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Thursday, December 15, 2016
After Mail campaign, all new
mothers warned to look for
signs ++ Nurses and doctors
to be retrained ++ 1million
leaflets sent to A&Es and GPs
all out
war on
sepsis
EVERY new mother will be
warned to look for signs of
sepsis in their baby in an
all-out war on the illness.
From today, the NHS will distrib-
ute a million leaflets in casualty
departments, GP surgeries and
maternity wards.
The leaflets, which tell parents to
‘think sepsis’ when symptoms appear,
will also be included in the pack given
out to all pregnant women.
And warnings on sepsis will be added
to the ‘red book’ given to the parents of
Terms: Today only, while stocks last. Terms apply.
QQQ
www.dailymail.co.uk
END THE SEPSIS
SCANDAL
newborns. For the first time, all doc-
tors and nurses will be trained to look
for the signs of an illness that claims
44,000 lives a year.
Ministers hope that educating par-
SEE PAGE 44 for details
daily newspaper of the year 65p
ents and medical professionals about
the symptoms will cut the numbers
lost to the so-called ‘silent killer’.
Jeremy Hunt has taken charge of
launching the awareness campaign.
Writing in today’s Mail, the Health Sec-
retary says this newspaper’s coverage
Standing out: The PM in scarlet
gown and heels ahead of the
Brussels EU summit today
red alert!
Theresa’s
ready for
of sepsis tragedies had made him think
of the danger to his own children.
‘The Mail has rightly championed
this cause – highlighting the cases of
eu battle
countless families that have been
affected by sepsis,’ he adds. See
‘By raising levels of public awareness, page
we’ll save lives in the future. The 10
Turn to Page 6
Page  Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016

By Rebecca Camber Want to be in

the police?
Crime Correspondent

ALL new police officers

will need a degree under
major changes to forces’
recruitment rules.
Before pounding the beat,
recruits will either have to

Now you’ll
study policing at university,
complete a conversion course
if they graduated in another
subject, or do a three-year
‘degree apprenticeship’.
The move, announced by the
College of Policing today, is set
to cost forces millions as they
will pay for many courses.

And critics questioned how
the move would benefit the
public, warning that it could
put off potential recruits who
could not afford a degree.
It is a far cry from the entry
criteria Sir Robert Peel applied
when recruiting his first police-
men in 1829. Candidates sim-
ply had to be under 35, at least
5ft 7ins and have no history of
any wrongdoing.
Even Britain’s most senior
policeman Sir Bernard Hogan-
Howe – head of London’s Met-
ropolitan Police – did not have
a degree when he joined South
Yorkshire Police in 1979. It was
only at age 28 that he was sent
‘Police work is
getting complex’
to Oxford to study law. The
changes follow criticism about
officers’ educational standards.
Around 40 per cent of serving
police already have a degree.
In 2011 a review by Tom Win-
sor warned that some police-
men and women were ‘barely
literate’ because the educa-
tional standards required to
join the service were so low.
The lawyer, who became Her
Majesty’s Inspector of Con-
stabulary a year later, said
reading, writing and arithmetic
skills had fallen within forces
since the 1930s. Now the Col-
lege of Policing wants all police
to have degrees, so ‘the public
should receive the same level
of service regardless of where
they live’. Chief Con Alex Mar-
need a degree
shall, the college’s chief execu-
tive, said: ‘At the moment, it is
very lopsided and we don’t do a
lot of professional development
in policing. The nature of police
work is getting quite complex
and it is quite contentious and
the public expectation is that
you’ll be patrolling in my street,
and by the way you’ll (also) be
patrolling online.’
There will be three options
for people wanting to join one
of the 43 forces in England and
Wales under the new rules.
They can complete a ‘degree
apprenticeship’, due to be
introduced next year, which
will see recruits undertake a
three-year course while receiv-
ing a salary and having the uni-
versity academic component
funded by their force.
Alternatively would-be offic-
ers who already have a degree
in a different subject can do a
six-month postgraduate con-
version course, which would
also be funded by police.
The third option is for them
to fund their own studies for a
degree in policing, although
they will still have to success-
fully apply to become a police
officer after completing it. Mr
Marshall said the college was
in discussions with 12 universi-
ties about the new system. The
money for the apprenticeships
is expected to come from the
apprenticeship levy, due to
come into force in April.
This forces employers with an
annual salary and pay bill of
more than £3million to spend
the equivalent of 0.5 per cent of
it on apprenticeships.
But Andy Fittes, general sec-
retary of the Police Federation
of England and Wales, asked:
‘What is the benefit to the pub-
lic, in terms of policing delivery,
‘Flies in the face of
social mobility’
to have officers hold pre-join-
ing qualifications, or serving
officers becoming accredited?’
He added: ‘There is a balance
to be struck around encourag-
ing people to have a certain
level of education before join-
ing the force, and marginalis-
ing and excluding good quality
candidates from all communi-
ties by limiting the pool of
potential candidates if they are
unable to afford it.’
But the College of Policing
said research suggested that it
would not prevent those from
ethnic minority groups from
applying as academic stand-
ards were often higher amongst
black and Asian students.
The college’s announcement
follows a public consultation
which received more than 3,000
responses, almost 80 per cent
of them from police officers.
Almost three - quarters of
police responders were inter-
ested in gaining accreditation
for existing skills. But other pro-
fessions such as nursing have
moved away from degrees.
The National Police Chiefs’
Council lead for workforce,
Chief Constable Giles York,
said: ‘The changes announced
today will help modernise the
service and improve our ability
to attract and retain really
good people.’
But last night Conservative
MP Phil Davies said: ‘This is
completely idiotic. There is a
skill set that you need to be a
police officer and it has got
nothing to do with academic
achievement. This also flies in
the face of social mobility.
‘I suspect that some of the
best police officers we have
ever had never had a degree.’

So much for Just About Managing

... MPs get inflation-busting pay rise
MEMBERS of Parliament are in line for By Jack Doyle by Government, have been frozen to 2020.
another inflation-busting pay rise. Senior Political Correspondent Former sleaze watchdog Sir Alistair Gra-
Salaries will rise by more than £1,000 ham said it would look ‘very generous’ to
next year – or 1.4 per cent, well above the those who were still suffering austerity. 
1 per cent cap imposed on other public by 1.3 per cent, to £74,962. The latest raise He told MailOnline MPs were in a privi-
sector workers. It means that by April will take salaries to £76,011. The announce- leged position because they were guaran-
their annual pay cheques will have risen ment is likely to anger public sector work- teed decent rises. Sir Alistair, former
by more than £9,000 in two years.   ers like nurses, police and teachers, whose chairman of the Committee on Standards
In 2015, wages were hiked by 10 per cent rises have been limited to a maximum of 1 in Public Life, said: ‘So much of an increase
after the Independent Parliamentary Stand- per cent for four years. in pay in such a short period of time must
ards Authority – the watchdog set up after The rise is linked to average overall pay look very generous to public sector work-
the expenses scandal – said MPs were under- increases in the public sector. It is higher ers like teachers and nurses who are get-
paid. The decision sparked fury at a time of than the 1 per cent cap because the calcu- ting very small increases.
public sector cuts and pay restraint. lation includes all payments on public sec- ‘I don’t think you can have MPs in a privi-
That led to their wages rising sharply tor payslips, including bonuses and pro- leged position when other key workers
from £67,000 a year to £74,000. Earlier this motion-related rises. are being restricted to very tiny increases
year their money went up again, this time Ministerial salaries, which are controlled at a time when inflation is set to rise.’
An Ipsa spokesman said: ‘We
will confirm the amount of any
Clarifications & corrections pay adjustment next year. We
set out the mechanism for set-
ting MPs’ pay for this parlia-
AT the Daily Mail we take ent Press Standards Organ- n If you wish to report an inaccuracy,
great pride in the quality isation (IPSO), the regula- please email corrections@dailymail.co.uk. ment in July 2015.’
To make a formal complaint under IPSO Dave Prentis, general secre-
of our journalism. All our tory body for the Press set rules please go to www.dailymail.co.uk/
journalists are required to up in response to the readerseditor where you will find an easy- tary of the union Unison, said:
observe the Editors’ Code Leveson Inquiry. We aim to-use complaints form. You can also write ‘If there is to be a limit on pub-
of Practice and the Mail is a to correct any errors as to Readers’ Editor, Daily Mail, Northcliffe lic sector pay it should apply to
House, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT or everyone. It’s time ministers
member of the Independ- promptly as possible. contact IPSO directly at ipso.co.uk
lifted the pay cap.’

IF YOU CAN’T GET YOUR DAILY MAIL . . .

inside: Mail Lotto 22, Sudoku 41-43, Offers &
Cainer 44, TV 56-59, Letters 60 & 61, City 69-72
We always try to keep your favourite newspaper available
at all times but if the Mail was sold out at your retail outlet
please let us know by calling Freephone 0808 272 0808*
or by emailing us on availability@dailymail.co.uk and we will
act upon it straight away. *Calls to 0808 numbers are free
from UK landlines. Calls from mobiles may be charged.
 QQQ
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016 Page 

Not-so-jolly St Nick: Maybe it’s the beard?

Get me out of here! This tot is terrified

Santa’s little cryer: This upset toddler really doesn’t want to sit on Father Christmas’s knee

Jingle bawls! No,

we DON’T want
Tinsel tears: Not even a gift will help
to meet Santa! Ho ho no! Sometimes it’s all a bit too much

P.S. At least mummy’s smiling...

Grotto grump: One little boy is less than impressed with his visit to Father Christmas Grin to Grinch: This little girl can’t wait to see Santa... until the jolly chap actually turns up
Page  Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016

Half of councils axe

meals on wheels
But just £1.2bn of aid bill could buy 315m dinners
By Larisa Brown
PM: I still won’t
Lifeline: The cuts
Political Correspondent mean that many
are at risk of

divert funding to
MEALS on wheels for vulnerable malnourishment
pensioners have been axed by 45
per cent of councils since 2010,
figures show.
Others have increased their fees by
an average of 20 per cent, leaving
help the elderly
many unable to afford the service and THERESA May defended plans to raise coun-
contributing to malnourishment cil tax by up to 6 per cent yesterday as she
across the country. refused to divert millions from Britain’s
The revelations come as ministers
unveil plans to allow town halls to bloated aid budget to help social care.
increase council tax by up to 6 per cent to In a major announcement today, Sajid
help pay for social care services. Javid will unveil plans to allow town halls
They will pile pressure on Theresa May to add £160 to the average bill for a Band
to divert the £12billion foreign aid budget D property by 2018 to fund the sector.
to help tackle the elderly care crisis. As the Mail revealed on Tuesday, he will
The average cost of a meal is now £3.80.
One tenth of the foreign aid budget – also announce a £100million funding boost
£1.2billion – would pay for more than to help local authorities in poorer areas
315million hot meals for the elderly. which cannot raise as much council tax.
Chancellor Philip Hammond suggested But many believe the funds raised will only
on Monday that there would be a review amount to a sticking plaster solution, and
of the target of spending 0.7 per cent of that money should be taken from the for-
national income on foreign aid.
Conservative MP Peter Bone said last eign aid budget instead.
night: ‘Meals on wheels is one of the most Yesterday at Prime Minister’s Questions,
sensible things that councils do and fund Tory backbencher Philip Davies told MPs:
and it is a great shame that they are being ‘Surely the Government priority should be
stopped or people are being forced to pay to look after the elderly, vulnerable and
out significant sums for them. disabled people in our own country before
‘That ought to be a priority. We cannot
spend billions on foreign aid when we don’t we hand money over to other countries.’
know where it is going. We could be using Mrs May admitted there were ‘immedi-
that money to look after our elderly.’ ate pressures on social care’ which will be
Fellow Tory MP David Nuttall said: addressed by Mr Javid in the provisional
‘Many of my constituents will be local government finance settlement
concerned that we are spending so today. But she said: ‘We should be proud
much overseas whilst our elderly
are facing reductions in service.’
Former pensions minister Baron-
comment of the help we are giving to people around
the world who, often, are living in incred-
ibly difficult circumstances.’
ess Altmann said: ‘We really should Isn’t it pertinent to
be ashamed of our care system,
which is cutting back on vital life- point out that, even at
lines for frail elderly people. £10 each, the cost of away as local councils face deep healthy meal – it is a vital lifeline Redbridge Council in north-east
‘We are creating a Third World care
system that serves nobody well. an unusable airport cuts to their social care budgets. for some of the most vulnerable London increased the cost of meals
Councils are under constant pres- in St Helena alone ‘These worrying new figures mean people in our community. from £3.05 five years ago to £5.55.
sure, the NHS is facing intolerable more older people will be left to ‘Slashing this important service Councillor Izzi Seccombe, chair-
strains and our elderly citizens are
would buy 28.5million cope alone and I fear there is no means other agencies like the NHS man of the Local Government
being denied basic decent care.’ meals for Britain’s doubt they will be more vulnerable and social services pick up the Association’s community wellbeing
Figures obtained through a Free- elderly and hungry? to illness and more unhappy.’ pieces later on. This is fuelling Brit- board, said the issue should be a
dom of Information request show Herefordshire Council, which sup- ain’s social care crisis.’ ‘national priority’.
63 out of 140 councils that PAGE 14 plied 106,830 meals on wheels in Other councils increased the She added: ‘The services elderly
responded have got rid of their 2010/2011, has now axed its service. prices of their meals significantly, and vulnerable people rely on,
meals on wheels services. Gateshead Council in Tyne and leading to a dramatic reduction in including meals on wheels, are
On average, councils increased trition task force, said more than Wear provided 58,299 meals but has numbers using the service. coming under increasing threat
prices by 20 per cent, with some 1million elderly people were mal- also ended its service. Shetland council more than dou- due to the under-funding of adult
more than doubling the cost over nourished or at risk. Denbighshire County Council in bled its price over the period from social care.
five years to £6 a meal. She added: ‘Services such as north-east Wales also cut its serv- £2.85 to £6. The number receiving ‘Lack of funding will mean social
Between 2010-11 and 2015-16, the meals on wheels are a lifeline for ice, having provided 20,956 meals the meals fell from 42,449 to 18,183. care in crisis, leaving more of our
number of meals on wheels handed many who are finding it too much on wheels five years ago. Brent Council in London pushed loved ones facing an uncertain future
out across the country fell from to shop and cook, helping them to Liberal Democrat leader Tim Far- up its price from £5.91 to £7, and where they might no longer receive
6,736,104 a year to 3,460,583. manage at home for longer. ron said: ‘Meals on wheels is so numbers using its service fell by 82 the dignified care they deserve.’
Diane Jeffrey, of Age UK’s malnu- ‘This vital service is withering much more than just a hot and per cent from 112,959 to 20,077. Comment – Page 14

By Daniel Martin
Chief Political Correspondent
THE head of the NHS has demanded the
pensions triple lock and automatic free
bus passes be scrapped so more money
can be ploughed into elderly care. 
Simon Stevens called for a ‘new deal for
retirement’ under which millions of pounds
more would be diverted to fund home helps,
meals on wheels and care home places.
He said it made ‘no sense’ to many older
people that state pension levels were guar-
anteed even for the wealthy, while others
were condemned to being trapped in their
own homes or hospitals.
‘There is no point saying to our parents yes,
you’ve got a free bus pass, if you’re not able
to leave your house because you don’t have
the availability of home help,’ he told MPs.
‘We’ve got to make it easier for older people
to take back control of how funds are used
for their own services – rather that partition-
ing them up in ways decided by other people.’
The triple lock, introduced by ex-prime
Ditch the pensions triple lock to
fund care bills, urges NHS chief
minister David Cameron, means the
state pension always goes up by inflation,
average earnings growth, or 2.5 per cent –
whichever is greater.
The chief executive of NHS England said
he wanted to see the policy replaced with a
wider ‘triple guarantee’ which, as well as
shielding income, would also protect a pen-
sioner’s right to stay in their own home and
their right to decent social care. ‘We need big
changes and a conversation on a new deal for
retirement security in this country,’ he said.
‘You’ve got to look at the full range of serv-
ices and needs that people have. We should
move beyond a triple lock for pensions to a
triple guarantee on retirement security,
which would include income but also being
able to stay in your own home and getting
the care you need.’
He told MPs on the Commons communities
select committee that he welcomed plans to
allow town halls to increase council tax by up
to £160 to pay for care – but said this funding
increase was not the ‘final word’.
He also suggested that many perks for pen-
sioners, such as free bus passes, were unsus-
tainable when the care system was on the
brink of collapse. However he insisted his
proposals would not mean any protection
was necessarily taken away – just that pen-
sioners should have more choice about where
they want their money to go. ‘There is no
point saying we are putting all of the availa-
ble increase into triple lock pensions, includ-
ing for the much better off, if it means you’ve
got 14 or 15 per cent of pensioners still living
in poverty and not able to get the social care
they need,’ he said.
Asked whether he believed the large sums
spent on the triple lock should be diverted to
social care, he appeared to agree.
He said: ‘We have a policy preference
through the triple lock which goes in one
direction, when at the same time we see this
massive pressure on social care which is leav-
ing people trapped in their own homes and
hospitals. That’s a partitioning that in the
view of most older people makes no sense.’
 QQQ
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016 Page 

By Alexander Ward

HACKERS have stolen private data belonging

Billion Yahoo users sioner’s office confirmed that more than
eight million Yahoo users in Britain had been

hacked in biggest
to more than a billion Yahoo users in the affected.
largest online theft in history. The Information Commissioner, Elizabeth
The internet giant revealed that the infor- Denham added: ‘The vast number of people
mation stolen could include names, email affected by this cyber attack is staggering
addresses, phone numbers and security and demonstrates just how severe the con-
passwords. sequences of a security hack can be.’
The massive breach comes after the US

web theft of all time

firm was hacked in September, when 500mil-
l i o n a c c o u n t s we r e t a r g e t e d by
cyber-criminals.
Last night Yahoo had not established the
source of the hack, stating only that it was
due to an ‘unauthorised third party’ and
added that it was working closely with law
enforcement.
The company believes the data was stolen
in August 2013. It added that it did not believe
that bank account information and payment-
card data were affected.
Criminals can use private data to hack into
confidential accounts, carry out identity
fraud and send spam emails containing
rogue software that can be used to hijack
computers. The hack could raise questions
over whether Yahoo’s proposed multi-bil-
lion acquisition by mobile communications
company Verizon is in jeopardy.
In a statement, Verizon said that it will
monitor the situation as Yahoo investigates
and will review the ‘new development
before reaching any final conclusions’
regarding any takeover.
A spokesman declined to answer further
questions last night. Yahoo advised its users
to change their passwords and invalidate
their current security questions to prevent
their accounts being tampered with.
‘Yahoo believes an unauthorized third
party, in August 2013, stole data associated
with more than one billion user accounts,’ a
statement said. ‘Yahoo believes this incident
is likely to be distinct from the incident the
company disclosed on September 22, 2016.’
In that attack, the UK Information Commis-
Although the data was stolen in 2014, it took
Yahoo years to admit to the breach – which
it then blamed on ‘a state sponsored’ hacker.
At the time, BT and Sky customers were also
advised to change their account passwords,
after it emerged that both companies used
email technology supplied by Yahoo.
Professor Alan Woodward, a computer
security expert at the University of Surrey
said at the time of the 2014 hack: ‘At 500 mil-
lion users, it’s difficult to see how a data
breach can get bigger than this. Big internet
names keep falling like dominos.’
Claims that a ‘nation state’ hacked Yahoo
may come back to haunt the firm if ‘it turns
out it was hacked by a teenage boy in his
bedroom’, he said.

By Claire Ellicott
World first as woman
who had ovary frozen
A WOMAN in Britain has become
the first in the world to give
birth after having an ovary
removed as a child, frozen and
then re-implanted.
Moaza Al Matrooshi, 24, had her

when she was a child

ovarian tissue frozen aged nine ahead
of the chemotherapy she needed to
treat a rare blood disorder.
It makes her the first woman to give
birth having had an ovary removed prior
to going through puberty.
Speaking yesterday from the London

gives birth in Britain

hospital where her son was born, Mrs Al
Matrooshi: ‘It’s like a miracle. We’ve
been waiting so long for this result – a
healthy baby.’
Doctors said the birth offers hope to
girls and young women who risk losing the
chance of motherhood due to treatment
for cancer, blood or immune disorders.
Mrs Al Matrooshi’s doctor Sara Mat-
thews, a consultant in gynaecology and
fertility, said she was overjoyed for
the family, adding: ‘This is a huge
step forward.
‘We know that ovarian tissue
HOW THE PIONEERING TREATMENT WAS PERFORMED
transplantation works for older
women, but we’ve never known if 1 Right ovary 2 Slivers of ovarian
we could take tissue from a child, removed at the tissue frozen and
freeze it and make it work again,’
Mrs Al Matrooshi, who is from
age of nine stored before
Dubai, was born with beta thalas- chemotherapy
saemia, an inherited blood disor-
der that is fatal if untreated. Ovary
She needed chemotherapy, which
damages the ovaries, in order to
combat the condition, and later 4 Eight eggs are
also received a bone marrow trans- collected for IVF and
plant from her brother at Great
the embryo is implanted 3 Fifteen years on, tissue
Ormond Street Hospital.
Before undergoing the treatment, resulting in a is reimplanted in the left
t h e n i n e - y e a r- o l d h a d h e r healthy baby ovary and her hormones
return to normal levels
‘This is a huge
Picture: fergus walsh bbc

step forward’ at the forefront of ovarian tissue

right ovary removed in an opera-
tion in Leeds, where the tissue
was frozen.
Fragments of her ovarian tissue
were mixed with cryo-protective
agents and slowly reduced in
t e m p e r a t u r e t o m i n u s 1 9 6 C  Europe alone, several thousand
before being stored under
liquid nitrogen.
Last year, surgeons in Denmark
transplanted five slivers of the
ovarian tissue back into her body.
Four were stitched on to her failed
left ovary and one on to the side of
her uterus.  from Edinburgh became the
Though her body had naturally
started going through
menopause, her hormone levels
began returning to normal after
the operation.  remain anonymous.
She then began ovulating and her
fertility was restored, allowing her
to become pregnant, with doctors
announcing in March that she was
trying for a baby.
But in order to maximise the
chances of her having a child, Mrs
Al Matrooshi and her husband
Ahmed underwent IVF treatment.
From the eight eggs that were
collected, three embryos were pro-
duced, one of which was implanted
earlier this year – leading to the
birth of her son on Tuesday at the
privately-run Portland Hospital. ‘I
‘It’s like a miracle’: Moaza Al Matrooshi, 24, and her son, who was born in London on Tuesday
always believed that I would be a
mum and that I would have a baby,’
she said.  ing her ovarian tissue, Moaza went
‘ I d i d n’ t s t o p h o p i n g a n d
now I have this baby – it is a
perfect feeling.’
Mrs Al Matrooshi also thanked
her mother, whose idea it was to
save her young daughter’s ovarian
tissue so that she might be able to
have a family in the future.
Dr Matthews, who conducted the
fertility treatment, told the BBC:
‘Within three months of re-implant-
from being menopausal to having
regular periods again.
‘She basically became a normal
woman in her 20s with normal
ovary function.’
Professor Helen Picton, of the
University of Leeds, who carried
out the ovary freezing, said: ‘This is
incredibly encouraging. Moaza is a
freezing. In 1999 their scientists
were instrumental in performing
the world’s first transplant of fro-
zen ovarian tissue.
Professor Picton, who leads the
division of reproduction and early
development at Leeds, said that in
girls and young women now have
frozen ovarian tissue in storage.
This is usually done prior to
patients receiving chemotherapy
or radiation treatment, both of
which damage fertility.
Earlier this year a cancer patient
first UK woman to give birth
following a transplant of her frozen
ovary tissue. The mother, who
conceived naturally, wished to
Last year a woman in Belgium
gave birth using ovarian tissue fro-
zen when she was 13. Unlike Mrs Al
pioneer and was one of the first Matrooshi, she had begun going
patients we helped back in 2001, through puberty when her ovary
before any baby had been born was removed.
from ovary tissue preservation. The first woman in the world to
‘Worldwide more than 60 babies give birth following the transplan-
have been born from women who tation of her own ovarian tissue
had their fertility restored, but was in Belgium in 2004.
Moaza is the first case from Mrs Al Matrooshi still has one
pre-pubertal freezing and the first embryo in storage as well as two
from a patient who had treatment remaining pieces of ovarian tissue.
for beta thalassaemia.’ She said she definitely plans to
Researchers in Leeds have been have another baby in the future.
Page  Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016
Revealed: Real reason

Grieving mother’s video warning

you can’t lose weight
Good
Health
starts

By Ben Spencer page 34

Medical Correspondent

Continued from Page One

tuesday, January 26, 2016 www.dailymail.co.uk 60p

Bombshell report condemns out-of-hours

problem of sepsis is now every bit as urgent service over blunders that cost baby’s life

nhs hotline
as meningitis.’
Years of awareness campaigns have meant
most parents have a dread of meningitis,
which can kill in hours, and the symptoms

not safe
have become familiar to many.
The signs of sepsis are less known despite it
killing 1,000 young children a year, around ten
times the death rate from meningitis.

for sick
The Mail’s ‘End the Sepsis Scandal’ campaign,
which started in January, was triggered by the
revelation that a catalogue of errors led to the
death of 12-month-old William Mead in 2014.

children
A series of doctors and other medical staff
failed to realise he had a dangerous infection.
Sir Bruce Keogh, medical director of NHS
England, will today write to every hospital in
the country, explaining he expects them to
Life cut short: William Mead died just after his first birthday

From the Mail: January 26

The out-of-hours NhS O Out-of-hours doctors cannot access
patients’ medical records, often leav-

back the campaign.

hotline is unsafe for ing them in the dark.
The report is the result of a gruelling
seriously ill children, a year-long campaign by Paul and Melissa
bombshell report reveals. Mead to know the truth about their

‘This work has been driven by the desire of The 111 service puts parents at the son William’s death in December 2014.
NHS England concluded that a doctor
Page 12 mercy of a box-ticking process that

Josh White and Katherine Faulkner Daily Mail,
or aWednesday,
nurse takingSeptember 14, 2016
their call would prob-

Victory for the Mail

can miss life-threatening ably have seen the need for urgent

doctors, nurses and other health professionals

symptoms. action. But most 111 staff, who use com-
The shocking finding comes in a der is only one of 16 that contributed antibiotics, including to children; puter scripts, are not medically trained.
report into the death of a baby from to the tragedy. But many of the prob- O They are reluctant to refer sick Other problems included the failure
sepsis. It said William Mead might be lems are nationwide, the report says, patients to crowded casualty units;

to unite and take action,’ he said.

of GPs to carry out basic checks for
alive today had a 111 call handler because: O Patients suffer ‘loss of continuity’ signs of sepsis, and to give William the
realised just how ill he was. That blun- O GPs are pressured not to prescribe when taken ill over a weekend; Turn to Page 4
By Ben Spencer
‘This campaign is an important addition to Medical Correspondent

our ongoing work – we will never treat sepsis MINISTERS have agreed to fund

as ministers launch
a national campaign to raise
in time unless everyone “thinks sepsis”.’ awareness of sepsis in a victory for
the Daily Mail.

Sepsis occurs when a bacterial infection –

This newspaper revealed earlier this
year that children are dying needlessly
from the condition and told the story
such as septicaemia or blood poisoning – of William Mead, a baby who died of
sepsis after an NHS 111 call handler

sparks a violent immune response in which failed to realise how ill he was.

sepsis campaign
Following our campaign alongside Wil-
liam’s mother Melissa, Health Secretary
the body attacks its own organs. But it is Jeremy Hunt yesterday promised a nation-
wide awareness drive.

notoriously difficult to diagnose and life-sav-

Although the signs of sepsis, also referred
to as blood poisoning or septicaemia, are
hard to spot, greater knowledge of some of

ing antibiotics are often given too late. the symptoms could help people get treat-
ment more quickly, and save lives.
Mr Hunt said: ‘Sepsis is a devastating

Forty-five per cent of Britons do not know condition and patients rightly expect the
NHS to be able to recognise it and provide

The signs to look out for

the highest quality patient care.
‘We are committed to a new campaign
that will raise awareness of the condition

September
÷ Have a rash that does not14
and have worked closely with the UK Sep-

SIGNS OF
sis Trust to make sure it will help people
spot the signs and get the help they need.’ Any child may be critically ill
Polling by YouGov, published yesterday with sepsis if they: fade when you press it
to coincide with World Sepsis Day, reveals ÷ Feel abnormally cold to ÷ Have a fit or convusion
that 45 per cent of Britons do not know the touch
what sepsis is and 34 per cent have never ÷ Are very lethargic or difficult

Box ticking that

heard of it. ÷ Look mottled, blueish or to wake up

CHILD SEPSIS
The Department of Health is to fund a have very pale skin ÷ If a child has any of these
mass awareness project, led by the UK ÷ Are breathing very fast
Sepsis Trust and Public Health England. It signs call 999

END THE SEPSIS


How
"



"
the Mail led the way

failed William
ness of sepsis has been launched

Go to A&E immediately or call 999 if

after a Daily Mail campaign revealed
SCANDAL !



  
 Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has
promised a nationwide public health
 
 

your child has any of the following:
will be launched later this year and seek to



inform millions of patients and clinicians
around the country about the condition.
Posters and leaflets have been drafted,
ing’ condition, which is known as the
‘silent killer’ and claims the lives of 1,000  
with a checklist telling parents when to January 26

   

 

call 999. The campaign will focus on the
message: ‘Just ask – could it be sepsis?’

■ Looks mottled, bluish or pale

William was just 12 months old when he
died of sepsis at his home in Penryn,
  



January



■ Is very lethargic


or difficult to wake
■ Feels abnormally cold to touch
■ Is breathing very fast
■ Has a rash that does not
fade when you press it
■ Has a fit or convulsion
Source: NHS / UK Sepsis Trust
the symptoms even though it hits an esti-
mated 200,000 people a year.
Its death toll is greater than that from
breast, bowel and prostate cancer combined.
A national audit last year found there were
delays in diagnosing sepsis in 36 per cent of
cases. Mr Hunt admitted earlier this year that
the NHS’s approach to sepsis was ‘totally inad-
equate’ and agreed to plan the campaign to
improve the way that ‘red flags’ for the illness
are recognised.
The UK Sepsis Trust estimates the cam-
paign could save 14,000 lives a year – 38 a day.
‘This awareness campaign is a crucial step
forward,’ said Dr Ron Daniels, the charity’s
chief executive. ‘Clinicians and members of
the public can save thousands of
lives every year if they just ask: uted via social media and the online
could it be sepsis?’ forum Netmums. Mrs Mead, 30, has
He said he was delighted at the also written an open letter to moth-
launch of the campaign, but ers, warning them of the dangers.
warned: ‘System-wide improve- Next year the campaign will tar-
ments to sepsis care must follow.’ get adults, with plans for warning
The first stage will focus on chil- signs on ambulances.
dren under five. Melissa Mead, the Health Education England is to
mother of William, has filmed a start training all doctors and nurses
heart-rending video to be distrib- specifically about sepsis for the
By Jeremy
Hunt
HEALTH SECRETARY
As a parent nothing is more scary than
when your son or daughter is ill. As you
sit with a small, feverish child you
inevitably fear the worst – but the truth
is you just don’t know.
So when I first heard about the tragic case
of William Mead, who died of sepsis two years
ago, I couldn’t help but think of my own
three young children.
Sepsis is a devastating condition which
kills too many babies every year. Over the
past year, I have worked closely with Melissa
Mead, William’s mother, and the UK Sepsis
Trust to give parents far better reassurance
than they have now.
We’ve built understanding of meningitis over
the years – and most parents are far more
knowledgeable than even a decade ago about
 
Cornwall. A damning report obtained by
the Mail revealed how there had been
16 failures in his case, with a string of 26


clinicians failing to spot signs he was
suffering from the condition, which affects
the immune system.
Errors at the troubled NHS 111 helpline From the Mail, January 26 February 9
Nothing can prepare you
– which was not sensitive to signs of the
condition – were among a string of appall-
ing blunders that contributed to William’s but escalates rapidly, sparking a hensive programme will have an
death in December 2014. vicious immune response in which enormous impact on the health of
The local out-of-hours service and GPs the body attacks its own vital individuals and families across the
also failed to spot he had sepsis, which organs. But despite the severity of country,’ he added.
for seeing your baby in a
had been caused by an underlying chest the condition, it is very tricky to Sue Morrish, whose son Sam died
infection and pneumonia. detect. It can develop rapidly and with sepsis in Devon in 2010, added:
Following the revelations, Mr Hunt needs prompt treatment in hospi- ‘When my son Sam died I had never
admitted the Health Service’s approach tal with antibiotics. heard of sepsis, and yet the fast-
to sepsis – the leading cause of avoidable Victim: William Mead was just one when he died from sepsis The UK Sepsis Trust estimates a moving and deadly condition took
death in the UK – was ‘totally inad- major awareness campaign could the life of my child in what felt like
coffin – but the worst
equate’ and agreed to collaborate string of tragic cases in which chil- cated but we need to make sure save 14,000 lives across the UK an instant.
with the Mead family to plan a new dren have died needlessly of sepsis. that everyone knows about it.’ every year – 38 a day. Chief execu- ‘Parents are the front-line carers
approach to combating the condi- Mrs Mead, 29, said yesterday: Sepsis affects 150,000 people a tive Dr Ron Daniels said he was for their children, so it is crucial
tion and improve the way ‘red flags’ ‘This Government funding will get year and kills an estimated 44,000, ‘delighted’ that the Government that they know about sepsis and
for the illness are recognised. our campaign out of the starting of whom 1,000 are children. It is has agreed to act. are equipped to recognise the
The Mail has since revealed a blocks. Sepsis will never be eradi- usually triggered by an infection ‘This far-reaching and compre- warning signs.’
thing is knowing he
could have been saved
Campaigner: Melissa Mead lost her son William to sepsis aged 12 months January 26
THE Mail’s ‘End the Sepsis Scandal’ cam- Daily Mail Reporter tors incorrectly told William’s parents five
paign was launched in January following separate time that he had a virus. Mrs
the controversy over the death of Wil- rending video. Distributed via social media Mead, from Penryn, Cornwall, gave birth to
liam Mead. He was only 12 months old and the online forum Netmums, it will show son, Arthur, in September.
when he died in 2014 from sepsis follow- the 30-year-old holdings up placards that She said: ‘Sepsis is a cruel, ruthless condi-
ing a chest infection. tion which doesn’t discriminate and can
outline the symptoms of the condition.
His mother Melissa, 30, has campaigned William’s case was beset by errors stretch- affect anyone. I hope this campaign reaches
tirelessly on the issue of the ‘silent killer’ ing back three and a half months, with sev- as many people as possible, so all parents
and has won changes in the way doctors eral GPs, out-of-hours services and a 111 call out there know about sepsis and how seri-
screen for the deadly illness. handler failed to spot the problems. Had ous it can be. The more parents know, the
For today’s launch of a sepsis awareness just one of them realised he had an infec- quicker they can act if they suspect their
campaign, Mrs Mead has filmed a heart- tion, his life would have been saved. Doc- child may be suffering from sepsis.’
first time. Hospitals will be docked the information to take action. This to highlight this campaign and the
up to £2million of their annual NHS campaign gives parents vital infor- importance of making all staff
funding if they do not hit targets mation about sepsis, helps them aware of the signs of sepsis.’
for the screening, testing and treat- identify the symptoms of sepsis and Parents are advised to go to A&E
ment of sepsis. encourages them to seek the appro- immediately or call 999 if their child
Professor Paul Cosford, medical priate medical attention. looks mottled, bluish or pale. Other
director at Public Health England, ‘It is important that these mes- signs include lethargy, feeling
said: ‘We know that acting quickly sages are widely received which is abnormally cold to touch and
in cases of sepsis can save a child’s why I am writing with Sir Bruce breathing very fast.
life and it is important parents have Keogh to all NHS medical directors Comment – Page 14
a crucial step where in the world. We have introduced a
national scheme to make sure at-risk
patients are screened for sepsis as quickly as
possible and receive timely treatment on
admission to hospital.
in saving lives
We are also working with Health Education
England to make sure all health profession-
als have the knowledge and skills to identify
and treat sepsis.
Yesterday I visited the Royal Free Hospital
with Melissa, where we saw first hand how
the NHS is tackling this condition.
Dedicated paediatricians talked us through
how their children’s A&E department
handles sepsis, and I was hugely impressed
by their commitment to improving services
for patients and their families.
Work like this is another crucial step on the
the signs of that devastating infection. But we they spot them. Leaflets and posters are road to reducing the harm sepsis causes.
can’t be complacent – the problem of sepsis is being distributed right now across the NHS. The Mail has rightly championed this cause
now every bit as urgent as meningitis. A new video with Melissa Mead and other – highlighting the cases of countless families
So today I am delighted to launch a new families who have been affected will spread that have been affected by sepsis.
sepsis awareness campaign for parents and the word on social media. By raising levels of public awareness, we’ll
carers of children from newborn to four This runs alongside the work already under save lives in the future – and the tragedy of
years old to help them with the symptoms of way to deliver our ambition to promise NHS what happened to William Mead will not
sepsis – and, crucially, to know what to do if patients the safest, highest-quality care any- have been in vain.
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016 Page 

Mothers
By Laura Lambert
TV and Radio Reporter

THE Apprentice reaches its semi-

final tonight – with working mothers
making up three of the five remain-

rule the
ing hopefuls.
Such has been the march of the female
contestants this year that there is only
one man left in the running to receive
£250,000 investment from Alan Sugar.
Tonight the BBC1 series gets to the tough
interview stage, when the tycoon’s closest
advisers will grill all five and pick apart their

Apprentice
business plans.
But for the three mothers – Grainne McCoy,
Frances Bishop and Jessica Cunningham –
the most challenging aspect during the
weeks of filming is likely to have been the
separation from their children.
Contestants have to hand over their phones
at the beginning of filming and are then
given little contact with their families.
These restrictions are likely to be have
been particularly demanding for Miss Cun-
ningham, 29, who has single-handedly raised
her three daughters.

Four of the last five

Mrs Bishop, who is married to Scunthorpe
United footballer Neal Bishop, has been
­separated from her son Oscar, while Miss
McCoy has hardly seen her son Ryan, whom

are women – three

she had while still at school.
In week four another working mother,
­A leksandra King, quit the competition,
blaming the lack of contact she was allowed
with her children.
Her decision was criticised by Miss McCoy,
who said that she was ‘clearly not strong
enough’. And Mrs Bishop said: ‘I sure as hell
with children
didn’t leave my boy for ten weeks to come
here and be a loser.’
Here we profile the five semi-finalists. Only
two will make it through to the final, to be
shown on Sunday night.

The FASHIONISTA
Jessica Cunningham, 29, is a single mother with Model mother:
three daughters, Poppy, Olive and Hattie. Jessica
She founded Famous Frocks when she was
25, and had her children with her business Cunningham in
partner. She has since set up her own wom- one of her own
en’s fashion brand, Prodigal Fox. swimwear
Having children has motivated her to do
better, she says. ‘I have always had the drive designs. Inset:
to do well, but since having children the With her three
drive is definitely maximised. It’s always daughters
hard being the breadwinner, because you
have got three people who rely on you.’
During the series she struggled as project
manager of an early task but has impressed
Lord Sugar with her skill at making sales.

The make-up queen

Grainne McCoy, 31, had a child when she
was only 16, going back to school a month
later. Raised in Northern Ireland with four
siblings, she does make-up for fea-
ture films and video shoots, and
runs her own make-up studio near
her parents’ home.
She impressed Lord Sugar early
on but struggled to make decisions
when project managing a task
based at the Liberty department
store in London. She also appeared
to get drunk on a gin-making task.

The POCKET ROCKET

Mother-of-one Frances Bishop, 25,
owns a children’s clothing company.
As a child, she was a world karate
champion and a competitive Irish
dancer. The self-described ‘pocket
rocket’ went to Durham University
but dropped out.
While working as a barmaid at
Notts County football club she met
footballer Mr Bishop, and they
married and had a baby. She then
went on to found her children’s
clothing company, The Pud.
On The Apprentice her engage-
ment with clients and research
skills have impressed Lord Sugar,
but she has won only one task.
Clothes designer: Frances Bishop, and right with son Oscar Movie magic: Grainne McCoy, also right with son Ryan
The hippy wasn’t fast enough. She started
selling cakes as a teenager, leaving
person in this year’s series. Lord
Sugar’s assistant Karren Brady has
runs his own business designing
and selling novelty gifts.
he started his own business with
£20,000 of his own money. Three years
Cake company owner Alana Spen-
cer, 24, was brought up in a family school at 18 after receiving a grant since described her as ‘steely’. He got a first class degree in indus- later he is selling to 17 countries.
of ‘hippy travellers’. She set up her to start a small kitchen. She now trial design technology and went on The Apprentice judges have been
first business at school, making sells cakes to festivals and country LAST MAN STANDING to work for a gift company as consistently impressed with him,
cards – and sacked her best friend shows, and employs her boyfriend Courtney Wood, 29, lives with his a designer. although in one episode he showed
when they were 14 because she as a salesman. She is the youngest parents in Linford, Essex, where he After taking a year out in Australia, himself to be a poor salesman.

German? Nein! VW bosses are told to speak English

IT MIGHT be one of Germany’s biggest
businesses – but Volkswagen clearly believes
British is best.
The car giant, which includes Audi, has
announced it is switching its official language
to English to make itself more welcoming.
Bosses say the change is designed to
improve recruitment as some prospective
employees are put off by the need to speak
German. ‘In future, English is to be the group
language,’ said board member Dr Karlheinz
Blessing. ‘This will improve access to the top
By James Burton City Correspondent
management level for international top per-
formers and cooperation among top man-
agers. As a globally positioned group, we
need the best people in the world.’
VW owns a range of foreign brands includ-
ing British marque Bentley, France’s Bugatti
and Skoda in the Czech Republic.
The policy change means English will be the
official language used by top managers for
documents, meetings and presentations.
Factory staff will still be free to speak their
native language among themselves.
Although Volkswagen has German roots
dating back to 1936, it has long been a multi-
national business. It is seeking to rebuild its
reputation after being found to have cheated
in EU emissions tests.
Millions of vehicles had to be recalled
around the world and the scandal could lead
to multi-billion pound fines.
The language switch was announced as
part of an effort to bring in staff from differ-
ent backgrounds. VW said it would seek more
female managers, aim for bosses with wider
experience and encourage foreign assign-
ments. Dr Blessing said the car industry was
being transformed by the internet and it was
important to adapt.
He also said he wanted staff to feel free to
discuss any concerns.
‘Diversity and international experience will
be more important for management than
ever before,’ he said. ‘We will promote a
culture of discussion and decision-making.’
Fourth strike pil
Page 
By Jason Groves and James Salmon
BRITISH Airways cabin crews joined
rail workers and Post Office staff in
threatening strikes last night in what
was described as a ‘co-ordinated
attempt to inflict misery at Christmas’.
The giant Unite union said BA cabin crew
had voted overwhelmingly to strike over
pay, with walkouts potentially starting as
soon as December 21.
The move threatens to wreck the holiday plans
of thousands of families.
Post Office workers are planning five days of
strikes starting next week. And rail workers on
Now BA staff will walk out – along
with train, post and Argos workers
the troubled Southern network inflicted another
day of misery on hundreds of thousands of
travellers yesterday.
In the Commons, Theresa May rounded on
Jeremy Corbyn over the ‘appalling’ strikes on
Southern Rail – and urged the Labour leader to
tell his union cronies to back down. And, as the
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016
Unite union threatened walkouts at BA, senior
Tories demanded emergency legislation to
tackle what one MP called a ‘co-ordinated
attempt to inflict misery at Christmas’.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling floated
the idea this week of a total ban on rail strikes.
But ministers are also considering alternative
plans that could require unions on
key services to prove their action was
‘proportionate’ – and force them to
operate at least a 50 per cent service.
Welfare minister Penny Mordaunt
said the situation at Southern, where
commuters have suffered months of
misery, was so serious that ministers
may have to take extra action.
‘Something needs to be done,’ she
said. ‘The public have had enough.’
Tory MP Chris Philp, who has held
talks with Mr Grayling this week on
possible union reforms, said: ‘I am
not sure it is a coincidence that we
are getting all these strikes in the run-
up to Christmas. It is starting to look
like co-ordinated by Jeremy Corbyn’s
hard-Left union allies.
‘The RMT and Aslef have massively
overstepped the mark and unfortu-
nately that means the Government
has to legislate. Other countries, such
as Italy and Canada, already have
laws requiring unions to show that
strikes on critical infrastructure are
proportionate.
‘In the case of the Southern strike,
no-one is losing their jobs and there
are no safety issues – it’s a dispute
about who presses a button to shut
the doors. For that, they are inflicting
misery on 300,000 passengers, and I
don’t think any court would consider
that to be proportionate.’
Former justice minister Dominic
Raab added: ‘Targeting strike action
to inflict misery at this time of year is
deeply irresponsible and cynical on
‘Licensed
blackmail’
the part of union bosses. The Govern-
ment is right to keep its options open
and resist this licensed blackmail.’
In the Commons, the Prime Minister
rounded on Mr Corbyn over his close
links to the RMT and Aslef rail unions
behind the Southern dispute.
Both unions have bankrolled Mr
Corbyn’s regime, as has Unite.
Branding the strikes ‘appalling’, Mrs
May said: I’ve got a suggestion for the
Leader of the Opposition – I think
the Leader of the Opposition could
do something to help members of
the public.
‘The Labour Party is funded by Aslef.
Why doesn’t he get on the phone and
tell them to call the strike off
immediately?’
But despite the chaos on the rail-
ways, Labour confirmed it was sup-
porting the strikes. Asked if he backed
the unions involved in the Southern
dispute, shadow transport secretary
Andy McDonald replied: ‘Absolutely.’
Mr McDonald, who has praised the
‘guts’ of striking railway staff, claimed
there were ‘critical safety issues’
around driver-only trains, despite the
fact they have been used on the rail
network for years.
Unite said its members had over-
whelmingly backed the BA walkouts
in a dispute over pay involving around
2,500 workers.
Union representatives will meet over
the next two days to decide what
action to take, with a strike possible
at any date from December 21.
But there are fears the union will
orchestrate strikes to cause maximum
disruption for those planning to fly
abroad to spend Christmas with
friends and family. The pay dispute
involves ‘mixed fleet’ cabin crew – who
fly a combination of short-haul and
How chaos
could cost
me place at
university
By Rosie Taylor
A-LEVEL student Natasha Pearson
says her grades have been affected
by a string of problems getting to
college on Southern Rail.
The 17-year-old is studying politics,
law and media studies at Collyer’s
College in Horsham, which should be
a 45-minute train journey from her
hometown of East Grinstead.
But since the strike action began,
the journey has frequently taken her
two hours each way. She has regu-
larly missed morning lessons due to
late or cancelled trains, despite get-
ting up at 6.30am.
Often Natasha does not get home
until 7pm, leaving her little time to
catch up on the lessons she has
missed, let alone prepare her course-
work or for exams.
And with no way of getting to col-
lege this week, she has had to rely on
her mother giving her a lift – a 36-
mile round trip that takes up to two-
and-a-half hours both morning and
evening because traffic is so bad.
She is now so far behind she fears
she will not get the grades she needs
to fulfil her dream of studying politics
at Bristol University.
Natasha said: ‘My college is very sym-
pathetic but my attendance is already
so reduced I feel I have to try to come
in on strike days. I can’t do work on the
train because it is very rare to get a
seat as it’s always so busy.
‘In my first year at college there
was never a problem unless it was a
strike day but since this term began
I’ve been delayed nearly every day. It
is just a nightmare situation.
‘My grades are now a genuine
worry. It feels so unfair – this is affect-
ing my life and my future.’
Natasha pays £103 a term for her
student ticket.
In Kent, mother-of-two Julie Bur-
gess is forced to make a 50-minute
round trip every morning and
evening to take her 14-year-old son
to and from school.
The family live in Hamstreet but her
son attends school in Rye – 12 miles
away in East Sussex.
It should be a 13-minute train jour-
ney, but since May the train has fre-
quently been cancelled or severely
delayed. This week there are no
trains and no replacement bus serv-
ice for her son to get to school,
long-haul – and who have joined the
airline since 2010.
Unite claims they earn less than
other staff. It said earnings were adver-
tised between £21,000 and £25,000 but
in reality started at just over £12,000
plus £3 an hour flying pay.
Members voted to strike after reject-
ing a 2 per cent pay offer on what
Unite has described as ‘poverty pay’
levels. It said crew had been forced to
resort to moonlighting in other jobs or
sleeping in their cars between shifts to
survive. Unite’s regional officer Matt
es on Xmas misery
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016
Concerned: A-level student Natasha Pearson
despite the fact his student rail
ticket costs £60 a term.
Mrs Burgess, 51, is a self-
employed beauty therapist and
has to give up time with clients.
She said: ‘Every day it is a Russian
roulette as to whether the train
will come and whether they will
put a bus on – sometimes they
Smith said crew members were
‘at breaking point’.
He said: ‘Mixed fleet crew earn
just over the minimum wage
and below the national average.
Significant numbers of crew are
taking on second jobs, and
many go to work unfit to fly
because they can’t afford to be
sick. British Airways bosses
need to wake up to the anger
and the injustice here.’
BA said it had made an offer
that would lead to basic pay
do, sometimes they don’t, but
we can never rely on it.
‘He can be waiting there for
ages, it’s winter and cold and
dark, so I do worry. It is nearly an
hour to take him to school and
drive back, sometimes I have to
do that morning and evening.
But there’s no other way.’
and hourly duty rates increas-
ing by a minimum of 7 per cent.
A spokesman said: ‘We are
extremely disappointed that
the union is creating uncer-
tainty for our customers.’
  A planned strike by drivers
who deliver goods for retail giant
Argos has been suspended.
Members of the Unite union
employed by Wincanton were
due to walk out next week, but
will now vote on a new offer.
j,groves@dailymail.co.uk
Shoddy deal hands
rail firm £9bn ...
but you get £50m
compensation bill!
MINISTERS faced fierce criti-
cism last night for awarding
Southern Rail’s parent com-
pany a £9 billion contract that
forces the taxpayer to com-
pensate delayed travellers.
The extraordinary – and unique
– deal has left taxpayers on the
hook for £50 million in compensa-
tion and lost ticket sales during
the current dispute, while provid-
ing little incentive for rail chiefs
to improve services.
Govia Thameslink Railway was
awarded the seven-year, £8.9 billion
contract until September 2021. In
return for handing all money from
fares to the Government, it gets a
guaranteed payment a year, escapes
liability to compensate commuters
for delays and cancellations and
apparently has little penalty for fail-
ing to provide a quality service.
While the contract does stipulate
Govia has to hit certain targets, it
is shrouded in secrecy and both
‘This situation
cannot continue’
Govia and the Government have
refused demands from MPs to give
further details.
Anger over the contract came on
another day of misery for passengers
across the Southern network.
A second day of combined strikes
by drivers and train guards wiped
out all 2,242 weekday services yester-
day, while talks aimed at bringing the
long-running dispute were adjourned
last night, leaving passengers facing
another 24-hour strike on Friday.
And even though there is a tempo-
rary pause in the strike action today,
the disruption will continue. South-
ern said services will be ‘severely
impacted’ as ‘some trains and crew
will still not be in position’.
Last night, Louise Ellman, Labour
MP and chairman of the cross-party
transport select committee, said:
‘The appalling situation on Southern
Rail has continued for far too long.
The Government has failed to man-
age a franchise that was too large.
‘Govia receives a billion pounds per
year management fee while the pub-
lic sector faces a possible shortfall of
£38million. Meanwhile, the Depart-
ment for Transport has failed to meet
its deadline for deciding whether
Southern’s operator, Govia, is in
breach of contract for poor opera-
tional performance.
‘This situation cannot continue.’
Under the £8.9 billion contract, the
By James Salmon
Transport Correspondent
Government is responsible for pay-
ing compensation to passengers for
delays and cancellations. The tax-
payer also loses out if revenues from
tickets falls.
This arrangement is set to cost tax-
payers more than £50 million during
the current dispute, including £38mil-
lion for the fall in revenue from ticket
sales and up to £15 million in com-
pensation
PICK UP the Government has prom-
ised
ATto pay. Meanwhile Govia is sav-
TESCO
ingEXPRESS
an estimated £1.1 million
WedneSday, decemBer 14, 2016 in
for striking drivers and conductors.
The firm has insisted the disruption
caused by the strikes is a ‘force
majeure’ – or beyond its control –
which it cannot legally be held liable
for. The Government says it is still
hypocrisy
of rail
wreckers
After day of misery, how union
boss agreed five years ago
to reforms at centre of strike Star
A MILITANT union chief
... Felicity
backed the introduction
of the same driver-only
From yesterday’s Mail
sparkles
trains he now claims
are unsafe.
As hundreds of thousands of
commuters endured a day of chaos,
deciding whether to accept this.
red carpet
Mick Whelan of Aslef insisted his
members were on strike to protect
No other rail operator in the coun-
the travelling public.
He claimed trains on which drivers
rather than guards operate doors
try has been given such Turna togenerous
were behind a big rise in accidents.
But a document seen by the Mail
Page 6
reveals Mr Whelan was happy to sup-
deal by ministers. But former trans-
port secretary Patrick McLoughlin –
since knighted and promoted to
chairman of the Tory Party – thought
it was the only way to persuade a rail
operator to take over the giant
Southern franchise.
The transport committee has
claimed the service on Southern is so
poor that it must have breached its
contract. It has argued that the Gov-
ernment should consider stripping
Govia of the franchise and awarding
it to another operator.
Meanwhile, union bosses’ justifica-
tion for the rail strikes lay in tatters
last night as another independent
Page 
watchdog rejected claims that driver-
only trains has led to a surge in
accidents.
In an effort to justify the strikes on
Southern Rail, the general secretary
of drivers’ union Aslef insisted that
the introduction of driver-only trains
had caused more people to fall
between the platform and the train.
Mick Whelan told the BBC the
trains, which enable drivers instead
of guards to open and close the
doors, had led to an ‘awful increase’


in accidents.
But his claims were refuted by the
independent Rail Safety and Stand-
pay dAily
www.dailymail.co.uk ards Board.
nEwSPAPEr of ThE yEAr 65pIt also dismissed bizarre
FREE Bing
claims from the £128,000-a-year union
baron that the introduction of driver-
only trains had somehow contrib-
uted to an increase in suicides.
& FRiEnds xmas cd
The independent rail watchdog
said the number of injuries caused by
falls at platforms had actually
dropped significantly in recent years
SEE PAGE 44 for dETAilS
Terms: Today only, while stocks last. Terms apply.
following the introduction of the
trains on many routes. It also told
the Mail it was ‘not true to say that
the number of suicides on the rail-
way is increasing’.
The rebuttal will heap pressure on
Mr Whelan, with the Office of Road
and Rail also vouching for the safety
of driver-only trains which have been
operating around the country for dec-
ades. A signed document emerged
earlier this week, showing that Mr
Whelan agreed in October 2011 to the
‘Credibility has
been derailed’
introduction of driver-only trains on
power services, despite now
Thameslink
claiming they are unsafe.
By James Salmon, Guy Adams were cancelled, causing the worst
Grant Shapps, the former Tory
and Emily Kent Smith
disruption in 20 years;
O Desperate commuters complained
of six-hour journeys to work;
chairman and chairman of the cross-
on Infrastructure Group, said
O They had to queue at bus stops,
port bringing the services to Thames-
trek to other stations, brave jams or
link routes in 2011. Signed by the
stay at home;
party Big
£128,000-a-year union baron, the docu- O Independent experts dismissed the
ment confirmed Aslef ‘agrees to drive
driver-only safety fears;
and operate’ 12 driver-only trains to
O Rail bosses and union chiefs last
Aslef’s credibility ‘has been derailed
meet timetable requirements.
Thameslink is now part of Govia
night agreed to hold peace talks at
Acas to end the industrial action.
Thameslink Railway, which also runs Yesterday, Mr Whelan claimed more
by these figures’. He added: ‘Any-
the strike-ravaged Southern services.
The row erupted as:
commuters had thrown themselves
in front of trains since drivers were
O Transport secretary Chris Grayling
thing other than an immediate end
given responsibility for shutting Stellar: Britain’s Felicity Jones at Star Wars movie
said he might toughen strike laws; premiere last night See Page 5
O Almost all of Southern’s 2,242 services
to this strike action will show that it
is time for the Government to step in
and ban these economy-destroying
strikes once and for all.’
Bosses at Govia yesterday met with
Mr Whelan at the conciliation service
Acas to try to break the deadlock.
Mick Cash, the general secretary of
the Rail Maritime & Transport union,
tried to join the talks but was barred
because he had not been invited.
Talks will resume this morning.
Southern urged passengers to check
its website before travelling today.
Aslef did not respond for requests
for comment last night.
Comment – Page 14
Page 10 Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016

We won’t negotiate 1 in 7 airline

pilots suffer
depression
with EU on borders, ONE in seven airline pilots are suffering
from depression, research has revealed.
The first study of pilots’ mental health was
carried out after clinically depressed

says Brexit minister

Andreas Lubitz flew a Germanwings plane
into the French Alps last year, killing 150
people. It revealed that 14 per cent of
working pilots met the threshold for
depression, reporting symptoms such as
suicidal thoughts, trouble concentrating
and feelings of failure.
Harvard University researchers, who
surveyed people in the UK and internation-
ally, say the stigma of seeking help, and
fear of being ‘grounded’, may be putting

‘
By James Slack about withdrawal. He added: ‘As pilots off having treatment.

Taking back
Political Editor recently as October, at least one Author Joseph Allen said: ‘We found that
head of government was saying
‘how are you going to reverse many pilots currently flying are managing
BRITAIN is not prepared depressive symptoms, and it may be that

control is
this? And many of the others still
to negotiate with Brussels feel that it can’t really happen.’ they are not seeking treatment due to the
on immigration and will He said of the Article 50 proc- fear of negative career impacts.
‘There is a veil of secrecy around mental
quite an
take back full control of its ess: We don’t intend to revoke it,
and it may not be revocable.’  On health issues in the cockpit. By using an
borders, the Brexit Secre- renegotiation plans, he said he anonymous survey, we were able to guard
tary declared last night.
important
wanted to be ‘as open as we can against people’s fears of reporting due to
In comments that will infuri- be’ without undermining the
stigma and job discrimination.’
ate Europe’s leaders, David UK’s negotiating position.
Co-author Alex Wu said: ‘This is important
Earlier this week, Chancellor

issue ... we
Davis also said there would be
Philip Hammond spoke out in to address, so that we can hope to miti-
no ‘preferential access’ to the
UK for EU migrants. favour of a transitional deal, say- gate, or even prevent, future incidents
ing there was an ‘emerging view’ similar to the Germanwings incident.’

have to pay
His remarks to the Brexit select
committee on the shape of a among businesses, regulators Studies in the US have suggested one in
likely ‘divorce deal’ suggest Brit- and ‘thoughtful politicians’. ten adults will suffer depression at some
But Mr Davis said he was not

respect to
ain will impose a strict visa point in their lives, but no more than about
regime – dashing Remainers prepared to extend the Brexit 6 per cent at any one time.
hopes of a so-called ‘soft Brexit’. negotiations, which he said could

Scotland Yard
be concluded in 18 months.

the outcome
They also indicate Mr Davis
and Theresa May are not seeking Yesterday, the Institute for
to remain members of the single Government claimed Mrs May’s
desire for secrecy around her

of the probe 20 VIPs

market. Mr Davis came under
pressure from Europhile MPs to plans is hindering Whitehall’s

produce a white paper setting
out Britain’s aims in the negotia-
tion with Brussels.
But he said he would not be
ready to give any information
until February at the earliest.
Brussels normally demands the
free movement of workers in
return for being a member of the
tariff free trading bloc.
Mr Davis told MPs that the UK
could continue to make some
payments into the EU once we
have left. However, he said he
would accept a transitional
arrangement to implement the
terms of Britain’s withdrawal
from the EU ‘if it’s necessary, and
only if it’s necessary’. The Chan-
cellor, by contrast, has enthusi-
astically embraced the idea.
But, on the subject of immigra-
tion, Mr Davis said the Govern-
ment would not negotiate at all.
He said ministers had learned
lessons from the Swiss govern-
ment, which failed to retain full
control of immigration – despite
getting an apparent deal from
Brussels. Mr Davis said: ‘The
Swiss thought they had control
of their own migration via an
emergency brake, which, when
they tried to exercise it, they
were unable to do.
‘We have to pay respect to the
outcome of the referendum –
therefore it has to be clear con-
trol by this parliament.’
Asked if the Government will
enter into negotiations on pref-
erential access for EU migrants,
Mr Davis said: ‘No, I don’t think
so. The operation of that deci-
sion after we have left will be in
the national interest and that
will affect all skill levels.’
Downing Street later backed his
tough stance, which is likely to
receive a frosty response when Mrs
May arrives in Brussels today for a
meeting of the European Council.
She is already due to be excluded
from a dinner of the other 27 mem-
bers of the EU – when they will dis-
’
referendum
David Davis yesterday
cuss strategy ahead of the formal
negotiations in March.  report, a group of peers said
The PM’s official spokesman
s a i d : ‘ We h a v e b e e n c l e a r
throughout as we approach this
negotiation that it will be the UK
that will control immigration. We
will make the decisions.’
Mr Davis indicated that the
Government is working on four
possible outcomes from the
Brexit talks in relation to the
European Customs Union.
These include being fully or
partially inside the union, having
a free trade agreement and cus-
toms arrangement with the
remaining EU and being ‘com-
pletely outside’.  The Brexit Sec-
retary said that invoking Article
50 by the end of March would act
as a wake-up call to EU leaders
that the UK means business
‘We will make
the decisions’
ability to prepare for Brexit.  It
said departments are uncertain
about what to do before she trig-
gers Article 50.  In a separate
financial services firms could
desert the City unless a transi-
tional deal is secured.  of them as ‘very signif-
Baroness Falkner of Margravine
said any pain caused to the finan-
cial sector during Brexit negotia-
tions could see key services shift
t o N e w Yo r k .  M e a n w h i l e ,
Europhile former Lib Dem leader
Nick Clegg said Mrs May’s deter-
mination to take the UK out of
the jurisdiction of the European
Court of Justice is likely to be ‘a
serious stumbling block’.  His comments came as he defended his
In a report, he claimed the UK
could be cut off from access to
crime databases. Government
officials, however, have said they
expect to sign up to the main
information sharing systems.
j.slack@dailymail.co.uk
AT least 20 high pro-
file people are at the
centre of Scotland
Yard investigations,
Britain’s top police
officer said yesterday.
Retiring Metropoli-
tan Police Commis-
sioner Sir Bernard
Hogan-Howe, pic-
tured, described some
icant public figures’.
He said the force
investigates 800,000
crime reports a year, including an ‘awful
lot’ which are of public interest or concern
prominent individuals.
‘I could probably run through at least 20
that you would regard as high-profile,’ he
said. ‘Some of them are very significant
public figures.’
force’s inquiry into historic allegations of
child abuse and murder against senior
Establishment figures. Sir Bernard insisted
he was unaware of the scale of the failings
of Operation Midland until an independent
review was published last month.
And he confirmed that he has apologised

May: Europe must do more to Record number

personally to former military chief Lord
Bramall and ex-Tory MP Harvey Proctor.

root out bogus asylum seekers of women work

THERESA May will today warn EU lead-
ers they risk destroying public trust
unless they do more to root out economic
migrants posing as refugees.
She will say that while genuine refugees
must be helped, Europe should remember
how communities in Britain and elsewhere
are feeling the ‘pressure’ of mass migration.  ing to the Office for National Statistics.
A No.10 source said Mrs May would under-
line the ‘huge challenge that Europe faces in
dealing with global mass migration flows and
the need to find a practical, sustainable way’
to control it. The official said that, while the
EU needs to recognise humanitarian need,
Europe’s leaders also need to be ‘aware of the
way some of our communities experience the
pressures of migration’.
The source said: ‘A failure to respond risks
undermining our values and damaging con-
sent of our people to provide support and
sanctuary to those who need it the most’.
The PM’s remarks come at a time when
German chancellor Angela Merkel is facing
controversy for throwing her country’s doors
open to more than a million migrants.
As part of efforts to identify bogus refugees,
From James Slack in London
and Mario Ledwith in Brussels
Britain is sending 40 immigration officials to
Greece over the winter months.
The staff – case workers who are experts in
spotting false papers – will help the Greeks to
identify economic migrants posing as refu-
gees. Arrivals would then be put into a fast-
track asylum system with the aim of sending
them home in only eight weeks.
Government insiders said the aim was to
have a ‘deterrent effect’ on those intending to
make the journey to Europe from countries
such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Eritrea that
bogus claimants will not get through.
Up to 4,000 people registered in Greece’s
migrant camps are unaccounted for and
could have slipped into the rest of Europe.
Speaking at a one-day summit in Brussels,
Mrs May will also urge the EU to work more
closely with the authorities in Egypt – from
where many of the children heading for
Europe originate.
EU countries will also be urged to share
intelligence on routes used by people smug-
glers in countries such as Libya so they can
be blocked. The PM will also meet with Euro-
pean Parliament head Martin Schultz and
the leaders of Latvia and Lithuania today for
preliminary talks on Brexit.
But one senior diplomatic source said the
UK’s departure from the EU, coupled with
the crisis in Syria, could lead to an ‘explosive’
atmosphere. The insider said: ‘It feels like we
are treading on a minefield. There are so
many issues that still can go wrong.’
In the European Parliament, ex-Ukip leader
Nigel Farage accused Mrs May of ‘dithering’.
He said: It’s been six months since we voted
for our liberation. Had she triggered Article
50 immediately, there would be no court
cases. Once we trigger Article 50 it may
become so unworkable that we simply have
to say we’re going, goodbye.’
Meanwhile, splits are emerging in the EU’s
ranks over who will be involved in the negoti-
ations. Guy Verhofstadt, who has been
appointed to lead the talks on behalf of the
European Parliament, is fuming that he will
not be given an official seat at a dinner
tonight. Yesterday, he threatened to start his
own separate negotiations with Britain.
Unemployment has fallen to an 11-year low,
with the number of women in work rising
to a record high.
Official figures released yesterday showed
the jobs market has continued to defy
warnings about the dire consequences of
the Brexit vote.
There were 1.62million unemployed peo-
ple between August and October, accord-
This was 16,000 fewer than in the previous
three months. The drop was too small to
change the official unemployment rate,
which held steady at 4.8 per cent – the lowest
since 2005 and one of the lowest in the EU.
There were 31.76million people in work. It
marked a drop of just 6,000, with the rate
falling from the record high of 74.5 per
cent in May to July to 74.4 per cent. This is
partly due to the expanding population.
But the number of women in work rose to
just under 14.9 million – an increase of
43,000 on the previous three months and
the highest since records began. 
Experts said this could be partly due to the
gradual increase in women’s state pension
age, prompting many to work for longer.

Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016
sKYFALL
Too white and privileged? Daniel Craig, impeccable as James Bond
2 painkillers a week raises
women’s risk of going deaf
WOMEN who take paraceta-
mol or ibuprofen a couple of
times a week could be per-
manently damaging their
hearing, a study claims.
Taking as little as two painkill-
ers a week for more than six
years has been linked with sig-
nificant hearing loss, with the
drugs thought to cut blood sup-
ply to the inner ear and expose
it to noise damage.
Researchers said that as many as
one in 20 women suffering partial
deafness could blame their pain-
killer use, with continued use of the
drugs found to raise the risk of
developing hearing loss by almost
10 per cent.
The findings back up similar
research in men, suggesting that
middle-aged women who com-
monly take paracetamol and ibu-
By Victoria Allen
Science Correspondent
profen for headaches and back pain
should consider cutting down.
Almost one in 12 women take
paracetamol on two days of every
week, the US study found, usually
to ward off routine aches and pains.
This could be only two pills over
the two days, or a greater dose.
But when taken this often for
more than six years, paracetamol,
ibuprofen and non-steroid
anti-inflammatory drugs raise the
risk of developing hearing loss by 9
per cent.
Aspirin, which now tends to be
taken in lower doses, was not asso-
ciated with loss of hearing.
This was found by examining
55,850 women over 25 years from
the age of 44 to 69 – almost half of
whom reported a hearing problem.
QQQ
the king’s speech
How would they fare now? Two of the previous winners of Bafta’s Outstanding British Film honour
By David Wilkes
THE James Bond film Skyfall
was a hit with critics and audi-
ences around the world, and
won two Bafta awards in 2013.
But if rules just revealed by the
film academy had applied then, the
title character’s background as a
privileged white heterosexual
­public school-educated man might
have damaged the movie’s chances
of scooping a gong.
The organisation is bringing in
diversity rules which films will have
to comply with to be eligible for
two of its top annual awards.
From 2019 it will be a requirement
that films put forward for the Out-
standing British Film and Out-
standing Debut by a British Writer,
Director or Producer categories
must meet the new criteria.
The academy said the ‘significant
change’ demonstrated its intention
to take a leading role in ‘increasing
the representation of under-repre-
sented groups in front of and
behind the camera’.
A Bafta spokesman said: ‘Under-
­r epresented groups in the film
industry include people from minor-
ity ethnic backgrounds, disabled
people, women and LGBT [lesbian,
gay, bisexual and transgender]. It
also includes people from lower
socio-economic groups.’
In order to meet the standards,
productions will need to demon-
strate that they have worked to
increase the representation of these
groups in two out of four areas – on-
screen characters and themes; sen-
ior roles and crew; industry training
and career progression; and appeal
to under-represented audiences.
Quite how the diversity drive
might have affected recent past
winners of Outstanding British
Film such as Skyfall, 2010’s The
King’s Speech, 2001’s Gosford Park
Around one in six people in the UK
have hearing problems, which can
leave people feeling cut off and
lonely and has been found to speed
up memory loss and dementia.
The study, by Brigham and Wom-
en’s Hospital in Boston, suggests
this could be down to paracetamol,
‘Important health
implications’
which evidence shows can reduce
the blood supply to the cochlea, or
inner ear.
Paracetamol is also believed to
deplete antioxidants within
the ear, making the cochlea
more vulnerable to noise-
induced damage.
Painkillers also damage the tiny
hairs within the ear that help us
gosford park
Why Bond could
struggle to win a
Bafta under new
diversity regime
or 1995’s The Madness Of King
George is not clear.
H o w e v e r, 2 0 0 2 w i n n e r T h e
Warrior, by British-Indian film-
maker Asif Kapadia and set in
­f eudal India, and 2007’s This Is
­E ngland, which told the story of
young skinheads growing up in a
‘Out-of-touch film
industry luvvies’
deprived area of the Midlands in
the 1980s, would probably have
done just as well.
Charles Thompson, the founder of
Screen Nation, an annual TV and
film awards event for Britons of
African heritage, suggested that
Skyfall ‘might struggle’ under the
new Bafta rules.
He welcomed the move, telling
the Daily Telegraph: ‘I think it’s a
hear and have been linked with a
higher risk of hearing loss in
younger and older women.
The study, published in the Jour-
nal of Epidemiology, states: ‘If this
is a causal relation, it suggests that
a substantial proportion of hearing
loss attributable to use of
analgesics [painkillers] is poten-
tially preventable.’
Senior author Dr Gary Curhan
said: ‘Hearing loss is extremely
common and can have a profound
impact on quality of life.
‘Finding modifiable risk factors
could help us identify ways to lower
risk before hearing loss begins and
slow progression in those with
hearing loss.
‘Although the magnitude of higher
risk of hearing loss with analgesic
use was modest, given how
commonly these medications are
used, even a small increase in
risk could have important health
Page 11
good step. It’s a first step and it’s
the beginnings of the work they
need to do.’
But the rules were criticised by
Philip Davies, the Conservative MP
who was on Tuesday elected to
Parliament’s women and equalities
committee.
‘I am sure that this new criteria
will be welcomed by the politically
correct, out-of-touch, privileged
film industry luvvies who will be
patting themselves on the back for
being trendy and right on,’ he said.
‘In the real world the vast major-
ity of people believe in merit and
want awards to go to the best films
rather than the most politically
correct films.’
Bafta said in a statement: ‘Con-
sensus among leading British film
producers with whom we’ve con-
sulted is that working to meet the
standards is an achievable and
worthwhile activity.’
implications.’ It is the first study
on the duration of paracetamol use
and hearing loss, taken as any dam-
age to the ears after 1990 in women
who participated in the US Nurses’
Health Study.
Last night Sohaila Rastan, execu-
tive director of biomedical research
at charity Action on Hearing Loss,
said: ‘This study suggests that
there may be a small increased risk
of hearing loss in women who take
over-the-counter painkillers for a
long period of time.
‘However, more research is needed
to establish whether painkillers
are the actual cause of this
hearing loss or if other factors
are involved.
‘It would also be important to
understand how painkillers might
be damaging the ear, if they are
indeed the cause.’
v.allen@dailymail.co.uk
Page 12 Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016

By Gerri Peev
Political Correspondent

JEREMY Corbyn has infuri-

ated Labour moderates by
hiring Gerry Adams’ right-
hand woman in London.
Jayne Fisher, the former head
of Sinn Fein’s office in the capi-
tal, is due to start working for
the Labour leader in January,
according to party sources.
Mr Corbyn has gone on a hiring
spree using the extra cash currently
flowing in from trade unions.
But some Labour insiders were
dismayed when they discovered he
was planning to take on a former
employee of Mr Adams.
Miss Fisher, who describes herself
as a ‘London based socialist’ on
Twitter, has been hired as a ‘stake-

Anger as Gerry Adams’

holder manager’ for Mr Corbyn. Cosy: Jayne Fisher, circled, sitting next to Martin McGuinness, Jeremy Corbyn and Gerry Adams, far right, at the Houses of Parliament in 2015
The Daily Mail understands this
means she will be in charge of deal-
ing with ‘external organisations’.
Miss Fisher is part of the Trades
Union Congress international com-
mittee for the southern and eastern
region. In 2014 she stood in for

‘Go down badly

amongst voters’
right-hand woman is
appointed Corbyn aide
former militant Mr Adams at a Hyde
Park rally for Gaza, delivering his
speech calling for the Israeli ambas-
sador to Ireland to be expelled.
In 2012, Mr Adams urged his Twit-
ter followers to sponsor Miss Fisher
on a charity cycle ride around Cuba.
She can be seen with Mr Corbyn,
Mr Adams and ex-IRA commander
Martin McGuinness in an infa-
mously cosy photo taken in the working for the party, having left MPs at Westminster but none take an Islington council flat with Mike could also go down badly amongst
Houses of Parliament last year. ‘some time over the summer’. up their seats as they refuse to Hedges, a 57-year-old taxi driver all those voters who are nervous
The latest register of MPs’ staff  – A source said Miss Fisher had pledge allegiance to the Queen. and leading figure in union Unite. about the Labour leadership’s
updated on November 8 – lists her first joined the Labour Party at 18, Labour rules say you cannot be a A Labour MP, who did not wish to commitment to national security.’
as working for Paul Maskey, the later becoming involved with Sinn member of another party, but there be named, said: ‘This is just the A spokesman for Mr Corbyn said:
Sinn Fein MP for Belfast West.  Fein through a cross-party move- is no time period that must pass latest example of an ill-judged ‘We don’t comment on staffing mat-
But his constituency office con- ment, the ‘Friends of Good Friday between quitting another and join- appointment of someone who ters.’ Miss Fisher did not respond
firmed Miss Fisher was no longer Agreement’. Sinn Fein has four ing Labour. Miss Fisher, 50, lives in doesn’t share Labour values. It to requests for a comment.
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016 l Page 13

Cot backed by Jools Oliver is

time bomb, warns mother
whose baby choked to death
By Emily Kent Smith
A MOTHER told yesterday how
she found her seven-week-old
Recalled in
daughter dead in a celebrity-
endorsed cot which she branded
a ‘time bomb’.
the US... but
Esther Roseman, 39, sobbed as she
described to an inquest how new-
born Grace was purple in the face
not in Britain
with her head hanging over the side
of the crib. THE Bednest cot has been recalled
She said she screamed to her husband: by the authorities in Canada and the
‘Grace is dead.’ US – but not in the UK.
The baby was taken to hospital where The American Consumer Product
doctors battled in vain to revive her. Safety Commission says: ‘The bedside
The cot involved was a Bednest. It can
be attached to the parents’ bed and has sleepers fail to meet mandatory fed-
retractable sides that can be pulled eral requirements... posing a fall
do w n o r k e pt h a l fw a y u p a s i n hazard to babies.’ But there has been
Grace’s case. no official recall in Britain, despite
Somehow the baby managed to get her the death of Grace Roseman.
head over the edge. Because she was so Instead, Bednest contacted cus-
young, she did not have the strength to tomers telling them to register for a
lift herself off. Her air supply was free ‘modification kit’ to stop the
restricted and she choked to death. side panel being left half-raised.
After Grace’s death in April last year,
coroner Penelope Schofield issued a Its announcement said: ‘Do not use
Regulation 28 form about the cot, the folding panel in the half-raised
position – only fully raise or fully
lower the side panel.’ 
‘What they have been On its website, Bednest states: ‘The
through is horrific’ safety of your baby is our main pri-
ority’ and lists dozens of customers
who have praised the product.
designed to prevent further deaths. The
Bednest, used by parents across the UK, Screen can be folded Among those quoted is former
EastEnders actress Tamzin Outh-
is still available online for £199, however.
In the past it has been recommended by
halfway or fully down waite, who said: ‘Marnie sleeps so
high-profile figures including celebrity
chef Jamie Oliver’s wife Jools and soap
to interact with baby well in it. I love being able to have it
so close to me without it being dan-
star Tamzin Outhwaite. gerous, as well as being able to see
Mrs Roseman, from Haywards Heath, The Bednest: Its sides lower halfway, as shown, though parents are now advised not to do this her even when the side is up.’
West Sussex, told the inquest she was
given the second-hand Bed-
nest by a friend. There were no case, adding: ‘It did not seem
instructions, no warnings on feasible a baby would do that.’
the crib and a manual was not Asked if the firm was doing
available online. She said she all it could to ensure the prod-
saw images of the cot, once uct’s safety, he said: ‘That’s
promoted by the National exactly what we’ve striven to
Childbirth Trust, with the do and strive to do.’
sides half down, which led her Henry Witcomb QC, for the
to believe it was safe to use family, referred to a report by
that way. West Sussex Trading Stand-
Instructions referred to at ards which labelled the Bed-
the inquest state that a parent nest a ‘dangerous product’.
should not leave a child in the Mr Witcomb said: ‘You do
Bednest unsupervised if the not accept the finding?’ Mr
side is half down. Norman replied: ‘We have
Mrs Roseman said: ‘I didn’t problems with that report.’
have those instructions... I Asked if he accepted that the
didn’t see any risk. If I had Bednest could be a ‘potentially
known for one moment, in the lethal risk’, Mr Norman said an
room or out of the room, she NCT investigation had found
was capable of what she did, there was a ‘small but plausi-
there’s no way I would have Proud: Gideon Roseman and Grace Esther Roseman yesterday ble risk’, but there had been
slept with that side half down. had been due to take her Roseman said: ‘I saw Esther ‘conflicting’ expert evidence.
‘Every day since it happened daughter out with a friend but holding Grace and obviously After the hearing, the family’s
I’ve wondered why I didn’t see the plan was cancelled. Her she was gone.’ solicitor, Jill Greenfield, a part-
how unsafe it was. I comfort barrister husband Gideon was Asked if he ever had reserva- ner at Fieldfisher said: ‘What
myself a bit to think that it’s ill in bed with a bug. tions about the crib, he said: the family have been through
clear that the whole of NCT After checking on Grace at ‘There were no reasons. It’s just already is horrific.
and the whole of Bednest around 8.30am, Mrs Roseman an innocuous object. It’s a cot.’ ‘To have to give evidence in
didn’t see it either. I suppose returned 90 minutes later to Peter Norman, company sec- court like this is compounding
as Gracie developed, it was find her daughter lifeless with retary of Bednest, told the their immense distress.’
just becoming a time bomb.’ a mark on her neck. She inquest he was ‘completely The inquest, at Horsham,
On the day of the tragedy she screamed as she called 999. Mr shocked’ to hear of Grace’s West Sussex, continues.

