31/07/2013 BBC News at One

companies and celebrities are among those who have used private

investigation companies to illegally obtain information. The Government

is setting up plans to regulate private investigators. Also this

lunchtime - calls for the law to be clarified on assisted suicide.

Appeal Court judges find in favour of one paralysed man who wants to

die, but against two other cases. The Stafford NHS trust, centre of

one of the biggest scandals to hit the health service, could be broken

up. British Gas's profits are up after a long, cold winter, but bills

are up as well, and the company warns they could go up again. And

pop singer Rhiannon wins her High Court legal battle with Top Shop

over a T-shirt bearing her image. Later on BBC London, the High Court

quashes the Government's decision to reduce services at Lewisham

Hospital. And police are investigating after a 12-year-old

companies and celebrities have been found to be among 94 clients who

used private investigators who had been convicted of illegally

obtaining information. The Home Affairs Select Committee published

the list of clients, but did not name them individually, before the

rogue investigators concerned were all given jail sentences last year.

Tom Symons has more. Out of the shadows and into court, the private

investigators who fraudulently obtained personal information for

nearly 100 clients. The case, code-named Operation Millipede,

revealed this man, Daniel Summers, as the blag. The private

investigators paid him to phone up banks, phone companies all utilities

and talk employees into handing over private information. It is illegal.

They were convicted last year, but it has now been revealed that they

were working for 22 law firms, eight financial institutions and companies

from a variety of sectors. The serious and organised crime agency

will not allow the names of these clients to be released because of

ongoing investigations. MPs on the Home Affairs Select Committee are

not happy about that. They asked us to keep the list confidential. Now,

parliament is not very keen on secret lists, which is why I had a

meeting yesterday with the head of SOCA, and we have decided to publish

the categories of those companies, firms and individuals. And there is

anger that while the phone hacking affair, which led to the closure of

the News of the World, resulted in a massive police investigation, the

clients of rogue private detectives have not been arrested or

questioned. On the one hand, they put fast we sources, 150

detectives, �40 million, into investigating the media, yet they

effectively turned a blind eye and decided not to bother with blue-chip

companies that were doing at least the same and worse. So, what

information is on offer from rogue privatise? Well, somebody's bank

balance could be obtained for �100, or how much tax they paid for a

similar fee. Itemised telephone bills could be obtained for �450.

Some investigators will hack a computer or intercept calls for

�7,000 a month. These figures are from a widely leaked intelligence

assessment which was sent to the Government in 2008. It has helped to

build the case for the regulation of private investigators, which is due

to be announced today. Any of their activities, such as surveillance,

are legal, but this is unlikely to dampen down the row about how these

affairs should be investigated. Tom Symons is with me now. We have just

had an announcement from the Home Secretary on this issue... Yes, in

the last ten minutes Theresa May has confirmed that it will be made an

offence to practice as a private investigator, without a licence.

Licensing means they will have to complete a government recognised

training scheme, they will have to confirm their identity through

identity checks and also have their criminal records check. But the

interesting thing is, what is illegal? Every private investigator

has two act within the law, but there is a large grey area, I

continue, having looked into this for some time, in the minds of the

private investigators themselves. It is also true that law firms

regularly used private investigators, and I spoke to one

respectable law firm which told me it uses them on every single case.

It can be very difficult to make absolutely sure that the private

investigator will not be doing anything illegal. I think lawyers

will be pleased with regulation, but it may not dampen down the argument

which is developing about this set of rogue private investigators.

former Conservative Party code treasurer has one �180,000 in libel

damages from the Sunday Times. -- co-treasurer. The claim was brought

over three articles which appeared in March 2012. How significant a

result is this, Norman Smith? you would think this would be an

occasion for Downing Street to be hanging out the bunting, with

victory for a four Tory treasurer in his libel tussle with the Sunday

Times. However, let me remind you, those allegations from last year

that he corruptly arranged dinners for donors in Downing Street to

influence policy well what it was about. But Peter Cruddas has come

out and attacked not just the Sunday Times, he has attacked the

Conservative Party and David Cameron, accusing them of not

listening to his side of the story, of cutting him off. Let me read you

what he said - I was constructively dismissed from my role as party

treasurer and made to feel like an outcast, as the Prime Minister lined

up to criticise me. On top of that, the judge in the case has also said

that Peter Cruddas had to go through a massive public humiliation at the

hands of the Prime Minister, and, for good measure, Lord Ashcroft, one

of the Tory party's best known fundraisers, has called on Mr

Cameron to apologise over his treatment of Peter Cruddas. So, what

should've a victory, a moment for Mr Cameron to enjoy an extra portion of

sardines at his Algarve holiday home, has rather rebranded against

him. I am tempted to say, Hell hath no Furia like a former Tory

treasurer disowned by his party. Director of Public Prosecutions says

he will appeal to the Supreme Court after Appeal Court judges ruled he

should clarify the law on assisted suicide. They had found in favour of

a paralysed man identified in court only as "Martin". He wants a nurse

or carer to travel abroad with him so that he can end his life. The

judge has reject it to other cases brought by campaigners who wanted

doctors to be allowed to help patients kill themselves. Northern

Ireland Walsh reports. This is "Martin". He is almost completely

paralysed following a stroke five years ago. He does not want to be

identified, but he gave this interview two years ago, using a

special computer to communicate. Life is not worth living. "Martin"

