and homophobia is still prevalent and still exists to this day blows your mind. If you don't understand why Michael Vick (rightfully so) went to jail for dog fighting, but it's ok for Sarah Palin to hunt on national TV. If people who throw their compostables and recyclables all in the garbage cuz they're too lazy piss you off. If you think that giving tax cuts to the richest 2% of America makes a total of ZERO economic sense. If you can't stand Fox News, the Westboro Baptist Church, National Organization for marriage and the following people: Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, Ann Coulter, Sarah Palin, Christine O'Donnell, Rand Paul, Michelle Bachmann, Sharron Angle, Tucker Carlson, Maggie Gallagher, Brian Brown, Ken Buck, John Boehner, Pat Robertson, Shirley Phelps, Fred Phelps (and co.) and Michael Vick. If you love The Young Turks, MSNBC, Rachel Maddow and Keith Olbermann, Anthony Weiner and Bernie Frank. If you think Meghan McCain should consider becoming a democrat cuz she's just way too awesome to be a republican. If you think Glenn Beck should finally be off the air. If you think violent rhetoric does in fact influence people and should not be allowed on any side. If you think that Politicians should not be bought and should base their decisions on the over-all good of the citizens. If you just outright cannot understand the Republicans and why crazy unreasonable people still get a say in Politics, this place is for you. Although it's more like a stfuconservatives wanna be ;) LOL
I'm a Canadian with a passion for American politics, so I don't know everything about everything. Embarrassingly enough, I know more about American politics than I do my own, I'm working on it though.

-Chanty

View the original article here

rock-it-ship: vile-insect: vicmorrowsghost: During his “We...

Sit down and STFU. Your hypocrisy is showing.

This is to point out the hypocrisy of the people who should know better, but instead they choose to ignore what's right. If you can't understand how people would be FOR a health care system that discriminates based on pre-existing conditions. If you can't understand people who want less government but then want to legislate their religious beliefs to interfere with abortions and gay marriage. If you can't understand the ignorance behind those who say that global warming is a myth cuz they have snow where they live. If the fact that racism, sexism, misogyny and homophobia is still prevalent and still exists to this day blows your mind. If you don't understand why Michael Vick (rightfully so) went to jail for dog fighting, but it's ok for Sarah Palin to hunt on national TV. If people who throw their compostables and recyclables all in the garbage cuz they're too lazy piss you off. If you think that giving tax cuts to the richest 2% of America makes a total of ZERO economic sense. If you can't stand Fox News, the Westboro Baptist Church, National Organization for marriage and the following people: Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, Ann Coulter, Sarah Palin, Christine O'Donnell, Rand Paul, Michelle Bachmann, Sharron Angle, Tucker Carlson, Maggie Gallagher, Brian Brown, Ken Buck, John Boehner, Pat Robertson, Shirley Phelps, Fred Phelps (and co.) and Michael Vick. If you love The Young Turks, MSNBC, Rachel Maddow and Keith Olbermann, Anthony Weiner and Bernie Frank. If you think Meghan McCain should consider becoming a democrat cuz she's just way too awesome to be a republican. If you think Glenn Beck should finally be off the air. If you think violent rhetoric does in fact influence people and should not be allowed on any side. If you think that Politicians should not be bought and should base their decisions on the over-all good of the citizens. If you just outright cannot understand the Republicans and why crazy unreasonable people still get a say in Politics, this place is for you. Although it's more like a stfuconservatives wanna be ;) LOL
I'm a Canadian with a passion for American politics, so I don't know everything about everything. Embarrassingly enough, I know more about American politics than I do my own, I'm working on it though.

-Chanty

View the original article here

themindislimitless: badassmuslimahs: Emad Burnat and his wife...

Sit down and STFU. Your hypocrisy is showing.

This is to point out the hypocrisy of the people who should know better, but instead they choose to ignore what's right. If you can't understand how people would be FOR a health care system that discriminates based on pre-existing conditions. If you can't understand people who want less government but then want to legislate their religious beliefs to interfere with abortions and gay marriage. If you can't understand the ignorance behind those who say that global warming is a myth cuz they have snow where they live. If the fact that racism, sexism, misogyny and homophobia is still prevalent and still exists to this day blows your mind. If you don't understand why Michael Vick (rightfully so) went to jail for dog fighting, but it's ok for Sarah Palin to hunt on national TV. If people who throw their compostables and recyclables all in the garbage cuz they're too lazy piss you off. If you think that giving tax cuts to the richest 2% of America makes a total of ZERO economic sense. If you can't stand Fox News, the Westboro Baptist Church, National Organization for marriage and the following people: Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, Ann Coulter, Sarah Palin, Christine O'Donnell, Rand Paul, Michelle Bachmann, Sharron Angle, Tucker Carlson, Maggie Gallagher, Brian Brown, Ken Buck, John Boehner, Pat Robertson, Shirley Phelps, Fred Phelps (and co.) and Michael Vick. If you love The Young Turks, MSNBC, Rachel Maddow and Keith Olbermann, Anthony Weiner and Bernie Frank. If you think Meghan McCain should consider becoming a democrat cuz she's just way too awesome to be a republican. If you think Glenn Beck should finally be off the air. If you think violent rhetoric does in fact influence people and should not be allowed on any side. If you think that Politicians should not be bought and should base their decisions on the over-all good of the citizens. If you just outright cannot understand the Republicans and why crazy unreasonable people still get a say in Politics, this place is for you. Although it's more like a stfuconservatives wanna be ;) LOL
I'm a Canadian with a passion for American politics, so I don't know everything about everything. Embarrassingly enough, I know more about American politics than I do my own, I'm working on it though.

-Chanty

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How to dress: ruffles - video

Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.

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Win Clarks vouchers worth £150 - competition

The sun is beginning to peek out from behind the clouds and the temperature is gradually rising: spring is on its way. So it's probably a good time to revamp your winter wardrobe and add some colour into the mix.

Clarks is celebrating the release of its new Liberty Art Fabrics collection for the SS13 season by offering two readers the chance to win £150 of vouchers to spend in store. The Liberty Art Fabrics collection is a special collaboration that merges colourful, vintage styles with modern sensibilities.