Do you have the asparagus gene?

HAVE you ever wondered why eating
asparagus has a certain side-effect for
some, but not others?
Now scientists believe they may have
sniffed out the reason why some think their
urine has a pungent smell after eating the
vegetable – and it is all down to genes.
According to a study published yester-
day, three in five people are unable to
even detect the odour – because of how
their DNA is coded.
Experts have long debated the cause of
the pungent aroma that only a few detect
Mail Foreign Service
in their urine some hours after eating
the vegetable.
Does the difference arise because
some people do not produce ‘asparagus
urine’, or because they are simply unable
to smell it?
A team of US researchers resolved to
find out. Using a study involving 6,909 par-
ticipants, they found that 58 per cent of
men and 61.5 per cent of women had
asparagus anosmia – or the inability to
detect the smell. Among this majority, the
scientists from the Harvard School of Public
Health found 871 genetic coding variants,
or SNPs, on genes associated with smell –
suggesting the inability is inherited.
However, the authors, writing in the
BMJ’s Christmas edition, said that with
one asparagus question closer to being
answered, many still remain.
For example, they said that more
research is needed on why a nutritious
vegetable would make some people give
off a smell that may put them off eating it.
Page 14
c o mm e n t
Rail chaos and a lousy
bargain for taxpayers
WHO were the Whitehall numbskulls
who negotiated the franchise that will
land taxpayers with a bill of more than
£50million for the rail strike, while the
train company involved stands to save
money from the stoppages?
Under this asinine deal, the Government
will pick up the tab for a £38million
shortfall in fare revenue caused by the
walk-outs, while shelling out up to
£15million compensation to passengers.
Meanwhile, Southern Rail’s parent firm
is saving an estimated £1.1million in pay
for striking drivers and conductors, while
still receiving an all-but guaranteed flat
payment from taxpayers of £8.9billion
over the seven years of its franchise.
Isn’t this lousy bargain depressingly
typical of the way sharp -minded
businessmen run rings round the dull-
witted guardians of the public purse?
With so little incentive to run a decent
service, is it any wonder that even before
the walk-outs, Southern had the worst
punctuality record in the UK – or that its
managers have let a pathetic dispute
over who opens and shuts doors drag on
for the best part of a year, inflicting untold
suffering on 300,000 passengers daily?
It is no surprise either that the latest
annual profits of Southern’s parent, the
inappropriately named Go-Ahead Group,
were a cool £99.8million, while its chief
executive pocketed £2.2million last year.
True, nobody should forget that the
worst villains of the strike are politically-
motivated union barons, whose lies about
safety concerns over driver-only trains
this paper exposes today.
The sooner the law is changed to punish
their blackmail, the sooner we can be
saved from a repeat of the 1970s, when
union wreckers brought us to our knees.
But is it too much to ask that the next
time the Government sells a public asset
to a private firm, it finds a civil servant
with a business brain to negotiate on our
behalf – if such a person exists?
Great aid betrayal
ON the day after MPs excoriated
ministers for wasting £285.5million of aid
on an unusable airport in St Helena, the
Mail reveals that 45 per cent of town halls
have stopped providing meals on wheels
for Britain’s housebound elderly.
Since 2010, meanwhile, at least one
council has doubled the charge for hot
meals to £6, leaving many unable to afford
them and so putting health at risk and
piling pressure on the NHS.
Isn’t it pertinent to point out that, even
at £10 each, the cost of an unusable
airport in St Helena would buy 28.5million
meals for Britain’s elderly and hungry?
In the Commons yesterday, Theresa
May said Britain should be proud of
spending £12billion a year on overseas
aid. One question: why?
A life-saving victory
BRITAIN’S commercially viable Press is
much maligned by the heavily subsidised
liberal media. But the Mail is hugely
proud of our role in prompting a
Government drive to heighten awareness
of the symptoms of sepsis, the ‘silent
killer’ that claims 44,000 lives in Britain
every year – more than breast, bowel and
prostate cancer combined.
As we applaud our partners in the UK
Sepsis Trust – and Health Secretary
Jeremy Hunt, on his enthusiasm in taking
up the cause – we can say one thing with
certainty: children and adults who would
otherwise have died will live because of
our campaign.
ADMITTING he has not a scintilla of
■ evidence, Labour’s Ben Bradshaw
tells MPs it is ‘highly probable’ that
Russian hackers swung the vote for
Brexit. Thus, this arch-Bremoaner
plumbs new depths for what passes as
parliamentary debate. How DO such
twits end up in politics?
Yes, Aleppo’s horrific.
So what can we do?
Absolutely nothing,
I’m afraid. But I do
know it’s all the fault
of Blair and Bush
W
hat can we
do? And
why aren’t
we doing it?
These are
the ques -
tions in most of our
minds as we watch one of
the great horrors of
­modern times unfolding
in ­Aleppo.
Women and children are being
rounded up and shot by ­militias
loyal to Syria’s brutal dictator,
President Bashar al-Assad.
Others are burnt alive as ­Syrian
and Russian planes pulverise
the city with cluster bombs
and missiles.
And it’s been going on for
months — years, in fact. Aleppo
was once a thriving ­commercial
centre with more than two
­A m e r i c a n a n d B r i t i s h
­politicians say ‘never again’. So
­million inhabitants. Now much
of it lies in ruins. Hospitals have
been bombed; children
maimed, mutilated and
­murdered. Countless ­thousands
of people have died.
Impotent
Even in a barbaric age in
which innocent civilians are
deliberately targeted by bad
men with lethal weaponry,
what has happened in Aleppo
marks a new abyss in human
conduct. But as victors in this
terrible conflict, Assad and
Russia’s president Vladimir
Putin won’t ever be held to
account for their war crimes.
Not in this world, at least.
So what can we do? The
answer — which we know in
our hearts even as we ask the
question — is nothing. We can’t
stop the killing. We can’t save a
single life. All we can do is show
outrage, but nothing more.
Morally speaking, this is not a
pleasant place to be.
What should concern us is
why, despite its great wealth
and enormous combined
­m ilitary strength, the West
should be so utterly impotent.
The explanation has a great
deal to do with what happened
on March 20, 2003. That was
the day American and British
forces invaded Iraq.
The war against Saddam
Hussein’s army was won very
quickly, but the peace was lost
over several gory years. Iraq
today is a divided and broken
country. Part of it is still
­occupied by the insane and evil
Islamic State, which is
­defending Mosul against Iraqi
government forces and ­Kurdish
militias. There’s more blood to
by Stephen
Glover
be shed there. In the Iraq War
and its grisly aftermath,
­h undreds of thousands of
­Iraqis were killed. In addition,
4,491 American and 179 British
servicemen lost their lives.
­Billions of dollars and pounds
were spent. And in the vacuum
created by the destruction of
Saddam’s regime, Islamic
State grew and thrived.
The result is that most
does public opinion. Never
again will our young men be
sent into battle to topple a
Middle-Eastern tyrant and try
to establish democratic govern-
ment in the name of decency.
That is why the Iraq War
marks a ­ significant dividing
line in the history of the
post-1945 world. Before it,
­Western countries led by the
United States were sometimes
prepared to get involved in
­foreign crises, either directly or
indirectly. After it, Western
intervention has become
almost unimaginable.
A c t u a l l y, i t’ s p r o b a b l y
entirely unimaginable, as the
weak and indecisive President
Barack Obama is succeeded
by ­Donald Trump, an ­apparent
isolationist with a soft spot for
Putin. Trump has just
­nominated as his secretary of
state an oilman called Rex
Tillerson, who is friendly with
Putin and once received a high
honour from him.
Had the Iraq War never
­happened, British and Ameri-
can politicians surely wouldn’t
have sat on their hands as
Assad unleashed genocide
against his people.
This ­monster has committed
crimes that dwarf all the terri-
ble things ever done by Saddam
Hussein — and we have let him
get away with it. Some of
Assad’s enemies, of course, are
just as awful as he is.
The man most responsible for
the Iraq debacle is ­ arguably
Tony Blair. For although the
U.S. made a far greater contri-
bution to the military effort, it
is doubtful whether president
George W. Bush would have
invaded Iraq if he hadn’t had
Blair’s uncritical endorsement.
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016
Blair knew little or nothing
about foreign affairs when he
came to office in 1997. Within
two years, he was one of the
leading lights in a war against
Serbia, and the so-called ­freeing
of Kosovo, an enclave ­controlled
by Serbia since 1912.
A f t e r S e r b i a’ s c a p i t a l ,
­Belgrade, had been pounded by
Nato aircraft for many weeks,
Serbian troops left ­Kosovo, and
British-led ground troops
invaded as liberators. ­Whatever
the questionable morality of
the exercise — ­ Kosovo’s
­terrorist leaders were no better
than Slobodan ­ Milosevic’s
­Serbian regime — it      was, in
military terms, a success.
Victory went to Blair’s head
and fed his delusions. After the
Wo r l d Tr a d e C e n t e r w a s
destroyed on September 11,
2001, he became increasingly
messianic and thought he
could save the world. Through
a series of lies, half-truths and
manipulations, he inveigled
Parliament and the country
into a disastrous war.
All this is worth remember-
ing because when the former
­c hancellor, George Osborne,
told the Commons on Tuesday
that ‘the tragedy in
­A leppo . . . was created by a
­vacuum of Western leadership’,
he was missing the point.
Calamity
The vacuum wasn’t created
b y t h e B r i t i s h a n d U. S .
­governments’ refusal, in 2013,
to bomb Assad’s regime. Even
if they had gone ahead, it is
very unlikely that bombing
alone would have brought
peace and order to Syria. That
would have required ground
troops — which the West,
­following the disaster of Iraq,
was unwilling to supply — and
even then they might have
been ineffectual.
In other words, the die had
already been cast by Blair and
B u s h’ s d i s a s t r o u s p o l i c y
towards Saddam Hussein.
Intervention in any foreign war,
whether justifiable or not, has
been ruled out for the
­foreseeable future as a result of
the calamity of Iraq. It is
­ erfectly true that in 2011 the
p
­Americans, French and British
bombarded Libya in a success-
ful campaign to remove the
dictator ­ Muammar Gaddafi.
But that only proves my point.
The West was reluctant
post-Iraq to commit forces on
the ground, and Libya has
since disintegrated into
­mayhem and anarchy.
One lesson of all this is that
what comes after the removal
of Middle-Eastern tyrants is
often worse than what went
before. Maybe there are some
tyrants so dangerous and
­h orrible that they should be
removed — Assad might be one
of them — but the task could
no longer be undertaken even
if we wanted to.
Missiles
As far as Syrians are
­ oncerned, we are reduced to
c
singing carols on their behalf
— as some well-meaning ­people
have been urging us to do. It
may make us feel better but
I’m afraid it isn’t going to help
those in Aleppo, who are being
assaulted with missiles which
destroy the internal organs of
anyone within a range of a
quarter of a mile.
The era of Pax Americana —
the generally, though not invar-
iably, benign global policing by
the United States after World
War II — is over. Of course, it
might one day revive. After the
Vietnam War, it seemed Amer-
ica would avoid major foreign
conflicts — and then the first
Iraq War came along in 1991.
But the gigantic mistake of
the 2003 invasion of Iraq
­represents a decisive turning
point. There will be more
­catastrophes, such as Aleppo,
which provoke our sympathy
and challenge our interests —
and also serve to show how
weak and powerless the West
has become.
The tragedy is that the bad
guys are winning — Assad and
Putin, though perhaps not
Islamic State — and they will
go on doing so unless they
overreach themselves. It is a
worrying thought that the
­C hinese must be observing
Western feebleness with much
delight and reassurance.
America would always defend
itself. So would its junior
­partner, Britain. But they won’t
involve themselves in wider
causes. The world has ­therefore
become a more dangerous and
terrifying place. And for that,
more than anyone, we should
blame Bush and Blair.
 It’s quafftide! Let’s
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016 Page 15

firkytoodle under
the clinkabells *
by Susie Dent ‘tan’ is a twig, and ‘mistle’ the name
for the whole plant — but that itself
probably comes from a Germanic
word ‘mist’ meaning ‘dung’,
from chanNel 4’s countdown because the plant is propagated in

Y
the excrement of the pale, black-
spotted mistle thrush.
ou can’t get too much
winter in the winter, MOG: To trudge laboriously over
snow. Another word for reluctant
wrote the poet Robert mogging is trampoosing.
Frost. And even winter-
phobes will admit that NINGUID and NIVEOUS: Two poetic
this season has a few and euphonious adjectives for
snowy weather.
good things going for it — glühwein
(mulled wine) at the Christmas OXTERFUL: As much as you can carry
market, steaming bowls of hearty within one arm, and a useful word
soup, long duvet days and giant for the effort to transport Christ-
woolly socks. mas presents from the house to the
The Danish word ‘hygge’ has made it big car. To oxtercog a person, mean-
this year, describing that cosiness and while, is to carry them by support-
ing them under the armpits.
­c onviviality that can only come from
­hunkering down in winter-tide.
PANDICULATE: A highly useful verb
Yet what about other words to describe for the act of yawning and
this season that took its name from an ­p erforming a long stretch at the
ancient word for ‘wet’ and ‘white’? same time.
When it comes to expressing the joys (and
occasional miseries) of wintertime, there’s
a shiveringly good way to express it — PIBLOKTO: A highly
whether you’re nesh, shrammed, taters, specific term for the
nithered or Baltic. condition affecting Inuit
Here, SUSIE DENT, the lexicographer and peoples in winter,
the self-styled ‘woman in Dictionary ­Corner’ characterised by episodes
for the TV words and numbers quiz of wild excitement and
­Countdown, offers some less well-known irrational behaviour
gems from the winter dictionary — all of followed by a period of
which evoke for her this time of year . . . stupor. A handy term for
APRICITY: Probably my favourite winter- the aftermath of the
word of all. Apricity is the warmth of the office Christmas party.
sun on a chilly day. Its sister is ‘apricate’: to
bask in the sun. QUAFFTIDE: The time of day when
you can finally down tools and have
BRUME: A winter mist. The perfect word for a glass of something nice. May
the low-lying vapour that shrouds the land come a bit earlier on winter days.
on a frosty morning. Its roots lie in
the Romans’ word brumalis — ‘belonging SCURRYFUNGE: The hasty tidying up

* Which in plain olde English,

to the winter’. of the house that immediately
­precedes the arrival of visitors.
CLINKABELL: A pretty alternative SNIFTER: To snow slightly. A word
to ‘icicle’, local to Somerset and that fills a linguistic gap to describe
the West Country. Devon also offers a sprinkling of snow that never

according to Countdown’s
cockbell. ‘Icicle’ itself is made up quite settles.
of ‘ice’ and ‘ickle’, a frozen drop
of water. SYLVAN: An animal or bird that lives
in the woods. Silvanus was a

Susie Dent, means ‘work’s

CRUMP: If you’re lucky enough to go walking Roman god of fields and forests,
across a wintry landscape, crumping is often identified with Pan (from
treading over lightly compressed snow. whom we get the word ‘panic’,
because legend held that Pan
DORMITIVE: Sleeping through the winter. would hide in the woods and make

over, so time for a drink and

Usually applied to animals but also useful strange noises to terrify
for some members of the human species passers-by).
(for example, teenagers!).
THUNDERPLUMP: Downpours

a cuddle beneath the icicles!’

EGG NOG: A curious term (and an even more of fat raindrops, which are
curious drink), but one with the unmistak- accompanied by a lot of
able resonance of Christmas time. The ‘nog’ ominous sky-rumbling.
here was originally a particularly strong ale
brewed in Norfolk — the type that goes YULE-HOLE: The hole in your belt
straight to your noggin (head). that allows the greatest amount of
girth, and that we all traditionally
FIRKY TOODLING: A Victorian adjust to after a festive feast.
­ uphemism for a bit of kissing and
e of hygge is all about. Glögg is a HELLER: A dark word for an intensely Friday evening and not take off
cuddling, as might take place below Scandinavian mulled wine, sweet- cold winter’s day, or a bitter winter again until Monday morning. ZWODDER: A state of comfortable
a sprig of mistletoe. ened with honey, almonds, raisins storm. It is indeed related to the drowsiness and relaxation. This
and spices. Its name suits its dwelling place of the dead. LATIBULIZE: To hide away some- dialect word perfectly describes
FLOCOON: A small flake of ­purpose so beautifully. where warm and snuggly for Saturday slothfulness by the fire.
snow. Flother is another HIBERNACLE: The place the winter. The related word n DENT’S Modern Tribes: The
term for a single snowflake. GWENDERS: A disagreeable tingling ­latibulate means ‘to hide secretly Secret Languages Of Britain by
in your extremities during the cold where dormitive people go in a corner’. Susie Dent (John Murray, £14.99).
FRORY: Frosty. This word perfectly weather. Quite where this ancient to sleep — a hibernacle is a To order a copy for £11.24 (offer
conveys a bitterly cold day when Cornish word comes from no one winter retreat. MISTLETOE: Given its smoochy valid to December 19, 2016) visit
you can no longer feel your hands. knows, although ‘wonders’ was r­ eputation, this seasonal plant has mailbookshop.co.uk or call 0844
another word for the same unpleas- HUFFLE-BUFFS: The old, comfy and rather unromantic beginnings. Its 571 0640. P&P is free on orders
GLÖGG: What that Danish concept ant sensation. warm clothes you might put on of a old name was ‘mistletan’, in which over £15.
Page 16 Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016
 Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016 Page 17
www.dailymail.co.uk/mac

Ephraim
Hardcastle THE omission of Diana,
Princess of Wales from
Radio 4’s Woman’s
Hour Power List is
surprising. What might be the reason?
The BBC’s deputy director of radio and
royal liaison officer Graham Ellis
arranged for it to be launched (as part
of Woman’s Hour’s 70th anniversary
celebration) at Buckingham Palace by
the Duchess of Cornwall. Camilla,
notoriously, was referred to by Diana
when the latter said in an interview:
‘There were three of us in this marriage,
so it was a bit crowded.’

ROYAL grocer Fortnum & Mason’s seasonal

Six Person Crackers – a trifling £65 each –
feature jokes by TV polymath Stephen Fry.
Thigh-slapping example: ‘How do monkeys
make toast? They put it under a g’rilla.’
They’re no laughing matter!

ALAN Yentob, 69, who resigned as the

BBC’s creative director over his
involvement (as chairman) with the
failed Kids Company charity, embedded
himself in the corporation’s management
by turning up uninvited at top-level
‘Yeah. I want a train set. But I’ll decide who opens and closes the bloody doors! Okay?’ meetings, says former BBC Trust
chairman Chris Patten in The Guardian.
Mac’s Cartoon Year 2016 is available now for £10 + p&p. Order at www.delanceypress.co.uk or phone 020 8525 8800. A Yentob colleague, Guardianista Dame

Millions robbed by
Liz Forgan, says he’s ‘ludicrously vain,
lives ridiculously, is unbelievably
snobbish and lives a life which is
completely inappropriate and silly’. She
tempers this verdict by adding: ‘You ask
yourself, does he deliver value sufficiently
to justify all those nonsenses? And yes
he does, you know, by miles.’ A
demolition job posing as a tribute.

the energy giants LABOUR MP Peter

Dowd, 59, asked the
PM yesterday: ‘In light
of the Foreign Sec­re­
tar y’s display of
c h r o n­ i c f o o t - i n -
mouth disease, when
deciding on Cabinet

HOW TO SAVE ON YOUR POWER BILLS

By Sean Poulter positions, does the
Consumer Affairs Editor Prime Minister now
regret that pencilling
Possible saving in “FO” against his name could have been
MILLIONS of households could an instruction, not a job offer?’ Home
save up to £260 a year on their Customers on Standard Proportion Average bill By moving to same By moving Secretary Amber Rudd, pictured, strug­
energy bills simply by switching Variable Tariff (SVT) on SVT on SVT firm’s cheapest deal to a rival* gled to conceal her mirth from Commons
to the cheapest deal offered by TV cameras. She has said of Boris Johnson:
their existing supplier, an official British Gas 6.64m 74% £1,044 £129 £174
‘He’s not the man you want driving you
price league reveals. SSE 3.86m 91% £1,068 £98 £198 home at the end of the evening.’
Many can achieve even bigger sav-
ings by moving to a rival firm, the E.ON 3.17m 73% £1,057 £41 £187
industry regulator Ofgem showed in EDF Energy 1.94m 56% £1,069 £136 £200
tables laying bare the full scale of SACKED by Theresa May, ex-Chancellor
the national energy price rip-off. Npower 1.73m 59% £1,077 £261 £208 George Osborne, 45, tells the Commons
Collectively, families could save £3.7bil- he feels personal responsibility for the
lion a year by switching to the cheapest Scottish Power 1.54m 50% £1,081 £129 £211 slaughter in Aleppo – ‘as someone who
tariffs, according to one price compari-
son service. Utility Warehouse 503,955 94% £1,012 £150 £143 sat on the National Security Council
The Ofgem figures reveal that two in throughout those years’. Is he acting
three households are on their supplier’s Ovo 225,952 35% £1,064 £67 £194 humble to ingratiate himself with the
standard variable tariff (SVT), which is party’s membership? Unlike David
always the most expensive. Co-operative Energy 96,158 42% £1,121 £245 £252 Cameron, George hasn’t resigned his
British Gas, the country’s biggest sup- seat. Nor is he composing memoirs. He
plier, has 6.64million accounts on its First Utility 74,581 9% £1,071 £157 £201 says: ‘I’d rather not… we don’t know
expensive SVT – three in four of its cus- Extra Energy 36,641 14% £1,130 £154 £260 how the story ends.’ In No 10 preferably,
tomers. They typically pay £1,044 a year, he might have added.
but could save £129 by moving to the *Based on average of ten cheapest deals. Source: Ofgem
cheapest deal with the firm. The saving
would be around £174 if they
moved to one of the ten cheap- than 36,000 people using Extra ain continue to pay too much for that loyalty in the energy mar- LABOUR’S Jeremy Corbyn did better than
est deals available. Energy pay an average of £1,130 their energy,’ he added. ket simply doesn’t pay.’
Nine out of ten customers with a year but could save £260 by But the consumer group Lawrence Slade, of the indus-
usual in his final Prime Minister’s
SSE – 3.86million – are on SVT moving to another firm. Which? is sceptical that publi- try body Energy UK, said: ‘We Questions duel, tackling Theresa May
deals and pay an average of Co-operative Energy charges cation of the tables will have urge all customers to make sure fiercely on the scandal surrounding
£1,068 a year. They could save £1,121 a year for its SVT. The much effect, saying firms must they are taking advantage of all social care for the elderly. He earned the
£98 by moving to the firm’s 96,000 households on this tariff do more to encourage people to the deals on offer. Switching is admiration of hard-to-impress BBC
cheapest deal and £198 by switch to cheaper deals. easier and quicker than ever.’ political presenter Andrew Neil, who said
switching to a cheaper rival. Mark Todd, of the price com- n THE latest 4K TVs could add
German- owned Npower’s ‘Loyalty simply parison website Energyhelp­line, a total of £82million to consum- he had performed strongly ‘by narrowing
1.73million customers on its doesn’t pay’ said the tables had ‘exposed the ers’ energy bills by 2019, research questions down into one specific area,
SVT pay an average of £1,077. extent of over-payment for suggested yesterday. going for it again and again’. Perhaps it’s
The same firm offers a deal that energy’. The Centre for Economics and a coincidence but quick-witted former
is £261 a year cheaper. could save £245 a year by mov- He added: ‘SVT energy cus- Business Research found the public relations man David Prescott – son
There is a similar pattern with ing to the firm’s cheapest deal. tomers could save an astound- power-hungry ultra-high defini-
the other members of the ‘big Business and Energy Secretary ing £3.7billion simply by switch- tion sets led to a combined rise of Labour ex-deputy premier John
six’ energy suppliers – E.on, EDF Greg Clark said the new tables ing to the cheapest tariff.’ of £1.8million in bills among Prescott – has now joined Corbyn’s staff
and Scottish Power. would encourage households to Claire Osborne, of the price their users in 2014, and pre- as a political adviser and speech writer.
Some small companies have shop around. comparison website uSwitch, dicted this would rise as more Email: peter.mckay@dailymail.co.uk
particularly high SVTs. More ‘Millions of people across Brit- said: ‘These figures underline viewers bought them.
Page 18 Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016

Quentin Yesterday in
Letts Parliament

Q Boris, truly
UITE a few Tory MPs
were guffawing at
Boris Johnson’s ex-
pense again yesterday.

one of the
Labour MP Peter
Dowd (Bootle) had come up
with a corker for the first ques-
tion at PMQs. He wondered if

greatest
Theresa May had made a mis-
take. When she pencilled in
‘F.O.’ against Boris’s name for
her Cabinet, did she intend

slapstick
the letters to form ‘an instruc-
tion and not a job offer’?
This won a long peal of laughter
from the House, not least from the
‘naughty corner’ of the Tory benches

artistes
where big-voiced Alec Shelbrooke
(Elmet and Rothwell) was sitting.
The expansively waistcoated Mr
Shelbrooke, we may deduce, is not as
keen on Boris as he is on sausage rolls

of our age
and second helpings of jam roly-poly.
Sarah Wollaston (Con, Totnes) also
found Mr Dowd’s joke greatly to her
liking. Dr Wollaston is that amateur
tandem cyclist who switched from
Leave to Remain during the EU ref-
was dressed entirely in black. Last
erendum campaign.
week saw the untimely death of Ms
She can often come across as a lit-
Rudd’s former husband AA Gill, the
tle arid – as dry as an Esquimau’s
newspaperman.
armpit – so it was interesting to see
For the past three months she has
her laugh so merrily.
been carrying the sadness of his ill-
The Dowd wisecrack really did
ness and now she grieves. She has
tickle her, missus. The release of
done so with the greatest dignity.
buckets of resentment?
Later in the session Jeremy Corbyn,
Boris was not in the Chamber for
becoming quite shouty, told Mrs May
the joke, alas. Recently it has been
to ‘get a grip’ over social care. It is a
put around – presumably by Foreign
measure of how PMQs has changed
Office spin doctors (Boris not having
since the argy-bargy days of Cam-
been allowed by No 10 to employ the
eron v Miliband that Mr Corbyn’s
long-serving press officer he wanted)
aggression jarred somewhat.
– that the Foreign Secretary is NOT
For the record, no one in the
TO BE LAUGHED AT. Absurd.
entire PMQs mentioned Mrs May’s

H
e is one of the great slap-
stick artistes of our age.
You might as well ask peo-
ple not to stare at Pamela
Anderson’s shopfront. I bet Boris
wouldn’t have minded the Dowd
joke. On Wednesday night he was
making a joke of his own – about
Theresa May’s ‘lederhosen’.
And we all know how good Theresa
is at swallowing jokes made at her
own expense.
Mrs May had to respond to the
Dowd question. The House was still
bubbling with mirth. Mrs May is not
a natural at repartee. Witticisms, to
her, might as well be one of those
African dialects where they click
their tongues against the palate of
the mouth.
But after a brief pause (created by
a merciful intervention from
Speaker Bercow) she came up with
a serviceable answer, saying that
Boris was ‘doing an absolutely
excellent job; he is, in short, an FFS
leather trousers.
And she, when talking about the
railway unions, chose not to person-
alise the argument by mocking that
Tosh McDonald horror from Aslef –
the chap with the tattoos and cus-
tardy Rick Wakeman hairdo. I am
not sure David Cameron would have
been able to resist the temptation.
The afternoon was spent watching
Brexit Secretary David Davis pad
away questions from the Brexit select
committee.
The committee seems unlikely to
extract many disclosures from the
Government for at least several
months. Its main function may be
to become a lobbying opportunity
for windbags.
But Mr Davis did let slip that it is
only starting to dawn on senior Euro-
crats that we really do intend to
leave the EU.
One came up to him in late Octo-
ber, he said, and asked of the refer-
endum result: ‘How do you intend to
reverse this?’
Sounds like a High Court judge.

craig brown
– a Fine Foreign Secretary’.
It is just as well that the acronym
FFS does not stand for anything
else. Isn’t it? Beside Mrs May sat the
Home Secretary, Amber Rudd. She is away
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016 v1 Page 19

Will Kate the Cub Scout

get her first aid badge?

Doing her duty: The duchess joins the boys and girls to renew their Cub Scout promise
ONE day we might see Prince George doing By Rebecca English
­something like this. As he’s still only three, Royal Correspondent
­however, it was his mother the Duchess of
­Cambridge who donned a woggle yesterday to with.’ Kate also joined the children to renew their
enjoy some fun with a pack of Cub Scouts a few Cub Scout promise and celebrate the organisation’s
miles from her Norfolk home. centenary by singing Happy Birthday.
Kate, 34, attended a special Cub Scout Pack meet- Kate has been spending the majority of her time in
ing with youngsters from the King’s Lynn District Norfolk with Prince George and 18-month-old Prin-
to celebrate 100 years of the organisation. cess Charlotte since the family returned from their
She was casually dressed in Zara khaki jeans, tour to Canada in the autumn.
£315 suede Really Wild knee-length boots – and
an official Cub Scouting scarf.
The duchess, who drove over from her country
home Anmer Hall, found herself taking part in
first aid practice after joining the 24 boys and
girls aged between eight and 11.

IV}Ĝ Vhm
Dylan McKenna, nine, from Heacham, Norfolk, h=aa }=m8
put her arm in a sling with a Cubs scarf. ‘It was /c"" a"Qh=VQ
fun,’ he said afterwards. ‘She said, “Well done,
I’m very impressed with this”. She kept the sling c
}V}QŲ
on for a wee bit then took it off.
‘She was exactly how I expected her to be – I"mƂh m
IG 8V}Ų
First aid practice: Dylan McKenna, nine, puts Kate’s arm in a sling really kind, delightful and just a pleasure to be

Shunning alcohol
and cigarettes, the
clean-cut generation
FEWER children are
smoking or drinking
By Sophie Borland
Health Editor
alcohol than at any time
in the past two decades,
NHS figures reveal.
Only one in six of those
aged eight to 15 said they
had tried alcohol.
­L ampard, chairman of the
This is the lowest figure
recorded and down from 45
per cent in 2003.
The survey of 5,714 children
found that only 4 per cent had
ever tried a cigarette – also the
lowest-ever figure and a dra-
matic fall from the 19 per cent
recorded in 2003.
Experts say it is because the
youngsters are part of the
‘clean-cut generation’ who
spend most of their time on
the internet rather than in
parks and pubs, and are also
less likely to take drugs.
They also credited better
parenting and an increased
awareness of the health risks
from smoking and drinking.
The Health Survey for Eng-
land figures, first complied in
the late 1990s, show that only
1 per cent of under-15s smoke
regularly, down from 28 per
cent in 2007.
Professor Helen Stokes-
Royal College of GPs, said: ‘It’s
good news that children are
making better decisions around
­smoking and drinking alcohol,
and are taking heed of public
health warnings around the
dangers of cigarettes and alco-
hol, which seem to be working.
‘It’s also encouraging to see
lower rates of smoking
amongst adults – and slightly
higher rates of e-cigarette use
could be indicative that more
patients are using these as a
smoking cessation aid.’
Henry Ashworth, chief exec-
utive of the Portman Group,
which represents the alcohol
industry said: ‘It is welcome
that underage drinking con-
tinues to decline and is now at
its lowest recorded level. This
indicates that the ­combination
of robust ID schemes, life skills
education and programmes to
tackle underage drinking are
having a real impact.’
Professor Sir Ian Gilmore,
chairman of the Alcohol
Health Alliance UK, said: ‘We
welcome the continuing down-
ward trend in children aged 8-
15 being exposed to alcohol.’
The increasing number of
clean-living teens in Britain
Taking heed of
health warnings
has been associated with the
rise of social media and the
development of a ‘Facebook
generation’ more likely to be
exchanging messages from
their bedrooms than hanging
around on the streets.
A report from the Health and
Social Care Information Cen-
tre in 2014 revealed that just
3 per cent of 11 to 15-year-olds
were regular smokers in 2013
compared with 9 per cent in
2003. In 2013, 9 per cent of
=ï Ǯőǀ ėŠǫÖ Š ŬÖńƍĝőń Ŭőƨ őï ƥøǷ¿ǷǷǷ őƅ ĽőƅÖ ŠńÇ ŠƅÖ ©Öĝńĉ
³ėŠƅĉÖÇ ƨő ǬĝƨėÇƅŠǬ Ǯőǀƅ ĽőńÖǮ¿ ³őńƍĝÇÖƅ ƨƅŠńƍïÖƅƅĝńĉ ƨő Š
/ĝÇÖIJĝƨǮ hÖIJïĜ=ńǫÖƍƨÖÇ aÖƅƍőńŠIJ aÖńƍĝőń Ůh=aaůŲ
IJIJ ǮőǀƂIJIJ ŬŠǮ ĝƍ
ƨėÖ ïǀńÇ ĽŠńŠĉÖƅƍƂ őńĉőĝńĉ ³ėŠƅĉÖƍ ŠńÇ őǀƅ IJőǬĜ³őƍƨ ƍÖƅǫĝ³Ö
ïÖÖ ŮƨǮŬĝ³ŠIJIJǮ ǷŲƭøű őƅ ǷŲƹű ïőƅ ƥƹøǷ¿ǷǷǷ őƅ ĽőƅÖůŲ
pupils had drunk alcohol in Qő ŠńńǀŠIJ ÇƅŠǬÇőǬń ïÖÖƍ
the last week, less than half Qő őńÖĜőñ ǬĝƨėÇƅŠǬŠIJ ïÖÖƍ
the level in 2003 when the fig- Qő ƍÖƨĜǀŬ ïÖÖƍ
ure was 25 per cent.
aIJ֊ƍÖ ƅÖĽÖĽ©Öƅ ƨėŠƨ ƨėÖ ǫŠIJǀÖ őï ĝńǫÖƍƨĽÖńƨƍ ³Šń ĉő
Drug use had declined con-
ÇőǬń Šƍ ǬÖIJIJ Šƍ ǀŬŲ h=aa ÖIJĝĉĝ©ĝIJĝƨǮ ÇÖŬÖńÇƍ őń ŬÖƅƍőńŠIJ
siderably, they found. Only six
³ĝƅ³ǀĽƍƨŠń³ÖƍŲ ‚őǀ ³Šńńőƨ ńőƅĽŠIJIJǮ Š³³Öƍƍ ĽőńÖǮ ĝńǫÖƍƨÖÇ
per cent of school pupils in
ĝń Š h=aa ǀńƨĝIJ ƨėÖ ŠĉÖ őï øøŲ
2013 – half the level in 2003.
The number of 11 to 15-year-
olds taking drugs in 2013 was ŠIJIJ őǀƅ ƅÖƨĝƅÖĽÖńƨ ÖǭŬÖƅƨƍ ƨőNJǮ
slightly over half the figure ïőƅ Š /c"" ÇƅŠǬÇőǬń ĝIJIJǀƍƨƅŠƨĝőń őń
reported in 2003, while there
are a third fewer pupils who
have tried alcohol.
ǷÝǷǷ ÝƜǷ ǷǷøƕ
IĝńÖƍ őŬÖń OőńNJǮ ƨő /ƅĝNJǮ¿ ʼnŠĽ ƨő øŬĽ
In 2012, the Demos think-
tank warned that mothers
who drink heavily risked mėÖ 1őǫÖƅńĽÖńƨƂƍ ïƅÖÖ ŠńÇ ĝĽŬŠƅƨĝŠIJ
­passing down their bad habits aÖńƍĝőń }ĝƍÖ ƍÖƅǫĝ³Ö ³Šń ėÖIJŬ Ǯőǀ
to their children. ǀńÇÖƅƍƨŠńÇ Ǯőǀƅ őŬƨĝőńƍ Šƨ ƅÖƨĝƅÖĽÖńƨ¾
They said teenagers whose ǬǬǬŲŬÖńƍĝőńǬĝƍÖŲĉőǫŲǀį őƅ ǷÝǷǷ ŚƭÝ ƭʼnāāŲ
mothers ‘always’ drank were
nearly twice as likely to have
alcohol problems in adult-
hood. The research claimed
that as many as 2.5million chil-
dren – a fifth of the total – were =ƍƍǀÖÇ ©Ǯ /ĝńŠń³ĝŠIJ
ÇĽĝńĝƍƨƅŠƨĝőń hÖƅǫĝ³Öƍ IĝĽĝƨÖÇ¿ ŠǀƨėőƅĝƍÖÇ
living with a parent who drank ŠńÇ ƅÖĉǀIJŠƨÖÇ ©Ǯ ƨėÖ /ĝńŠń³ĝŠIJ őńÇǀ³ƨ
ǀƨėőƅĝƨǮŲ /ĝÇÖIJĝƨǮ¿ /ĝÇÖIJĝƨǮ
=ńƨÖƅńŠƨĝőńŠIJ¿ ƨėÖ /ĝÇÖIJĝƨǮ =ńƨÖƅńŠƨĝőńŠIJ IJőĉő ŠńÇ / ƍǮĽ©őIJ ŠƅÖ ƨƅŠÇÖĽŠƅįƍ őï
hazardously. /=I IĝĽĝƨÖÇŲ sGOǷʼnŚƜơŚǷʼnƕƭơhVÝŚāƜơǷƭŚƕ
s.borland@dailymail.co.uk
Page 20 QQQ
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016

I won’t allow the Ulster killings probe

to become witch-hunt, vows minister
SOLDIERS who served in Northern Ire-
land will not face a legal ‘witch-hunt’, the
Defence Secretary promised yesterday.
Sir Michael Fallon told MPs that after
learning lessons from the controversial inves-
tigations into Iraq war veterans, he would
not allow probes into every British Army kill-
ing during the Troubles to reach an ‘indus-
By Larisa Brown
Defence Correspondent
Lawyers (PIL) mounted more than 3,000
claims of wrongdoing during the Iraq war.
Giving evidence to the defence select com-
mittee inquiry into Ihat, Sir Michael said:
‘We are not going to allow Northern Ireland
campaign. Sir Michael admitted that the
MoD had ‘not forecast the industrial scale of
the claims’ lodged against Iraq veterans.
He added: ‘I’m going to make very sure that
if this process accelerates in Northern Ire-
land, I will be working with the Northern
Ireland Secretary to ensure this process is
moor. Sir Michael said: ‘I am not going to see
Northmoor develop into a witch-hunt... and I
am certainly not going to let the Northern
Ireland process descend into a witch-hunt.’
A Government spokesman said last night:
‘The Government is wholly committed to
finding a lawful, fair, balanced and propor-
tionate way forward for legacy issues in

trial scale’.
He said any probes into Northern Ireland
veterans would be ‘properly balanced’
and ‘proportionate’.
His comments came amid claims the Iraq
Historic Allegations Team (Ihat) – in which
hundreds of soldiers have been quizzed by
detectives – is ‘out of control’.
Troops continue to face multiple investiga-
to develop into another Ihat.’
Last week it emerged that a unit within the
Police Service of Northern Ireland was re-
examining every British Army killing during
the Troubles. The taxpayer-funded Legacy
Investigation Branch (LIB) is set to re-open
238 ‘fatal incidents’, which led to 302 deaths.
This could mean UK veterans being investi-
gated as murder suspects over actions taken
Northern Ireland
properly balanced, that it is proportionate.’
He said investigations would also include
murders committed by terrorists.
There are also up to 600 criminal cases from
Afghanistan being investigated as part of a
Northern Ireland.
‘Without new bodies to address the legacy
of the past, murders by terrorists won’t be
investigated, soldiers and police officers will
continue to be dragged through the courts
under existing processes and victims, includ-
ing families of brave serviceman killed, are
less likely to see justice. The Government
must offer any and all support and protec-

...but here’s a
tions after law firms such as Public Interest decades ago at the height of the IRA terror separate inquiry known as Operation North- tion for UK forces allowed under the law.’

By Claire Duffin

A DECORATED former Army cap-

girl soldier
tain has made an emotional appeal
to Theresa May, calling on her to end
the ‘bloated, discredited and damag-
ing witch-hunt’ of British troops. 
Rachel Webster said it was time to shut
down the controversial £57million inquiry

who knows
into allegations of historic abuse during
the Iraq war. 
Miss Webster, who completed four tours of
duty including in Iraq and Afghanistan and
received a Commander’s commendation for
her work with rape victims in Kosovo, was
arrested by the now largely discredited Iraq
Historic Allegations Team (Ihat). She was

just what a
never charged and was awarded damages
after complaining of being roughly treated
and humiliated during a dawn raid on her
home in January 2014. 
Yesterday, she said she was taking further
legal action against the Ministry of Defence
for her treatment at the hands of Ihat. Miss
Webster said the team, which was set up by
the Government in 2010 to investigate cases

witch-hunt
of alleged mistreatment and unlawful killings
of Iraqis, had ‘mutated into an unstoppable
double-jeopardy juggernaut, running danger-
ously out of control’.
Ihat has received more than 3,000 allega-
tions against British troops, the vast majority
of which were submitted by a discredited law-

Iraq
yer who has admitted paying a fixer to find
Iraqis willing to smear British servicemen. 
Standing outside the Royal Courts of Jus-
tice in London, Miss Webster fought back
tears as her barrister, David Taylor, read out
a statement on her behalf.
‘Christmas is a difficult time for the armed
services and their families and this is not
helped by the ongoing and unnecessary Ihat
feels like
investigations,’ he said.
‘Rachel firmly believes that the British
Armed Forces are the best in the world and
yet they have faced thousands of unwar-
ranted allegations of criminal conduct.
‘The Attorney General was asked recently
to name another country that had an Ihat or
similar – he couldn’t name one. That is
because Ihat is a very British aberration.’
He said Miss Webster believed Ihat’s inves-
tigations had interrupted the lives and ‘fraz-
zled’ the mental health of thousands of mili-
tary personnel.
‘Of course there has to be a mechanism for
investigating historic war crimes, but Ihat
is not it,’ Mr Taylor said. ‘You don’t smash
down an orchard of the finest fruit to try to
find a few rotten apples.
‘Now Ihat, like a dog with a bone, just won’t
let go. It ludicrously suggests that the Euro-
pean Court and the International Criminal
Court are forcing it to pursue trumped up- Tears: Rachel Webster with a supporter outside court yesterday Duty: Miss Webster was in the Army for 24 years
claims from discredited lawyers.
But Ihat has already played too her country well for 24 years… she office. During a tussle with offic-

Spying on troops defended

large a part in this shabby self- is one of the bravest of the brave. ers, she alleged her breasts were
perpetuating circus of tank-chas- ‘So she calls upon the Prime exposed, leaving her ‘shocked and
ing solicitors, dubious fixers and Minister, an honourable woman humiliated’. She said her treat-
retired policemen who have con- who, like Rachel, has spent her ment was ‘tantamount to being
trived to catch the Armed Serv- whole life defending British val- kidnapped by the State’. THE Defence Secretary yesterday said prosecutors from The Hague
ices in its crossfire.’ ues and protecting British lives, Miss Webster was never charged defended the spying on British were keeping a ‘watchful eye’ on
Mr Taylor said Miss Webster, 48, to shut down Ihat now and put an and was later awarded £5,000 in troops by detectives probing Iraq the process and had visited Ihat’s
felt Ihat had lost its credibility to end to this bloated, discredited damages from the MoD for wrong- war legal claims. Wiltshire offices three times.
investigate and attempts to make and damaging witch-hunt.’ ful arrest and detention. It is Sir Michael Fallon told MPs that Defending the spying, he said
it fairer had failed.  Ihat has admitted its arrest of understood her legal team will covert surveillance was acceptable cases had to be investigated prop-
‘You can put lipstick on a pitbull Miss Webster was ‘unnecessary’. commence proceedings against as long as it was ‘properly author- erly to ensure soldiers were not
but it will still bite you,’ he said. She was held for three months the MoD over physical and psy-
after refusing to give a witness chological harm after Christmas.
ised and properly supervised’. dragged before the International
‘Rachel calls for an end to this
self-inflicted military fiasco and statement to investigators prob- Miss Webster joined the Royal His comments came as a defence Criminal Court.
that an enquiry be ordered to see ing allegations against an ex-boy- Military Police in 1988 and rose to official said the UK’s £57million Iraq Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach,
what went so badly wrong. friend. Investigators arrived unan- the rank of captain. She was hon- Historic Allegations Team (Ihat) Chief of the Defence Staff, said he
‘Theresa May said recently that nounced at her home in the early oured for her work in Kosovo in probe was the most ‘scrutinised was happy for the spying to go
the bravest of the brave would be hours and arrested her on suspi- 1999 and left the Army in 2013 to investigation in history’. Sir Michael ahead as long as it was legal.
protected. Rachel Webster served cion of misconduct in a public pursue a career in finance.
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016 V1 Page 21

The hairy look’s grown on us – eight of

the world’s 10 sexiest men have beards
By Kelly Allen
THE best-looking men used
to be clean-cut smoothies
with chiseled good looks.
But now that facial hair has
grown on us, this year could
become the year of the beard.
Of Glamour magazine’s 100
sexiest men for 2017, chosen by
80,000 readers, an astonishing 63
have facial hair.
Just two slipped into the top
ten without beards – Night Man-
ager hunk Tom Hiddleston, 35,
and US actor Matt Bomer, 39.
Jamie Dornan was awarded the
top spot for a second time, hav-
ing got to No1 in 2015. 2 3 4
The Fifty Shades Of Grey star, Straggly: Aidan Turner Hirsute: Robert Pattinson Hipster: James McAvoy
34, has previously told how much
he dislikes being clean-shaven.
He said: ‘I hate my face without
a beard. I look like a thumb.’
He’s not alone. Aidan Turner,
33, who comes in at No2, doesn’t
shave when he’s not filming
Poldark. He said: ‘In my next

‘They no longer
look crusty’
role I want to grow a beard – and
put on loads of weight.’
The full list positively bristles
with men who’ve ditched their
razors, including Leonardo DiC-
aprio, 42, Prince Harry, 32, and 5 6 7
Victoria star Rufus Sewell, 49. Stubble: Luke Evans Groomed: Chris Evans Goatee: Mike Colter
Adam Brady, grooming expert
at award-winning barber Ruffi-
ans in London, said fortune was
finally favouring the beard, add-
ing: ‘Beards were seen as dirty
and unhygienic. But the stigma
seems to have gone.
‘Men have got better at styling
their beards. They no longer look
straggly and crusty.’
Glamour’s top ten sexiest men
of 2017 are: 1. Jamie Dornan; 2.
Aidan Turner; 3. Robert Pattin-
son, 30, from the Twilight films;
4. X-Men star James McAvoy, 37;
5. Luke Evans, 37, from The Hob-
bit; 6. Captain America star
Chris Evans, 35; 7. Mike Colter,
1 40, Luke Cage actor; 8. Matt
Bomer; 9. Tom Hiddleston; 10.
8 9 10
Hairy hunk: Jamie Dornan hates going clean-shaven TV fitness coach Joe Wicks, 30. Smooth: Matt Bomer Shaven: Tom Hiddleston Trimmed: Joe Wicks

By Steve Doughty
Social Affairs Correspondent
Ex-husbands who Oh buoy!
62ft wave

don’t pay up after

is a record
DIVORCED men who try to wrig-
gle out of paying off their ex-wives
could face a driving ban.
Law reformers yesterday called for
fresh sanctions against those who
avoid paying divorce settlements
ordered by the courts.
breaker
A 62ft Atlantic wave between Brit-

divorce could lose

Among the penalties should be 12-
month driving bans and the confiscation ain and Iceland has become the
of passports, the Law Commission said. highest ever recorded by a buoy,
The plan for husbands, and some wives, the World Meteorological Organ-
follows complaints that ‘family financial ization has said.
orders’ imposed in a divorce are fre- Taller than a six-storey building,
quently ignored, and that those who fail the wave followed a ‘very strong’
to pay cannot easily be punished.

driving licences
At present the only penalty a wife can cold front that had barrelled
ask for if her former husband fails to pay through the area, producing
up is a prison sentence, but judges need a 50mph winds.
criminal standard of proof before they will It occurred on February 4, 2013.
send an unco-operative divorcee to jail, The previous record for a wave
so the punishment is rarely enforced. measured by a climate-analysing
The Commission’s recommendations buoy was also recorded in the
mean a husband who has not paid could
be disqualified from driving for a year. A North Atlantic in 2007, and was
court would return his licence if he 60ft (18.3m) tall.
handed over the money. said: ‘As the orders are made by the hardship for the individuals expensive. They also said this Experts say the highest waves
However, the report said, it would court to meet needs, non-compli- involved. Judges need the neces- would treat divorcees in too similar typically occur in the North Atlan-
ance can have a devastating impact. sary powers to ensure that those a way to criminal offenders. tic, with wind circulation and
be self-defeating to impose a driv-
Rent or mortgage payments may who can pay, but choose not to, The recommendations will be sent atmospheric pressure in winter
ing ban on someone who needed to be missed; basic necessities may comply with court orders.’ to Justice Secretary Liz Truss, who
drive to earn a living, because they become unaffordable; children’s It would be up to spouses who will decide whether they should leading to extra-tropical storms
would lose the ability to make the standard of living may be affected. had not been paid – usually women form the basis of new legislation. often referred to as ‘bombs’.
money to pay their former spouse. ‘Enforcement can be difficult …  – to apply to the court for a driving Lawyer Jenny Arnold, of JMW WMO deputy chief Wenjian
So, it also recommended that Ineffective enforcement causes real or travel ban to be enforced. Solicitors, said: ‘The measures sug- Zhang said: ‘It is a remarkable
judges should have powers to con- hardship, results in costs to the The proposals also say courts gested will send an important mes- record. We need high quality and
fiscate passports. Only UK pass- state and undermines confidence should have powers to get informa- sage because they impact on some- extensive ocean records to help
ports should be taken, the report in the justice system.’ tion on the real wealth of a divorcee one’s lifestyle and, therefore, might
said, and they should be given back in our understanding of weather/
Law commissioner Professor who refuses to pay, including access be the kind of pressure capable of
when the erring spouse pays up. Nicholas Hopkins said: ‘The cur- to bank accounts and tax records. persuading them to pay up.’
ocean interactions.’
Courts in England and Wales rent law for the enforcement of But the Commission abandoned But she said the proposals left Automated buoys send back
make 90,000 family financial orders family financial orders is unneces- the idea of curfews and electronic loopholes, particularly for self- data on sea currents, tempera-
each year, and they feature in three sarily complicated and often inef- tagging for spouses who refuse to employed people who may be able tures and swells for seafarers, cli-
out of four divorce cases. The report fective. These problems cause real pay up, deciding this would be too to move earnings out of the UK. mate researchers and others.
 life
Page 22 Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016

Jihadis ‘hiding
in plain sight’ T
he standing ovation lasted a full ten minutes — a
rare achievement for any film receiving its world
premiere at the Venice Film Festival. Audience
members said the cast and crew of World War II
movie, Hacksaw Ridge, were ‘overwhelmed’ as they
soaked up the plaudits earlier this year. And none

among migrants,
more so, one can be certain, than its director, Mel Gibson.
It seemed a return to his glory days as Hollywood’s most bankable
name as he walked out of the Sala Grande theatre to find screaming fans
waiting not for the film’s stars, Andrew Garfield and Vince Vaughn, but
for him. In honour of his performance as ­Celtic warrior William Wallace in
Braveheart, they had even painted their faces blue.
Most A-listers do their best to hide the signs of age, but 60-year-old
Gibson, star of Mad Max, Lethal Weapon and The Patriot, sports a bushy

says Forces chief

white beard. It makes him look wiser — which may be the intention.
For Gibson is engaged in one of the most delicate comebacks in
­Tinseltown history. After a decade in the wilderness — in which the
­Hollywood pariah didn’t direct a ­single
film and appeared in just a handful —

from Tom
he looks to have finally shrugged off
an ugly past of anti-Semitic and racist
outbursts, and incidents of domestic
­violence that few felt could be excused

Leonard
by ­Gibson’s rampant alcoholism.
Hacksaw Ridge marks his return as
By Larisa Brown
Britain sends officers to
director for the first time since
Defence Correspondent ­w orking on the 2006 Mayan action
adventure Apocalypto.
THE head of the Armed And it looks set to be a triumphant

analyse IS files in Mosul

Forces yesterday warned
Islamic State jihadis were
‘moving in migrant flows,
hiding in plain sight’.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart
Peach, chief of the defence
staff, said foreign militants
were being moved from their
shrinking stronghold in Iraq
and Syria.
And he warned copycat terror-
ists are now ‘popping up all over
the world’ as propaganda spreads
through social media.
In his first major speech since
taking up the role in July, Sir
Stuart said Britain also faced an
‘era of competition’ with other
states – and that Russia was not
playing by the rules.
He continued: ‘I would argue
BRITAIN is sending military
intelligence officers to trawl
through files seized from
Mosul amid fears of terror
plots on the UK.
Defence Secretary Sir Michael
Fallon will today announce
more data recovery experts
will ‘exploit data and technical
equipment’ recovered from
Islamic State.
They will work from a secret
base in Iraq and scour intelli-
gence from hard drives, mobile
phones and documents.
They will also try to gather
comeback — it has already been
­n ominated for two Golden Globes,
coalition of nations fighting IS
for the first time in London. The
UK effort to help in the fight
against the barbaric militants
in Mosul comes as another
front emerged in Syria’s Raqqa
in an attempt to attack them
from all sides.
Sir Michael said: ‘Daesh (IS) is
being taken on in Eastern
Mosul. Last week we opened
up a second front around
Raqqa. Daesh is losing ground,
finance, and fighters.
‘As part of the 68 member
Coalition, Britain is playing a
one for best film (drama) and one for
Gibson in the best director category.
But he’s not just returning behind
the camera. October saw the UK
release of Blood Father, an action
thriller starring Gibson playing to his
strengths as a recovering ­ alcoholic
plagued by a furious temper.
Some critics were struck by how
much his addiction problems have
aged him, noting the deep lines
­marking those matinee idol features.
Earlier this year, Gibson was in
Dublin making his next feature film,
The Professor And The Madman,
with fellow badboy Sean Penn,
­p laying the creators of the Oxford
English Dictionary.
Gibson took with him his 26-year-old
girlfriend, Rosalind Ross, a former
IN NEW YORK
work with Mel again, period,’ an
­e xecutive at a major independent
­production company said.
‘But I think they’re a minority. It’s
been ten years since all this started
and at some point you have to forgive
and forget.
‘It’s always got to be about the
money. He’s certainly had some flops,
but the man’s got talent — on both
sides of the camera.’
Another well-placed Tinseltown
insider said: ‘After what he said about
Jews, I remember Ari Emanuel
­[ Hollywood’s most powerful talent
agent] calling on Hollywood to “shun”
Mel even if it hurt their bottom line. I
thought: “Good luck with that.”
‘Someone as big as Gibson had to

‘I would use the
word danger’
that all this combines to [be] a
threat and a risk to our way of life
and an element of a sense of
uncertainty and, indeed, I would
use the word danger.’
Speaking at the Royal United
Services Institute, he said: ‘We
face a potential network of com-
bat experienced terrorists.’
He added that the UK was play-
ing a ‘full part’ in the campaign
against IS, which is also known as
Daesh. But he said: ‘I worry about
the global reach of Daesh as an
idea, using the internet ... using
social media.
‘They are losing territory rap-
idly, foreign fighters are being
killed and displaced but they are
moving in migrant flows, hiding
in plain sight.’
Terrorists are able to destroy
their passports and change their
identities using forged docu-
ments to travel to other coun-
data which can be used to help
prosecute terrorists and track
British jihadists.
Sir Michael will announce the
deployment as he hosts the
quarterly, top-level meeting of
defence ministers from the
tries, he warned, adding: ‘How we
manage identity in a world where
people are deliberately trying to
destroy their identity documents
and move in migrant flows – it is
a very important subject.’
Sir Stuart also warned Britain
should be ‘really worried’ that
the international consensus-
based approach to peace and
security, which emerged after the
Second World War, was now chal-
lenged by states such as Russia.
The UK is now in a ‘strategic
state-on-state era of competi-
tion’ which requires us to respond
to propaganda, hybrid warfare
and cyber attacks, he said.
His comments follow the Rus-
sian incursion in Ukraine and
worries that Moscow influenced
the US presidential election won
leading role, through our air-
strikes, intelligence, surveil-
lance and reconnaissance, and
our training.
‘In 2017 we must maintain
momentum to deal these ter-
rorists a decisive blow.’
by Donald Trump by allegedly
hacking email accounts linked to
his rival Hillary Clinton.
‘There’s no doubt, it’s not a
secret, that Russia is using cyber
as a part of [its] power,’ Sir Stu-
art said. ‘This is in direct compe-
tition with our approach to sus-
tain the rules-based order.’ He
continued that he was ‘happy to
talk to Russia’, but that this ‘does
not mean business as usual’.
He said he had visited the coun-
try last year to talk about decon-
fliction as Russia sent warplanes
close to UK airspace.
Sir Stuart described the threat
of cyber activities for commer-
cial gain and state advantage as
a ‘worrying trend’, especially as
it is often difficult to find out
who is responsible.
S
champion equestrian. They are
­understood to have met two years ago
after Ms Ross, an aspiring writer,
applied for a job at his film production
company. Despite being younger than
nearly all his offspring, she is pregnant
with his ninth child.
As they strolled around town he
smiled genially for photographers — a
far cry from August last year when a
female photographer claims he
­verbally abused her, pushed her and
spat in her face when she tried to snap
the couple. Gibson robustly denies
the claims and his U.S. publicist called
the story ‘a complete fabrication’.
It also emerged that Gibson is in
talks to star as a grandfather spy in an
action-adventure film called Every
Other Weekend.
However, it’s his belated return to
directing — for which he’s previously
won two Oscars, Best Picture and
Best Director, for 1995’s Braveheart
— that is more significant.
Hacksaw Ridge is based on a true
story about Desmond Doss (played by
Spiderman star Garfield), a Seventh
Day Adventist and pacifist who
became the first conscientious
­objector in U.S. ­history to be awarded
the Congressional Medal of Honour
after heroically saving 75 men during
come back sometime.’
o are we really witnessing
the Second Coming of Mad
Mel? He certainly believes
so , i n si st i n g so m ew h a t
unconvincingly to Deadline,
a Hollywood news website, that his
decade-long disappearing act had
been a deliberate decision to keep a
‘low profile’ rather than enforced on
him by an outraged film world.
He explained: ‘I’ve done a lot of work
on myself these past ten years. I didn’t
want just to do the celebrity rehab
thing for two weeks, declare myself
cured and then screw up again.
‘I think the best way somebody can
show they’re sorry is to fix
themselves.’
A Gibson comeback didn’t seem
likely back in July 2006 when he was
arrested on a Los Angeles highway on
suspicion of drunk driving after police
caught him speeding.
According to the traffic officer, when
he refused to let Gibson drive home,
the star exploded: ‘****ing Jews . . . the
Jews are responsible for all the wars in
the world. Are you a Jew?’
Gibson, who started drinking at 13,

£500,000
the bloody campaign to take Okinawa

to be from the Japanese.

The film (which was released in the
won!
U.S. in November and is awaiting its
UK opening next year) is already
being tipped as an Oscars contender,
went into rehab and met Jewish ­leaders
to help him ‘discern the ­ appropriate
path for healing’. He ­apologised, saying
his comments had been the ‘stupid
rambling of a drunkard’.

C
And yet, claimed critics, that was

with the Mail Lottery

Every day in the Daily
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following its Golden Globes success.
by 5pm on the date of ritics wonder whether
publication. Gibson, an ultra-conserva-
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HOW TO CLAIM: If you have atheist Hollywood, wanted to
matched SIX two-digit draw comparisons with his
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Garfield — who, helpfully for Gibson,
0808 today between 9.30am is Jewish — spoke warmly of him in
and 5pm. Every claim must Venice, describing him at a press
be verified by a ­complete, ­conference as ‘like a good dad on set’
original winning newspaper. with a ‘wonderful, ­nurturing instinct’.
TERMS: Only open to UK But Gibson seemed at pains to
­correct any impression that he takes
residents aged 18 or over,
excluding Northern Ireland. the sudden revival of his career for
granted. Asked to describe his
­Further ­conditions apply, please
­r elationship with Hollywood, he
go to ­themaillottery.co.uk for ­simply said: ‘Survival’. It sounded as
full terms and ­conditions and bleak as one of his films.
for instructions if you are However, as Hollywood insiders told
missing your Unique Number. me this week , Gibson may be
­overstating the case.
‘I know of some Jewish people at
some studios who say they will never
hardly the whole story.
Two years earlier, Gibson had made
The Passion Of The Christ, which an
alliance of rabbis complained had
­promoted anti-Semitic ­stereotypes and
­portrayed a Jewish mob as being ulti-
mately responsible for the crucifixion.
And, said his accusers, the film’s slant
was hardly an accident from a director
who knew the Bible intimately.
Brought up to follow a deeply
­conservative strain of Catholicism, the
American-born, Australian-raised star
has been vocal about his ‘traditional-
ist’ faith.
In 2003, Gibson built at his own
expense a 17-acre church compound,
the Church of the Holy Family, on a
hilltop overlooking Malibu, California.
It’s so conservative that women who
visit must cover their heads.
Some note that he inherited his
beliefs from his father, ­Hutton Gibson,
who has publicly ­ supported various
anti- Jewish ­ conspiracy theories
including ­Holocaust denial.
Gibson’s star had further to fall,
­however. In 2010, a leaked recording
revealed him savagely railing at his
 Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016
From this...
Vile racist rants and domestic
abuse destroyed his career. Now
he’s nominated for a Golden Globe ...
How has
Mad Mel
pulled off
Hollywood’s
most unlikely
comeback?
then girlfriend, Russian pianist
Oksana Grigorieva. Accusing her of
wearing provocative clothing, he
warned she only had herself to
blame if she got ‘raped by a bunch
of n*****s’.
Although Gibson claimed the tape
had been edited and the incident
was a one-off, he didn’t contest the
charge of hitting Ms Grigorieva, the
mother of his baby daughter,
although he insisted he had simply
‘tapped’ her on the head.
Gibson’s three-year relationship
with Grigorieva had followed the
break-up in 2006 of his 26-year
­marriage to his wife Robyn, a fellow
staunch Catholic with whom he
has seven children. Sources said
Gibson destroyed the marriage
through his heavy drinking and his
‘bad, unpredictable temper’.
Robyn finally filed for divorce in
2009, shortly after pictures emerged
of him embracing a young brunette
— thought to have been Grigorieva
— on a Costa Rican beach.
Civil rights activists called for a
...to this
boycott of his films and Gibson’s
production company was dropped
by the ABC TV network, for which
is had a planned mini-series about
Dutch Jews during World War II.
A string of other projects never
got off the ground either, including
a Viking feature film which was to
have starred Leonardo DiCaprio
until he pulled out.
In 2012, a Hollywood screenwriter
named Joe Eszterhas, whom Gib-
son had commissioned to write a
script about the ancient Jewish
freedom fighters known as the
Maccabees only to turn it down,
resurrected the charge that Gibson
was indeed a virulent anti-Semite.
Eszterhas depicted the star as a
deranged psychotic who owned
more guns than crucifixes and who
once furiously ejected a terrified
priest he had invited for dinner
because they had disagreed over
Catholic doctrine. (Gibson
­dismissed most of the accusations
as ‘utter fabrications’.)
It’s not to say Gibson, doesn’t have
Page 23
res / getty
Pictures: Splash news and pictu
Growing up: A drunken Mel
Gibson parties in Malibu, and
right, an older, wiser — and
sober — Gibson, with latest
love Rosalind Ross
his defenders. Some Hollywood
insiders say every awful episode in
his life can be explained by an alco-
holism so severe that he admitted
in 2004 he had contemplated sui-
cide. Friends insist he has now been
sober for years.
Actresses Jodie Foster and
Whoopi Goldberg both publicly
defended him, as did actors Gary
Oldman and Robert Downey Jr, the
latter having himself staged a
major ­Hollywood comeback follow-
ing his own addiction problems.
In May, another old friend, Shane
Black, the writer of Lethal Weapon
and director of Iron Man 3, said
Gibson had ‘essentially been black-
listed’. He added: ‘If you’re drunk,
you’re going to say nasty things.’
More recently, The Hollywood
Reporter newspaper proclaimed
Gibson is ‘no longer persona non
grata’ in the industry as senior
business figures went on record to
support him.
‘I’ve known Mel for many years
and his talents as a filmmaker are
undeniable,’ said Sue Kroll, presi-
dent of worldwide marketing and
distribution at Warner Bros. ‘He is
a gifted storyteller.’
While David Permut, a gay, ­Jewish
producer of Hacksaw Ridge, said:
‘Mel has been misunderstood by
people who may not know him, but
nobody can take his talent away.
Ultimately, I think time heals.’
But controversy continues to dog
Gibson. Only days prior to the
newspaper report, Glenn Beck, a
Bible Belt commentator in the
U.S., claimed the star was still
­complaining about Jews when they
met at a Hacksaw Ridge screening.
Gibson earlier announced he is
working on a sequel to The Passion
Of The Christ, saying it will be
called The Resurrection. Whether
he can perform a similar miracle in
sustaining his own Hollywood
comeback will soon become clear.
Page 24 Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016 v1 Page 25

Walkies on
the wild
side! Gran
with a pet
raccoon
By Sian Boyle
A PET being walked by its owner
would not normally turn the heads
of shoppers in a city centre.
But this animal lover has a rather
unorthodox choice of furry compan-
ion at the end of a lead – a raccoon.
Rosemary Bean takes her pet, a
female raccoon called Rhara, for a
stroll because ‘she likes getting out
and about and meeting people’.
However, Rhara isn’t the only unu-
sual animal that Mrs Bean keeps at
her home in Rumney on the outskirts
of Cardiff – the grandmother of three
has another raccoon, Raccy, and two
skunks, Choiyo and Flower.
Mrs Bean said yesterday: ‘It was the
first time I had taken Rhara into Car- Unmasked: Rhara the raccoon with
diff city centre, but we take a walk to owner Rosemary Bean and, right,
the local shop most days. pounding the streets of Cardiff
‘It should only take us about ten ‘Why do you always
minutes to the corner shop but takes one for sale,’ she said. ‘Then I got a
us a lot longer because we are always try and go one better?’ second one and called it Pepe Le Pew.
getting stopped. People love to come I had three until recently.’
up and ask questions about what she Her first raccoon was Raccy, who
is like and if they can touch her.’ coons, native to North America where she rehomed. When it was suggested
News of Mrs Bean’s excursions with they are considered pests, can grow he needed a companion she found
Rhara come after yesterday’s Mail to 80lb and can carry diseases includ- Rhara. ‘The only problem is they don’t
carried a picture of a raccoon, believed ing distemper that are a threat to like each other, so Raccy is kept in a
to be an escaped pet, scavenging from other animals. large pen in the garden and Rhara
rubbish bins in Manchester. Mrs Bean says she first became lives in the conservatory,’ she said.
Teacher Nuala Burke spotted it interested in unusual pets after seeing ‘Choiyo and Flower also fight, so
while walking her dog in Levenshulme the cartoon skunk Flower in Bambi. Choiyo stays in the room with me and
and at first mistook the black and ‘One night I was on the internet and I Flower likes her cage because she is
white mammal for a badger. Rac- saw someone who bred skunks had quite old and sleeps most of the time.’

By Sophie Borland
Health Editor
9 in 10 mothers Car insurance
rockets by

with overweight
MORE than nine in ten mothers
with overweight children think
they are ‘normal’.
And four in ten whose children
almost £100
in one year
are actually obese assume they are
‘about right.’
The findings, from a major NHS survey,

children don’t
suggest parents are unwittingly fuelling
the obesity epidemic – as they don’t realise
CAR insurance has soared by an
anything is wrong with their children. average of nearly £100 this year,
Youngsters are also unaware of their size, figures revealed yesterday.
with four in ten who are either overweight And motoring cover is now 12
or obese thinking they are ‘about right’. per cent higher than it was just
Only last month Chief Medical Officer four months ago.
Dame Sally Davies recently warned how Consumer website MoneySu-

think they’re fat

being fat had become ‘normalised’ and
criticised parents for handing out snacks.
Speaking at a health conference in Lon-
don, she highlighted how some mothers
mistakenly assumed children were skinny
if they could see their ribs.
These latest figures come from NHS Dig-
ital’s Health Survey for England, which
involved 8,034 adults, and 5,714
children up to the age of 15.
They also reveal how the weight
of an average man has increased by
12 pounds in 20 years, from 12st 7lb
in 1995 to 13st 5lb today.
Meanwhile, the average woman has
enlarged by nine pounds over the
same time from 10st 8lb to 11st 3lb.
Some 68 per cent of adults were
either overweight or obese along-
side 28 per cent of children.
Alison Cox, director of cancer pre-
vention at Cancer Research UK,
said: ‘This excessive weight is putting
the NHS under enormous strain
and the health of the nation at risk.
‘Being overweight or obese is
the second largest preventable
cause of cancer after smoking, so
it’s important that people are given
a helping hand to maintain a
healthy weight.
‘Making small changes in eating,
drinking and being physically active
that you can stick to in the long-
term is a good way to reach a
healthy weight and stay there.’
Tam Fry, from the National Obes-
ity Forum, said: ‘Sadly, the majority
of parents’ perceptions of normal
weight are long gone.
‘And who can be surprised?   devastating health conditions.  ing biscuits, breakfast cereals
‘Doting mothers are only too will-
ing to believe that their kids are
not part of that fat crowd. But it’s a
belief that is misplaced.
‘Tragically, health professionals
often compound the problem by
finding it uncomfortable to raise
weight issues.’
The Obesity Health Alliance, a
coalition of over 30 medical organi-
sations, said in a statement: ‘Obes-
ity is still an urgent public health
epidemic costing our national
health service billions of pounds
e v e r y y e a r. P r e v a l e n c e h a s n’ t
changed much but the majority
of adults remain worryingly obese
or overweight.
‘As our waistlines continue to
increase, so do the chances of
developing Type 2 diabetes, cancer,
cardiovascular disease and other
‘We must take bold action now by
bringing in measures like the soft
drinks industry levy, reducing the
sugar, salt and fat from everyday
foods and restricting junk food
marketing to children.’   to the public.  ‘Alongside reports that petrol
The figures also show that only 22
per cent of children are doing the
recommended amount of exercise
of an hour a day.  were of ‘great concern.’
This has barely changed from 21
per cent in 2012, when the same
question was asked, despite a series
of Government campaigns. The
Government was heavily criticised
over the summer for publishing a
watered-down obesity strategy
which was too soft on the junk
food industry.  and £597 in November – a four
It did not include any measures
to force companies to reduce sugar
and fat levels from products includ-
and yoghurts.  said: ‘Motorists won’t be feeling
And although ministers are
bringing in a sugar tax on soft
drinks in April 2018, it will be up
to manufacturers how to pass it on
Professor Neena Modi, president
of the Royal College of Paediatrics
and Child Health said the findings
‘The worrying truth is that families
and society at large are simply
becoming oblivious to obesity
because it has become so common.’
perMarket analysed 873,000 cus-
tomer quotes during November
and found annual premiums are
now £597 on average, almost £100
more expensive than they were
at the start of 2016.
Premiums have increased stead-
ily during 2016 but there have
been sharp rises in the past few
months. In August the average
premium was £525, rising to £549
in September, £572 in October
per cent rise in just one month.
Kevin Pratt, consumer affairs
expert at MoneySuperMarket,
much Christmas cheer when they
read the news that car insurers
are bumping up premiums by
almost 12 per cent a year.
prices are heading back towards
£1.20 a litre, it’s a punishing time
for the nation’s wallets and
purses. It’s important for every
motorist approaching renewal to
run a quote to find the best price
for their next year’s policy.’
Page 26
Amazon makes its
Order: Staff select the items for the drone
first drone delivery
It took just 13 minutes … but how far did it travel?
Landing: The drone arrives at the customer’s house, where it releases the products, right, in the garden
AMAZON has made its first
delivery by drone, claiming it
dropped off items 13 minutes
after they were ordered.
The drone, carrying an Amazon
Fire TV box and a bag of popcorn,
is thought to have set off from the
f i r m’ s P r i m e A i r c e n t r e i n
­Cambridgeshire and delivered to a
customer in the same county.
The company has not confirmed
how far the drone travelled.
Yesterday its billionaire founder,
Jeff Bezos, wrote on Twitter: ‘First-
ever #AmazonPrimeAir customer
Track: It moves out from the warehouse
By Ross Parker
delivery is in the books.’ The serv-
ice promises to get packages to
customers in 30 minutes or less.
Mr Bezos tweeted a link to a video
showing a man, identified only as
Richard B, ordering the items from
his home in Cambridgeshire.
The drone is thought to have been
tested near Worsted Lodge, eight
miles south of Cambridge, which is
the location of Amazon UK’s
research and development site. The
film then shows the drone taking
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016
Families ‘left
to mercy of
fraudsters’
who cost us
£15bn a year
Take-off: Once in position, its flight begins
By Sean Poulter
Consumer Affairs Editor
SHOPPERS have been left at the mercy
of scams and unfair trading which costs
the nation almost £15billion a year,
watchdogs warn.
The number of trading standards offic-
ers has been cut by 56 per cent since
2009, while some areas have slashed
spending by 60 per cent.
Consumer protection is suffering fol-
lowing the reductions, according to the
National Audit Office. ‘Some services
now have only one qualified officer,’
said the body, which scrutinises public
spending. ‘Despite lack of funding, local
trading standards teams are expected
to enforce 263 pieces of legislation.’
The NAO pointed to problems such as
mass marketing scams, often involving
bogus prize draws. Trading standards
officers also highlighted the horsemeat
scandal and exploding hoverboards as
evidence of what is going wrong.
The watchdog said a typical postal
scam victim will lose around £4,500.
Meanwhile the total cost to consumers
in terms of being scammed or let down
adds up to £14.8billion a year. By con-
‘System has not
kept pace’
trast, officers said government spend-
ing on tackling the problem is just
£165million. Around £125million of that
is for council trading standards, while
£18million goes to Citizens Advice.
The Daily Mail revealed earlier this
year how Royal Mail was making money
by effectively allowing conmen to
defraud the elderly through its bulk
mail contracts. An investigation found
that victims were losing vast sums
through letter frauds, for example
off with the products, and includes from fake clairvoyants or prize-draws.
footage from its debut flight, before The head of the NAO, Amyas Morse,
dropping off the items in the cus-
tomer’s garden. said: ‘As threats to consumers become
The company plans to roll out a increasingly wide-ranging, the [protec-
regular drone delivery service, but tion] system has not kept pace, leaving
it will be subject to distance and consumers inadequately protected.’
weight restrictions. Currently, the Leon Livermore, of the Chartered
technology is available only to two Trading Standards Institute, said: ‘The
customers and the products they amount spent on trading standards has
order must be less than 5.7lb. fallen from £213million in 2011 to
Users must have a garden large
enough for the drone to land safely.
£125million. It has left consumers inad-
All commercial drone flights equately protected and helped set con-
must be approved by the Civil ditions for issues like the horsemeat
Aviation Authority. and hoverboard scandals.’
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016 Page 27

inside saturday’s daily mail

TWO xmas
tv listing Extra

magazines
special
delivery!