's wife respects his wishes but has refused to take him to the Swiss

suicide group Dignitas. "Martin" is worried that a carer who he paid to

take him would be charged with assisting a suicide. Two out of

three appeal court judges ruled that there was insufficient clarity in

the guidance from the director of public was it you should on the law

on assisted suicide, in particular whether a health professional who

travelled with "Martin" would be at risk of prosecution. -- guidance

from the Director of Public Prosecutions. "Martin" 's lawyer

read out a statement on his behalf. I am delighted by this judgment,

which takes me one step closer to be able to decide how and when I will

be able to end my life. I am only able to do so because of my physical

disabilities. The DPP has been forced by the courts to clarify the

law on assisted suicide in England and Wales once before, in the case

of Debbie Purdy. That guidance made clear that friends and family would

not be charged if they travelled to Switzerland. Two other cases were

rejected by the Court of Appeal today. Tony Nicklinson has died

since the case began. He and Paul Lamb had both wanted the law on

murder amended so that any Dr Who helped them to die here in Britain

would not be persecuted. All three judges were very clear on legal and

ethical grounds, that the law, if it is to be changed, must be changed by

Parliament alone. The cases will all now go to the Supreme Court for a

final ruling. Special administrators could this afternoon recommend

breaking up the midst average of foundation trust, scene of one of

the biggest scandals to hit the health service. -- the midst of

foundation trust. -- the Mid Staffordshire Foundation Trust Full

for 15 weeks, a team of experts has been struggling to come up with a

plan for the future of Stafford Hospital. A series of reports

exposed terrible standards of care at the trust between 2005 and 2009.

The trust also faces huge financial problems. It carries an ongoing

deficit and it needs an estimated �70 million over the next five years

just to keep it afloat. There has been a vocal campaign to keep the

hospital open. There are fears about what today's announcement will

bring. For accident and emergency, it is in the top ten in the country,

so it makes absolutely no sense to threaten or downgrade any of these

essential services in this hospital. They provide a very good quality

service for our community. The trust has already lost some key services.

A&E has closed overnight. Rage of trauma and stroke services have

already been transferred to the neighbouring hospital in Stoke. It

is possible the trust could now been broken up. A&E could be further

downgraded to becoming an urgent care centre. Other services

including maternity could be moved to neighbouring trusts. The problems

over the quality of care offered to patients have been well documented,

but experts warn that the financial difficulties are also likely to

confront many other district general hospitals across England.

financial context in which the NHS is operating at the moment means

that we have to think really carefully about where we can deliver

services, and essentially, it means that we can deliver all services in

all places that we currently deliver them at the moment. Stafford

Hospital is unlikely to close altogether, but financial reality

means that big changes are on the way. The residential arm of British

Gas has reported profits of more than �350 million for the first half

of the year, an increase of 3%. The company increased its prices by 6%

at the end of last year. The parent company, Centrica, says it is

committed to keeping energy bills for customers under control. Our

correspondent John Moylan reports. It was a long, cold winter.

Temperatures plummeted and stayed low well into the spring. Across the

UK, millions of families were forced to turn up the heating, resulting in

much higher energy bills for British Gas customers. I remember it being

really expensive, my husband was a bit shocked. But I guess that is

what we expect. I suppose it was a hard, cold winter, and I just

expected that it probably would be quite high. At British Gas, revenues

soared as households used 13% more gas. Fitz rose by more than 3% in

its residential arm, to �356 million in the first half of the year. --

profits. We had a very long winter, colder than average, meaning that

energy companies sell more energy and make more profit. British Gas is

by far the biggest energy supplier. It provides gas or electricity to

roughly a third of all households in Britain. Now, it last put up prices

by 6% in November, but it has since indicated that it would use any

windfall from this winter to try to keep a lid on prices going forward.