The art nouveau Liberty print adorning the collection is inspired by peacock feathers and was first designed in 1902 and printed by Liberty in 1967.

You can find more information about the collection at clarks.co.uk.

To enter the competition, simply fill in your details and answer the question below.

1. The Clarks competition (the "Competition") is open to residents of the UK aged 18 and over.

2. The Competition is not open to employees or agencies of Guardian News & Media Limited ("GNM"), Clarks, their group companies or family members, freelance contributors to GNM, or anyone else connected to the Competition.

3. Entry into the Competition is acceptance of these Terms and Conditions.

4. To enter the Competition you must fill out the online entry form above. If you have any questions about how to enter or in connection with the Competition, please email user.help@guardian.co.uk with "Clarks competition" in the subject line. Do not email us to enter; only email if you have difficulties using the online entry form above.

5. Only one entry per person. Entries on behalf of another person will not be accepted and joint submissions are not allowed. You are responsible for the cost (if any) of sending your Competition entry to us.

6. No responsibility is taken for entries that are lost, delayed, misdirected or incomplete or cannot be delivered or entered for any technical or other reason. Proof of delivery of the entry is not proof of receipt.

7. The Competition closes at 23.59 on 18 March 2013. Entries received after that date and time will not be considered.

8. Two winner will be chosen from a random draw of correct entries.

9. Two winners will each receive Clarks vouchers worth £150. GNM accepts no responsibility for any costs associated with the prize and not specifically included in the prize.

10. The winners will be notified by email on or before 25 March 2013 and given details of how to claim their prize. If a winner does not respond to GNM within two days of being notified by GNM, then the winner's prize will be forfeited and GNM shall be entitled to select another winner (and that winner will have to respond to the phone call or email from GNM within two days or else they will also forfeit their prize). If a winner rejects their prize, then the winner's prize will be forfeited and GNM shall be entitled to select another winner.

11. Details of the winner can be obtained by sending a stamped addressed envelope to the following address: Kate Carter, Guardian News & Media Limited, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU.

12. The prize is non-exchangeable, non-transferable, and is not redeemable for cash or other prizes.

13. GNM retains the right to substitute the prize with another prize of similar value in the event the original prize offered is not available.

14. The winner may be required for promotional activity.

15. No purchase necessary.

16. Nothing in these terms and conditions shall exclude the liability of GNM for death, personal injury, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation as a result of its negligence.

17. GNM accepts no responsibility for any damage, loss, liabilities, injury or disappointment incurred or suffered by you as a result of entering the Competition or accepting the prize. GNM further disclaims liability for any injury or damage to your or any other person's computer relating to or resulting from participation in or downloading any materials in connection with the Competition.

20. GNM reserves the right at any time and from time to time to modify or discontinue, temporarily or permanently, this Competition with or without prior notice due to reasons outside its control (including, without limitation, in the case of anticipated, suspected or actual fraud). The decision of GNM in all matters under its control is final and binding and no correspondence will be entered into.

21. GNM shall not be liable for any failure to comply with its obligations where the failure is caused by something outside its reasonable control. Such circumstances shall include, but not be limited to, weather conditions, fire, flood, hurricane, strike, industrial dispute, war, hostilities, political unrest, riots, civil commotion, inevitable accidents, supervening legislation or any other circumstances amounting to force majeure.

22. The Competition will be governed by English law. Promoter: Guardian News & Media Limited, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London, N1 9GU.

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Strapless, furry hats, pink, masculine slacks

Strapless

A definite example of the Raf-at-Dior effect. Ever since Simons arrived at the French house, he has worked strapless looks into his collections with verve and modernity. Last Friday, in Paris, he did it again with silk bustiers, either as the tops of dresses or as a separate top with a skirt. Alexander Wang’s largely successful Balenciaga debut (above) featured a black bustier with cigarette trousers. Very Raf-at-Dior. Stella McCartney also featured a strapless pinstripe day dress, as well as strapless cocktail numbers, while Margiela took a mannish shirt and made it strapless Photograph: credit : Balenciaga/Aurore Probst

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EL James, author of Fifty Shades, has a new love rival

The news that publishers Headline have acquired a new trilogy of BDSM-themed Twilight fan fiction brings with it not only a wearying sense of deja vu, but also the conviction that even the pretence of originality is now superfluous to getting published. I seriously wonder if I’ve travelled back 12 months in time when I read that Tara Sue Me’s The Submissive depicts “a BDSM relationship between a wealthy CEO and a young librarian”. And yes nitpickers, I know that E L James’ ingénue in Fifty Shades of Grey was a student and not a librarian, but am I to believe this is the only detail one needs to change in order to score a three-book publishing contract?

The Submissive, published as an e-book this month and in print in June, actually pre-dates Fifty Shades... by a couple of years, first appearing on Fanfiction.net in 2009. But even the question of who is aping whom feels pretty irrelevant as we witness publishers abandoning all attempts to nurture original talent, and instead simply trawling the internet for the latest derivation of an already derivative work.

In this brutal market, perhaps I shouldn't blame Headline for being thrilled at the chance to replicate E L James’ sales figures. But where’s the thrill for readers who seek fresh ideas, innovation and at least an attempt at originality? And will publishers who dare to champion those qualities also see themselves fall by the wayside as others who wish to stay profitable increasingly turn to fan fiction as a "safe bet"?

To take entirely against fan fiction is pointless, not least because it’s clearly here to stay. (And, as the novelist and cultural commentator Ewan Morrison has pointed out, it has existed in some form throughout history – weren’t Matthew, Mark, Luke and John simply “non-professionals retelling the same story about the same character?”). Nor is being derivative necessarily a sin – after all, the writer who tries to create work from inside an influence-free vacuum would probably never type a single word.

However, as Gladstone of Cracked.com points out: “Using influences in a novel is a lot like using sampling in music. It’s absolutely fine to lift riffs and hooks from other songs as long as they are reverential building blocks of your work instead of being the appeal of your work.” And therein lies the difference between writing that pays homage to another’s work, and writing that robs that work wholesale of plot, theme and characters.