Magazine 1 up to XMAS Magazine 2 Into new year

Left lying on New Cameron

peer drops her

garden step,
Tory allegiance
after 3 months

OAP who
By Daniel Martin
Chief Political Correspondent

David Cameron’s
former policy chief
has stepped

waited over
d o w n as a Tory
just months after
he gave her a
seat in the House
of Lords.
Camilla Cavend-
ish, pictured, was

3 hours for
elevated to the
peerage by the
former Prime
­Minister in his con-
troversial resigna-
tion honours in
August. She was appointed to the lifetime

ambulance
AN 82-year-old pensioner
lies in a pool of blood as he
waits three -and-a-half
hours in the cold for an
ambulance to arrive.
Retired salesman Ken Mar-
wood tripped on steps and hit
his head leaving him concussed,
vomiting and bleeding.
But despite call handlers being
told he suffered from a number
of medical conditions, he had to
lie outside in 7C (45F) conditions
at his friend’s house in Darling-
ton, County Durham.
His wife Barbara, 72, a retired
civil servant, yesterday said she
was left traumatised by the expe-
rience. She and her friends made
four calls to the ambulance serv-
ice on Tuesday, telling staff her
husband was bleeding from his
nose and vomiting blood.
But paramedics didn’t arrive
until 2pm after the initial 10.30am
call, saying Mr Marwood’s condi-
tion was not life-threatening.
Call-handlers only upgraded his
call after asking a raft of ‘silly’
questions, including whether he
could read or write. The pensioner,
who has a heart condition and
By Tom Witherow
high blood pressure, could not be
moved inside as he was in too
much pain.
Mrs Marwood, a grandmother
of three, said: ‘I am disgusted.
They have done four assess-
ments. I kept checking that he
was breathing, I’m traumatised. 
‘My husband is an 82-year-old
man. He has been sick and there
was blood in the sick, he is con-
cussed, and wanted to go to
sleep. He is not well.
‘After the fourth assessment
they said they would move him
up the queue. They were asking
silly things like “Can he read or
write?”’ Mr Marwood will be
back in hospital in January for a
hip replacement after his first
was cancelled due to high blood
pressure. His wife said Mr Mar-
wood has been left with a frac-
ture to his cheek bone.
She added: ‘I am angry with
the situation. He couldn’t move
and he has a horrendous black
eye. There was a big pool of blood
on the flagstone. It could have
been a lot worse with the length
of time he was left. I kept ringing
Pain: Mr Marwood lay for hours on his garden path after falling
the ambulance all the time, it
could have been disastrous.’
Mr Marwood was yesterday
recovering at home from a bro-
ken cheek and cuts to his legs,
after being released from Dar-
lington Memorial Hospital on
Tuesday evening. The couple
were visiting Bob Taylor, 73, who
lives with his wife Carole, 72, in
Darlington. Mr Taylor said: ‘He
was in too much pain to move
him and I don’t think we could
have lifted him.’ Douglas McDou-
gall, head of emergency care
(South) at the North East Ambu-
lance Service, said: ‘We are
extremely sorry for any delays...
If a number of emergency calls
come in for the same area at such
a busy time, patients whose
symptoms are not life-threaten-
ing may unfortunately experi-
ence delays.
‘In the event of a delay we aim
to keep in touch with patients to
monitor their symptoms and
upgrade them if necessary.’
­position as a Conservative peer, meaning
she owes her position to the party. 
But yesterday it emerged she had resigned
the Tory whip in the Lords so she can take
up a new job.
She will continue to sit in the chamber —
enabling her to charge the taxpayer £300 a
day for attendance — but as a non-aligned
member. 
Last night one furious Tory MP said: ‘One
might say the Cameroons were never really
comfortable with the Conservative party
and this is proof. ‘She thinks she’s above
party politics, despite only being a peer
because of party politics.’
Mr Cameron gave the former Times
­journalist the honour despite the fact she
‘Thinks she’s above
party politics’
was only head of the Number 10 policy unit
for little over a year.
Baroness Cavendish was granted the
honour as part of his resignation honours,
when she was among 13 new Tory peers
named by Mr Cameron.
The honours sparked fury because many
of the recipients were donors or former
party workers.
Even his successor Theresa May made
what was seen as a swipe at his list, when
she said: ‘We want an honours system that
actually ensures we can recognise when
people out there are really contributing to
our society and to their communities.’
When she took her seat in September,
Camilla Cavendish called herself ‘Baron-
ess Cavendish of Little Venice’.
Little Venice, in west London, is not far

And broken leg footballer waits even longer

A footballer had to wait almost four hours
for an ambulance despite suffering a double
leg fracture. Elliot Smith, 23, broke his right
tibia and fibula in a collision with his own
goalkeeper in a Sunday league game.
Fellow players dialled 999 at about 11.30am
but Mr Smith had to lie in a puddle, in agony
and freezing cold, until paramedics arrived
Daily Mail Reporter
at 3pm. He was treated at the scene before
being taken to Dorset’s Poole Hospital, where
he waited eight hours for a bed.
‘The pain was indescribable and my breath-
ing was all over the place,’ said Mr Smith of
Bournemouth. ‘It’s frustrating that the taxes
and national insurance you pay don’t get you
the service you expect.’ Mr Smith, who plays
for Kinson Conservative Club, was injured in
a Hayward League fixture in Wimborne.
A spokesman for South Western Ambulance
Service apologised but said resources were
limited at busy times. The hospital said
demand for beds rose in winter.
from the Noting Hill area linked strongly to
Mr Cameron and his chancellor George
Osborne.
One government source said: ‘Camilla
had some job opportunity that required
her to be not affiliated with a political
party. So she’s becoming an unaffiliated
peer rather than a crossbencher or any-
thing else. I would expect her to keep sit-
ting on our benches.’
The source added: ‘I hope she’ll support
us in a few votes, but whatever her role is it
required her not to be affiliated with a
political party.’
Page 28 v1 Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016

Quentin
Letts
first night
Dream
girls are
review
dreamgirls
By Henry Krieger and Tom Eyen
Savoy Theatre
★★★★✩

fun but
FOR more than an hour after see-
ing Dreamgirls I had ear-ache. This
must be the noisiest show ever.
Its star, Amber Riley, has a voice so
beefy, it could be served on a trolley
next door at Simpson’s-in-the-Strand.
Miss Riley, big in America (and not

gave me
small here, come to that), does not so
much sing to an audience as sand-blast
it. As a boy I was brought up near
­Fairford aerodrome when they were test-
ing ­Concorde in the early 1970s. I swear
it was never as loud as Miss Riley.
A blast of dynamite would be mere
­r hubarbing compared to this lady’s
­l arynx. She makes the late Whitney
­Houston sound pianissimo. I’m amazed

the backstage staff have not gone stone
deaf during previews.
Miss Riley plays Effie, lead singer in an
early 1960s Chicago singing trio, The
Dreamettes. They are taken on by a
sharp manager (Joe Aaron Reid, rather
good). Although he is having an affair
with Effie, he demotes her in favour of
the more glamorous Deena (the splen-
didly named Liisi LaFontaine).
The group is renamed The
Dreams and by the time the 1970s
come along they have dropped
Effie altogether and achieved world
supremacy.
First seen in 1981, the tale may or
may not be based on that of the
Supremes. Tom Eyen’s script does
not flesh things out much (and
makes oddly little play of the race-
equality theme).
Barely a few sentences separate
Henry Krieger’s pulsating R&B
songs. The numbers include
­Cadillac Car, I Want You Baby and
One Night Only, which in a less
earache!
stentorian rendition can be a
lovely ballad. Miss Riley’s bone-jud-
dering ­decibels – never lustier than
when she roars the pre-interval And
I Am Telling You I’m Not Going,
and I swear my glasses nearly blew
off my nose, such was her vocal
power – push the show into a terri-
fying vortex of volume. The orches-
tra starts giving the score dollops
more mustard to match her and the
other singers follow suit.
Imagine a kingdom where every-
one shouts like television sets on
full-notch loudness. Imagine Brian
Girls aloud: Amber Riley,
right, and her co-stars
Blessed in a sequin- shimmery
gown, screaming soprano love
songs. Aiee, the din! In row F of the
stalls, I felt my chipmunk cheeks
doing that G-force thing astronauts
used to suffer in pre-launch tests.
Lord knows why director Casey
Nicholaw bothered to use any of
his budget on microphones for the
honking Amber. Even without
amplification she’d be audible
down on Trafalgar Square. The
physical discomfort was accentu-
ated by piercing whistles from sev-
eral people near me; and that tells
you that the show is, yes, good fun
and likely to be a hit.
Staged colourfully and slickly,
it will make jolly holiday fare
for many. It has great costumes
and incessant dancing.
Adam ­ Bernard is ace as the
Dreams’ co-star. Tyrone Huntley
does well as Effie’s brother.
Those with a taste for simple
­storylines may enjoy the ruthless
schmaltz as Effie fights her way
back to fame after her fall.
But I bet the Savoy’s loop system
has blown a gasket. And might not
just the occasional softer number
make for a more rounded
evening’s art?

Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016
What utter
recklessness!
Driver holds
phone with
both hands
and watches
her iPad on
dashboard
By Arthur Martin
EYES glued to her phone,
this driver takes both hands
off the wheel to use her mobile
phone in rush-hour traffic.
Astonishingly, she also appears
to be watching a video on an
iPad lodged in front of the
speedometer.
The footage was captured by a
camera mounted on the helmet of
a motorcyclist as he drove home.
Appalled, the biker passed his
Hands off: The biker’s footage showing a woman fiddling with her phone as a tablet showing video is wedged behind the wheel
end the
mobile
madness
footage over to Scotland Yard for
officers to examine. The witness,
known only as Adrian, said he
thought the woman was either play-
ing a game or texting on her phone.
At the time, the driver’s ­silver Skoda
QQQ
Fabia was in the ­middle lane of the
three-lane A501 in Marylebone,
London, at 6pm. The 58-year-old
biker, a freelance television line
manager from North London, said:
‘I’m frequently shocked by the
behaviour of some drivers... but this
was just astonishing.
‘When I first approached her I
couldn’t really believe what I was
seeing. It looked like she was
watching a programme or a video
on the iPad, while also playing a
game or texting on her phone. She
was stationary at first but did move
off after a while. I stayed back so I
could get her number plate. We all
get frustrated sitting in a traffic
jam but what this woman was
doing was crazy. She had her eyes
down the whole time.’
Adrian’s footage later shows the
driver fumbling for her gearstick as
she starts to move with the tablet
still obscuring the dashboard dis-
play. He said the woman seemed
oblivious to the fact she had been
filmed breaking the law. The father
of two added: ‘Normally I wouldn’t
report this sort of thing because
the assumption is that nothing will
get done. But the footage was so
Page 29
clear I felt like I had to. Maybe she
won’t get a punishment, but if she
at least gets a knock on the door, it
might stop her doing it again.’
The Metropolitan Police said the
force was aware of the incident,
which took place on October 6, and
would study Adrian’s footage. It
emerged after the Daily Mail
­successfully campaigned for tougher
penalties for those caught using
their mobile behind the wheel.
Earlier this week a policewoman
was photographed holding her
mobile phone as she changed gear
in a marked police car.
 billionaires
Page 30 Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016

The
As the Left putin’s chum GIVEN
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
WHO IS HE? Rex State in modern

rages, Goldman
Tillerson, 64, has history who has
spent the past dec- had no experience
ade running the in the public sector.
world’s biggest He’s built strong
publicly owned oil ties with the Krem-
c o m p a n y, the lin. Putin awarded

Sachs chiefs
£290 billion Exxon- him the Russian
Mobil. He’s a Texan Order of Friendship
with strong Chris- after he negotiated
tian beliefs. a massive deal
WHAT WILL HE DO? between Exxon-

and plutocrats
As America’s chief Mobil and Russia’s
diplomat, he will be state-owned Ros-
in charge of repre- neft oil company to
senting its inter- exploit oil in the
ests abroad. Russian Arctic.
WHY THE FUSS? The CONTROVERSY

dominate
first Secretary of RATING:  HHHHH

Defence run

Trump’s by ‘mad dog’

WHO IS HE? James ‘Mad Dog’
Mattis, retired four-star U.S.
Marines general. A cerebral

Cabinet. And leader, aged 66, he took the

writings of the Roman
emperor Marcus Aurelius into
battle. Claims to have read
10,000 books.

guess what? WHAT WILL HE DO?

Oversee the world’s
most powerful
military forces. TAKING ON THE
WHY THE FUSS? Tradi- TEACHING UNIONS
Wall St’s soaring tionally a civilian
runs the military. He
thinks the U.S.
should be tougher
on enemies, par-
WHO IS SHE? Betsy DeVos,
daughter-in-law of billionaire
businessman Richard DeVos,
t h e 5 8 - y e a r- o l d h a s b e e n
­p ouring millions into the
t i c u l a r l y I ra n . Republican Party’s coffers.
Once said: ‘You go
WHAT WILL SHE DO? The Educa-

T
into Afghanistan, tion Secretary oversees the
he astonishing stock market rally you got guys that over-stretched schools system
which started the day ­ Donald slap women and is also responsible for
Trump was elected refuses to die. around for five changing policies.
For the first time in modern financial years because they WHY THE FUSS? Says her mission
­ istory, all four Wall Street indexes, a true
h didn’t wear a veil. is to radically reform schools —
measure of American optimism, stand at It’s a hell of a lot of which has already upset
their highest-ever level — with the blue-chip Dow fun to shoot them.’ ­t e a c h i n g u n i o n s . S c a n t
Jones nudging 20,000 this week.
But that market enthusiasm has not stopped
CONTROVERSY
RATING: HHIII
political experience.
CONTROVERSY RATING:  HHHII
SECURITY ADVISER WITH
Trump’s powerful media and political opponents
raging against a slew of appointments the WHO IS HE? Mike Trump’s inexperi-
­President-elect has made to his first Cabinet. Flynn, retired Army ence in this area.
Those Left-wing critics have decried his team as lieutenant-general WHY THE FUSS?
a politically inexperienced government of
­billionaires and generals — the wealthiest adminis-
brain surgeon WHO IS and former director Reputation as a
tration in U.S history. NOW IN CHARGE OF housing of the Defence Intel- good intelligence
ligence Agency. expert has been
‘It is a throwback to the “greed is good” ­mentality,’
complained the liberal pressure group People for WHO IS HE? Retired brain pyramids were built to WHAT WILL HE DO? over-shadowed by
the American Way. surgeon Ben Carson, 65, store grain and armed Jews As the president’s his harsh attacks on
Minority public interest groups, climate change stood against Trump for the could have stopped the top counsellor on Islam and passion
activists and those who oppose closer ties to ­Russia Republican nomination. Holocaust. Compared security, weighing for suspect conspir-
are especially apoplectic about Trump’s latest WHAT WILL HE DO? Oversee same-sex marriage to
paedophilia, and abor- in on defence and acy theories. Says
choice — the world’s most powerful oil boss, Rex programmes designed to foreign policy mat- the West is at war
Tillerson, to be Secretary of State, the most increase home ownership tion to slavery. Wants
­influential post in the Cabinet. churches to do more ters, 57-year-old with Islam and has
and access to housing.
Giving the role of what is effectively Foreign Secre- to tackle poverty. Flynn is expected claimed — falsely —
WHY THE FUSS? No experi- to be ­particularly that Sharia law is
tary to the chairman and chief executive of giant ence. A devout Seventh CONTROVERSY
Exxon-Mobil leaves hugely experienced political Day Adventist. Thinks the RATING:  HHHHI influential, given spreading across
operators such as former Republican presidential
candidate Mitt Romney in the dust. But Trump
­promised a Cabinet of the best and

by Alex Brummer
brightest minds in business — and
he’s delivering.
All this has caused America’s
high-minded, liberal commentariat
to call for the smelling salts. But
what they fail to recognise is that
both Wall Street, and ordinary
Americans — hundreds of millions
of whom own shares either directly
or through their pension funds —
­actually like what they are seeing.
That’s why the Dow Jones,
­Standard & Poor’s index of the top
500 American firms, the Nasdaq
index of technology stocks and
t h e ­ Ru s s e l l i n d e x o f 2 , 0 0 0 ­ s a f e t y — w h i c h h a v e p u t apoplexy. They are worried about
second-tier corporations are all at
unprecedented levels.
Behind this optimism is a belief
that Trump is creating a team
which knows how to make money,
and will throw off the burden of
regulation — from clean air ­ ­overseas havens.
diktats to complex laws aimed to
protect water, food and workplace
unnecessary brakes on the great
American engine.
High taxes and red tape have too
often meant that the wealthiest
city editor Oklahoma’s attorney general Scott drilling, and the continued reliance
individuals and companies
have moved their money into
But it’s not just the money men
who are giving Trump’s enemies
some of his other choices — ­notably
retired Marine Corps general
James ‘Mad Dog’ Mattis as Defence
Secretary. But Mattis, a former
Nato and Iraq War commander,
would be one of the more main-
stream figures in the Cabinet.
Although Trump’s nominees must
be approved by the Senate, one par-
ticularly provocative appointment is
Pruitt as head of the Environmental
Protection Agency, which oversees
human health and the environment.
This climate change sceptic is
willing to ditch the Clean Air Act
(which protects human health and
the environment from air pollution
and was used to impose billions of
dollars in fines on BP for the 2010
Deepwater Horizon oil disaster).
Trump believes P resident
Obama’s obsession with closing
down the coal industry and ­heaping
governmental restrictions on frack-
ing and oil extraction has severely
damaged the fossil-fuel based
industries. Pruitt and Tillerson’s
appointments signal a new era of
of burning of fossil fuels.
During his campaign, Trump
railed against investment bank
Goldman Sachs, largely as a way of
trying to embarrass Hillary Clinton
because she had received large
sums for making speeches to the
Wall Street firm.
Yet now he has installed three
former Goldman executives at the
heart of his economic team, to deliver
Ronald Reagan-style tax cuts and an
s take over
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016 Page 31

wrestling mogul fighting for small firms

WHO IS SHE? Linda McMahon, former boss of
World Wrestling Entertainment. The 68-year-
old and her husband built a small family busi-
ness into a billion-dollar TV empire. Wrestling
matches sometimes involved her in the mock
violence. Spent $100 million of her own money
in two failed bids for a U.S. Senate seat.
WHAt will she do? Will head the body that
supports small U.S. businesses with loans and
making sure they get a percentage of
federal contracts.
WHY THE FUSS? Accused of making her
f­ ortune out of a business that objectifies
women and promotes violence. It’s been
claimed she only got her job because she
was a big donor to Trump’s ­election ­campaign
and charity foundation.
Her business record, which includes an
earlier bankruptcy, has come under fire
from critics, and she was mocked in
her Senate campaign after
­admitting she didn’t know the
minimum wage.
CONTROVERSY RATING: HHIII

EXTREME NATIONALIST A rich alligator

IS CHIEF OF STRATEGY
WHO IS HE? Steve
Bannon, 63, was
a key figure in
Mr Tr u m p’ s
toxic election
campaign. The
colourful former
n a v y o f f i c e r,
Goldman Sachs
banker and Hol-
lywood producer
used profits from
the popular TV
comedy series
Seinfeld to
finance the virulently
Right-wing news and
commentary website
Breitbart.
His ex-wife accused him
of domestic abuse
Pictures: getty / reuters / ap / wireimage / rex
in the treasury
prehensively as WHO IS HE? Billionaire banker-
Bannon, who turned-film-producer Steven
will probably Mnuchin, 53, was Trump’s election
want to keep Mr campaign finance chairman.
Trump true to
his more contro- WHAT WILL HE DO? Responsible for
versial election devising fiscal and tax policies.
pledges. WHY THE FUSS? Ex-Goldman Sachs
WHY THE FUSS? partner accused of preying on
Where to start? hard-up homeowners in the finan-
Critics condemn
cial collapse by buying a bank that
Breitbart as a
platform for the
evicted thousands of them.
‘ a l t - r i g h t’ , a Democrats say his appointment is
loose alliance of white a ‘slap in the face’ to
supremacists, anti- vo t e r s : ‘ T h i s i s n ’ t
Semites and extreme ­“draining the swamp”,
anti-feminists. Bannon i t ’s s t o c k i n g i t
admits he is an extreme with alligators.’
nationalist, but denies
CONTROVERSY

being racist. Once said:

(charges were dropped)
and of refusing to send
his ­ children to a school
because it had too many
Jews (he denies the claim).
WHAT WILL HE DO? No one
is expected to have the
President’s ear as com-
‘Lenin wanted to destroy RATING:  HHHII
the state, and that’s my
goal, too. I want to bring
everything crashing
down, and destroy all of
today’s Establishment.’
CONTROVERSY RATING: Off
the scale.

CLIMATE CHANGE
SCEPTIC’S GREEN BRIEF
WHO IS HE? Scott indeed, he’s currently
Pruitt, the 48-year-old suing it after it recently

A WEAKNESS FOR FAKE NEWS

the U.S. Has called on Arab
leaders to admit their
religion is ‘sick’.
An alarming weakness
for fake news stories on
Twitter, having spread con-
spiracies about Hillary Clin-
ton being involved in child
sex trafficking, and about
her campaign manager
drinking bodily fluids in a
‘spirit-cooking ritual’.
During the Republican
convention, he led anti-
Hillary chants of ‘Lock her
up!’ and has called Barack
attorney general of
Oklahoma has been a
Obama a ‘jihadi’ who
champion of the fossil
fuel industry.
­l aundered money for WHAT WILL HE DO?
Islamic terrorists. He’ll lead the agency
Also accused of anti- responsible for pro-
Semitism, once re-tweet-
tecting the environ-
ing a negative post about ment as well as the
the CNN and commenting: health of U.S. citizens.
‘Not any more, Jews.’ Has
WHY THE FUSS? You
appeared on the Krem- may as well hire a fox
lin’s Russia Today TV sta-
to protect chickens,
tion, arguing the U.S. and say environment
Russia need to work more campaigners. Mr
closely to defeat ISIS and
Pruitt has been an
end the Syrian civil war. implacable foe of
CONTROVERSY RATING:  the organisation he
 HHHHH will now run —
announced regula-
tions attempting to
reduce ­ emissions of
methane — a ­powerful
greenhouse gas —
in the oil and
gas industry.
Like Trump, who has
dismissed climate
change as a ‘hoax’ and
promised to ‘cancel’
the Paris accord, which
committed nearly all
countries to fighting
climate change, he
doesn’t believe in
global warming.
CONTROVERSY RATING:
HHHHH
ULTRA-CONSERVATIVE
FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL
WHO IS HE? Jeff Ses- the Eighties over
sions, an ultra-con- racially insensitive
servative, 69-year-old remarks. Allegedly
Alabama senator. called a black lawyer
‘boy’, and joked that
WHAT WILL HE DO?
Head the Department he thought the Ku
Klux Klan ‘OK until I
of Justice — he’ll be
the U.S. government’s found out they
smoked pot’. Ses -
chief lawyer. Can
change how civil sions backs limiting
rights are enforced. legal immigration to
protect U.S. jobs.
WHY THE FUSS?
Stopped from becom- CONTROVERSY RATING:
ing a federal judge in  HHHHI
compiled by tom leonard

infrastructure building programme
which would do credit to Franklin D.
Roosevelt, whose New Deal in the
Thirties helped Americans who had
suffered in the Depression.
trio is Gary Cohn, heir-apparent to such as Mexico to relocate back omists. But Trump seems to have blue-collar workers of America. But
be chairman of Goldman Sachs, home — and, if necessary, punish taken this preference for rich col- Trump understands that, whereas
who has been persuaded to head those that won’t. leagues to a whole new level. in Britain there is often inverse
the National Economic Council, Ross is well known in the City of The new Education Secretary, snobbery about great wealth, such
which will advise Trump on U.S. London. He made big profits out of Betsy DeVos, is the daughter-in- prejudices are far less prevalent in

F
ormer Goldman trader Ste-
ven Mnuchin has the key job
of Treasury Secretary. It will
be his job to deliver on
Tr u m p’ s p r o m i s e d t a x
­reductions, and he’ll work alongside
his former Goldman colleague Steve
Bannon, chairman of Right-wing
website Breitbart News, who will be
the White House’s chief strategist.
Most impressive of the Goldman
and global economic policy. buying the healthy part of the law of the founder of a cleaning American society, where there is
Among the most intriguing of the ­Britain’s Northern Rock’s ­mortgage products empire with an estimated huge respect for the self-made.
economic policymakers is the selec- book after it collapsed. wealth of £4 billion. That view is not necessarily
tion of 79-year-old billionaire Wilbur He’s also among the biggest The person who’ll oversee much shared by the liberal elite on the
Ross as Commerce Secretary. backers of the Metro Bank, whose of Trump’s infrastructure revolu- East and West coasts. But give
Known as ‘the king of bank- branches are opening on High tion is Elaine Chao, daughter of a ­m illions of American voters an
ruptcy’ for his skill in extracting Streets across the UK. billionaire shipping magnate who experienced general or a billionaire
value from failing businesses, he Trump is not the first president has served on the board of Rupert at the heart of power and they
would be at the heart of Trump’s to ask business plutocrats to chart Murdoch’s News Corporation, couldn’t be happier.
trade policy. His job will be to liaise the future direction of America’s and America’s largest bank , And if this controversial Cabinet
with big business and encourage economy and diplomacy. Reagan Wells Fargo. does deliver growth, jobs and greater
those firms which have closed fac- and Bill Clinton put Wall Street The irony is that they will be prosperity, as Trump is promising,
tories in the U.S. and moved manu- bosses in charge of the Treasury in ­serving at the pleasure of a presi- he might just do the unthinkable —
facturing to cheap labour countries preference to politicians and econ- dent elected in large part by the and get elected again.
Page 32
Child abuse QC
cleared of groping
... by his own firm
THE former top lawyer to the £100mil-
lion child abuse inquiry was cleared
yesterday of a sex assault at its HQ
after his own firm investigated him.
Ben Emmerson QC was accused on
BBC2’s Newsnight of groping a female
member of staff in a lift at the Independ-
ent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.
But critics said the investigation into the
allegation was not sufficiently independent.
The barrister, who quit the beleaguered
By Rebecca Camber, Emily Kent Smith
and Inderdeep Bains
inquiry after being suspended over ‘leader-
ship’ concerns, was cleared following a secret
probe commissioned by Matrix Chambers,
which he co-founded.
It set up an investigation by former director
of public prosecutions Sir David Calvert-
Smith, who concluded ‘without hesitation’
that Mr Emmerson had not committed sex-
ual assault or sexual harassment. Last
Allegations: Ben Emmerson
month, the father of the alleged victim – who
has not been named – told the Mail Mr
Emmerson had ‘troubles’, adding: ‘My
daughter will come out of this with honour.’
Mr Emmerson is now likely to be investi-
gated by the IICSA, which said last month
that a lawyer would examine claims of bully-
ing, racism and sexual assault.
The inquiry has been beset by problems
after several lawyers and three chairmen
quit. Last month, the Commons home affairs
select committee said its handling of the
sexual assault allegation had
been ‘wholly inadequate’.
Victims and MPs reacted with
fury yesterday as it emerged
that the Matrix Chambers
report on Mr Emmerson would
remain confidential.
Andrew Lavery, of the abuse
survivors’ group White Flowers
Alba, said: ‘Why isn’t this report
being made public?
‘This should have been car-
ried out by the inquiry itself,
not his chambers.
‘Where is the independence
and transparency in that?’
Labour MP Lisa Nandy, who
has led criticism of the inquiry,
said: ‘An external review is no
‘Where is the
transparency?’
substitute for an investigation
by the inquiry, and today’s
announcement will not help to
restore faith in its work.’
Yesterday Mr Emmerson, who
was paid £1,700 a day to work
from home for the inquiry on a
handover after leaving on Sep-
tember 29, confirmed that he
finished his work last month.
He added: ‘I am pleased an
independent senior judge has
confirmed that the allegations
against me were unfounded. I
hope the inquiry can be left to
get on with its important work.’
In a statement, Matrix Cham-
bers said yesterday: ‘Sir David
concluded “without hesitation”
that Mr Emmerson had not
committed any act of sexual
assault or sexual harassment.’
An IICSA spokesman said: ‘An
external senior legal figure will
be reviewing some of the issues
raised in the home affairs select
committee’s report.’
r.camber@dailymail.co.uk
Mugabe, 92,
to stand in
2018 election
ROBERT Mugabe is to stand for
election again in 2018, his party
said yesterday.
The Zimbabwean president,
92, is certain to be endorsed as
the candidate of the ruling
Zanu-PF party this week.
Mugabe, who turns 93 in
February, has ruled the south-
ern African country since inde-
pendence from white minority
rule in 1980.
He won the last election in
2013 amid allegations of voting
irregularities, and he has pre-
viously said that he wants to
rule until he dies.
Mugabe’s regime has been
accused of human rights viola-
tions and pressuring political
opponents in Zimbabwe, while
his ‘land reform’ policy has
seen thousands of white farm-
ers forcibly evicted.
December 15, 2016
on this
day
IT’S DAY 350...
The Great Fire of London broke out
350 years ago. Diarist Samuel Pepys buried
his wine and a wheel of Parmesan cheese in
a pit in his garden to protect them.
China, the world’s largest producer and
consumer of tobacco, is home to at least
350 million smokers.
DURIng the past six years more than
£350,000 has been spent on government
cars to chauffeur ministers’ red boxes
around Whitehall — without their owners.
THERE ARE 16 DAYS LEFT
At 16 letters long, unprosperousness is the
longest word in the English language in which
each of its letters occurs at least twice.
The wife of Russian peasant Feodor Vassi-
lyev has been called the world’s ‘most pro-
lific mother’, having apparently given birth
to 16 sets of twins, seven sets of ­triplets and
four sets of quadruplets, totalling 69 chil-
dren from 27 labours in the 18th century.
happy BIRTHDAY
Frankie Dettori, 46.
The Italian-born
5ft 4in jockey (right) says
he is ‘always hungry’ and
has been on a diet for 30
years, frequently needing
to get down to less than
9st: ‘I’ve tried all sorts:
diuretics; laxatives, even
sweating in a hot car.’
Dave Clark, 74. The leader and ­drummer
of The Dave Clark Five band sold more
than 100 million records in the Sixties with
hits including Glad All Over and Bits And
Pieces. As a friend, he was keeping a
­bedside vigil and was the only person with
Freddie ­Mercury when the Queen ­frontman
died at his home in ­Kensington in 1991, at
the age of 45.
Michelle Dockery, 35. The actress
played Lady Mary Crawley in ITV’s Downton
Abbey and on a less grand scale was the voice
of a ‘British Woman’ in U.S. cartoon Family
Guy. She’s ambivalent about her Essex roots,
saying in 2012: ‘I am not an Essex girl. That
doesn’t mean that I’m not proud of where
I’m from.’ A year later she called ­ herself a
‘proud Essex girl’ whose accent ‘comes back
if I’ve had a couple of drinks’.
born ON THIS DAY
Jean Paul Getty (1892-1976). The Amer-
ican oil tycoon was named the world’s richest
private citizen and died worth more than
$2 billion. But he was also known as a miser,
installing a payphone in his Surrey mansion
and ‘dial-locking devices’ on other phones.
ALAN FREED (1921-1965). The U.S. disc
jockey was the first mainstream radio pre-
senter to play rock ’n’ roll on his shows in
the early Fifties. His career was ruined when
it was discovered that he was taking ‘payola’
— bribes from record companies to play spe-
cific records. He was fined in 1962 after
admitting ‘commercial bribery’, and died
three years later as a result of alcoholism.
ON DECEMBER 15 . . .
In 1939, Gone With the
Wind, starring Clark Gable
and Vivien Leigh (right),
had its world premiere in
Atlanta, Georgia. The
mayor declared a three-
day festival and ‘urged
every Atlanta woman to
put on hoop skirts and
appealed to Atlanta males to don tight
­trousers and a beaver, sprout a goatee, side-
burns and Kentucky colonel whiskers’.
In 1966, Walt Disney died aged 65 of lung
cancer after a lifetime smoking cigarettes
and a pipe.
In 2004, Home Secretary David Blunkett
resigned after fast-tracking a visa applica-
tion for his ex-lover’s nanny.
quote for today
Governments need both
shepherds and butchers.
Voltaire, French philosopher
and writer (1694-1778)
JOKE OF THE DAY
What do you call a penguin in the
Sahara desert?
Lost.
compiled by etan smallman
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016
Skydiver with
dwarfism had
twice backed
out of jump
Specialist kit: Pamela Gower
A SKYDIVER fell to her death
that killed her
on her third attempt at jump-
ing after twice deciding she
couldn’t go through with it.
Pamela Gower plunged 15,000
feet from a plane after her para-
chute failed to open.
The 49-year-old, who had dwarfism,
had gone up in the aircraft with her
instructor Michelle Meakins, and
twice was too scared to jump alone.
Just hours before her fatal attempt,
she told the instructor: ‘My mind
wants to do it but my body doesn’t.’
Miss Gower, who had done skydives
before including one to raise money
for Cancer Research UK, was taking
part in one of her first jumps without
holding onto an instructor when she
died on September 10. Miss Meakins
had encouraged her, saying: ‘I know
it’s nerve-wracking but you don’t
need me to hold onto you.’
Miss Gower, from Hebburn in
South Tyneside, did eventually jump
‘All going wrong
at the same time’
– but while attempting a ‘barrel roll’
manoeuvre she began to spin and
lost control. An inquest heard her
short stature made it more difficult
for her to stabilise herself in the air,
and she fell unconscious as she hur-
tled towards the ground.
Video footage of the fatal jump
showed Miss Gower trying to deploy
the parachute two or three times,
but the G-force from the spin –
greater than that experienced by a
fighter pilot – was just too strong.
The employment adviser at Rem-
ploy, which helps disabled adults
into work, had a specially adapted
harness because of her height.
Miss Gower was found on a housing
estate close to the airfield at Shotton
Colliery, County Durham, where her
plane had taken off. She was airlifted
to hospital but could not be saved.
Tony Butler, of the British Para-
chute Association, told the inquest
it would have been harder for Miss
Gower to stabilise herself by arching
her body because of her dwarfism.
Privacy fears as banks
track mobile phones
BANKS are to track customers’
movements through their mobile
phones – sparking privacy fears
among campaigners.
In an attempt to tackle fraud, Bar-
clays is introducing a system to
check whether someone is in the
same country as their bank card.
The lender says the scheme – which
is not yet live – will help establish
whether a payment is fraudulent. For
example, if a suspicious transaction
is made in the US but data shows the
customer’s phone is in the UK, the
bank will realise something is amiss.
Money Mail has seen details of the
plans in new terms sent to Barclays’
customers. The bank claims the sys-
tem will help fight the boom in fraud,
which costs up to £193billion a year
Page 33
By Tom Witherow
Experienced: Miss Gower assisted by an instructor on a previous jump
He said: ‘Part of arch is to extend
your limbs and as she has short
limbs it would be difficult.’
Senior Coroner Andrew Tweddle
told the hearing in Crook, County
Durham: ‘So what we have is excep-
tional circumstances affecting a
diver who is partially trained, and
because of her unique stature, that
made it difficult for her to recover
through the arching technique. It’s
a combination of things all going
wrong at the same time that led to
the fatal outcome of this situation.’
Giving evidence, Miss Meakins said
she had become good friends with
Miss Gower and described her as
‘very determined’. Although Miss
Gower had done skydives before, the
instructor insisted that she practised
with her at a wind tunnel before tak-
ing her for a real jump.
She said: ‘For my own peace of
mind as an instructor I wanted to fly
with her in a wind tunnel and take on
board myself that she was satisfac-
tory to fly. She achieved that.’
Ian Rosenvinge, owner of the Peter-
lee Parachute Centre which organised
the jump, passed on condolences to
Miss Gower’s family. Relatives ques-
tioned whether too much time had
elapsed between each of her dives.
Recording a verdict of misadven-
ture, Mr Tweddle said Miss Gower
was ‘properly prepared’ for the jump.
He said her back-up parachute even-
tually deployed but she suffered
fatal injuries as she hit the ground.
Miss Gower’s friend Tony Layton,
46, said: ‘She was very outgoing, a
very adventurous person. She lived
life to the full, and visited Australia
and China. She was into skydiving
for a few years. She used to do a lot
of tandem jumps and was training to
be a skydiving instructor.’
Mr Layton’s wife Lynne, 54, added:
‘Pamela did not let her disability rule
her life in any way. She was very
headstrong. She had a lot of friends.’
The coroner said he would write to
the British Parachute Association to
call for a review of rules surrounding
the amount of time learners can take
between jumps. Mr Butler told the
inquest this was already under way.
in the UK. But critics say that track-
ing customers through their mobile
phone data raises privacy concerns.
Renate Samson, from campaign
group Big Brother Watch, said: ‘The
issue is around data protection and
whether your information is shared.’
It is thought Barclays is working with
mobile phone networks on the plans.
A bank spokesman said the scheme
would not be compulsory, adding that
Barclays has ‘no higher priority than
the protection of customers’ data’.
Meanwhile mobile phone apps
which monitor users’ movements face
a crackdown under new EU rules. A
leaked draft reveals plans to make
firms guarantee the confidentiality of
communications and get users’ con-
sent to process their location.
Page 34 QQQ v1 Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016

Dancing in 5in heels cost me

my leg ... and nearly my life
WHEN she went out dancing in five-inch
heels, Lorraine Burnett wasn’t surprised to
end the night with blisters.
But what started out as a painful sore on
her foot eventually resulted in her left leg
being amputated below the knee
The 37-year-old, who has diabetes, devel-
oped a series of infections over two years.
Her kidneys were put under so much strain
she now faces daily dialysis at home. At one
point the mother of one was fighting for life
and was put in an induced coma.
Sharing her story as a warning to others,
the former care assistant said: ‘It breaks my
heart to think my five-inch heels cost me my
By Kate Pickles
leg.’ Miss Burnett, from Dunfermline, Fife,
splashed out on a new pair of heels for a
Christmas party in 2008 and stayed out danc-
ing in them until 2am.
A week later she went to a GP when the
blister became so painful she could barely
walk. But it would not heal despite antibiot-
ics and she was referred to hospital.
The contaminated skin was removed, but
the infection kept coming back. Miss Burnett
then faced a devastating decision – to
endure repeated infections for the rest of
her life or lose her leg. Doctors recom-
mended amputation, and in 2010 her lower
left leg was removed in a five-hour op. 
‘I had to give up my job, which was heart-
breaking,’ she said. ‘I’d gone from someone
who liked to go out all the time – a real party
girl who enjoyed the good life – to pretty
completely housebound.’
Diabetes is associated with poor circula-
tion and slower healing so problems such as
ulcers can become dangerous.
Miss Burnett, who lives with her 17-year-
old daughter Megan, is now aiming to raise
£9,000 for a new prosthetic limb.
‘Who knows, I might even be able to wear
heels again,’ she said.

Daily Mail Reporter

Hospital where
mothers risk
AN NHS hospital has been
ordered to improve security on its
maternity ward after inspectors
found mothers ‘might leave the
unit with the wrong baby’.
Some newborns at The Royal Lon-
don Hospital had no name tag, creat-

taking home
ing a ‘risk a baby might receive medi-
cation intended for another’ or be
taken home by the wrong family, the
Care Quality Commission said.
Inspectors also said that the checking
of name bands was ‘lax’.
Even the head of midwifery at the hos-
pital, in Whitechapel, east London, was
unaware of a baby abduction policy, the

the wrong baby

regulator said.
Inspectors found there were not enough
midwives on the delivery suite to provide
safe cover for all women.
But midwives said they had been
ordered by managers not to raise con-
cerns about low staff numbers.
There was a ‘mixed’ view about how
caring staff were. One mother told
inspectors she was treated as ‘childish’
because she was upset that her
baby had been taken into spe- already taken steps to address tion needs were met with the of care around maternity and
cial care. baby safety concerns – including help of their relatives; gynaecology services.
Inspectors, who visited the introducing new ID tags. ÷Nine preventable errors – so- ‘Staffing on maternity wards
hospital in July this year, said Overall the hospital was rated called ‘never events’ were was sometimes inadequately
they also observed some ‘intra- ‘requires improvement’. The reported between August 2015 covered – but most worrying of
cultural issues and some bully- report also highlighted: and July 2016, including a sur- all was the lack of a safe and
ing behaviour’ both between ÷Frequent problems with insuf- geon leaving an object inside a secure environment for newborn
groups of midwives and between patient during an operation; babies. At the time of our inspec-
midwives and patients. tion, we raised this with the
÷Some patients in A&E had to
Staff on the postnatal ward
referred to patients by their bed
‘Inadequate wait an hour and 20 minutes for
Royal London Hospital as a mat-
ter for their urgent attention.’
numbers rather than by name, staffing’ an initial assessment from a
medic, despite national guid-
A trust spokesman said: ‘We
the CQC said. acted immediately to improve
Last year 4,645 babies were ance suggesting the majority the security of babies … these
born at the hospital, which is ficient availability of sterile should be assessed by a clinician reports are based on observa-
the largest stand-alone acute equipment in theatres; within 15 minutes; tions from five months ago.
hospital building in Europe. ÷A two-week backlog of outpa- ÷Some medics had to complete ‘Since then we have subjected
The CQC has ordered the tient appointments waiting to mandatory training in their own our processes and procedures to
Barts Health NHS Trust, which be booked – and some patients time or as part of holiday leave. f o r e n s i c s c r u t i n y  …  Wo m e n
runs the hospital, to ‘urgently’ waiting more than a year for fol- Professor Sir Mike Richards, should be assured our services
improve security in maternity low-up appointments; the CQC’s chief inspector of are safe and we will review our
after rating the unit ‘inade- ÷In some busy departments, hospitals, said: ‘We were most processes regularly to ensure
quate’. The trust said it had patients’ nutrition and hydra- concerned about the standard they remain safe.’ Party girl: Lorraine Burnett in heels in 2008
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016
Pioneering surgery in
womb saves twins with
rare deadly condition
By James Tozer
IN their matching outfits,
twins Annabelle and Ruby are
impossible to tell apart.
But in the womb, a rare condi-
tion caused one to grow much
faster than the other – meaning
they almost didn’t make it.
Thankfully, doctors were able
to operate on them while they
were still inside their mother
Jayne Sefton – and now, aged
four months, both are thriving.
Concerns were raised when
former carer Miss Sefton noticed
her bump had suddenly grown.
At around 18 weeks, tests
showed her babies had devel-
oped rare twin-to-twin transfu-
sion syndrome (TTTS), when
one – in this case Annabelle –
receives the majority of the blood
supplied via a shared placenta.
TTTS is fatal in 90 per cent of
cases if untreated, with the larger
twin at risk of heart failure and
the other not gaining weight.
‘Relief to hear
two heartbeats’
Miss Sefton, 26, said: ‘The hard-
est bit of this was having to
decide what we wanted to do for
a funeral because that was a very
real threat. I couldn’t go and look
for cute outfits … The other diffi-
cult thing as they were identical,
would be that if one girl had died,
it would have been like having a
reminder of what the other one
would have looked like.’
The first-time mother and her
bookmaker partner David Smith,
30, were offered life-saving laser
therapy treatment at King’s Col-
lege Hospital in London.
Hours before the procedure the
couple, from New Brighton, Mer-
seyside, were told Annabelle was
more than 50 per cent bigger
than Ruby. Doctors then used a
laser to seal off some of the blood
vessels in the womb.
The 45-minute operation, 24
weeks into the pregnancy, was a
success. Miss Sefton planned to
have a caesarean on August 10.
But the twins had other ideas
and arrived naturally that morn-
ing – at 35 weeks and four days –
annabelle
Survivors: The twins in the womb, and as healthy four-month-olds with their mother Jayne Sefton
with Ruby weighing in at 4lb 1oz
and Annabelle at 5lb exactly.
Their mother said: ‘The day I
had the surgery was one of the
most stressful days of my life … it
was a relief to hear two heart-
beats after the operation.’ She
added: ‘Both girls are doing
extremely well … This is a condi-
tion that kills more babies than
cot death … it is important to get
the word out about it.’
Professor Kypros Nicolaides,
who pioneered the laser treat-
Ruby
ment, performed the surgery.
Currently only a handful of hos-
pitals are able to provide the
operation. The Twins and Multi-
ple Births Association, launched
a TTTS registry last year to
improve care for the condition.
Page 35
Breast cancer
spreads before
it is detected
BREAST cancer cells start spreading to
other parts of the body long before a
tumour is detected, research has found.
The finding radically alters the previous
view that cancer cells spread only at the
most advanced stage of the disease.
Scientists discovered that breast cancer
cells can infiltrate other organs before the
disease is diagnosed but may lie dormant
there for years before growing.
Because these breakaway cells split from
the original cancer very early on, they may
not respond to the same treatment as the
tumour – as they may have mutated so
much in the intervening time that they are
effectively a different form of the disease.
The study, in the journal Nature, high-
lights the seriousness of early stages of can-
cer and explain how secondary cancers can
develop before a primary tumour is found.
The spread of cancer is the cause of death
in the majority of breast cancer cases.
Professor Julio Aguirre-Ghiso of the
Icahn School of Medicine in New York said
the research may shed light on why it is so
difficult to treat cancer that has spread.
÷THE number of women being tested for
a cancer gene rose by almost two thirds
after Angelina Jolie, 41, revealed she was a
carrier and had had a double mastectomy.
The actress lost her mother, aunt and
grandmother to breast cancer before
­learning she had the BRCA1 mutation. A
Harvard Medical School study, in the
BMJ, found the testing rate was up 64
per cent in the three weeks after her
­r evelation in 2013 compared with the
­previous three weeks.
Teen drowned
off Thai island
A ‘gregarious’ univer-
sity student drowned
off a Thai island just
hours after arriving,
an inquest heard.
Bryony Freestone, 19,
was found washed up
on Koh Chang beach in
August after swim-
ming alone while on
holiday with friends.
Locals tried to revive
her but Miss Free-
stone, right, of North-
ampton, was pro-
nounced dead at hospital. Nobody saw the
first year Exeter University geography stu-
dent go into the sea, the inquest heard.
Northamptonshire senior coroner Anne
Pember recorded an accidental death ver-
dict yesterday. Miss Freestone’s mother
Fiona, who has another daughter – Bry-
ony’s twin sister Sophie – attended.
The coroner read out a statement from
Mrs Freestone, 52, which read: ‘She was
gregarious with excellent social skills ...
She saw the beauty with the world and
wanted to explore it. We love her and will
miss her very much.’  
Page 36 v1 Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016

Oh Hathaway! What would Lewis say?

In the long-running TV detec-
tive series Lewis, actor ­Laurence
Fox plays Kevin Whately’s
­e motionally buttoned-up,
­cerebral sidekick, right.
But it seems he likes to reverse
the roles in real life, judging by
these pictures, above.
Fox, 38, shared a video online
this week, in which he leans over
Prince’s talks
to embrace and kiss Whately
during a festive dinner party.
‘It’s only ever been about with man who
says Britain’s
the sex,’ jokes the rather
well-refreshed Fox.
Understandably, the
object of his affection
did not appear
too thrilled with
his advances.

overcrowded
R
OBIN Page is one of
the countryside’s most
colourful — and
­controversial — charac-
ters, but he has a
­ indred spirit in Prince Charles.
k
I hear the heir to the throne invited
the former One Man And His Dog
­p resenter to Clarence House for
­private talks on Tuesday.
‘Very privileged, as chairman of the
Countryside Restoration Trust, to
have a meeting with Prince Charles
yesterday,’ Page confirms. ‘What a
good, green man.’
Page does not say what they spoke
about but on the same day he posted
online about the damaging effect of
‘overpopulation’ on Britain. ‘Why do all
our bigwig conservationists talk about
protecting the planet — none will talk
about UK’s environmental ­disaster —
over-population?’ he asked.
Page established the Countryside
Restoration Trust in 1993 in response Old pals: Prince Charles and Robin
to growing fears about intensive and Page in the countryside in 2003
industrialised farming.
His co-founders were artist Gordon He said the axing of his rural affairs col-
Beningfield and conservationist Sir umn after some 30 years represented
Laurens van der Post, Charles’s ­mentor the latest blow to ‘Britain’s most
and Prince William’s godfather. endangered minority in multi-cultural
Sir Laurens was hailed as a ‘modern Britain — traditional country people’.
sage’ in life, but his reputation took a Page quit as an independent
battering after his death in 1996 with ­councillor in Cambridgeshire earlier
revelations that he had fathered a this year, claiming both local and
child with a 14-year-old girl who had national government policies were
been under his care during a sea ‘trashing’ the countryside.
­voyage to England from South Africa. He previously hit the headlines when
There were also embarrassing claims he compared the approval of an
that he had embellished the truth in ­a ffordable housing development to
his memoirs and travel books. ‘jihadists trashing their history in
Page has never shied away from Iraq’. A ‘joke’ about giving contracep-
­controversy himself. After he was sacked tives to immigrants in raisins also
as a ­columnist by a broadsheet news­ landed him in hot water.
paper in August, he attacked the ‘cor- A Clarence House spokesman
porate, urban money men’ responsible. declines to comment.

Balding: No kids gives us

5 more hours in the day
TV presenter Clare Balding has
never made a secret of her lack of
­maternal instinct.
Now the self-confessed worka-
holic claims being childless gives
her and her wife ‘an extra five
hours’ each day. ‘I don’t have kids,
so I’m not working from the
moment I get up. My life is so sim-
ple,’ says Clare, who ­ married
broadcaster Alice Arnold last year.
‘No planning, transport, school
stuff, all that. I have a very easy
life.’ The 45-year-old, who this year
became a ­children’s author, adds: ‘I
reckon we have five hours extra
every day without children.
‘I don’t miss it. I watch people
travelling with kids on holiday and
I think, how? I love children, but I
love them particularly because I
can hand them back — talk to them,
play games with them and then
hand them back.’

■ Nothing’s too good for the workers or their babies.

Class warrior Russell Brand is going to great lengths to
ensure his one-month-old daughter, Mabel, gets used to his
pampered lifestyle. Rather than use nappies from Blighty, he
is shipping them over from Japan. His fiancee Laura
Gallacher admits they buy Moony nappies online because
they feel ‘like cashmere’. Laura, 28, says: ‘They are great.
Softest and kindest nappies I’ve tried.’
 Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016 V1 Page 37

Lost your
diary@dailymail.co.uk
Follow me on Twitter
@sebshakespeare
mankini,
Borat?
■ David Emanuel, Comedian Sacha Baron

Eco lecture
who created Princess
Diana’s wedding dress
with then-wife Elizabeth,
is poised to return to
Cohen famously wore a
very risque lime green
‘mankini’ while publicis-
ing his Kazakh alter-ego,

from Harry’s
royal service. ‘I’m
waiting for the call to
design Meghan Markle’s
dress. She’s hot,’ says an
Borat, at Cannes in 2006.
But the 45-year-old Ali G
actor opted for a some-
what more restrained

jet-setter
admiring Emanuel of
Prince Harry’s girlfriend.
Emanuel, who now doles
out advice to brides on
outfit on ­ holiday in Aus-
tralia this week when he
visited Bondi Beach with
his wife, Aussie actress

Meghan
reality show Say Yes To Isla Fisher.
The Dress, is delighted The 40-year-old ­Wedding
that Diana’s gown, with Crashers star and mother-
its 25 ft train, has found a of-two (far left) sported a
permanent home. kaftan over a polka-dot
Prince Harr y’s American ‘Charles Spencer took it
­ irlfriend Meghan Markle has
g bikini while the comedian
after Diana died and showed off his physique in
updated her blog this week sent it on a world tour.
with some ‘sustainable ­holiday crimson board shorts.
But now it’s in the care of
celebration tips’. the two Princes.’
‘While there is no shortage of
festivities demanding our
attention at the moment, it’s
important that we never ­forget
the well-being of our good ol’
Mama Earth,’ she gushes. One
of the tips she passes on is to
try to reduce fuel emissions.
‘Lower gas emissions by
­planning and avoiding ­multiple
trips to the store,’ says the
advice on her blog.
‘Two huge problems with not
planning your meals is that you
end up throwing away food, and
you spend too much time mak-
ing ­grocery trips.
‘Huddle and save. Streamline
your meals (even if they aren’t
exact) and make as few trips as
­possible. You’re saving money,
time and the planet.’
Markle, 35, and Harry, 32, have
­frequently been criss-crossing the
Atlantic to see each other since they
started their relationship a few
months ago.
Perhaps jet-setting Meghan (left)
should make Kensington Palace her
­permanent home if she wants to cut
her own carbon footprint.

Boris’s office forks

out £60k on suppers
THERESA May is report-
edly coming to the end of
her tether over Foreign
Secretary Boris ­Johnson’s
diplomatic gaffes, but at
least he’s taking his fine
dining duties seriously.
New expenses
­d ocuments show the
Foreign Office splashed
out more than £60,000
on entertaining foreign
dignitaries since Boris’s
appointment in July.
The hospitality bill for
the FCO’s ‘state and guest
of government ­ visits’
includes £8,142 on
­‘entertaining’ Australia’s
defence and foreign min-
isters. It also spent almost
£20,000 on accommoda-
tion for the president of
Latvia, ­ Raimonds Vejonis
— even though he was in
the UK just three days.
Boris’s underlings aren’t
having quite such a jolly
time. According to the
latest survey of Foreign
Office staff, six per cent
want to quit their jobs ‘as
soon as possible’.

■ SIR Paul

Queen Victoria’s
McCartney’s daughter
Mary has a novel
method for combating
the dreaded post-

beach holiday ban

STAR of ITV’s Victoria, Jenna Coleman has discov-
Christmas bloat. And
thankfully, it does not
involve spending
thousands at a celebrity
ered a downside to her role as Queen: a bikini ban. detox retreat. ‘I love
‘I’m staying in England for ­Christmas and going Brussels sprouts and
back to my mum’s. I won’t be having a hot they’re really healthy,’
­Christmas because I can’t get a tan before ­filming says photographer and
in February,’ says Jenna, 30, after ­ reading at the mother of four Mary, 47.
Nordoff Robbins Christmas Carol concert with ‘So forget about all that
boyfriend Tom Hughes, who plays on-screen detoxing stuff after
­husband Albert. Christmas. Just as long
‘I’m planning on eating lots of turkey,’ she adds. as you eat Brussels
‘I think Christmas is the one day you shouldn’t
feel guilty about that kind of ­ indulgence. I like
sprouts with everything,
going home because it stops me taking any of this then you’ll be fine.’
too seriously.’ Her vegetarian father
will be proud.
Page 38 v1
Surge in EU
students to
beat Brexit
fees hike
By Eleanor Harding
Education Correspondent
STUDENTS from poorer EU
countries clamoured to get a
subsidised university place in
the UK this year, ahead of the
Leave vote, statistics show.
Ucas, the university admissions
body, said 8,900 youngsters from
the least wealthy European
nations began studies at British
universities in September.
The figure is three and a half times
higher than in 2006 – and some
countries saw an increase of nearly
50 per cent on last year.
Experts say these students were
keen to gain a ‘foothold’ in the UK
as Brexit looked increasingly likely.
The data showed that across all
EU nations, the number of students
placed was up 7 per cent to 31,400 –
an all-time record.
Around 2,100 of the total were from
Poland, an increase of 27 per cent on
the 2015 intake. A further 1,830 were
from Bulgaria, a rise of 9 per cent.
The researchers examined entry to
UK universities in September from
the EU this year, according to GDP
per capita – the output of a country
divided by the number of people.
Hungary sent 580, a increase of 12
per cent, and 250 Croatian students
were given places, up 48 per cent.
Alan Smithers, education professor
at Buckingham University, said:
‘British universities are very attrac-
tive to EU students, with the high
standards, capped fees, and taxpayer
loans. They have particular appeal in
the poorer countries because of the
differences in quality of their univer-
sities and those in Britain.
‘But the surge has also been driven
by the desire to get a foot-hold in
t h i s c o u n t ry b e f o re a n y t h i n g
changed. It was clear even before
the Brexit vote that the public was
becoming increasing hostile to fork-
ing out so much money on Europe
and that it was something with
which the politicians would have to
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016
Rich vs poor
gulf widest
for 10 years
THE gulf between the numbers
of rich and poor children win-
ning university places has hit
record levels, the figures show.
Students who get free school
meals are now less than half as
likely to enter higher education
than their peers – the biggest
gap in a decade.
While there has been a steady
rise among less wealthy stu-
dents in the past 10 years, the
trend flatlined this year. Entry
by poorer students rose by just
0.3 percentage points, from 15.8
to 16.1 per cent. But the entry
rate for all other pupils rose by
1.4 points, five times faster, from
31.4 to 32.8 per cent. The differ-
ence between the two groups
leapt to a record 16.7 points.
White pupils are still the least
likely ethnic group to win
places, with only 28.7 per cent
compared to the top-ranking
Chinese, with 57.9 per cent.
deal.’ There was also a increase from
medium GDP countries, including
Spain, Portugal and Slovakia, with
the total in this group 11,600 – dou-
ble the number in 2006.
Students from the EU pay subsi-
dised fees of £9,000 a year, the same
as English students. Since 2006, they
have also had access to the same
taxpayer-backed student loans.
The arrangement, which came in
under EU law, could be scrapped as
part of the Brexit negotiations.
magazine
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016 Page 39
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016

Daily Mail

femail
Thursday,
december 15,
2016

Who has
the best
love life ...
mothers
or their middle
Picture: alamy

aged daughters?
One brave family reveals the uncomfortable truth
A
t the age of 72, Jackie
Murrell has more than
just a spring in her
step. She has a twinkle in
her eye.
With silvery blonde curls cut ­ flatteringly
short, her make-up fresh and clothes
­fashionable, she sits next to her attentive
husband Tony basking in his praise, ­
looking every inch like a woman
in love.
Tony is a charmer, she says. While that
used to worry her as a young woman, and
by Alana Kirk
bed every day, too.’ Such a passionate
­relationship certainly belies the old-fash-
ioned assumption that sex is only for
the  young.
And, perhaps, nobody is more aware of
she was often jealous, now after 44 years this than Jackie’s 40-year-old daughter
together, she admits those fears are Kelly. As a working mum with three ­children,
long gone. she is quick to confess that her sex life is
‘At my age, I’m more sure of myself and often way down her list of priorities.
in our relationship,’ she says, before ‘I suspect over the past decade my mum
­a dding, not at all coyly: ‘My intimate has made love more often than I have,’
life  with Tony is still very active. We make she admits.
love at least once a week and we both It is a comparison that few are prepared
­initiate it. We also love a kiss and cuddle in to make. Because the natural assumption
made by every generation is that they have
a more active sex life than their parents.
Recent research, however, suggests that
the baby boomer generation may, in fact,
be making love more often than their
­middle-aged children.
More than half of men and almost a third
of women over 70 surveyed by the ­University
of Manchester last year said they were still
sexually active.
Additionally, one third were still having
‘frequent’ sex, defined as at least twice a
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40 femailMagazine
slip
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016

daughter: I suspe
FROM PREVIOUS PAGE the past decade my m
made love far more
month. But the same cannot be said for
younger couples — a study published in the
journal Archives of Sexual Behaviour this
summer, found that many now have consid-
erably less active sex lives than their baby

than me – and I’m e

boomer parents.
Other research carried out by University
College London suggested that the fre-
quency with which 16 to 44-year-olds are
having sex has been steadily decreasing
over the past two decades. In other words,
the differing ­ experiences of Kelly and her

MUM: Kelly’s gener

­parents are far from unique.

B ut what explains it? The usual

answers that are wheeled out are
lack of time — children and work
conspiring to leave no window for
passion — along with the fact that older,
post-menopausal women often feel are foolish to put t
children – and them
­liberated once the prospect of unwanted
pregnancy has ­ disappeared and enjoy a
more ­carefree sex life as a result.
Divorced from her children’s father, but
living with a new partner, Kelly admits that

– before their husb

domestic responsibility and the care of
young children has meant her own personal
needs have taken a back seat for years and
her love life has inevitably ­ suffered as
a  result.
This isn’t the whole story, though, as she
admits her sex life was dwindling long
before her divorce.
‘When I was married to my ex-
­husband we had sex once a month, if
that. I wasn’t interested in sex at all. If
I could have gone without it, I would,’
she says.
While Kelly largely puts her dwindling
libido down to feeling exhausted and
­lacking in confidence about her body,
she feels there was another reason.
‘The children came first,’ she ­ they are reaping the benefits in
confesses. ‘My ex did get jealous,
­fighting for ­ attention with our sons.
Different priorities: Kelly and her partner Nathan
But with a baby, there is no choice,
is  there?’
Is there really no option but to sacri-
fice ­intimacy with your husband when
you have a family?
The reality is that ­Kelly’s parents had
similar commitments to juggle. Might
it be that because they dealt with the
demands of parenthood ­ differently,
older  age?
Jackie believes that is the case. She is
convinced that it’s only because she
put her 73-year- old husband and
­marriage first that the relationship has
endured, thrived and deepened.
‘In her marriage, Kelly had less time
to devote to the intimate side of their
­relationship. She put the children and
herself first,’ says Jackie. ‘It’s not
­s omething that sits comfortably
with  me.
My generation simply didn’t do that.
Our mothers put their husbands first
and we followed that path. There was
never a time I put the children before
Tony’s needs.’
This generational difference is
marked, says Phillip ­ Hodson, 70,
­broadcaster and author of the book,
How ­Perfect Is Your Partner.
‘With previous generations, children
were lower in the pecking order than
they are now. Their wishes were
­regularly ­subordinated to those of their
parents,’ he explains. He believes that
with this generation, chil
come higher up the list.
overly high,’ explains ­ Ho
you want the parents’ rel
thrive you must quite qu
enough space, “oxygen”, ti
It doesn’t have to be a lot
regular time.
‘The problem is that all r
are either growing or dyin
stand still. If you keep ta
never putting anything b
 Daily Mail, Tuesday, January 5, 2016 Page 5

Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016 v1 Page 41

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BOX 1: How many times has the diagonal
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BOX 3: Who wrote the 2005


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Picture:

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getty

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see overleaf answers on page 43

&RITH$EC
 coffeebreak
Page 42 Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016

Pitcherwits Pit your wits against Pitcherwits — the across down

kakuro s
Tm
exciting puzzle where some of the answers 1 Picture clue 1 Picture clue 8 4 15 7 6 16 4 8
are in pictures! The solutions to the visual 6 Wise ones of 2 Picture clue 11 10
clues fit into the shaded spaces on the grid. imagination (4) 3 Middle of the Fill in the blank
Solution tomorrow. 7 Acquired a bit road Liberal has squares of the grid 10 11
of anger (3) covering reason (5) using only the
1 2 3 4 4 8 Oops expedition? (4) 4 Meaning of mine (5) numbers 1 to 9, 4 4
9 Picture clue 5 Picture clue without repeating
1a. Quads (not triplets) 9a. Owned up to (8)
11 Picture clue 10 Picture clue 4 3 12 16
(10) 5 any number in any 7 15
14 Omen to 12 Once, a sort
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line of blank 15 10 23
6 6 7 15 Generally it 13 Hid, to provide squares. The lines 45
starts with Hindu loincloth (5) must be filled in
8 10 information . . . (3) with numbers 10
16 Monster dog which add up to the 6 3 15 16 4 3
11a. How test papers 17a. Flyer, but got no
9 10
released within (4) total in the shaded 45
start out? (4,4) wings! (10) 17 Picture clue box at the top or
beginning of each 6 7
line. A number in 6 7
Yesterday’s solution ACROSS: 1 Feel peckish. the bottom half of a 4 4
11 12 13 5 Askance. 9 Spiv. 10 Anew. 11 Inert. 12 GIGO. 13 Edgy. shaded box gives a 12 4 4 17
14 Truss up. 16 Drawing back. DOWN: 1 Foresighted. downwards total: in
2 Era. 3 Ice. 4 Halfway mark. 6 Saviour. 7 Annexes. 14 14
1d. Spin doctor’s gear? 2d. Mad to go on this? 14 the top half, it’s a
8 Chateau. 14 Tea. 15 Pea.
(10) (7) horizontal total. 11 16
15 16
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6
8 6 3
9 8
7
6 1 7 3 9
8 6 3 4 5

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7
2
2
9
1 5 7 4 9 6 3
1 2 5 7 8

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appropriate squares in the main grid, then use your knowledge of words to work ACROSS H
out which letters should go in the missing squares. As you get the letters, fill in
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1. Stubborn person (sl) (4)
5. Knot on a tree (3)
dirt hurt hurl 3 81 7 58 9 3 7 1 8 4 9 5 6

the list of alphabetical letters as you identify them. Solution in tomorrow’s paper. 9 4 3 5 36 88 1 2 5 4 2 6 7 3 8
6. A swimmer’s flipper (3)
3 4 2 11 9 7 5 3 1 7 4
7. Relating to animal life (4)
DOWN dart throw 1 2 7 2 1 95 4 6 7 1 4 8 9

2. Pearl mussel genus (4) 1 3 3 49 1 7 9 3 2 6 4 1

3. Small SE African 2 5 1 5
3 7 29 38 1 5 4 9 5 8 6 2

antelope (4) heart throb 1 7

7
8
1 2
8
7 9
9 4 7 2 1 5
1 8 5 9 3
4. (Chem) symbol strontium (2) 7 6 6
1 2
3 2
5 1 8 6 9 3 2 7
6. Accented in music (abbr) (2) 6 8 7 2 1 3
dash flow
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DOWN: 1 Tool. 2 I-spy. 3 CTS. 4 Cop.

kenken Each row and column must contain

mini sudoku HHHH✩
Complete the grid so
the numbers 1 to 6 without repeats.
The numbers in the ‘cages’ (heavily
6 1 2 3 4 6
that every row, each
column and each 2 by
outlined boxes) must combine to
produce the target number shown at
the start of that cage, using, in any
6 1 5 4
3 box contains every
digit from 1 to 6.
order, the mathematical sign given. Solution tomorrow.
Single box cages can be filled in with
the number given. Solution tomorrow.
2 4 1
Yesterday’s Mini 5 2 3
Sudoku solution
Yesterday’s KenKen solution
6 1
5
6 2 412 53 646 35 361 2
4
2
2 4 5 1
2
363 24 251 16 142 3
5
5
5 4 6
33 545 61 432 42 653 1
6 1
Rating: Difficult
Mark Huckvale's Su Doku Puzzle Generator Mon Nov 21 16:03:07 2016

daily mail crossword

Rating: Challenging
Mark Huckvale's Su Doku Puzzle Generator Mon Nov 2
across down
Need a little help getting started? Then call for up to four extra clue letters on: No 15,428
0901 322 5308. Calls cost 75p plus your telephone company’s network access
1 Cold warrior 1 Fiddle R&D fund?
angry about working It’s paid back
charge. Or text CODEWORD to 65700 to receive your codeword clues. Texts with constant
cost £1 plus your standard network rate. scavenger (7,4)
in compensation
Phone & Text Services Helpline: DMG Media Mobile & TV 08082720808 9 Legion managed (10,5)
to besiege 2 Unemotional
old boy in trio
word wheel
British base (7)
10 Start to read funny ruined opening
poems about radical of concert (7)
YOU have ten minutes to How you rate: 10 words, early outfit (7) 3 Perfect croupier’s
11 A writer’s
find as many words as average; 15, good; objective (3) brief job
possible using the
letters in the wheel.
Each word must use
N C 20, very good; 25 or
more, excellent.
Solution tomorrow.
12 Almost remember
hiring Italian for
solo performance (7)
description? (5)
4 New soldiers
disembarked in
the hub letter and at L D 13 Incompetent couple my usual state (9)

G
break golden 5 Trace strange
least three others, rule initially (7)
and letters may be man blocking
I E
14 Regret using odd
used only once. You parts of route (3) hole (7)
cannot use plurals, 15 Plants not rare in 6 Lenin and

I E
foreign words or Yesterday’s words: Arctic ground? Schweitzer
These ones are (5) ordered Austrian
proper nouns, but verb abhor, abhors, aboard, 17 Thanks to where
forms ending in ‘s’ are abroad, adsorb, boar, dish (6,9)
ham is originally kept,
permitted. There is one board, boards, bosh, broad, it’s delicious (5) 7 Copy feature of
nine-letter word in the wheel, dado, dashboard, dobs, dosh, 18 Go over again dressing table (6)
for which today’s clue is: Care taken hoar, hoard, hoards, hobs, oars, orbs, and start to cut 8 Bird’s very
by Ed with broken ceiling. road, robs, shod, soar, soda, sorb. into harvest (5) big victim (6)
20 Some publicly 16 Ride here and

mindbender masterquiz
defended Scottish direct play etc. in
flower (5)
22 Top-of-the-range Switzerland (5,4)
male ferret (3) 18 Flower head,
1. Mance and Mona’s combined age is 1. For which British king was the so-called
oddly cream,
24 Fellow socialist’s
82; 26 years less than the combined age Wilton Diptych painted? weapon withdrawn found round end
of Mance and Matty, which is eight 2. Which pre-decimal coin used to have a in programme (7) of June (6)
years less than Mona and Matty’s portcullis on the reverse side? 25 One bull died 19 Southern French
combined age. How many years has it 3. Which British comedy author wrote the tragically outside
compound (7)
city includes dead
been since the sum of all their ages script for a Doctor Who episode featuring PRIZES of £20 will be awarded to the senders of the first three correct solutions checked. flat area (7)
26 Concert’s unfinished,
was 120? painter Vincent van Gogh? Solutions to: Daily Mail Prize Crossword No. 15,428, PO BOX 3451, Norwich, NR7 7NR. Entries not 13 (3) 21 Selfish person
may be submitted by second-class post. Envelopes must be postmarked no later than 27 Nelson, servant obtained one in
2. What connects bread, egg and grape? 4. Which card game company recently tomorrow. Please make sure you enclose your name and address.
crowdfunded the digging of a large hole of the French! (7) English Street (7)
3. Which multi-sportsman may create SOLUTION TO PRIZE CROSSWORD No 15,425: ACROSS: 1 Merchant bank. 8 Regular. 28 Bear that’s 23 Last words heard
for no reason?
A MILD IMAGE? 9 Tarnish. 11 Previewing. 12 Gobi. 14 Doorknob. 16 Make up. 17 Day. 19 Timing. gruesome, by the from hopeless
5. Which two colours feature on the 21 Tennyson. 24 Ooze. 25 Shore leave. 27 Serpent. 28 Orotund. 29 Carving knife. sound of it (7)
4. Which is the odd one out: flag of Peru? DOWN: 1 Magneto. 2 Rollicking. 3 Hardwood. 4 Noting. 5 Bars. 6 Noisome. 29 Crude hut in Oslo salesman? (3-3)
Flood, Famine, War, Conquest? 7 Trepidations. 10 Hairpin bends. 13 Cannelloni. 15 Bat. 18 Yearbook. 20 Mazurka. they designed as 25 Still try to
6. In 1975, which Governor-General of cheap lodging (5,6) follow shadow (5)
22 Statute. 23 Shut in. 26 Derv.
5. Starting with A, add a letter and Australia removed Prime Minister Gough
DAILY MAIL New Cryptic Crosswords — pit your wits against 100 of the trickiest cryptic puzzles ever to
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Answers on opposite page
 coffeebreak
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016 Page 43

sudoku Fill in all the squares in the grid so that each row, column and each of
the 3x3 squares contains all the digits from 1 to 9. Solutions tomorrow.


1 8 4 7 1 69 2 8 4 5 7 3 2 5 9 7 1 8 3 

4 6
 
3 6 3 24 7 9 5 65 11 82 8 7 6 9 3 4 5 1 2



7 6 2 53 874 6 1 36 9 2 4 3 4 1 5 2 6 9 8
7

6 4 64 536 1 29 9 47 8 7 4 6 8 2 9 5 7 3 1

 
8 1 5 9 8 7 38 4 63 1 5 2 1 2 7 8 6 3 4 
5 9
2 1 7 8 25 19 4 51 7 8 36 6 9 5 9 3 1 4 7 6 2 8
1 4 3 2 6 87 53 1 4 3 79 2 9 6 7 3 2 4 8 9 1 6 5
4 9 2 4 6 94 8 5 21 7 3 13 9 8 4 6 5 1 2 7 3 The perfect present for Christmas!
Chloe & Co: Has Anyone Seen My Love Life?
On special offer for £7.99 + p&p.
1 7 2 3 9 67 1 88 49 5 6 1 5 3 7 2 8 9 4 Order at www.mailbookshop. co.uk or
call 0844 571 0640
Mark Huckvale's Su Doku Puzzle Generator Mark Huckvale's Su Doku Puzzle Generator
Rating: Moderate Rating: Difficult
Mon Nov 21 15:40:11 2016 Mon Nov 21 15:40:27 2016

Difficulty rating HHH✩✩ Difficulty rating HHHHH

2 3 77 4 8
7 6 39 9 2
4 87 64 5 1 1
5 1 4 2 9 3 7 6 8
6 8 7 5 4 1 9 3 2
9 2 3 6 8 7 4 5 1
doodle-do

garfield
1 7 5 3 6 4 7 2 3 6 9 8 1 5
61 42 1 7 9 8 3 5 4 1 2 6 7 9
9 5 2 8 4 1 6 9 7 5 8 3 2 4
52 1 9 2 7 3 7 9 8 1 2 6 5 4 3
3 2 8 1 5 3 5 1 8 7 4 2 9 6
8 95 4 68 3 2 4 6 9 3 5 1 8 7
GeneratorMon Nov 21 15:18:35 2016
Rating: Elementary Mon Nov 21 15:18:57 2016

H✩✩✩✩ H✩✩✩✩
To order a variety of Garfield books from £3.99, ring the Mail Book Shop 0844 571 0640 or visit www.mailbookshop.co.uk/Garfield. T&Cs apply
6 2 7 3 1 8 7 1 3 5 6 4 2 9
8 1 9 584 3 6 5 4 2 1 9 7 8 3
4 9 21 8 6 2 9 3 7 4 8 1 5 6
9 5 6 243 3 1 5 9 8 7 6 4 2
16 7 8 9 5 5 4 2 7 1 6 3 8 9 5
Black in all the shapes containing the colour shown (left). Are
odd streak

22 3 1 4 7 7 9 8 6 5 2 4 3 1 7
you starting to see the shapes of some of the letters? Now
53 8 3 6 9 7 4 9 8 3 2 5 6 1 black in another set of colours. The remaining pattern should spell
3 6 4 7 2 5 6 2 4 7 1 9 3 8 out a six-letter word. To give you a clue, one of the letters is shown
7 4 52 1 7 8 1 3 8 6 9 5 2 7 4 here: R _ _ _ _ _
Mon Nov 21 15:19:12 2016
Generator Rating: Difficult Mon Nov 21 15:19:31 2016

HHH✩✩ HHHHH solution on next page

Odd Streak ebook, now available for £7.99. Visit www.stoneytoons.com for details.

