Dave Lee Travis touched my breasts, woman tells court

Former BBC Radio 1 DJ Dave Lee Travis "put one hand on each breast" of one of his alleged victims, his trial at Southwark Crown Court has heard.

The woman, who was trainee at the BBC, said there was "no way" she could tell her bosses as he was a "big star".

He allegedly assaulted 11 victims, at places including the BBC and pantomimes, between 1976 and 2008.

Mr Travis, 68, whose real name is David Griffin, denies 13 counts of indecent assault and one of sexual assault.

The alleged incident happened when the woman, who was 26 at the time, read a link after Radio 4 news in the early 1980s, the jury heard.

Giving evidence behind a curtain, the woman said Mr Travis walked into the studio as she was about to go on air and sat down behind her as she read out the time.

"His hands came round under my arm pits and he put one hand on each breast," she said. "He started to move my breasts up and down."

The woman told the court Travis held her breasts throughout her announcement which lasted about 10 seconds.

The DJ hosted the Radio 1 Breakfast show from 1978 to 1980 and was a regular host of Top of the Pops in the 1970s and 80s.

He denies the assaults and claims the alleged victims are motivated by greed for compensation and media attention, Southwark Crown Court heard.

The alleged victims were aged between 15 and 29 at the time of the incidents.

The trial is expected to last up to six weeks.

Egypt referendum: Vote starts amid tight security

Egyptians have begun voting amid tight security in a two-day referendum on a new constitution, which could pave the way for fresh elections.

The new charter aims to replace the constitution passed under Islamist President Mohammed Morsi months before he was ousted by the army.

The military wants a strong Yes vote to endorse Mr Morsi's removal.

His Muslim Brotherhood, now designated a terrorist group, is boycotting the vote and there are fears of violence.

Shortly before voting began, an explosion took place near a court building in Cairo's Imbaba district, although no casualties were reported.

Continue reading the main story

At the scene

"Sisi is the lion of Egypt," shouts one man in a queue of voters outside a polling station at the Workers' University in Cairo's Nasr City. The rest of the crowd behind him decides to join in.

Many of the hundreds queuing up here see this referendum as a personal vote in favour of Egypt's most powerful man, armed forces chief General Sisi. "Sisi, Sisi," chants a group of women at the female entrance to the polling station.

Across the road, there are several official posters showing a green tick in favour of a Yes vote. There is no sign of any No posters. The government has used a new anti-protest law to silence the No campaign.

The security forces have made their strength - and their desire for a Yes vote - clear. Several military Chinook helicopters flew overhead. A military convoy drove outside the polling station - on the bonnet of one vehicle was a picture of Gen Sisi.

However, one person was killed during an anti-referendum protest in Bani Suef, south of Cairo, the governor there told the BBC.

A huge security operation is being mounted for the two days of voting. The interior ministry says 200,000 police officers, 150 central security units and 200 combat groups are being deployed around polling stations on both days.

Army chief Gen Abdel Fattah al-Sisi visited one polling station in north Cairo, telling guards there: "Work hard. We need the referendum to be completely secured."

The BBC's Orla Guerin in Cairo says this has been a distorted campaign, with endorsements for the new constitution flooding state-run and private TV and radio.

However, spotting any posters from the No campaign is a lot harder and people have been arrested for putting them up, our correspondent says.

Democratic or not, she says, the referendum is seen by many as more than a ballot on a new constitution - it is widely viewed as a verdict on the removal of Mr Morsi.

Children 'still being held illegally in police cells'

Hundreds of children are still being held in police cells overnight because of "chronic breaches" of the law, a leading police officer has said.

Manchester Assistant Chief Constable Dawn Copley told a group of MPs that police and councils needed to be reminded of their statutory duties.

She said the lack of suitable accommodation was a "growing concern" because of "shrinking resources".

The Home Office said under-18s should not be held in cells overnight.