Game of Thrones author George R R Martin does not allow his work to be used in fan fiction, advancing on his website a domino theory whereby “once you open that door, you can’t control who might come in”. Fan fiction seems fine when its authors are “motivated only be sincere love of [an author’s] world and characters,” says Martin, “but Bill B. Hack and Ripoff don’t give a damn. They just want the bucks.” And that cold hard eye on "the bucks" is exactly what’s leading to the kind of audacious recycling that we’re seeing Headline perform with The Submissive, and eroding any chance of freshness or risk-taking amongst major publishers.

Perhaps we should blame Stephanie Meyer for not taking a similar stance to George RR Martin and calling her copyright lawyer the moment the tedious deluge of Twilight homages emerged. Instead Meyer has remained diplomatic, stating that although Fifty Shades “might not exist in the exact form that it’s in” if it weren’t for Twilight, E L James “obviously...had a story in her, and so it would’ve come out in some other way.” Writers who have been sweating blood to get a publisher to notice them may rightly bridle at the notion that writing fan fiction is automatically a sign that you "have a story in you" – surely the fact you’re using someone else’s story as a template implies the exact opposite.

Whether we view fan fiction as derivative or democratic, personally I’m just dreading another summer of teeth-grindingly awful prose and tired tropes of submissive women and powerful men. So, maybe it’s time to start writing some Hunger Games fan fiction and see if that gets picked up – either that or sit back and wait for another three-book contract to be awarded to "exciting new fan fiction based on the fan fiction of the fan fiction of Twilight".

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View the original article here

EL James, author of Fifty Shades, has a new love rival

The news that publishers Headline have acquired a new trilogy of BDSM-themed Twilight fan fiction brings with it not only a wearying sense of deja vu, but also the conviction that even the pretence of originality is now superfluous to getting published. I seriously wonder if I’ve travelled back 12 months in time when I read that Tara Sue Me’s The Submissive depicts “a BDSM relationship between a wealthy CEO and a young librarian”. And yes nitpickers, I know that E L James’ ingénue in Fifty Shades of Grey was a student and not a librarian, but am I to believe this is the only detail one needs to change in order to score a three-book publishing contract?

The Submissive, published as an e-book this month and in print in June, actually pre-dates Fifty Shades... by a couple of years, first appearing on Fanfiction.net in 2009. But even the question of who is aping whom feels pretty irrelevant as we witness publishers abandoning all attempts to nurture original talent, and instead simply trawling the internet for the latest derivation of an already derivative work.

In this brutal market, perhaps I shouldn't blame Headline for being thrilled at the chance to replicate E L James’ sales figures. But where’s the thrill for readers who seek fresh ideas, innovation and at least an attempt at originality? And will publishers who dare to champion those qualities also see themselves fall by the wayside as others who wish to stay profitable increasingly turn to fan fiction as a "safe bet"?

To take entirely against fan fiction is pointless, not least because it’s clearly here to stay. (And, as the novelist and cultural commentator Ewan Morrison has pointed out, it has existed in some form throughout history – weren’t Matthew, Mark, Luke and John simply “non-professionals retelling the same story about the same character?”). Nor is being derivative necessarily a sin – after all, the writer who tries to create work from inside an influence-free vacuum would probably never type a single word.

However, as Gladstone of Cracked.com points out: “Using influences in a novel is a lot like using sampling in music. It’s absolutely fine to lift riffs and hooks from other songs as long as they are reverential building blocks of your work instead of being the appeal of your work.” And therein lies the difference between writing that pays homage to another’s work, and writing that robs that work wholesale of plot, theme and characters.

Game of Thrones author George R R Martin does not allow his work to be used in fan fiction, advancing on his website a domino theory whereby “once you open that door, you can’t control who might come in”. Fan fiction seems fine when its authors are “motivated only be sincere love of [an author’s] world and characters,” says Martin, “but Bill B. Hack and Ripoff don’t give a damn. They just want the bucks.” And that cold hard eye on "the bucks" is exactly what’s leading to the kind of audacious recycling that we’re seeing Headline perform with The Submissive, and eroding any chance of freshness or risk-taking amongst major publishers.

Perhaps we should blame Stephanie Meyer for not taking a similar stance to George RR Martin and calling her copyright lawyer the moment the tedious deluge of Twilight homages emerged. Instead Meyer has remained diplomatic, stating that although Fifty Shades “might not exist in the exact form that it’s in” if it weren’t for Twilight, E L James “obviously...had a story in her, and so it would’ve come out in some other way.” Writers who have been sweating blood to get a publisher to notice them may rightly bridle at the notion that writing fan fiction is automatically a sign that you "have a story in you" – surely the fact you’re using someone else’s story as a template implies the exact opposite.

Whether we view fan fiction as derivative or democratic, personally I’m just dreading another summer of teeth-grindingly awful prose and tired tropes of submissive women and powerful men. So, maybe it’s time to start writing some Hunger Games fan fiction and see if that gets picked up – either that or sit back and wait for another three-book contract to be awarded to "exciting new fan fiction based on the fan fiction of the fan fiction of Twilight".

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View the original article here

Is there a murderer in your family tree? Old criminal records published online

The 2.5 million records dating from 1770 to 1934 will enable people to find out whether any murderers, drunks or petty criminals lurk in their family tree.

Described as the biggest collection of historical criminal records from England and Wales, they are being made available by family history site findmypast.co.uk in association with The National Archives.

The documents include mug shots, court papers, appeal letters, examples of early Edwardian ‘Asbos’, where habitual drunks were banned from pubs and entertainment venues, and registers from the prison ‘hulk’ ships, which were used when mainland prisons were overcrowded.

The more macabre examples include court records and reports on the Victorian serial killer Amelia Dyer, who is believed to have murdered 400 babies between 1880 and 1896 by strangling them with ribbon and dumping them in the River Thames.

There are also documents on George Joseph Smith, who killed three wives by drowning them in the bath before being convicted in 1915.

One bizarre list of court results from Essex dating from 1896 shows that a man called Charles Norton was sentenced to nine months in Pentonville Prison for stealing five cases of brandy, while an errand boy called George Roker was jailed for only four months for manslaughter.

Paul Carter, a specialist at the National Archives, said the records were a valuable source for historians.