L N I Y C R L
chloe & co

U N A C Y R H

D O D N E R T
fred basset

B B S D G E U

alex graham limited

honeycomb puzzle cross number
All the solutions read clockwise around their numbers.
The solution to clue number 1 starts from the given there may be more than To order The Best of Fred Basset, priced £14.99, or the Fred Basset Yearbook 2017, priced £8.99, visit www.mailbookshop.co.uk or call 0808 272 0808.
letter. Solution overleaf. one solution 21
9 16
12 W
11 1 4 22
10 2 8 17
1 28
9 3
30 34 15 4 16
8 4 Your working time
7 5 Today’s
challenge time 1 mins 10 secs Min Secs

6 Fill each square with a number,

1 to 9. Horizontal squares should add up to
totals on right. Vertical squares should add
1. Shimmy 5. Teens 9. Dry cloth up to totals on bottom. Diagonal squares
2. Monsters 6. Hot spring 10. Ribbon through centre should add up to totals in
3. Embosses 7. Facial hair 11. Appoint top and bottom right. Solution tomorrow.
By Linus Maurer ©2015 King Features Inc.
4. Highest 8. Jeers 12. Zest
Yesterday’s Yesterday’s Cross
solutions Sudoku X solution Number solution 28
quick quiz answers: 1 USA. 2 Polo. 3 Russell Watson.
4 George. 5 Uruguayan. 8 9 3 5 25
MINDBENDER ANSWERS: 1 Eleven years ago. 2 They all form new 9 8 8 8 33
words with the suffix -fruit (breadfruit, eggfruit, grapefruit).
3 Adam Gemili. 4 Flood; the others are Horsemen of the 8 8 8 9 33
Apocalypse. 5 One way is: a, an, ran, rain, train, retain, nastier,
painters, transpire. 7 7 8 7 29
masterquiz answers: 1 Richard II. 2 Threepenny bit. 3 Richard
Curtis. 4 Cards Against Humanity. 5 Red and white. 6 Sir John Kerr. 32 32 27 29 31
 coffeebreak
Page 44
aries Mar 21 — Apr 20 TV police officers
often play ‘Good cop,
bad cop’. One is the velvet glove; the other
displays the iron fist. Thus, they persuade
suspects to confess. As Venus links to Uranus
today, though you’re not trying to extricate an
admission from someone, you’d like to coax a
change out of a situation that’s been, up to
now, inflexible. You’re effectively on your own
with this. Who is there to wave the stick while
you dangle the carrot? The good news is that
the soft and gentle approach is all you need
today. Great news between now and Christmas!
Dial in your date of birth for your spookily
accurate Moon-sign forecast. Call 0906 751 5601.
taurus The Tin Man wanted
Apr 21 — May 21 the Wizard of Oz to
give him a heart because he felt sure he hadn’t
got one. By the end of the story, it was clear he’d
been full of emotions all his life. He’d just been
keeping them at bay. It’s amazing how much we
can have, without realising that we have it. One
situation changes, some new development arises
— and suddenly we understand ourselves in a
whole new way. I mention this, because life is now
inviting you to see the true value of something
you already have. Great news between now and
Christmas! Dial in your date of birth for your
spookily accurate Moon-sign forecast. Call
0906 751 5602.
gemini May 22 — June 22 Is someone
treating you
unfairly? How fair are you being to them? Are
you seeing only what you feel you can’t ignore,
and ignoring what you feel unable to see? Is
there an imbalance that needs to be put right?
As Venus links to the planet of surprise, perhaps
any conflicts can be seen as an invitation to
deepen understanding. Unless, you’re enjoying
the challenge of an apparently impossible
situation. In which case, consider whether
someone else is taking pleasure in it, too. Great
news between now and Christmas! Dial in your
date of birth for your spookily accurate
Moon‑sign forecast. Call 0906 751 5603.
cancer June 23 — July 23 Imagine being a
football
supporter desperate to watch your team play.
The only free seats are in the part of the stadium
where opposing fans are sitting. You can follow
the action from there, but you’re going to have to
be careful how you dress and conduct yourself,
especially if your team looks likely to win. To some
extent, this has been your experience lately.
today’s free cd win
choral CHRISTMAS
COntinuing today, readers can
pick up a FREE classic Christmas
CD — exclusively from Tesco
Express — and today’s record is
Choral Christmas.
One of a collection of six discs
we are giving away this week, this
joyously peaceful selection of
­festive songs is performed by the
well-respected Crouch End Festi-
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Philharmonic Orchestra.
Fill your home with the sensa-
tional choral classics we all love,
from Joy To The World and Away
FREE Choral
cHRISTMAS CD
TERMS: The free Choral Christmas CD will be
distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, while
stocks last, subject to availability. One CD per person
only. Offer valid on Thursday, December 15, 2016,
only. Take this voucher to any participating Tesco
Express to exchange for one free CD before close of
business today. Not valid at Tesco Metro, Tesco
✃
Superstores, Tesco Extra or Tesco petrol stations.
Photocopied, damaged or defaced vouchers will not
be accepted.
TODAY’S QUIZ ANSWERS
HONEYCOMB 30-second
ANSWERS: 1 Wiggle. challenge:
2 Giants. 3 Stamps. Beginner: 120.
4 Upmost. 5 Youths. Intermediate: 26.
6 Geyser. 7 Goatee. Advanced: 1,225.
8 Taunts. 9 Duster.
10 Riband. 11 Assign.
12 Relish.
See www.dailymail.co.uk for our promotion termS, privacy policy and opt-out. By reSponding to promotionS, offerS and competitionS you agree tHat tHe daily mail and otHer dmgt group companieS may contact you By poSt or SmS WitH
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oscar cainer
Dear Oscar, I just wanted to tell
you how a recent reading of
yours helped me. I was caught
in the middle of a difficult situ-
ation which was making me feel
very ‘down’. The forecast talked
about ‘not heaping it all upon
myself ’, or worrying about
apologising for something I
You’ve been feeling isolated and estranged. Now,
the cosmos encourages you to find people who
see the world from a perspective you can share.
Great news between now and Christmas! Dial in
your date of birth for your spookily accurate
Moon-sign forecast. Call 0906 751 5604.
leo July 24 — Aug 23 We want our lives to be
like it is in the movies. If
our experiences don’t match up with what we
see on a screen, we feel inadequate. Armies of
illusionists are needed to make even a few feet
of film, but we forget this. Or we make our own
movie in our mind. No matter what we’re
looking at, we light it bright and pretend it’s
what we want to see! Then, because we can’t
see what’s wrong, we never fix it. As your ruler
moves towards a creative link with Neptune, it’s
worth having a reality check. Great news
between now and Christmas! Dial in your date
of birth for your spookily accurate Moon-sign
forecast. Call 0906 751 5605.
virgo Aug 24 — Sep 23 Let’s imagine it’s
nearly bedtime.
You’re tired but you say to yourself: ‘I slept very
well last night. Surely I don’t need to repeat the
exercise again so soon?’ How daft would that be?
Existence, in a human form, on this funny little
spinning blue ball of rock requires a certain
amount of essential, ongoing maintenance. There
are many things that we must do, then do again,
then do again! One such process of repetition
involves giving thanks. Find fresh gratitude in your
heart for all that’s good in your world now. Great
news between now and Christmas! Dial in your
date of birth for your spookily accurate
Moon‑sign forecast. Call 0906 751 5606.
Landline calls cost 80p a minute, plus your phone company’s access charge. From a mobile phone, dial 87177 (calls cost
65p/min for O2 network, 75p/min for all other networks). To report a phone line problem, call 0800 138 9789
In A Manger, to O Holy Night and
O Come, All Ye Faithful.
HOW TO CLAIM: Present the ­coupon
printed below at the till of your local
Tesco Express store to get your
FREE Choral ­Christmas CD. Alter-
natively, if you are unable to get
to a Tesco Express, you can buy
the entire set of six CDs for only
£4.95 (including postage). To do
so, visit www.lifestylecorner.co.
uk/dmgxmascd or Freephone
0800 170 1015 (Mon-Fri, 10am-
4pm). While stocks last, 5,000
sets available.
Pick up
at tesco
express
DOODLE-DO:
The hidden word is retina
hadn’t done. Instead, it encour-
aged me to forge ahead. This
gave me the confidence I
needed. I even read it the next
day to remind myself! Sharon
Dear Sharon, You’re welcome!
We all need a friendly helping
hand now and then.
Oscar
libra Sep 24 — Oct 23 Some people develop
a tough outer shell to
keep emotional vulnerability at bay. Others are
just as defensive, but they maintain an air of
affable, approachable sensitivity. Scratch too
far below that surface, though, and you’ll
encounter their inner armour. Someone in your
life now is proving very difficult to get through
to. That’s really just because, deep down,
they’re very nervous. As your ruler aligns with
Uranus, you have the initiative and insight to
begin to get past their wall of self-protection
today. Great news between now and Christmas!
Dial in your date of birth for your spookily
accurate Moon-sign forecast. Call 0906 751 5607.
scorpio Oct 24 — Nov 22 How can you tell if
someone is lying?
That’s a question many people have asked
through the ages. Some have come up with
fascinating techniques. Supposedly, these days,
there are machines that we can all be wired
up to if we want to be. There’s even a smartphone
app that purports to provide this service. But
it all presupposes the existence of a fixed,
objective, ‘ultimate’ version of the truth. The real
question now is: ‘Does anyone know what the
truth really is?’ Great news between now and
Christmas! Dial in your date of birth for your
spookily accurate Moon-sign forecast. Call
0906 751 5608.
sagittarius Nov 23 — Dec 21 Do you
feel as if
you’re getting close to the end of your tether?
Although your energy and enthusiasm are
legendary, are you realising you have gone as
far along a certain road as you really wish to
CONNECT 4 TERMS: For full terms and
conditions see dailymail.co.uk/
connect4. Play Game 3 December
10-16. UK residents aged 18-plus,
excluding NI. Your four matched
numbers must be next to each other,
in a row, to make a Connect 4 Line.
You may only make one claim per
weekly game, after all seven days of
numbers have been published in the
paper. Any claim must be made during
the specific times set out on your
game card — claims made after this
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016
get? And that you have experienced as much of
a particular situation as you feel you need to?
You’ve been tenacious and tolerant, but an
acknowledgment — and even some gratitude —
wouldn’t go amiss. Surely, things must change
soon. Indeed they must. And they are about to.
Great news between now and Christmas! Dial in
your date of birth for your spookily accurate
Moon-sign forecast. Call 0906 751 5609.
capricorn Dec 22 — Jan 20 If you want
more love in
your life, you just need to be more loving. People
instantly find themselves drawn towards those
who show themselves to have kind hearts and
generous dispositions. Recent events have made
you feel guarded and a little uncomfortable . . . and
you’re inclined to look suspiciously at someone
else’s intentions. But this is only unconsciously
causing that person to justify their negative
expectation. Take charge of a situation. Break a
pattern. Allow a hopeful possibility to open up
today. Great news between now and Christmas!
Dial in your date of birth for your spookily
accurate Moon-sign forecast. Call 0906 751 5610.
Aquarius
Jan 21 — Feb 19 Mars is about
to leave your
sign. At the start of November, when the planet
of motivation and energy arrived in Aquarius, I
told you it was a good thing. So how can its
departure also be a good thing? In the same way
that it’s good when your dentist repairs an
aching tooth, and good, too, when the dentist
says: ‘It’s OK. You don’t need to come back —
you’re fixed now.’ The big work has been done.
Improvements have been made. You need no
longer keep going through processes that are so
intense. Great news between now and Christmas!
Dial in your date of birth for your spookily
accurate Moon-sign forecast. Call 0906 751 5611.
pisces Feb 20 — Mar 20 People often talk to
each other without
really listening. They say what they want to say
and hardly wait to hear the response. Once a
conversation is over, they assume that, if they
made all their points, these must have been
understood. They hardly stop to wonder whether
the other individual really took away anything of
value from the exchange. Perhaps you now feel
that there’s no need to say any more to someone,
or for them to say any more to you. But today,
repetition can bring understanding. Great news
between now and Christmas! Dial in your date
of birth for your spookily accurate Moon-sign
forecast. Call 0906 751 5612.
a briggs &
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Thanks to a Briggs & HOW TO ENTER
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Terms: Competition closes at 11.59pm on Sunday,
December 18, 2016. Prize has no cash alternative, is
non-transferable and non-refundable. Entrants must
be 18 years or over. Winners will be notified by
Wednesday, December 21. Prize will be delivered
within 28 days of notification.
time will be void. You must retain the
original game card. Mutilated,
illegible, forged or tampered game
cards will be void. Photocopies not
accepted. No responsibility is accepted
for entries that are damaged, lost or
mislaid. Proof of posting is not proof of
receipt. As promoter, we may cancel
this promotion or part of it at any time
in the event of circumstances beyond
our reasonable control.
© Hasbro 2016. All rights reserved.
Licensed by Hasbro.

Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016
ect over
mother’s
e often
envious
ration
their
mselves
bands
True romantics: Grandparents Jackie and Tony
ldren’s needs broke. In a relationship, it’s the
‘Sometimes ­intimacy that breaks.’
odson. ‘But if So how do you maintain that inti-
lationship to macy when pressured on all sides?
uickly offer it Tony and Jackie were themselves both
ime and love. busy ­ people when they were their
t of time, just ­daughter’s age.
Tony owned a grocery store, and
relationships Jackie ran a hair salon. They have three
ng, they never children together, but always insisted
aking out and on making time for themselves and
back, you go ensured they went out in the evening
as a couple at least once a week.
‘If you’re married or in a long-term
­r elationship, you cannot act like a
­single person or play the “mum card”,’
says Jackie.
She believes that as well as putting
­children before their husbands, women
of Kelly’s generation have a tendency
to be selfish.
‘It’s about them first, they love their
“me” time. When you’re married,
you don’t go out with the girls
on a Friday night. That’s
Never
like ­ purposefully going
out looking for a mem-
ber of the ­ opposite
too old!
sex. Tony and I have
always gone out
socially together.’
By doing this,
Jackie believes it In a survey,
meant that when
the children had ten British
grown up their rela-
tionship was still
aged over
very much alive. reported some
‘We both say that it ­sexual activity in
was when our youngest
left home that our life the past
really started and by then,
I was 52,’ says Jackie.
Ten years ago, the couple sold
their ­ business and moved to a retire-
ment ­village near Canterbury.
‘This is now our time. While we’re in
good health, we’re making the most of
every day.’
And every night, it seems. Despite
the fact that they have ­separate bed-
rooms because of Tony’s snoring, they
confess to regularly liking a kiss
and cuddle.
‘We enjoy it more now than when I
was my daughter’s age,’ she says.
W
hich is not something
that Kelly would dis-
pute. She now lives
with her partner
Nathan, 47 and her three ­children aged
20, 13 and ten. She admits that time for
intimacy is still limited.
‘My life is very different to mum’s.
There are so many reasons for sex
­taking a back seat. There’s work, being
a mum and then there are those issues
I have about my body.
‘I’m heavier than I’d like to be and I
do lack confidence. All those factors
massively impact on my desire to
make love.’
But Kelly agrees her marriage
­suffered because they didn’t put the
­relationship first. ‘We weren’t spend-
slip
Pictures: damien McF
ing enough time ­ focusing on each
other. ­ Having ­ children didn’t help as
they had to be the ­ priority. Even
though I was a full-time mum, domes-
tic life was full on. ­Intimacy took a back
seat and our marriage paid the price.’
Her mother believes that her ­daughter
has learnt the hard way.
‘Now that her boys are growing up,
there isn’t that excuse anymore — she
knows she needs to make time for the
physical side of her ­ relationship, too,’
Jackie says.
Kelly knows this, but still finds it
hard. ‘The problem is my body clock is
all over the place, so even if I’m drained
and tired I’ll do it, but not as often as I
should. I do my bit and although we
don’t pencil in ­ sessions, I try to be as
adventurous as I can.’
Kelly and Nathan are planning their
wedding for next year and know that
keeping the spark alive is impor-
tant. But there are still weeks
when Kelly realises a fort-
night has gone by and
they haven’t had sex.
‘I do worry and rec-
ognise I need to keep
on my toes in the
­b edroom. But with
work and the
one in ­c hildren, I’m con-
stantly exhausted.’
women According
85 Jackie, ­ prioritising
the relationship —
including ­ building a
strong friendship —
year with your other half is
key to getting you
through the tough times.
‘Anyone can fall in love, just
as you can make love to ­anyone. But
if you want a ­ relationship to go the
­distance, and I’m talking about dec-
ades, then you have to get to know one
another first.’
The importance of nurturing friend-
ship and kindness in a ­ relationship is
consistent with ­ findings of a recent
Gransnet ­ survey on sex in your 60s,
carried out ­earlier this year.
It found that mutual support, kind-
ness, good communication and friend-
ship were rated as important by 97 per
cent of respondents for keeping a
­relationship alive.
A third of respondents (average age
of ­Gransnet users is 64) also reported
having sex once or more a week, while
Too tired for Sex?
Advice from Relate therapist
Clare Prendergast
n Talk to each other. Let your
partner know you still love
them and find them attractive,
even if you are too tired for
more intimacy.
n Don’t get into comparing with
other couples or generations.
femailMagazine 45
knackered
mothers’
two per cent reported that making love
is a daily occurrence.
‘Lots of younger ­ people don’t like to
think about older people having ­loving
wine club
by helen Mcginn
relationships and good sex, which is
odd when you consider that for many of
us it’s the best case scenario,’ explains
Gransnet editor Cari Rosen. ‘We see
plenty of evidence that people in their Bargain of
60s and beyond enjoy and ­sustain active the week
romantic and sexual lives. Exquisite Collection
‘Sex might be seen as the preserve of Marlborough
the younger generations, but that’s not Sauvignon Blanc
borne out in our surveys or in the 2015 (£7.49, Aldi)
­frequent conversations on our forums. Cracking value, this
These would indicate that couples
is from Aldi’s impres-
who prioritise sexual, emotional,
romantic connections with each other sive Exquisite Collec-
often have the most long-lasting and tion range. Fresh, such as this. Think
loving relationships.’ crisp and nectarine- black cherry and
Meanwhile Relate, the counselling scented, it’s a real raspberr y with a
­c harity, sees many younger couples sprinkling of spice.
fridge-door banker.
who are struggling to make time for Food pairing: A
each other in hectic day-to-day ­living. WHITE plate of charcuterie.
‘It’s very common for couples to find Tumbarumba
sex being squeezed out of their Chardonnay 2014 ROSE
adden
­relationship because of the ­ pressures (£13, M&S) Chateau Saint
of work, children and ­running a home,’ A Gorgeous white Baillon 2015 (£9.92,
says Relate ­ therapist Clare Prender- from vineyards near goedhuis.com)
gast. ‘It can affect the ­intimacy of the A pale Provence rose
relationship as a whole.’ Sydney, this is like
She says that it is vital to keep ­making sunshine in a glass. made from a blend of
an effort, even if it is just to let your It’s ­seriously good. Grenache, Syrah and
partner know you find them attractive. Food pairing: Cinsault grapes. This
‘It’s important to have some sort of Roast chicken. online retailer is
contact and intimacy, but a ­ cuddle, a worth a ­look.
wink or a sexy text from the office RED Food pairing:
might be enough. If you don’t have the Tesco Finest Saint Salty crisps.
time or energy for sex, find other ways Chinian 2014 (£7)
to see them as desirable.’ n The Knackered
Saint Chinian in the Mother’s Wine Club
Jackie and Tony agree it is putting Languedoc is stuffed
one another first and keeping the by Helen McGinn
romance alive that has seen them with great value (Pan Macmillan,
through. ‘Every day without fail, Tony Grenache-based reds £7.99).
will turn to me and say, “Have I told
you I love you today?”.
‘I know he worships the ground I
walk on and I couldn’t think of ­anyone
else I’d rather spend my time with,’
explains Jackie
They have a rule that they never go to
bed on a row, and even though Tony
might be asleep in his chair by 10pm
and they have separate ­ bedrooms,
Jackie will always join him in bed
before slipping off to her own room.
Phillip Hodson also believes that
thoughtful romantic touches are
important to maintaining intimacy
into old age.
T
hrough researching his
books on relationships, he
often sees older couples
where the husband and wife
insist that their partner is still
­beautiful. The idea that everybody at
75 is having bedroom gymnastics might
be a bit optimistic, but ­intimate touch,
love, a sense of romance, humour, and
caresses, are all important, he says.
‘I’ve been with my partner for nearly
to 50 years and I’ve just put 11 candles in
our bedroom,’ he explains. ­‘Atmosphere
and mood are so important to love and
good sex. It is a psycho­logical and
­emotional process as well as a physical
and ­biological one.’
Kelly admires the relationship her
parents have, and feels she has
learned from it.
‘They’ve always put one another first,’
she says. ‘This time round I like to
think I’ve learnt from my mistakes. I’ve
followed my parents’ mantra. It’s
something they’ve drummed into my
sisters and me: get to know them as a
friend first. That’s exactly what I did
with Nathan. It worked.
‘As we discovered how much we had in
common, our feelings grew for one
another. We’ve started from a solid base.
We’re open about ­talking (just like my
parents are), and we’re now a tight-knit
couple. I see how in love and lust they
are and want that for me, too.’
Additional reporting:
Samantha Brick
Instead find out if you’re happy
with what you’ve got for now,
knowing you will have more time
for each other in the future.
n Make time for each other
­w henever you can. Invest in
a Do Not Disturb sign if you have
to. It could be simple tweak in
­schedule like going to bed at the
same time.
46 femailMagazine
Page 46 Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016

Why can’t people

by Liz understand that
A
Hodgkinson
T THIS time of year, it
should be the most com-
losing dear friends
can hurt far more
forting of rituals — set-
tling down to write Christ-
mas cards to fond friends.
‘Must meet in the New Year,’ I usu-
ally inscribe as the pile of festive
greetings grows beside me.
Sadly, however, for many in my address

than losing family?

book, January drinks are no longer an
option. Indeed, the Christmas card pile is
becoming an ever sadder task as, each
year, I find myself confronted by the
number of friends who have died since I
last got out my address book.
The death of a friend is an entirely differ-
ent experience to that of a relative. With
family members, you are usually aware of
every twist of fate.
‘Not long to go,’ a cousin or nephew will
tell you in advance of the moment an
­ailing relative passes. Even sudden, unex- too, and so we had plenty to
pected deaths are readily communicated ­reminisce about when we met. I
between members of the clan. would often celebrate Christmas
As well as this, you know your place in or New Year with them. All of us
the hierarchy of grief. The loss of a distant used to live in London but for one
­second cousin is likely to hit one less hard reason or another had moved to
than that of a brother, say — and people the coast and so formed a sort of
know how to treat you accordingly. ex-pat community.
There are ­certainties around the loss of I felt I could not stay in Worthing
a relative, peculiarly ­ comforting in their as it had become too closely asso-
own rather predictable difficulty. ciated with misery and death. I
But the loss of a friend? sold up and went to Oxford.
Well, as I’ve discovered, this is entirely Here, I did not experience such a
different. For while the loss of a relative is series of losses until this year,
understood by society at large, and the when more of my friends began to
corresponding painful emotions allowed die in droves.
for, losing a friend is all too often a grief Contrary to common thinking, I
that no one takes into account. think the older a friend is, the
At 71, sadly, I’m becoming well seasoned harder it is to accept their death.
in the death of friends. How can you imagine life without
A year ago, for instance, a former boy- someone who has been such a
friend died. While the romantic aspect of long  fixture?

T
our relationship had petered out some
time previously, we remained on good
terms. I knew he was ill.
His family were aware of our relation- he other week I learned
ship, but no one thought to tell me he had two more friends had
Picture: GETTY

gone into a hospice, where he died two died. One was 89 and
weeks later from an aggressive lung can- the other was 92, and
cer. I learned of his death only when I the loss will be as keenly felt as if
received a letter from his solicitors saying they were much younger.
he had appointed me as co-executor. To make matters worse, I heard
It didn’t end there. I wasn’t even of their deaths through the
given details of his funeral. Per- to attend the funeral. It meant so as ‘compassionate leave’. But if school, long outlasting any roman- ­impersonal medium of Facebook.
haps his ex-wife was afraid I would much to be given the chance to it’s ‘just a friend’, there are no tic or intimate relationship, I can’t But that seems to be how things
turn up. She, I can’t help but note, commemorate our friendship. such formal allowances. Often, help but wonder if anybody will are going these days. It’s hardly a
was immediately allotted a place If I hadn’t received that chance you are expected to soldier on let me know when they die. fitting way to mark someone’s
in the hierarchy of grief because email . . . well, it doesn’t bear despite the fact that, these days, Sadly, I doubt it. As seems to be end, among the virtual detritus of
she was once his wife, whereas I thinking about. friends often mean far more than the pattern, I will probably just funny cat videos and celebrity
was now ‘only’ a friend. I wasn’t so lucky when another old distant relatives. discover it all gradually, with gossip, though, is it?

B
eing ignored in such a
fashion has only made
my grief more profound.
I would have dearly wel-
comed a chance to pay my
respects and, all these months on,
still don’t really feel I have said
goodbye.
It’s made me look back on even
the good times with some sad-
ness. Was I as important to him as
I thought? Deep down, I know I
was — but being so excluded from
the moment of his death has made
me question what I once held as
an absolute truth.
This wasn’t the only time I’ve
noticed the tricky status of
‘friends’ of the deceased. It was
only a chance email that allowed
me to attend the funeral of a dear
friend died last year. Though my
details were in his address book,
the first I knew was when I read
his obituary in the newspapers.
To me, he was Bob, to others he
was Robert Banks-Stewart, the
TV scriptwriter responsible for
such hits as Shoestring, Bergerac
and The Darling Buds Of May.
Indeed, Bob always maintained
that he discovered Catherine
Zeta-Jones, and who is to argue?
I was dearly fond of old Bob, and
would have liked a chance to pay
my respects. Instead, I missed his
funeral and any chance to share
my grief.
But today, it seems no one
expects you to grieve for a friend
in the same way as for a relative.
For instance, if your grandmother
dies, you’re permitted to have
time off work to attend the funeral
As the old saying has it, your
­relatives are foisted on you, but
you choose your friends. And
there’s usually good reason why
they’re friends; you have things in
common and you enjoy each
­other’s company.
There’s often a huge gap when
they die. In a time when life can
be increasingly fractured, when
institutions like marriage hold
none of the old certainties they
used to, friends can be beacons of
stability throughout the decades.
Even many years later, the loss
of a close friend can leave a hole
nobody else can quite fill. When
children leave home or spouses
die, friends step in to make life
still feel worth living.
Despite the fact that several of
my friends go back to primary
mounting dismay, as emails and
other forms of communication go
unanswered.
Indeed, Christmas cards are still
arriving in my letterbox for the
previous occupant who died at
least eight years ago. Presumably
these are from friends who have
never been told of her death.
At my age, perhaps I shouldn’t
be surprised when death strikes.
Though it has become a regular
part of my life, however, it still
feels difficult to convey how pro-
foundly you can grieve a friend.
I even upped sticks and moved
to escape the memories of friends
I have lost. In 2008, when I was
living in Worthing on the South
Coast, almost my entire social
­circle was wiped out in a year.
As well as being close friends,
they were, or had been, colleagues,
Each time I am forgotten in the
aftermath of a friend’s death, I
think back to what we did when
my partner, John Sandilands, died
suddenly in 2004.
His ex-wife, ex-partner and
myself got together and went
through his address book and our
own address books to find con-
tact details for as many friends
(and enemies!) as we could.
We were determined everyone
would have the opportunity to
pay tribute and sent letters,
phoned
or emailed more than 100 ­ people
between us. Most came to
his memorial.
We even wrote to those who were
no longer on speaking terms with
John. In death, they forgave him
for real or imagined hurts, and
attended the wake. All was levelled
with the passing of somebody who
could be an awkward sod, but was

Box of baubles good enough to eat

female friend of some 20 years,
who died in July.
As she lived on the Isle of Wight,
distance had recently kept us
apart. But we remained close, last
seeing each other at a Christmas
party in 2015, where we spent
hours laughing together.
I had no idea I would never see
her again. Unbeknown to me,
­cancer was to carry her off in the
matter of a few weeks.
Thank heavens, then, a neigh-
bour of hers was also a friend of
mine and happened to email, tell-
ing me of the death in time for me
also held in much affection.
Friends who could not make it
sent cards or letters, which I still
treasure. All in all, it was a good
These may look like Christmas tree orna- handmade macaroon baubles complete send-off. But unless we had made
ments but they’re a cleverly ­disguised box with edible glitter (cupcakeslondon.com the effort to inform everybody, it
or Selfridges, £3 each). could not have happened.
of chocolates. Edibaubles from the Heston So I would say to families, when
Blumenthal collection at Waitrose have six Even savoury foods are getting in on the one of your number dies, please,
creative ­flavours from Earl Grey Stollen to act — Yorkshire company Heck has festive don’t forget the friends, or even
Eggnog (£13.50, ocado.com). pork baubles with Wensleydale cheese and the exes. For they also made the
Edible baubles are popping up every- cranberry, or traditional chicken with sage deceased’s life what it was.
where. The Christmas cupcakes from patis- and onion (£2.99 for 12, Morrisons and They, too, are owed the chance
heckfood.co.uk). to grieve, rather than being
sier Crumbs Couture are decorated with excluded or forgotten.
 femailMagazine 47
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016 Page 47

Stick it to your
wrinkles! Anti-ageing
D
oes your beauty routine
consist of rubbing on a

stickers are
moisturising cream and
­slicking on some lip balm?
Oh dear, how very 2015.
Today, stickers impregnated with active
skincare ingredients are an increasingly

beauty’s latest
­p opular way to ensure that vitamins and
minerals are absorbed into the skin.
What’s more, you can get on with your day-
to-day business while they work their magic.
Here, Alice Smellie tries the most extra-

fad. Even more

ordinary of these patches — and aesthetic
expert Dr David Jack gives his opinion.

JELLY LIPS
Etude House Cherry Lip Gel Patch

startling than
(£4.99, amazon.co.uk)
A pale pink gel
patch that looks like
a large, flat jelly
sweet, this contains

the way they

cherry extract, witch
hazel and liquorice
a n d promises to
remove dead skin
and hydrate lips.

look is the
Smooth it over lips
and leave for ten ­ minutes, then massage in
any remaining product.
DOES IT WORK? With this, I can see how I’d
look if I had too much lip filler. Scary. It feels

fact some
slimy, and you can’t talk while it’s in place.
But once it’s peeled off, my mouth looks
smoother and feels beautifully moisturised. I
need less lip balm than usual during the day.
EXPERT VERDICT: The skin of the lips is very

actually work
thin and there are no oil glands, so it often
needs extra moisturising. Liquorice soothes
and is an antioxidant, while witch hazel kills
bacteria. The patch contains ­ moisturising
glycerin. If there’s any irritation,
then remove it quickly. .8/10

Picture: Bill Morton

BANISH FROWN
Realine Beauty Frown Line
Patches (£28, amazon.co.uk)
D ia m o n d - s ha p e d h y p o ­
allergenic patches which you
apply to the forehead to restrict
movement and ‘re-educate’ a
frown. Peel patch from backing
paper, then, with one hand, hold
skin taut on frown line area, while
placing the centre of the patch
over frown lines and flattening
the long ends above eyebrows.
Ideally, leave on overnight.
DOES IT WORK?: I was expecting
something a bit more dramatic
than a bit of clear sticky tape.
Once it’s on, from a distance I
look normal; close up, it’s as
though I have a large, flat blister.
In spite of my scepticism, my
forehead does look a little less
furious in the morning. I ask a
couple of friends to give the
patches a go. One is impressed
and wants to try them for longer.
EXPERT VERDICT: Stickers are not
going to permanently hold back
the wrinkles. There is no solid
­evidence that these work. 6/10
UNCLOG PORES
Purederm Deep Cleansing Nose
Strips (£3.49, beautybase.com)
Cleverly shaped paper strips
that curve over your nose to
­unclog blocked pores and remove
blackheads. Simply clean you
nose, wet the sticker and put it
on. The strips remove the dirt and
oil that clog pores, leaving skin
clear and smooth.
DOES IT WORK?: I have a few
blackheads around the base of my
nostrils. When I peel the sticker
away, it has a murky-looking
­residue of dots, which I assume to
be bits of dirt or dead skin. Very
satisfying, and my nose looks fresh
and clean.
EXPERT VERDICT: These appear to
have an exfoliating effect and
are manually unclogging pores.
I’m impressed. 8/10
SMILE SOLUTION
Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool
Firming Face Gels for Smile
Lines (£30 for four smile and
four frown line patches,
marksandspencer.com)
L-shaped sticker impregnated
with ginseng stem cell extract, a
chemical to relax facial muscles,
as well as a protein derived from
carrots that locks in moisture.
You peel away the backing and
stick directly onto the lines
­running down the cheek. It’s such
a good ‘stick’ that you could even
wear them for a brisk dog walk —
as long as you have a low
­embarrassment threshold.
DOES IT WORK?: The grooves
that are starting to form either
side of my mouth
really bother me!
Pe r h a p s I a m
just too happy. I
first try these on
just one side of
my face to see
whether there’s
a n y ­ d i f f e r e n c e .
I feel a faint burning sensation
and, after ten minutes, the lines
have genuinely become plumped
up and have almost vanished.
EXPERT VERDICT: While plumping
ingredients may fill in lines, there
won’t be a lasting effect. 9/10
MAGIC MASK
Yes To Coconut Ultra
Hydrating Paper Mask
(£3.49, feelunique.com)
A Face-shaped paper
mask impregnated with coconut
oil, with cut- out slots for
eyes, nose and mouth. Simply
unfold, put on your face and leave
for ten minutes.
DOES IT WORK?: It feels very
­c omfortable and my skin is left
feeling beautifully supple.
EXPERT VERDICT: Coconut oil
­c ontains numerous antioxidant
molecules and has anti-fungal
effects, though I am not sure how
effective these can be after just a
few minutes on the skin. 8/10
INSTANT EYE LIFT
Bioeffect EGF Eye Mask
Treatment (£75, bioeffect.co.uk)
Icelandic skincare brand
­B ioeffect has just launched the
EGF Eye Mask Treatment to give
an instantly lifting effect. EGF
stands for Epi-
dermal Growth
Factor, which is
derived from
Icelandic bar-
ley. It sits on
the outer layer
of skin and is
said to speed up
cell renewal. Treatment consists
of a tiny bottle of highly
­concentrated EGF serum and six
pairs of Hydrogel eye masks.
DOES IT WORK?: I apply a few
drops of serum to my sagging
under-eye area and carefully lie
the gel pads on top. There is a
faint tingling feeling, and when I
Patched up: Alice Smellie tries out the skincare stickers
peel away the pads, my skin looks
tighter and fresher.
EXPERT VERDICT: EGF is an
emerging and exciting topic, with
some interesting results. They’re
likely to have benefits, and the gel
pads may help absorption. 7/10
GOING FOR GOLD
Jamela Crystal Collection 24K
Gold Eye Circle Masks (£30.50,
jamelaskincare.co.uk)
Each moist mask (they are
packed in pairs) is a golden oval
with a hole in the middle through
which you can peer (pictured left).
The skin around the eyes is up
to ten times thinner than the skin
on the face and these apparently
increase the moisture saturation
level by up to 92  per cent.
The mask contains gold, plant
collagen and rose water, as well as
Irish moss and rose oils.
To use, you cleanse your skin,
apply the mask and wear it for at
least 30 minutes, ideally two to
three times a week.
DOES IT WORK?: The problem here
is the 30-minute minimum. But I
am dedicated to my job, so I pour
a glass of wine and lie in the bath
for half an hour, ignoring cries and
pleas from the children for help
with homework, dirty games kit
and food. And yes, the skin around
my eyes looks softer. The problem
is the time it takes. I just don’t
have an hour-and-a-half a week.
EXPERT VERDICT: In my opinion,
there is little point in using gold
with the hope of stimulating
­c ollagen deposition. But you
may get moisturisation from the
other ­ingredients. 6/10
NECK COLLAR
Revitale Collagen
and Q-10 Neck
Mask (£1.99,
beautybase.co.uk)
collar-shaped,
slimy, white mask,
which is enriched
with ­ collagen and
the antioxidant
Q10. It’s formulated
to smooth skin
­texture and improve
the appearance of
any fine lines and
­wrinkles. Wash and dry your neck,
apply and leave for 20 minutes.
DOES IT WORK?: The only problem
with this is that it falls straight off
when I walk around. The mask
also feels rather clammy. My skin
feels softer afterwards, but it’s
just too much effort for me.
EXPERT VERDICT: There is unlikely
to be absorption of collagen
through the skin, but the cooling
may tighten skin and collagen will
give a softening effect. 5/10
48 femailMagazine
Page 48
Why an icy
dip’s brrrilliant
for your skin
K
ate Lawson’s first
dunk in the North Sea
sounds like torture.
‘The water was so cold that
it burned. I felt as if there
were frozen needles ­piercing my skin and
I couldn’t breathe properly.’
Yet, six years on, she is addicted to
swimming off the Northumberland coast
near her home in Alnwick. Why? Because
she, like thousands of other women who
brave lakes, rivers and lidos across the
country, says it makes her feel fantastic.
‘I came out absolutely pumped and
wanting to do it again,’ says Kate, 21, a
Northumbria University nursing student.
‘The tingle all over, the sense of freedom
from not being hemmed in by a pool, it
works a kind of spell.
‘I’ve started doing nursing placements
and sometimes, if I’ve had a tough day, I
find that swimming calms me and
releases tension almost like meditation.’
Devotees of wild-swimming are con-
vinced it has a strong therapeutic effect.
A recent University of Portsmouth
study found they suffer fewer colds than
other members of their families, and
fewer than those who use indoor pools.
Dr Mark Harper, a consultant anaes-
thetist at Brighton and Sussex Univer-
sity Hospitals, is researching the
benefits of cold water, and its
by Frances
anti-inflammatory effects. He
has also swum ­ outdoors for the
past 13 years.
‘Cold water swimmers are able
Hubbard
to maintain safe core heat,
despite their environment,’ he
says. ‘This, theoretically, helps
them to recover more quickly
after operations as their immune
­systems have a reduced response
to stress.
‘Stress can cause inflammation
and some research suggests that
can be a cause of depression.
‘My personal insight, that cold
water swimming makes you feel
great, led me to wonder if there
was a link between post-swim
exhilaration and a reduced level
of inflammation.
‘There is also anecdotal
­e vidence swimmers find relief
from conditions such as arthritis
and Crohn’s disease,’ he says.
The image of open-water
swimming has changed
in the past decade.
No longer seen as a
pursuit for pen- Cap
sioners, it is now
a mass partici-
pation sport.
From small
that!
beginnings, the In 2015, a Japanese
annual Great man named Mieko
Swim, five Nagaoka set a world
open-water record by swimming
events that span
L a k e W i n d e r- 1,500m freestyle — at ing at Tooting Lido North Sea off the Northumber-
mere and Lon- the age of 100
don’s Royal Victoria
Dock, now attracts
22,000 entrants. Last year
more than half were women.
Writer Kate Rew, who founded
the Outdoor Swimming Society
in 2006, believes outdoor
­swimming, is especially attrac-
tive to women — and as a bonus
they develop a healthy glow.
As Kate, 47, from Somerset,
says, ‘It can be very good for the
complexion — it’s probably a
mixture of happiness and
­r e l a x a t i o n , e x e r c i s e a n d
slip Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016
flatters arms
Sequinned velvet dress, £139, hobbs.
co.uk; Metallic-detail sandals, £150,
lkbennett.com
STATEMENT sleeves are big news
this season, and a perfect way to
cover wobbly upper arms.
Picture: alamy
Bracing: Christmas Day swim in the Serpentine, London
gasp reflex that makes you auto-
matically take in a lungful of air
— and if you breathe in choppy
water, you are in trouble.
‘Another risk is where, as you
cool down, the blood in your
body goes to your core, leaving
your arms and legs weaker, and
once this happens even strong
swimmers find it hard to cope.’
increased circulation. ‘I’m told Sensible warnings over, it is
most of the effects of a facial can time to hear from a convert who
be mimicked by a brisk walk that says outdoor swimming has
brings blood to the skin’s ­surface. transformed her life.
Cold water certainly does that Community sports officer and
for you, and the effects are all mother-of-four Jane Hardy could
over your body.’ barely doggy paddle the length
There are also many swimmers of a pool eight years ago.
S
who can only be described as
hard-core.
Londoner Kerry O’Hara is one
of them, last year she swam the ince taking lessons,
Channel in 12 hours, 46 min- she has swum the shark-
Styling: Dinah van Tulleken Pictures: Lezli + Rose Hair and makeup: Julie Read
utes. ‘I went through infested stretch from
rough water at first and Robben Island, where
then a load of jelly Nelson Mandela was incarcer-
fish and thought, “I ated, to the South African main-
don’t know if I can land; completed the annual
do this”, but the 10km River Dart swim in Devon
last seven hours and won a Bronze medal in the
were glorious.’ W i n t e r S w i m m i n g Wo r l d
creates
curves
Kerry, a 38-year- ­C hampionships in Siberian Velvet and lace dress,
old programme water so icy it was like a ‘giant £250, whistles.com ;
manager for the Slush Puppie’. Embellished ­slingbacks,
NHS, started Jane, 49, regularly swims in the £64, dunelondon.com
cold-water train- CREATE curves with
land Coast near her home. a strappy dress that
in South London to
‘I took it up at a stage in my life broadens ­ shoulders
prepare for her Chan- but pulls you in at the
nel swim. The tempera- when I’d been running round waist, before
ture there in December is like a lunatic after children for a ­delicately hugging the
often about 6c. long time and it felt like the
hips and dropping
Kerry still trains twice a week. beginning of a new chapter. elegantly below the
‘I’m hooked,’ she grins. ‘Swim- ‘It’s led to me travelling all over
knee.
ming outside is food for the soul. the world, meeting an open- LENGTHENS LEGS
It makes you feel hyper-alive.’ hearted group of people and
In order to adapt their bodies, ­volunteering as a coastguard. Midi-dress with front slit, £140,
swimmers are told to complete How does her family treat her whistles.com; Sandals, £165,
four to six sessions in cold water. enthusiasm? ‘They know it carvela.com
A wetsuit helps. makes me happy. In fact, if I hap-
‘People must treat cold water pen to wake up in a bad mood LEGS look longer in a dress
with a front slit, especially
with respect,’ says Kate Rew. ‘It my husband, Ian, tells me to go
produces something called the and take a swim.’ when worn with high heels.
 The femailMagazine 49
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016 Page 49

Little
black
dress
has grown up
YOU may have hung up your ­ little
black dress a long time ago. Well, it’s
time to remove it from the sartorial
doldrums because it’s a must-buy
for the festive season — whatever
your age.
This year’s LBD is no longer quite so
little. Whether it’s sleeves to slim your
arms or wide skirts to trim your tummy,
these dazzling designs will ensure you
don’t flash too much flesh. The High
Street is packed with party-ready
options in many shapes and ­ fabrics.
Unlike more colourful options, these
sophisticated black ­ numbers will be
worn again and again.
The trick is to pick one that suits your
BOOST SMALL BUST
body shape — and to know which parts Off-the-shoulder dress, £87,
you want to flaunt or conceal. Here, we Myleene Klass for littlewoods.
present the best buys for every figure. com; Sandals, £39.99, zara.com.
ruffles across the bust
DINAH VAN TULLEKEN cleverly disguise a flat chest
without weighing you down.

hides
hips
Lace dress, £70,
simplybe.com;
Necklace, £30,
debenhams.com;
Purple courts, £140,
Black Sand at
dunelondon.com
WITH spaghetti
straps flattering
slim shoulders
and an A-line
skirt kicking out
over your hips,
DISGUISEs BIG bust COVERS ANKLES this pretty
lace cami dress TRIM YOUR TUMMY
Lace dress, £89, hobbs.co.uk; Red Layered, beaded maxi dress £249, Hobbs is perfect
sling-backs, £95, ninewest.com at johnlewis.com; Pumps, £139, ­ hobbs. for pear-shaped Lace-detail dress, £195, reiss.com;
co.uk; Clutch, £140, dunelondon.com figures, without Pumps, £139, hobbs.co.uk.
A V-NECK cutting through the adding any
bust minimises a full chest. This IF YOUR legs aren’t your best assets, A FLATTERING tunic dress
extra inches. with a fuller skirt creates the
clever dress gives a plunge-effect simply hide them beneath one of this
­without exposing any cleavage. season’s must-have maxi dresses. illusion of a slimmer waist.
50 femailMagazine
Page 50 Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016

by Sarah
Rainey

L
SPLURGE Vintage SAVE SPLURGE Valentino SAVE Heine stud SPLURGE Magnitone SAVE SilverCrest sonic
alligator-skin Birkin Bag, £42.95, Rockstud heels, £670, embellish heels, £129, Barefaced facial cleanser, facial cleansing brush, IKE every mother, Lucy
bag, £69,000, Hermes justfab.co.uk selfridges.com kaleidoscope.co.uk £70, magnitone.co.uk £19.99, Lidl Alexander did everything to
protect her children. That

Christmas
instinct is hardwired, from
their first kicks in the womb,
to their first day at university.
She’d zipped up coats and fastened
­ unhats. She’d stayed up for nights on end,
s
swabbing sweaty brows and cuddling away

luxury
night-time monsters. She’d held hands cross-
ing roads and hung on to wobbling bicycles.
And anyone looking at this family couldn’t
deny Lucy and her husband had done an
exemplary job. Three beautiful children,
thriving at school and successfully
­navigating the tricky terrain of their teens
and early adulthood.
Except, there was one thing Lucy couldn’t
protect her children from, something most
parents are woefully ill-equipped to deal
with, and it ended up claiming the life of
her youngest son, Felix.
Seven months ago, this bright, ­handsome

lookalikes
and sweet-natured 17-year-old took his
own life, apparently driven to despair by
bullying that had gone on for years — most
SPLURGE Conran SAVE Copper of it online. It had sapped him of confi-
SPLURGE SAVE soap dispenser, soap dispenser, dence and self-worth and left him — in his
Bollinger RD Bissinger & Co £165, conran £15, habitat. own words — incapable of feeling happy.
Champagne shop.co.uk co.uk ‘We just didn’t see it coming,’ says Lucy,
2002 Champagne, wiping away tears. ‘We thought he’d begun
£205, harvey magnum, to see a way out, but he was too damaged.’
nichols.com £27, Lidl This feeling of powerlessness at an evil
that stalks children, even when parents
believe they’re safe, prompted Lucy to
write a poignant open letter, published
earlier this year, which went viral.
She doesn’t chastise or blame. Instead
she pleads with children ‘to be kind
always, never to stand by and leave
­b ullying unreported’. She urged young
people to ‘stand up to unkindness. You
will never regret being a good friend’.
She also asked teachers to be more aware
of signs that pupils are struggling, and
entreated parents to take more of an inter-
est in what their children are doing online.
Lucy, 51, who works as a sexual health
nurse, was overwhelmed by the number of
SPLURGE Heritage SAVE Oversize people — most of them strangers — who
Chronometrie, black leather contacted her since she put pen to paper.
£4,600, mont watch, £50, ‘I felt I needed to tell people, to warn
SPLURGE Raspberry SAVE I Love... blanc.com daisy-dixon.com them before it’s too late for someone else.
sorbet bubble bath, bubble bath, I needed to stop another Felix,’ she says.
£14.50, philosophy £2.99, super It’s fair to say that other Felixes must
skincare.co.uk drug.com surely exist and parents, like Lucy, feel
panicked and ineffectual in the face of this
creeping menace. Bullying is at epidemic
levels. More than 25,000 children ­contacted
the NSPCC last year, and Childline has
seen a 13 per cent rise in cases.
Between ten and 15 teenage suicides are
ascribed to bullying — much of it online.
The Office for National Statistics cites
teenage suicides as being at a 17-year high,
prompting the Crown Prosecution Service
SPLURGE SAVE to recommend new guidelines to make
Tiffany solitaire Faux diamond prosecution of internet trolls much easier.
diamond earrings, £20, Yet, outwardly, it is so hard to see. The
­earrings, £1,075, heavenly bullies of today don’t leave cuts and bruises.
SPLURGE Lime, SAVE tiffany.com necklaces.com Indeed, look at pictures of Felix — larking
Basil & Mandarin No 1 scented around on the rugby pitch, posing in a pair
Candle, £42.50-£290, candle, of oversized sunglasses at his school prom
jomalone.co.uk £3.99, Aldi — and what strikes you most is his smile.
‘He was known for his massive smile —
with more teeth than most children should
have,’ says Lucy. ‘He was bright, active
and loving. He was very humorous, too.’

SPLURGE Van
Cleef & Arpels
SAVE Rosy
bead ring, £20,
SPLURGE
Ugg Classic Short
boot, £155,
SAVE Waterproof
sheepskin-style
snug boot in
caramel, £36.95,
Y et, Lucy can see this smile was
a coping mechanism, a mask.
Posts on Felix’s social media
pages give a belated insight into
how much damage years of bullying had
done. He couldn’t shake off the feeling of
being ‘different’ and ‘unlikable’, she says.
‘Not photogenic, just ugly,’ he wrote on
ring, £2,250, van piajewellery. ugg.com cuckooland.com Twitter in January. ‘My social skills are non-
cleefarpels.com com existent.’ In February, he said: ‘Life is
severely depressing at the moment. No
­loyalties to anyone.’ At 12.45am on April 27,
Felix posted just two words: ‘I’m sorry.’
Later that morning, he got up, got
dressed for school as normal — and, having
told his parents he was going to the bus
stop, walked to a station near his home in
Worcester, where he stepped in front of a
train. He was killed instantly.
Somewhere among the howls of anguish
and grief at the family’s loss came the
­simple, unanswerable question. Why?
What marks out a child as the one it’s
OK to taunt and ostracise? What turns
SPLURGE Renfield SAVE SPLURGE SAVE SPLURGE The SAVE well-brought up children into aggressors?
men’s shoes, Men’s tan Gucci gold pleated skirt, Metallic jersey pleat skirt, Imperial hamper, The Exquisite And, more importantly, what can parents
£365, jeffrey- brogues, £915, net-a-porter.com £34, topshop.com £6,000, fortnum hamper, do to stop it?
west.co.uk £14.99, Aldi andmason.com £98.37, Aldi They’re questions Lucy still, after seven
Compiled by ALICE SMELLIE

Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016
Bullied
death
to
in his own
bedroom
When he was alone in his room,
Felix’s mum assumed he was safe.
In fact, faceless online tormentors
were hounding him to his grave
months of soul-­searching, ­ cannot
answer. For the first half of Felix’s
­tragically short life was happy and
­untroubled. Felix — and his elder
brother and ­ sister, whom Lucy
doesn’t want to name — wanted for
little and all attended the independ-­
ent King’s School in Worcester.
Then, when he was ten, Felix
stopped enjoying school as much.
There was name - calling and
­ostracising, but Lucy thought he
could soldier on.
The only thing she can think of that
might have marked him out as ‘dif-­
ferent’ was an incident in 2009, when
he came home from school, upset
after a playground argument about
the violent video game Call Of Duty.
‘The other children were asking him
why he didn’t have it,’ she says. ‘One
even called him a “p***y” because he
wasn’t allowed to play it.’
Like many parents, Lucy wasn’t
comfortable with her ten-year-old
son playing age 18-rated games.
But it was around this time that
friendship groups started forming
among his classmates — and Felix
found himself on the outside.
‘In the seven years he was at school,
I could count the number of parties
he went to on one hand,’ says Lucy.
‘That became his identity: Felix was
just the boy everybody hated.
‘Every day after school, we used
to sit down at the kitchen table and
he’d tell me what was happening.
‘He was very honest and would say
if something had upset him. Some-­
times he would cry. We would try to
find ways of dealing with it. I went
into school and talked to the teach-­
ing staff, and it seemed like they
were doing something about it.’
Felix moved on to senior school,
still at King’s, and, when he was 14,
his parents allowed him to get a
mobile phone and join Facebook.
And from there, in a pattern that is
becoming worryingly familiar, the
bullying moved online. Some of the
most hurtful exchanges were con-­
ducted on the controversial website
Ask.fm, where users can ask each
other questions and give anonymous
— and often abusive — answers.
The website, launched in Latvia in
2010, has been linked with several
teenage suicides in the UK and many
have called for it to be shut down.
Lucy describes Ask.fm as ‘poison-­
ous’. ‘Felix was told he was ugly and
worthless. Eventually he logged out
of the site completely because he
found it too painful, but it was too
late — his self-worth was at zero.’
The bullying continued on other
sites: Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat.
‘Felix couldn’t help but fixate on
it,’ says Lucy. ‘There was even a bit
of racist abuse [Felix’s father is of
Indian origin]. People who barely
knew him started joining in.
‘He spent lunch and break times
on his own. He spent weekends and
holidays on his own or with me. If he
made a friend, somebody would
message that person and say: “Why
do you want to be friends with him?
He’s the most hated boy in school.”’
Convinced the internet was the
source of her son’s problems, Lucy
tried cutting him off completely.
‘But he’d say I was punishing him
for something other people were
doing,’ she says. ‘“You’re isolating
me more Mum,” he’d say.’
That same year, aged 14, Felix hit a
real low. The abuse was unrelenting.
Bullies shouted insults at him from
the sidelines of the rugby pitch.
O
nce, they put his kit bag
in the shower. The stress
brought on a form of
obsessive compulsive dis-­
order (OCD), and he would repeat-­
edly wash his hands, scratch his
neck and obsess over specks of dirt.
‘At that age, friendships are every-­
thing,’ says Lucy. ‘He said to me: “I
just want one, really good friend;
somebody who phones me first to
tell me things.” I told him it would
come. But he couldn’t see it.’
Lucy and her husband decided to
send Felix to a psychotherapist,
whom he saw once a week for
around a year. She taught him cop-­
ing mechanisms, helped him work
on his self-esteem — and for a few
months, things started to look up.
But before long the cyberbullying
became impossible to ignore again.
‘I saw some really hurtful com-­
ments,’ says Lucy. ‘Even by so-called
“nice” kids from lovely families.’
Lucy begged Felix to change
schools, but he refused, fearing it
would make him more of a ­target. To
her relief, his GCSE grades weren’t
good enough to get into the sixth
form — his schoolwork, ­ previously
femailMagazine 51
Despair: Lucy
Alexander
with her
son, Felix
so good, had suffered — and he
moved to Pershore High School, ten
miles away, in September last year.
It seemed a fresh start: Felix made
friends and caught up on ­schoolwork.
A post on his social media page
­earlier this year shows him enjoying
a ski trip to Italy with new friends.
‘Best week of my life,’ he wrote.
Even the cyberbullying stopped.
But for all the positive changes, Felix
seemed unable to let go of the past.
‘He couldn’t manage those new
friendships very well,’ says Lucy.
‘He perceived slights where there
weren’t any. He’d say: “It’s going to
be like it was all over again.”’
In a suicide letter, found by his
mother after his death, Felix summed
up his despair. ‘I just couldn’t see a
way to be happy,’ he said.
Lucy has made it her mission to
stop as many others as she can
from feeling this way. She doesn’t
want to point fingers, nor does she
let herself feel guilty.
Instead, she says, we need to talk
about cyberbullying more openly,
to stop the malicious ways young
people can behave online.
‘Young people are really struggling
to communicate,’ she adds. ‘Felix
thought all his classmates were lead-­
ing this great social life without him,
but many don’t know how to talk to
one another outside of Facebook. We
Page 51
need to teach them about express-­
ing themselves... what’s responsible
to put out there and what’s not.
‘We tried to speak to people in
authority, but they were at a loss as
to how to deal with it.
‘Teachers need education, as do
parents. And this shouldn’t be a
one-off conversation — it needs to
be drilled into all of us, year after
year, until this stops happening.’
After Felix’s death, the students in
his class wrote to his parents with
their favourite memories of him.
There was the boy who struggled to
make friends, until Felix helped him
fit in. There was the girl who was
sick in the first term, whose bags
Felix carried along the corridors.
Hundreds of letters poured in, all
with one thing at their heart.
‘Kindness,’ says Lucy. ‘That was
Felix all over. If he is going to leave
a legacy, I’d like it to be that. Online
or in the classroom, we need to
start being kinder to one another.
‘God knows, Felix could have
done with some of that.’
n Felix’s family are fundraising
for Place2Be, a charity that offers
mental health counselling to young
people, place2be.org.uk.
For confidential support, call
Samaritans on 116123 or go to
samaritans.org
52 femailMagazine
Page 52 V1 Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016

Rise of the
by Lauren
Libbert vampire
T
shoppers
UCKED up on the sofa
with the curtains drawn
against the cold night
air and a glass of wine
in hand, the thought of
­v enturing out onto a busy
­shopping street is anathema to
most of us.
Yet it is late evening — 10.18pm to be
precise — when we are at our most
­susceptible to impulse buying.
The traditional High Street is, of

Fuelled by wine and

course, closed for business at such a
time. But the so - called ‘vampire
­economy’ of late-night online shopping
is very much open — and doing a roar-
ing trade. If this sounds sinister, that’s

seduced by sneaky
because it is.
For savvy online shopping websites are
increasingly using the hours of darkness
to target vulnerable customers (most of
them women) by bombarding them

marketing tricks,
with ‘irresistible’ discounts.
It seems the strategy is working. New
research shows that one in three ­Britons
now spend more money ­shopping online
at night than they did five years ago —

they’re the women

browsing for an average of two hours, 12
minutes after dark a day.
The research says they blow £25.33 a
week on clothes, £15.99 on make-up
and beauty products and £27.45 on

who shop online in the

presents for friends and family.
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, ­professor
of business psychology at University
­College London, says online firms are
cynically exploiting weaknesses in the
human psyche to encourage splurges.

dead of night . . . and

Research has shown that willpower is
a measurable form of mental energy
which becomes depleted the more
you  use it through the day — meaning
that our reserves are considerably

wake up full of regret

lower by the evening than they were in
the morning.
‘Companies now have a lot of data
on   consumers, and this has helped
them    to understand when best to
nudge  customers,’ says Professor
Chamorro-Premuzic.
‘People are more likely to drink
alcohol at night. This is a lethal
combination for making impulsive
purchases and marketeers know it.
But obviously, impulsive, alcohol-
fuelled decisions are less likely be
the smartest choices.’
think you must have before they
run out.’ Charlotte Douglass, 33, a
stay-at-home mother from Hove,
East Sussex, knows how seductive
those deals can be.
Like many mothers, she regards
the brief window after the kids have
gone to bed as precious ‘me-time’,
of day, such is her regret that just
the sound of the delivery van
­d rawing up ­ outside her four-
­bedroom house is enough to ­trigger
a wave of shame.
‘I hardly take anything back
though, as it seems such a hassle,
so I end up wasting money.’
might be tired and have had a few
drinks — a toxic combination.
‘The biggest offenders when it
comes to sending late-night emails
are ­ amazon.co.uk, ­ lastminute.com
and even Matalan is now sending
them between midnight and 5am.
‘If you stumbled into a shop in
Illustration: Andy Ward
stuff that never lasts more than a
season. And when I press ­“confirm
payment”, it doesn’t feel like I’m
h a n d i n g o v e r r e a l m o n e y,
­e specially if I use the online
­p ayment system ­ Paypal, which
can take up to a month to come

S
plurging online at
home — with ­ disastrous
consequences for her
bank balance — is
­s omething Melissa Keighley
understands only too well.
and enjoys sitting on the sofa with a
glass of wine and her smartphone.
She finds offers from retailers
irresistible — such as 50  per cent
off partywear, and easyJet and
­lastminute.com ‘flash sales’.
‘The emails will pop up and I’ll
think: “Ooh, that looks like a good
idea” and I’m off shopping,’ she
Increasingly sophisticated smart-
phone technology has meant the
rise of ‘one-click’ shopping, where
customers’ payment details and
addresses are stored online for
future reference, so purchases can
be completed in seconds.
Now, in a bid to help women
such as Charlotte who are at the
the real world after a few drinks, it’s
likely the assistants would
­d iscourage you from making a
­purchase. But online, it’s virtually
encouraged, with your payment
details stored and an autofill to
help you key in your name and
address, so you can easily do it even
if you’re drunk.’
out of my account.
‘My husband Danny and I have
separate bank accounts and the
packages tend to be delivered when
he’s out, so he doesn’t know what I
spend. But it is getting ridiculous.
‘I have 150 pairs of shoes, and five
pairs of Converse sneakers, which I

The 40-year-old music therapist
from Kent lives alone and often
buys useless objects online after
­dinner. Although she rarely spends
more than £60 a time, over a year it
equates to hundreds of pounds she
can ill-afford.
She says: ‘I love the shopping
app Wish, which offers great deals
on beauty and fashion items, often
labelling them “almost gone”.
‘But I think it should come with a
breathlyser before allowing you to
make a credit card purchase,
because whenever I’ve had a few
drinks, my judgment goes haywire
and I buy extraordinary things,
such as crazy patterned tights,
which I never wear.
‘ Wi s h i s g o o d a t p i n g i n g
­notifications about an item you
may have looked at a few weeks
says. ‘I’ve bought the silliest tat:
lights that go under a cupboard
and yet gobble up eight batteries a
day; blue contact lenses for
­Halloween that turned up two days
late; even a pen that promised to
take scratches off the car.
‘It seems like a good idea at the
time. But my decisions are never
sound when I’m tired late at night.’
Yet this doesn’t stop Charlotte
shopping online at least three
nights a week. She hasn’t done the
maths, but reckons she must easily
waste more than £1,000 a year.
‘I once bought some parasols for
£3 each for a friend’s wedding
because I thought it might rain,
but when they turned up they were ­
miniature ones!’ In the harsh light
mercy of this enticingly easy to
use ­vampire economy, the Money
and Mental Health Policy ­Institute
is calling for greater protection
for consumers.
This would include card providers
delaying payment until the
­m o r n i n g    a f t e r a l a t e - n i g h t
­purchase to check you still want to
buy, and options to permanently
‘opt- out’ of online retailers,
­blocking them like porn sites.
The Institute’s director, Polly
Mackenzie, says: ‘It’s crazy, because
we have parental controls
online   and can block what our
­children do and watch, but we can’t
block ourselves.
‘Retailers induce their customers
to buy late at night when they
A
bi Rose, 39, a married
stay-at-home mother
from North London,
blames her late-night
shopping habit — which costs her
more than £5,000 a year — not on
shopping while under the influence,
but on a fear of missing out  on
good deals.
‘I have every single shopping app
— Selfridges, Topshop, Asos,
­ShopStyle, you name it,’ she says.
‘They’re always sending me
­notifications with ­discounts, and I
don’t want to miss out on what
looks like a ­bargain.
‘I’m a big sucker for high fashion
don’t need.’
Claire Hegarty suggests altering
your evening routine to break the
‘sofa, wine and mobile phone’ habit.
‘Late-night shopping is often about
winding down, so it’s about finding
different ways to relax that don’t
involve sitting with your phone or
computer, which actually only
keeps your mind active,’ she says.
‘Take some time out in the
evening, even five to ten minutes,
to do something unrelated to the
rest of your day.
‘This could be calling a good
friend, listening to some happy
music or going for a brisk walk.’
Alternatively, you could always go
for the full-on vampire detox and
switch your phone off after 8pm.

Stylish ankle boots

Styling: AMY KESTER
earlier, and which is now on sale.
After a few gins, it looks attractive.
‘I usually spend about £10 to £15
a time, although I can go up to £60
if I really want something.’
Hypnotherapist Claire Hegarty
treats more than 50 women a year
with shopping addictions at her
practice in Chester. ‘It’s the “grab
them while you can” mindset,’
explains Claire.
‘With so much available online,
and many websites keeping your Leopard-print, Cow hair, Snake-print, £62, Brocade, Velvet, £177, Embellished Patchwork, £295, Velvet, £195,
card details saved, it’s becoming so £100, aldoshoes. £78, office. jonesboot £150, dune lkbennett. gems, £145, russelland topshop.com
much easier to spend, even if it’s on com co.uk maker.com london.com com uterque.com bromley.co.uk
items you don’t need or want, but
 femailMagazine 53
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016 V1 Page 53

by Libby
A rude awakening: Phoebe
Waller-Bridge (far left)
and Sharon Horgan

Purves fearless, frank TV comedy series

Catastrophe, broadcast first last
year on Channel 4.
Horgan was born in Hackney, East
London, where her Irish mother and

N
New Zealander father ran a pub,
ice young women of before they moved to Ireland to run
past generations didn’t a turkey farm and sent her to
talk dirty. It wasn’t ­convent school.
She returned to England to study
done. They talked of English at Brunel University then
love and romance and embarked on a career as an actress,
handsome men (even my genera- notably in the BBC sitcom Pulling
tion used the word ‘swoony’). about three thirtysomething single-
They talked of finding Mr Right, tons, which she also co-wrote.
In Catastrophe, she plays an Irish
though if they were more daring schoolteacher (also called Sharon)
they would admit to quite a few in her late-30s, who has a brief mean-
Mr Wrongs along the way. ingless fling with an American
If the sex itself was ever mentioned in stranger, Rob (co-writer Rob Dela-
detail, it was whispered between the ney), then finds she is pregnant.
­closest of girlfriends, and often not even It’s done in a spirit less unhappy
then. The first time most young women than Fleabag’s, but just as casual.
­chatted or wrote openly about the most Horgan, 46, has talked of the semi-
intimate parts of their bodies was when autobiographical element: she and
they gave birth and fed babies. her now husband, entrepreneur
But things have changed. Women ­writers ­Jeremy Rainbird, had an unplanned
for screen and stage are fearlessly letting pregnancy six months into their
it all hang out. relationship. They now have
Sex And The City began this trend with two ­ daughters.
‘That is what happened to me,’

What do the new

startling conversations about those
moments when the dream of bedtime she’s said, ‘so it made sense to write
embraces becomes a horror story. about it.’
Who can forget actress Sarah Jessica In Catastrophe, the American
Parker’s glum expression during a returns to Britain and is prepared to
­particularly awkward interlude in one marry Sharon, much to his mother’s
­episode of the U.S. TV series, or Kristin horror. The ensuing episodes cover
Davis as prim Charlotte confessing that their crises: sexual, emotional and
her dream man wanted certain things she eventually parental.

H
definitely wasn’t offering?

potty-mouthed
That show did cling firmly to its ­liberated
belief that women can put themselves
about as freely as the most laddish organ’s character
straight men or cruising gay men without never goes out of her
ever suffering regret at sharing themselves way to be traditionally,
so widely. nurturingly feminine.
That old word of condemnation — She behaves, quite often, like a
­‘promiscuous’ — has almost fallen out of ­complete cow, allowing the sympa-
use. And mainly, that’s a relief, because thy to slide across to poor Rob —
who, in turn, gets things wrong.

comediennes
the insult was rarely thrown at men. It
was only women who were bad-mouthed But the point is that an event
as ‘slutty’, men were ‘Casanovas’, ‘Don which began as a bit of passing lust
Juans’, ‘conquerors’. is forced by the pregnancy to turn
Now, a new generation of uninhibited into something serious.
young female writers and comedians are There is commitment (though
getting so explicit that they make Bridget shaky at times), parenthood (includ-
Jones’s diaries sound like the chronicle of ing fear for the baby’s health before
a virgin Victorian milkmaid. it is born) and all the compromises,
The women are talking dirty, the latest bad behaviour and messy everyday

say about young

in this new wave being Phoebe difficulties which need to be over-
Waller-Bridge. come if you are to build any kind of

A
grown-up life and family.
There are, of course, novels which
show this; and on stage, other
t the age of 30, she wrote women have written frankly about
and performed a monologue the way that sex can never really be
called Fleabag. It is running just a refreshing recreational activity
now — for the second time — like tennis or squash.

at London’s Soho Theatre, having
­previously won awards and an Olivier
nomination, and been reviewed starrily
(especially by men) as ‘sucker-punch
funny’ and ‘jaw-droppingly filthy’.
From the grubby practicalities of inti-
macy to musings about exotic varieties of
porn, it shies away from nothing.
In between outings as a stage solo show,
the story became a TV series (first on
BBC3 then moving to BBC2) performed
by Waller-Bridge this time with a full cast.
Her character, nicknamed Fleabag,
is an erratic, highly-sexed modern
girl, who co-owns a failing cafe and
whose best friend has died in a
­possible suicide because her boy-
friend cheated.
Fleabag’s life is in chaos — and is
sometimes immensely funny as she
attempts to get a bank loan, steals,
resents her stepmother and flits
from man to man.
In the latter activity she does not
bother with their real names but
gives them nicknames too unsuita-
ble to print here.
But the core of the piece is in
depicting her unhappiness: the
bleak reality of a young woman
adrift, unable to feel worthy in any
women today?
while her mother was employed at
the Ironmongers’ Guild.
After a private education at a girls’
school in Marylebone she turned
down a place to read ­English at Trin-
ity College, Dublin to go to the Royal
Academy of Dramatic Art.
As an actress she has appeared in
Broadchurch (as barrister Abby
Thompson) and the film The Iron
Lady. She is married to director and
writer Conor Woodman, and they
recently bought a house in North-
West London.
In interviews, Waller-Bridge has
discussed how Fleabag is a show
unafraid of exploring female anger.
She said: ‘I didn’t know how to
articulate it because I was living this
great, privileged life. But I think it
was a mixture of hormones, media
pressure to be perfect, along with
having to find out who you want to
be and what you want to do.’
These days, we hear a lot about
how the porn culture has a ­disastrous
effect on boys, so it was about time
that a clever piece like this pointed
out that young women — likeable,
intelligent, educated ones like Flea-
bag — also suffer from adopting the
role of objects and playthings.
Validated only by hook-ups, ruin-
ing their health and work in mind-
less sex and self-gratification, the
Fleabags of today are, simply, lost.
Overall, it is a revealing, sorrowful
human comedy and, because of its
popularity, a welcome shift in
­perception of modern women’s lives
and feelings.
Then there’s the success of another
female comic writer, ­Sharon Horgan.
Most recently, she has been the
co‑writer and star of the equally
But these shows, being popular
and funny, represent a healthy phe-
nomenon. We need reminding that
even casual sex — risking trust and
intimacy at the most vulnerable
naked moments — sets up some-
thing serious between any couple. It
may be love and a long-term bond,
or it may be resentment and an ache
of loss.
A recent survey across three coun-
tries asked people about negative
feelings after one-night stands, such
as worthlessness, rejection, shame,
pity and frustration. Eighty-four per
cent of women had felt them, and
nearly as many men.
Sex is not just sport, whatever the
porn industry pretends. It is not old-
fashioned to affirm that it touches
deep feelings.
Betrayals — there is a dreadful one
in Fleabag — are painful, and if a new
life is kindled and a baby born, as in
Catastrophe, something immense
takes hold of you both for life.
So while I would not have been
comfortable watching either of these
shows with my parents (shudder at
the thought — poor Dad!), the frank-
ness of such writing is useful.

Christmas cocktail jumpers

Styling: amy kester

way but sexually, living in a ­culture Done with heart, it is the opposite
defined by the unhappy, addictive of the plasticised, brutalised, fiction-
pornification of modern life. alised explicitness of the porn which
We learn gradually that it is grief teens — and even primary school
and remorse which are poisoning children — see online.
Fleabag. The sad truth is that her Pornography treats bodies as play-
only way to medicate this misery things; women as disposable. Eroti-
and feel worth anything is through cism, its gentler sister, has its prob-
sex without affection or intimacy. lems, too, offering an image of
On paper, Waller-Bridge, now 31, smooth unrealistic beauty and
would appear to have little in com- Jewel neckline Stripy sequin Embellished improbable ecstasies, with none of
mon with her unhappy, rootless sleeves, £45, neck, £39, the affectionate laughter, anticlimax
Wool mix sequin peplum sweater, Astrology Metallic yarn, or failure which make life real.
­c reation. She has spoken of an knit, £105, £365, rebecca marksand miss
­‘idyllic’ childhood in leafy West Lon- sweater, £89, £42, topshop. So when a good comedy tells it like
lkbennett.com taylor.com hobbs.co.uk com spencer.com selfridge.com it is, the very rudery is refreshing.
don — her father worked in the City,
54 femailMagazine
Page 54 Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016

Rumbled! The globetrotter

contraband

>>
phone I found
Ray-Ban polarised aviators, sunglasses-
shop.co.uk were £188, now £147

>>
Ren mini

hidden in PJs
body set,
Travel journal, marksandspencer.

>>
paperchase.co.uk com was £12,
Was £5, now £3.50 now £8.40

Cashmere

>>
jumpsuit,

M
DKNY travel wallet, purecollection.
y husband houseofffraser.co.uk com was £329,
has often said was £105, now £131
he believes I now £40
would be a good >>
Cake
prison guard. stand,
Mr Candy is a big softie, so he laura
has a reluctant admiration for
my iron willpower in the face of Jacques Vert ­ashley.
­i nsubordination and general luggage tag, com
­n aughtiness. ‘Nobody would debenhams. was £30,
escape,’ he says, ‘because you’re com was now £15

>>
so suspicious you’d spot a ­prisoner £10, now £5 >>
planning to dig out with a spoon >>
Beats by Dre

I don’t
>>
before he even stole the spoon.’ wireless Cabin suitcase,
He is not wrong. But this is not headphones, antler.co.uk
because I am by nature incredibly was £119,
well-disciplined: quite the oppo- amazon.co.uk
now £72

know how
site. It’s because I’m the prisoner WERE £249.95,
planning to steal the spoon. You now £236.12

Half pr
can’t ‘trick a tricker’, as they say.
And so it is with my teenagers.