Last October the Howard League for Penal Reform, a charity that has campaigned against the practice, revealed that more than 40,000 children had been detained in custody in 2011 in contravention of the law. This was, however, a drop on the previous year.

Children can be detained in custody to further a criminal investigation, uncover the identity of suspects, or because the disappearance of that person would hinder a prosecution. They may also be held until a social worker or probation officer arrives at a police station.

'Should be transferred'

But in evidence to the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Children, Ms Copley suggested that the practice was widespread.

She said: "A large concern for the police service is the number of children and young people being detained in custody prior to appearance at court.

"The Police and Criminal Evidence Act is clear on this matter, and states that if they are being kept in custody they should be transferred to the care of the local authority.

"But in practice we know that local authorities do not always have the accommodation available, and with shrinking resources I think this becomes a growing concern. Too often, children and young people remain in custody overnight.

"The continued chronic breach of this legislative requirement is not only bad practice per se. Subliminally it indicates to all involved in the process that children's rights are not seen as important, and I've raised my concerns on this to the Home Office.

"A key role for the police and local authority children's services is to ensure better suitable provision is available and make it the exception rather than the rule for children to be detained in custody overnight."

'Very traumatic'

Ms Copley added that police forces needed to be reminded about exactly what the legislation says.

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

Finding appropriate emergency placements, often in the middle of the night is not always possible”

Andrew WebbAssociation of Directors of Children's Services

Councils also needed reminding of their "statutory duty", she said, "to provide accommodation for a child who otherwise would be remaining in custody overnight, awaiting appearance at a court.

"The norm has become an expectation that it won't be provided," she said. This was not "a good place for any of the agencies to be in and it's definitely not a good place for young people to be in".

Enver Solomon, director of policy and impact at the National Children's Bureau, said the experience of being in a police cell could be very traumatic.

"Police detention should always be used as an absolute last resort for any child. The vast majority of forces do not have separate child-friendly facilities and so they have to be held in the same place as adults.

"Children will be confused, bewildered and often feel frightened by what is an intimidating environment. The whole experience can be deeply traumatic and do great harm, particularly for those who are already very vulnerable, such as children in the care system or those with learning disabilities.

'Law is clear'

Andrew Webb, president of the Association of Directors of Children's Services, said police must work with children's services and families to ensure that under-18s are returned home in the "vast majority of cases".

He added: "However, on some occasions children will need to be placed somewhere away from home for their own safety and for the safety of others.

"Whilst detention in a police cell must be used as a last resort, there are sometimes practical and pragmatic reasons why the detention occurs.

"Finding appropriate emergency placements, often in the middle of the night, is not always possible and decreasing human and financial resources have made this harder for local authorities - although emergency duty teams will have to hand a list of alternatives that they can try to obtain safe and suitable accommodation before a police cell is used."

A Home Office spokeswoman said: "The law is clear that any child who is charged with an offence should not be held overnight in police cells unless absolutely necessary.

"There may be times when it is not possible for local authorities to provide appropriate accommodation and children may need to be kept in police custody for either their own protection or that of the public. It is a matter for chief constables to ensure the law is complied with.

"The welfare and protection of all those held in police custody, especially young people, is extremely important, which is why we have changed the law so that 17-year-olds detained in custody will now be provided with an appropriate adult and their parent or guardian will be told of their arrest, as is already the case for 10 to 16-year-olds."

Prep school sport 'spoiled by badly behaved parents'

Good school sport should be "enjoyed and played in the right spirit"

Prep school parents are putting their children under too much pressure at sports events, a head teacher warns.

Leonard Blom, a former international cyclist, wants parents to "stop yelling" and "control their emotions".

He says parents are forgetting children play sport for their own enjoyment, not that of their parents.

Sports' governing bodies share the wider concerns, with the FA saying a "touchline manager" might be needed to keep parent spectators under control.

Mr Blom's is the head of St Aubyn's preparatory school in north London, and has written a guide for parents on how to encourage their children appropriately at school sports events.