“These records show the evolution of the criminal justice system in the 19th century as the country dealt with the impact of industrialisation, urbanisation and population growth,” he said.

“They record the intimate details of hundreds of thousands of people, beginning with judges’ recommendations for or against pardons, to petitions through which criminals and their families could offer mitigating circumstances and grounds for mercy, and later, licences containing everything from previous convictions to the state of a prisoner’s health.”

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'I've killed him', cried skydiver in fatal mid-air collision

"I can't say he was completely lucid. He was in a bad way and may not have been aware what he was saying but I can't deny what I heard."

Mr Sandeman, from Putney, south-west London, was pronounced dead at the scene, having suffered injuries to his head, ribs and pelvis.

The 53-year-old, who had completed 677 previous jumps, was a partner in Lea & Sandeman, the fine wine merchants and was described after his death as "a total ornament to the British wine trade".

The inquest heard that on September 22, Mr Le Berre and Mr Sandeman had jumped from the same plane.

The airfield was busy that day and there was little wind.

Their jumps were staggered for safety reasons, with Mr Le Berre jumping as part of the first group of nine and Mr Sandeman part of a second group of four.

Both left the plane at about 14,000ft (4,267m), reaching speeds of up to 200mph (322kph) in freefall before deploying their parachutes between 5,000ft (1,524m) and 2,500ft (762m).

Giving evidence, Mr Le Berre, who had completed 488 jumps, said he was slowing after performing an advanced "swooping" manoeuvre, involving a sudden turn and increase in speed, when he saw Mr Sandeman below him.

Mr Le Berre, 28, a programmer originally from France but now living in London, said he remembered pulling on his breaks but could not prevent his knees hitting Mr Sandeman's canopy and tangling their parachute lines.

Mr Wilson-Roberts said swooping turns created unpredictable landing patterns and made it more difficult for skydivers to predict one another's movements.

He was part of Mr Sandeman's group and captured a video of the jump using a head camera.

It showed the early stages of the jump unfolding uneventfully before the camera lost sight of Mr Sandeman.

Mr Sandeman's wife and son left the room as this was played to the inquest.

"It was only when I landed and was alerted by my wife that I found out they had collided," Mr Wilson-Roberts said.

"When I arrived at the accident scene, Pat was laying there completely silent and Matt on his side facing him.

"It was quickly established that Pat wasn't alive and we needed to do CPR."

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Migrants may have to register in order to use the NHS

Mark Harper, the immigration minister, said that ministers are examining options for a “mandatory register” for European nationals who want to use British services.

He made the disclosure after David Cameron said foreigners are taking advantage of the NHS and should only get free treatment if they have been paying taxes.

The Coalition is under political pressure over the potential arrival in Britain next year of Romanian and Bulgarian workers when restrictions on their movement lapse. Mr Harper said that such arrivals could be forced to register as British residents before being able to use services.

Mr Harper told ITV: “It's certainly an idea we are looking at. Some other EU countries already have a mandatory register for access to public services and we're looking at the costs and benefits to see if it’s sensible.”

The Prime Minister earlier said the health service should not automatically be free for foreigners from outside the EU.

Speaking to workers at B&Q in Eastleigh, he added that Britain must also get better at charging other EU countries when their citizens use the NHS.

"We're not tough enough right now about people coming from the other side of the world who decide to use our health service," he said. "They haven't contributed in their taxes. They should pay when they use the NHS."

Mr Cameron criticised the current system as he was asked about the pressure on NHS services if a wave of Bulgarians and Romanians immigrate to Britain when restrictions are lifted next year.

"We've made some progress. But there's a lot more to do to make sure that, while we're welcoming to immigrants, we don't allow people to come here and take advantage of us, because I think that does happen too often," he said.

He also criticised the scale of welfare spending on British claimants. Up to ten people's annual taxes could go towards supporting the housing benefit of just one family in the most extreme cases, he said.

The Prime Minister said the "scale of the problem" is shown by the £20 billion housing benefit bill, which is two-thirds of Britain's entire defence budget.

Mr Cameron this week launched a review into how foreigners access benefits. On Thursday's visit to support the Conservative Eastleigh by-election campaign, he said this review will look at all welfare payments and services, including health, housing and legal aid as well as traditional benefits.

It comes after GPs wrote to ministers last month demanding changes to stop widespread health tourism costing the NHS millions of pounds a year.

At the moment GPs must treat almost anybody who comes into their surgery. New guidance was issued last year stipulating that “nationality is not relevant” when it comes to registration, and stating doctors had to register those from anywhere on the globe to “promote human rights and public health”.

GPs point out that once a foreigner patient has registered, hospital staff hardly ever check whether they are also entitled to more specialist NHS care.

In 2010 a Department of Health report found that health tourism was costing the NHS at least £10 million a year in unrecovered costs, although doctors believe the true figure is far higher because most goes undetected.

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Migrants may have to register to use public services

Mark Harper, the immigration minister, said that ministers are examining options for a “mandatory register” for European nationals who want to use British services.

He made the disclosure after David Cameron said foreigners are taking advantage of the NHS and should only get free treatment if they have been paying taxes.

The Coalition is under political pressure over the potential arrival in Britain next year of Romanian and Bulgarian workers when restrictions on their movement lapse. Mr Harper said that such arrivals could be forced to register as British residents before being able to use services.

Mr Harper told ITV: “It's certainly an idea we are looking at. Some other EU countries already have a mandatory register for access to public services and we're looking at the costs and benefits to see if it’s sensible.”

The Prime Minister earlier said the health service should not automatically be free for foreigners from outside the EU.

Speaking to workers at B&Q in Eastleigh, he added that Britain must also get better at charging other EU countries when their citizens use the NHS.

"We're not tough enough right now about people coming from the other side of the world who decide to use our health service," he said. "They haven't contributed in their taxes. They should pay when they use the NHS."

Mr Cameron criticised the current system as he was asked about the pressure on NHS services if a wave of Bulgarians and Romanians immigrate to Britain when restrictions are lifted next year.

"We've made some progress. But there's a lot more to do to make sure that, while we're welcoming to immigrants, we don't allow people to come here and take advantage of us, because I think that does happen too often," he said.