I do it
Mr Candy crumbles in the face of
their rule-breaking ­tactics.
The right royal battle of ‘phone-
gate’, which has raged on for
nearly a month, has almost ­broken
him. But I’m standing firm and
continue to take their mobiles
away at 9pm on school nights.
Lorraine Candy
This is to help them sleep prop-
erly and step out of the relentless sleep earlier, they have not
pressure to be connected with become social pariahs, they
everyone and everything. spend more evening time with us

Thanks to stores launching their

I’ve read many studies about
how bad 24-hour mobile access is
for them and indeed just last
week U.S. researchers linked
­c onstant teen phone use to
depression, anxiety and obesity.
As expected, a righteous fury
and go to bed more relaxed and
less distracted. They have their
phones Friday and Saturday
nights and I do not have the pass-
codes for them, so their private
worlds are still private for them.
I read in the news this week that
Cornish mum Karly Tophill’s

descended over the house
(mainly the kitchen) when we
­i nitiated the electronic curfew.
My 14-year- old and
12-year-old told me I
gardener
experiment to ban the phone for a
year from her 13-year-old has an
extremely positive effect on him
(not least his agreeing

Ring
had ruined their lives, to be photographed
that their friends with his mum for a
would desert them, newspaper which is
and that they would rare for teen boys).

a bell?
‘have to spend all day Her son has been >>
at school in the toilets phone -free for six
avoiding everyone’, so weeks and is more Haws watering can, waitrosegarden.
shameful was their talkative, co-opera- com was £69.99, now £64.99
lack of phone time in tive and happier in
the early hours. Nine out of ten himself. He takes half
Then they tried every British children the time to get ready Crabtree & Evelyn
trick in the book to aged eight to for school and, mira- hand cream set,
beat the ban, from cle of miracles, helps Brianna
marksandspencer.com
­h iding phones in PJ 14 have a with household was £10, now £3
lamp,
The Great Gardeners, debenhams.
>>

bottoms to pretending mobile phone. chores. It’s been so

the phone was lost or effective she’s waterstones.com com
>>

broken. One of them Nearly a reduced the year- was £24.95, was £90,
would even retire to quarter use long ban to three now £19.96 now £45
t h e l o o a t 8 . 5 5 p m them for four months, moderation
­p retending to have a being the key in all >>
‘poorly tummy’ so she or more hours things in life I think.
could lock the door a day. She’s also come up
and sit with the phone with the idea of
as late as possible. ­‘ family phone -free
Fridays’. This means
>>

They spun me giant

stories about the phone being all adults in the house
crucial for homework or they are banned from using their Plant Theatre garden
would face a firing squad, they phones and could work for those tool bag, amazon.co.uk
told me traumatic tales of trage- of you not brave enough to was £21.99, now £15.99
dies their friends faced if they ­implement the 9pm cut-off.
couldn’t stay in touch through I admit for me it’s been tough, Gold
the night. I was most impressed, and has changed the dynamic mirror,
between myself and my eldest, but Rose hand >>
but stayed one step ahead sanitiser, laura
because I was once a smarty parenting isn’t a popularity con-
test, it’s a giant responsibility to cathkidston. ashley.
pants teenage girl myself. com
Phonegate escalated this week mould what you hope will be the com was £6
with a new development; fellow best-loved human in the world. now £3 was
mums have begun to follow my And if I have learned one thing £350,
lead and remove phones at bed- after 14 years of bringing up four now
time. It’s a trend spreading faster kids it’s to listen to your instincts. £250
than the winter vomiting bug. Would your parents have let you >>
>>

This caused a blazing row at stay on the phone to your mates

home, one so bad Mabel, five, vol- until the small hours? Would they Gardening gloves,
have let you talk to strangers Hunter wellington
untarily handed her over her toy amazon.co.uk
Barbie phone with a look of fear you’ve never met after dark on a boots, theoutnet.com
school night? Of course not. WERE £90, now £54 >> were £15.99,
in her eyes. ‘It’s on mute,’ she now £10.97
added for some illogical reason. n  LORRAINE CANDY is Editor-
Yet my older girls are going to in-Chief of Elle magazine.
 femailMagazine 55
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016 Page 55

Gray & Willow

measuring
spoons, houseof
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baker Dickins & Jones
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Compiled by AMY KESTER
 56 Television
critics’ choice Apes on THe Run
The Secret Life Of The Zoo, 8pm, Ch4
There’s a great
escape at Chester
Zoo as Sumatran
orang-utans
Subis, Tuti, Siska
and Indah make
a break for it —
while Emma
and son Tripa
(pictured) stay
behind. Can the
keepers use their
understanding of their escapees’
behaviour to tempt them back inside?
Thorough Grilling
The Apprentice, 9pm, BBC1
As their quest to secure a life-changing
business investment nears an end, the
remaining quintet face their greatest
challenge yet. Yes, it’s time for them to be
grilled by four of Alan Sugar’s most trusted
and intimidating (make that terrifying)
advisers — Claude Littner, Claudine Collins,
Mike Soutar and Linda Plant. Gulp.
B B C 1
6.00 Breakfast (HD)
9.15 Operation People Power with Dave
Myers (HD) The Hairy Biker visits a
charity-run cafe in Bristol.
10.00 Christmas Kitchen (HD) Festive
culinary ideas and recipes, with
guests Mark Williams, Vivek Singh
and Chetna Makan.
11.15 Homes Under the Hammer (HD)
Properties in Stoke on Trent,
Lancashire and Greenwich.
12.15 Bargain Hunt (AD,R,HD) Two teams
compete in Edinburgh.
1.00 BBC News at One; Weather (HD)
1.30 BBC Regional News; Weather
1.45 Doctors (AD,HD) Karen and Adam
visit his mother in hospital before
her operation, Tyler is frustrated
by an unwanted guest, and Ayesha
deals with a possible alcoholic.
2.15 Father Brown (AD,R,HD) The opening
of Pryde Castle ends in disaster when
a guide is struck by an arrow.
3.00 Think Tank (HD) Quiz show.
3.45 Escape to the Country (AD,R,HD)
Nicki Chapman helps a couple with
exacting requirements to find a
home in the Cotswolds area of
Gloucestershire, and also meets
up with three Olympic heroes.
4.30 Flog It! (R,HD) Christina Trevanion and
Mark Stacey are at the Oxford Union.
5.15 Pointless (R,HD) Quiz show.
6.00 BBC News at Six; Weather (HD)
6.30 BBC Regional News; Weather
7
7.00 The One Show (HD) Topical
stories from around the UK.
7.30 EastEnders (AD,HD) Disaster
strikes for Billy and Honey when
burglars steal their wedding fund
and Janet’s Christmas present.
PM (Followed by BBC News)
8
8.00 Who Do You Think You Are?
PICK (AD,HD) Chart star Cheryl learns
about a seafaring ancestor and her
long-forgotten great-grandfather.
See Pick of the Day.
PM
9
9.00 The Apprentice (HD) The final
PICK five face the interview round.
See Critics’ Choice.
PM
10
10.00 BBC News at Ten (HD)
10.30 BBC Regional News
(Followed by Weather)
10.45 Sports Personality 2016: The
PICK Contenders (HD) A look at the
nominees for this year’s award.
PM See Critics’ Choice.
11
11.45 This Week (HD) Andrew Neil
introduces a round-table chat,
in which he, Michael Portillo and
other guests take a light-hearted
look at the latest political and
parliamentary developments.
PM
12
12.30 Weather for the Week Ahead (HD)
12.35 BBC News (HD)
mnt
(R) Repeat. (HD) High Definition. (AD) Audio Description. (b/w) Not in colour. (BSL) British Sign Language.
PICK OF THE DAY
Who Do You Think You Are?, 8pm, BBC1
From Tweedy to Cole to
Fernandez-Versini and now
just plain old Cheryl (pictured),
it takes a certain level of
fame to be confident that
dropping your surname
won’t leave people
scratching their
heads trying to
figure out who you
are. In this episode,
Cheryl — as she now
prefers to be known
Brides & Grooms
Extraordinary
Weddings, 9pm, ITV
Two more couples prepare
to tie the knot after
overcoming considerable
odds. Will suffers from
short-term memory loss,
B B C2
6.40 Bargain Hunt (AD,R,HD)
7.25 Flog It! (R,HD) From Wrest Park.
8.00 Great Continental Railway
Journeys (AD,BSL,R)
9.00 Victoria Derbyshire (HD)
11.00 BBC Newsroom Live (HD)
12.00 Daily Politics (HD)
1.00 Cash in the Attic (R) Lorne Spicer
and Paul Hayes help Nikki Lappin and
her mother to search through family
heirlooms in Warwickshire, in the
hope of raising money for a holiday.
1.30 Just Good Friends (R) Vince goes
to court for his divorce hearing.
2.00 Just Good Friends (R) Vince and
Penny’s big day arrives. Last in series.
2.30 Walrus: Two Tonne Tusker —
Natural World (AD,R,HD) The
breeding habits of walruses.
3.30 Natural World: Zambezi (R,HD)
The wildlife of Africa’s wildest river.
4.30 A Place to Call Home (R,HD)
George is asked to host a Japanese
trade delegation on the eve of
Remembrance Day, and invites Jack
along to help to deal with any ill feeling.
5.15 Put Your Money Where Your Dickinson and the team value antiques
Mouth Is (R,HD) James Braxton and
Catherine Southon search for valuable
items at a West Sussex antiques fair.
6.00 Eggheads (HD) Quiz show, hosted
by Jeremy Vine.
6.30 Strictly Come Dancing — It Takes
Two (HD) Zoe Ball is joined by the
finalists’ friends and family.
7.00 Celebrity Antiques Road Trip
(R,HD) John Simpson finds
war-related items, while Martha
Kearney scours the New Forest
for auction-worthy objects.
8.00 MasterChef: The Professionals
(HD) The last semi-final sees the
remaining hopefuls working a busy
lunchtime service at Gravetye
Manor restaurant in West Sussex,
and recreating head chef George
Blogg’s signature dish.
9.00 Close to the Enemy (AD,HD)
Victor tries to expose the activities
of Callum’s team, but those around
him choose not to pay attention.
Dieter tells Callum the truth
about his past in Germany.
10.00 The Apprentice: You’re Fired (HD)
Rhod Gilbert talks to the candidates
who have been let go after coming
up short in the interviews.
10.30 Newsnight (HD) Presented by
Evan Davis. (Followed by Weather)
11.15 The Big Life Fix with Simon Reeve
(AD,R,HD) The inventors try to give
a voice to a paralysed man from
Peterborough who can no longer
speak, and help a teenage boy to
ride a BMX bicycle for the first time.
12.15 The Changing Face of Terror —
Panorama (BSL,R) 12.45 Black Is the
New Black (AD,BSL,R) 1.15 Imagine —
Serial Killers — The Women Who
Write Crime Fiction (BSL,R,HD)
2.15 This Is BBC2 (HD) 5.45 Operation
People Power with Dave Myers (R,HD)
— embarks on a journey of
discovery into her heritage,
tracing her roots in the
North-East to explore her
identity as a true Geordie.
En route, she uncovers a
family tragedy, a seafaring
ancestor and a long-
forgotten great-
grandfather
who fought
on the
Western Front.
but his fiancee, Amy (pictured
with Will), is determined that
their big day will be one to
remember. Meanwhile, Karen —
who lost the use of her voice
following a stroke — is working
tirelessly to make sure she
can say her vows to Ian.
IT V
6.00 Good Morning Britain (HD) The Night
Of star Riz Ahmed chats about his role
in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
8.30 Lorraine (HD) Will Smith and Naomie
Harris chat to Dan Wootton about
their new film, Collateral Beauty.
9.25 The Jeremy Kyle Show (HD) The host
invites guests to air their differences
over family and relationship issues,
and provides them with his own
brand of no-nonsense advice.
10.30 This Morning (HD) Phillip Schofield
and Holly Willoughby present
celebrity chat and lifestyle features.
12.30 Loose Women (HD) The ladies put the
world to rights once more, discussing
everything from politics to parenting,
and invite a celebrity guest to chat
about what they are up to — or
anything else that takes their fancy.
1.30 News; Weather
1.55 Regional News; Weather
2.00 Judge Rinder (HD) Cameras follow
barrister Robert Rinder as he takes on
real-life cases in a studio courtroom.
3.00 Dickinson’s Real Deal (R) David
in Leominster, Herefordshire. David
Tupman has his eyes on a dagger, and
Simon Schneider bids on some
condiment pots; Regional Weather
4.00 Tipping Point (R,HD) Game show.
5.00 The Chase (HD) Quiz show.
6.00 Regional News; Weather
6.30 News; Weather
7.00 Emmerdale (AD,HD) Aaron breaks
into Home Farm, intending to steal
the money from the safe.
7.30 The Secrets of Your Christmas
Dinner — Tonight (HD) Fiona Foster
looks at the impact of the annual
feast on people’s health and wealth.
8.00 Emmerdale (AD,HD) Aaron tells
Liv that he plans to buy Mill Farm.
8.30 Coronation Street (AD,HD)
Kevin lashes out at Phelan, and
Steve struggles to hide Michelle’s
Christmas present.
9.00 Extraordinary Weddings (AD,HD)
PICK A Scunthorpe woman who
suffered a stroke that affected her
speech prepares to tie the knot.
See Critics’ Choice.
10.00 News (Followed by Weather)
10.30 Regional News
(Followed by Weather)
10.40 The Jonathan Ross Show (R,HD)
With Paul Hollywood, Miranda Hart,
Keira Knightley, Kylie Minogue and
David Walliams. Last in series.
11.45 The Jeremy Kyle Show USA (R)
The host takes his successful talk
show stateside, where he invites
American guests to air their
differences, and dispenses his
own judgment on the situation.
12.30 Jackpot247 3.00 The Secrets of Your
Christmas Dinner — Tonight (R,HD)
Fiona Foster looks at the impact of
the annual feast on people’s health
and wealth. 3.25 ITV Nightscreen (HD)
5.05 The Jeremy Kyle Show (BSL,R,HD)
■ Family viewing ● Generally suitable for all
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016
In The RUnning
Sports Personality 2016: The
Contenders, 10.45pm, BBC1
He’s won it twice — in 2013 and 2015 — but
could Andy Murray be on course to score a
hat trick at this year’s ceremony, taking
place on Sunday? Our Olympic heroes will
surely run him close. Here, Gabby Logan
CH A N N E L 4
6.00 Countdown (R,HD)
6.45 The King of Queens (R)
7.10 The King of Queens (R)
7.35 The King of Queens (R)
8.00 Everybody Loves Raymond (R)
8.30 Everybody Loves Raymond (R)
9.00 Frasier (AD,R)
9.30 Frasier (AD,R)
10.00 Jamie’s Cracking Christmas (R,HD)
11.00 Kirstie’s Homemade Christmas
(AD,R,HD) Preparing a Christmas party.
12.00 Channel 4 News Summary (HD)
12.05 Jamie’s Comfort Food Bites (HD)
12.10 Jamie’s Cracking Christmas (HD)
12.25 The Dog Who Saved Christmas
FILM Vacation (2012) (U) ● (HD) Premiere.
Crime-busting dog Zeus teams up
with a pampered poodle to foil a
pair of jewel thieves during their
owners’ Christmas getaway. Comedy
sequel, starring Gary Valentine.
2.10 Countdown (HD) With guest Tim Rice.
3.00 Coast vs Country (HD)
4.00 Deal or No Deal on Tour (AD,HD)
5.00 Four in a Bed (R,HD) The final visit of
the week is to the New Inn, Talgarth,
run by ex-naval officer Damon Lewis.
5.30 Come Dine with Me (HD) Paul turns
his West Midlands home into a pub.
6.00 The Simpsons (AD,R,HD) The
townsfolk discover that Ned and
Edna have secretly tied the knot.
6.30 Hollyoaks (AD,HD) Ellie gets drunk
and starts a party in The Dog, but
events get out of hand.
7.00 Channel 4 News (HD)
7.55 The Political Slot (HD) Mhairi
Black of the Scottish National Party
explains the SNP’s view on how
the rise in the state pension age
will affect women.
8.00 The Secret Life of the Zoo (HD)
PICK The dominant female meerkat is
being attacked by her own daughter.
See Critics’ Choice.
9.00 Grand Designs: House of the Year
(AD,HD) Kevin McCloud visits four
homes that demonstrate a creative
response to a tricky site, before
announcing the winner of the Royal
Institute of British Architects House
of the Year 2016. Last in series.
10.00 60 Days in Jail (HD) As the
participants approach the midway
point, Jeff pursues a friendship
with a duplicitous inmate and
ends up in a dangerous situation.
10.55 24 Hours in A&E (AD,R,HD)
A 61-year-old woman is airlifted
to hospital after a car mounted
the pavement and ran her over,
and 91-year-old Sam arrives after
suffering a suspected stroke.
12.00 Random Acts (HD) 12.30 999: What’s
FILM Your Emergency? (R,HD) 1.25 FILM:
Mumbai Meri Jaan (2008) (15) ◆ (HD)
Premiere. Drama, starring Paresh
Rawal and Kay Kay Menon. 3.50
Kirstie’s Vintage Gems (R,HD) 4.10
Kirstie and Phil’s Love It or List It
(R,HD) 5.10 Deal or No Deal (AD,R,HD)
◆ Caution recommended
 Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016
introduces the contenders and looks back
at the events that put them on the list.
Film Choices
A Husband For Christmas, 1.25pm, Ch5
Mergers and acquisitions extend to
love and romance in this potty workplace
romcom. Entering into a marriage of
convenience at the behest of a boss,
two graphic designers — working at
companies set to merge — find that
they could be a match made in heaven.
Christmas Hero,
3.15pm, Ch5
Can the course
of true love
run smooth
at Christmas?
That’s the
burning question
in this romantic
drama, starring
Anna Hutchison (pictured with Marcus
Rosner) as the firefighter tackling a
blazing row between her new love
and his ex — over a custody battle.
CH ANNEL 5 Preston and her young friends can’t
6.00 Milkshake! The WotWots (R) 6.10 Lily’s
Driftwood Bay (R,HD) 6.20 Fireman Sam
(R,HD) 6.30 Peppa Pig (R) 6.35 Peppa Pig (R)
6.40 Bob the Builder (R,HD) 6.50 Little
Princess (R) 7.05 Pip Ahoy! (R,HD) 7.20
Thomas & Friends (R) 7.35 Noddy: Toyland
Detective (R,HD) 7.50 Ben and Holly’s Little
Kingdom (R,HD) 8.00 Wissper (R,HD) 8.15
Peppa Pig (R) 8.25 Peppa Pig (R) 8.35 Paw
Patrol (R,HD) 8.50 Toot the Tiny Tugboat
(R,HD) 9.00 Toby’s Travelling Circus (R,HD)
9.15 The Wright Stuff (HD)
11.40 5 News Lunchtime (HD)
11.45 Guess Who’s Coming to Christmas
FILM (2013) (PG) ● (HD) A rock star tries to
improve his reputation by agreeing
to a request to spend Christmas with
a fan. Comedy, with Drew Lachey.
1.25 A Husband for Christmas (2016) (12)
FILM ● (HD) Premiere. Sparks fly between
CHOICE two colleagues when they agree to a
marriage of convenience. Comedy,
with Ricco Ross and Mackenzie Porter.
See Critics’ Choice.
3.15 Christmas Hero (2016) (PG) ● (HD)
FILM Premiere. A female firefighter falls
CHOICE for a divorced man, but ends up
contending with his ex-wife’s threats.
Drama, starring Anna Hutchison.
See Critics’ Choice.
5.00 5 News (HD)
5.30 Police Interceptors: Under Attack
(R,HD) Assaults on members of the unit.
6.30 2016: A Right Royal Year Headline
stories featuring the royal family.
7.00 Ultimate Strongman Team World
Championship 2016 (HD) Highlights
from Stoke-on-Trent, as eight two-
man teams competed for the title
won by Hafthor Bjornsson and
Matjaz Belsak last year. Last in series.
(Followed by 5 News Update)
8.00 Xmas Excess: Parents Splash the
Cash (HD) Documentary meeting
the mums and dads who believe
Christmas is a time for giving —
especially when it comes to their
kids. (Followed by 5 News Update)
9.00 Benefits by the Sea: Jaywick (HD)
A visit to the Jaywick estate in
Essex, England’s most deprived
village, to find out whether the
residents are full of festive cheer.
10.00 The Nightmare Neighbour Next
Door (AD,HD) An Egyptian family
who suffered racial abuse from
their neighbour, and a man whose
neighbour complained about his
loud music — despite the fact that
he never played any music.
11.05 Crackers About Christmas (R,HD)
Eccentric people who are always in
the festive holiday spirit, including
people who are addicted to
Christmas trees and pantomimes.
12.05 SuperCasino 3.10 Person of Interest
(AD,R,HD) The team receive the
number of a former Olympic gymnast
and antiquities thief. 4.00 Person
of Interest (AD,R,HD) 4.45 Divine
Designs (BSL,R) 5.10 House Doctor
(BSL,R) 5.35 House Doctor (BSL,R)
▲ Particularly liable to offend
TELEVISION 57
Doctor Who’s got nothing to fear
from this naff American imposter
Q
uick, follow that
time machine! Shovel Christopher sheer familiarity of its material.
The dramatic reconstructions,
based faithfully on contemporary
some more cods -
­w allop on the bilge Stevens reports, sometimes drag, and
when they cut away to the
burners and turn the
last night’s TV
­modern day, the effect is jarring.
One minute, we’re listening to
McGuffin-meter up to max the verbatim conversation of
— don’t let them get away.
Timeless (E4) is what you’d get in Timeless HIIII Six Wives With Lucy Worsley HHIII Anne and Henry, the next we’re
watching a Thames ferry chug
a parallel universe where Americans past the Tower of London.
invented Doctor Who. Instead of
Catherine of Aragon to pack her three — Dr Lucy becomes the last Odder still are the scenes where
quirky idiosyncrasies, it delivers suitcases, even rocking Princess wife of Good King Hal. Dr Lucy rides around the country
flat-footed characters hitting each
Elizabeth’s cradle. Her passion for dressing up will in the back of a VW camper van.
other over the head with lumps of She’s living dangerously, and go into overdrive when she’s the It’s not that she has a portrait of
dialogue, and instead of papier not just because spies were star of her own royal wedding. Catherine of Aragon on the back
mache monsters it has big-screen hanged, drawn and quartered in Don’t tell me that, in her day job seat: haven’t we all done that?
special effects that don’t look a jot the 16th century. Henry wasn’t as chief curator of the Royal The really weird thing is that Dr
more realistic. above dallying with the servants: ­Palaces, she hasn’t occasionally Lucy doesn’t seem to know how
The premise is that a bad guy has in fact, his third wife, Jane daydreamed about it. to wear a seatbelt. She wraps it
stolen a time machine, and if Lucy
­S eymour, had been a lady-in-
waiting to his previous two.
Her moments in costume are
the best bit about this series,
around her body like toilet tissue
round the Andrex puppy. That
thwart his wicked scheme, it’s the Perhaps that’s the twist in part which is weighed down by the doesn’t look safe.
end of the American Way Of Life.
I’m betting that the bad guy isn’t
really evil. He’ll turn out to be the
father of the heroine, the dad she
never knew because (prepare to shed
a tear) he died when she was little.
Instead, the real villain will be the
time machine’s billionaire inventor,
played by Paterson Joseph. We
know he’s a wrong ’un because he
has an English accent — so English
that he sounds like the Queen
Mother doing a Noel Coward
impression at a garden party.
For my money, the true culprits
are the writers, who thought it was
a clever idea to create a sci-fi serial
with an educational theme. Intrepid
time traveller Lucy (Abigail
­Spencer) is a history teacher: that’s
­convenient, since it’s her job to keep
up a running commentary on dates
and crucial facts.
Episode one was all about the
Expression of the night:
‘What’s up wi’ you? You’ve got a
face on you like a crow,’
growled killer Peter Manuel
(Martin Compston) to a glum
mate on In Plain Sight (ITV).
That’s so much more menacing
than swear words. This show
continues to impress with its
finely observed detail.
Hindenburg disaster of 1937, and we
learned why the airship exploded,
how many were killed, and what
simple safety measures could have
averted the catastrophe. It wasn’t
so much a plot, more an O-level
­history essay.
Next week it’s the assassination of
Abe Lincoln in 1865. Then we’re off
to 1962 and the Cold War. This is ­
sci-fi that dispenses with the need
for imagination by opening The
Boys And Girls’ Big Book Of Ameri-
can History at random each week.
Lucy is strong-armed into joining
the adventures because, as a
­g overnment agent warns her, the
past itself is in peril: ‘I think
someone who loves history would
want to save it.’ Whack! When
­dialogue as wooden as that hits you,
it makes your ears ring.
Another bold, time-travelling Lucy
is our guide to the menacing Tudor
world in Six Wives With Lucy Worsley
(BBC1). Dr Lucy dons a cotton
­b onnet and tiptoes round royal
­p alaces, ­ pretending to be a maid
but eavesdropping at keyholes.
She gets everywhere — serving
Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn with
figs from a pewter platter while they
argue about whether he’s allowed to
have mistresses, helping Queen
WELSH TV VARIATIONS
BBC1: 1.30pm BBC Wales Today; Weather. 6.30 BBC
Wales Today; Weather. 10.40 Do I Drink Too Much?
11.10 Sports Personality 2016: The Contenders.
12.10am This Week. 1.00 BBC News.
S4C: 7.00am Cyw. 1.00pm Newyddion S4C a’r
Tywydd. 1.05 Heno. 1.30 Cefn Gwlad. 2.00 Prynhawn
Da. 2.55 Newyddion S4C a’r Tywydd. 3.00 Y Gem
Gudd: Llanelli v USSR. 4.00 Awr Fawr. 5.00 Stwnsh.
6.00 Pobol y Cwm. Tyler and Gwyneth arrange a
surprise night away. 6.25 Newyddion S4C a’r
Tywydd. 6.30 Babi Del: Ward Geni. Cameras follow a
busy Anglesey couple in the days before their baby
is born. 7.00 Heno. 7.30 Rownd a Rownd. Wyn gets
bad news from his prospective buyers. 8.00 Pobol y
Cwm. Gwyneth tries to ask Sion a big question. 8.25
Jude Cissé: Y Wag ar Wyliau. Jude and her friends
visit Chester Races. 9.00 Newyddion 9 a’r Tywydd.
9.30 Lowri Morgan: Her 333. Lowri continues on
toward the Brecon Beacons. 10.00 Hacio. 10.30
Priodas Pum Mil. A couple from Newport entrusts
their wedding to family and friends.
58 sATELLITE, cABLE & dIGITAL Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016

Time BBC 4 E4 ITV2

Coming-of-age tale
Satellite
hopping Legends, one of whom —
The Great Gilly Hopkins, Heat Wave — has struck up an
2.20pm, Sky Premiere entertaining banter with Supergirl. 9 28 6

choice
World News Today Hollyoaks OB makes it You’ve Been Framed!
Spirited Gilly (Sophie Nelisse)
refuses to settle into her new Pay-per-view movie 7.00pm The day’s leading his mission to find out Gold Comical clips,
David Brent: Life On The Road, stories; Weather more about Eva narrated by Harry Hill
foster home in this unsentimental
comedy drama, bolstered by BT TV/Sky Store/Virgin Movies
Glenn Close and Kathy Bates. Darts Ricky Gervais’s Brent, now a The Sky at Night The Carjackers Sara gets You’ve Been Framed
World Darts Championship, biggest space science her own back on at Christmas! Comical
Fact-Based Film 7pm, Sky Sports Mix & Darts
travelling sales rep, spends his
pension on a band tour for a comic 7.30pm stories of 2016 fiancé Dan by giving his clips. Followed by: DEC
Alexandra Palace is the revival that offers more laughs car a makeover Yemen Crisis Appeal
Frost/Nixon,
4.10pm, Sky Greats venue for this raucous event, now than many TV-to-film transfers. Natural World: The Big Bang Theory Two and a Half Men
a firm festive favourite. Scotland’s The Last Grizzly of Sheldon is jealous Alan throws himself
Adaptation of Peter Morgan’s
play dramatising a meeting of
Gary Anderson starts his bid for Series Finale 8.00pm Paradise Valley when a colleague into planning
a third straight title tonight. The Young Pope, Jeff Turner searches receives a grant Evelyn’s wedding
two titans. Michael Sheen is a
tenacious David Frost, while 9pm, Sky Atlantic for grizzly bears in
Frank Langella Watery WOnderland Sky’s complex series has never Canada’s Cascade The Big Bang Theory Two and a Half Men
Sheldon remembers A CSI team investigate
is menacing River In The
Sky, 8pm,
sold itself short for the sake of
crowd-pleasing dramatic
8.30pm Mountains
the days before he a mysterious death at
as disgraced met Leonard Charlie’s house
U.S. President Nat Geo Wild fireworks, and this understated
Richard Nixon. When the finale is perfectly in keeping with Vienna: Empire, Ted (2012,15) A Through the
Amazon river that. As the Pope calmly deals with Dynasty and Dream lonely boy makes a Christmas Keyhole
XMAS Special is swollen by both friend and foe, one question 9.00pm Simon Sebag wish at Christmas Keith Lemon noses
Blue Peter: rainfall, parts hangs over it all: Will he ever Montefiore examines that his teddy bear around the homes of
of the rainforest allow himself to be seen in public? the transformation of will come to life, mystery celebrities
It’s Christmas!,
5pm, CBBC become Vienna into a great which is magically and challenges the
The cast of Chitty
submerged
for months
Paranormal drama
Harry Price: Ghost Hunter,
9.30pm cultural capital granted. The boy
grows up to
panel to work out
their identities
Chitty Bang Bang at a time, and 10pm, ITV Encore become a slacker,
perform, and viewers arrive in the inhabitants must adapt to with the living toy
the studio for a good old festive A Repeat for this spine-tingling Defusing the Celebrity Juice:
their suddenly watery world still his inseparable
singsong around the tree in this
special new episode. Plus, a deeper
(pictured). This awe-inspiring new mix of fact and fiction, set in
Twenties London. Rafe Spall
10.00pm Troubles: The Project
Children Story The friend — but his
Gogglyboxers Keith
Lemon pays homage
documentary explores how they story of how NYPD girlfriend thinks it is to popular Channel 4
look at the vegetable traditionally do it. (Sky 528, Virgin 264) (pictured with Cara
Theobold) drives bomb disposal expert time for him to show Gogglebox by
rejected by children at Christmas grow up. Comedy,
— the Brussels sprout. the whole thing Denis Mulcahy set up looking back at the
Comic-book action with a mesmerising 10.30pm a scheme to help starring Mark best bits from his own
DC’s Legends Of performance as a real- Northern Irish children Wahlberg panel show
Rugby Union Tomorrow, 8pm, Sky 1 life ghost-hunter, called escape the Troubles
Bath v Cardiff Blues, The final night of a in to investigate by taking them to 11.05 The Big Bang Family Guy Peter tells
7pm, Sky Sports 2 when the America for the
BAth suffered a 28-3 defeat when
four-evening Heroes
v Aliens spectacular wife of an 11.00pm summer holidays
Theory The boys
take up fencing
the story of Christmas
— with a twist
these sides met on Saturday in the that, as a whole, has MP turns
European Rugby Challenge Cup, been more fun than up naked
having rested their England stars many a superhero on the Colour: The 11.35 The Big Bang Family Guy Brian gets
George Ford and Jonathan Joseph.
They’ll be out for revenge at the
blockbuster at the
cinema. This episode
streets. Is
she sick or
11.30pm Spectrum of Science
Last in series (To 12.30)
Theory Leonard and
Sheldon need helium
a job at The New
Yorker (To 12.00)
Recreation Ground tonight. centres on the time- possessed? — and fast (To 12.00)

A-Z SATELLITE LISTINGS

ALIBI
Sky 132 Virgin 126
12noon Rizzoli & Isles. 1.00 Diagnosis
Murder. 2.00 The Closer. 3.00
Murdoch Mysteries. 5.00 Castle. 6.00
Rizzoli & Isles. 7.00 Quantico. 8.00
Death in Paradise. 9.00 Crossing
Lines. 10.00 Death in Paradise. 11.00
Jack Taylor: The Priest.
ANIMAL PLANET
Sky 523 Virgin 256
12noon Flying Wild Alaska. 1.00
Animal Cops Phoenix. 3.00 The Pool
Master. 4.00 Tanked. 5.00 Alaskan
Bush People. 6.00 Flying Wild
Alaska. 7.00 Tanked: Unfiltered.
8.00 Project Grizzly. 9.00 Alaska
Monsters. 10.00 Animal Cops
Phoenix. 11.00 Bondi Vet.
BBC ALBA
Sky 142 Virgin 161
5.00pm Saoghal Bodach na Nollaig.
5.15 Zack and Quack. 5.25 Abadas.
5.35 Pincidh Dincidh Dù. 5.45
Saoghal Bodach na Nollaig. 5.50 Dè
a-nis? 6.20 Sràid nan Sgread. 6.30
Am Prionnsa Beag. 6.55 Eira Family.
7.35 Speaking Our Language. 8.00
An Là. 8.30 Ceann an Righ. 9.00
Scotstar: Teasairginn Eiginneach.
10.00 Feis Chiuil Thiriodh. 10.30
Billie Holiday. 11.25 Binneas — Na
Trads. 11.30 Ar Duain.
BT SPORT 1
Sky 413 Virgin 531
10.30am Football’s Greatest Rivalries.
12.30pm Premier League Review.
1.30 MotoGP Highlights. 3.30 WRC
Review. 4.30 Premier League. 6.30
Serie A Review. 7.00 Live Serie A.
Genoa v Fiorentina. 8.45 Premier
League. 9.00 Test Cricket Highlights.
10.15 Premier League Review. 11.15 BT
Sport Reload. 11.45 Serie A Review.
BT SPORT 2
Sky 414 Virgin 532
12noon Serie A Review. 12.30 Rugby
Tonight. 2.00 Gillette World Sport.
2.30 Premier League Review. 3.30
Test Cricket Highlights. 4.45 BT
Sport Reload. 5.00 NBA Action. 5.30
NBA. 7.30 NBA. 9.30 Premier League
Match Pack. 10.00 Premier League
Reload. 10.15 Ballon d’Or 2016. 10.30
ESPN Films: Catching Hell.
BT SPORT 3
Sky 417 Virgin 533
11.45am WRC Review. 12.45pm Global
Goals. 1.00 Fishing. 2.00 French
League Cup. 3.30 French League
Cup. 5.00 Serie A Review. 5.30 Ligue
1 Show. 6.00 Bundesliga Weekly.
6.30 Jerome Boateng: Defensive
Enforcer. 7.00 Spirit of Yachting. 7.30
Sailing World Cup. 8.30 Gillette
World Sport. 9.00 Ligue 1 Show. 9.30
Bundesliga Weekly. 10.00 Bundesliga
Special. 10.30 Rugby Tonight.
CHRISTMAS GOLD
Sky 110 Virgin 124
11.35am Lovejoy. 12.45pm Christmas
Night with the Two Ronnies. 1.45
Only Fools and Horses. 3.35 Last of
the Summer Wine. 5.20 The Brittas
Empire. 6.00 Lovejoy. 7.00 Only
Fools and Horses. 8.20 Bring Me
Morecambe & Wise. 9.20 Gavin &
Stacey Christmas Special. 10.40
Harry Enfield and His Yule Log
Chums. 11.30 Men Behaving Badly.
COMEDY CENTRAL
Sky 112 Virgin 132
10.00am Friends. 1.00pm Impractical
Jokers. 3.00 Friends. 8.00 FILM: Just
Friends. (2005) (12) Romantic comedy,
starring Ryan Reynolds. 10.00 Most
Ridiculous — Tattoos. 10.30 Bad
Education Christmas Special. 11.05
Chris Ramsey Live: All Growed Up.
DAVE (Daytime)
Freeview 12 Sky 111 Virgin 127
12noon Top Gear. 1.00 Traffic Cops.
2.00 Celebrity Storage Hunters.
3.00 Steve Austin’s Broken Skull
Challenge. 4.00 Top Gear. 6.00
Storage Hunters.
DISCOVERY
Sky 520 Virgin 250
9.00am Mythbusters. 10.00 Fast N’
Loud. 12noon Overhaulin’. 1.00
Street Outlaws. 2.00 Alaskan Bush
People. 3.00 Alaska: The Last
Frontier. 4.00 Gold Rush. 5.00
Mythbusters. 6.00 Wheeler Dealers.
7.00 Fast N’ Loud: Revved Up.
8.00 Gold Rush. 9.00 Legend of Croc
Gold. 10.00 American Tarzan. 11.00
Nasa’s Unexplained Files.
DRAMA (Daytime)
Freeview 20 Sky 158 Virgin 128
9.00am Bergerac. 10.00 Lovejoy.
11.00 The Bill. 1.00pm Last of the
Summer Wine. 1.40 Steptoe and Son.
2.20 Birds of a Feather. 3.00 Down to
Earth. 4.00 Bergerac. 5.00 Lovejoy.
6.00 Steptoe and Son. 6.40 Last of
the Summer Wine.
E4 (Daytime)
Freeview 28 Sky 136 Virgin 144
9.00am Melissa & Joey. 10.00
Young & Hungry. 11.00 Charmed.
1.00pm The Goldbergs. 2.00 The
Big Bang Theory. 3.00 How I Met
Your Mother. 4.00 The Big Bang
Theory. 5.00 The Goldbergs. 6.00
The Big Bang Theory.
EDEN
Sky 532 Virgin 247
12noon How Many People Can Live
on Planet Earth? 1.00 Planet Earth.
2.00 Africa. 3.00 The Hunt. 4.00 The
Blue Planet. 5.00 Life in the
Undergrowth. 6.00 How Many
People Can Live on Planet Earth?
7.00 Planet Earth. 8.00 Africa. 9.00
The Hunt. 10.00 The Blue Planet.
11.00 Life in the Undergrowth.
EUROSPORT 1
Sky 410 Virgin 523
9.00am Freestyle Skiing. 9.30 Live
Alpine Skiing. 11.00 Snooker:
Scottish Open. 11.45 Live Snooker:
Scottish Open. 1.50pm Live Snooker:
Scottish Open. 3.40 Live Snooker:
Scottish Open. 5.30 Snooker: Scottish
Open. 6.45 Live Snooker: Scottish
Open. 8.30 Live Snooker: Scottish
Open. 10.00 Snooker: Scottish Open.
11.30 Eurosport News. 11.35
Dressage: FEI World Cup.
FILM4
Freeview 15 Sky 315 Virgin 428
11.00am Lonely Are the Brave.
(1962) (PG) 1.10pm Edge of
Eternity. (1959) (U) 2.45 The Last
Sunset. (1961) (PG) 4.55 Anastasia.
(1956) (U) 7.00 Down with Love.
(2003) (12) Comedy, starring Ewan
McGregor. 9.00 Red. (2010) (12)
Action thriller, starring Bruce Willis.
11.10 Wanderlust. (2012) (15)
1.05am The Ghost. (2010) (15)
5STAR (Daytime)
Freeview 30 Sky 176 Virgin 151
11.35am Can’t Pay? We’ll Take It
Away. 12.35pm My Wife and Kids.
1.00 Dance Moms. 2.00 Can’t Pay?
We’ll Take It Away. 3.00 Dogs Make
You Laugh Out Loud 2. 4.00 My Wife
and Kids. 5.00 FILM: On Strike for
Christmas. (2010) (PG) Includes
Access. 6.55 Access.
5 USA (Daytime)
Freeview 21 Sky 174 Virgin 153
12noon CSI: Miami. 1.00 NCIS. 2.00
The Mentalist. 3.00 Rookie Blue. 4.00
Law & Order. 6.00 CSI: Miami.
FOOD NETWORK UK
Freeview 41 Sky 248 Virgin 291
6.00pm Cooking Christmas with
Matt and Lisa. 7.00 Jamie at Home.
8.00 12 Chefs of Christmas. 9.00 Man
v Food. 10.00 Restaurant: Impossible.
FOX
Sky 124 Virgin 157
9.00am NCIS. 11.00 Monk. 1.00pm
NCIS. 5.00 The Mentalist. 7.00
NCIS. 9.00 American Dad! 9.30
Family Guy. 10.00 American Dad!
10.30 Family Guy.
HISTORY
Sky 529 Virgin 270
9.00am Swamp People. 10.00
American Pickers. 12noon Storage
Wars. 1.00 Flipping Vegas. 3.00
Mountain Men. 5.00 Duck
Dynasty. 6.00 American Pickers.
7.00 Mountain Men. 8.00
American Pickers. 9.00 Duck
Dynasty. 10.00 Forged in Fire.
11.00 American Pickers.
ITV ENCORE
Sky 123
11.05am Peak Practice. 12.10pm
Agatha Christie’s Poirot. 2.15 Robin
of Sherwood. 3.25 Heartbeat. 4.35
Upstairs, Downstairs. 5.40 The
Casebook of Sherlock Holmes.
6.55 Agatha Christie’s Poirot.
9.00 Unforgotten. 10.00 Harry
Price: Ghost Hunter.
ITV2 (Daytime)
Freeview 6 Sky 118 Virgin 115
9.00am You’ve Been Framed at
Christmas! 9.30 Psych. 10.25
Scorpion. 11.20 Dinner Date. 12.20pm
Emmerdale. 12.50 Coronation Street.
1.20 You’ve Been Framed! With Bells
On. 1.50 The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
2.45 Jeremy Kyle. 6.00 You’ve Been
Framed! Harry’s Favourites.
ITV3 (Daytime)
Freeview 10 Sky 119 Virgin 117
8.35am Wild at Heart. 9.40 Judge
Judy. 11.00 Murder, She Wrote.
12noon Wycliffe: Old Habits. 1.05
Heartbeat. 2.10 Wild at Heart. 3.10
An Avonlea Christmas. 4.15 Doctor
in the House. 4.50 You’re Only Young
Twice. 5.20 George and Mildred. 5.55
By Royal Appointment.
Radio 4
FM: 92.4-94.6MHz; LW: 198kHz
5.30 News Briefing. 5.43
Prayer for the Day.
5.45 Farming Today.
5.58 Tweet of the Day.
6.00 Today. 8.31 (LW)
Yesterday in
Parliament.
9.00 In Our Time. The
cause and impact
of the gin craze in
the 18th century.
9.45 (LW) Daily Service.
9.45 (FM) Book of the
Week: This Long
Pursuit. By
Richard Holmes.
10.00 Woman’s Hour.
Including at 10.45
the 15 Minute Drama:
Writing the Century:
The Hanleys.
11.00 Crossing Continents.
Jill McGivering
reports on Hindu
extremism in India.
11.30 The Art of Australia.
12.00 News; (LW) Shipping
Forecast.
ITV4 (Daytime)
Freeview 24 Sky 120 Virgin 118
8.45am Ironside. 9.50 The
Professionals. 10.50 The Chase. 11.55
Cash Cowboys. 12.55pm Pawn Stars.
1.50 Counting Cars. 2.50 Quincy ME.
3.50 Ironside. 5.00 Counting Cars.
6.00 Cash Cowboys.
ITVBE
Freeview 26 Sky 179 Virgin 119
9.00am Dallas Cowboys
Cheerleaders. 10.00 The Real
Housewives of Orange County. 11.00
Don’t Be Tardy. 12noon Cake Wars.
1.00 Dinner Date. 2.00 The Millionaire
Matchmaker. 3.00 The Real
Housewives of New York City. 4.00
The Real Housewives of Beverly
Hills. 6.00 Dinner Date. 7.00 Cake
Wars. 8.00 Dinner Date. 9.00
Vanderpump Rules. 10.00 Ladies of
London. 11.00 The Millionaire
Matchmaker. 12midnight The
Jeremy Kyle Show USA.
LIFETIME
Sky 156 Virgin 208
9.00am Judge Judy. 11.00 Pawn
Stars. 12noon Property Brothers.
1.00 Flipping Boston. 2.00 Judge
radio choice
n A father suffers from
dementia. He gets confused
about his surroundings, has
only a vague grip on his
past, and doesn’t recognise
his nearest and dearest. His
daughter does what she can,
but she misses the father
who has been taken from
her by this cruel condition.
She starts to imagine, in
Jonathan Myerson’s comedy
drama How Did I Get
Here? (Radio 4, 2.15pm),
that he is his old self — but
12.04 Home Front.
12.15 You and Yours.
12.57 Weather.
1.00 The World at One.
1.45 Everything You
Think About Sport
Is Wrong.
2.00 The Archers.
2.15 PICK How Did
I Get Here? By
Jonathan Myerson.
3.00 Open Country. A visit
to the Lake District.
Judy. 3.00 The Real Housewives of
Beverly Hills. 4.00 Dance Moms.
5.00 Little Women: LA. 6.00
Storage Wars. 7.00 Judge Judy.
9.00 Australia’s Next Top Model.
10.00 Dance Moms. 11.00
Vanderpump Rules.
MORE4 (Daytime)
Freeview 14 Sky 138 Virgin 147
8.55am Selling Houses with Amanda
Lamb. 10.00 Grand Designs. 11.05
FILM: The War Wagon. (1967) (U)
1.10pm Time Team. 2.10 Come Dine
with Me. 4.50 George Clarke’s
Amazing Spaces. 5.55 Car SOS.
6.55 The Supervet.
MOVIE MIX
Freeview 32 Virgin 425
9.00am FILM: Elf-Man. (2012) (U)
10.50 FILM: Santa’s Summer House.
(2012) (12) 12.45pm FILM: A Miracle
on Christmas Lake. (2016) (PG)
3.05 FILM: A Christmas Snow. (2010)
(PG) 5.20 FILM: The Christmas
Wife. (1988) (PG) 6.55 Sony Movie
News Extra. 7.05 FILM: Voices.
(2008) (PG) 9.00 FILM: Switchback.
(1997) (15) 11.30 FILM: The Machine.
(2014) (15) 1.20am FILM: Ghosts of
are her memories of her
father a work of fiction?
n Aditi Mittal (pictured)
is one of India’s first female
stand-up comedians. She
sometimes performs in a
sari; other times, she’s in
Western dress. She talks
about big subjects and
doesn’t shy away from
controversy. For the first
of her two-part series A
Beginner’s Guide To
India (Radio 4, 6.30pm),
Aditi looks at some of India’s
3.27 Radio 4 Appeal.
3.30 Open Book.
4.00 The Film Programme.
4.30 BBC Inside Science.
5.00 PM; (LW) Shipping
Forecast.
5.57 Weather.
6.00 Six O’Clock News.
6.30 PICK A Beginner’s
Guide to India.
7.00 The Archers.
David is not in the
Christmas spirit.
 Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016
fREEVIEW pRIMETIME pLANNER 59
ITV 3 ITV 4 MORE 4 pick QUEST Dave DRAMA 5star 5 USA
10 24 14 11 37 12 20 30 21
Murder, She Wrote Pawn Stars An 6.55 The Supervet Stargate SG-1 Mitchell The Route Masters Steve Austin’s 7.20 As Time Goes By Dance Moms NCIS Ducky is attacked
Jessica jets off to original Banksy turns The owner of a Devon poses as elusive The pressures facing Broken Skull Jean decides to go Abby invites Jade to by a knife-wielding
attend a literary up in the shop rex cat faces a decision criminal Kefflin to the drivers and Challenge The online, but Lionel is join the Elite Team woman who accuses
conference in infiltrate the Lucian controllers who wrestler challenges not so sure it is a good for the week during him of war crimes,
Moscow, where Alliance and escape keep the buses eight contestants to idea. Comedy about competition time alleging he tortured
she is suspected Pawn Stars Chumlee 7.55 Grand Designs with prisoners Carter, running in the city triumph over a series late-blossoming love, and killed her brother
of espionage spots a toy James Kevin McCloud follows Vala and Daniel of gruelling physical with Judi Dench and in Afghanistan in the
Bond Aston Martin the progress of endurance tests Geoffrey Palmer early 1980s
from the Sixties teacher Michele
Long and architect
Agatha Christie’s Steve McQueen: Michael Howe, who Haven Part two of Salvage Hunters QI XL Stephen Fry Death in Paradise Secret Life of NCIS The agents
Marple The Mirror Motorcycle Movie want to restore two. Back from Drew Pritchard travels hosts an extended Richard and his team Puppies: Terrible investigate the
Crack’d from Side to Star The first of a two- and transform a 100- Colorado, Audrey and to Woodlands Castle in edition, with Sue investigate when the Twos Part one of two. private life of a Navy
Side: Actress Marina part documentary year-old blacksmiths Duke race against time Somerset, where he Perkins, Ross Noble, host of a charity The return of the captain whose actions
Gregg and her in which Henry Cole in Co Antrim to save Nathan’s life, finds vintage toys. Professor Brian Cox fundraiser is shot documentary may have led to his
director husband take goes on a road trip but the woman with He also visits a and Alan Davies dead. Guest starring following the early murder, while McGee
up residence at to California the resurrection curse reclamation yard in Sean Pertwee, Lucy stages of dogs’ lives finds a love interest
Gossington Hall in the is nowhere to be found Lincolnshire Davis and Julie Graham on the internet
village of St Mary
Mead and hold a The Living The Supervet at Fred Dinenage: Moon Machines QI XL Stephen Fry New Tricks The team Divergent The Mysteries of
reception to meet Daylights (1987,PG) Christmas Festive Murder Casebook How computer hosts an extended is asked to (2014,12) A Laura: Love and
their new neighbours. James Bond crosses edition of the The author behind scientists coped with edition of the quiz, reinvestigate the 1975 teenager grows Murder As tragedy
The celebrations turn the continents to documentary. the Kray twins’ the challenge of with Sandi Toksvig, death of a union up in a strictly strikes the 2nd
to tragedy, however, help a KGB agent to A sleigh-pulling Alaskan autobiography navigating a round trip Clive Anderson, leader, whose body ordered future precinct, the race is
after a fan drinks a defect to the West. malamute needs recounts the time he to the moon using Henning Wehn and was found in the society where on to find the sniper,
poisoned cocktail While protecting both knees replacing spent with them dated technology Alan Davies Thames. Frances people’s lives are while Jake makes a
meant for the new him from an with implants Barber guest stars decided according life-changing decision
lady of the manor assassin, the super- to personality
Mrs Biggs Charmian spy is drawn into 999: What’s Your Fred and Rose: Philly Throttle Have I Got a Bit More New Tricks Standing types. She discovers Law & Order: Special
and Ronnie’s fresh the world of arms Emergency? The Unanswered Vintage bike builder News for You links the death of a she does not fit into Victims Unit A
start in Melbourne is dealing and a plot to Officers in Crewe Questions This Sky Adam and his motley Damian Lewis hosts bookmaker’s father any of the existing psychiatrist uses his
thrown into jeopardy trade millions of help a man who News special asks crew of mechanics an extended version, with the kidnapping of categories, and expertise in a bid to
when he is reunited pounds’ worth of claims that someone how many more girls restore and repair a with Roisin Conaty a champion must fight against a escape punishment for
with some old friends diamonds for else has moved into Fred and Rose West 1967 Norton Atlas at and Andy Hamilton greyhound. Detective conspiracy to wipe avenging his young
weapons to supply his flat while he might have killed Liberty Vintage Cycles joining Ian Hislop and drama, starring out all those like her. son’s death at the
mercenaries was on holiday. in Philadelphia Paul Merton Dennis Waterman Sci-fi adventure hands of another child
around the world. based on the book
Mr Selfridge Action adventure, 11.05 Britain’s Christmas Crime UK Destroyed in Dave Gorman: 11.20 Birds of a series by Veronica Law & Order:
Antarctic explorer with Timothy Dalton Benefit Tenants One Police tackle a fight in Seconds A helicopter Modern Life Is Feather Sharon and Roth, starring Special Victims Unit
Ernest Shackleton and Maryam d’Abo. Manchester agent is Leicester slices through the Goodish The Tracey prepare for Shailene Woodley. A cult leader is
gives a lecture in the Includes FYI Daily caught between a deck of a destroyer comedian unveils a royal neighbours. Includes Access identified as the
store and Victor steels struggling single way to reduce the Comedy, starring seducer of a 12-year-
himself to tell Lady 11.45 Universal mother and an Christmas Crime UK Destroyed in time it takes to listen Pauline Quirke, Linda 11.50 Aftermath old girl suffering from
Mae what he thinks of Soldier: Day of impatient landlord Women start fighting Seconds Tanks to a song. Last in Robson and Lesley Josh’s health pregnancy-related
her (To 12.00) Reckoning (To 12.10) in a Barnsley pub containing crude oil series (To 12.00) Joseph (To 12.00) deteriorates (To 12.50) complaints (To 12.00)
(2012,18) (To 2.00) (To 12.00) explode (To 12.00)

Mars. (2001) (15) 3.15 FILM: The
Numbers Station. (2013) (15)
Nat’l Geographic
Sky 526 Virgin 266
9.00am WWII’s Greatest Raids.
10.00 Alaska’s Toughest Pilots. 11.00
Car SOS. 12noon Ultimate Airport
Dubai. 1.00 Drain the Bermuda
Triangle. 2.00 Mine Kings. 3.00
Seconds from Disaster. 4.00 Air
Crash Investigation. 5.00 Strippers:
Cars for Cash. 6.00 Ice Road Rescue.
7.00 Air Crash Investigation. 8.00
Nazi Trophy Mystery. 9.00 Nazi
Weird War Two. 10.00 90s Greatest.
11.00 Air Crash Investigation.
PBS AMERICA
Sky 534 Virgin 276
11.05am Cheating Vegas. 12.05pm
Spitfire: The Birth of a Legend. 1.10
Ice Pilots. 2.15 The Roman Empire in
the First Century. 3.30 Cheating
Vegas. 4.30 Spitfire: The Birth of a
Legend. 5.30 Ice Pilots. 6.35 The
Roman Empire in the First Century.
7.50 B-29: Frozen in Time. 9.00
Netanyahu at War. 11.25 B-29:
Frozen in Time.
most successful women and
at the gap between the way
India talks about women
and the way it treats them.
n The Parliament Choir
have included something
7.15 Front Row. Arts news.
7.45 Writing the Century:
The Hanleys.
8.00 The Briefing Room.
The implications of
the conflict in Yemen.
8.30 In Business. The
future of farming in
a post-Brexit world.
9.00 BBC Inside Science.
With Adam Rutherford.
9.30 In Our Time. See 9am.
10.00 The World Tonight.
PICK (Daytime)
Freeview 11 Sky 152 Virgin 123
12noon Police Force: Australia.
1.00 The Curse of King Tut’s Tomb.
2.00 Without a Trace. 3.00
Nothing to Declare. 4.00 Animal
House. 5.00 Monkey Life. 6.00 A
Town Called Eureka.
QUEST (Daytime)
Freeview 37 Sky 144 Virgin 172
9.00am How It’s Made. 10.00 How
Sports Are Made. 10.15 Auto Trader.
10.45 Snooker: Scottish Open. 11.45
Live Snooker: Scottish Open. Day
four of the inaugural staging of the
event. 5.30pm Auto Trader. 6.00
Chasing Classic Cars.
REALLY
Freeview 17 Sky 155 Virgin 129
12noon The Dead Files. 1.00 Escape
to the Country. 2.00 The Sheriffs
Are Coming. 3.00 Homes Under the
Hammer. 4.00 Most Haunted. 5.00
Ghost Adventures. 6.00 The Sheriffs
Are Coming. 7.00 Escape to the
Country. 8.00 My Ghost Story:
Caught on Camera. 9.00 True
Supernatural. 10.00 When Ghosts
Attack. 11.00 Evil Up Close.
very special in their carol
concert A Westminster
Christmas (Classic
FM, 8pm). One member
of the choir, who wishes
to remain anonymous,
commissioned a work in
honour of the brave and
beautiful Jo Cox. The piece
— which is called This
Light Of Reason, written by
Nicholas O’Neill — centres
on the idea of light through
darkness and is a fitting
tribute to the murdered MP.
10.45 Book at Bedtime:
Babette’s Feast.
11.00 The Wondermentalist
Cabaret. New series.
With Matt Harvey
and guests.
11.30 Today in Parliament.
12.00 News and Weather.
12.30 Book of the
Week: This Long
Pursuit. 12.48
Shipping Forecast.
1.00 As World Service.
SKY 1
Sky 106 Virgin 110
11.00am NCIS: Los Angeles. 2.00pm
Hawaii Five-0. 3.00 Modern Family.
4.00 Futurama. 5.00 The Simpsons.
5.30 Futurama. 6.30 The Simpsons.
8.00 DC’s Legends of Tomorrow.
9.00 A League of Their Own U.S.
Road Trip. 10.00 Duck Quacks Don’t
Echo. 11.00 Trollied.
SKY ARTS
Sky 121 Virgin 122
12noon Tales of the Unexpected.
2.00 Hollywood: Singing and
Dancing. 3.15 Filmed in
Supermarionation. 5.00 Alexander
Armstrong: Fine Tuned. 6.00 Johnny
Cash Christmas Special 1978. 7.00
Elvis Presley: A Legend in Concert.
8.00 Frank Sinatra: A Man and His
Music. 9.15 Johnny Cash Christmas
Special 1979. 10.15 Andre Rieu.
SKY ATLANTIC
Sky 108
9.00am The West Wing. 11.00 House.
12noon Without a Trace. 1.00 Blue
Bloods. 3.00 The West Wing. 5.00
House. 6.00 Without a Trace. 7.00
Blue Bloods. 9.00 The Young Pope.
11.20 Band of Brothers.
Radio 2 FM: 88-90.2MHz
6.30 Chris Evans. 9.30 Ken Bruce.
12.00 Jeremy Vine. 2.00 Steve
Wright. 5.00 Simon Mayo. 7.00
Bob Harris Country. 8.00 Jo Whiley.
10.00 Arts Show with Jonathan
Ross. 12.00 After Midnight.
Radio 3 FM: 90.2-92.4MHz
6.30 Breakfast. 9.00 Essential
Classics. 12.00 Composer of the
Week: Francesca Caccini and Her
Circle. 1.00 News. 1.02 Radio 3
Lunchtime Concert. 2.00
Afternoon on 3. 4.30 In Tune. 6.30
Composer of the Week: Francesca
Caccini and Her Circle. 7.30 Radio
3 in Concert. Music by Tchaikovsky,
Saariaho and Prokofiev. 10.00
Free Thinking. 10.45 The Essay:
The Further Realm. 11.00 Late
Junction. 12.30 Through the Night.
Radio 5 Live
MW: 693/909kHz
5.00 Morning Reports. 5.15 Wake
Up to Money. 6.00 Breakfast. 10.00
5 Live Daily with Emma Barnett.
1.00 Afternoon Edition. 4.00 5 Live
Drive. 7.00 Friday Football Social.
8.00 Fight to the Finish — The
Story of Marieke Vervoort. 9.00 5
Live Sport. 10.00 Question Time
Extra Time. 1.00 Up All Night.
SKY CHRISTMAS
Sky 303 Virgin 410
10.55am Prancer. (1989) (PG)
12.50pm Jingle All the Way 2.
(2014) (U) 2.30 Bad Santa. (2003)
(15) 4.15 Santa’s Little Helper.
(2015) (12) 6.00 Prancer. (1989)
(PG) 8.00 Jingle All the Way 2.
(2014) (U) 9.40 Bad Santa. (2003)
(15) 11.25 Gremlins. (1984) (15)
SKY COMEDY
Sky 308 Virgin 408
10.15am Ride Along 2. (2016) (12)
12.05pm Get Santa Special. 12.25
Pitch Perfect 2. (2015) (12) 2.25
Ricki and the Flash. (2015) (12)
4.15 Dodgeball: A True Underdog
Story. (2004) (12) 6.00 Pitch
Perfect 2. (2015) (12) 8.00 Ride
Along 2. (2016) (12) 9.45 BrUno.
(2009) (18) 11.20 Unfinished
Business. (2015) (15)
SKY GREATS
Sky 304 Virgin 404
11.50am Dangerous Liaisons.
(1988) (15) 1.50pm The Mask of
Zorro. (1998) (PG) 4.10 Frost/Nixon.
(2008) (15) 6.15 The Curious Case
of Benjamin Button. (2008) (12)
9.00 Girl, Interrupted. (1999) (15)
11.15 Donnie Brasco. (1997) (18)
SKY LIVING
Sky 107 Virgin 112
12noon Motorway Patrol. 1.00 Police
Force: Australia. 2.00 Monkey Life.
3.00 Motorway Patrol. 4.00 The
Real A&E. 5.00 Nothing to Declare.
6.00 Monkey Life. 7.00 Police Force:
Australia. 8.00 Criminal Minds.
9.00 Blindspot. 10.00 Nashville.
11.00 Criminal Minds.
SKY PREMIERE
Sky 301 Virgin 401
10.30am Midnight Special. (2016)
(12) 12.30pm Hail, Caesar! (2016)
(12) 2.20 The Great Gilly Hopkins.
(2016) (PG) 4.05 Midnight Special.
(2016) (12) 6.05 Risen. (2016) (12)
8.00 Hail, Caesar! (2016) (12) 10.00
Chastity Bites. (2013) (18) 11.40
Carnage Park. (2016) (18)
SKY SELECT
Sky 312 Virgin 412
12noon Pioneer. (2013) (15) 1.55
The Magnificent Seven Ride!
(1972) (PG) 3.45 Me and Earl and
the Dying Girl. (2015) (12) 5.35
Couple in a Hole. (2015) (12) 7.25
Straight Outta Compton. (2015)
(15) 10.00 Casino. (1995) (18)
SKY SPORTS 1
Sky 401 Virgin 511
8.00am Premier League Highlights.
10.00 Premier League Daily. 11.00
Premier League Highlights. 11.30
Premier League 100 Club. 12noon
Premier League Highlights. 4.00
Premier League 100 Club. 5.00
Football’s Greatest Players. 6.00
Premier League 100 Club. 6.30
Premier League Review. 7.30 Live
EFL. 10.00 Premier League Match
Pack. 10.30 Premier League Review.
11.30 Premier League 100 Club.
SKY SPORTS 2
Sky 402 Virgin 512
9.00am Sporting Triumphs. 10.00
Cricket’s Greatest. 10.30 The Ashes.
2.30pm World Cup Cricket Classics.
3.30 Sporting Triumphs. 4.30
Cricket’s Greatest. 5.30 Carp Wars.
6.00 The World Rugby Show. 6.30
Fishing. 7.00 Live European Rugby
Challenge Cup. 10.00 A League of
Their Own. 11.00 La Liga Show. 11.30
NFL Hard Knocks: LA Rams.
SKY SPORTS 4
Sky 404 Virgin 514
8.30am PGA Tour Classic. 9.30
Sporting Greats. 10.00 Racing News.
10.30 PGA Tour Classic. 11.30
Sporting Greats. 12.30pm Chronicles
of a Champion Golfer. 1.00 Motorsport
Mundial. 1.30 Shell’s Wonderful
World of Golf. 3.00 Trilby Tour Golf.
4.00 Challenge Series Golf. 5.00
Trilby Tour Golf. 6.00 ATP Tour
Uncovered. 7.00 U.S. Open Official
Film 2015. 8.00 U.S. Open Golf. 11.00
European Tour Golf.
SKY SPORTS DARTS
Sky 403 Virgin 513
9.00am Darts Gold. 5.00pm Darts
Special: A Little Bit of Fry and
Waddell. 6.00 Darts Gold. 6.30 WDC
2017 Preview. 7.00 Live World Darts
Championship. 11.00 Darts Gold.
SKY SPORTS MIX
Sky 407 Virgin 517
9.00am NFL. 10.00 Mix Shorts. 11.00
IF3 International Freeski Film
Festival. 12noon Drone Racing
League. 1.00 Sports Unlimited. 2.00
Australian Open of Surfing. 3.00
Snowboarding. 3.30 Best of Game
Changers. 4.30 Game Changers
Masterclass. 4.45 Live Euroleague
Basketball. 7.00 Live World Darts
Championship. 11.00 Premier League
Match Pack. 11.30 The Mavericks.
SONY CHANNEL
Sky 157 Virgin 193
9.00am Celebrity Ghost Stories.
3.00pm FILM: Holiday Heist. (2011)
(PG) 4.55 FILM: A Christmas Snow.
(2010) (PG) 7.05 FILM: Marley and
Me: The Puppy Years. (2011) (U) 9.00
FILM: You Don’t Mess with the Zohan.
(2008) (12) 11.20 Saving Hope.
SYFY
Sky 114 Virgin 135
8.00am Teleshopping. 11.00 Star
Trek: Voyager. 12noon Star Trek: The
Next Generation. 2.00 FILM: The
Land That Time Forgot. (2009) (PG)
4.00 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
6.00 Star Trek: The Next Generation.
8.00 FILM: X-Men. (2000) (12) 10.00
FILM: Planet Terror. (2007) (18)
TCM
Sky 317 Virgin 415
8.40am Gone with the Wind.
(1939) (PG) 12.55pm Rawhide.
3.00 Massacre River. (1949) (PG)
4.35 The Treasure of the
Sierra Madre. (1948) (PG) 7.05
Many Rivers to Cross. (1955) (U)
9.00 On Deadly Ground. (1994)
(15) 11.00 Delta Force II: The
Colombian Connection. (1990)
(18) 1.15am Conspiracy Theory
with Jesse Ventura.
TLC
Sky 125 Virgin 167
12noon I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant.
1.00 Toddlers & Tiaras. 2.00 Cake
Boss. 3.00 Something Borrowed,
Something New. 4.00 Say Yes to the
Dress: Bridesmaids. 5.00 Say Yes to
the Dress Canada. 6.00 Say Yes to the
Dress: Atlanta. 8.00 Cake Boss. 9.00
Ultimate Cake Off. 10.00 Sex Sent Me
to the ER. 11.00 Counting On.
TRUE ENTERTAINMENT
Freeview 61 Sky 183 Virgin 189
11.00am FILM: A Golden Christmas.
(2009) (PG) 1.00pm FILM: November
Christmas. (2010) (PG) 3.00 Judith
Krantz’s Till We Meet Again. 5.00
Highway to Heaven. 6.00 Touched
by an Angel. 7.00 M*A*S*H. 8.00 The
Avengers. 9.00 FILM: Holiday
Engagement. (2011) (PG) 11.00 FILM:
Battle of the Bulbs. (2010) (PG)
UNIVERSAL CHANNEL
Sky 113 Virgin 137
12noon NCIS. 8.00 Law & Order:
Special Victims Unit. 9.00 FILM:
Hard Target. (1993) (18) 11.00 Law &
Order: Special Victims Unit.
W
Sky 109 Virgin 125
11.00am Tipping Point. 1.00pm
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.
2.00 My Dream Home. 4.00 Extreme
Makeover: Home Edition. 5.00 DIY
SOS: Children in Need Special.
6.00 Tipping Point. 7.00 My Family.
9.00 One Born Every Minute.
10.00 EastEnders. 10.40 The
Catherine Tate Show.
YESTERDAY
Freeview 19 Sky 537 Virgin 245
12noon Time Team. 1.00 Trading
History. 2.00 The Great British Year.
3.00 Britain in Motion. 4.00 Time
Team. 5.00 Codebreaker. 7.00
Submarine Mission Impossible.
8.00 Blackadder the Third. 8.40 One
Foot in the Grave. 9.20 Goodnight
Sweetheart. 10.00 Blackadder the
Third. 10.40 One Foot in the Grave.
11.25 Goodnight Sweetheart.
Page 60
peterborough
Lucky break for the
future of football . . .
A
couple of years ago, it
was our grandson Jake’s
sixth birthday and there
was a family get-
together at his house.  broken his phone and had taken
Two sets of grandparents were
there, with friends and other
family. The only people missing
were Aunty Alison and
cousin Will.  needed it for work.
We weren’t unduly worried, as
Will had been playing football
that morning and time was tight
for him to get to the party
promptly. As time went on, how-
ever, we decided to ring to find
out where they were.
Jake’s sister Holly, then ten,
said she would ring. She came
back with the distressing news
that Will had broken his foot
and Alison had taken him to
Watford to have it looked at. (We
guessed this would be Watford
General Hospital.) 
Apparently they would be
three or four hours at least. 
We were all worried by this
news. However, not long after-
wards, there was a knock at the
Sign language
Out of the mouths of babes
Driving Eleanor (my six-year-
old granddaughter) to see
Santa, we were listening to her
favourite rock ’n’ roll Christmas
CD. This included Rudolph the
O come all ye shoppers,
Christmas is upon us,
O come ye, O come ye to
Debenhams.
Primark, John Lewis, Marks &
Spencer, Matalan,  Insist they take a bigger loan
O come and blow your wages,
Though earning it took ages,
Just top it up in stages,
With some short-term loans!
O come all ye parents,
Spoil those little angels,
What’s the harm in giving
them the best you can’t
afford?    No need to be aggressive,
See determined faces as they
put you through your paces,
They think that money grows
on trees,
Their cunning brings you to
your knees,
A shame they never
mention ‘please’,
Just where you’re going Next! 
O come all ye children,
Nag in expectation,
Unleash your worst
behaviour when in Toys-R-Us,
It’s not about affording, just
undeserved rewarding,
So get into the ‘moan’ zone,
In aggravating monotone,
÷ send your contributions to Peterborough, Daily Mail Letters, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT.
The Mail is published by ANL, 2 Derry St, London W8 5TT. Printed by HQPL, London SE16 7ND; Harmsworth Printing Limited Didcot; NCJ Media, Newcastle;
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Offset Print SA, France; Europrinter, Gosselies, Belgium; Kalofolias Group SA; Estetik Yayincilik As, Turkey.
door and there stood Alison and
Will, perfectly OK.  who want to secure the ‘right’ deci-
We related the phone conver-
sation to them and they both
laughed, telling us that Will had
it to Watford to be fixed!
The party went ahead, with
Alison and Will leaving a little
early to pick up his phone, as he
Later on in the evening, we had
occasion to ring Alison about
something. A worried sounding
dad answered the call and said
she wasn’t home as she had
taken Will to Watford General.  do their utmost for us.
He had been in agony on the
way home with a suspected
­b roken foot and they would
probably be some time.
We couldn’t believe what had
happened. We all wondered if
Holly had some psychic powers.  Blandford Forum, Dorset.
Luckily, after X-rays, etc., it
turned out Will had a bad sprain
and had to take some time
off work. 
I’m glad to say he recovered
quickly, even if we didn’t!
   Mrs Olive Palmer, Rugby, Warks.
Overflow
parking?  cury: ‘Pendelfin rabbits. 14 with
Spotted in
Agios
Stefanos,
Corfu, by
Brian Eustace
of Bexhill-on-
Sea, East
Sussex.
Red-Nosed Reindeer, with which
I joined in wholeheartedly. 
After the 20th repeat play,
throughout which Eleanor had
stayed silent and stony-faced,
Rhymes for
our times
It pays to make a fuss!   The New Year could feel
O come all ye sellers,
Set your stalls according,
Flog your lovely merchandise
religiously,
Forget church bells and
singing, just keep them tills
a-ringing,
To prey on the obsessive,
Their lust for gifts excessive,
In this PC World!  
O come all ye lenders,
Admirers of King ‘Harrod’,
There’s nothing to be proud
of getting others into debt,
Playing the percentage game
without accepting any blame,
Will cause upset for certain,
See some go for a Burton,
For others maybe ‘curtains’,
If they fail to mind the Gap!  That sees us all get ‘crave-ier’
O come all ye MPs,
Loaded and triumphant,
Remember Christmas should
be all about the Virgin birth,
email: pboro@dailymail.co.uk
letters
Brexit sabotage
I have a prediction, one which I
­ uspect I share with many people
s
who, like my wife and I, voted to leave
the EU. We did so for various reasons,
not least of which is our objection to
paying millions of pounds to the
un­elected bureaucrats in Brussels
who repay us by bossing us about.
My father and grandfather fought in
two World Wars for our independence
and freedom. And what for? My pre-
diction is that Brexit won’t happen.
The people may have spoken on
June 23, but democracy isn’t alive and
well in this country. There are a lot of
powerful Remainers in high places
sion via a second referendum and who
will succeed in thwarting the will of
the British people.
They hold us serfs in utter contempt.
I’m aware there are many complex
issues to resolve, but surely the two-
year period following the invoking of
Article 50 should be long enough to
achieve them. Or maybe I’m naïve.
As far as we are concerned we voted
out last June and so out it should be
as soon as possible. Theresa May has
the makings of a great Prime Minister
and doubtless she and her team will
She is, however, really up against it
and if she does succeed and we do
indeed invoke Article 50 before the
end of March 2017, she’ll have achieved
a constitutional miracle.
ROBERT A. HILL,
High-viz madness
Well done Joanna Lumley for
PLEASE DON’TJoke
ADD BOX BORDER ­refusing a hard hat and high-viz jacket
(Mail). One hot summer’s day I was
How much is a small tiara working in a field turning hay and
worth? Half a crown. noticed surveyors working in the next
Richard Myers, Hendon, London. field, like me, in their shirt sleeves.
This England
Two days later, I was back and so
were the surveyors. Despite the day
Isn’t £100 very cheap for all
being even hotter, they were all wear-
ing safety helmets and high-viz jack-
these rabbits that can play the ets. When I commented on their wear-
piano? Seen in the Stamford Mer- ing helmets and jackets on such a hot
day, they told me they had to because
stand and piano. 1973 onwards.  of ‘health and safety’ regulations.
I asked why they hadn’t been wear-
UK manufactured.  £100.’
Adrienne Young, Stamford, Lincs.
ing them a couple of days earlier and
they explained that they didn’t have
One-line to then because the planning applica-
tion hadn’t been signed. Same field —
same conditions.
philosopher This has very little to do with health
and safety, it’s more about the
Is there another word for imposed EU police state: ‘You will do
a synonym? as we say, or else’. Will all that Euro-
          Rhod Tibbles, Norwich, Norfolk. pean dictatorial nonsense change
when we leave and get our own law
back? Don’t hold your breath
BOB LOMAS, Horsham, W. Sussex.
she said: ‘Do you have to sing all
the way through?’ Emperor’s new clothes
The journey continued in silent I have to laugh at Mrs May in her
chuckles (mine). £900-plus trousers and Mrs Morgan
Ernest Radford, New Ollerton, Notts. who spent the same on a hand bag
(Mail). I doubt if I’ve spent much
more than that on clothes in my life,
As if you didn’t know it,
higher debt could see us
including my wedding suit years ago,
shirts, socks, my obligatory work wear
of jeans and T-shirt and the cheapest
blow it,  footwear I can find that will withstand
Don’t think it Disney matter, 150-miles-a-month walking.
Such fragile growth My wife is much the same. I’m now
can shatter, 58 and see no chance of ever having
the sort of income that would allow
flatter, me to be mad enough to spend £25 on
With more trouble in store! a shirt, let alone anything more.
It’s funny how people’s priorities are
O come Father Christmas,
such that vulgar spending on a single
Some of this is your fault, item of adornment seems perfectly
Sitting in your grotto acceptable to those with money, while
charging kids for junk, those of us at the bottom feel per-
Once a trailblazer, now a fectly happy with what’s in the sales.
One former work colleague used to
prop for House of Fraser, say: ‘You have to have a Hugo Boss
Selfridges adore you,
suit if you want to get anywhere.’ But
Argos are all for you, when I was commuting on a train with
But I think let’s restore you, 800 other men in suits, you couldn’t
To your pre-commercial self! tell the sub-£100 jobs from the top of
the range — who’s fooling whom?
O come supermarkets, DAVE TUTT, Chatham, Kent.
Don’t pretend you’re caring,
Market share and profits are
what make you tick,
Reticent royals
I can understand why Prince Andrew
Sainsbury’s embrace it. Tesco felt the need to issue a statement
can’t replace it.
denying the rumoured ‘royal rift’ over
But what is this behaviour, the roles of his daughters, but I can’t
Have we ostracised
help thinking the statement would
have been more effective coming from
Beatrice and Eugenie themselves.
the Saviour?   
They still have a faint air of damsels
Jesus Christ!
Gordon A. Hobbs, in distress from a bygone era because
Redbridge, Essex. they have someone to fight their
­battles for them. The public has taken
Prince William, Prince Harry and the
Duchess of Cambridge to their hearts
and this surely has something to do
with the fact they’re seen and heard.
We don’t really know them, of course,
Deposito legal: M. 10.489-1966 8/6/09
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016
but they seem like self-confident and
purposeful adults. Apart from rare
and brief appearances in documenta-
ries about the Royal Family, I’ve never
heard Beatrice and Eugenie speak.
I have no idea what their interests
are and couldn’t name one single
charity they support. It’s almost as if
they’re still teenagers when by the
ages of 26 and 28 they could be ­voicing
opinions and speaking up for them-
selves in the face of criticism, as truly
modern young women do.
JOHN RUTHERFORD, Sevenoaks, Kent.
Air pollution
I came to Leeds to go to college, met
a Yorkshireman, married and we
bought a house on the north side of
Otley. Aircraft from Leeds Bradford
Airport fly over Otley, both arriving
and departing.
Within months of moving here I
began to have trouble with my sinuses.
They would become sore and blocked
and I would have to visit my GP for
help. Other locals tell me they’re suf-
fering the same symptoms and it was
even reported in the local press that a
private study had been made on the
pollution fallout from these aircraft
but the results were denied by
the authorities.
Living directly under the aircraft
flight path, my son-in-law also suffers
with his sinuses and my daughter has
horrendous sinus problems having
had operations and long courses of
antibiotics to ease the pain and
discomfort she suffers.
­
Pollution fallout from aircraft should
be studied in depth to discover what
detrimental effect it has on those
­living below flight paths.
We are warned about ground traffic
pollution, but not much is said about
air traffic pollution. Will health and
safety suggest we all begin to use
umbrellas as a precautionary measure
against this fallout?
MARGARET CHILTON, Otley, W. Yorks.
Precious darlings
Mollycoddling is certainly creep-
ing into our local school (Mail). My
nine-year-old granddaughter, ­ Harriet,
has been studying the Victorian era as
her school topic this term and when I
saw the photographs of the Dr Barnar-
do’s children (Mail) I thought they
would be relevant to her work.
I cut the pages out to show her and
she found them interesting, especially
the child sharing her name who was
born 120 years before her.
She took them to school the follow-
ing morning and showed her teacher,
who looked at them, thanked Harriet
for bringing them in, but said she
couldn’t show the other children
because some might be upset by the
life stories of the pictured children.
They’ve watched Oliver! The ‘reality’
of the Victorian period is urchins
­singing and dancing as far as today’s
children are concerned.
JEAN MARTIN, Sleaford, Lincs.
UK on the wrong track
Hitachi Rail Europe’s first intercity
express train to be built in the UK
(Mail) may well be ‘put together in
the UK’, but many of its components
are made in Japan and elsewhere. It
would be more accurate to say
­‘assembled in the UK’.
My company, William Cook Rail,
based in Leeds at the heart of the
‘Northern Powerhouse’, is a world-
class manufacturer of components for
high-speed and commuter trains. It
exports 80 per cent of its products to
blue - chip train manufacturers
throughout Europe and elsewhere.
Yet it wasn’t even invited to bid to
supply the critical bogie parts for the
new Hitachi trains. These are coming
from Japan.
Manufacturing is a key element of
the Government’s economic strategy.
Billions of pounds of UK taxpayers’
money is being spent on the biggest
investment in railways since the
­Victorian era. Ministers should be
insisting on local content where pos-
sible to support UK industries and
UK jobs. Surely this makes sense.
Sir ANDREW COOK, CBE, Sheffield.
Polio peril
I grew up in Harold Hill (Letters) in
the Fifties and my friends and I played
regularly in the Manor woods (now
threatened by development). It was a
very beautiful area, especially when
the bluebells were in bloom.
We picked armfuls of these and, I’m
ashamed to say, sometimes took a
spoon with us to dig up the bulbs to
give to our mothers for the garden.
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016 Page 61

Treasure
Straight to the
point
÷What with Brexit and the clampdown on

your mum
immigration, I’ve had to warn the kids that Santa
might not make it this year — or ever again!
CHRIS ATKI, Retford, Notts.
÷The British Film Institute has unearthed a lost
1962 episode of Just William, starring Dennis
Waterman. Does he sing the feem toon?
F. HARVEY, Bristol.
÷I sincerely hope the Northern Ireland police
will also secure the prosecution of the soldier who

and dad
shot an arrow into King Harold’s eye in 1066.
A. ASHTON, St Austell, Cornwall.
÷Are we to assume that the drone attacks on
unconvicted ISIS terrorists will be investigated in
30 years and the operatives of those drones
prosecuted for murder?
JAMES ROBERT-POULAIN, Bexhill, E. Sussex.
÷What’s likely to happen to the bullion market

while you
when Russia eventually hands back all those gold
and silver medals?
J.W. SCULLY, Bognor Regis, W. Sussex.
÷So it was Fiona Hill (Mail) who put our PM in a
dress with a high-viz bin bag on her bottom. Why?
CAROLINE BECK, Sale, Cheshire.
÷Mrs May has been seen in a hijab and in Indian
dress (Mail). I look forward to her romper suit at

still can
her next visit to a kindergarten.
CHARLOTTE JOSEPH, Lawford, Essex.
÷Money doesn’t make you happy (Mail) — but I’d
like to give it a try.
GEOFF COOK, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear.
÷It wasn’t ‘populism’ that cost David Cameron
his job. Trying, and failing, to flog a dead horse to
the British people was his undoing.
Devoted: Viktoriya Valdavicius and her mum Tamara ALAN PAXTON, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey.