Writing in the magazine for the Independent Association of Prep Schools, Attain, he highlights the antics of several badly behaved parents he has witnessed.

He describes one father getting so involved in a rugby match that he intervened in the game, by taking a quick throw-in when the ball went out of play, and a mother who "collapsed in a heap" at a swimming gala, after pacing up and down poolside shouting at her daughter.

Mr Blom adds the girl "never excelled at swimming".

"Sometimes we need to take a step back and not get too emotionally involved," he says.

"The real winners in sport - and in life itself - are those who persevere and behave with dignity, whether they win or lose."

Mr Blom argues that the one of the main goals of school sport is to "develop good sportsmanship, and learning to treat teammates, opponents, coaches and officials with respect".

They are themes sport administrators take very seriously.

The Football Association's Respect campaign, for example, aims to promote those values throughout the game, and the FA believes negative comments and behaviour by parents can put a child off the game for life.

In 2012 it gave £200,000 to provide "Respect Barriers" to schools and clubs - designed to keep parents from encroaching on the pitch during matches.

Perhaps the key piece of advice from Mr Blom to parents is to keep things in perspective. "It is not the World Cup," he says, "it is a prep school game. Treat it as such."

Children 'still being held illegally in police cells'

Hundreds of children are still being held in police cells overnight because of "chronic breaches" of the law, a leading police officer has said.

Manchester Assistant Chief Constable Dawn Copley told a group of MPs that police and councils needed to be reminded of their statutory duties.

She said the lack of suitable accommodation was a "growing concern" because of "shrinking resources".

The Home Office said under-18s should not be held in cells overnight.

Last October the Howard League for Penal Reform, a charity that has campaigned against the practice, revealed that more than 40,000 children had been detained in custody in 2011 in contravention of the law. This was, however, a drop on the previous year.

Children can be detained in custody to further a criminal investigation, uncover the identity of suspects, or because the disappearance of that person would hinder a prosecution. They may also be held until a social worker or probation officer arrives at a police station.

'Should be transferred'

But in evidence to the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Children, Ms Copley suggested that the practice was widespread.

She said: "A large concern for the police service is the number of children and young people being detained in custody prior to appearance at court.

"The Police and Criminal Evidence Act is clear on this matter, and states that if they are being kept in custody they should be transferred to the care of the local authority.

"But in practice we know that local authorities do not always have the accommodation available, and with shrinking resources I think this becomes a growing concern. Too often, children and young people remain in custody overnight.

"The continued chronic breach of this legislative requirement is not only bad practice per se. Subliminally it indicates to all involved in the process that children's rights are not seen as important, and I've raised my concerns on this to the Home Office.

"A key role for the police and local authority children's services is to ensure better suitable provision is available and make it the exception rather than the rule for children to be detained in custody overnight."

'Very traumatic'

Ms Copley added that police forces needed to be reminded about exactly what the legislation says.

Continue reading the main story

“Start Quote

Finding appropriate emergency placements, often in the middle of the night is not always possible”

Andrew WebbAssociation of Directors of Children's Services

Councils also needed reminding of their "statutory duty", she said, "to provide accommodation for a child who otherwise would be remaining in custody overnight, awaiting appearance at a court.

"The norm has become an expectation that it won't be provided," she said. This was not "a good place for any of the agencies to be in and it's definitely not a good place for young people to be in".

Enver Solomon, director of policy and impact at the National Children's Bureau, said the experience of being in a police cell could be very traumatic.

"Police detention should always be used as an absolute last resort for any child. The vast majority of forces do not have separate child-friendly facilities and so they have to be held in the same place as adults.

"Children will be confused, bewildered and often feel frightened by what is an intimidating environment. The whole experience can be deeply traumatic and do great harm, particularly for those who are already very vulnerable, such as children in the care system or those with learning disabilities.

'Law is clear'

Andrew Webb, president of the Association of Directors of Children's Services, said police must work with children's services and families to ensure that under-18s are returned home in the "vast majority of cases".