But the company says it is spending more on government schemes to boost

energy efficiency and combat climate. It is more expensive to

transport gas and electricity. Today, it warned those costs would

inevitably impact on customer bills, leading to fears of another round of

price rises in the months ahead. theory is that they know that we

will want to continue to use energy, and our ability to fight price rises

is limited. I believe the Government to should do more to encourage the

introduction of a truly fair market. Overall, profits at Centrica were up

9%, on the back of higher gas production offshore and overseas.

Our top story this lunchtime - the Home Secretary announces that

operating as a private detective without a licence will become a

criminal offence. Still to come, can England grab an Ashes victory at Old

Trafford? Later on BBC London, the Government says it will review the

use of controversial zero hours contracts, used by more than a third

of councils in the capital. And Boris Johnson faces calls to scrap

charges for softball players in Hyde presidential and parliamentary

election in Zimbabwe. The country's Prime Minister Morgan

Tsvangirai is challenging President Robert Mugabe for the top job for a

third time. Mr Mugabe says he will stand down if he loses, after 33

years in power. His party, ZANU-PF, has denied accusations that it has

rigged the voters' roll. Andrew Harding reports.

433 years, one man has been in charge in Zimbabwe, but the crowds

at this rally believe that finally about to change. F to everybody is

ready for the change, there will be no violence in Saint Barb Wake.

Violence has been a problem. President Mugabe used it to cling on

to power in the last election in 2008. He then agreed to sign up to a

power-sharing deal with his enemies. At the time, Zimbabwe's

economy was in freefall. I saw a country of empty shelves and

hyperinflation on a surreal scale. I have just spent nearly $1 trillion

and I have three tins of baked beans to show for it. Today, the economy

has stabilised. There is food in the shops, thriving schools and calm on

the streets. But for all the changes, the fear remains that

President Mugabe may try to hold onto power it legally. The voters

roll is a shambles. 30% of young voters are not even registered and a

suspicious number of extra ballots have been printed. ZANU-PF have made

it very clear they are not prepared to lose power and in the preparation

of this election, they are completely in control of the whole

process. But it must be acknowledged, President Mugabe still

enjoys genuine popular support. He has called to seize control of

foreign businesses and that goes down well with some. He insists, his

hands are clean. If you lose, you must surrender to those who have

one. Those who have lost must also surrender to you -- you must

surrender to those who have won. We will comply with the rules.

The schools watchdog, Ofsted, has apologised after its inspections

failed to pick up concerns about a residential school for children with

special needs, criticised for its handling of a pupil's rape claim. In

January, an educational tribunal raised grave concerns about

Stanbridge Earls in Hampshire, just months after Ofsted had given it an

"outstanding" rating. Our education correspondent is here. Can you

outline what exactly has happened? Stanbridge Earls is a private

Baoding school -- boarding school in Hampshire. It has children from ten

to 19 with special educational needs. Ofsted inspected the school

on three occasions in 2011 and 2012 and gave it an outstanding rating,

but a few months ago and educational tribunal said it had grave concerns

about the way the school had behaved in the case of a female pupil who

claimed she had been raped by another people. It severely

criticised the school and the headteacher. The headteacher

eventually resigned and the school is now going to close. Ofsted

started up an internal review and today we have the results of that

review and an admission from Ofsted of their own failings.

Embarrassing to say the least. Yes. It admitted their inspections

were problematic. It says it has taken disciplinary action against a

small number of staff including dismissals. It also said other

internal reorganisations should prevent this in future. But it

raises wider questions about whether the inspection regime is really

effective and the Department of education says it is looking again

at the regulation regime. There has been a large increase in

the number of civilians killed or injured in Afghanistan. A United

Nations report says the total number for the first six months of the year

was almost 25% higher than in the same period last year. Jon Brain is

in Kabul. It isn't there conflict but the

ordinary men, women and children in Afghanistan are paying the price for

the struggle in their country. Insurgence took over an empty

building in Kabul. Their motives? To kill and maim passers-by. Just one

of an increasing number of attacks on civilians. Most are the victims

of bomb attacks. Last month insurgence true that a vehicle full

of explosives into a bus outside the Supreme Court, killing 16. This

man's cousin was one of the victims. The winning in the family are too

scared to go outside -- the women. Afghanistan is a dangerous country,

he says. 231 of the 1300 killed in

Afghanistan were children. Many of the victims were targeted

deliberately. That is extremely alarming, this quite large increase

in direct attacks against civilians, deliberate targeting through a

number of tactics. It may be by an IED, and assassination, a suicide

attack. Most Afghans are getting on with their lives. They have no

choice. The UN have called on all sides of the conflict to uphold

their legal obligation to protect them.

The singer Rihanna has won a High Court battle with Topshop over

T-shirts bearing her image. The star sued Topshop's parent company

Arcadia over the T-shirts, which featured a photo taken during a

video shoot in 2011. Our arts correspondent David Silitto reports.