My mother lives in Chestnut Lodge
dementia care home and I visit her three
or four times a week. My teenage son
Daniel comes with me. He says he has
the feeling ‘time has stopped there’ —
but it was only a first impression.
The moment you say ‘Hello’ to the
residents or smile at them, they all smile
back, shake hands, start talking or
just wave.
One lady rarely spoke to me but said
once: ‘Thank you very, very much; you’re
always smiling at me.’ Another lady just
wants to hug me.
One resident kept asking me to take her
to her son. She wanted to go to
Greenford by car and I had to tell her I
didn’t know where that was. She
immediately started telling everyone
that I’m so silly that I don’t know
Greenford. Even the staff were laughing.
The residents have everything physical
they require but need so much of our
attention; someone to listen and speak
with, to smile and hug them.
We bring chocolates to my mum and she
shares them with her mates. The care
home food is nice, but they all love
sweets. I once asked my neighbours to
give me something to take as a treat and
got a Polish cake, a chocolate cake,
some tea cakes and some Indian sweets.
We all had a nice party.
At Easter, my son brought his friend
Michael and they sang for the residents.
This Christmas, we’re organising
another singing party.
This is a great opportunity to teach our
children how to make someone’s life
÷ We can’t cut foreign aid (Mail). Mercedes
happier. It’s an opportunity to teach our exports to Africa will suffer and we’ll get the
kids to respect grandparents and old blame . . . ! J. WALMSLEY, Bury, Lancs.
people and to spare some time for a very For permission to copy cuttings for internal management and information purposes, please
rewarding mission. We need to make our contact the Newspaper Licensing Agency (NLA), PO Box 101, Tunbridge Wells TN1 1WX.
children aware that we need our parents Tel: 01892 525273. e-mail: copy@nla.co.uk
not only when they’re healthy and
strong, but even when they’re frail.
I feel really sorry for residents of this
home who have children who come to
visit them just once a year — or never.
Do you not remember your parents
buying you treats, taking you to
birthday parties, hugging you when you
cried, making you happy? Now it’s your
turn! Show your love before it’s too late.
When our parents pass away, we can
never again be sons and daughters.
VIKTORIYA VALDAVICIUS, Perivale, Middx.

The Manor also had a beautiful
lake. One hot summer’s day, a
friend and I, armed with our
‘cozzies’, decided to have a dip
in the lake, much to the anger
of the boys and men trying to
fish there.
We swam until somebody
shouted out: ‘You’ll both get
polio now!’
With that, we jumped out and
ran home. I remember worry-
ing about this for weeks. Of
husband Alan out to hire a film
and he asked me: ‘What sort of
film?’ One about dancing,’ I
replied — and he came home
with Last Tango.
There wasn’t any dancing in
it — but we did watch it.
Alan was pretty shocked
because he’d asked other
­customers in the video shop to
help him find it, thinking it was
a dancing film. He took it back
in a brown paper bag.
SHEILA DREW,
Penarth, South Glam.
Back in the Sixties, I worked
with a chap who would say
when there had been a politi-
cal scandal or catastrophe:
‘What this country needs is a
good dictator.’
In 1973, I took a date to see
Last Tango. I’d always thought
I was impervious to the shock
tactics of cheap film makers,
but I recall that movie making
me feel uneasy and embar-
rassed. We left before it ended.
Perhaps my colleague was
right. General Franco would
have spared our blushes.
STAN HENDERSON,
Kirkby-in-Furness, Cumbria.

letter of the week

course, we didn’t get polio and
went back again the following
year, but didn’t go in the lake
again. Shame!
LINDA SCANLAN,
Brentwood, Essex.
You’ve been Tangoed
Reading about Last Tango
In Paris (Mail) made me laugh.
Back in the early Seventies, we
bought a VHS machine and
were eager to use it. I sent my
WIN our unique Letter Of The Week Magic Mug, courtesy
of Printer Pix. These reveal our special Daily Mail Letter Of
The Week design when hot. To create your own personalised
photo gifts (see example, right) visit printerpix.co.uk.
The Readers’ Letters editor will announce the Letter Of
The Week each Friday. Write to: Daily Mail, Letters, 2 Derry
Street, Kensington, London, W8 5TT, email letters@
dailymail.co.uk or fax on 020 7937 7493, including your full
postal address and
telephone number.

Is Boris a breath of fresh air or a liability?

debate

Boris Johnson is wrong to equate
Iran with Saudi Arabia but right that
we have ignored Saudi Arabia’s
promotion of Wahhabism and attacks
on ‘apostate’ Shiites for too long.
Attacks on Shiite worshippers by
Wahhabists occur regularly, and
terrorist attacks on Westerners are
invariably by Sunni jihadis.
Saudi Arabia, with Nato member
Turkey, facilitated the emergence of
Isis while, bizarrely, we gave priority
to toppling Syria’s secular regime.
We are backing the Saudi war of
aggression against Yemen’s Shiite
Houthis and this has enabled
the Houthis — who are sworn
enemies of Al Qaeda and Isis — to
consolidate their foothold in Yemen.
Britain is to have a permanent
military base in Bahrain. Is it wise to
align ourselves with Bahrain’s Sunni
rulers who brazenly suppress the
Shiite majority? Iran, Assad’s Syria
and Hezbollah don’t pose a threat to
the West. It’s time to stop sucking up
to Saudi Arabia.
YUGO KOVACH,
Winterborne Houghton, Dorset.
I admire Boris Johnson’s
refreshingly ‘gravitas light’ approach,
but his latest gaffe regarding Saudi
Arabia came in the wake of his
‘Prosecco moment’ jibe to the
Italians and his call for protests
outside of the Russian Embassy
because of their stand over Syria.
Boris’s tendency to ‘shoot from the
lip’ is unsuitable for dealing in
international diplomacy. Theresa
May should reshuffle her Cabinet:
perhaps the Ministry for Culture
Media and Sports would prove a
more suitable home for Boris’s
talents. As an admirer of Theresa,
I advise her to acknowledge the
‘Peter principle’: that ‘managers rise
to their level of incompetence’.
GERRY DOYLE, Liverpool.
It’s difficult to believe the Saudi
leaders would be insulted by Boris
Johnson’s remarks when even we in
Britain can’t understand what he
says, let alone make any sense of it.
JOHN EVANS, Wokingham, Berks.
Boris Johnson made ‘offensive’
comments about Saudi Arabia, but
isn’t it time our politicians weren’t
afraid to speak uncomfortable truths
without calls for their resignations?
Boris is clever and has a brilliant way
with words. I wish politicians would
just stop the backbiting for once.
This might enable us to have more
faith in them. The Arabs didn’t kick
off, so why the fuss?
V. ROBERTSON, address supplied.
Page 62
Compiled by Charles Legge
QUESTION Who won the 1980 Atari
Space Invaders
Tournament?
Space Invaders, created by Tomohiro
Nishikado and released in 1978, is one of the
earliest computer shooting games. The aim
is to defeat waves of aliens with a laser
­c annon toCompiled
earn by asJames
manyBlack points as
possible. The craze hit America in 1980 with
the launch of the 1980 Atari 2600 version. 
The 1980 Atari Space Invaders Tourna­
ment saw 10,000 entrants compete in heats
all over the U.S. and five finalists emerged to
battle for the title in the First National Space
Invaders Competition. The finals were held
on November 10 at the New York head­
quarters of Warner Communications Inc, of
which Atari is a division. The young contest­
ants were housed in the five-star Berkshire
Hotel and taken to the event in limousines.
The two-hour shootout began at 10am.
Simultaneous competition was restricted
to two hours of play, necessitating speed as
well as accuracy in shooting down the alien
hordes. Contestants played game selection
No 1 at ‘A’ difficulty, meaning each player
was limited to three ships fighting
­squadrons of 36 aliens with no barriers.
The pace of the contest left Steve Marmel
zapped out at 40,000 points, while the other
finalists each broke 100,000 and lasted the
full two hours.
When the cosmic dust had settled, a new
official high score of 165,200 points was
achieved by 17-year-old Bill Heineman of
Whittier, California, and he was awarded an
Asteroids table top video game.
Second prize — an Atari 800 personal
computer — went to Hing Ng of San
­Francisco with a score of 153,300 points,
while Frank Tetro of Yorktown Heights,
New York, scored 133,300 points to earn
the third prize of a $500 shopping spree.  into the news; a famous example was that
After the competition, Heineman said he
felt ‘tired physically, great mentally!’  the most powerful mobster to become a
     Justin Davies, Cardiff.
QUESTION Adocumentaries
popular genre of TV
involves
interviews with retired Mafia bosses who
have given evidence against former
associates. They often state their lives are
under threat. Has any ever been killed for
giving evidence?
Such documentaries usually involve
witnesses who have been moved into the
U.S. Marshal Service Witness Security
Program (WITSEC).  author Ovid Demaris, and Vengeance Is
Born of the Organised Crime Control Act
of 1970, and the brainchild of long-time
Department of Justice attorney, Gerald
Shur, WITSEC claims to have successfully
questions
Q : I recently heard Birmingham described
as the ‘hotbed of invention’. What
products were invented there?
          Jim Whiteman, Wilmslow, Cheshire.  guidelines has ever been assassinated.
Q : Was the Ethiopian famine made famous
by Live Aid deliberately perpetrated by
the Ethiopian government?
          Ellen Gray, Truro, Cornwall.
Q : It’s routinely claimed that Cuba’s hospitals
are better than those in the West. Is there
independent evidence for this?
          Mrs Rachel Jay, Chelmsford, Essex.
One giant zap
for mankind
protected more than 9,000 witnesses and
10,000 family members since it began
operations in 1971.
Membership of WITSEC is typically for
life, and usually begins with a visit from
U.S. marshals, whether anticipated or not.
While many of the witnesses and their
family members have time to make the
decision and prepare for their new lives,
others are forced to choose rather quickly,
even occasionally having to leave within
moments of the marshals arriving.
In the early days, there were many
­p roblems, particularly documentation
with witnesses failing to receive new birth
certificates, for example.
Expenses scandals sometimes leaked
of Aladena Jimmy ‘The Weasel’ Fratianno,
federal witness turned informant in 1978.  idea McNeil would win the affections of a
He was paid nearly $1 million over the
next ten years while in the programme. Not
only that, it emerged his mother received
a monthly stipend and the government
had paid for his wife to have cosmetic
­surgery.  On the other hand Fratianno’s
testimony helped to convict more than
two dozen gangsters.
The government dropped him from the
programme after he published two
­b iographies, The Last Mafioso, with
Mine, with author Michael J. Zuckerman.  Who was she?
The FBI determined that Fratianno could
support himself. Fratianno enjoyed his
years as a criminal celebrity with appear­
ances on the CBS 60 Minutes television
news programme and various TV docu­
mentaries. Although he claimed to fear for
his life afterwards, he lived for another six
years and died in his sleep in 1993.
WITSEC proudly boasts that in contrast
to Hollywood depictions of the system, no
one who has followed the programme’s
     Mr M. S. Danery, Stafford.
One possible example happened in
Britain. Peter McNeil was a wideboy gang­
ster who was arrested in Colombia in 1985,
while attempting to set up a £20 million
cocaine deal. He turned informant for the
American DEA and arranged a deal with
two Mob men from Detroit. They came
Taking aim: Intense
contestants at the 1980
Atari Space Invaders
Tournament. Above:
The computer game
over to England and one of them, David
Medin, was arrested en route to Grays in
Essex with 37kg of cocaine in his car. To
reduce his sentence, McNeil chose to tell
all to the authorities and this led to the
long-term imprisonment of three other
men, John O’Boyle from Detroit, and Lon­
doners Lloyd Hibbert and David Rafferty.
McNeil was put into the Witness Protec­
tion Programme and relocated to Hook in
Hampshire. His brash behaviour attracted
attention and there were claims that he
openly boasted he was an informer and
frequently flashed large amounts of cash
in the locals’ faces. 
On February 10, 1988, he opened the door
of his home in Hook, Hampshire, to be
met with a hail of bullets. Car salesman
James Clelland was tried for arranging the
killing because he was ‘obsessed’ with the
former girlfriend. He was later acquitted.  What do you bid next on this hand?
The case remains open, and with
McNeil’s enemies said to have included
the IRA, the U.S. Mafia and several Lon­
don gangsters, and rumours of a £200,000
bounty on his head, it seems entirely pos­
sible he was killed for giving evidence.
     Edward Collings,  and distribution. With a minimum hand, and no
Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire.
QUESTION A1956
BBC TV schedule for
featured a
programme called Presenting Edna Savage.  suit, bid 3NT. You may rebid a good 6-card suit,
Further to the earlier answer, I did my
police training initial course at Newby
Wiske Police College between February and
May in 1960.  with extra values.
Sometime during the course,
Workers’Playtime was broadcast from
there. Edna Savage was the singer but I
can’t remember the other acts. An Inspec­
tor stood in front of us and we could only
laugh and clap politely when he held up his
hand and had to stop when he dropped it.
When the broadcast was finished, I, being
the youngest of 120 students, had to present
Miss Savage with a bunch of flowers for
which I received a kiss on both cheeks and a
good luck in the future from her. Now not
being on air, the lecture theatre erupted in a
tremendous round of applause and a some­
what red-faced exit by me. Happy days!
     Fred Bray, Thorley, Isle of Wight.
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016
Today’s recipe: Cranberry
sea breeze punch
Making fruit ice
cubes stops the
cranberries from
sinking to the
bottom of the glass!
Ingredients
100g fresh or frozen
cranberries
1 litre cranberry juice
500ml vodka 2 limes, cut into slices
400ml grapefruit juice Ice to serve
Method
1 Using two ice cube trays, put one or two
cranberries in each square, fill with water and
freeze until solid. Can be done a week ahead.
2 Pour the cranberry juice, vodka and grapefruit
juice into a punch bowl or large pouring jug and
add the lime slices. Add some ice and half the
cranberry ice cubes. Divide the remaining
cranberry ice cubes between the glasses, then
pour in the punch.
n RECIPE of the day is brought to you in association with
BBC Good Food Magazine. Why not subscribe today and
get your first five issues for £5 (direct debit only)? Visit
buysubscriptions.com/goodfood and enter code
GFDAILY15 or 0844 848 3414 and quote GFDAILY15.
bridge masterclass
South
♠ J 9 6 4
♥ K J 7 3
♦10 5
♣ A 10  5
Dealer: South
S W N E
P P 1♦ P
1♥ P 2♠ P
?
Note that South has already passed, and that
North has made a forcing jump reverse, which
means that he had almost a Strong Two opener,
with longer diamonds than spades.
You have various alternatives for responding to
such forcing situations, according to your strength
liking for either of partner’s suits, but with a stop­
per in the fourth suit, you bid 2NT; somewhat
stronger with at least two stoppers in the unbid
but normally on weak hands you will seek to give
partner simple preference for his first-bid suit.
That is, of course, unless you have 4-card
­support for his major; then, you should make a
single raise, if minimum, and bid straight to game
The above hand is special because of the quality
of your values. North will certainly have no more
than five losers, and he may have as few as three.
It is therefore quite possible that a slam might be
on, if he has the right cards. We’ll see tomorrow
whether South can do anything more to help
­partner judge slam potential.
PETER DONOVAN
n Is there a question to which you have always wanted to know the
answer? Or do you know the answer to a question raised here? Send
your questions and answers to: Charles Legge, Answers To
Correspondents, Daily Mail, 2 Derry Street, London, W8 5TT. You can
also fax them to 01952 780111 or you can email them to charles.legge@
dailymail.co.uk. A selection will be published but we are not able to
enter into individual correspondence.
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016 Page 63

Page 64
My son and I did our
homework together
R
ACHAEL Singleton
works as a policy
adviser and fashion
model, but still finds
time to study.
The 39-year-old from Belfast began
postgraduate studies in 2013 with
the Open University (OU) and
­graduated in May with an MA in
English. S h e c o m p l e t e d h e r
­assignments while working for the
Northern ­ Ireland government,
drafting ­environmental legislation
and ­formulating policies.
The single mother also works as
a model, doing catwalk shows, TV
commercials and film work. She
has a ten-year-old son, Sam.
Rachael, who gained a 2.1 in
­psychology at Queen’s University
Belfast, says: ‘I last studied ­English
literature for A-level and, although
I’d loved it, decided against
­pursuing it for my undergraduate
degree. I initially studied law, then
transferred to law with French,
before ending up in psychology.
‘Looking back, my indecision
reflected the fact that I really
didn’t know what I wanted to do.
‘I don’t think at the age of 18 I
was ­ sufficiently self-aware to
make life-long career-impacting
­decisions. If it hadn’t been for the
OU, I wouldn’t have had the
­opportunity to return to studying
my first love, literature.’
Rachael had been trying to find a
university that offered an English
MA course accessible outside ­typical
9-5 hours when she ­ discovered
details about the OU online.
She says: ‘I found the thought of
going back to studying ­increasingly
challenging as I approached my
Career Mail
EDUCATION &
COURSES
start date, but within the first
month, I found myself ­remembering
my love for learning and, as a result,
I felt very energised and excited.   right people. The hours
‘I cannot overstate how positive
my experience of the OU tutors
has been. I left every tutorial
­genuinely delighted to have been
in attendance. To have had the
opportunity to speak about
­literature with people who share
my interest and ­ enthusiasm was
an incredibly ­fulfilling experience.’
Her son proved highly supportive
— completing his homework
­a longside her as she worked on
MA assignments.
Rachael says: ‘I believe that my
­e xperience has had a positive
impact not just on me, but on Sam,
for he has seen my investment, he
has seen what was at times a
­struggle and he has seen me attain
­completion of my course, with the
huge sense of relief, joy and pride
that this brings.  ­operations manager at
‘Achieving my MA is hugely
rewarding, but I can honestly say
that my ability simultaneously to
manage and contend with
­n umerous personal challenges I
faced on the journey towards
that  result, and the strength of
­character I now identify in myself,
are what I take pride in.
‘My MA recognises my resilience,
dedication and determination.’
n For information about the
Open University, visit open.ac.uk
SARAH HARRIS
Reaping the rewards: Rachael Singleton
Have you got the drive to
get up and go for it alone?
FRANCHISING
When marketing and events ­consultant
Victoria Withy wanted to return to work
after having her daughter, Natasha, she
decided self-employment would offer the
flexibility she needed.
‘My then-husband was a busy farm
manager and I didn’t have any family
nearby to help with childcare, so I
decided to set up my own business,’ says
Victoria from Inverurie, Aberdeenshire.
She invested in a Raring2Go! franchise,
editing and publishing a local
­m agazine   for families, distributed
through primary schools.
‘I could have set up this type of ­business
alone but, with a franchise, you get a
ready-made infrastructure, support from
the franchiser and a strong online ­presence
from day one,’ she says. ­
‘Raring2Go! also offers economy of
scale because one printer handles all
the editions.’
Victoria, 46, whose daughter is now 11,
has an office with a team of six Up and running: Franchisee Victoria Withy and daughter Natasha
­free­lancers, and has just launched
her ­ second Raring2Go! franchise
area in Glasgow.
Freddie St George, managing
director of Mojo Publishing, the
franchiser of Raring2go! says: ‘We
look for new franchisees seeking a
flexible, fully-supported, home-
based franchise opportunity to ease
them back into the “workplace”
without compromising their desire
to fulfil their caring role.
‘To succeed, you need drive, good
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016
Getting a taste for
success as a chef
RECRUITMENT
THERE’S more to being
a    chef than television
shows would suggest.
Andrew Chan, head chef
at the Thornbury Castle
hotel, near Bristol, says:
‘Being a chef requires a
combination of pride
and  discipline.
‘TV makes it look easy,
but it’s not — though it’s a
fantastic career for the
can be long, but it’s great
when ­ people send back
Advice: Andrew Chan
­m essages saying that
they loved your food.’ qualified — enough to
­supply the 11,000 needed
Andrew, 32, adds: ‘I
grew up in a restaurant in the next eight years —
and loved the ­atmosphere but research shows
and buzz.’ After ­ taking their expectations don’t
NVQs in ­ hospitality, he match reality, and they
are entering the industry,
started as a commis chef
in a hotel and moved up but not staying.’
Andrew advises: ‘Ask to
the ladder, being named
South West Chef of the spend time in a kitchen
Year in 2013 during an before starting a course,
to find out if it suits you.’
earlier stint at ­Thornbury
Castle as sous chef. Employers are changing
‘I have mostly worked working conditions to
in fine dining hotels, attract chefs.
but a spell at a branded Daniel Murphy, the
outlet gave me business
skills such as invoicing, Luxury Family Hotels,
which owns Thornbury
­m anaging stock and
wastage,’ he says. Castle, says: ‘Today’s chefs
want hours comparable
However, there is a huge
chef shortage. Martin- to other industries.
Christian Kent, executive ‘So we offer chefs a
director at hospitality ­c ompressed working
consultancy People 1st, week and up to three
days off together, with no
says: ‘Currently, 42  per
cent of chef vacancies cut in salary. We are also
taking on apprentices.’
are hard to fill. Last year
alone, 14,000 chef ­students LINDA WHITNEY
local knowledge and, ideally, to be a says: ‘Franchising suits many
user of the kinds of services we women because you get support
­feature.’ The cost is £11,995. from the franchiser, but also from
Many franchises that involve other franchisees.’
­working with children offer a way Turtle Tots co-founder Caroline
back into work after having a family. Sparks says: ‘Our franchise offers
Former nanny Charlotte Hollands, the flexibility to work around family
30, is a franchisee with child life.’ Initial investment is £13,000.
­s wimming franchise Turtle Tots, n Raring2Go! 01273 447101,
running water-based sessions for Turtle Tots 01275 857621.
babies and children and aquanatal
classes for pregnant women. She LW
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016 Page 65
Page 66 Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016 Page 67
Page 68 Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016
City Finance
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016 Page 69

£374million
latest bid for tool hire firm
Lavendon at centre of
takeover battle
City Editor: Alex Brummer Finance Editor: James Coney www.thisismoney.co.uk

The £400m battle

The daily
briefing
■ BP gusher  A BP oil rig off the

to run 3,000 pubs

coast of Angola has pumped 500m
barrels since it launched ten years
ago.
The Greater Plutonio rig, which
runs 24 hours a day, was the oil and
gas giant’s first in the southern Afri-
can nation.
■ Debt protection  I nvestors
who have cash with a fund manager
could get extra protection under the
Financial Services Compensation
Scheme.

Shock Heineken
The City watchdog is reviewing
FSCS rules that provide some pro-
■ Punch Taverns began in 1997 and tection if a fund manager goes into
default. The regulator also wants
is the UK’s second largest group
bid sparks a
firms that chase consumers for debt
to be covered by the scheme.
■ It was founded by ■ Services abroad  Britain is set
former PizzaExpress
takeover war for
to remain the second-largest services
chief Hugh Osmond exporter after the US, according to
HSBC research.
and Café Rouge Analysts said UK services exports

Punch Taverns
would be worth £705bn in 2030 – two-
founder Roger Myers and-a-half times their value last
year.
■ There are 50,000 It also said that new barriers, such
UK pubs − a fall of as a loss of access to the European
by Sabah Meddings Union’s single market, could knock
10,000 in a decade 4pc off projected trade.
BRITAIN’S second biggest pub group is
at the centre of a £400m takeover tussle ■ Loyalty discount  Supermar-
involving beer giant Heineken. ■ Beer Orders of 1989 ket loyalty is decreasing, according
Punch Taverns, which runs 3,300 pubs, stopped pubs being to a new survey.
said it was in advanced talks with the Just 12pc of 2,000 shoppers sur-
Dutch brewer, which had made an offer of tied to one brewer veyed by leading coupon provider
174p a share – valuing the firm at £386m. Valassis claimed loyalty to one brand.
But a separate offer has been tabled by ■ Heineken began in More than two-thirds shopped across
a private equity group backed by Punch two or three stores, compared with
co-founder Alan McIntosh. 1864 when Dutch brewer 22pc in 2014.
The Scottish accountant and serial Gerard Adriaan Heineken got ■ High flyer  Infrastructure firm
investor, 49, helped set up the business
in 1997 but left in 2002 shortly after it his mother to buy him a brewery Stobart has appointed an ex-EasyJet
floated on the stock market. boss to serve as its second in
He was also co-founder of Spirit command.
G r o u p a n d t h e We l l i n g t o n wants to pay £410m for the com- across offices in Britain and Warwick Brady – who was chief
tion that left it heavily exposed operating officer of EasyJet until
Pub Company, before setting pany and said discussions with Luxembourg. when the smoking ban, beer
up Emerald Investment Partners Punch were ongoing. September – will take on the role of
The offers have surfaced after the duties and the global downturn deputy group chief executive at the
in 2012. Heineken’s proposal, made company began to show signs of hit the industry.
Now McIntosh, who is worth through private equity group improvement, battling back into firm, which provides infrastructure
Despite improved finances, the and support services in the biomass,
around £100m, wants to return Patron Capital Advisers, would the black last month by posting an pub chain reported a slowdown in
and has offered 185p a share for see the pub chain split in two. energy, aviation and railway sectors.
annual profit of £60m compared sales and warned the full impact
Punch in an offer made through Heineken, which already owns with a £105m loss the year before. of new pub tenancy rules was yet ■ Dragon’s success  A t-home
Emerald, although he has yet to 1,300 pubs under the banner Star A restructure in September 2014 to come. treatment provider InnovaDerma,
secure financing. Pubs & Bars, would take 1,895 saw bondholders and sharehold- A spokesman for Heineken which includes Dragon’s Den success
Emerald already has a 2.2pc sites after the sale, leaving 1,329 ers agree a plan which gave bond- declined to comment, but it is story Skinny Tan, has raised £800,000
holding in the company, whose with Patron. holders an 85pc stake. thought its deal could run into to expand its beauty range.
other shareholders include a string Patron, which has £2.9bn of capi- Punch was highly leveraged competition concerns. The company, which produces
of US hedge funds, including Glen- tal in funds and investments, with debt in the early 2000s as it Punch shares closed up 37.7pc, treatments for hair loss, hair care,
view Capital Management. It focuses largely on real estate sought rapid expansion, a situa- or 48.5p at 177p. self-tanning and skin rejuvenation,
said it secured the money through a

Pressure on the pound as US hikes rates

THE pound is facing fresh pressure from the
dollar after the US Federal Reserve hiked inter-
est rates – and signalled there could be more
to come.
Chairman Janet Yellen last night pushed rates
up from targeting a range of 0.25pc to 0.5pc,
to between 0.5pc and 0.75pc.
It was the Fed’s first move for more than a
year and only its second increase since the
financial crisis. But policymakers said there
could be three rises in 2017, along with three
more in each of the following years, eventually
taking rates back to 3pc.
The hike puts the UK and US on different inter-
est rate paths – meaning the dollar is likely to
strengthen while the pound remains low.
British rates normally follow those of the US,
but the Bank of England slashed the base rate
to 0.25pc in the wake of the Brexit vote and at
present has no plans for any changes.
Meanwhile the American economy is grow-
ing strongly and set for a further boost if Presi-
dent-elect Donald Trump cuts taxes and
ploughs billions into infrastructure.
Sterling weakened against the dollar follow-
ing Yellen’s announcement last night, drop-
ping 0.8pc to just over $1.25.
placing by investment firm Hybridan
and would use the money to build
stock and expand its portfolio.
■ Premium stake  South African
firm Rand Merchant Investment is
acquiring a 30pc stake in insurance
company Hastings.
RMI will buy the stock at between
248p and 255p per share, spending
about £490m.
This will mostly be acquired from
Hastings’ largest shareholder, Gold-
man Sachs.
Hastings rose 6.8pc, or 15.1p to
236.5p yesterday.

A partner at city law firm Winckworth

■ Sherwood has resigned for inappropri-
ate behaviour at the company’s Christmas
party. Dimple-cheeked John Burnand, who
specialises in lucrative corporate finance,
had to be escorted from last week’s bash at
Southbank’s Skylon restaurant due to his
boozy antics. Apologising to staff on Monday,
Burnand admitted he’d attended a prior
event at which he’d ‘drunk more than I
should’. An early tilt at New Year sobriety
now seems likely.
With Goldman Sachs deputy Gary Cohn
■ off to work for the Trump administration,
the bank has split his job and left it to dome-
headed executives David Solomon and
Harvey Schwartz to jostle for supremacy.
Since Goldman boss Lloyd Blankfein is going
nowhere, it may be a case of two bald men
fighting over a comb. Even while £18m-a-year
Blankfein, 62, was undergoing serious
medical treatment earlier this year, I’m told
the whiskered pit bull was hosting 8pm
conference calls from his hospital bed.
art Rose to return as chairman? ‘Not a ■ London-based hedge funder Arpad
Is former Marks & Spencer boss Sir Stu-
■
chance,’ scoffs a source. ‘It would be the end of
M&S from a shareholder and governance point
of view.’ Man-about-town Rose, 67, angered
investors during his final years by combining
the chairman and chief executive roles. His
inept performance chairing the Remain cam-
paign won’t help his chances either.
Separate turkeys this Christmas for
Busson and his on-off-again fiancee, stony
Hollywood star Uma Thurman. The pair meet
in Manhattan’s supreme court next month to
thrash out custody of their four-year-old
daughter, Luna. Tousle-haired ‘Arki’, 53, who
previously squired Aussie model Elle
Macpherson, is quite the swordsman. A girl
acquaintance tells me he deploys a flirting
technique which some might consider a little
forthright.
Listening to Greg Clark drone on in the
■ Commons yesterday, how qualified is he
to be Business Minister? Bar a stint in con-
sultancy, the bulk of his pre-Parliamentary
career was spent working as an apparatchik.
‘He has a PHD from that hothouse of useless-
ness London School of Economics, but other-
wise he’s one of life’s fawners and schmoozers,’
is my snout’s verdict. Fawner and schmoozer?
Perhaps he’s a little over-qualified...
Have you any gossip for
our City diary? Email:
mrdeedes@dailymail.co.uk
Page 70 Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016

Fund star in
misleading
advert row
EXPERTS have hit out at renowned fund
manager Terry Smith over a poten-
tially ‘misleading’ and ‘inappropriate’
advert for his £8.7bn flagship fund.
Smith has placed adverts for his
Fundsmith Equity Fund comparing it
with the performance of the average
Targeted Absolute Return fund, a type
of investment that tries to always turn
a profit.
The Fundsmith fund is shown to be
trouncing its rival in every year since
2012. For example, in the year to June
30, 2016, Fundsmith made 33.4pc, while
the rival lost 0.5pc.
While these figures are correct,
experts say they should not be com-
pared as the two types of investments
are not similar.
Targeted Absolute Return funds put
cash in a range of bonds, equities and
derivatives. The Fundsmith fund invests
in company stocks across the globe.
Adrian Lowcock, investment director
at Architas, said: ‘Comparing these two
types of investment is just comparing
apples with pears. I would be con-
cerned that upon seeing this advert
some savers could be tempted to
move their money from an investment
which aims to protect their cash to a
fund which offers no protection.’
Smith said: ‘Absolute return funds
have lost money for investors on aver-
age in two of the last five years and yet
some claim to deliver returns equiva-
lent to long-term equity funds such as
ours, when they clearly do not.’
Which hedge fund
caused the £500m
share price plunge?
SHORT sellers have dodged ques-
tions over which hedge fund is
behind an anonymous report that
caused £506m to be wiped off the
value of payments firm Paysafe.
The Mail can reveal that four
funds hold short positions in Pay-
safe – which means they are bet-
ting that its shares will fall.
On Tuesday, the firm’s shares
dropped as much as 36pc when
investors were spooked by an
anonymous report from an organi-
sation called Spotlight Research,
which accused it of engaging in
illegal gambling in China.
In recent years, reports like this
have become a common tactic of
aggressive hedge funds which
don’t believe a company is valued
correctly. The most notable was
when Quindell was targeted by
Gotham Research, wiping £1bn off
its market value in 2014. Accord-
By Holly Black
ing to latest filings with the Finan-
cial Conduct Authority, the four
firms that hold short positions in
Paysafe are AEK (UK) Ltd, Oxford
Asset Management, Public Equity
Partners Management and Sand
Grove Capital Management.
They hold short positions ranging
from 0.5pc to 3.13pc of the firm’s
stock, and stood to make millions
if the share price fell.
The Paysafe allegations focus on
its links to online bookmaker
Bet365. It is claimed that Paysafe
gets more than 50pc of its earnings
from illegal gambling conducted
through Bet365.
The report said Paysafe was
allowing illegal gambling in China
and evading rules through its dig-
ital wallets, which are used to make
payments and money transfers.
It is also claimed Paysafe allows
illegal gambling in other coun-
tries, including India.
The allegation, which spooked
investors, was that Paysafe could
be hit by a crackdown on illegal
gambling in China and that up to
50pc of its revenues were at risk
from new regulation in Europe.
Paysafe claimed the allegations
were either false or no longer rele-
vant. Last night blue chip City
brokers leapt to the firm’s defence,
Paysafe 400
350
Share
price
300
December 250
9 12 13 14
branding the report ‘inaccurate’
and containing ‘glaring miscalcu-
lations’. They claimed many of
the assertions had been declared
by Paysafe already.
Morgan Stanley said it was a
buying opportunity for the
shares.
Barclays said the report was
‘inaccurate’, ‘grossly overstated
the risks’ and some of the claims
appeared to be ‘pure speculation’.
It said: ‘In the past 18 months,
we believe Paysafe has done a
good job of being more transpar-
ent about the risks of its busi-
ness and thus many items high-
lighted in the Spotlight Research
are not actually new.’
Stockbroker Stifel said the
report contained ‘glaring miscal-
culations’ and ‘misinformation’.
Analysts said the proportion of
Paysafe’s earnings that came
from Bet365 was closer to 20pc,
and that the company’s digital
wallets do not support gambling
merchants in China.
Paysafe did not comment fur-
ther. Shares rose 8.1pc, or 24.8p
to 330.5p.
The Mail was unable to contact
AEK or Sand Grove. Oxford
Asset Management said it would
not comment on matters such as
this and Public Equity Partners
failed to comment.
The FCA would not comment
on the share price fall.
A spokesman for Bet365 said it
is a remote gambling operator
that takes its legal and regula-
tory obligations very seriously.
‘There is no legislation which
expressly prohibits the supply of
remote gambling services into
China by operators who are
based outside China,’ he said.
‘Bet365 has no people, assets or
infrastructure in China and does
not engage any agents, aggrega-
tors or intermediaries, for any
purpose, in China.’

£1m boost for

lingerie firm
to conquer US
UP-and-coming lin- Bluebella, which
gerie brand Blue- designed a collec-
bella has raised tion inspired by Fifty
more than £1m by Shades of Grey,
crowdfunding to already has a strong
expand into the US. following in America
The firm, which is and 20pc of its online
fronted by Queen sales come from US
drummer Roger customers.
Taylor’s daughter, It said it is on tar-
Tigerlily Taylor (pic- get to make £1.7m in
tured), more than sales by the end of
doubled its initial the year and £4.7m
target of £500,000. next year once the
It said the extra firm’s expansion is
money would ena- underway.
ble it to raise its pro- Bluebella was
file through direct founded by Emily
marketing and PR – Bendell, who set it
with its ultimate up shortly after
goal being to sell graduating from
10,000 bras a month. Oxford University.

Carphone’s Brexit warning

SHARES in Dixons Carphone
tumbled despite bumper sales as it
warned of a post-Brexit High
Street slowdown.
The electricals giant behind Cur-
ry’s and PC World posted a 19pc
rise in profit for the six months to
October, thanks to strong sales of
products including fitness gadgets
and virtual reality headsets.
Chief executive Seb James – who
is a friend of David Cameron –
said the effect of Britain’s Brexit
by Sabah Meddings
vote had yet to hit consumers.
But he warned of ‘uncertain’
times ahead as currency move-
ments took hold.
The gloomy prediction sent Dix-
ons Carphone shares down more
than 6.6pc yesterday, or 24.1p, to
close at 342.6p. The retailer, which
operates across Europe, said it was
preparing by cutting costs and
picking up customers from
competitors.
Dixons Carphone buys about
90pc of its products in sterling, and
is threatened by a rise in the cost
of white goods from suppliers
overseas.
Group revenue was up 11pc to
£4.9bn for the six months to Octo-
ber 29, and profit rose from £121m
to £144m.
It announced an interim dividend
of 3.5p, an increase of 8pc.
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016 Page 71

Yellen takes a bold step

O
VER the decades we have
Punch drunk tenanted landlords the freedom to buy from

Alex
become used to American other suppliers. Punch landlords who receive
THE hedge funds that dominate the Punch a cheaper rent deal by buying the beer
interest rates leading the Taverns share register took a punt on the through the pub owners have shown little
way for the UK, as they did British pub when no-one else was interested. enthusiasm.
after 9/11 and the financial Now they can look forward to a pay day. Hedge funds headed by New York-based
crisis when they kicked off an era of First out of the traps to grab Punch is the Glenview Capital Partners with a 22.2pc

super-low money costs for consum-
ers. But contrary to some of the ear-
lier forward guidance offered by the
governor of the Bank of England
Mark Carney, rates are now trending
in different directions.
Last night the chairman of Federal Reserve,
Janet Yellen, lifted interest rates by a quarter
point for the second time in a decade to a
range of 0.5pc to 0.75pc. She also alerted the
market to three hikes in 2017 to 1.4pc, a more
aggressive stance that previously thought.
The jump has been a long time coming,
postponed by market convulsions in China
and a reluctance to do anything in the heat
of an American election campaign.
In contrast, Britain moved in the opposite
direction in 2016. In the aftermath of the ref-
erendum vote on June 23 when political
chaos looked to be the order, Carney stepped
into the power vacuum and cut the bank rate
to 0.25pc, ordering a new round of money
printing and a facility to support banks.
Subsequently he indicated that in the light
of Brexit uncertainty and the depreciation of
the pound, the Bank intended to look
through the 2pc target for inflation and hold
Brummer
City Editor
interest rates low to support stability and
recovery. This suggests that in 2017 we can
expect to see a period when US rates and
those in the UK are no longer moving in lock-
step. The natural result of that would be to
see the pound weaken against the dollar
although the 15pc fall since the Brexit vote
should militate against a substantial move.
US markets have already anticipated an
era of higher (if still very low) rates by his-
torical standards and the 30-year bond yield
has jumped by as much as 44pc to 3.108pc.
Yields on British government bonds have
also moved up, but not by as much. However,
were there to be a substantial shift as infla-
tion looms into view, Carney and the interest
rate-setting Monetary Policy Committee
might need a rethink earlier than has been
expected.
Dutch brewer Heineken – already a huge
force in the UK through the 2008 purchase of
Scottish & Newcastle. It is the brewer of
Newcastle Brown, Bulmers cider and owner
of the  S&N chain of 1,100 boozers subse-
quently rebranded as Star Pubs & Bars. Its
offer values the equity in Punch’s 3,000 or so
tenanted pubs at £386m.
A second offer from an outfit called Emer-
ald, vehicle of one of Punch’s founders Alan
McIntosh, is thought to be worth £410m.
Whoever buys Punch will know that it comes
with a huge debt pile of £1.4bn, down from
£2.3bn in 2013. Heineken, as a wealthy pri-
vately owned global company, might seem
better able to absorb the debt and a portfolio
of pubs which struggles to make any profits at
all. But it will also face regulatory challenges.
The Competition & Markets Authority
would presumably want to look at a transac-
tion bringing together two of the country’s
biggest pub chains. It might also feel the
necessity to revisit the ‘beer orders’, which
sought to separate the mass-market brewers
such as Heineken from pubs so as to ease the
pressures on tenanted landlords and allow
consumers greater choice.
Earlier this year the Government acted
again to try and free up the market by giving
stake are not known for hanging around
when there is an offer on the table. As the
controllers of the vast majority of the equity,
they can be expected to push the board to
persuade Heineken to match or exceed the
Emerald offer. The regulatory complexity of
the beerage together with the debt anvil sug-
gests that this will not be sorted quickly.
Bad call
WHY is Seb James so miserable? Admittedly
his old mucker David Cameron is no longer
at Number 10. The Brexit he wrought has
been enormously beneficial to Dixons Car-
phone, delivering vastly better foreign
exchange revenues from the Nordic coun-
tries, Southern Europe and Carphone’s
smart Connected World Services.
In spite of all that has happened, the con-
sumer remains buoyant, credit is free and
easy and the nation’s top electronics retailer
goes into the holiday period with a great deal
of momentum. There is the risk of higher
prices for imported goods, but so far the
squeeze on real wages has yet to materialise.
For the moment the drop in the shares
looks overdone. Talking the country into
slowdown won’t help.

Delight for
Howard as
fraud probe
is dropped
INVESTIGATORS have
dropped a corruption probe
into an oil and gas company
chaired by Tory grandee
Lord Howard.
The Serious Fraud Office
said there was not enough
evidence to prosecute Soma
Oil and Gas over the allega-
tions of corruption in
Somalia.
It brings to an end the
probe opened in July 2015
following claims made by a
United Nations monitoring
group in the country.
The SFO said: ‘We have
concluded, based on the
information and material
we have obtained, that
there is insufficient evidence
to provide a realistic pros-
pect of conviction.’
It is believed the inquiry
centred on agreements
between Soma and the
Somalian government to
explore for gas in deep
water offshore fields.
In 2014 the UN called for
a moratorium on new explo-
ration deals in Somalia, fear-
ing they could heighten ten-
sions in the fragile country,
where there has been civil
war since 1991.
Private firm Soma always
denied the allegations and
stressed there was no suspi-
cion over Lord Howard, who
was an MP for 27 years.
Soma said it had com-
plained to the UN about its
report.
Lord Howard said: ‘I was
never in any doubt that this
would be their decision.’
BooHOO founder snaps
up sons’ fashion empire
■ Pretty Little Thing was set up in 2012
by Umar and Adam Kamani - sons of
Boohoo.com founder Mahmud Kamani
■ It is one of a number of internet
fashion firms for young people, including
Missguided which is aimed at ‘sassy and
hip’ young women
■ Pretty Little Thing has a huge
celebrity following with pop stars Little
Mix, Kim Kardashian’s sister Kylie
Jenner and Lionel Richie’s daughter
Sofia Richie all fans
■ Its most popular sellers are rock
dresses and evening dresses which
sell from £10 to £30
■ After the launch of its premium
collection, products ranging from
£50 to £100 sold out in three days
ONLINE fashion store Boohoo has
snapped up a company run by the sons
of its founder.
Boohoo splashed out £3.3m for a con-
trolling stake in PrettyLittleThing – a
rival online fashion site that caters to
the ‘sassy’ young woman.
The company was set up by Umar and
Adam Kamani, sons of Boohoo’s co-
founder Mahmud Kamani.
PrettyLittleThing has grown rapidly
since its launch in 2012, with half-year
revenues hitting £19m at the end of
August this year – up almost 200pc on
the year before.
Boohoo will own a 66pc stake, netting
Adam Kamani, 27, and another son,
Samir Kamani, 20, just over £1.6m each.
Umar, 28, will continue as chief execu-
tive, keeping his 34pc stake in the busi-
ness as an incentive to reach targets.
Boohoo said it had the option to
acquire the remaining 34pc at market
value in 2022.
It expects revenues to grow around
40pc for the financial year, up about
10pc on previous guidance, and earn-
ings margin growth of 11pc to 12pc.
PrettyLittleThing began as an accesso-
ries website but expanded to offer low-
cost seasonal fashion items based on
trends worn by social media celebrities.
Tool hire firm
that European
rivals are just
frantic to buy
THE bidding battle for tool hire
firm Lavendon has reached boil-
ing point after an existing offer
was trumped by £26m.
French-owned Loxam claimed
it had reached an agreement to
buy Lavendon for £374m – £26m
more than the amount offered by
Belgian rivals TVH.
The two firms have been locked
in a war, with both vying for own-
ership of the business.
Loxam, which supplies indus-
trial equipment across Europe,
offered to buy Lavendon for 220p
per share and said in a statement
yesterday that the firm’s direc-
tors ‘unanimously intended’ to
accept the offer.
The move would likely see the
firm take control of Lavendon’s
1,900-strong workforce as well as
its market-leading business in
the UK and Middle East.
Lavendon directors are poised
to make £2.1m from the deal.
But TVH, which was given the
go-ahead by German competi-
tion authorities on Monday,
refused to accept the bid as a
done deal.
The Belgian firm issued a state-
ment saying its previous offer of
£348m was no longer final and
urged shareholders not to react.
by Victoria Ibitoye
Insiders said the firm would
likely be looking to make a coun-
ter-bid. Lavendon’s shares, which
rose 10.7p to 231.2p yesterday,
suggested the market thinks the
battle is far from over.
The fight for Lavendon, which
kicked off at the end of Novem-
ber, has been a surprise bidding
war in the City.
The firm, whose cherry pickers
were used in the making of the
Harry Potter films and help with
window cleaning at the Louvre in
Paris, has seen its share price
rocket from 139p.
TVH was the first to make a
hostile takeover bid, but stum-
bled after the Lavendon board
decided not to pursue its offer at
the eleventh hour.
It was rebuffed, with bosses cit-
ing concerns over execution risk
and potential disruption.
According to reports, the com-
pany’s largest shareholder,
M&G, withdrew its recommen-
dation because it believed the
business could get a better
deal.
Loxam shareholders are
believed to still be mulling over
the deal.

Zara sales keep rising Tech giant takeover plan Spread better threats
Velvet dresses, miniskirts
and military blazers helped
boost sales for the owner of
Zara.
Inditex, the world’s larg-
est fashion retailer, posted
strong sales in the nine
months to October –
despite an industry-wide
slowdown.
Sales rose 11pc to £13.7bn
while profits were up 9pc to
£1.8bn, thanks to a speedy
production model that ena-
bles it to quickly adapt to
customer tastes.
Inditex has upgraded its
headquarters and rolled out
radio identification chips to
speed up inventory checks.
The company has outper-
formed its rivals, which have
been plagued by changing
weather conditions and
stiffer competition online.
Both Abercrombie & Fitch
and Gap posted disappoint-
ing fourth-quarter results.
BRITISH tech giant Micro
Focus is continuing on the
acquisition trail, despite
shelling out £6.9bn on a
takeover of US firm Hewlett
Packard Enterprise.
Boss Kevin Loosemore said
mergers and acquisitions
would continue to be a key
part of the company’s strat-
egy, as it looked to build on
double-digit growth. It came
as the FTSE 100 firm, which
specialises in maintaining
and upgrading older soft-
ware systems, reported a
13.3pc rise in revenue to
£539.8m for the six months
to October 31.
Profit was up 14.6pc to
£425.5m, and the group said
a deal with HP Enterprise
would complete in the third
quarter of next year.
A SPREAD betting firm
founded by former top Con-
servative Sir Peter Cruddas
could quit the country in a
row over a crackdown by the
City watchdog.
CMC Markets was set up
by the ex-Tory co-treasurer
in 1989 and allows punters
to bet on market moves.
But its business model is
threatened by a Financial
Conduct Authority shake-up
of rules governing compli-
cated trading devices known
as contracts for difference.
The regulator wants to
make it more difficult for
consumers who might not
understand these products
to rack up huge losses.
The unexpected consulta-
tion sent CMC shares tum-
bling 37.6pc and cost Crud-
das – who owns a 57.36pc
stake – £114m. The firm is
considering a move to where
regulations are looser.
Page 72
FTSE 100 FTSE 250 FTSE All Share DOW NIKKEI HANG SENG DAX BRENT CRUDE GOLD
6949.19 17682.38
19.38
0.28%
H:7129.83 L:5499.51 H:18607.13 L:14951.64
£/$ 1.2703 s 0.0019 £/€ 1.1924 s 0.0004
HIGH: 1.5882 LOW: 1.2131 HIGH: 1.4399 LOW: 1.1053
Australian takeover lifts
floor firm to record high
The acquisition of an Australian
rival sent shares in Victoria Floor-
ing to an all-time high. The pur-
chase of Dunlop Flooring for £20m
is Victoria’s seventh acquisition
since chief executive Geoff Wilding
took over the firm and embarked
on a turnaround plan.
It’s the second company Victoria
has bought which is focused on
underlay. The first was Interfloor in
September 2015.
Wilding said: ‘It’s an obvious area
for us to expand into because for
every carpet that is purchased,
underlay is usually bought too.’
Dunlop reported revenue of £30m
in the year to June 30, and earnings
of £3.5m.
Victoria supplies around 3,000
flooring stores in the UK, largely
independent shops as well as some
major retailers, and around 800 in
Australia. After the acquisition,
around 30pc of the company’s
earnings will come from Australia.
Shares climbed to an all-time
high of 370p in the day, but closed
up 3.9pc, or 13.5p at 356.5p.
A ‘transformative’ acquisition
boosted Burford Capital. The
finance company has bought Chi-
cago-based investment manager
High Low
BANKS
Aldermore Group.... 219
Bco Santander........ 40834 -8
-1
+0.4%
23714
48514
102
23012
Barclays.................. 221 4 -814
3
26714 121
BGEO Group.......... 3130 -112 3561 1538
CYBG..................... 271 -312 307 179
HSBC Hldgs........... 65914 -34 680 39214
Lloyds Bk Gp.......... 6234 +14 7414 47
Metro Bank............. 3261 -49 3425 1501
Royal Bk Scot......... 21712 -2 31014 14812
Shawbrook Group... 254 36334 11714
Stan Chart.............. 68234 +1412 71914 37312
Virgin Money........... 29334 -114 391 196
BUILDING -0.7%
Balfour Beatty......... 27112 -812 29914 185
Barratt Dev............. 45412 -614 63812
Bellway................... 2413* -13 289712
326
1622
Berkeley Group....... 2778 -40 3788
Bovis Homes.......... 822 -712 1028
2015
430
Countryside Prop.... 234 +314 290 17012
Crest Nicholson...... 454 -5 60712 324
CRH........................ 2666 -13 3029 1581
Galliford Try............ 1262 +1 1574 73934
Grafton Group......... 527 -812 75612 435
Ibstock.................... 18012 -1 22714 11314
Keller...................... 807 +1 1044 64312
Kier......................... 1390 1432 91712
Marshalls................ 277 -212 35712 19912
Mccarthy&Stone..... 158 -312 295 12914
Persimmon............. 1688 -11 2255 1170
Polypipe Group....... 30134 -214 360 217
Redrow................... 41734 +12 478 100
Taylor Wimpey........ 152 -1 212 10912
Travis Perkins......... 1422 -4 2008 1090
BUSINESS SERVICES -0.3%
AA........................... 27634 -134 31514 20912
Aggreko.................. 87612 +8 1305 751
Ashtead Group....... 1609 -16 1654 749
Atkins (Ws)............. 1433* -3 1750 1110
Babcock Intl............ 93212* +12 1112 780
Berendsen.............. 811 -2 1371 76312
Bunzl....................... 2033* -18 2588 1722
Capita..................... 477 +2412 1236
Carillion................... 23712 -312 31814
43114
196
Essentra................. 431 -4 894 36634
Experian................. 1501 +1 1606 1064
G4S........................ 232 4 -334 25414
1
145
Hays....................... 146 +12 151 91
Homeserve............. 623* +312 63312 35334
Intertek.................... 3341 -3 3806 2569
MITIE...................... 218 -212 31914 165
Paypoint.................. 879* +5 117612 700
PageGroup............. 38712 -14 504 15614
Regus..................... 240 -312 33714 200
Rentokil Initial......... 206 -34 237 14712
Royal Mail............... 44712* -512 549 41234
Serco Grp............... 138 4 -34 14214
3
76
SIG......................... 96 -12 14934 8612
Worldpay Group..... 26334 -312 32034 24712
CHEMICALS +0.2%
Croda Intl................ 3125 -5 3721 2729
Elementis................ 25934 -434 26912 17912
Johnson Matth........ 3101* +30 3568 2215
Synthomer.............. 372 -212 39012 27234
Victrex..................... 1845 +13 1895 127512
3772.28
33.24 9.52
0.19% 0.25%
H:3880.20 L:3031.01
Tourist rates
£1 BUYS
Aus $. . . . . . . . 1.60
Can $. . . . . . . . 1.58
Market report
Gerchen Keller Capital for an ini-
tial £126m in a combination of
cash, shares and loan notes. Numis
said that together the two ‘will be
by far the largest global litigation
finance operator’.
The stockbroker, which upped its
rating on the business to ‘buy’, said
the deal could boost Burford’s
earnings by around 30pc. Shares
surged 16.3pc, or 78.5p to 558.5p.
The FTSE 100 finished off 0.3pc, or
19.38 points down at 6949.19. Gold
and silver miner Polymetal Interna-
tional was the highest riser as the
price of the yellow metal climbed
almost 0.5pc during the day to peak
at $1161.8. Polymetal was up 6.4pc,
or 48.5p to 805.5p. Gold later
reversed to close down 1.28pc.
Dixons Carphone was the great-
top Risers
closing
price
Paysafe 330.5p 8.11%
IG 486.2p 7.88%
Hastings 236.5p 6.82%
Polymetal 805.5p 6.41%
Capita 476.9p 5.42%
High Low
DRINKS -0.9%
Barr (A.G.).............. 485 + 614 455
1
4
1
2
1
4
Britvic...................... 555* -12 74012 521
Coca-Cola HBC...... 1615 -22 1889 1250
Diageo.................... 2057 -1912 228612 172412
Greene King........... 705 +1212 96112 65412
Marston’s................ 13914 +34 17114 12634
Wetherspn (JD)...... 83012 +7 99312 58912
ELECTRONICS -0.2%
Diploma.................. 973* +3 97412 62112
Electrocompon........ 473* -212 483 20034
ENGINEERING -0.4%
BAE Systems.......... 589 -812 63112 45512
BBA Aviation........... 271 +7 27512 14934
Cobham.................. 163 -12 24812 12414
GKN........................ 31912 340 24534
Halma..................... 925 2 +15 1131
1
77312
Hill&Smith............... 1197* -5 131914
Meggitt.................... 47434 +112 485
728
34212
Morgan Adv............ 29034 -234 31034 18712
Qinetiq.................... 249 -114 27534
Renishaw................ 2552 +95 2995
204
1577
Rolls Royce............ 670* -8 87512 497
Senior..................... 192 +334 245 161
Spectris................... 2225 +4 2250 1441
Ultra Electronics..... 1890 +1 2049 1573
FINANCIAL COMPANIES +0.4%
3iGroup................... 679* -11 705
Aberdeen Ast.......... 25734* +234 35412
389
20812
Allied Minds............ 42412 +412 490 239
Ashmore Grp.......... 290 -14 37812 19312
Brewin Dolphin....... 28814 +14 31914 150
Close Bros.............. 1410 +18 1477 975
CMC Markets.......... 100* +5 29312 91
Hargreave Lans...... 1227 +12 1531 1056
Henderson.............. 229 +12 31214 19212
ICAP....................... 46934* +1 53512 36414
IG............................ 48614 +3512 96734 44134
Intermed Cap.......... 68812* -1 70712 39534
Intl Person Fin........ 17412 +8 34412 14734
Investec.................. 53712* -212 545 387
IP Group................. 16012 -12 225 11734
John Laing Grp....... 280 -112 28212 19512
Jupiter Fd Mgmt...... 430 +414 46434 32412
Lon Stock Ex.......... 2719 -25 2960 2083
Man Group.............. 11814 -12 17634 10212
Onesavings Bank... 35634 +6 38434 17314
Paragon Gp Cos..... 39014 394 225
Paysafe Group........ 33012 +2434 47412 22914
Provident Fin.......... 2714 +43 340214 2125
Rathbone Bros........ 1910 +21 2373 1577
19792.53 19253.61
118.68 3.09
0.60% 0.02%
H:19953.75 L:15450.56 H:19869.08 L:14864.01
est faller of the day. Shares slumped
6.6pc, or 24.1p to 342.6p, despite
the electronics retailer reporting
bumper sales.
Steelwork specialist Severfield
by Holly reported new contracts in India
worth £29m. The construction con-
tractor, which worked on sites such
Black as Anfield Stadium and London
Bridge Station, has entered into a
joint venture on a range of projects
i n Ke r a l a , D e l h i a n d o t h e r
locations.
In partnership with Indian steel
manufacturer JSW Steel, Sever-
field will work on two high-rise
towers, a large parking facility, two
industrial projects and a technology
building. Shares were flat at 74p.
An acquisition announcement by
Idox was eclipsed by news that the
company was placing shares to
raise £20.5m. The software business
is looking to buy 6PM Holdings, an
IT company listed on the Malta
Stock Exchange, which provides
software to the NHS, for £18.5m.
A busy day for Idox. It also
reported its final results in which
revenue was up 23pc to £76.7m in
the year to October 31, while pre-
tax profit was 33pc higher at £13m.
The placing of new shares is to
daily
change reason
top FALLers
Broker backing JD Sports 313.6p 7.08%
HQ to stay in UK Dixons Carphone 342.6p 6.57%
Acquisition news Thomas Cook 84.7p 4.67%
Mining rally Sports Direct 280.4p 3.81%
Sector sentiment Barclays 221.8p 3.63%
High Low High Low
Schroders............... 2936 -2 3045 1960
SVG Capital............ 707 -512 71312 444
St James Place....... 1010 +21 1023 521
Standard Life.......... 36012 +12 39814 24814
Tullett Prebon......... 43634 -214 458 27034
INVESTMENT TRUSTS -0.3%
FOOD MANUFACTURING -0.5% 3i Infrastruct............ 185* -114 20312 165
A.B.Foods............... 2711 -2 3465 1910 Aberforth Sm Co..... 1062 -1 1215 835
Cranswick............... 2268* +22 2609 1822 Alliance Trust.......... 59612* +3 607 44714
Dairy Crest.............. 602 +512 700 503 Bankers IT.............. 68012 -8 70012 522
Greencore Group.... 237* -8 32614 19314 BH Macro(GBP)...... 2087 -2 2098 1870
Premier Foods........ 4534 +1 62 2934
Tate & Lyle............. 68112* -212 850 529
British Empire Tst... 622* 64112 405
Caledonia Invs........ 2493* -17 2545 2055
Unilever.................. 3170 2 -23 380712
1
2715 City Of London........ 39634 -14 42014 33812
Edinburgh IT........... 696 748 618
HEALTH -0.4% Electra Prvt Eq........ 4640 -29 4706 324014
Mediclinic Int........... 74412 +12 1174 67512 Fid China Spec Sit.. 17414 -2 19912 109
NMC Health............ 1405 -43 1512 741 Fidelity Europe........ 17612 -34 18612 15114
PZ Cussons............ 31334 +34 37412 24034 FinsburyGth&Inc..... 63312 +112 684 521
Smith & Neph......... 1165 -1 1324 104014 Foreign & ColIT...... 528 -1 531 390
Spire Healthcare..... 34714* +1 411 27512 GCP Infrastruct....... 12412 -12 138 11412
Genesis Emr Mkt.... 587 644 408
INDUSTRIALS -0.2% GreencoatUKWnd.. 11914 +12 120 10014
HarbourVest Glbl.... 1109 +1 1120 853
Bodycote................. 62612 +112 64412 49314
HICL Infrastr........... 168* -12 18512 150
Brit Amer Tob......... 446812 +16 5135 3536
DCC........................ 5880 -10 8030 4654 Intl Public Prtn........ 155 -114 16412 13714
Fisher J & Sons...... 1595 +7 1699 935 John Laing Infra...... 128 141 113
JPMorgan Amer...... 359 -12 37934 244
IMI........................... 1022 +13 1138 717
JPMorgan Emerg.... 665 -12 767 47814
Imperial Brands...... 3487* -1312 4154 3324
Mondi...................... 1550 -34 1702 1108 JPMorgan Indian.... 593 -612 698 430
Reckitt Ben............. 6674 -23 7786 5839 Mercantile IT........... 1657 -6 1845 1369
Rotork..................... 249 +212 254 15014 Monks Inv Tst......... 561 +112 563 36012
RPC........................ 1053 -9 1106 64612 Murray Intl Tst......... 1166 -12 1195 73912
NB Glbl Fltg Rate.... 9712 +14 9712 8414
Smith(DS)............... 40712 -1034
Smiths..................... 1411 -16
43114 329
1543 858 P2P Global Invs...... 776 +312 103134 72112
Perp Inc & Gwth..... 355 2* -1 41912 330
1 BT........................... 36334 +414 50214 34214
Smurfit Kappa......... 1802 -31 1847 142414
Personal Asts Tst....... 38710* -10 40550 34000
Spirax-Sarco........... 4211 +11 4745 2664
Vesuvius................. 39712 +114 40512 265 Polar Cap Tech....... 82112 +3 855 50312
Weir Group............. 1831 +1 1936 76412 Renewable Infra..... 108* 10934 8834
Wolseley................. 4922 -34 4983 3214 RIT Cap Ptnr........... 1823 -27 1854 1512
Riverstone Energy.. 1295 +4 1326 71912
INSURANCE -0.2% Scot Mortgage........ 312 -14 34312 21834
Scottish Inv Tst....... 762 -1 78212 540
Admiral Grp............ 1796 -7 2288 1591 3
4 Big Yellow............... 658* +112 89312 62912
Temple BarIT.......... 1198* -13 1211 922
Aviva....................... 47314 -134 52212 290
Temple Emrg Mkts 57212 -2 62612 36812
Beazley................... 38114 -12 413 314
TR Prop Inv Tst...... 287* -114 323 24134
Direct Line Ins......... 34812 -114 419 323
esure Group............ 19412 -14 311 183
Witan Inv Tst........... 867* -212 87314 683
Woodfd Pat Cap..... 91 102 8012
Hastings Grp........... 23612 +15 24034 14314
Worldwide Health... 2028* -12 2208 1541
Hiscox..................... 1005 -5 1106 89612
Jardine Lloyd.......... 96312 -312 1070 76912
JRP Group.............. 13612 -12 172 8414 IT & INTERNET +1.5%
Lancashire Hldg...... 67012* +1412 775 467 Aveva...................... 1835 +46 2228 1221
Legal & Gen............ 238 -134 272 16012 Computacenter....... 80512 +15 885 66612
Old Mutual.............. 19314 -112 22512 148 Fidessa Grp............ 2249 -24 2656 1729
Phoenix Grp............ 70612 +212 80934 61014 Micro Focus............ 2219 +89 2400 1275
Prudential............... 156812 -612 1649 1085 NCC Group............. 18412 +1 37714 17112
RSA Insur............... 559 -1 57012 371 Sage....................... 638 +112 761 543
22456.62 11244.84
9.92
0.04%
H:24364.00 L:18278.80 H:11300.44 L:8699.29
Den Kr. . . . . . . 8.40 Jpn ¥. . . . . 138.53 SA R. . . . . . . . . 16.21 Turk l. . . . . . . . .4.16
Euro € . . . . . . . . 1.13 NZ $. . . . . . . . . . 1.63 Sw Fr. . . . . . . . . .1.22 US $. . . . . . . . . . . 1.21
www.travelex.co.uk
raise £20.5m to fund the acquisi-
tion and provide working capital
for the business. Shares slipped
5.4pc, or 3.75p to 66.25p.
FreeAgent flew as it reported rev-
enue had climbed 36pc to £3.6m in
the first half of the year. The
accounting software business,
which listed on AIM last month,
said it made a pre-tax loss of £1.3m
in the six months to September 30.
It compares with a loss of £433,000
in the same period a year ago.
But FreeAgent said the figures
reflected its investment in gaining
new customers – it now has 16,724
direct clients, up from 14,582 a year
ago – and said the repayment of
debt had strengthened its balance
sheet. Shares advanced 9.1pc, or
7.5p to 89.5p.
Investors backed Tungsten Cor-
poration after it reduced its post-
tax losses by £15.5m. The firm,
which provides e-invoicing and
purchase order services to compa-
nies, lost £4.5m in the six months
to October 31.
Revenue was up 20pc on last year
to £15.5m and the full-year loss was
likely to be less than £13m, with
revenue of at least £30m. Shares
advanced 3.9pc, or 2p to 53p.
closing
price
daily
change reason
High Low
Softcat.................... 298* -214 38334
Sophos Group........ 26314* -1 28834
260
146
IT HARDWARE +0.8%
Laird........................ 15412 +114 385 12312
LEISURE 0.0%
Carnival.................. 4045* +34 4177 2917
Cineworld Grp......... 555 +12 618 45434
Compass................ 1378 -11 1559 1079
Domino Pizza......... 349 2 -334 40512
1
27934
GVC Holdings......... 615 -2 118012 409
Int Cont Htls............ 3448 +2 3528 2504
Ladbrokes Coral..... 118 2 +212 16434
1
10512
Merlin Ent............... 43034 -134 495 31634
Millenn & Copth...... 45834 -1 490 360
Mitch & Butl............ 24114* +712 34712 207
Paddy Powr Betfr.... 8355 -120 9095 8355
Playtech.................. 767 -11 95412 699
Rank....................... 196 +12 30112 183
Restaurant Gp........ 31812 +34 692 22934
SSP Group............. 380 +12 390 26012
Thomas Cook......... 8434 -414 12434 5212
TUI AG.................... 1077 +4 1284 813
Whitbread............... 3569* +109 4553 3283
William Hill.............. 29034 +334 41534 23512
MEDIA +0.2%
Ascential................. 267 -134 31012 20014
AutoTrader Grp....... 391 -514 455 30734
DMGT..................... 784* 836 571
Entertainm’t One..... 230
Euromoney Inst...... 1056* -9
26212
1240
12512
79712
Informa................... 66312 +212 70412 52614
ITV.......................... 195 +3 279 141
Moneysupmkt......... 28214 +34 38134 22512
Pearson.................. 808 +512 98912 64412
RELX...................... 1379 -5 1514 631
Rightmove.............. 3750 +39 4416 3159
Sky.......................... 98312 -412 1134 560
UBM........................ 70112 -1312 750 530
WPP....................... 1775 +15 1875 1204
Zoopla Prop Grp..... 318 +12 34914 18912
MINING 0.0%
Acacia Mining......... 39712 +13 615 154
Anglo Amer............. 120212 +24 128312 21512
Antofagasta............ 721 -1712 789 34012
BHP Billiton............. 135512 -6 141912 57112
Centamin................ 13012 +314 184 5934
Evraz...................... 25412 -2 28034 54
Fresnillo.................. 1180 +40 205714 63212
Glencore................. 27912 -434 308 6914
Hochschild Mng...... 243 +234 32712 3834
Kaz Minerals........... 39214 +412 431 8334
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016
$53.81 $1143.70
39.81 $1.91 $14.84
0.35% 3.43% 1.28%
H: 55.72 L: 27.88 H: 1365.78 L: 1051.36
for indication use only
Stock
watch
Pence TP GROUP
6
Close:
5 6.25p
4
Source: Google Finance
3
2
J FMAMJ J A S ON D
■ TP GROUP soared as it reported
full-year performance would
likely significantly exceed
expectations.
The firm, which provides air puri-
fication equipment for subma-
rines among other things, said
recent contract wins and a strong
order book meant earnings were
set to be higher than forecast.
Last week TP said its engineer-
ing business had won a two-year
contract with GE Oil & Gas worth
£1.5m. In the six months to June
30, TP reported revenue of £9.4m,
up 13pc on the year before.
Shares yesterday soared 21.9pc,
or 1.12p to 6.25p.
High Low
LondnMetric Prop... 149* +12
RedefineInt............. 3914
Safestore Hldgs...... 330 -2
Savills..................... 68712 -112
16734
5214
41514
899
134
3412
312
54214
Retail worries Segro...................... 44234 -134 464 33112
Brexit uncertainty Shaftesbury............ 89012 -1412 1008 650
St Modwen.............. 305 +12 430 218
Investor sentiment TritaxBigBoxREIT... 13512 +12 149 11412
Business concerns UK Commcl Prop.... 82 8714 65
Unite Grp................ 569 66712 54112
Banking bears Workspace.............. 733 -7 98912 569
High Low
RETAILERS -0.6%
Petra Diamonds...... 158 +12 17312
Polymetal................ 80512 +4812 1209 511
64
AOWorld................. 184 198 11912
Randgold Res......... 5940 +160 9820 3948
B&M EuroValRetl.... 26134* +1 31212 21812
Booker.................... 169 -34 192 14734
Rio Tinto................. 316712 -312 334012 1557
Brown(N.)............... 21014 -34 369 160
Vedanta Res........... 933* +312 972 19514
Burberry.................. 1460 -14 1567 1039
Card Factory........... 254 -2 38834 23834
OIL & GAS -0.1% Debenhams............ 5634* 8214 5114
AmecFoster............ 45612* +14 631 32112 DFS Furniture......... 219* -12 345 17514
BP........................... 481* -134 49812 24912 Dignity..................... 2404 +9 2940 2202
Cairn Energy........... 22012 -14 23234 12434
Hunting................... 592 -912 639 232
Dixons Carph.......... 34212 -24 50612 242
Dunelm................... 811 +1212 1018 724
Petrofac.................. 910 -412 1016 635 Greggs.................... 91412 -1512 1335 869
Royal Dutch A......... 2136* +3 216512 1256
Halfords.................. 358 +12 45214 29912
Royal Dutch B......... 223812* -212 226512 1261
Howden Joinery...... 37112 -12 52812 33934
Tullow Oil................ 31614 -334 34614 11614
Inchcape................. 642 -7 78712 574
Wood Grp (J).......... 86612 -2 89812 53112
JDSports................. 31312* -24 342 19714
JustEat.................... 59712 +6 60334 31912
PHARMACEUTICALS -0.4% Kingfisher................ 342 -312 39012 300
AstraZeneca........... 4305 -11 5505 3680 Marks & Spencer.... 34912* 469 255
BTG........................ 567 +4 73912 55012 MorrisonWm........... 228 +112 23014 13834
Dechra Pharma...... 1288 +3 1462 811 Next........................ 4870* -46 7550 3550
Genus..................... 1785 -13 2113 1281 OcadoGrp............... 25112 +234 35214 203
GlaxoSmithKl.......... 1490* -1012 174512 127714
Pets at Home Grp... 233* -1 28812 204
Hikma..................... 1729 -4 2703 1575 Saga....................... 18912 +14 22712 17034
Indivior.................... 27914 -8 377 12612
Sainsbury (J).......... 24912* +312 29412 21112
Shire....................... 4435 +2 5377 270714
SportsDirect............ 28012 -11 59312 22034
UDG Healthcare..... 667 -15 69512 49114
Super Group........... 1601 -12 173312 1100
Vectura Grp............ 13734 200 123
TedBaker................ 2655 -15 3429 2069
Tesco...................... 20534 +1 21912 137
POWER & WATER -0.4% WH Smith............... 1447 -24 1893 1174
Centrica.................. 219 -214 24812 18212
Drax........................ 319 +412 364
National Grid........... 922* +112 1148
205
889
TELECOMS -0.1%
Pennon................... 796 -712 958 761
Inmarsat.................. 73512 -3 1153 66312
Severn Trent........... 2181* -9 2526 2024
SSE........................ 1508 -17 1644 1317 TalkTalk.................. 16312* -14 28014 145
United Utils............. 892 -7 106512 85312 Telecom Plus.......... 1213* +7 1265 800
Vodafone................ 199* -134 240 18834
PROPERTY -0.3%
Assura.................... 57 +12 61 48
TRANSPORT -1.7%
Clarkson................. 2140 +15 2500 1629
Easyjet.................... 98012 -812 1771 851
British Land............. 624 808 500
First Group.............. 10214 -1 116 7912
Capital & Cnties...... 29312 -312 45134 25714
Go-Ahead............... 2130 -1 2722 1775
CLS Hldgs.............. 1555 +5 1880 1125
Countrywide............ 179 +1 41734 16414 Intl Cons Airlns....... 434 -1212 619 28134
Natl Express........... 353 -3 379 25234
Daejan Hldgs.......... 6140 -110 6600 4401
Stagecoach............. 21334 -12 35612 19334
Derwent Ldn........... 2702 +11 3743 2230
F&C Comm Prop.... 13534* -12 139 98 Wizz Air Hldgs........ 1836 -13 2021 1380
Grainger.................. 23314 -34 249 193 * - Ex-div
Great Portland........ 64712* -312 856 53412
Hammerson............ 550 -812 61512 400
Hansteen................ 10712 -134 121 9412
IntuProps................ 271 -114 327 25434
Kennedy Wilson...... 98212 +212 1220 87712
Land Secs............... 1021* +3 1211 810
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016
Racemail 73
Exeter RUK robin goodfellow
12.30 Cajun Fiddle
gimcrack
12.30 Arctic Lady
Chelmsford City ATR robin goodfellow
4.40 Omran 4.40 Omran
GIMCRACK

4.40 —MEDIAN
1.00 Rocklander 1.00 Space Oddity AUCTION MAIDEN STAKES (5) 5.15 Rebel Lightning 5.15 Rebel Lightning
12.30—SNOWS
1
LEXUS EXETER MARES’ NOVICES’ HURDLE
(4) £5,000 added (£3,249) 2m 2f 111yds (18)
4470-21 CAJUN FIDDLE 30 A King 5-11-2.........................................T Cannon •78
1.30 Tagrita
2.00 Le Prezien
2.35 Castarnie
1.30 Tagrita
2.00 L’Ami Serge
2.35 Long John
(2-Y-O) £6,000 added (£3,881) 7f (10)
1 (7) 9 FALBON 29 M Botti 9-5.......................... T Marquand —
5.50 Threebagsue
6.25 Alkhor
7.00 Mercy Me
5.50 With Pleasure
6.25 Plucky Dip
2 (2) 78 MAORI BOB 36 M Bell 9-5.......................S Donohoe — 7.00 Mercy Me
2 07-9 ACTLIKEACOUNTESS 29 N Mulholland 5-10-10... S Twiston-Davies — 3.10 Give Me A Copper 3.10 Bindon Mill 7.30 Catastrophe 7.30 Catastrophe
3 A MONTMARTRE F404 N Mitchell 4-10-10...............Paul O’Brien (5) — 3 (1) 88 NOBLE ATTITUDE 182 J Best 9-5.................. K Fox —
3.45 Abbeygrey 3.45 Brave Deed 8.00 Lady Bacchus (nap) 8.00 Farrah’s Choice
4 15-3# ARCTIC LADY 205 (T) T R George 5-10-10..................... A P Heskin — 4 (6) 2 OMRAN 40 M Botti 9-5.............................. D Muscutt •78
5 (9) 83 SECOND PAGE 40 R Hannon 9-5...............K O’Neill 73 Northerner – 5.50 With Pleasure (nap);
5 45 EARTH LADY 36 P Hobbs 4-10-10.....................................R Johnson 58
6 3-25 ELLENS WAY 29 J Scott 4-10-10.....................................N Scholfield 77
2.35 —MIDAS CONSTRUCTION HANDICAP CHASE (CHALLENGER
MIDDLE DISTANCE SERIES QUALIFIER) (4) £6,000 added
6 (10) L SECRET WILLOW 29 J Long 9-5................R Powell —
7 (5) 4 SPECIAL RELATION 65 H Morrison 9-5..... L Keniry 66
6.25 Shypen (nb).
7 72 FLIGHTY FILIA 36 J Frost 4-10-10............................ Miss B Frost (7) 63
8 5/321-25# GOODGIRLTERESA 11 N King 6-10-10............................A Coleman —
9 6 LADY KARINA 22 Miss V Williams 5-10-10......................L Treadwell 75