He added: "However, on some occasions children will need to be placed somewhere away from home for their own safety and for the safety of others.

"Whilst detention in a police cell must be used as a last resort, there are sometimes practical and pragmatic reasons why the detention occurs.

"Finding appropriate emergency placements, often in the middle of the night, is not always possible and decreasing human and financial resources have made this harder for local authorities - although emergency duty teams will have to hand a list of alternatives that they can try to obtain safe and suitable accommodation before a police cell is used."

A Home Office spokeswoman said: "The law is clear that any child who is charged with an offence should not be held overnight in police cells unless absolutely necessary.

"There may be times when it is not possible for local authorities to provide appropriate accommodation and children may need to be kept in police custody for either their own protection or that of the public. It is a matter for chief constables to ensure the law is complied with.

"The welfare and protection of all those held in police custody, especially young people, is extremely important, which is why we have changed the law so that 17-year-olds detained in custody will now be provided with an appropriate adult and their parent or guardian will be told of their arrest, as is already the case for 10 to 16-year-olds."

UK inflation rate falls to 2%

The UK's inflation rate, as measured by the Consumer Prices Index, fell to 2% in December, down from 2.1% the month before.

It is the first time inflation has been at the government-set target of 2% since November 2009.

The Office for National Statistics said the fall was caused by slower increases in the prices of food.

Inflation as measured by the Retail Prices Index (RPI) rose to 2.7% from 2.6% in November.

The ONS said the rise in prices of both food and non-alcoholic drinks was the smallest it had been since 2006.

The drop was also helped by a slower rate of increase in prices of recreational goods, such as games and toys.

Economists said the fall would ease pressure on the Bank of England to raise interest rates following the recent recovery in the economy.

Jeremy Cook, chief economist at currency exchange specialists, World First, said: "The lack of inflation will help stay their hand especially if the pace of job creation seen in the second half of last year also slows."

Chris Williamson, chief economist at Markit, said he now expected inflation to stay close to its 2% target for "some time to come".

"The easing in price pressures is a welcome relief to policy makers at the Bank of England and helps keep the spectre of higher interest rates at bay," he added.

Bank of England governor Mark Carney has indicated that the Bank will not raise interest rates until the unemployment rate, currently at 7.4%, falls below 7%.

Google to buy Nest Labs for $3.2bn

Google has announced plans to buy thermostat maker Nest Labs for $3.2bn (£2bn), continuing a string of recent acquisitions.

Google said the cash deal was expected to be completed in the next few months.

California-based Nest Labs was founded by two former Apple executives.

It produces a thermostat capable of learning user behaviour and working out whether a building is occupied or not, using temperature, humidity, activity and light sensors.

The firm will continue to be run by chief executive Tony Fadell and maintain its own distinct identity, Google said in a statement.

"Nest's founders, Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers, have built a tremendous team that we are excited to welcome into the Google family," said Google chief executive Larry Page.

iPod 'father'

Mr Fadell was head of Apple's music division until he left the firm in 2008.

The BBC's David Grossman: "This confirms that Google is no longer just a search engine company"

He is known as the "father of the iPod" for his work on the first 18 generations of Apple's music player and was also involved in the hardware design of the original iPhone.

Mr Fadell told the BBC that he first came into contact with Google in 2011 through a "chance meeting" with the firm's co-founder, Sergey Brin.

He said he showed Mr Brin an early version of the Nest thermostat. He liked it and many Google staff members later installed it in their homes.

"They've always been keen on what we were doing, because they thought we had a crazy idea and they love crazy ideas," Mr Fadell said.

Google's purchase of Nest Labs follows its acquisition of military robot-maker Boston Dynamics last month and of human-gesture recognition start-up Flutter in October.

The search giant did not release any details of those deals.

The biggest deal in Google's history to date was its acquisition of mobile phone firm Motorola Mobility for $12.5bn in August 2011.