He also criticised the scale of welfare spending on British claimants. Up to ten people's annual taxes could go towards supporting the housing benefit of just one family in the most extreme cases, he said.

The Prime Minister said the "scale of the problem" is shown by the £20 billion housing benefit bill, which is two-thirds of Britain's entire defence budget.

Mr Cameron this week launched a review into how foreigners access benefits. On Thursday's visit to support the Conservative Eastleigh by-election campaign, he said this review will look at all welfare payments and services, including health, housing and legal aid as well as traditional benefits.

It comes after GPs wrote to ministers last month demanding changes to stop widespread health tourism costing the NHS millions of pounds a year.

At the moment GPs must treat almost anybody who comes into their surgery. New guidance was issued last year stipulating that “nationality is not relevant” when it comes to registration, and stating doctors had to register those from anywhere on the globe to “promote human rights and public health”.

GPs point out that once a foreigner patient has registered, hospital staff hardly ever check whether they are also entitled to more specialist NHS care.

In 2010 a Department of Health report found that health tourism was costing the NHS at least £10 million a year in unrecovered costs, although doctors believe the true figure is far higher because most goes undetected.

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'Missing' Banksy Jubilee work listed for auction at £450,000

A Banksy painting has been put up for sale on an American auction website, after it was removed from the side of a Poundland shop in Wood Green, north London, last week.

The work appeared last May, and is thought to have been created by the controversial street artist Banksy. Known as Slave Labour (Bunting Boy), the piece shows a young boy hunched over a sewing machine making Union Jack bunting, and has been interpreted as a reaction to the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, the riots of August 2011 and the London Olympics.

The work has now been listed on Fine Art Auctions Miami site as one of the 118 pieces in a Modern, Contemporary and Street Art sale happening on Saturday. It has an estimate of $500,000-700,000 (£322,000-£450,000), and is the second Banksy piece in the sale, alongside 2007 work Wet Dog, which appeared in Bethlehem.

Fine Art Auctions Miami owner Frederic Thut told the Sun that the work had been listed by a "well-known collector". He said that the collector had followed normal procedure, and had signed a contract to say "everything was above board." The collector, who Thut refused to name, is not British and the piece, Slave Labour, is in storage in Europe.

Wood Green residents have expressed anger over the listing, with councillor Alan Strickland saying, "Banksy gave our community that painting for free. Someone has taken it and plans to make a huge amount for themselves, which is disgusting and counter to the spirit in which it was given."

Banksy's work has been at the centre of a number of thefts. In spring 2011 a piece known as Sperm Alarm was taken from outside a hotel in Central London, only to appear on online auction site eBay for £17,000. A gang of thieves, disguised as workmen, were caught trying to steal a piece from a derelict building in Liverpool in 2006.

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Oddest book titles: top ten of all time

The announcement of the shortlist for the Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title is a humorous reminder of just how inventive, not to mention downright bizarre, authors can be. While the first winner in 1978 – Proceedings of the Second International Workshop on Nude Mice – takes some beating, this year’s six nominees have certainly done their best to stay esoteric and baffling, with titles including God’s Doodle: The Life and Times of the Penis and the wonderfully British How Tea Cosies Changed The World.

Previous winners such as Estonian Sock Patterns All Around the World by Aino Praakli and The Great Singapore Penis Panic and the Future of American Mass Hysteria by Scott D Mendelson show that we’re spoiled for choice when it comes to book titles that raise a snigger or a quizzical eyebrow. So here’s The Telegraph's rundown of the ten oddest book titles ever to grace a cover:

1) The Stray Shopping Carts of Eastern North America: A Guide To Field Identification – Julian Montague

2) An Arsonist’s Guide To Writers’ Homes In New England – Brock Clarke

3) What To Say When You Talk To Yourself – Shad Helmstetter

4) Truncheons: Their Romance and Reality – Erland Fenn

5) Fancy Coffins To Make Yourself – Dale L Power

6) The Art of Faking Exhibition Poultry – George Ryley Scott

7) Penetrating Wagner's Ring – John L DiGaetani (editor)

8) Reusing Old Graves – Douglas Davies and Alastair Shaw

9) The Joy of Uncircumcising – Jim Bigelow

10) Fart Proudly: Writings of Benjamin Franklin You Never Read In School – Carl Japikse

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Oddest book titles: top ten of all time

The announcement of the shortlist for the Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title is a humorous reminder of just how inventive, not to mention downright bizarre, authors can be. While the first winner in 1978 – Proceedings of the Second International Workshop on Nude Mice – takes some beating, this year’s six nominees have certainly done their best to stay esoteric and baffling, with titles including God’s Doodle: The Life and Times of the Penis and the wonderfully British How Tea Cosies Changed The World.

Previous winners such as Estonian Sock Patterns All Around the World by Aino Praakli and The Great Singapore Penis Panic and the Future of American Mass Hysteria by Scott D Mendelson show that we’re spoiled for choice when it comes to book titles that raise a snigger or a quizzical eyebrow. So here’s The Telegraph's rundown of the ten oddest book titles ever to grace a cover:

1) The Stray Shopping Carts of Eastern North America: A Guide To Field Identification – Julian Montague

2) An Arsonist’s Guide To Writers’ Homes In New England – Brock Clarke

3) What To Say When You Talk To Yourself – Shad Helmstetter

4) Truncheons: Their Romance and Reality – Erland Fenn

5) Fancy Coffins To Make Yourself – Dale L Power

6) The Art of Faking Exhibition Poultry – George Ryley Scott

7) Penetrating Wagner's Ring – John L DiGaetani (editor)

8) Reusing Old Graves – Douglas Davies and Alastair Shaw

9) The Joy of Uncircumcising – Jim Bigelow

10) Fart Proudly: Writings of Benjamin Franklin You Never Read In School – Carl Japikse

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Police under investigation over 'dog's' witness statement

However, when the CPS demanded a witness statement in the name of a force dog, officers realised that it would be taking their canine skills a step too far.

They wrote back explaining that PC Peach was in fact PD Peach, stressing that PD stood for police dog but to no avail.

Eventually, the exasperated handler completed a form as if it had been written by the Alsatian, signing it with a paw print.