This contains flash photography. When Vienna shot her video in

Northern Ireland, her fans were out in force -- Rihanna. Thousands of

photos were taken and one ended up on this T-shirt, which ended up on

sale in Topshop. Rihanna was not pleased. She issued a writ and has

won her case. Does this mean you are not allowed to take a photo of a

celebrity and put it on a T-shirt yourself? No, said the High Court.

They said it was because this looked like official Rihanna merchandise.

The image had a close similarity to images on her video and album and

fans would assume this was a product she had assumed. Topshop said it was

disappointed and perplexed, adding there was no intention to create an

appearance of an endorsement or is Rihanna has her own fashion line

at Topshop's rival, River Island. Clothes in pop are big business.

The third Ashes Test gets under way at Old Trafford tomorrow. It is 84

years since England won the first three Tests of an Ashes series, but

victory this week will give them an unassailable 3-0 lead. All five days

in Manchester are sold out and Joe Wilson is there for us.

These days in England and Wales there is huge competition just to

win the right to stage an Ashes test match. Old Trafford has spent over

�30 million just to get the ground redeveloped. It looks great. The

weather forecast is OK, definitely some sunshine between now and

Monday. In Manchester they would love to be the place where the ashes

are retained in England with two Test matches to spare -- the Ashes.

James Anderson can do anything, apart from control the weather.

England was forced inside to train today. Listen now to an object

lesson in not getting carried away. We played really well in the first

two games and our job is to improve on that. Show some of the form that

we did and tighten up on the areas that we can tighten up on. Five days

of rain would be one way of Australia avoiding defeat here but

it won't happen. They have to come out fighting, in the right way. Get

stuck in. Amongst the entertainment options available in Manchester is

this bar. The Birmingham branch is where David Warner disgraced

himself. He served his suspension and is tipped to play in this Test.

This is an Aussie born English critic who is now a cage fighter! --

cricketer! We need a guy to come in with a bit of character and to

change momentum. England have been doing their best to protect Kevin

Pietersen, nursing him through a strain in the nets. He has gone

through training in the last few days and has done everything we have

asked of him so clearly we have to make that decision tomorrow

morning. We will see and we are pretty hopeful. Meanwhile, Anderston

should become England's second-highest wicket taker of all

time this week. Australia, here's looking at you.

Australia are going through their final preparations this afternoon.

Remember Australia came having lost a series in India. If they lose this

match it will mean they have lost seven matches in a row, consecutive

Test matches. The last time that happened was in the 1880s.

Thank you very much. Some other sports news that is just in. The

British Olympic champion Jessica Ennis-Hill has confirmed that she

will not compete at the world athletics Championships in Moscow

next month. The 27-year-old gold medallist has been struggling with

an Achilles injury and performed below her best at last week's

anniversary games in London. We thought temperatures here were a

bit on the high side. In China they have had it for worst. The Chinese

authorities say more than ten people have died in Shanghai as the city

grapples with its highest temperatures in 140 years. Water

parks and swimming pools are doing record business, as you can see.

Weather experts in China say a subtropical high pressure system and

a lack of rain is to blame. The heatwave is likely to last for

several more days. That is extraordinary, isn't it! Let's look

at the weather for us now. Are we going to have some more hot weather

tomorrow? will be out and the temperatures

will soar. It will be very hot, particularly in the south and east.

Act today. The cloud is slowly drifting north -- back to today. It

has been quite wet for some so far and plenty more rain to come this

afternoon. Extensive across Northern Ireland, Wales, the Midlands and

northern England. It never really gets into Scotland, so this is where

the best of the weather is this afternoon. Very different in

Belfast. Much of northern England seeing potentially heavy rain. The

rain will slowly pull away from the Midlands in the afternoon. An

increasingly humid feel to things as the southerly breeze imports that

humid air from the near continent. That air will go northwards behind

the rain this evening. It will turn wet in Scotland overnight. England

and Wales will have low cloud and mist but quite a warm night. It will

be a difficult night for sleeping. Tomorrow, quite wet. You and

Northern Ireland, persistent rain. What England and Wales, after a

great start, it will warm up. It could get above 30 Celsius in the

southeastern corner. Fresh from Northern Ireland and Scotland

because of the cloud and the rain. Not a great start for the women's

golf in Saint Andrews. The wind will pick up over the weekend which will

make for challenging conditions. This is Friday, you can see a lot of

isobars. Quite a strong breeze across most parts of the UK. The

potential for thundery rain. That will drop the temperatures in the

south and south-east of England. Still breezy for the weekend in many

areas. There will be some rain but mostly for the north and North-West.

A reminder of out top story this lunchtime. The Home Secretary