1
(£3,899) 2m 3f 48yds (10)
9322-PP BALLINVARRIG 55 (P) (C&DD) (S) T R George 9-12-3.. A P Heskin 77
8 (4) WILLWAMS R Hannon 9-5............................ S Levey —
9 (3) LA ISLA BONITA Richard Spencer 9-0..... T Queally — 7.00 —FILLIES’ HANDICAP
(£4,205) 1m 2f (12)
(5) £6,500 added

1 (6) 643 STARLIT CANTATA 22 (P) (D4) Eve J-Houghton 5-9-7

10 31-38 LAMANVER ODYSSEY 29 H Fry 4-10-10............................. N Fehily 64 2 141U6L BENZEL 19 (S) Jonjo O’Neill 8-12-2............................... B J Geraghty 77 10 (8) 32 PREOBRAJENSKA 174 (H) M Bell 9-0.........A Kirby 75 J Fahy 77
11 14-4P MERIBEL MILLIE 68 (T) N Mulholland 5-10-10.... Mr James King (7) — 3 222L33 ALLOW DALLOW 12 (P) (S) Mrs N Evans 9-11-12 Rob Williams (3) •78 Probable SP: 13-8 Omran, 3 Preobrajenska, 6 Willwams, 7 2 (11) 134 CELESTIAL BAY 280 (C) S Kirk 7-9-7.........G Baker 75
12 350-L# PRIMROSE COURT 15 Mrs L Young 6-10-10.................. S Corby (3) — 4 054U2U FOLLOW THE SWALLOW 53 G McPherson 8-11-11 Kielan Woods 74 Second Page, 8 Special Relation, 14 Falbon. 3 (8) LL8 LOVEABLE HELEN 27 (H) (D) R Fahey 3-9-6..D Nolan 76

13 7/9-26 RUBY WILDE 51 G McPherson 5-10-10.......................Kielan Woods 64
14 F1- SHALUNA 243 K Bailey 6-10-10............................................... D Bass —
15 84/8 SUPREME PERFORMER 16 (T) S Drinkwater 5-10-10.... R T Dunne —
16 L-0214# VERDANA BLUE 76 N Henderson 4-10-10........................... D Jacob —
17 12-L WHICH ONE IS WHICH 29 Jonjo O’Neill 5-10-10.......... B J Geraghty —
18 UP11/ WILLOW BIRD 676 A Honeyball 7-10-10................... D G Noonan (3) —
Probable SP: 11-4 Cajun Fiddle, 9-2 Verdana Blue, 13-2 Arctic Lady, 8 Which
One Is Which, 12 Meribel Millie, 14 Shaluna, Earth Lady, Willow Bird, Lamanver
Odyssey, 16 Ruby Wilde, Goodgirlteresa, Flighty Filia, Ellens Way.
FAVOURITES: 0 0 3 2 1 3 – 0 0 1 AGES: 4 4 5 4 5 6 – 5 4 5
5 L/4521-L RATIFY 29 (D2) (S) D Burchell 12-11-9.............................. R T Dunne 76
6 P7P1L/P FLAMING CHARMER 12 (S) C Tizzard 8-11-9..................R Johnson —
7 3/425-7L COCO DES CHAMPS 29 (T) K Bailey 6-11-7.......................... D Bass —
8 PFLP-73 DANCE FLOOR KING 25 (S) N Mitchell 9-11-5..................... D Jacob 73
9 P11/LP-2 CASTARNIE 25 (P) (C) (S) R Walford 8-11-4........................ N Fehily 75
10 13L4L-2 LONG JOHN 29 (C&D) (S) Miss J Du Plessis 9-10-12.....D G Noonan (3) 77
Probable SP: 11-4 Castarnie, 6 Long John, 13-2 Dance Floor King, 15-2
Flaming Charmer, 8 Allow Dallow, 10 Benzel, Ballinvarrig, Follow The Swallow.
FAVOURITES: – – – – – – – 3 1 0 (W 11-6). AGES: – – – – – – – 6 6 8
2015: Long John 8 10 11 (James Best) 10-1 Miss J Du Plessis 6 ran.
5.15 —HANDICAP
(5) £6,500 added (£4,205) 7f 4 (12) 239 DAME JUDI 81 (P) S Crisford 3-9-3............. R Havlin 73
(8) 5 (9) 173 MERCY ME 8 (C&DD) J Ryan 4-9-2..............A Kirby 77
1 (5) 758 VARSOVIAN 14 (C2) D Ivory 6-9-10.......J Duern (3) 76 6 (1) 41L PRINCESS RAIHANA 20 (P) (C&D) M Botti 3-9-0
D Muscutt 77
2 (3) 643 CORPORAL MADDOX 30 (HP) (D8) R Harris 9-9-9 7 (4) L25 TABLA 141 L Carter 4-9-0.................... Martin Harley 76
L Morris 76
8 (5) 232 POLYMNIA 24 (B) R Hannon 3-8-12 Hollie Doyle (5) 77
3 (6) 105 PENDO 27 J Best 5-9-6.................................... K Fox 77 9 (3) 145 ZAIN ARION 114 (BF) J Butler 3-8-11........ J F Egan 74
4 (8) 304 GLENALMOND 7 D Steele 4-9-5.............S Donohoe 77
10 (7) 764 MAQAM 117 R Hannon 3-8-9....................... S Levey 73
5 (1) 4L1 BOBBY BENTON 94 (D) Jim Best 5-9-4 T J Murphy 77 11 (2) 522 INDIGO PRINCESS 13 M Appleby 3-8-7..... L Morris •78
6 (7) 452 REBEL LIGHTNING 15 (B) (D2) Richard Spencer 12 (10) 434 POWER UP 50 (C&D2D) R Ingram 5-8-7
3-9-3 A Kirby •78 Rhiain Ingram (7) 77

3.10 —WORLD
2015: Jessber’s Dream 5 11 2 (N Fehily) 8-11 Fav H Fry 10 ran. DARTS BETTING AT 188BET MAIDEN HURDLE (4) 7 (2) 013 EAST COAST LADY 14 (C) W Stone 4-9-3 Hollie Doyle (5) 77 Probable SP: 9-2 Indigo Princess, 6 Mercy Me, 7 Maqam,

1.00 —188BET.CO.UK
1
HANDICAP HURDLE (3) £9,000 added (£5,848)
2m 2f 111yds (12)
£5,000 added (£3,249) 2m 7f 25yds (17)
34-2211 ROCKLANDER 18 (S) T R George 7-11-12...................... A P Heskin •78
1
2
3/3233-5 BACCHANEL 27 P Hobbs 5-11-0...............................T Cheesman (5) 61
1-7# BALLYNORTH BENNY 27 G McPherson 4-11-0.........Kielan Woods —
8 (4) 233 PLUS NIGHT 15 (BF) S C Williams 3-9-2 P Cosgrave 77
Probable SP: 5-2 Plus Night, 3 Rebel Lightning, 11-2
Bobby Benton, 8 Corporal Maddox, Glenalmond.
8 Zain Arion, Power Up, Polymnia, 10 Starlit Cantata, 12
Loveable Helen, Celestial Bay, Princess Raihana, Dame
Judi, 14 Tabla.
2
3
4
12P-L38 PADDYS RUNNER 19 A King 4-11-11.................................T Cannon 75
6031-P1 LORD OF THE ISLAND 21 (S) F O’Brien 8-11-10............. P Brennan 74
611PP-P AKAVIT 33 (S) E De Giles 4-11-8............................................. D Bass 75
3
4
112-3 BIG MEADOW 12 (BF2) N King 5-11-0..............................R Johnson •78
25362-4 BINDON MILL 29 V Dartnall 7-11-0..................................N Scholfield 74 5.50 added
—CLAIMING STAKES (6)
(£2,911) 1m (6)
(3-Y-O) £4,500
7.30 —HANDICAP
(13)
(6) £5,000 added (£3,234) 1m

1 (13) 437 DALEELAK 14 M Johnston 3-9-6.......... P McDonald 75

5 12-1251 WOLFTRAP 24 (H) (S) P Hobbs 7-11-3.................................. L Heard 76
6 2/4142-4 SPACE ODDITY 32 (H) (D) (S) H Fry 5-11-3......................... N Fehily 76
7 122134 WHAT A SCORCHER 22 (D) (G) Mrs N Evans 5-11-1... Rob Williams (3) 77
8 15-625 LITHIC 20 Jonjo O’Neill 5-10-13..........................................A Coleman 75
9 157/4- BECAUSESHESAIDSO 410 Miss V Williams 8-10-11.....L Treadwell 74
10 70P8-40 AUENWIRBEL 21 (B) (S) Mrs L Young 5-10-8....... S Twiston-Davies 76
11 P1436-3 DARWINS THEORY 23 (T) (C) (S) Mrs F M Shaw 8-10-7... Mr M Legg (5) 77
12 L752-72 TRANS EXPRESS 13 Mrs S Gardner 6-10-5...........Lucy Gardner (3) 77
Probable SP: 11-4 Rocklander, 11-2 Lord Of The Island, 6 Wolftrap, 7 Lithic,
Becauseshesaidso, 8 Space Oddity, 10 Trans Express, 12 Paddys Runner.
FAVOURITES: 1 2 3 0 2 2 – 0 3 1 (W 11-1). AGES: 7 5 6 6 5 5 – 7 9 4
2015: For Good Measure 4 11 2 (R Johnson) 4-11 Fav P Hobbs 4 ran.
5 0P CAPTAINS HORSE 43 N Hawke 4-11-0................... Mr L Drowne (7) —
6 3- DARK MAHLER 333 Miss E Lavelle 5-11-0........................... D Jacob —
7 P4234-P DONT BE SHORT 51 (P) J Westwood 5-11-0................Alice Mills (5) —
8 3F-189 FIELD MARSHALL 12 Jonjo O’Neill 6-11-0.......................... A Tinkler —
9 11-# GIVE ME A COPPER 263 P Nicholls 6-11-0........... S Twiston-Davies —
10 42-32# LORD BRYAN 199 (BF) P Bowen 5-11-0.......................... R T Dunne —
11 8LL PLANTAGENET 21 M Bradstock 4-11-0............................ P Moloney —
12 F3/12F-3 POWERFUL SYMBOL 30 Jonjo O’Neill 6-11-0..................A Coleman 66
13 121-35 RESCUED GLORY 22 J Scott 7-11-0................................. M Griffiths —
14 5P21-54 ROYALS AND REBELS 22 (T) C Mann 6-11-0............. T Dowling (7) 63
15 61-4 SIDEWAYS 223 David Dennis 5-11-0..................................... N Fehily 68
16 THE KINGS WRIT (T) R Woollacott 5-11-0......................N P Madden —
17 0-P DUNNICKS DELIA 29 Mrs S Gardner 7-10-7...........Lucy Gardner (3) —
1 (1) 573 RITASUN 33 (P) (DBF) R Hannon 9-3.. Hollie Doyle (5) 73
2 (3) L26 WITH PLEASURE 7 (BF) D O’Meara 9-2......A Kirby 77
3 (2) 5L4 RAVENHOE 12 (D) M Johnston 9-0...... P McDonald 77
4 (5) 018 THREEBAGSUE 15 (B) (D) J S Moore 8-9 NON RUNNER —
Lulu Stanford (7) •78
5 (4) LL-0 MCELLIGOTT 191 R J Price 8-8... Rhiain Ingram (7) —
6 (6) 03L MOVING ROBE 33 C Allen 8-5.............N Garbutt (3) 56
Probable SP: 7-4 With Pleasure, 5-2 Ritasun, 10-3
Ravenhoe, 4 Threebagsue.
6.25 —HANDICAP
(4) £10,000 added (£6,469)
6f (10)
1 (7) L55 FLORENCIO 57 (P) (C&DDBF) M Botti 3-9-7 A Kirby 75
2 (5) 408 SKIDBY MILL 15 (D7) Mrs L Mongan 6-9-6.. G Baker •78
3 (6) 268 REBEL STATE 8 (P) Richard Spencer 3-9-5.. A Kirby 76
4 (12) 351 SEEK THE FAIR LAND 8 (V) (D) L Carter 10-9-5
5 (10) 0L9 QUINTUS CERIALIS 22 (PT) Miss K George 4-9-3
T J Murphy 76
6 (2) 034 WASSEEM 55 (PT) S Crisford 3-9-3.... Martin Harley 75
7 (8) 482 CATASTROPHE 21 (H) J J Quinn 3-9-3..... L Morris 76
8 (1) 755 ALMANACK 103 Mark Pattinson 6-9-2..N Alison (3) 76
9 (9) 465 DOSE 16 R Fahey 3-8-12.......................... P Mathers 76
10 (3) 560 MULLED WINE 28 J Best 3-8-12..................... K Fox 70
11 (11) 566 STRICTLY ART 3 (P) A Bailey 3-8-11......... R Havlin 76
12 (4) 3L5 JAZRI 145 (B) (CD) J Bradley 5-8-9......A Beschizza 75

1.30 —EBF/TBA MARES’ NOVICES’ CHASE (3) £10,000 added (£6,498)
2m 1f 109yds (6)
1 L/6117-1 TAGRITA 26 (T) (S) P Nicholls 8-11-6..................... S Twiston-Davies •78
2 6-5 DANCING CONQUEST 225 J W Mullins 6-11-0......... D Sansom (10) —
Probable SP: 6-4 Give Me A Copper, 9-2 Big Meadow, 15-2 Bindon Mill, 8
Powerful Symbol, Lord Bryan, 12 Bacchanel, Dark Mahler, 20 Sideways.
FAVOURITES: – – – – – – – 1 0 0 AGES: – – – – – – – 5 6 5
2015: You Say What 5 11 0 (T Whelan) 9-1 N King 8 ran.
2 (1) 034 PLUCKY DIP 5 (P) J Ryan 5-9-6.......... Danny Brock 77
3 (9) 312 FREE ZONE 15 (V) (C&DD3) L Carter 7-9-6 Martin Harley 76
4 (2) L71 ALKHOR 30 (D) R Hannon 3-9-6.................. S Levey 77
5 (4) 702 SHYPEN 15 (D3) R Fahey 3-9-5................... D Nolan 77
13 (7) 58L STORMING AMBITION 120 (B) C Allen 3-8-6
N Garbutt (3) 66
Probable SP: 7-2 Catastrophe, 4 Wasseem, 6 Rebel
State, 7 Skidby Mill, 8 Dose, 10 Daleelak, 12 Strictly Art, 14
Almanack, Mulled Wine, 16 Jazri, Quintus Cerialis.

3.45 —FREE
3 4-P GOWELL 230 J W Mullins 5-11-0................................ Kevin Jones (5) — 6 (6) L52 PARKOUR 14 (D2) M Botti 3-9-4................. L Morris •78
4
5
2F333P IVOR’S QUEEN 40 (T) C Tizzard 7-11-0............................R Johnson —
51113-U SAINTE LADYLIME 26 K Bailey 5-11-0.................................... D Bass —
1
SPINS AT 188BET CASINO AMATEUR RIDERS’ HANDICAP
HURDLE (5) £3,500 added (£2,184) 2m 5f 135yds (13)
247L-8L MAJOR MILBORNE 51 J Snowden 8-11-12....................... H Hunt (5) 77
7 (10) L0L BERTIE BLU BOY 26 (V) (C&D2CD) Mrs L Williamson
8-9-4 L Keniry 76
8.00 (14)
—HANDICAP (7) £4,000 added (£2,588) 6f

1 (12) 706 TILSWORTH MICKY 2 J R Jenkins 4-9-7....G Baker 74

6 U-3 TACENDA 27 A Honeyball 4-10-8............................... D G Noonan (3) —
Probable SP: 5-4 Tagrita, 7-4 Sainte Ladylime, 11-2 Ivor’s Queen, 8 Tacenda.
FAVOURITES: – – – – – – – – – 1 AGES: – – – – – – – – – 7
2015: Bitofapuzzle 7 11 0 (N Fehily) 1-2 Fav H Fry 6 ran.
2 1-55L45 VIOLETS GIRL 28 N Mitchell 6-11-12................................S Clements 70
3 348L-87 PRINCE MAHLER 32 R Woollacott 6-11-11................ J L Thomas (7) 76
4 1P63L-4 BRAVE DEED 25 (P) (C) (S) J Scott 10-11-9............ Miss V Wade (5) 77
5 54945 THUNDER PASS 51 (B) D Pipe 5-11-8............................ R Dingle (7) 74
8 (3) 090 PICTURE DEALER 14 (T) (C&DD4) Mrs L Pearce 2 (9) 172 LADY BACCHUS 5 (B) (BF2) R C Guest 3-9-7
7-9-1 S Pearce (3) 70 J F Egan •78
9 (8) 0L7 EL VIENTO 14 (V) (D4) R Fahey 8-9-1..... P Mathers 75 3 (6) 807 ARIZONA SNOW 7 (HP) (D) R Harris 4-9-6 L Morris 74
10 (5) 524 CAPTAIN LARS 7 (P) D Shaw 7-8-8.......... J F Egan 77 4 (14) 469 IMJIN RIVER 168 (T) (D2) W Stone 9-9-6

2.00 —188BET GRADUATION CHASE (2) £20,000 added (£12,512)
2m 1f 109yds (3)
1 4/11232- L’AMI SERGE 252 (D) (S) N Henderson 6-11-7.................... D Jacob •78
2 1212-21 LE PREZIEN 32 (T) (S) P Nicholls 5-11-3....................... B J Geraghty 77
3 2213F-L OSCAR SUNSET 19 (S) E Williams 9-11-0........................ P Moloney 74
Probable SP: 10-11 L’Ami Serge, 5-4 Le Prezien, 8 Oscar Sunset.
FAVOURITES: 1 2 2 1 1 2 – 2 1 1 AGES: 7 7 9 7 5 6 – 7 6 6
2015: Kylemore Lough 6 11 0 (Jamie Moore) 5-4 Fav Kerry Lee 4 ran.
TRACK FACTS: PRINCIPAL meeting. R-H course. GOING: Good to
soft-soft in places.Top jockey: R Johnson. Top trainer: P Hobbs. Placed
in the race last year: 2.35 Long John (1st). Longest traveller: Lord Bryan
(3.10) 210 miles. Drop in Class: 2.00 L’Ami Serge is down 4 grades on
last run (Grade 1 to Class 2); Le Prezien (3). Headgear first time: 12.30
Supreme Performer, 1.00 Auenwirbel, 2.35 Coco Des Champs, 3.10 Dont
Be Short, Royals And Rebels, The Kings Writ, 3.45 Thunder Pass.
Probable SP: 4 Alkhor, 5 Florencio, Plucky Dip, Free Zone, Hollie Doyle (5) 75
6 11265/U ABBEYGREY 56 E Williams 7-11-8...............Miss Isabel Williams (7) — 5 (11) 054 FARRAH’S CHOICE 15 James Grassick 4-9-6
7 0-30740 BREAKING THE BANK 37 (GS) B Case 7-11-8.. M J P Kendrick (5) 77 7 Shypen, Parkour, 8 Captain Lars, 12 El Viento.
T Marquand 68
8 603L1-6 LUNAR FLOW 35 (C) (S) J Snowden 5-11-6...... Miss Page Fuller (5) 74 6 (3) 765 TOPSOIL 7 (P) R Harris 3-9-5............. Renato Souza 73
9 36L39P/ CREATIVE BORU 639 Mrs L Young 8-11-3................ James King (3) — TRACK FACTS: L-H Polytrack course. GOING: 7 (5) 456 JUSTICE ROCK 117 (P) P McEntee 3-9-5....A Kirby 74
10 5474L/L LAFLAMMEDEGLORIE 51 (S) J Westwood 10-11-3..............M Legg — Standard. STALLS: 6f centre; remainder inside. 8 (1) 750 DIAMOND VINE 79 (P) (D6) R Harris 8-9-5.. M Harley 73
11 400078 BACCALAUREATE 21 (PT) (GS) J Frost 10-11-1... Miss B Frost (3) 74 DRAW ADVANTAGE: Low in sprints. Top jockey: 9 (2) 584 RYAN STYLE 21 (V) (D) Mrs L Williamson 10-9-4
12 58-5356 LATE SHIPMENT 12 (P) Mrs N Evans 5-10-12.............. R Patrick (7) •78 L Morris. Top trainer: M Johnston. Placed in the Jordan Uys (7) 75
13 5/613-0F DAIZY 22 (HT) M Sheppard 7-10-3............... Ms Annabel Roberts (7) 77 race last year: 8.00 Arizona Snow (3rd). Headgear 10 (10) 65L KINGFISHER GIRL 52 (P) M Appleby 3-9-3
Probable SP: 15-8 Abbeygrey, 13-2 Lunar Flow, 7 Violets Girl, 15-2 Brave first time: 6.25 Florencio, 7.00 Polymnia, Princess A Rawlinson (3) 73
Deed, 8 Thunder Pass, 10 Major Milborne, 12 Late Shipment, 14 Daizy. Raihana, 7.30 Catastrophe, Rebel State, Storming 11 (8) L-68 PACABAG 57 (H) P Hedger 3-9-3................... K Fox 62
FAVOURITES: – – – – – – – – 2 3 (W 11-5). AGES: – – – – – – – – 7 6 12 (4) 804 BUSHWISE 56 (B) (D2) J Bradley 3-9-2 A Beschizza 74
Ambition, 8.00 Bushwise, Just Marion, Kingfisher Girl. 13 (7) 557 JUST MARION 202 (B) (D) Clare Ellam 4-9-2 J Fahy 72
2015: Mogestic 6 10 13 (S Sheppard) 7-1 J W Mullins 13 ran. Longest traveller: Quintus Cerialis (7.30) 255 miles. 14 (13) 860 UPPER LAMBOURN 6 (T) (D2) J Holt 8-9-2
Drop in Class: 5.50 Threebagsue is down 3 grades K Lundie (7) —
Jackpot on last run (Class 3 to Class 6); 6.25 Plucky Dip (2); Probable SP: 9-4 Lady Bacchus, 11-2 Bushwise, 6 Ryan
Today’s Jackpot races are: 12:10 Towcester; 12:40 Towcester; Style, 8 Topsoil, 10 Arizona Snow, Justice Rock, 12 Tilsworth
1:10 Towcester; 1:40 Towcester; 2:10 Towcester; 2:45 Towcester. 8.00 Farrah’s Choice (2); Pacabag (2).
Micky, 14 Diamond Vine, 16 Farrah’s Choice.

Towcester ATR robin goodfellow gimcrack Newcastle ATR robin goodfellow

12.50 Mountain Angel 12.50 Arnarson
GIMCRACK
12.10 Azzerti 12.10 Count Meribel
12.50—MAIDEN STAKES (5) (2-Y-O) £5,500 1.20 War Department 1.20 Tailwind
12.40 Duke Arcadio 12.40 Paddy The Deejay (nb)
12.10—TOTEPOOL LIVE INFO DOWNLOAD OUR APP MAIDEN HURDLE added (£3,558) 7f 14yds (11) 1.50 Ali Bin Nayef (nb) 1.50 Go George Go
1.10 Amberjam 1.10 Samson 2.20 Airton 2.20 Tectonic
(5) £5,000 added (£3,249) 1m 7f 151yds (12) 1.40 Yanmare 1.40 Royal Native 1 (9) 3 ARNARSON 19 E Dunlop 9-5........................... D Probert
1 44-2L AZZERTI 39 A King 4-10-12.......................................... W Hutchinson •78 2 (3) BRITTANIC D M Simcock 9-5.............................. T Eaves 2.55 Ribbing 2.55 Ribbing
2.10 Thomas Shelby 2.10 Clondaw Bisto 3.30 More Beau 3.30 My Dad Syd (nap)
2 5-52# COUNT MERIBEL 31 N Twiston-Davies 4-10-12....................M Grant — 2.45 Some Finish 2.45 Some Finish 3 (10) CLOUD DRAGON H Palmer 9-5........ Josephine Gordon
3 2-L# DENNIS OUR MENACE 17 T H Weston 6-10-12................. A Wedge — 4 (11) 0L CRUCIAL RESPONSE 20 B Haslam 9-5.. M Nicholls (5) 4.05 Lady Nayef 4.05 Lady Nayef
3.20 Biscuit 3.20 Biscuit Newmarket – 12.50 Mountain Angel (nb); 1.20
4 03-464 LOUIS’ VAC POUCH 21 (H) P Hobbs 4-10-12............ NON RUNNER — 5 (1) 6 DREAMOFDISCOVERY 20 Julie Camacho 9-5..J Doyle

5 MEXICAN JIM F514 P Hiatt 4-10-12................................... B J Powell —
6 66P ORIONS GOLD 8 D Bridgwater 5-10-12..........................J Hodson (5) —
7
8
9
04 PUTTING GREEN 208 Miss V Williams 4-10-12........... C Deutsch (5) 50
79/L9-5 SCARTARE 219 (H) Mrs R Gasson 5-10-12......................B Poste (3) —
526 SWOOP TO CONQUER 11 N Henderson 4-10-12........... N Curtis (5) 65
10 0-30# ELOPED 33 B Pauling 5-10-5............................................R McLernon —
11 5-353 PHOENICIANA 21 Mrs L Wadham 5-10-5............................. L Aspell 66
12 1# SCORPIO QUEEN 205 N Henderson 4-10-5......................J McGrath —
Probable SP: 5-2 Azzerti, 7-2 Scorpio Queen, 5 Phoeniciana, 6 Count Meribel,
7 Swoop To Conquer, 15-2 Eloped, 12 Putting Green, 20 Orions Gold.
FAVOURITES: – – – – – 1 0 1 2 1 AGES: – – – – – 4 4 4 4 5
2.10 —TOTEELFIE
WIN A 50 FREE BET NOVICES’ HURDLE (4) £6,000 6 (8) DUBAI ART R Fahey 9-5..................................B McHugh Tailwind (nap).
added (£3,899) 2m 4f 217yds (16) 7 (2) FEAR THE FURY K Burke 9-5......................... D Costello
1 22 ANOTHER VENTURE 24 K Bailey 5-10-12......................... T Bellamy 70
2 CAPELLIAN CRUSADER Miss J Davis 7-10-12.......... NON RUNNER —
8 (4) MOUNTAIN ANGEL R Varian 9-5................ P Mulrennan
9 (5) MOUNT ROCK M W Easterby 9-5....... Nathan Evans (3)
10 (7) 00 REY LOOPY 20 B Haslam 9-5................................ G Lee
2.55 —MAIDEN FILLIES’ STAKES (5) £5,500 added
(£3,558) 1m 5yds (6)
1 (2) 7 MADAME BOND 111 Miss S Hall 4-9-1....J Fanning —
3 112-2 CLONDAW BISTO 32 Miss S Smith 5-10-12.................... T J O’Brien 77
4 IMPERIAL BAY B Pauling 4-10-12................................... C Shoemark — 11 (6) 67 WHATELSEABOUTYOU 12 R Fahey 9-0........J Garritty 2 (4) 243- AMBER MYSTIQUE 448 Kristin Stubbs 3-9-0...S Gray 76
5 6360/P- LORD VALENTINE 371 M Bradstock 8-10-12....................... J Banks — Probable SP: 3 Mountain Angel, 7-2 Cloud Dragon, 4 3 (5) 35 NOTTE ILLUMINATA 65 K Burke 3-9-0...J Vaughan (5) •78
6 F3F-P5 MORE THAN LUCK 30 Sam Thomas 5-10-12............. H Beswick (7) — Arnarson, 6 Dubai Art, 7 Brittanic, 8 Fear The Fury. 4 (3) 42- RIBBING 510 D M Simcock 3-9-0................. T Eaves 77
7
8
9
9# PERFECT PIRATE 57 B Pauling 4-10-12.........................R McLernon —
7/F33- PINE WARBLER 324 Stuart Edmunds 7-10-12........... C Gethings (5) •78
PR23-15 PINNACLE PETER 19 Tom Lacey 5-10-12 Mr Thomas M O’Brien (7) —
1.20 —HANDICAP
14yds (13)
(4) £9,000 added (£5,822) 7f

1 (7) 317 AL KHAN 14 (D8) K Ryan 7-9-7........L Edmunds (7) 77

5 (6) SCANNERMANDANGO J Goldie 3-9-0... G Downing (3) —
6 (1) 0- SHADELE 433 J Noseda 3-9-0........................ G Lee —
Probable SP: 6-4 Notte Illuminata, 2 Ribbing, 7-2 Amber
2015: Que Sera 5 11 0 (T J O’Brien) 11-4 Fav P Hobbs 14 ran. 10 L0-454 POPELYS GULL 21 Mrs P Sly 4-10-12.......................... J Bargary (3) 58 2 (13) 0L6 HANDSOME DUDE 37 (B) T D Barron 4-9-7.. A Mullen 77 Mystique, 8 Shadele.

12.40 3.30 —HANDICAP

—TOTEPOOL RACECOURSE CASH BACK AVAILABLE CHASE
(NOVICES’ LIMITED HANDICAP) (4) £7,000 added (£4,549)
2m 5f 153yds (14)
1 L201-L6 BALLYPOINT 19 (T) N Twiston-Davies 5-11-10............ J Bargary (3) —
2 6P/245-P NIGHTLINE 28 C Longsdon 6-11-8............................. G B Watters (3) —
3 1/2125L- BATTLE DUST 282 (P) K Bailey 7-11-8.......................... C Shoemark —
4 22F-LU2 GOOHAR 26 (P) H Daly 7-11-4............................................ J Greenall •78
5 11/P94-2 DUKE ARCADIO 20 O Sherwood 7-11-2............................... L Aspell 77
6 524-U45 PADDY THE DEEJAY 29 (BF) Stuart Edmunds 7-11-0 Joshua Moore 76
7 33P36-2 DRUMVIREDY 16 Miss V Williams 7-10-12................... C Deutsch (5) —
8 L2P/42-2 PADDOCKS LOUNGE 29 (H) Mrs S Leech 9-10-10.......R McLernon —
9 142P6-P KNIGHT OFTHE REALM 12 P Gundry 7-10-8................... M G Nolan —
10 321/37L- ONEIDA TRIBE 278 R Dickin 7-10-7....................................... C Poste —
11 343331 CROWN HILL 84 J Farrelly 6-10-6...................................... B J Powell 77
12 45L636 WHAT A JOKE 51 (P) Oliver Greenall 9-10-4...................... I Popham —
13 0660/48 DONTMINDDBOYS 21 (T) R Dickin 7-10-3.......................... J Quinlan —
14 323P-33 PRECIOUS GROUND 25 K Bishop 6-10-3....................... James Best —
Probable SP: 9-2 Duke Arcadio, 6 Ballypoint, 7 Goohar, Drumviredy, Crown
Hill, 8 Nightline, 10 Battle Dust, 12 Precious Ground, 14 Paddocks Lounge,
Oneida Tribe, 16 Paddy The Deejay, 20 Dontminddboys, What A Joke.
FAVOURITES: – – – – – – – – 3 3 (W 11-1). AGES: – – – – – – – – 7 7
2015: Waldorf Salad 7 10 11 (C Whillans) 5-1 Miss V Williams 8 ran.
11 P512/9 QUEER TIMES 15 K Bailey 7-10-12.................................. M Hamill (7) —
12 7 SOLONNG 21 Miss V Williams 6-10-12........................ Joshua Moore —
13 57-2 THOMAS SHELBY 21 A King 5-10-12......................... W Hutchinson 76
14 P37-258 WONGA SWINGER 21 (P) Sam Thomas 6-10-12 Miss C R Crane (7) —
15 2467 BARRA HOOLEY 49 T H Weston 5-10-5.............................. A Wedge —
16 19P GOODNIGHT CHARLIE 16 C Fryer 6-10-5........ Bridget Andrews (3) —
Probable SP: 15-8 Thomas Shelby, 7-2 Clondaw Bisto, 4 Another Venture,
7 Imperial Bay, 8 Pine Warbler, 16 Perfect Pirate, 20 Popelys Gull, Pinnacle
Peter.
FAVOURITES: – – – – 0 0 1 1 2 1 AGES: – – – – 5 6 5 4 6 6
2015: Brod Na Heireann 6 10 12 (W Hutchinson) 7-4 Fav A King 8 ran.
2.45 —TOTEPOOL
1
CHIP & PIN BETTING HANDICAP CHASE (5) £5,000
added (£3,249) 2m 3f 179yds (9)
26F-LL4 IONA DAYS 15 (P) (S) J S Smith 11-11-12.............................M Grant 77
2 1P-2529 RIDDLESTOWN 30 (B) (C&D2D2) (S) C Fryer 9-11-11..Mr J Andrews (7) 77
3 8999P-3 BROWN BEAR 21 N Gifford 5-11-10...................................... L Aspell 75
4 11LP-P2 SOME FINISH 21 (V) (D2) (S) R Dickin 7-11-9........................ C Poste •78
5 486821/ JUST SPOT 624 (C&D) (S) K Bishop 9-11-9................ C Gethings (5) —
6 L-41LP6 DETOUR AHEAD 150 (P) (D) Clare Ellam 8-10-12............ M Quinlan 76
7 66P12F- BEAUJOLAIS BOB 270 (BT) (D) (S) R G Hawker 8-10-11 Slingsby, 16 Funding Deficit, Jess, 20 Point North.
Robert Hawker (7) 77
8 PU34L-1 JAMRHAM (7lbex) 9 (T) Sam Thomas 9-10-8............... Jamie Moore 75
3 (4) 978 WESTWOOD HOE 51 (D3) T Coyle 5-9-6 B A Curtis 76 (5) £5,500 added (£3,558) 6f
4 (8) 962 WAR DEPARTMENT 20 (V) (C&D) K Dalgleish 3-9-4 (10)
J Fanning •78 1 (2) 4L4 CONSULTING 12 (B) (D) M Meade 3-9-7 D Probert 77
5 (9) 009 LEXINGTON TIMES 19 (D2) Mrs R Carr 4-9-4 J P Sullivan 75 2 (6) 123 MY DAD SYD 24 (V) (DBF2) I Williams 4-9-6
6 (3) 398 FINGAL’S CAVE 19 (D4) I Jardine 4-9-3.. J Gormley (7) 77
R Winston •78
7 (11) 859 LIL SOPHELLA 14 (D2) P Holmes 7-9-3.. Paula Muir (7) 77
8 (10) 1-84 TAILWIND 44 R Varian 3-9-0................ P Mulrennan 76 3 (10) 8L0 POINT NORTH 48 (B) (D3) J Balding 9-9-4 P Mulrennan 76
4 (3) 222 DARK SIDE DREAM 31 C Dwyer 4-9-4 Georgia Cox (5) 77
9 (1) 27L LIKE NO OTHER 34 (C&D) J L Eyre 3-9-0..... J Hart 75
10 (2) 570 ALTHAROOS 75 (D2) Miss S Hall 6-8-13 D Costello 76 5 (4) 34L FUNDING DEFICIT 31 (H) (D) J Goldie 6-9-3
G Downing (3) 76
11 (6) 101 ALICE THORNTON 16 (C&DC) M Todhunter 4-8-10
G Lee 77 6 (5) 100 SLINGSBY 31 (P) (C&D2D2) M W Easterby 5-9-2
Nathan Evans (3) 77
12 (5) 360 BELL HEATHER 24 R Fahey 3-8-9..........B McHugh 77
13 (12) 558 TELLOVOI 9 (V) (D2) R C Guest 8-8-7.......... S Gray 77
Probable SP: 4 Tailwind, 9-2 War Department, 5 Alice
7 (9) 014 MORE BEAU 22 (P) (C&DD) D Nicholls 5-9-1 B McHugh 77
8 (8) 433 MALAYSIAN BOLEH 26 (D2BF) B Ellison 6-9-0
Ben Robinson (7) 77
Thornton, 7 Handsome Dude, 10 Al Khan, Fingal’s Cave, 12
Westwood Hoe, 14 Lexington Times, 16 Tellovoi. 9 (1) 194 WAHAAB 6 (P) (C&DD2) I Jardine 5-8-13
Shirley Teasdale (5) 76
1.50 —CLASSIFIED
STAKES (6) £4,500 added
10 (7) 485 JESS 163 K Ryan 3-8-11................................. S Gray 75
(£2,911) 1m 4f 98yds (14)
Probable SP: 7-2 My Dad Syd, 4 Dark Side Dream,
1 (3) 172 ALI BIN NAYEF 15 (D) M Wigham 4-9-4 D Costello •78 Consulting, 7 More Beau, 8 Malaysian Boleh, 10 Wahaab,
2 (1) 87L COME ON LULU 20 (B) D Thompson 5-9-4 J P Sullivan 68
3 (6) 7L-L MY RENAISSANCE J30 Sam England 6-9-4 A Mullen 70
4.05 —HANDICAP
4 (9) 700- SABHA 456 K Burke 4-9-4..........................J Haynes 73 (6) £4,500 added (£2,911) 5f
5 (14) 453 SHIP CANAL 17 Jacqueline Coward 4-9-4 (13)

1.10 —TOTEPOOL CAROLINE BEESLEY MEMORIAL HANDICAP HURDLE
(5) £6,000 added (£3,899) 2m 7f 211yds (12)
1 354/0-PU ROCKNROLLRAMBO 11 (T) I Williams 9-11-12........... Will Kennedy —
2 946L52 SAMSON 25 Mrs S Leech 5-11-8...................................... James Best 76
3 07/34L-L JUST WHEN 17 (P) (S) P Chamings 7-11-7.......................J M Davies 77
4
5
21431-P CARDINAL ROSE 230 Mark Wall 9-11-4...................... C Deutsch (5) •78
LL7L-69 EARCOMESTHEDREAM 35 (B) (C&D2CD4) (GS) P Pritchard
13-11-2 T Bellamy 77
6 54321/ AMBERJAM 754 (S) O Sherwood 6-11-2............................... L Aspell —
7 2459PL AMBER FLUSH 65 Clare Ellam 7-11-1................................ M Quinlan 76
8 P4L0P4 THE LION MAN 35 (P) R Dickin 6-10-8................................... C Poste 76
9 0PLP-28 THE MODEL COUNTY 16 A Phillips 6-10-6.................... Sean Bowen 71
10 8P-7925 GUITING POWER 17 (V) N Twiston-Davies 5-10-6....... J Bargary (3) 75
11 064-552 ULTIMATE DREAM 24 Jonjo O’Neill 5-10-2......................K Moore (3) 75
12 52FL-L0 WARSAW PACT 9 (C&D) (GS) S D Dixon 13-10-1 7 3 SCHAP 71 C Fryer 4-10-12........................................... Bridget Andrews (3)
Mr B Paris-Crofts (7) 77
Probable SP: 3 Amberjam, 9-2 Samson, 6 Ultimate Dream, 7 Guiting Power,
8 The Lion Man, 10 Rocknrollrambo, 12 The Model County, Cardinal Rose, 14
9 P0443L MR ROBINSON 18 (G) B Summers 9-10-0................C Hammond (7) 74
Probable SP: 9-4 Jamrham, 4 Just Spot, 9-2 Riddlestown, 7 Some Finish,
8 Brown Bear, Beaujolais Bob, 16 Iona Days, 20 Mr Robinson, Detour Ahead.
FAVOURITES: – – – – – – 3 0 0 3 (W 11-2). AGES: – – – – – – 5 6 8 10
2015: Ballyegan 10 11 1 (L Heard) 6-1 R Buckler 9 ran.
3.20 —COLLECT
TOTEPOOL WINNINGS AT BETFRED SHOPS MARES’
STANDARD OPEN NH FLAT RACE (6) £3,000 added (£1,949)
1m 7f 151yds (13)
1 1- ALL CURRENCIES 249 (H) Miss S Smith 4-10-12.................... T J O’Brien
2 2 BISCUIT 205 K Bailey 5-10-12......................................... Mr H Morshead (7)
3 BLACK TULIP H Daly 4-10-12...................................................... J Greenall
4 4 CARNSPINDLE 206 W Greatrex 4-10-12................................... G Sheehan
5 03 JUPITER’S GIFT 57 K Bailey 4-10-12........................................ M Hamill (7)
6 P2-2 MOLLY CHILDERS 20 Stuart Edmunds 4-10-12..................C Gethings (5)
8 SEE IT IN O Sherwood 4-10-12........................................................ L Aspell
9 STOWAWAY ROSE (T) Sam Thomas 4-10-12...........................J M Davies
10 SWEETLITTLEMYSTERY B Powell 5-10-12............................... B J Powell
Nathan Evans (3) 71 1 (13) 143 HORSFORTH 17 (B) (C&DD3) R C Guest 4-9-7
6 (5) 760 WHISKY MARMALADE 48 (D) B Haslam 4-9-4 J Fanning •78
P Mulrennan 76 2 (9) 412 NOAH AMOR 138 (DBF) D Nicholls 3-9-7 P M Quinn 76
7 (4) 075 ALBERT BOY 9 S Dixon 3-8-13............... B A Curtis 75 3 (12) 382 LADY NAYEF 22 (T) J Butler 3-9-7...........R Winston 77
8 (11) 941 GO GEORGE GO 17 (C&D) G Swinbank 3-8-13 4 (8) 98L LONG AWAITED 89 (B) (D2) C Dore 8-9-6
J Fanning 77
9 (2) 074 HIGHWAY ROBBER 16 W Storey 3-8-13...... S Gray 74
10 (13) 355 LITTLE PIPPIN 16 T Coyle 3-8-13.......R P Walsh (7) 74
P Mulrennan 76
5 (6) 538 ROARING RORY 22 (P) (D2) O Pears 3-9-5 T Eaves 76
6 (2) 555 SEARANGER 17 (D2) Rebecca Menzies 3-9-4 D Costello 75
11 (8) L07 MISS MACCHIATO 28 K Dalgleish 3-8-13 R Winston — 7 (3) 508 INTENSE STARLET 20 (P) (C&DC) Mrs M Fife 5-9-4
12 (12) 348 PAGE OF WANDS 28 (V) K McLintock 3-8-13.. G Lee 75 S James 77
13 (10) 7L3 RYAN THE GIANT 5 (P) K Dalgleish 3-8-13 8 (10) 9L0 STORM TROOPER 17 (D2) D Nicholls 5-9-4.. B McHugh 76
NON RUNNER —
9 (11) 805 HARMONIC WAVE 22 (P) (D) Rebecca Menzies
14 (7) 9L5 TRED SOFTLY 198 (B) J J Quinn 3-8-13........ J Hart 74 3-9-4 B A Curtis 76
Probable SP: 7-2 Go George Go, 4 Ali Bin Nayef, 5
10 (5) 240 BUSY BIMBO 119 (B) (D4) John Murray 7-9-3.. G Lee 76
Ship Canal, 7 Tred Softly, 8 Page Of Wands, 12 Whisky
11 (1) 070 LOTARA 28 (C&D) J Goldie 4-9-1..... G Downing (3) 77
Marmalade, Miss Macchiato, 14 Little Pippin.
12 (7) 165 CAPTAIN SCOOBY 5 (B) (D13) R C Guest 10-8-8 S Gray 77
2.20 —HANDICAP
4f 98yds (9)
(5) £5,500 added (£3,558) 1m

1 (4) 203 TECTONIC 16 (V) K Dalgleish 7-9-8................ J Hart 76

13 (4) 7L3 THE CHEESE GANG 27 (T) S Corbett 4-8-7.. J Haynes 61
Probable SP: 3 Lady Nayef, 7-2 Noah Amor, 5 Horsforth, 7
Just When, Amber Flush. 11 62-L THEATRE ROUGE 53 (H) P Hobbs 4-10-12............................... M G Nolan Captain Scooby, 12 Roaring Rory, Intense Starlet.
FAVOURITES: – – – – – – 0 1 1 0 (W 11-3). AGES: – – – – – – 6 5 7 12 12 54 TIAR NA NOG 37 D Coakley 4-10-12..................................... T Scudamore 2 (5) L9-0 BEAUMONT’S PARTY J226 C Grant 9-9-5
2015: Earcomesthedream 12 11 5 (A Bellamy) 16-1 P Pritchard 9 ran. 13 WATAGUDDO Miss C Dyson 6-10-12........................................... I Popham D Costello 65 TRACK FACTS: L-H Tapeta course. GOING: Stand-
3 (9) 642 AIRTON 62 J Bethell 3-9-5.......... Josephine Gordon •78 ard. STALLS: Straight centre; 1m4f far side. DRAW
1.40 —AT TOTEPOOL TWEET US WITH YOUR TOTEELFIE HANDICAP Probable SP: 11-4 Biscuit, 9-2 Carnspindle, 7 Molly Childers, 15-2 Schap,
8 See It In, All Currencies, 12 Black Tulip, 14 Tiar Na Nog, Theatre Rouge, 4 (2) 3L1 KICKING THE CAN 28 (C) D Thompson 5-9-5 ADVANTAGE: No data available. Top jockey: P Mul-
CHASE (4) £10,000 added (£6,330) 3m 102yds (9) B McHugh 76
Jupiter’s Gift. rennan. Top trainer: R Fahey. Headgear first time:
1 3/P475-7 DESERT JOE 25 (S) A King 10-11-12.................................. I Popham 75 5 (6) 098 MASKOON 16 P Kirby 5-9-4........................ P Aspell 75
2 23P6L-P AMIDON 28 (V) (S) Mrs L Wadham 6-11-11.......................... L Aspell 76
FAVOURITES: – – – – 0 1 1 2 1 3 AGES: – – – – 4 4 4 6 5 4 3.30 Consulting, 4.05 Harmonic Wave. Longest travel-
2015: Sister Sibyl 4 10 12 (T J O’Brien) 15-2 H Morrison 12 ran. 6 (3) 223 HIGH ON LIGHT 76 (D2) T D Barron 3-9-3 S James 75 lers: Brittanic (12.50), Cloud Dragon (12.50), Arnarson
3 58423-1 UMBERTO D’OLIVATE 36 (D) (S) R Walford 8-11-10.... James Best 75 7 (7) 612 MERRIMENT 16 (P) (C) P Niven 3-8-12....... T Eaves 77
4 L11LLP- SUNNY LEDGEND 243 (CD) (S) Andrew Martin 11-11-8... Mr J Martin (7) 77 (12.50), Mountain Angel (12.50), Tailwind (1.20), Ali Bin
8 (8) 700 YOU’LL DO 28 M Barnes 3-8-7.................J Fanning 76
5 4P1/34-U ROYAL NATIVE 9 (T) (DBF) A Honeyball 8-11-6.......... H Cobden (3) — 9 (1) 544 PERCY VERENCE 17 (PT) K Burke 3-8-6 J Haynes 76
Nayef (1.50), Shadele (2.55), Ribbing (2.55), Dark Side
6
7
51/P21L- EMMA SODA 277 (B) (C&D) (S) P S Davies 11-11-6.... Sean Bowen 74
311P/4L- MIDNIGHT REQUEST 434 (D2) (S) N Hawke 7-11-3......... T Bellamy 76 RACING SERVICES Probable SP: 11-4 Airton, 4 Merriment, 5 Percy Verence,
6 High On Light, Tectonic, 8 Kicking The Can, 12 Beaumont’s
Dream (3.30), Consulting (3.30), Lady Nayef (4.05) 245
miles. Drop in Class: 1.20 Altharoos is down 2 grades
8 PUP-L11 YANMARE 29 (T) (D) (S) N Twiston-Davies 6-10-4....... J Bargary (3) •78 Party, 20 Maskoon. on last run (Class 2 to Class 4); 2.55 Shadele (3).
9 P3-L313 KILCASCAN 49 (P) (D2) (S) Mrs R Gasson 12-10-2.........B Poste (3) 75
Probable SP: 5-2 Yanmare, 3 Umberto D’olivate, 5 Royal Native, 7 Amidon, 10 UK/IRISH COMMENTARY AND RESULTS ÷ JUMP jockey Ryan Hatch faces an also has a fractured sternum. The
09016 09 29 39
Kilcascan, 12 Desert Joe, Midnight Request, 14 Emma Soda, 20 Sunny Ledgend.
FAVOURITES: – – – – – – – – – 1 (W 10-11). AGES: – – – – – – – – – 8 extended stay in hospital after his injuries cost Hatch, who works for
2015: Newton Thistle 8 10 11 (D Bass) 5-2 JtFav B Pauling 7 ran. fall from Cogry at Cheltenham on Nigel Twiston-Davies, the winning ride
TRACK FACTS: R-H course. GOING: Good to soft-soft in places. FOR RACING TIPS CALL Friday. Hatch, who remains in on The New One in the International
Top jockey: T J O’Brien. Top trainer: K Bailey. Placed in the race
last year: 1.10 Earcomesthedream (1st); 2.45 Riddlestown (2nd). 09016 09 53 39 Bristol’s Southmead Hospital, has Hurdle 24 hours later. Richard Johnson
Headgear first time: 12.40 Ballypoint, 1.10 Just When, Rocknroll- suffered fractures at the base of his stood in and is also due to ride
Calls cost 65p per min plus your telephone company’s network access charge.
rambo, 1.40 Amidon, 3.20 All Currencies, Stowaway Rose. Longest neck, a break below his shoulder Twiston-Davies-trained Ballyoptic in
traveller: Knight Ofthe Realm (12.40) 167 miles. Drop in Class: 3.20 Tipster information updated at 10am daily. SP: Spoke. Help: 0808 272 0808 blade and a spinal haematoma. He Saturday’s Long Walk Hurdle.
Theatre Rouge is down 2 grades on last run (Class 4 to Class 6).
74 Rugby Union
Six-week
ban for
Hartley
Skipper back in time
for Six Nations opener
D
ylan Hartley
will not be stripped
of the England cap-
taincy after escaping
with a six-week ban
that leaves him free to play
in the RBS Six Nations
opener against France.
The Northampton hooker was
last night handed a mid-range
sanction following the third red
card of his career for striking
Leinster flanker Sean O’Brien.
Having cleaned up his image in
2016, the punishment is a fresh
setback for Hartley, who has now
amassed 60 weeks of suspensions
Aussies back at hq
England will play three Tests in
November next year, including
another Twickenham visit by
Australia. Eddie Jones’ side will
play Argentina on November 11,
the Wallabies seven days later
and then Samoa on November 25.
Jones said: ‘We look forward to
playing three tough opponents.’
throughout his controversial
career, including bans for gouging,
biting, punching, swearing at a
referee and headbutting.
Hartley, 30, has already been
given the public backing of RFU
chief executive Ian Ritchie and
last night Saints director of rugby
Jim Mallinder also voiced his
­support for the front-row forward.
‘Dylan will be disappointed with
himself because he’s really worked
hard to get to his position,’ said
Mallinder. ‘As Ian Ritchie said, he’s
KEMPTON
4.05 — FIVETWOEIGHT (L Morris)
15-8F 1; Ripp Orf 5-2(2ndFav) 2;
Island Cloud 9-1 3. 12 ran. (P
Chapple-Hyam). 1l, ns. Tote: 3.00;
1.60, 1.70, 2.40. Ex: 8.30. Tf: 39.00.
CSF: 6.52.
4.40 — ME TOO NAGASAKI (J F
Egan) 4-7F 1; Desert Grey 6-1 2;
Al Sail 9-2(2ndFav) 3. 12 ran. (J
Noseda). 3/4, 11/4. Tote: 1.60; 1.10,
1.60, 1.30. Ex: 5.30. Tf: 14.90. CSF:
4.42.
5.10 — DASCHAS (K Shoemark)
11-4(2ndFav) 1; Footman 16-1 2;
Know Your Limit 8-1 3. 12 ran. (Mrs
A Perrett). 33/4, 1l. Tote: 3.70; 1.50,
3.50, 2.40. Ex: 39.00. Tf: 258.00.
CSF: 41.79.
5.40 — BUZZ (L Keniry) 3-
1F 1; Dubaitwentytwenty 11-
2(Co2ndFav) 2; Settle Petal 50-1 3.
14 ran. (H Morrison). 21/4, shd. Tote:
4.20; 1.90, 2.00, 15.10. Ex: 22.90.
Tf: 1143.10. CSF: 18.34.
6.10 — PRESUMIDO (J F Egan)
10-1 1; Franco’s Secret 10-1 2;
Mikmak 7-1 3. 12 ran. (S Dow). 1/2,
41/2. Tote: 10.70; 3.00, 4.00, 2.60.
Ex: 139.70. Tc: 765.61. Tf: 862.10.
CSF: 107.44.
6.40 — RIO’S CLIFFS (D Probert)
7-2 1; Palenville 2-1JtFav 2; Encore
Moi 2-1JtFav 3. 5 ran. (M Meade).
2l, 1/2. Tote: 4.30; 1.80, 2.40. Ex:
11.70. Tf: 18.70. CSF: 10.33. NRs:
Jacquotte Delahaye, Miss Blondell,
Tegara.
7.10 — HACKNEY ROAD (T
Queally) 2-1F 1; Lolita 25-1 2;
Musical Taste 25-1 3. 10 ran. (H
Spiller). 1/2, shd. Tote: 3.30; 1.80,
6.50, 5.70. Ex: 60.50. Tc: 983.66. Tf:
1284.10. CSF: 59.16. NR: Cherry
Kool.
7.40 — CANADIAN DIAMOND (A
Beschizza) 17-2 1; Sund City 8-1
2; Yasir 12-1 3. 13 ran. (R Rowe).
21/4, 3/4. Tote: 9.80; 2.60, 2.70, 3.30.
Ex: 109.50. Tc: 824.74. Tf: 2925.60.
CSF: 70.63. NR: Hiorne Tower.
Placepot £45.70. Q’pot £35.80.
LINGFIELD
11.40 — KODIAC KHAN (J
Fanning) 6-1 1; Hajaj 5-2(2ndFav)
2; Golden Nectar 5-1 3. 5 ran. (M
Johnston). 1l, nk. Tote: 6.50; 2.30,
1.70. Ex: 21.10. Tf: 76.50. CSF:
21.22.
By NIK SIMON
had a fantastic year and has been
leading England by example. As a
club, we back Dylan Hartley and
will continue to do so.’
Referee Jerome Garces sent off
Hartley just six minutes after he
was introduced as a second-half
substitute on Friday night,
following a swinging arm to
O’Brien’s cheek.
An independent judiciary panel
banned him for five weeks and
added a further seven days on
account of his poor disciplinary
record. It means Hartley is not free
to play until January 23, leaving
him with no opportunities for top-
level club rugby before England
plot to extend their 14-match
winning run in the Six Nations.
England and Northampton
flanker Teimana Harrison also
defended his team-mate last
night, claiming the controversy
should not take the shine off
his achievements.
‘When he’s winning Grand Slams,
when he’s making history away
with England, then everyone is
like, “Dylan is awesome, Dylan
is great, you’re the man”,’ said
Harrison.
‘He does one thing, slips up and
everyone is like, “You shouldn’t be
playing”. It shouldn’t be like that.
You will see him back and he will
be better than ever.’
Northampton’s own woes are set
to continue with Mallinder ruling
out George North for Saturday’s
Champions Cup trip to Leinster
after the Wales wing appeared to
have been knocked out against
Leicester on December 3.
@Nik_Simon88
RACING RESULTS
12.10 — CERCLE D’OR (R Havlin) 2; Full Jack 9-4F 3. 10 ran. (S
4-6F 1; Harbour Grey 12-1 2; Donohoe (IRE)). 4l, nk. Tote: 7.70;
Parisian Chic 33-1 3. 10 ran. (J 2.00, 1.50, 1.40. Ex: 45.40. Tc:
Gosden). 3/4, 31/4. Tote: 1.80; 1.10,
2.60, 7.70. Ex: 12.30. Tf: 129.50.
82.73. Tf: 175.40. CSF: 33.74. NR:
Professor Plum.
CSF: 11.80. 1.40 — ROYAL MACNAB (T Kelly)
12.45 — SAYEM (Thomas Brown) 12-5F 1; Formidableopponent 7-1
14-1 1; Ettu 4-7F 2; Mitigate 4- 2; Quito Du Tresor 8-1 3. 7 ran.
1(2ndFav) 3. 9 ran. (Ed Walker). (Rebecca Menzies). nk, 8l. Tote:
11/4, 11/2. Tote: 20.50; 3.10, 1.10, 2.90; 1.60, 3.60. Ex: 16.60. Tf:
1.40. Ex: 33.90. Tf: 113.70. CSF: 95.30. CSF: 18.52.
23.82. 2.15 — FORTH BRIDGE (B
1.20 — ALFREDO (G Baker) 4-6F Hughes) 3-10F 1; Warp Factor 11-1
1; Miss Tiger Lily 9-2(2ndFav) 2; 2; Aislabie 6-1(Jt2ndFav) 3. 8 ran.
Yes Daddy 8-1 3. 6 ran. (S Durack). (C Longsdon). nk, 20l. Tote: 1.20;
33/4, 3l. Tote: 1.50; 1.10, 2.60. Ex: 1.10, 2.80, 1.80. Ex: 6.70. Tf: 23.80.
4.80. Tf: 13.60. CSF: 4.17. NR: CSF: 7.71. NR: Cape Of Glory.
Voice Control. 2.50 — JONNY DELTA (C Bewley)
1.50 — JUSTE POUR NOUS (J 11-1 1; Arthurs Secret 11-4(2ndFav)
Fanning) 11-4(2ndFav) 1; Maroc 2; Teo Vivo 10-1 3. 8 ran. (J Goldie).
5-2F 2; Attain 4-1 3. 7 ran. (M 23/4, 13/4. Tote: 12.30; 2.60, 1.40,
Johnston). 3/4, nk. Tote: 3.20; 2.30, 2.20. Ex: 51.30. Tc: 311.07. Tf:
1.70. Ex: 9.20. Tf: 30.20. CSF: 384.30. CSF: 40.42.
10.41. NR: Hannington. 3.20 — PROUD GAMBLE (Craig
2.25 — BRIDGE BUILDER (T Nichol) 9-4F 1; Ballygrooby Bertie
Marquand) 15-2 1; Colourbearer 25-1 2; Donapollo 13-2 3. 8 ran.
14-1 2; New Rich 11-2 3. 10 ran. (P (Mrs R Dobbin). 13/4, 1l. Tote: 3.10;
Hedger). 21/4, shd. Tote: 8.80; 2.90, 1.30, 6.60, 2.70. Ex: 43.10. Tc:
4.80, 1.80. Ex: 68.60. Tc: 635.59. Tf: 309.98. Tf: 313.30. CSF: 44.73.
660.30. CSF: 112.58. NRs: Royal Placepot £2,358.70. Q’pot £8.60.
Rettie, Tavener.
3.00 — DREAM LOVE (R Havlin)
NEWBURY
12.20 — COSMEAPOLITAN (W
50-1 1; Adalene evensF 2; Pinkie
Hutchinson) 1-3F 1; Fixed Rate 7-1
Brown 7-1 3. 9 ran. (S Dow). nk, nk.
2; Pension Madness 33-1 3. 9 ran.
Tote: 37.10; 6.40, 1.10, 2.10. Ex: (A King). 7l, 1l. Tote: 1.40; 1.10,
132.70. Tf: 1098.40. CSF: 106.90. 1.90, 5.30. Ex: 4.30. Tf: 56.50. CSF:
NR: The Grey Hobbit.
4.55. NR: Vincent’s Forever.
3.30 — CLOVELLY BAY (T
hotspots
Saunders) 10-1 1; General Hazard
6-4F 2; Celtic Ava 9-1 3. 8 ran. (M
Tregoning). 11/4, 2l. Tote: 14.90;
3.10, 1.20, 2.40. Ex: 36.20. Tc:
Work Whisper
147.44. Tf: 223.80. CSF: 26.21.
Lord Of The Island
Placepot £36.60. Q’pot £8.40.
MUSSELBURGH (Exeter, 1.00)
12.00 — POT COMMITTED (H
Brooke) 20-1 1; The Phantom 66- Weighting Game
Just Marion
1 2; Middlebrow 9-4(2ndFav) 3. 6
ran. (I Jardine). 1/2, 3l. Tote: 24.70;
(Chelmsford City, 8.00)
6.10, 4.80. Ex: 198.20. Tf: 469.80.
CSF: 354.25. Down 19lb from last
12.35 — JOVIAL JOEY (D Bourke) winning mark.
9-2 1; So Satisfied 7-2(2ndFav) 2;
Mo Rouge 8-1 3. 7 ran. (M Barnes). Burnt Fingers
11l, 8l. Tote: 5.30; 2.60, 1.80. Ex: Dose
19.00. Tf: 70.80. CSF: 19.99.
1.10 — KENTUCKY STAR (R A (Chelmsford City, 7.30)
Doyle) 7-1 1; Shantou Tiger 4-1
Saint and
sinner:
Hartley
takes out
O’Brien
rex
Varnish demands texts as
she steps up Sutton fight
LAWYERS for Jess Varnish have
written to British Cycling
demanding the release of all
emails and text messages which
refer to her during the 13 years
she spent on their programmes.
It represents an escalation of the
dispute between Varnish and the
governing body over former
technical director Shane Sutton,
who resigned in April amid a
bullying and discrimination
storm. Last week it was revealed
that an internal British Cycling
investigation cleared Sutton of
eight of nine charges levelled
against him, though it did find
him guilty of using the term
‘bitches’ to Varnish.
Sprint cyclist Varnish, a former
world record holder and
multiple World Championships
medallist, alleged in this
newspaper that Sutton had told
her to ‘go and have a baby’ after
dumping her from the team. This
complaint was not upheld and
neither was the claim that he
had told her that her bum was
12.55 — HIGH BRIDGE (Mr A R
Ferguson) 5-2JtFav 1; Chelsea
Flyer 9-1 2; Wenyerreadyfreddie 9-
1 3. 17 ran. (B Pauling). 3l, 6l. Tote:
3.50; 1.40, 2.70, 2.90. Ex: 22.70. Tf:
260.20. CSF: 25.99.
1.30 — BEWARE THE BEAR (J
McGrath) 5-2F 1; Aurillac 13-2 2;
Lessons In Milan 25-1 3. 12 ran. (N
Henderson). 1l, 6l. Tote: 3.30; 1.40,
2.40, 6.70. Ex: 21.40. Tc: 324.91. Tf:
496.30. CSF: 17.44. NR: Goodbye
Dancer.
2.00 — THREE FACES WEST (R
Johnson) 7-2 1; Coologue 12-1 2;
Aqalim 16-1 3. 6 ran. (P Hobbs).
13l, 15l. Tote: 3.60; 1.70, 4.50. Ex:
24.50. Tf: 121.20. CSF: 34.73.
2.35 — CEPAGE (L Treadwell) 4-1
1; After Hours 3-1(2ndFav) 2; Very
Live 7-1 3. 8 ran. (Miss V Williams).
18l, 23l. Tote: 5.40; 1.90, 1.50, 2.00.
Ex: 15.60. Tc: 79.59. Tf: 88.70.
CSF: 16.81.
3.10 — SNEAKY FEELING (R
Johnson) 25-1 1; Bags Groove 4-
6F 2; Westendorf 11-2(2ndFav) 3.
15 ran. (P Hobbs). nk, 9l. Tote:
23.70; 4.90, 1.20, 1.90. Ex: 92.40.
Tf: 926.90. CSF: 45.15.
3.40 — CAP SOLEIL (P Brennan)
evensF 1; Reel Leisure 9-1 2; Hoola
Hula 6-1 3. 10 ran. (F O’Brien). 21/2,
6l. Tote: 1.90; 1.10, 2.50, 2.10. Ex:
12.30. Tf: 38.80. CSF: 12.37.
Jackpot Not won, pool of £5,149.67
carried over.
Placepot £33.70. Q’pot £13.90.
Captain Heath Trio
L’Ami Serge (nap)
(Exeter, 2.00)
Tagrita (nb)
(Exeter, 1.30)
Which One Is Which
(Exeter, 12.30)
Formcast Special Bet
Ali Bin Nayef
(Newcastle, 1.50)
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016
Fury fired
up Wlad
for Joshua
title clash
boxing
By JEFF POWELL
If Anthony Joshua loses his world-
title fight in front of a 90,000 crowd
at Wembley Stadium, he will have
not only himself but his heavy-
weight compatriot Tyson Fury to
blame.
Wladimir Klitschko insists that
his defeat by Fury rejuvenated his
fighting instincts in time for his
clash with Joshua on April 29.
He said: ‘If I had taken my
routine win over Fury I would have
just carried on the same way I had
been preparing for 20 years,
expecting it to be enough.
‘Instead I got that wake-up call
and I am getting ready for the best
of today’s world heavyweight
champions... Anthony in all his
young and powerful athleticism.’
The 14-year age gap between
himself and Joshua was empha-
sised when they met at the launch
of their fight when Klitschko, who
calls Joshua ‘Little Bro’ from their
CYCLING sparring days, told him: ‘Dude, it
was fun sparring together a while
By MARTHA KELNER back and good to watch you win
your Olympic gold medal at the
London Games. But with our age
‘too big’ to ride certain roles on
the team.
difference I never thought we
would end up fighting. It’s strange
But a furious Varnish wants to see how life works. But it’s good.’
the entire report and her
Joshua does not feel patronised
representatives believe emails by Klitschko calling him his Little
referring to her could undermine Bro. He said: ‘If he wins the fight
its findings. They have also he can call himself Big Bro.
demanded to see text messages ‘Please God I win and it will
to and from Varnish, Sutton, be irrelevant.
‘What it would be is the passing
British Cycling head coach Iain of the torch from the Klitschko era
Dyer and sprint coaches Justin
to the Joshua era. But for me
Grace and Jan van Eijden.     that will be only the start of me
The Varnish camp are particularly becoming a legend. Like Wlad, I
confused about how a complaint will need longevity for that.
that Australian Sutton used the ‘Right now there is a bit of the
word ‘Sheilas’ to refer to female master and pupil about us. I have
riders was not upheld. An tremendous respect for Wladimir.
independent investigation into But it will be hugely competitive
on the night.’
claims of a bullying culture at
British Cycling, including
allegations made to Sportsmail
l Amir Khan and Kell Brook
have opened talks for their
long overdue ‘Battle of Britain’,
that disabled riders were possibly next May at Old Trafford.
referred to as ‘gimps’ and Promoter Eddie Hearn said: ‘Both
‘wobblies’, is expected to publish camps seem serious this time.
its findings in early January. Let’s see what happens.’
C — Chelmsford
E — Exeter
Cloud Dragon.......... N 12.50
Coco Des Champs.. E 2.35
Come On Lulu......... N 1.50
abc Oneida Tribe.............T 12.40
Orions Gold..............T 12.10
Oscar Sunset........... E 2.00
Skidby Mill............... C 7.30
Slingsby................... N 3.30
Jamrham..................T 2.45 Solonng....................T 2.10
Consulting................ N 3.30 Pacabag.................. C 8.00 Some Finish.............T 2.45
N — Newcastle Corporal Maddox..... C 5.15 Jazri......................... C 7.30
Jess......................... N 3.30
Paddocks Lounge.....T 12.40 Space Oddity........... E 1.00
Count Meribel...........T 12.10 Paddy The Deejay....T 12.40
T — Towcester Creative Boru.......... E 3.45 Jupiter’s Gift.............T 3.20 Paddys Runner........ E 1.00 Special Relation...... C 4.40
A Montmartre......... E 12.30 Crown Hill.................T 12.40 Just Marion.............. C 8.00 Page Of Wands....... N 1.50 Starlit Cantata.......... C 7.00
Abbeygrey............... E 3.45 Crucial Response.... N 12.50 Just Spot..................T 2.45 Parkour.................... C 6.25 Storm Trooper......... N 4.05
Actlikeacountess...... E 12.30 Daizy....................... E 3.45 Just When................T 1.10 Pendo...................... C 5.15 Storming Ambition... C 7.30
Justice Rock............ C 8.00
Airton....................... N 2.20 Daleelak................... C 7.30 Percy Verence......... N 2.20 Stowaway Rose........T 3.20
Akavit....................... E 1.00 Kicking The Can.... N 2.20
Dame Judi............... C 7.00 Perfect Pirate............T 2.10 Strictly Art................ C 7.30
Al Khan.................... N 1.20 Dance Floor King..... E 2.35 Kilcascan..................T 1.40 Phoeniciana..............T 12.10
Albert Boy................ N 1.50 Kingfisher Girl.......... C 8.00 Sunny Ledgend........T 1.40
Dancing Conquest... E 1.30 Picture Dealer.......... C 6.25 Supreme Performer E 12.30
Ali Bin Nayef............ N 1.50 Dark Mahler............. E 3.10 Knight Ofthe Realm..T 12.40 Pine Warbler.............T 2.10
Alice Thornton......... N 1.20 Dark Side Dream..... N 3.30 L’Ami Serge........... E 2.00 Pinnacle Peter..........T 2.10 Sweetlittlemystery.....T 3.20
La Isla Bonita........... C 4.40 Swoop To Conquer..T 12.10
Alkhor...................... C 6.25 Darwins Theory....... E 1.00 Plantagenet............. E 3.10
All Currencies...........T 3.20 Dennis Our Menace T 12.10 Lady Bacchus.......... C 8.00 Plucky Dip............... C 6.25 Tabla....................... C 7.00
Allow Dallow............ E 2.35 Lady Karina............. E 12.30 Tacenda................... E 1.30
Desert Joe................T 1.40 Plus Night................ C 5.15
Almanack................. C 7.30 Detour Ahead...........T 2.45 Lady Nayef.............. N 4.05 Point North.............. N 3.30 Tagrita..................... E 1.30
Altharoos................. N 1.20 Diamond Vine.......... C 8.00 Laflammedeglorie.... E 3.45 Polymnia.................. C 7.00 Tailwind................... N 1.20
Amber Flush.............T 1.10 Lamanver Odyssey E 12.30
Dont Be Short.......... E 3.10 Popelys Gull.............T 2.10 Tectonic................... N 2.20
Amber Mystique...... N 2.55 Dontminddboys.........T 12.40 Late Shipment......... E 3.45 Power Up................. C 7.00
Amberjam.................T 1.10 Le Prezien............... E 2.00 Tellovoi.................... N 1.20
Dose........................ C 7.30 Powerful Symbol..... E 3.10
Amidon.....................T 1.40 Dreamofdiscovery.... N 12.50 Lexington Times...... N 1.20 Precious Ground......T 12.40 The Cheese Gang... N 4.05
Another Venture.......T 2.10 Drumviredy...............T 12.40 Like No Other.......... N 1.20 Preobrajenska......... C 4.40 The Kings Writ......... E 3.10
Arctic Lady............... E 12.30 Dubai Art................. N 12.50 Lil Sophella.............. N 1.20 Primrose Court........ E 12.30 The Lion Man...........T 1.10
Arizona Snow.......... C 8.00 Duke Arcadio............T 12.40 Lithic........................ E 1.00 Prince Mahler.......... E 3.45 The Model County....T 1.10
Arnarson.................. N 12.50 Dunnicks Delia........ E 3.10 Little Pippin.............. N 1.50 Princess Raihana.... C 7.00 Theatre Rouge.........T 3.20
Auenwirbel............... E 1.00 Long Awaited........... N 4.05
Earcomesthedream T 1.10 Putting Green...........T 12.10 Thomas Shelby........T 2.10
Azzerti.......................T 12.10 Earth Lady............... E 12.30 Long John................ E 2.35 Queer Times............T 2.10 Threebagsue........... C 5.50
Baccalaureate........ E 3.45 East Coast Lady...... C 5.15 Lord Bryan............... E 3.10 Quintus Cerialis....... C 7.30
Bacchanel................ E 3.10 Lord Of The Island.. E 1.00 Thunder Pass.......... E 3.45
El Viento.................. C 6.25 Ratify....................... E 2.35 Tiar Na Nog..............T 3.20
Ballinvarrig............... E 2.35 Ellens Way.............. E 12.30 Lord Valentine..........T 2.10 Ravenhoe................ C 5.50
Ballynorth Benny..... E 3.10 Eloped......................T 12.10 Lotara...................... N 4.05 Rebel Lightning....... C 5.15 Tilsworth Micky........ C 8.00
Louis’ Vac Pouch......T 12.10 Topsoil..................... C 8.00
Ballypoint..................T 12.40
Barra Hooley............T 2.10
Emma Soda..............T 1.40
Falbon..................... C 4.40 Loveable Helen....... C 7.00
Rebel State.............. C 7.30
Rescued Glory......... E 3.10 Trans Express......... E 1.00
Battle Dust................T 12.40 Farrah’s Choice....... C 8.00 Lunar Flow............... E 3.45 Rey Loopy............... N 12.50 Tred Softly............... N 1.50
Beaujolais Bob.........T 2.45 Fear The Fury.......... N 12.50 Madame Bond........ N 2.55 Ribbing.................... N 2.55
Ultimate Dream.......T 1.10
Beaumont’s Party.... N 2.20 Field Marshall.......... E 3.10 Major Milborne......... E 3.45 Riddlestown..............T 2.45
Umberto D’olivate.....T 1.40
Becauseshesaidso.. E 1.00 Fingal’s Cave........... N 1.20 Malaysian Boleh...... N 3.30 Ritasun.................... C 5.50 Upper Lambourn..... C 8.00
Bell Heather............. N 1.20 Flaming Charmer..... E 2.35 Maori Bob................ C 4.40 Roaring Rory........... N 4.05
Varsovian............... C 5.15
Benzel...................... E 2.35 Flighty Filia.............. E 12.30 Maqam..................... C 7.00 Rocklander.............. E 1.00
Bertie Blu Boy.......... C 6.25 Florencio.................. C 6.25 Maskoon.................. N 2.20 Rocknrollrambo........T 1.10 Verdana Blue........... E 12.30
Big Meadow............. E 3.10 Follow The Swallow E 2.35 Mcelligott................. C 5.50 Royal Native.............T 1.40 Violets Girl............... E 3.45
Bindon Mill............... E 3.10 Free Zone................ C 6.25 Mercy Me................. C 7.00 Royals And Rebels.. E 3.10 Wahaab................... N 3.30
Biscuit.......................T 3.20 Funding Deficit........ N 3.30 Meribel Millie........... E 12.30 Ruby Wilde.............. E 12.30 War Department...... N 1.20
Black Tulip................T 3.20 Give Me A Copper E 3.10 Merriment................ N 2.20 Ryan Style............... C 8.00 Warsaw Pact............T 1.10
Bobby Benton.......... C 5.15
Brave Deed............. E 3.45
Glenalmond............. C 5.15 Mexican Jim.............T 12.10
Midnight Request.....T 1.40
Ryan The Giant....... N 1.50 Wasseem................. C 7.30
Go George Go......... N 1.50 Sabha...................... N 1.50 Wataguddo...............T 3.20
Breaking The Bank.. E 3.45 Goodgirlteresa......... E 12.30 Miss Macchiato........ N 1.50 Sainte Ladylime....... E 1.30 Westwood Hoe........ N 1.20
Molly Childers...........T 3.20
Brittanic.................... N 12.50
Brown Bear...............T 2.45
Goodnight Charlie....T 2.10
Goohar......................T 12.40 More Beau............... N 3.30
Samson....................T 1.10
Scannermandango.. N 2.55 What A Joke.............T 12.40
Bushwise................. C 8.00 Gowell...................... E 1.30 More Than Luck.......T 2.10 Scartare....................T 12.10 What A Scorcher..... E 1.00
Whatelseaboutyou... N 12.50
Busy Bimbo............. N 4.05
Cajun Fiddle........... E 12.30
Guiting Power...........T 1.10
Handsome Dude.... N 1.20
Mount Rock............. N 12.50
Mountain Angel....... N 12.50
Schap.......................T 3.20
Scorpio Queen.........T 12.10 Which One Is Which E 12.30
Capellian Crusader...T 2.10 Harmonic Wave....... N 4.05 Moving Robe........... C 5.50 Searanger................ N 4.05 Whisky Marmalade.. N 1.50
Captain Lars............ C 6.25 High On Light.......... N 2.20 Mr Robinson.............T 2.45 Second Page........... C 4.40 Willow Bird............... E 12.30
Captain Scooby....... N 4.05 Highway Robber...... N 1.50 Mulled Wine............. C 7.30 Secret Willow........... C 4.40 Willwams................. C 4.40
Captains Horse........ E 3.10
Cardinal Rose...........T 1.10
Horsforth.................. N 4.05
Imjin River.............. C 8.00
My Dad Syd............. N 3.30
My Renaissance...... N 1.50
See It In....................T 3.20
Seek The Fair Land C 7.30
With Pleasure.......... C 5.50
Wolftrap................... E 1.00
Carnspindle..............T 3.20 Imperial Bay.............T 2.10 Nightline..................T 12.40 Shadele................... N 2.55
Wonga Swinger........T 2.10
Castarnie................. E 2.35 Indigo Princess........ C 7.00 Noah Amor.............. N 4.05 Shaluna................... E 12.30
Catastrophe............. C 7.30 Intense Starlet......... N 4.05 Noble Attitude.......... C 4.40 Ship Canal............... N 1.50 Yanmare..................T 1.40
Celestial Bay........... C 7.00 Iona Days.................T 2.45 Notte Illuminata....... N 2.55 Shypen.................... C 6.25 You’ll Do.................. N 2.20
Clondaw Bisto..........T 2.10 Ivor’s Queen............ E 1.30 Omran..................... C 4.40 Sideways................. E 3.10 Zain Arion............... C 7.00
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016
TREAT US FAIRLY
Stokes suggests India get off lightly as Ashwin avoids rap
B
en Stokes has
called for consistency
from ICC officials,
reflecting a feeling
in the England
dressing-room that India’s
players have been given
more leeway over the last
few weeks than their own.
Though Stokes declined to name
names, the tourists were surprised
no action was taken against
Ravichandran Ashwin after he
greeted Jimmy Anderson’s arrival
at the crease on the final morning
in Mumbai with some choice
words, and was told to cut it out
by umpires Marais Erasmus and
Bruce Oxenford.
England were unimpressed that
India captain Virat Kohli alerted
ENGLAND NEED THE
SPIRIT OF 1985...
THE last time England won in
Chennai they thrashed India by
nine wickets, with double-
hundreds from Graeme Fowler
(201) and Mike Gatting (207).
Neil Foster took career-best
match figures of 11 for 163.
ENGLAND INDIA
RECORD IN RECORD IN
CHENNAI CHENNAI
Win% 37.5 Win% 41.9
D1
D11
W3
W13
L4
L6
PS INDIA can beat their
record of 17 Tests without
defeat. The world record is
held by West Indies, who went
27 unbeaten (1982-84).
the umpires to a still on the big
screen during the same game as
the officials checked the legality of
the ball from Joe Root that
dismissed Ashwin, caught at short
leg by Keaton Jennings.
Kohli appeared to feel that the
replay showed a kink in Root’s
action, and mimicked it to the
umpires. Match referee Jeff Crowe
is understood not to have seen the
incident. Stokes himself earned a
It’s a dead rubber but heat is still on for Cook’s men
Slow burner: staff drying the
pitch with hot coals yesterday
LAWRENCE
BOOTH
Wisden Editor
reports from Chennai
demerit point on the ICC Code of
C o n d u c t’ s s l i d i n g s c a l e o f
punishments after responding to
Kohli’s send-off during the third
Test in Mohali with an expletive.
Having already collected a point
in Bangladesh following a set-to
with Sabbir Rahman, he will be
suspended for either a Test or two
ODI and Twenty20 internationals
if he picks up two more before
November 2018.
But, ahead of tomorrow’s fifth
and final Test in storm-ravaged
Chennai, he said the rules should
be applied without fear or favour.
‘I think that side of the game can
be jumped on and people get
slapped with fines,’ he said. ‘If
you’re going to do someone, you’ve
got to do the next
person, no matter
who they are and
who they play for.
‘It’s part of the
game, so I don’t
see any reason why
they should clamp
down on it so
quickly. If there’s
one rule, it’s got to
be the same rule
for everyone. It
can’t just be that
certain people get
away with certain
things, and other
people don’t get
away with them.’
No one in the
England camp can
claim with a straight
face that Anderson and Stokes
have been innocent bystanders
over the last few years.
Anderson enraged India over an
incident in the Trent Bridge
pavilion in 2014, when MS Dhoni
called for a ban following an
alleged push on Ravindra Jadeja.
And Stokes himself is rarely far
from the eye of any storm.
But there is a sense that the
Indians are not judged by the
same rulebook, especially on their
own turf. After Ashwin accosted
Anderson in Mumbai, Kohli
claimed his off-spinner hadn’t
used any ‘bad words’. In private,
England take a different view,
The sight of groundstaff using a
tray of hot coals to dry the
Chepauk pitch yesterday,
followed by Ben Stokes making
clear England’s displeasure at
officialdom here, demonstrated
this is no ordinary dead rubber.
Cyclone Vardah left the people of
Chennai with a massive clear-up
operation to ensure the fifth Test
show goes on tomorrow but it is
one they are well on the way to
completing at the MA
Chidambaram Stadium.
The pitch and outfield remain
remarkably undamaged by the
100mph winds and storm that
ripped through this southern city
on Monday but whether the
teams will be able to have a net
today remains to be seen.
Officials at one of India’s oldest
venues will be rewarded with a
final Test that retains a
considerable edge, despite
India’s supremacy, because of
England’s lingering bad feeling
v1
Flashpoint:
Ashwin
confronts
Anderson
and Kohli’s
Stokes jibe
(below) AP
believing he
called Ander-
son a ‘f******
bad loser’.
Stokes spoke
calmly about what he regards as a
discrepancy, and played down
suggestions of a personal rivalry
with Kohli, insisting their only
clash had come in Mohali.
After the incident which led to
Stokes’s reprimand by the ICC,
the pair greeted each other’s
dismissals with shushing gestures
— Stokes covering his mouth after
having Kohli caught behind and
Kohli putting his fingers to his lips
after Stokes was removed by
Ashwin on the third evening.
‘He looked like he was picking
his nose when he did the quiet
comment after I did it before him,
but there’s been nothing else,’ said
PAUL NEWMAN
Cricket Correspondent
reports from Chennai
towards what they see as
disciplinary inconsistency.
It seems odd that Ravi Ashwin
should escape a reprimand for
his display of aggression towards
Jimmy Anderson when the fourth
Test and the series were all but
won in Mumbai on Monday.
Coupled with a rap for Stokes for
a lesser indiscretion in Mohali it
is easy to see why England
believe there is one rule for India
and another for everyone else.
England must now use that sense
of injustice to propel them to
one last big effort to try to
ensure India do not achieve the
4-0 thrashing that would satisfy
Virat Kohli’s quest to avenge the
last three losing series.
And it would be nice if England
showed they really are behind
INDIA v ENGLAND
Stokes. Asked what he was
learning about how to deal with
fiery situations on the field, he
replied with a smile: ‘I’m
constantly getting told to not
swear next to the stump mic.’
None of this, though, is to make
excuses for the fact that England
are on the verge of losing 4-0 to
India for the first time.
Stokes said he was full of
admiration for the way Kohli has
batted, taking particular note of
his footwork to England’s
spinners, going either right
forward or right back, and never
getting stuck at the crease.
‘You can’t say too much to a
bloke who’s got 600 runs in the
series. You’ve got to hold your
hands up to him and appreciate
the player he is.’
But he also spoke of England’s
under-pressure captain Alastair
Cook by turning their expressions
of support into actions and not
keep throwing away golden
opportunities to win here.
Whether Anderson plays
tomorrow to have one last Test
battle with his old Indian
adversaries remains to be seen
because England face delicate
selection issues as they attempt
to get the balance right.
Anderson, England’s record
wicket-taker, has — along with
Chris Woakes — looked innocuous
here and neither are guaranteed
a place if, as expected, England
go back to the three-spinner
policy they abandoned in
Mumbai. Stuart Broad appears to
be winning his race to be fit to
play after injury while England
could throw in Liam Dawson for
his Test debut rather than go
back to veteran Gareth Batty,
whose unlikely comeback has
surely run its course.
75
determination to avoid a fourth
successive defeat in a series in
which India have pulled away from
them every time they have
threatened to draw level.
For all England’s problems on
this trip, dead-rubber syndrome
will not be one of them.
‘We’re a team that will want to go
home 3-1, not 4-0,’ he said. ‘It’s not
going to be a case of walking out
there and letting them walk all
over us.
‘We want to win this game as
much as we’ve wanted to win every
other game so far.
‘But losing isn’t the way you
want to go about things. We’re
disappointed to be going back to
England after the way things have
gone out here.’
@the_topspin
FIFTH test essential
India (probable): Vijay, Rahul,
Pujara, Kohli (capt), Nair, Patel
(wkt), Ashwin, Jadeja, J Yadav,
Kumar, U Yadav.
England (probable): Cook (capt),
Jennings, Root, Buttler, Bairstow
(wkt), Stokes, Moeen, Dawson,
Rashid, Broad, Anderson.
on-field Umpires:
Marais Erasmus (SA) and
Simon Fry (Aus).
TV umpire: Bruce Oxenford (Aus).
Match referee: Jeff Crowe (NZ).
Pitch: It is remarkably dry
considering it has been hit by a
cyclone and England’s hopes of
a green seamer or even an
old-fashioned sticky dog appear
to have been dashed.
TV & Radio: LIVE on Sky Sports 2
and BBC 5 Live from 3.30am
tomorrow. Play starts at 4am.
76 Football
Cardiff’s fight to take on
Mackay and Co in court
C EXCLUSIVE
ARDIFF CITY are
pursuing a High
Court claim for
almost £10million in
damages against
Malky Mackay, Iain Moody
and three of the most pow-
erful agents in the game.
The Welsh club have launched a
claim of dishonest conspiracy with
regard to two transfers against
Mackay (below), their former
director of football Moody and
agents David Manasseh, Rob
Segal and John Inglis.
The move comes with Mackay
expected to be unveiled as the
Scottish Football Association’s
technical director today.
Cardiff are due in the High Court
today in a bid to have the case
heard in the public arena after
lawyers representing the agents
eight DEALS in
the spotlight...
Cornelius (FC Copenhagen) £8m
Odemwingie (West Brom) £2.5m
Brayford (Derby) £1.75m
Medel (Sevilla) £10m
Caulker (Tottenham) £8.5m
Amondarain (CA Progreso) Free
Theophile-Catherine (Rennes)£2.1m
Moore (Brentford) £150,000
pushed for a behind-closed-doors
FA tribunal which would avoid
public scrutiny.
The situation highlights one of
the most contentious issues in the
English game, whereby agents
and other members of the football
community can use private
arbitration for disputes without
incurring any public reputational
damage. This newspaper knows of
at least one top agent whose
clients are unaware he was
forced to pay significant
damages to another
player.
Mackay, Moody and the
agents involved in this
case have consistently
denied any wrongdoing
since Sportsmail
revealed Cardiff
were investigating
eight transfers
from 2013, when
Mackay was their
manager and
Moody was in
charge of player
bennell is
remanded on
sex charges
former Crewe
Alexandra coach Barry
Bennell appeared at
South Cheshire
Magistrates Court
yesterday, charged
with eight counts of
child sex abuse.
The alleged offences
are said to have taken
place between 1981 and
1985. Bennell, 62, of no
fixed abode, is yet to
enter a plea and
appeared by video link.
He was remanded in
custody to appear at
Chester Crown Court
on January 11.
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016
Sports NEWS REPORTER of the year
MATT
LAWTON
Chief Sports Reporter
recruitment. The investi-
gation, which has so far
cost Cardiff owner Vin-
cent Tan more than
£1m and has been led by
a team of lawyers from
Mishcon De Reya for
almost three years, is
ongoing but today’s hear-
ing will focus on Steven
Caulker’s £8.5m transfer
from Tottenham to Cardiff
i n J u l y 2 0 1 3 a n d Pe t e r
Odemwingie’s £2.5m move from
West Brom to the Welsh club two
months later.
In the Odemwingie deal, Segal
was the player’s agent with
Manasseh on official documents
as the club’s agent, with a fee
o f a l m o s t £ 3 0 0 , 0 0 0 d u e t o ­
Manasseh, who is perhaps most
famous for negotiating Gareth
Bale’s record-breaking £85m
transfer to Real Madrid.
But Cardiff claim they are unable
to find any evidence of Manasseh’s
involvement in the deal, other
than the fact he appeared on
the AG1 Agent Declaration form
submitted by Segal. The club’s
concern was heightened by the
fact Manasseh was in Spain
overseeing Bale’s move to Real
Madrid on the day the Odemwingie Under scrutiny: Cardiff allege foul play in the signings of Caulker (left) and Odemwingie pa/getty images
transfer was completed.
Shock as Zola joins Blues
Manasseh, who declined to com- responsible as two principal
ment last night, was named as the officers of the club overseeing
player’s agent in the Caulker deal, transfer business.
and was also named in documents After leaving Cardiff, Mackay
with Inglis as the club’s agents. and Moody almost rejoined forces
Inglis, a Scottish former at Crystal Palace in 2014, but GIANFRANCO Zola has made a They lie in seventh this season
shock return to English football following a 1-0 win over Ipswich
footballer now operating as an Sportsmail revealed an exchange
agent in Bulgaria, was to of racist, sexist and homophobic after replacing Gary Rowett as on Tuesday. His dismissal comes in
receive more than £700,000 for messages that forced Moody to manager at Birmingham City. the wake of new Chinese owners
his involvement but, resign and persuaded Palace not The Chelsea legend has signed a Trillion Trophy Asia bringing in
again, the club can find to appoint Mackay. deal until 2019 to round off a three directors this week.
no evidence of him Moody is now working at League tumultuous day at St Andrew’s. Existing director Panos Pavlakis
working on the deal. Two strugglers Colchester United, Sportsmail understands that Zola said: ‘A parting of the ways is
Cardiff claim all while Mackay is hoping to return
to the game with the SFA in what will look to bring former Chelsea always difficult, but in football
five men con- duo Kevin Hitchcock and Pierluigi you can never stand still.
spired together will be his first job in football since
his controversial appointment, Casiraghi into his backroom set-up. ‘Zola’s pedigree, philosophy and
to defraud the
club in both and disastrous spell, at Wigan Rowett’s departure came as a ambition fits with what we would
transfers, and Athletic in 2014-15. surprise after he led Birmingham like to achieve as we move in a
hold Mackay from the relegation places to two new direction.’
and Moody @Matt_Lawton_DM top-half finishes on a tight budget. SAMI MOKBEL
CHELSEA will renew SOUTHEND striker
bony’s £8m
their interest in
Hoffenheim defender
Niklas Sule when the
football DIGEST Nile Ranger, 25, has
been charged with
fraud and money- dispute with
transfer window opens laundering offences, swansea
next month. Chelsea
failed with a £20million
EVERTON are facing a
challenge to persuade barkley in relating to obtaining a
vulnerable person’s MANCHESTER CITY
striker Wilfried Bony is
bid for the 6ft 5in
Germany centre half in
Ross Barkley to
commit to a new deal no rush to bank account details in
February last year. taking action against
Swansea City and his
the summer and may
face competition for
following a difficult
start to his relationship
sign deal He appeared at
Highbury Corner former agent in a bid to
the 21-year-old from Magistrates yesterday. recover up to £8million
with Ronald Koeman. and is in no rush to in lost earnings.
Liverpool and AC Milan. The midfielder has commit to a long- STUART PEARCE will The 28-year-old, on
AJAX starlet been criticised by the term deal. apply for the loan at Stoke City, is
Daishawn Redan was manager this Tottenham are England Under 21 job, a suing his former
at Manchester United’s season, but interested but he role he held from 2007 representative Francis
training ground impressed in won’t be sold in to 2013. He took the Kacou over money
yesterday ahead of his Tuesday’s 2-1 January. Everton young Lions to the allegedly taken
proposed move. The win against want Morgan Euro 2009 final, which without authorisation.
forward, who is 16 in Arsenal. Schneiderlin, they lost to a Germany Bony also alleges that
February, has been Barkley (right) who can leave side containing Manuel Swansea knew about
playing above his age has 18 months Manchester Neuer, Mats Hummels the agreement, which
group for Ajax since left on his United for and Mesut Ozil. they dispute.
joining them as an contract £20million.
eight-year-old. CONTRIBUTORS: Simon Jones, Matt Barlow and Mike Keegan

Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016
sam
cunningham
reports from the
London Stadium
west ham
Noble 45
1 milestone
burnley
0 for Hughes
W
EST HAM are
winning again,
Andy Carroll is
back in the
starting line-up,
the London Stadium crowd
are calm and relaxed.
If it wasn’t for Mr Reliable Mark
Noble missing a penalty, West Ham
supporters could have been
forgiven for thinking that things
were returning to normal after a
tumultuous six months.
In the end, it mattered not as
their captain tucked in the rebound
to defeat visiting Burnley and end a
run of seven matches without a win.
After a tough spell facing Spurs,
MATCH FACTS
WEST HAM (4-3-3): Randolph 8;
Kouyate 6, Reid 7, Ogbonna 6,
Cresswell 6; Antonio 6.5, Noble 7.5
(Nordtveit 88min), Obiang 6; Lanzini 6
(Ayew 69, 6), Carroll 6.5 (Fletcher 82),
Payet 6. Subs not used: Adrian,
Fernandes, Quina, Browne.
burnley (4-4-2): Heaton 6.5;
Lowton 6, Keane 6, Mee 5, Ward 6;
Arfield 6 (Bamford 90), Marney 6,
Hendrick 6, Boyd 6 (Barnes 76);
Vokes 6, Gray 6. Subs not used:
Flanagan, Kightly, Defour, Robinson,
Tarkowski. Booked: Mee, Hendrick.
Man of the match: Darren Randolph.
Referee: Robert Madley 6.
Manchester United, Arsenal and
Liverpool in the league, this was
the ideal start to a run of fixtures
against teams they must beat, or at
least pick up points against, if they
want to avoid a relegation fight
next year. Hull City at home and
away matches against Swansea on
Boxing Day and Leicester City at
the turn of the year await.
Hammers manager Slaven Bilic
hopes this victory will help his
players get over what he considers
their fear of winning. He compared
their mentality to a ‘cramp’ — a
side so low on confidence they are
hampered even when ahead.
‘I saw that cramp in the second
half,’ he said. ‘They were afraid of
winning. It’s normal. It happens to
most clubs who are underachieving
and we were before the game.
‘It can only go away with climbing
up the table. Hopefully, this should
diame just the job for rafa
RAFA Benitez hailed Mohamed
Diame — as well as his team’s
tenacity — as Newcastle United
returned to the top of the
Championship thanks to this gritty
win over woeful Wigan.
Goals from former Latics star
Diame and Christian Atsu secured
the victory but it was not pretty on
a night where toil trumped talent
at the DW Stadium.
Yet the manner of the win will
cause few sleepless nights in the
Benitez household and he picked
out Diame for special praise after
he helped twist the knife into his
old team.
Benitez said: ‘I think that we said
last week that Diame was working
very hard and I’m really pleased
with the goal that he scored.
‘He tries to do the things that the
team needs but at the same time
he’s scoring goals. I’m really pleased
for him because it is good for his
confidence.
‘We tried to play well and if we can
then perfect because we will have
more chances to win games, but if
On the
Mark:
Noble
reacts well
to score
reuters
Noble stops rot
as Bilic finally
feels at home
put us in a position on Saturday so
we go with less cramp and more
confidence. We can only get rid of it
with wins.’
This was the sort of match you
get when a team with a poor record
at home play at home against a
side who are dire away. Burnley
arrived in east London — and left
— with just one of their 17 Premier
League points coming on the road.
Carroll made his first start at the
London Stadium — his first in four
months — and was involved in the
first meaningful chance of the
match in the 33rd minute.
Michail Antonio passed to Manuel
Lanzini, who played the ball to
Carroll. His deft touch on the edge
of the box allowed Antonio, who
had continued his run, to shoot
towards the bottom corner, but
Tom Heaton saved.
That chance seemed to breathe
life into West Ham at the end of the
wigan 0
newcastle 2
chris brereton
at the DW Stadium
not we have to just work hard and
try to win.’
Diame looked threatening from
the off, forcing Wigan goalkeeper
Jussi Jaaskelainen into a fine early
save with a 25-yard effort.
Diame, hot-shot striker Dwight
Gayle and Jonjo Shelvey all started
brightly. This allowed Newcastle to
move through the gears at their
leisure and the breakthrough came
after 26 minutes when Diame
scored a fine opener.
Isaac Hayden and the French-
born midfielder showed a fine
understanding of each other’s game
as they passed their way through
the Wigan defence before Diame
slotted home past Jaaskelainen.
Newcastle failed to build on their
QQQ
first half. A couple of minutes later
Pedro Obiang struck the left post
with a fizzing drive from 20 yards
and towards the end of the half
Noble clattered the right upright
with a curling effort, when Dimitri
Payet played a short corner to him.
Then, moments before the break,
Ben Mee pulled Winston Reid down
inside the box for a penalty. Burnley
manager Sean Dyche was adamant
that Heaton was fouled by Antonio
and Cheikhou Kouyate jumping
into him from the corner.
‘Any other keeper would fall on
his back, flailing around and it’s
given,’ he complained. ‘Ours does it
the proper way — that used to be
applauded. Now it’s called naive.’
Noble saw his first effort from the
spot saved by Heaton, but he stuck
in the rebound. That is only the
second penalty Noble has missed in
seven years — he has taken 16 —
and he ran off with a cheeky smile,
lead in the first half but Wigan’s
frailty at the back was there for all
to see as nobody in their backline
took control.
Shelvey came closest to doubling
the lead just before half-time but
Jaaskelainen, who is still playing
well at the age of 41, diverted his
shot wide.
After the interval, Wigan started
brightly as Will Grigg began to
cause trouble and he missed a
decent headed opportunity on the
hour mark as Benitez’s side started
to look stretched.
However, the Latics cannot score
at home — it’s now 452 minutes
since they netted at the DW
Stadium when they beat Wolves on
September 27 — and substitute
Atsu made them pay towards the
end to show why Newcastle are top
of the table.
Wigan boss Warren Joyce said:
‘There was not enough of that dev-
ilment or aggression that you need
to get a goal. I think the positive we
have is that I don’t think anyone
has played us off the park.’
PREMIER LEAGUE
in relief as much as anything.
The goal was needed. From not
registering a shot on target in the
first half, Burnley began to batter
West Ham’s goal in the second.
Stephen Ward’s long free kick
sent into the box hit a tangle of
bodies and dropped for Sam Vokes
who, back to goal, improvised to
send the ball narrowly wide of the
post with the flick of his boot.
Another Ward set-piece was
headed towards goal by Mee and
evaded West Ham keeper Darren
Randolph but Cresswell cleared.
Vokes then missed an open goal
heading over when Scott Arfield’s
shot was saved by Randolph but
bounced into the path of the striker.
And with 20 minutes remaining,
Randolph made a superb diving
save to keep out Arfield’s powerful,
swerving free-kick.
@samcunningham
Joy story: Diame (centre)
TOP OF THE TABLE
P W D L F A GD Pts
Newcastle.........21 15 1 5 43 16 27 46
Brighton...........21 13 6 2 33 13 20 45
Reading............21 11 4 6 27 27 0 37
Huddersfield....21 11 3 7 24 25 -1 36
Derby................21 10 5 6 21 13 8 35
Leeds................21 11 2 8 25 22 3 35
77
Memorable,
miserable
stoke 0
southampton 0
MIKE KEEGAN
at the bet365 Stadium
Mark Hughes’S 400th match as a
Premier League manager was not
one he will forget. The Stoke City
boss saw forward Marko
Arnautovic sent off in the 24th
minute before Saints striker
Shane Long escaped the same
fate for what appeared to be an
elbow in a feisty goalless draw.
‘Referees think they have to come
here and calm Stoke players
down and that’s cost us,’ said
Hughes. ‘All you ask is that they
get decisions right. I was
disappointed. It was a mistimed
tackle. He’s clearly caught him
but I don’t think it was done with
intent or violence.’
Arnautovic went in studs up on
Boufal as he controlled Cuco
Martina’s throw-in and caught
him on the thigh.
Referee Anthony
Taylor did the rest.
Stoke’s mood
would not have
improved when
Long went
unpunished after
an apparent elbow
left Bruno Martins
Indi pole-axed.
The visitors pilked on the
pressure in the second half but
could not find a way through.
Southampton have scored just
four goals in their last eight
Premier League matches, and
manager Claude Puel said: ‘It was
a disappointment. We need to be
more aggressive.’
Stoke City (4-3-2-1): Grant 7; Johnson 6,
Shawcross 6, Martins Indi 6, Pieters 6;
Whelan 5.5, Adam 5.5 (Muniesa 88min),
Allen 6.5; Shaqiri 5.5 (Diouf 57, 5),
Arnautovic 4; Walters 5.5. Subs not used:
Given, Bony, Imbula, Crouch, Bojan.
Booked: Allen. Sent off: Arnautovic.
Southampton (4-3-3): Forster 6; Martina 6
(McQueen 84), Van Dijk 6, Fonte 6.5,
Bertrand 6; Davis 5.5, Romeu 6, Ward-
Prowse 6; Redmond 6 (Rodriguez 66,5),
Long 5.5 (Tadic 66,5), Boufal 7
Subs not used: Taylor, Yoshida, Clasie,
Hojbjerg. Booked: Romeu, Ward-Prowse.
Referee: Anthony Taylor 5.5
Ince strikes late
as Derby roll on
round-up
TOM INCE’S late goal gave Derby a
1-0 away win against struggling
Queens Park Rangers.
It was a heartbreaking fourth
defeat on the spin for Rangers
boss Ian Holloway who said: ‘We’re
improving but unfortunately the
results are stinking.’ ,
Steve McClaren’s side recorded
their seventh straight victory
when Ince struck with a volley in
BPI the 86th minute for his sixth goal
in six matches.
Nottingham Forest had to come
from behind to earn a 1-1 home
draw against Preston and visiting
manager Simon Grayson said: ‘We
are disappointed not to have won.’
Simon Makienok put Preston
ahead just before half-time but
goalkeeper Chris Maxwell
conceded a 68th-minute own goal.

PREMIER LEAGUE
78
Lallana’s leap
Adam continues stunning rise as Mignolet keeps clean sheet
DOMINIC
KING
at the
Riverside Stadium
middlesbrough
0 Mignolet. Takes control, easy
liverpool
Lallana 29, 68, Origi 60
3 Klopp. A penny for his thoughts.
S
O it turns out Jurgen
Klopp called this one
wrong: Loris Karius
could have played
and the final result
would not have been in any
semblance of danger.
In fact, Klopp could actually have
played without anyone between the
posts for much of this contest and
the outcome would still have been
the same. After 72 hours talking
about goalkeepers, Liverpool’s
manager left Middlesbrough talking
MATCH FACTS
MIDDLESBROUGH (4-5-1): Valdes 5;
Barragan 5, Chambers 5, Gibson 5,
Fabio 5; Traore 6, De Roon 5, Clayton
6 (Leadbitter 56min, 6), Forshaw 6,
Fischer 5 (Downing 56, 6); Negredo 6
(Rhodes 77). Subs not used: Guzan,
Espinosa, Nsue, Nugent.
Booked: Gibson.
LIVERPOOl (4-3-3): Mignolet 7; Clyne
7, Lovren 7, Klavan 7, Milner 7;
Wijnaldum 7 (Ejaria 87), Henderson
7, Lallana 9 (Lucas 82); Mane 8
(Alexander-Arnold 90), Origi 8,
Firmino 7. Subs not used: Karius,
Moreno, Stewart, Woodburn.
Man of the match: Adam Lallana.
Referee: Jon Moss 8.
about goals. Ruthlessly efficient
and devastatingly clinical, Liverpool
took Boro apart and the only man
to head back to Merseyside with
misgivings was Karius, who spent
90 minutes sat behind his manager
brooding as Simon Mignolet, his
replacement, was barely troubled.
Mignolet, himself no stranger to
troubled times at Anfield, had the
best view of all as Liverpool regained
the winning habit, out-passing and
outclassing their hosts. They scored
three — two from Adam Lallana,
one from Divock Origi — but might
have finished with six.
‘I’m thrilled with the result,’ said
Klopp. ‘The performance was really
good. I know how strong Loris is.
I’m not interested in public
RONDON TREBLE SHATTERS lowly swans
To allow Salomon Rondon a free
header once may be misfortune,
twice careless, but three times is
the mark of a side in desperate
danger of the drop.
Swansea discovered as much
during a blistering 13-minute spell
by the Venezuelan striker, who
scored a hat-trick of headers to
turn this match swiftly in West
Bromwich Albion’s favour and
leave Swansea boss Bob Bradley
furious as his team gave away
three early Christmas presents.
It was Rondon’s first hat-trick in
English football and when he was
replaced with five minutes left the
stadium rose to applaud him.
This fourth victory in six games
Head boy:
Lallana
charges in
to open
the scoring
reuters
pressure, I am interested in the boy.
Is he fine? Not too much. You can
imagine that he did immediately
not want a hug.’
For all the hullabaloo around him
it has been easy to lose sight of one
thing: Karius had come under fire
because he has cost his title-chasing
team priceless points.
Given that Chelsea are setting a
relentless pace, Klopp had to act.
This has been a bogey ground, a
stadium that has frequently caused
them grief. The last time they were
here, in February 2009, defeat was
fatal to Liverpool’s title charge.
Klopp, then, could not afford to
gamble. Middlesbrough might have
their limitations but they do not lay
down the welcome mat for visitors.
There was a feeling within the away
dressing room that this may prove
to be one of their most difficult
assignments of the campaign.
What is stopping Boro from
west brom 3 again from almost the same spot
swansea 1 Only two more minutes passed
Laurie whitwell
at The Hawthorns
lifted Tony Pulis’s side into seventh
place and cut Swansea further
adrift in the relegation zone.
The visitors had actually acquitted
themselves well until the start of
the second half, when they utterly
lost their way.
Five minutes after the break Nacer
Chadli drew a foul from Jay Fulton
and Matt Phillips crossed for the
unmarked Rondon to head home.
QQQ
pulling away from the relegation
zone is their inability to take
chances; they are solid and work
like Trojans but are the league’s
lowest scorers.
‘I can’t say anything bad about
my players, they gave everything,’
said Aitor Karanka. ‘Running and
fighting, but Liverpool made it so
difficult. Like Chelsea, they are the
candidates to win the league. We
have played all the top teams and
they are as good as any.’
Boro had plenty of possession in
the early skirmishes and pushed
Liverpool back but the closest they
came was when Alvaro Negredo
received a pass on the edge of the
area, but he was immediately
closed down by Dejan Lovren.
Soon enough, Liverpool began to
find their rhythm. The feeling began
to grow that, before long, they
would make their superiority tell.
At times Liverpool were guilty of
Eleven minutes later Rondon did it
after a fine cross by Chris Brunt.
before Rondon completed his
hat-trick.
This time it was Phillips, to Brunt,
to Rondon, who rose to nod in off
the crossbar. For the third home
game in a row Albion had scored
at least three goals.
For Bradley, the gap from safety
suddenly widens to three points,
and their next game at
Middlesbrough, the team
immediately above them, takes on
even greater significance.
‘If we do go a goal down we have
to be able to get back into the
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016
If looks could kill: Karius (above) eyes Klopp, who congratulates Mignolet
over-elaboration. One pass on the
edge of the area turned into two or
three when what was required was
someone to test Victor Valdes.
Klopp frequently spun on his heels
in frustration, grimacing when
chances were squandered.
Then it all changed. Just before
the half-hour, Mane saw Nathaniel
Clyne scurrying forward and urged
him to carry on his run; the full back
never broke his stride and provided
a perfect cross to the back post
where Lallana planted a header, his
fifth goal of the campaign.
Had Viktor Fischer been able to
muster an immediate riposte,
things might have changed but
Mignolet made a plunging save and
momentum stayed with Liverpool.
Mane raced clear of Ben Gibson
game, not panic or lose
concentration.
‘That’s the part that gets me
angry,’ he said. ‘If you let them
camp out in the box you’re asking
for trouble.’
Rondon had actually had a suspect
first half, fluffing two shooting
chances. He was much better in
the air and his hat-trick of headers
was only the second in the
Premier League after Duncan
Ferguson in December 1997.
Pulis said: ‘Salomon is getting
better. The great thing is he
missed two chances and that
hasn’t affected him.’
Swansea pulled one back after 78
minutes, Wayne Routledge scoring
IT’S SIMPLE
FOR SIMON
KEEPER WATCH
n 2 MIN: First touch for Simon
pass out to Clyne.
n 4 MIN: TV images show Loris
Karius sitting behind Jurgen
n 18 MIN: Mignolet’s first test.
Fabio’s long-range shot is tricky
with the ball skidding on the
wet turf but he takes it well.
n 22 MIN: A free-kick reaches
the far post where Boro’s Ben
Gibson heads the ball down but
Mignolet makes an agile save.
n 30 MIN: A great one-handed
save to deny Adam Forshaw.
n 40 MIN: Another great save.
Traore’s cross from the right
reaches Forshaw at the far post
only for his 12-yard shot to be
blocked by the Belgian.
n 90 MIN: Nothing to do all half
but keeps concentration.
n POST-MATCH: Mignolet
tweeted: ‘Only one thing was
important @LFC back to
winning ways.’
but his left-footed drive hit the
woodwork. Klopp need not have
worried. Liverpool resumed in the
same mood, calm, efficient, passing
the ball in triangles that left Boro
seeing stars and in the 61st minute,
they killed the game when Origi
finished Lallana’s pinpoint cross.
Soon after the favour was repaid.
Referee Jon Moss allowed play to
go on after Gibson had clattered
into Mane and Origi picked out
Lallana at the back post, who rifled
with his left foot. By now, Klopp
was a picture of happiness. All was
right with the world once more.
‘Not bad, eh?’ Klopp said with a
telling grin. It was better than that.
Much better.
@DominicKing_DM
after Ben Foster had parried an
effort from Borja Baston.
WEST BROM (4-2-3-1): Foster 7.5; Nyom 7.5,
McAuley 7, Olsson 6, Brunt 8.5; Yacob 6.5,
Fletcher 7; Chadli 8 (McClean 71, 6),
Morrison 7 (Gardner 77), Phillips 8; Rondon 9
(Robson-Kanu 85).
Subs not used: Palmer, Galloway, Harper,
Leko.
Scorers: Rondon 50, 61, 63.
SWANSEA (4-2-3-1): Fabianski 7; Rangel 6,
Mawson 6, Amat 5, Taylor 6; Fulton 5.5,
Britton 6.5 (Cork 72, 6); Routledge 7,
Sigurdsson 7, Montero 4 (Barrow 64, 5);
Llorente 4 (Baston 72, 6).
Subs not used: Nordfeldt, Van der Hoorn,
Fer, Naughton.
Scorer: Routledge 78.
Man of the match: Rondon.
Referee: Michael Oliver 8.
Attendance: 21,467.
 QQQ
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016

79

Charles
picture:
Ian
chris Hodgson
wheeler

man city
at the
Etihad Stadium
Sale SPORTS
AGENDA
Zabaleta 33
2
Derby’s friendly dig
Silva 86

watford
0 at League TV deal
R
E L I E F f o r Pe p AN unlikely friendly match between Champion-
Guardiola but ship rivals Derby County and Leeds is going to
be staged at Pride Park during the March
agony for Ilkay international break as part of Rams chairman
Gundogan, who Mel Morris’s battle with the Football League
could miss the rest over media rights.
of the season after suffer- The formidable Morris is in conflict with the
FL after being denied access to the details of
ing a serious knee injury TV deals he claims could be a lot better.
in Manchester City’s win He is putting on the game to highlight the
at the Etihad last night. major revenues he believes could be made from
The £20million signing was broadcasting and social media if there was no
hurt when he launched into an restrictions from a monopoly TV deal for eight
awkward challenge on Watford’s per cent of the fixtures.
Nordin Amrabat. Gundogan, Morris, who it is understood has significant
who had surgery on a dislocated support for his views from across the FL
right kneecap in May and did divisions, has invited all 72 clubs plus the League
not make his City debut until board and commercial committee to a meeting
September, went down holding at Derby on January 5 where he will present his
the same leg. media plans in detail.
He tried to play on after Morris wrote in his latest letter to clubs: ‘My
lengthy treatment but limped quest is to ensure the Football League is able to
off before the interval and there efficiently and successfully grow our brand and
are fears he could miss the rest our revenues. I am underwhelmed by our lack of
of the season with ligament stature and the weak levels of monetisation
damage. ‘It’s so, so sad for Ilkay of our media rights and the seeming lack of
Game over: Gundogan holds his right leg before being forced off at the end of the first half

City’s agony
pa
efforts, focus and results delivered by those
responsible.
‘Even against the backdrop of the agreements
MATCH FACTS that we are not allowed to see, we believe there
are significant opportunities for all of us to
MAN CITY (4-2-3-1): Bravo 6; generate meaningful incremental revenue, even
Zabaleta 7, Otamendi 6, Kolarov 6, for this season.’
Clichy 6.5; Gundogan 6 (Fernando The FL remain convinced that the current
44min, 6), Toure 6; Sterling 7.5, Sky deal is a good one and have yet to see
De Bruyne 6.5 (Sane 89), Silva 7;

as Gundogan
any evidence to the contrary. They are also
Nolito 6 (Navas 81). Subs not used: appointing a broadcasting expert onto the staff
Caballero, Sagna, Stones, to prepare for the next TV deals.

l
Iheanacho. Booked: Zabaleta. A major concern for the Premier League
WATFORD (4-4-2): Gomes 6; with lucrative TV rights to protect is the
Janmaat 5 (Success 60, 6), Prodl 5, growth of pirate streaming of their action with
Britos 6.5, Holebas 6; Guedioura 6; a landmark audience of a million reckoned to
Amrabat 7, Capoue 6.5, Pereyra 5.5
(Zuniga 30, 6); Sinclair 5.5 (Deeney
have illegally watched Manchester United’s
win at Swansea that wasn’t a selected TV

72, 6), Ighalo 5. Subs not used:
Pantilimon, Kaboul, Watson,
Kabasele. Booked: Prodl, Amrabat.
Man of the match:
Raheem Sterling.
Referee: Kevin Friend 7.
Gundogan,’ said Guardiola of a
player who missed the entire
2013-14 campaign with Dort-
mund after back surgery.
‘We’re going to miss him for a
long time — many months. The
doctor supposes he has (liga-
ment damage). It doesn’t look
good. He fears the worst news.
He’s so sad. He wanted to try
(to play on) but he put his hand
up and said it wasn’t good.’
The injury overshadowed
City’s first home win in the
Premier League for 88 days on a
nervy night at the Etihad.
Guardiola had taken the
blame for his team’s troubles
and insisted he was not immune
to the sack, but Pablo Zabaleta
and David Silva scored to end a
mini-crisis at the Etihad.
Zabaleta’s goal in the 33rd
minute was his first in the
faces lay-off
Premier League in more than
two years. Nolito started the
move, sliding the ball out to
Kevin De Bruyne on the left.
The Belgian’s burst of pace
gave him the space he needed
to clip over a cross that avoided
everyone and landed perfectly
for Zabaleta at the far post. The
Argentine side-footed the ball
into the ground and beyond
Heurelho Gomes.
‘As a full-back you go into a
game thinking you have to
defend, but when you have the
chance to go forward and attack
the space, it is good,’ said Zaba-
leta. ‘It was a great cross from
Kevin De Bruyne and a good
finish for a full-back!
‘It was not the prettiest game
but we had determination to
win the game. We had the clean
sheet we’ve been talking about
and were solid defensively.
‘We were really good at the
back and we took our chances.
We deserved to win.’
There is no doubt City were
helped by facing a tame Wat-
ford side who were happy to
defend deep for long periods
and did not trouble Claudio
Bravo until late in the game.
Etienne Capoue brought a
rare save from the City goal-
keeper after Miguel Britos had
got his head to a free-kick
midway through the second
half, but their best chance
arrived in the 83rd minute when
Amrabat got down the right
and put in a great cross for
Odion Ighalo, who guided his
first-time effort inches over
from eight yards out.
Silva made sure of City’s
victory two minutes later to
calm an increasingly restless
Etihad crowd, who had earlier
seen Raheem Sterling clip the
bar with a rising shot after a
surging run to the edge of the
penalty box.
Sebastian Prodl was caught in
possession on the halfway line
and City broke forward quickly.
Silva exchanged passes with
Sterling before taking aim and
burying his shot past Gomes.
So three points for Guardiola
and only a third clean sheet in
the League this season. What a
pity it came at such a price.
@ChrisWheelerDM
match. The PL say they are containing the
situation by investing a lot of resources to
fighting the problem and have had a string of
successful court actions.
Premiership Rugby have made
the bizarre decision not to appoint
an independent chairman to
replace Quentin Smith (right)
following a six-month search by
headhunters that had two captains
of industry on the final shortlist.
The decision, voted for by the
smallest possible margin after an acrimonious
board meeting involving the 12 elite clubs plus
Yorkshire Carnegie and London Irish, not only
goes against their own regulations but also
Sport England’s governance code.
It will also embarrass recruitment company
chairman Michael Squires, who has to inform
the candidates their time has been wasted.
A Premiership spokesman said the issue will
be discussed again in February.
l
THERE is no excuse for any more FIFA
confusion over wearing poppies after FA
chairman Greg Clarke met FIFA president
Gianni Infantino in Zurich yesterday. FIFA’s
disciplinary committee are due to announce
their poppy sanction fines next week.
MCC Grace and favour

WHITE FURY AT BBC AXE

Off the air: David White
DAVID WHITE last night claimed he
had been dropped as a BBC
commentator at the last minute
because of the sex abuse scandal.
The former England international
was ready to talk to BBC Radio
Manchester listeners during
Manchester City’s Premier League
clash with Watford until bosses
took him off duty at 11am yesterday.
White, an alleged victim of sex
abuse who spent more than 10
years at City, was left bewildered
by the decision and claims no
specific reason was given by the
broadcaster.
‘It’s annoyed me. It’s just totally
wrong and sends out the wrong
message,’ White told Sportsmail
By JACK GAUGHAN
last night. ‘They didn’t need to
censor me. My personal best for
not talking about this is 18 years.
I’m pretty sure I can do 90
minutes. It’s all wrong. I’m angry.
Not on my behalf, but others who
have campaigned. And the others
who want to say something.
‘You don’t have to be as brave as
Andy Woodward or Paul Stewart,
it could just be taking that step to
tell a loved one.’
White is paid £30 for occasionally
co-commentating on Manchester
City’s matches.
Sportsmail understands the
49-year-old has been taken off
the air indefinitely, meaning he
will no longer contribute to the
station’s popular Blue Tuesday
programme. A 45-minute
interview with White was also
recently cut due to legal reasons.
‘It just seems a negative thing to
have done,’ White added. ‘I hope
I’ve demonstrated over the last
month that I’ve been very
measured.’
A BBC spokesperson said: ‘We are
fully supportive of what David has
been through. We made changes
to our commentary team for
tonight’s game in light of legal
advice about an active court
case. We’re looking forward to
having David on air again soon.’
MCC were prepared to transfer their statue of
WG Grace to the other end of Lord’s under the
media centre so that the pitch could be in the
backdrop for a Christmas photo of the statue
for a front cover picture for The Cricketer
magazine. Surely MCC going out of their way to
such an extent had nothing to do with the
magazine’s irritant editor Simon Hughes sitting
on the main MCC committee. A Lord’s spokes-
man said the statue had been displaced in any
case from its home in the Coronation Garden
because of the Warner Stand renovation.
Meanwhile, South Africa bowling great Allan
Donald is on a shortlist of four to be the next
Warwickshire head coach.
l THE BBC are taking a risk if, as is likely,
Andy Murray wins the Sports Personality
of the Year award. They are organising the
presentation at the same Miami hotel
swimming pool where two previous SPOTY
ceremonies involving the world No 1 tennis
player didn’t go as planned.
c.sale@dailymail.co.uk and twitter.com/charliesale

PREMIER LEAGUE
80
Eriksen back on
form with double
for Pochettino’s
pass masters
tottenham 3
hull 0 ence a year
MATT BARLOW
at White Hart Lane
Onward Christian Eriksen and the
seasonal revival of Tottenham’s
creative Dane offers a beam of
winter hope to Mauricio
Pochettino.
Eriksen struck twice against Hull
and was agonisingly close to a first
Spurs hat-trick when his curling
free kick was tipped on to a post
by goalkeeper David Marshall and
dropped for Victor Wanyama to
grab the third.
He has five goals in his last four
Premier League games after a
subdued start to the campaign
and his influence was vital against
Hull because, despite the margin
of victory, the Londoners were
not at their most fluent.
Indeed, anxiety was creeping
when he tucked away his second
from a low cross by Kyle Walker.
Pochettino might have been
feeling the nerves, too. As soon as
it hit the net, he darted down the
tunnel in search of the toilet.
‘It was cold and I had been
drinking lots of water,’ shrugged
the Spurs boss. Hull’s fight, too,
had disappeared down the pan.
Very little is going right for Mike
Phelan’s side on the road.
This is six straight defeats away
from home and their fans, far
from East Yorkshire on a cold and
damp night, vented their
frustration with an X-rated song
about the quality of the football
they are watching.
For Spurs, three points kept them
in touch with their rivals in the top it we had a game on. But quality
four as they reacted to Sunday’s
defeat at Manchester United.
‘We left some points at Old
Trafford and it was
important to respond
and win well,’ said
Eriksen.
FOR ALL
Burnley are at the BREAKING
Lane on Sunday and
Pochettino knows it
SPORTS
was this point 12 NEWS VISIT
months ago when his dailymail.co.uk/
sport
team started to stitch
together a sequence of
results to hoist them into
the title race.
In the absence of Mousa Dembele,
out with a foot injury, Pochettino
reverted to playing three at the
back and was rewarded with a
clean sheet and the first two goals
created by his wing-backs, who
excelled.
Danny Rose made the opener,
bursting down the left on the end
of a 30-pass period of possession
and cutting the ball into the path
of Eriksen, who breezed into the
box undetected and lashed a
finish high into the net with a
swipe of his left boot.
‘He was aggressive in possession,’
said Pochettino of Eriksen. ‘That’s
what we want from our players.
I’m pleased for him because he’s
working hard to improve and it’s
important that not only our
strikers score.’
Hull are leaky at the back and
Great Dane: Eriksen celebrates
scoring Spurs’ opening goal AFP
confidence is low, and Phelan’s
options are severely limited. They
have a fighting spirit, forged on
chaos behind the scenes, although
the squad is ill-equipped for the
struggle ahead both in terms of
numbers and quality.
Phelan’s experience and fuss-free
approach is another asset.
Whether these things are enough
to survive remains to be seen.
‘The result was harsh but we’re
staying positive,’ said Phelan. ‘We
haven’t laid down, we created
chances. When we went in one-
down I never felt as though we
were out of the game. I felt there
would be a chance and if we’d take
came through for Tottenham.’
Hull’s best chance came at 1-0,
early in the second half when
Jake Livermore broke
quickly and was denied
twice in front of goal,
firstly by Rose and the
then by the boot of
goalkeeper Hugo
Lloris.
Soon after, Hull went
two behind when
Eriksen tapped in from
Walker’s cross. Even after
the free-kick which led to
Wanyama’s simple goal, Eriksen
forced another save. The hat-trick
proved elusive but Eriksen is back
as one of Tottenham’s main men.
TOTTENHAM (3-4-2-1): Lloris 6.5; Dier
6.5, Alderweireld 6, Vertonghen 7;
Walker 6.5, Eriksen 8, Wanyama 6.5,
Rose 7; Sissoko 6 (Onomah 85), Alli
6.5 (Winks 62min, 7); Kane 6 (Son 75,
5). Subs not used: Vorm, Trippier,
Davies, N’Koudou. Scorers: Eriksen
14, 63, Wanyama 73.
HULL CITY (3-5-2): Marshall 7;
Maguire 5, Dawson 6, Davies 6;
Elmohamady 5, Livermore 6.5
(Meyler 75, 5), Huddlestone 6,
Clucas 5.5 (Mason 66, 5), Robertson
6; Snodgrass 5 (Bowen 84),
Diomande 5. Subs not used:
Jakupovic, Henrisken, Weir,
Maloney. Booked: Maguire, Davies.
Man of the match: Christian Eriksen.
Referee: Andre Marriner 6.
QQQ
absolut
Cesc strike keeps the
winning run going for
Conte’s pacesetters
W
HAT a differ-
makes. What a
difference a
manager makes.
Exactly 12 months ago to
the day, Chelsea lost at
Leicester as their shambolic
title defence plunged to a
new low. It was too much for
owner Roman Abramovich
and Jose Mourinho was gone
by the end of week.
Compare that mess to the Chel-
sea of today — six points clear at
the top of the Premier League and
guaranteed to be at the summit
come Christmas Day, a position
from which they have won the title
on four occasions.
What Mourinho made look difficult,
Antonio Conte makes easy. This
PLAYER RATINGS
By CRAIG HOPE
6.5
pickford
6 6.5
6 commitment.’
kone djilobodji o’shea 5.5
jones van
aanholt
5.5
5 5.5
denayer
januzaj kirchhoff
5 And Moyes is evidently miffed.
borini 6 I knew I wouldn’t do much busi-
defoe
6 6.5
pedro costa
7.5 7 cerest form of flattery and Moyes,
7 7
fabregas kante
alonso
6.5 6.5
cahill luiz azpilicueta
6
courtois
SUNDERLAND
SUBSTITUTES: Larsson 5.5 (for Kirchhoff 57),
Love 5.5 (for Jones 59), Khazri
(for Borini 82). Not used: Mannone,
Honeyman, Maja, Asoro.
CHELSEA
SUBSTITUTES: Matic (for Pedro 75),
Chalobah (for Willian 89), Ivanovic
(for Moses 90). Not used: Begovic, Zouma,
Loftus-Cheek, Batshuayi.
REFEREE neil swarbrick 6
Stadium of Light Attendance: 41,008
was a 10th straight victory; five
more and they’ll have a Premier
League record, surpassing
Arsenal’s run of 2002.
Conte said: ‘It’s fantastic to win
10 in a row in this league because it
is very tough. You have to fight in
every game. Our players deserve
this for their commitment and
work-rate, every day and in games.
But I prefer not to look at the
table. The league did not finish
today.’
There is a calmness and author-
ity about Conte, much like his side.
While Mourinho had lost the dress-
ing-room, the Italian has every one
of his players performing at a level
unrecognisable from last season.
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016
Slick strike:
Fabregas
calmly
slots in the
winner
GETTY IMAGES
CRAIG
HOPE
at the Stadium of Light
sunderland
0
chelsea
Fabregas 40
1
He even lets them enjoy a post-
game beer. Yes, they
needed a fine, last-
minute save from
Thibaut Courtois to
deny Patrick van Aanholt
but this was impressive.
Cesc Fabregas was one of the
players at odds with Mourinho but
he was the match-winner here with
a first-half strike that oozed class.
‘I’m very happy for Cesc,’ added
Conte. ‘He’s a great example for
the other players. It’s only his third
6 start but he has shown great
For Sunderland and David Moyes,
meanwhile, this 11th defeat of the
season came the day after chief
executive Martin Bain revealed the
club will not be able to spend its
way out of trouble this January.
‘I knew I had a short summer and
ness and that it was going to be
really difficult, but I did expect to
do some business in January,’ he
7 said. ‘I won’t be able to. That’s the
understanding, that’s what I’ve
willian
been told. It’s frustrating.’
They say that imitation is the sin-
having praised Conte’s use of a
three-man defence, duly mirrored
moses the selection of his opposite
number; he must be doing some-
6.5 thing right, after all. Needless to
say, Sunderland’s wing backs were
operating more like full backs.
Three of those selected in Moyes’
formation were former residents of
Stamford Bridge. But that Van six-yard area. This time, however,
aVG: 5.8 Aanholt, Fabio Borini and Papy there were no takers.
Djilobodji managed only six league
appearances between them for the
David Luiz soon took aim from a
20-yard free-kick and when it was
Blues perhaps explains why they deflected off Adnan Januzaj in the
are now playing for the division’s home wall, goalkeeper Jordan
bottom club. Pickford saved. But he stood little
aVG: 6.7 It was easy to see, why Marcos chance with Chelsea’s break-
Alonso has made the journey in the through goal.
opposite direction and the Chelsea It may have looked simple — Fab-
wing back was again outstanding. regas to Willian back to Fabregas,
But Chelsea — minus the injured
goal — but the execution of each
Eden Hazard, the playmaker pass and the Spaniard’s subse-
responsible for a quarter of his quent finish were of the highest
side’s goals this season — strug- quality.
gled for inspiration during the By the time the hour-mark arrived
opening exchanges. Victor Moses had twice drilled
They were only snapped from just wide from range and Willian
their slumber by a pair of robust came even closer when striking the
home challenges which left Diego
crossbar.
Costa and Willian in a heap. Lam- This was turning into a shooting
ine Kone and Jason Denayer were session for the league leaders and,
the perpetrators. with the home supporters some-
Alonso soon escaped down the what subdued, Willian shaved the
left and drew the ball back for the base of the post after drifting
unmarked Costa on the penalty infield unopposed from the right.
spot. Goal, you assumed. But per- Sunderland pressed late on but
haps the Spaniard was still feeling Courtois clawed Van Aanholt’s
the effects of being flattened by strike from the top corner.
Kone moments earlier, for he sliced It was a deserved victory for Chel-
horribly wide. sea and their brilliant manager. A
Sunderland did not learn their year, it seems, is a long time in
lesson and again Alonso found football.
space high on the flank and
whipped his delivery across the @CraigHope_DM
 QQQ
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016

81

ely fabregas that’s 10 in a row

CHELSEA are now five
wins from beating
the all-time Premier
League record for
consecutive wins set
by Arsenal (14 wins in 2002).
W 2-0 v Hull City (a)
W 3-0 v Leicester City (h)
W 4-0 v Man Utd (h)
W 2-0 v Southampton (a)
W 5-0 v Everton (h)
W 1-0 v Middlesbrough (a)
W 2-1 v Tottenham (h)
W 3-1 v Man City (a)
W 1-0 v West Brom (h)
W 1-0 v Sunderland (a) Handy intervention: brilliant Courtois protects Chelsea’s lead BPI
Goals for........................ 24
Goals against..................2
LETHAL NINE-SECOND BREAK
P.S Chelsea have won the
title on each of the four
previous occasions they’ve 40 mins Player runs Player runs Pass/
off the ball with the ball shot
been top of the Premier League
at Christmas. They hold a
six-point lead with their only Willian
game before December 25 at
Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Fabregas

CESC FABREGAS’ first league goal

of the season came thanks to N’Golo
Kante. At 5ft 7in he out-jumped 6ft Kante
5in Jan Kirchhoff, Pedro broke away Pedro
and nine seconds later the ball was
in the net after a one-two between
Fabregas and Willian.

SPORT IN BRIEF
Premier League Sky Bet Championship ÷Badminton 4-0; M Davis (Eng) bt G Dott (Sco)
4-0; M Williams (Wal) bt M Holt (Eng)
C Palace . . . . . . . (0) 1 Man Utd. . . . . . . . (1) 2 Nottm Forest. . . (0) 1 Preston. . . . . . . . .(1) 1 BWF Destination Dubai World 4-1; R Hull (Fin) bt M White (Wal) 4-1;
Superseries Finals (UAE) — Mixed K Wilson (Eng) bt B Woollaston (Eng)
McArthur 66 Pogba 45 Maxwell 68 (og) Makienok 45 Doubles Group B: C Adcock & G Adcock 4-0; S O’Sullivan (Eng) bt M King (Eng)
Ibrahimovic 88 15,864 (Eng) bt K Kazuno & A Kurihara (Jpn) 4-1; M Dunn (Eng) bt G Allen (Wal) 4-3;
25,547 21-15 21-9.
QPR. . . . . . . . . . . . (0) 0 Derby. . . . . . . . . . . (0) 1 M Allen (NIrl) bt F Xiongman (Chn) 4-0;
Man City. . . . . . . (1) 2 Watford. . . . . . . (0) 0 Ince 86 A Hamilton (Eng) bt M Georgiou (Eng)
÷Basketball 4-2; N Robertson (A) bt G Wilson (Eng)
Zabaleta 33 12,371 NBA: Atlanta 120 Orlando 131; Chicago 4-2; J Swail (NIrl) bt S Carrington (Eng)
Silva 86 Wigan . . . . . . . . . (0) 0 Newcastle. . . . . . (1) 2 Bulls 94 Minnesota 99; Cleveland 103 4-2; J Perry (Eng) bt H V Ayouri (Irn) 4-
51,527 Diame 26 Memphis 86; New Orleans 109 Golden 0; N Saengkham (Tha) bt A Mehta (Ind)
State 113; Phoenix 113 NY Knicks 111; 4-2; C Wakelin (Eng) bt A Carter (Eng)
Middlesbro. . . . (0) 0 Liverpool. . . . . . . (1) 3 Atsu 78 14,562 Portland 114 Oklahoma City 95. 4-3; J White (Eng) bt R Day (Wal) 4-0; M
Lallana 29, 68 P W D L F A GD Pts
Xiwen (Chn) bt P Ebdon (Eng) 4-2.
Origi 60 Newcastle... 21 15 1 5 43 16 27 46 ÷Ice hockey
Brighton..... 21 13 6 2 33 13 20 45 ÷SWIMMING
32,704 Reading...... 21 11 4 6 27 27 0 37 Elite League: Sheffield Steelers 4
Stoke. . . . . . . . . . (0) 0 Southampton. . (0) 0 Huddrsfield.. 21 11 3 7 24 25 -1 36 Dundee Stars 2. Swimmer Ellie Robinson has
Derby.......... 21 10 5 6 21 13 8 35 Challenge Cup Qtr-finals, 1st Leg: been named the BBC Young Sports
27,002 Leeds.......... 21 11 2 8 25 22 3 35 Manchester Storm 3 Belfast Giants 3. Personality of the Year 2016. Ellie, 15,

IT’s AlL
IT was a great occasion Sunderland. . . . (0) 0 Chelsea . . . . . . . . (1) 1 Sheff Wed... 21 10 4 7 25 23 2 34 2nd Leg: Nottingham Panthers 3 set a Paralympic record when she
Birminghm.. 21 9 7 5 26 27 -1 34 Braehead Clan 1 (Nottingham Panthers took gold in the S6 50m butterfly.
for five-year-old Fabregas 40 Norwich...... 21 10 3 8 36 32 4 33 win 6-4 on aggregate).
41,008 Fulham........ 21 8 8 5 36 26 10 32
cancer sufferer Bradley ÷TODAY’S ACTION

smiles ON
Preston....... 21 8 5 8 28 26 2 29 ÷Snooker
Lowery. The mad keen Tottenham. . . . . (1) 3 Hull. . . . . . . . . . . (0) 0 Barnsley..... 21 8 4 9 34 32 2 28
C Eriksen 14 Aston Villa.. 21 6 10 5 22 21 1 28 Scottish Open (Glasgow) — 2nd rd:
Sky Bet League One
Sunderland supporter C Eriksen 63 Brentford... 21 8 4 9 27 27 0 28 M Fu (Hkg) bt L Highfield (Eng) 4-1; Coventry v Sheff Utd.....................(7.45)
was mascot for the Bristol City.. 21 8 3 10 27 25 2 27 Live on Sky Sports 1

bradley’s
Wanyama 73 I Burns (Eng) bt Z Anda (Chn) 4-0; L
N Forest...... 21 7 5 9 35 37 -2 26 CRICKET — First Test—day 1 of 5: Aus-
game, and enjoyed a 31,347 Ipswich....... 21 6 7 8 19 22 -3 25
Hang (Chn) bt A Songsermsawad (Tha)
4-1; B Hawkins (Eng) bt M Stevens (Wal) tralia v Pakistan (Brisbane, 3am).
close encounter with West Brom. . . . . (0) 3 Swansea. . . . . . . . (0) 1 QPR.............. 21
Cardiff......... 21
6
6
5
5
10 20 30 -10
10 21 32 -11
23
23
4-2; D Wells (Wal) bt K Maflin (Nor) 4-1; DARTS — William Hill World Ch’ship

big night
Jermain Defoe (left) Rondon 50, 61, 63 Routledge 78 Wolves........ 21 5 7 9 26 30 -4 22 M Mann (Eng) bt A McGill (Sco) 4-1; (Alexandra Palace).
O Lines (Eng) bt Rhys Clark (Sco) 4-3; RUGBY UNION — European Challenge
and Chelsea’s Diego West Ham. . . . . . . (1) 1 Burnley. . . . . . . (0) 0 Burton Alb.. 21
Blackburn... 21
5
5
7
5
9 22 28 -6
11 25 34 -9
22
20 R Walden (Eng) bt A Borg (Mlt) 4-3; Cup Pool 4 (7.45): Bath v Cardiff Blues.
Costa. Noble 45 Wigan.......... 21 4 6 11 16 24 -8 18 R Milkins (Eng) bt I Preece (Wal) 4-0; Pool 5 (7.45): Stade Francais v Edin-
56,990 Rotherham.. 21 2 4 15 21 47 -26 10 J Trump (Eng) bt I Figueiredo (Brz) burgh.
 Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016

PREMIER LEAGUE
QQQ

82

ibra’s touch
Zlatan leaves it late to
break Palace hearts
and keep Jose on roll
T
HIS wasn’t one for
the highlights reel,
but knowing Jose
Mourinho it is a night
he will remember.
The Manchester United
manager loves a scrap, and
this war of attrition certainly
fell into that category.
But above all, Mourinho loves a
tussle he wins. How many times
have we seen a Mourinho side
labour yet still come away with
three points? Add another one to
the collection, Jose.
This wasn’t vintage United,
nowhere near it. But like a true
Mourinho team, they found a way
to emerge victorious.
They looked on course for a frus-
trating point until Zlatan Ibrahi-
movic slammed home a late winner
to boost his team’s top-four hopes
PLAYER RATINGS
ADAM CRAFTON at Selhurst Park
5.5
hennessey
6 6
6 6
dann delaney
kelly
4.5 7 6
FLAMINI mcARTHUR
5 6
LEE BENTEKE
7.5
ibrahimovic
5.5
7.5
ROONEY
pogba
6 6
SAMI
MOKBEL
at Selhurst Park
crystal palace Dramatic finish:
McArthur 66
1 Ibrahimovic roars
with delight after his
winner, and Mourinho
man utd
2
congratulates his
Pogba 45+1 players reuters
Ibrahimovic 88
Craig Pawson. United defender
Marcos Rojo escaped what could
easily have been a straight red card
for a wild lunge on Wilfried Zaha in
the first half.
Then the officials missed what
looked like a handball by Ibrahi-
movic as he knocked the ball down
for Pogba’s opener.
Mourinho, though, will point to a
penalty his side were denied in the
second half after Joe Ledley
appeared to handle in the area.
Similarly, the United boss can feel
aggrieved that Juan Mata’s second-
half goal was disallowed for offside
when he looked to be level with
ward Palace’s rearguard.
Swings and roundabouts, per-
haps. But Pardew needs a break —
and quickly — with Palace three
CABAYE points clear of the drop zone and
the manager’s job far from safe.
6 Mourinho has much loftier ambi-
tions. United remain six points
ZAHA adrift of the Champions League
spot  but finally look to be heading
in the right direction after a slow
start to the season.
6 Heavy south London traffic meant
their team bus arrived only 55 min-
MATA utes before kick-off. Having been
late for two London fixtures last

mourinho jumps in to
season, United should have know
HERRERA CARRICK better.
6 6.5 They were just as slow to get
BLIND 5 6 BAILLY started until they clicked into gear
in the 38th minute.  Pogba’s delight-
ROJO JONES

defend reckless rojo

7 worthy of goal but the United skip-
de gea
CRYSTAL PALACE aVG: 5.8
SUBSTITUTES: Ledley 6 (for Flamini 46),
Fryers (for Lee 80), Campbell (for McArthur 87).
Not used: Speroni, Husin, Townsend,
Wan-Bissaka.
MANCHESTER UNITED aVG: 6.3
SUBSTITUTES: Darmian 6 (for Bailly 52)
Lingard 6 (for Mata 71), Rashford
(for Rooney 80). Not used: Romero, Fellaini,
Young, Schweinsteiger.
REFEREE craig pawson 4
Selhurst Park Attendance: 25,547
and increase Crystal Palace’s
relegation fears.
The look of intensity on Mourin-
ho’s face as he strode on to the
pitch to embrace his players at full
time told you all you needed to
know. In the end it was United’s
superstars who proved crucial, with
goals from Paul Pogba and Ibrahi-
movic and assists from Pogba and
Ibrahimovic.
Pogba was colossal, strutting
across the Selhurst Park pitch like
he owned it. But Mourinho, as ever,
will point to the collective effort.
So too will Palace manager Alan
Pardew, whose side came within
two minutes of a valuable point
after James McArthur levelled.
And Pardew will be well within his
rights to point his finger at referee
ful chipped pass into Rooney was
per’s instinctive shot was well saved
by Wayne Hennessey.
The Palace keeper was at it again
moments later, saving Pogba’s first-
time angled volley with his feet.
But Hennessey couldn’t prevent
his side falling behind with virtually
the last kick of the first-half.
There was hint of handball and
offside when Ibrahimovic chested
Mata’s free kick into Pogba’s path.
There was no flag or whistle, though,
and Pogba stroked home from close
range to put United ahead.
After the break, United again
lacked ideas in the final third and
Palace mustered a response.
McArthur will claim the glory, slot-
ting cooly past David de Gea to
equalise in the 66th minute, but
Damien Delaney’s flick to set up his
team-mate provided the real
X-factor.
Rooney was denied by a brilliant
save from Hennessey before United
were furious when Pawson didn’t
point to the spot when Ledley
appeared to handle in the area.
United threw the kitchen sink at
Palace and two minutes from time
the goal their performance proba-
bly deserved arrived, Ibrahimovic
sending the away support into a
frenzy with a superb angled finish
from Pogba’s through ball.
@SamiMokbel81_DM
Manchester United manager
Jose Mourinho jumped to the
defence of fiery Marcos Rojo,
insisting the Argentine is a ‘clean
player’ after he avoided a red
card for a two-footed tackle for
the second time in ten days.
Mourinho’s team beat Crystal
Palace 2-1 after goals from Paul
Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic,
either side of James McArthur’s
equaliser. But United were lucky
not to be down to 10 men in the
first half when Rojo went in with
two feet on Wilfried Zaha.
Referee Craig Pawson showed a
yellow card. ‘It did look bad,’
said Palace boss Alan Pardew. ‘He
jumps two-footed and we go to
these meetings (with officials)
where that it is a red card.’
Rojo also escaped after lunging
at Idrissa Gueye in United’s 1-1
draw at Everton. Mourinho,
however, defended his man and
pointed to bad tackles on United
players this season. ‘He’s playing
phenomenal,’ said the United
ADAM CRAFTON
at Selhurst Park
boss. ‘He is clean, aggressive,
Argentine, emotional, very clean.
I didn’t comment (about) David
Luiz on Marouane Fellaini or
Danny Rose on Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
I won’t comment on this.’
Mourinho then paid tribute to
35-year-old Ibrahimovic, whose
88th-minute strike ensured
United won consecutive league
games for the first time since
August. This was the Swede’s 14th
goal of the season and Mourinho
said: ‘I knew the character of Ibra.
At his age, he is a character,
personality and has the passion
to play. I told him England is not
the best place for a holiday for a
rich guy. You come for the most
difficult league and to prove
yourself. His decision was based
on that.’
United defender Eric Bailly went
off with a knee injury, having
only returned to action last
HOW THEY STAND
P W D L F A GD Pts
Chelsea.............16 13 1 2 34 11 23 40
Liverpool..........16 10 4 2 40 20 20 34
Arsenal.............16 10 4 2 37 17 20 34
Man City............16 10 3 3 34 19 15 33
Tottenham .......16 8 6 2 27 11 16 30
Man Utd............16 7 6 3 22 17 5 27
West Brom........16 6 5 5 23 19 4 23
Everton.............16 6 5 5 21 20 1 23
Southampton...16 5 6 5 14 15 -1 21
Bournemouth...16 6 3 7 22 25 -3 21
Watford............16 6 3 7 21 28 -7 21
Stoke.................16 5 5 6 17 22 -5 20
Burnley.............16 5 2 9 15 26 -11 17
Leicester..........16 4 4 8 21 27 -6 16
West Ham.........16 4 4 8 18 31 -13 16
C Palace............16 4 3 9 28 31 -3 15
Middlesbrough 16 3 6 7 13 19 -6 15
Swansea...........16 3 3 10 20 34 -14 12
Hull....................16 3 3 10 14 35 -21 12
Sunderland......16 3 2 11 14 28 -14 11
week after damaging a knee in
October. Mourinho said: ‘We
don’t know (how serious it is). It
is not the same knee so he is not
coming back to a previous injury.
He showed amazing character to
try and try, and try until his limit.’

Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016
h of magic
Night it went wrong for
Pawson and his officials
MANCHESTER United should
have been reduced to 10 men
when Marcos Rojo committed
a two-footed challenge which
only failed to make contact
with Wilfried Zaha due to the
Palace man’s athleticism in
jumping over his studs.
Then United’s first goal should
not have been allowed. Paul
Pogba was offside from Zlatan
Ibrahimovic’s knock-on and
the Swede had knocked the
ball forward with his arm.
Referee Craig Pawson and his
assistants seemed to try to
‘level things up’ with United
denied a clear penalty when
Joe Ledley knocked a cross
away with his arm. Also, they
had a goal disallowed for
offside but neither Rojo, who
headed the ball, or Juan Mata,
who put it in, were offside.
A very disappointing evening
for the officials.
Escape: Marcos Rojo dives in on Wilfried Zaha
QQQ
pictureS:
Andy
Hooper
109
DAYS since Manchester
United last recorded back-
to-back wins in the
Premier League. The last
time was after wins over
Southampton and Hull
in August, 13 games
ago.
GRAHAM POLL
the official line
Studs up: Rojo on Zaha
The ball hits Ibrahimovic’s arm
83
premier league
in sixty seconds
fabregas makes it a
perfect 10 for conte
sunderland 0 chelsea 1
CHELSEA won their 10th
Premier League game in a row
after Cesc Fabregas scored the
only goal at the Stadium of
Light. The Spaniard (right)
exchanged passes with Willian
then fired in from 20 yards to
put Antonio Conte’s men six
points clear at the top.
great dane eriksen’s on fire
TOTTENHAM 3 HULL CITY 0
CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN was the hero for Tot-
tenham as Mauricio Pochettino’s men
crushed Hull to keep pace with the top four.
The Dane smashed into the roof of the net
to open the scoring, before tapping home a
Kyle Walker cross from the right.
Victor Wanyama made it 3-0 after Eriksen’s
free-kick came back off the post.
slick city are back
to winning ways
MAN CITY 2 WATFORD 0
GOALS from Pablo Zabaleta and David Silva
did the damage as Manchester City cruised
past Watford and kept their place in the top
four. Zabaleta hit and impressive back-post
volley from a Kevin De Bruyne cross, before
Silva finished off a one-two with Raheem
Sterling with a curling effort.
it’s lallana at the double
MIDDLESBROUGH 0 LIVERPOOL 3
AN Adam Lallana-inspired
Liverpool side made light work
of Middlesbrough and climbed
to second in the table.
The England midfielder (right)
bagged two goals — putting
away crosses from Nathaniel
Clyne and Divock Origi. He also
set up a goal for Origi in
between.
second time’s a
charm for Noble
WEST HAM 1 BURNLEY 0
WEST HAM managed a first Premier League
victory since October thanks to Mark Noble’s
first-half penalty rebound.
The home side were awarded a spot-kick
when Ben Mee caught Winston Reid in the
area just before the interval. Noble’s penalty
was initially kept out by Tom Heaton, but the
West Ham skipper put away the loose ball.
salomon’s triple-header
WEST BROM 3 SWANSEA 1
A 13-MINUTE hat-trick in the
second half from Salomon
Rondon saw West Brom past
Swansea and up to seventh in
the table.
The Venezuelan (right) buried
three headed goals after the
break to blow away the visitors,
who scored a consolation
through Wayne Routledge.
arnautovic sees red
but stoke hold on
STOKE CITY 0 SOUTHAMPTON 0
STOKE managed to hold on for a draw
against Southampton — despite playing with
10 men for 67 minutes! Marko Arnautovic
received a straight red card for a reckless
challenge early on, but Mark Hughes’s side
kept the visitors at bay while surrendering
71 per cent of possession.
premier league match reports
see pages 77-81
 LOTTO QQQ
Daily Mail, Thursday, December 15, 2016
sports newspaper of the year

Hartley banned...but back for Six Nations Rugby Page 74

we’re
Cesc appeal:
Fabregas
enjoys his
winner at
Sunderland
GETTY IMAGES

so fab
Ten wins on trot as Cesc
puts Chelsea six clear
CRAIG HOPE at the Stadium of Light
CESC FABREGAS fired league leaders
Chelsea to a 1-0 victory over Sunderland
last night to make it a perfect 10
Premier League wins in a row.
This time last season defeat by Leicester left
Chelsea just one point above the relegation
zone but Fabregas’ strike from the edge of the
box saw Antonio Conte’s side move six points
clear of Liverpool and Arsenal at the top.
Victory means Chelsea, who travel to Crystal
Palace on Saturday, will be top at Christmas.
Conte said: ‘It’s fantastic to win 10 in a row,
because it’s very tough. But I prefer not to look
at the table. The league did not finish today.’
On a night of eight Premier League matches,
Liverpool rose to second after Adam Lallana
struck twice in a 3-0 win at Middlesbrough.
Manchester City beat Watford 2-0 but midfielder
Ilkay Gundogan may miss the rest of the season

«
after suffering a serious knee injury.

MATCH REPORTS — PAGES 77-83

zlatan’s
palace raid
palace 1 united 2 – PAGEs 82-83

QUICK CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1 Considerate and
18 Have a meal (3)
19 Warship
4 Female
7,474

relatives (5)
Mackay’s £10m court battle
sympathetic (4-7) type (7) 5 Boast (4,3)
Malky Mackay, the former EXCLUSIVE
Cardiff City manager, is at the
7 Stumble (4) 20 Species of wild 6 Be worthy of (7) centre of a £10million claim for By MATT LAWTON
8 Festers (7) goat (4) 11 Profitable (7)
damages with the High Court
9 Fuss (3) 21 Unimportant (11) 12 Making a tribunal to avoid public scrutiny.
10 Not drunk (5) sonorous or today determining if the case is to
be heard at a private tribunal or The club claim all five men
11 Foreign DOWN resonant sound (7)
in open court. conspired to defraud the club in
language (6) 1 Martial art (6) 13 Light wind (6)
13 Sturdy walking 2 Incendiary 14 Jaunt (6) The club are pursuing a claim of Steven Caulker’s £8.5m move
shoe (6) liquid (6) 15 Pressing (6) dishonest conspiracy over two from Tottenham in July 2013 and
16 Situated inside (5) 3 Illegal drug (6) 17 Respond (5) transfers against Mackay, former Peter Odemwingie’s £2.5m switch
Today’s solution will be published tomorrow but if you would like to hear it now, call 0904 470 1070. director of football Iain Moody from West Bromwich Albion two
Calls cost 65p per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge. and agents David Manasseh, Rob months later and hold Mackay
Phone & Text Services Helpline: DMG Media Mobile & TV – 0808 272 0808
Segal and John Inglis. and Moody responsible as two
WEDNESDAY’S SOLUTION (NO 7,473): ACROSS: 1 Rebuff. 4 Bluff. 7 Discontent. 8 Knit. principal officers of the club
Cardiff want the case heard in the

«
9 Sisal. 11 Tuition. 13 Nothing. 15 Dregs. 17 Sect. 18 Custard pie. 20 Yacht. 21 Canter.
DOWN: 1 Racket. 2 Unit. 3 Fiction. 4 Bonus. 5 Use. 6 Fatal. 7 Divine. 10 Soiree. High Court but lawyers for the overseeing transfer business.
12 Nomadic. 14 Gutter. 15 Decay. 16 Smart. 17 Sign. 19 Sic. agents are pushing for a behind-
closed-doors Football Association FULL STORY — PAGE 76
The Mail is published by ANL, 2 Derry St, London W8 5TT.

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