The statement read: “I chase him. I bite him. Bad man. He tasty. Good boy. Good boy Peach.”

It stated that the age of the witness was “four” and that his number was PD4341.

The document was pinned to the wall at West Midlands Police Station, much to the amusement of colleagues.

One officer took a photograph of the statement and it soon appeared on Facebook and on several police Twitter accounts, including West Yorkshire’s Police Dog Unit, which wrote: "PD Peach called to give evidence. Would have loved to have been there."

The widely circulated picture was accompanied by the caption: “CPS demanded a statement from "PC Peach," who is actually PD Peach.

“They were told several times Peach was actually a police dog but insisted on a written statement so the case handler sent them this.”

One Facebook user wrote: “Typical of the CPS being dogmatic about getting statements from literally everyone present! I bet they are woofing it down!"

And another asked: “Does CPS stand for Clown Prosecution Service?"

The CPS, however, failed to see the funny side and complained to the police that their mistake had been turned into a very public joke.

PC Mark Tissington, of West Midlands Police, who is believed to have shared the original picture of the witness form, has referred himself to the internal discipline unit although sources suggested it was unlikely to be reprimanded.

Ian Edwards, chairman of the West Midlands branch of the Police Federation, said: “It's a difficult time for police and sometimes humour is a way of venting frustrations.

"I would urge our Professional Standards Department to be even-handed in the way they deal with it.”

The CPS declined to comment.

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Schools, care homes and Armed Forces supplied by firm selling contaminated beef

Sodexo, which supplies to 2,300 outlets, is withdrawing beef from its UK sites “with immediate effect” as the scale of the scandal widened yet further today.

In a second wave of tests, the products linked to samples containing horse DNA were Sodexo's beef burgers, minced beef and halal minced beef, Asda's chilled beef bolognese sauce and a Whitbread Group lasagne and beef burger.

The catering at Ascot Racecourse, which is attended each year by the Queen, is run by Sodexo Prestige, according to the firm's website, and the company won four awards in last year's National Racecourse Catering Awards for its food.

A Sodexo spokeswoman would not confirm which of its sites had been supplied with the frozen products however.

She also declined to name the supplier of the beef products that tested positive for horse DNA and would not say if it was a British or Irish manufacturer.

Sodexo describes itself as "the UK's largest event caterer and provider of corporate hospitality packages".

It has launched an investigation into how beef products were contaminated with horse.

In a statement, the firm said: "Sodexo has had a proactive programme in place to ensure that there is no horsemeat in its supply chain.

"We demanded written assurances from across our supply chain that the products we purchase did not contain horsemeat, and additionally implemented an internal sampling programme.

"Despite repeated guarantees from our suppliers, our sampling has identified a frozen beef product which tested positive for equine DNA. This situation is totally unacceptable.

"We felt the only appropriate response was to withdraw not only this product but all frozen beef products. We will only re-admit into our catering operations products that have affirmatively passed DNA testing, pursuant to laboratory test criteria."

Sodexo said its Tillery Valley Foods business, which supplies meals to the healthcare sector, was not affected.

The company’s part in the horsemeat scandal was revealed today when the Food Standards Agency released the latest tranche of test results submitted by the food industry.

They showed that out of 1,133 meat products checked, six - including Sodexo's - were positive for horse.

It is the latest in a growing list of businesses to announce that its products have tested positive for equine DNA.

Earlier today, Birds Eye said it was withdrawing three beef ready meals from sale in the UK and Ireland. The move follows tests that found 2% of horse DNA in a chilli con carne dish sold by Birds Eye in Belgium.

Birds Eye's spaghetti bolognese, shepherd's pie and lasagne are made by the same Belgian manufacturer, Frigilunch N.V., and are being withdrawn "as a precautionary measure".

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Stolen Banksy Jubilee work listed for auction at £450,000

A Banksy painting has been put up for sale on an American auction website, after it was removed from the side of a Poundland shop in Wood Green, north London, last week.

The work appeared last May, and is thought to have been created by the controversial street artist Banksy. Known as Slave Labour (Bunting Boy), the piece shows a young boy hunched over a sewing machine making Union Jack bunting, and has been interpreted as a reaction to the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, the riots of August 2011 and the London Olympics.

The work has now been listed on Fine Art Auctions Miami site as one of the 118 pieces in a Modern, Contemporary and Street Art sale happening on Saturday. It has an estimate of $500,000-700,000 (£322,000-£450,000), and is the second Banksy piece in the sale, alongside 2007 work Wet Dog, which appeared in Bethlehem.

Fine Art Auctions Miami owner Frederic Thut told the Sun that the work had been listed by a "well-known collector". He said that the collector had followed normal procedure, and had signed a contract to say "everything was above board." The collector, who Thut refused to name, is not British and the piece, Slave Labour, is in storage in Europe.

Wood Green residents have expressed anger over the listing, with councillor Alan Strickland saying, "Banksy gave our community that painting for free. Someone has taken it and plans to make a huge amount for themselves, which is disgusting and counter to the spirit in which it was given."

Banksy's work has been at the centre of a number of thefts. In spring 2011 a piece known as Sperm Alarm was taken from outside a hotel in Central London, only to appear on online auction site eBay for £17,000. A gang of thieves, disguised as workmen, were caught trying to steal a piece from a derelict building in Liverpool in 2006.

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'Super-pod' of dolphins spotted off coast of California

According to the boat's captain, the pod followed the vessel across seven miles of ocean.

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Thandie Newton speaks out about sexism in the film industry

British actress Thandie Newton joined the crowds of people who protested violence against women yesterday as part of the One Billion Rising campaign. In an interview with CNN, she explained about her own experience of humiliation and exploitation during 'casting couch' style interviews she undertook as a teenager.

Newton said she was "definitely objectified to an extreme" as a 16-year-old due to the things she was expected to do in auditions. She told of one "horrific incident" as an 18-year-old where the director asked her to sit with her legs apart and the camera was positioned up her skirt during a screen test.

Newton said she was told to "put my leg over the arm of the chair, and think about [...] how it felt to be made love to by this person." It later emerged that the director played the interview video to other people in his personal time.

Newton went on to say that "we all need to recognise our part in trying to be aware" of sexism and exploitation. "It's really bizarre that violence against women isn't a number one priority," she said. One Billion Rising describes itself as a "global strike" and a "call to men and women to refuse to participate in the status quo until rape and rape culture ends." Comedian Ruby Wax and politician Yvette Cooper also joined the crowds in Westminster.

In 2011 filmmaker Susanna White (Parade's End, Generation Kill) led a campaign to help female directors achieve equality in television. White is part of Directors UK, a group which fights for directors's rights in the industry, which set up the Women's Working Group. In January, the group released an update on the group revealing statistics that showed that while 27 per cent of Director UK's members were women, an average nine per cent of episodes of drama series were directed by women in comparison to 91 per cent by men.

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The 27 Club: in pictures

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Tory MPs want new law to 'lock in' EU referendum pledge

Many Tories, however, were unimpressed by Sir John's comments. They feel emboldened to act because they believe parliamentary pressure effectively forced Mr Cameron to make his referendum promise - and played a big role in his successful bid for a real-terms cut in the EU's budget from 2014-20, which was agreed this month.

In October 2011, 81 Tory rebels defied Mr Cameron's orders at thetime to demand a referendum on EU membership in a Commons vote - a stance which is now party policy following the Prime Minister's landmark speech last month.

A year later, more than 50 Tory Eurosceptics voted with Labour against the government on a real-term reduction in the 2014-20 EU budget.

They have turned their attention to a referendum paving Bill before the next election in an attempt to lock Mr Cameron in to his promise - and put Labour and the Liberal Democrats on the spot in a Commons vote.

Some feel that without a major move this side of the next election, the Conservatives will not be believed by voters. David Cameron pledged in 2009 to stage a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty if the Tories won power, only to back down from his promise later.

Nick de Bois, the secretary of the 1922 Committee of Conservative, backbenchers, said: "David Cameron has shown magnificent leadership with EU policy by putting the UK's interests first, and by inviting the British public to have their say on our future relationship with the EU.

"The icing on the cake would be a paving bill for the referendum inthis parliament to leave no doubt in the public's mind that it is onlyan outright Conservative government, not Labour, and most certainly not a new coalition that will deliver that referendum."

Mark Pritchard, a former secretary of the 1922 Committee, said: "A Bill would help disperse the mistrust of all those inside and outside of parliament who just don’t trust any political leader to deliver on their Europe promises.

"It would give added weight to the Prime Minister’s new European policy”.

Another Tory MP, who did not wish to be named, said: "I share the concern that unless a paving Bill this parliament is achieved, the referendum pledge will only be seen as another pledge which will not be delivered.

"A Bill would show the public we are committed to this, as well allaying some concerns about trust on this issue."

Mr Cameron is determined to resist moves for a paving Bill in the current parliament. In any Commons vote, the Liberal Democrats would be likely to vote with Labour to block it - potentially fracturing the coalition because of the seriousness of the issue.

Ed Miliband, the Labour leader, has been criticised for putting forward a confused message on the referendum pledge after telling MPs he does not support a public vote at the moment.

Amid signs of internal Opposition tensions on the issue, Ed Balls, the shadow chancellor, last week warned Labour would be "stupid" to fight the next election opposing a referendum.

If we allow ourselves either to be the ‘status quo party’ on Europe,or the ‘anti-referendum party’ on Europe, then we’ve got a problem," Mr Balls added.

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Universities attack A-level reforms

The Education Secretary has announced that sixth-formers will be required to take all their A-level exams at the end of a two-year course.

This would mean that AS-levels, which are currently taken at the end of the first year of study, will no longer contribute to pupils’ final A-level grades.

However, the Russell Group of leading research universities said it was “not convinced” that the move was necessary. The universities warned that the plan would make it harder to identify bright students from working-class homes.

The criticism is a blow to Mr Gove, who has asked the Russell Group to establish a new academic board to advise the exams watchdog on the design of the new A-levels.

The universities’ intervention represents the latest in a series of setbacks for the minister. Last week, Mr Gove was forced to abandon his plan to scrap GCSEs and replace the exams with a new English Baccalaureate certificate.

In a statement released on Thursday, Dr Wendy Piatt, director-general of the Russell Group, said her 24 member universities, which include Oxford and Cambridge, “valued” AS-levels “in their existing form”.

“We have argued that AS-levels in their current format are important in giving students the opportunity to take an additional smaller qualification in a contrasting subject alongside their main A-level subjects,” she said.

“This adds valuable breadth and flexibility to their learning programme, and can encourage the take-up of strategically important subjects.

“We are not convinced therefore that a new standalone AS qualification is necessary and are concerned that, with no links to the A-level, it may not deliver the same benefits as the existing AS-levels.”

Dr Piatt said results from AS-levels taken at the end of the first year of study help universities make decisions on which candidates deserve to be offered places.

“Without access to such information, it will be even more difficult for our institutions to identify the most talented students from amongst the very many applicants with excellent results at GCSE,” she said.

“AS-level results after one year of study can also be effective in giving talented students from poorer backgrounds the confidence to apply to a highly selective university, thus helping to widen participation.”

Dr Piatt added: “Whilst we have welcomed the Government's review of the modular structure of the A-level, we do not believe this need be extended to the complete removal of the AS examination from the A-level.”

Cambridge University has already warned that the reforms risk damaging a decade's worth of work to encourage more disadvantaged students to apply.

A spokesman for the Department for Education insisted that AS-levels would be de-coupled from A-levels and would become stand-alone qualifications.

“We need A-levels that are robust, rigorous and match equivalent exams in the world's best education systems,” the spokesman said.

“That is why new A-levels will be linear, with all assessment at the end of two years of study to address the impact of modules and re-sits on grade inflation. As a result, changes must be made to AS-levels.

“AS-levels will therefore be redesigned as high-quality standalone qualifications.”

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We didn't have pancakes on Shrove Tuesday. That's how we roll

For a man of my years, I’ve had a busy couple of weeks of it. It started with a “Saints and Sinners Club” lunch at Lord’s. The Saints and Sinners are a gathering of geezers who fancy themselves “raffish”, who meet once a month for lunch, for no good reason other than good fellowship, a bite of food and a mouthful of wine, to tell each other a few stories and raise a few bob for worthy charities.

There are no rules that I’ve ever discovered (and I’ve been chairman), there are only 100 of us, and if guests want to come to our annual Christmas lunch, they have to pay for it by listening to us sing carols at them.

At Lord’s, we had a question-and-answer session with distinguished figures from the world of sport, and a helping of meat so large that there was unworthy speculation that it might be cheval rather than “boeuf bourguignon”.

Then, on Shrove Tuesday, another lunch at Simpson’s, the roast beef Mecca on the Strand. Although the founder of this feast has a fondness for the school dinners of his youth, he settled for gastronomic safety with chicken. The excuse this time was the Oldie of the Year Awards. Unlike the Baftas, Golden Globes or Oscars, and all of the other self-congratulatory showbiz fandangos, these prizewinners are not picked by retired wardrobe mistresses, make-up ladies or former best-boys, but judges of intellect and discernment, and me, whose discussions can often degenerate into bitter wrangling. Despite recriminations, decisions were taken, and, as readers of a better class of newspaper, you will be aware, among the great and good honoured, the main Golden Oldie award garlanded the leonine brow of Lord Heseltine.

It was a close-run thing; the “Turbaned Tornado”, Fauja Singh, was in the running, in more ways than one, having completed the Toronto marathon last October, at 100 years of age. Next Sunday he’ll hang up his running shoes at the finish of the Hong Kong marathon. He doesn’t drink and he’s a vegetarian, with a beard to put George Clooney to shame.

Then, the charming Samantha Cameron invited to No 10 a group representing charities that had attended the City firm Icap’s Big Day a little while ago, allowing us to imagine we were dealing in millions, while brokers, managers and secretaries all dressed up like cowboys and Indians, soldiers, sailors, doctors and nurses, sheikhs and snorklers. A good-hearted, jolly day, that belied the reputation of a self-centred City.

A reputation further demolished by the PM’s wife’s reception, when those of us representing charities, mine being Children in Need, received handsome donations from Icap’s Michael Spencer.

Not a bad few days. Somewhere in the middle, I’ll swear I saw a pancake and a Valentine’s Day card, but it’s all over now, for it’s Lent. I’m not telling you what I’m giving up, but I’ll have a couple on Patrick’s Day…

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Weak pound and high wholesale prices drive up petrol costs

The rise of 6.24p a litre since early January has been blamed on a plunging pound and stock market speculators driving up the price of fuel.

After surging by 5p a litre over a month, the price of petrol at the pumps has gone up a further 1p in the last five days, the AA said.

The average cost in the UK is now 138.32p a litre, with diesel having risen 4.78p from its mid-January price to an average of 145.10p.

The increase in the price of petrol adds £3.12 to the cost of refilling a typical 50-litre tank, while filling up the 70-litre tank of a Ford Mondeo now costs £4.37 more than six weeks ago.

A two-car family's monthly petrol cost has risen by £13.25.

Drivers have been caught between the pincers of a pound weakened against the dollar and soaring wholesale prices, both due to stock market speculation, the AA said.

Edmund King, its president, said: "This latest surge in fuel prices and its impact on spending indicates that UK drivers and families can't take any more. We're no longer talking of the motorist as a cash cow for tax and speculator greed, but a horse slowly but surely being flogged to death.

"This is the third 10p-a-litre wholesale price surge in 11 months, given extra vigour by currency speculators betting against the pound."

He called on the Government to scrap the planned rise in fuel duty scheduled for the autumn.

"Given the lashing motoring families and UK businesses are taking from speculator-driven fuel prices, we hope the Chancellor spells out clearly in the forthcoming Budget that he can feel the pressure rocketing fuel price inflation places on families and business, and that he will cancel the September rise if that strain is too great," he said.

In December, George Osborne scrapped a 3p rise in duty due in the New Year and postponed the next inflation-linked increase from April 1 until September 1

Regional variations mean Yorkshire and Humberside and the north of England are currently the cheapest for petrol, at 137.6p a litre, with Northern Ireland the most expensive at 138.7p.

Yorkshire and Humberside also remains the cheapest region for diesel, averaging 144.2p, while East Anglia, Northern Ireland and south-east England are the most expensive, at 145.2p.

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Weak pound and high wholesale prices drive up petrol costs

The rise of 6.24p a litre since early January has been blamed on a plunging pound and stock market speculators driving up the price of fuel.

After surging by 5p a litre over a month, the price of petrol at the pumps has gone up a further 1p in the last five days, the AA said.

The average cost in the UK is now 138.32p a litre, with diesel having risen 4.78p from its mid-January price to an average of 145.10p.

The increase in the price of petrol adds £3.12 to the cost of refilling a typical 50-litre tank, while filling up the 70-litre tank of a Ford Mondeo now costs £4.37 more than six weeks ago.

A two-car family's monthly petrol cost has risen by £13.25.

Drivers have been caught between the pincers of a pound weakened against the dollar and soaring wholesale prices, both due to stock market speculation, the AA said.

Edmund King, its president, said: "This latest surge in fuel prices and its impact on spending indicates that UK drivers and families can't take any more. We're no longer talking of the motorist as a cash cow for tax and speculator greed, but a horse slowly but surely being flogged to death.

"This is the third 10p-a-litre wholesale price surge in 11 months, given extra vigour by currency speculators betting against the pound."

He called on the Government to scrap the planned rise in fuel duty scheduled for the autumn.

"Given the lashing motoring families and UK businesses are taking from speculator-driven fuel prices, we hope the Chancellor spells out clearly in the forthcoming Budget that he can feel the pressure rocketing fuel price inflation places on families and business, and that he will cancel the September rise if that strain is too great," he said.

In December, George Osborne scrapped a 3p rise in duty due in the New Year and postponed the next inflation-linked increase from April 1 until September 1

Regional variations mean Yorkshire and Humberside and the north of England are currently the cheapest for petrol, at 137.6p a litre, with Northern Ireland the most expensive at 138.7p.

Yorkshire and Humberside also remains the cheapest region for diesel, averaging 144.2p, while East Anglia, Northern Ireland and south-east England are the most expensive, at 145.2p.

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