:00:14. > :00:17.A bumper Boxing Day as shoppers across the UK help break records.
:00:17. > :00:21.Millions flood the stores, with many queueing through the night to
:00:21. > :00:25.grab the best bargains. He we waited until after Christmas to
:00:26. > :00:30.come in the sales. I'm going to get him before new wardrobe. I got new
:00:30. > :00:32.shoes for work and just knew everything. The Conservatives
:00:32. > :00:42.warned hunt supporters that for now there's little chance of
:00:42. > :00:42.
:00:42. > :00:46.overturning the ban on hunting with dogs. Thunderbirds are go!
:00:46. > :00:56.Gerry Anderson, the creator of the iconic television series, has died
:00:56. > :01:05.
:01:05. > :01:08.Millions of shoppers have flocked to stores across Britain for a
:01:08. > :01:11.record-breaking Boxing Day sale. Tens of thousands had queued from
:01:11. > :01:15.the early hours of this morning to make sure they got the best
:01:16. > :01:20.bargains. Across the UK, the number of shoppers was up more than 20 %
:01:20. > :01:26.with analysts predicting overall spending of up to �3 billion. But
:01:26. > :01:32.they've warned that the shopping frenzy won't last. The annual
:01:32. > :01:36.tradition of the Boxing Day sales is alive and well. As much of a
:01:36. > :01:43.Christmas ritual for these shoppers as Turkey and tinsel. They queued
:01:43. > :01:50.from the early hours to be sure of bagging the best bargains. Falling
:01:50. > :01:56.over each other to get inside this shop in west London. They thronged
:01:56. > :02:01.to the White Rose Centre in Leeds, too. When the doors opened at 6am.
:02:01. > :02:07.A got up at 4am, but in the car, drove to Huddersfield, went to the
:02:07. > :02:12.sale, spent some money there. waited until after Christmas to
:02:12. > :02:17.come and get the full new wardrobe in the sales. For retailers this is
:02:17. > :02:21.the most crucial time of year. 4 million people are thought to have
:02:21. > :02:26.visited the shops today, with even more, 5 million, logging on to find
:02:26. > :02:30.deals online. In total it is estimated that nearly �3 billion
:02:30. > :02:35.will have been spent during the Boxing Day sales period. In London,
:02:35. > :02:41.a tube strike affected many services that despite disruption,
:02:41. > :02:45.shoppers were undeterred. With such a big increase in turn out
:02:45. > :02:50.nationally, London's West End saw around a third more people shopping
:02:50. > :02:55.than on Boxing Day last year. Selfridges on Oxford Street took
:02:55. > :02:59.�1.5 million in its first hour of trading alone. With the first
:02:59. > :03:03.purchase two minutes after opening. Number one is always handbags on
:03:03. > :03:08.Boxing Day. We can guarantee the first item sold will be a handbag.
:03:09. > :03:12.After that, it tends to be men's and women's shoes and also menswear.
:03:12. > :03:16.So Scottish shoppers were out in force, too. Princes Street in
:03:16. > :03:19.Edinburgh doing brisk business. But the British Retail Consortium has
:03:19. > :03:24.said that spending and the best of period has been acceptable rather
:03:24. > :03:29.than exceptional. We've seen an awful lot of people fail this year,
:03:29. > :03:34.like Comet and Clinton Cards. A number of people really hit the
:03:34. > :03:39.buffers for a variety of reasons. I think 2013 is going to be pretty
:03:39. > :03:43.difficult as well. Whilst some shops start of their sales some
:03:43. > :03:47.time ago and some website so massive activity on Christmas Day
:03:47. > :03:55.itself, there's still an awful lot of affection for the National
:03:55. > :03:58.Boxing Day or -- Boxing Day shopper from. Hundreds of Boxing Day hunts
:03:58. > :04:01.have taken place today, but senior Conservatives have admitted they
:04:01. > :04:05.can't overturn the ban on hunting with dogs in England and Wales but
:04:05. > :04:10.now because they wouldn't win a parliamentary vote. The environment
:04:10. > :04:20.secretary, Owen Paterson, said ministers would not be pressing
:04:20. > :04:21.
:04:21. > :04:25.ahead on plans for a free vote on The Boxing Day hunt. It is a
:04:25. > :04:29.countryside tradition. What is modern is the way they do it. Since
:04:29. > :04:35.the BAM, the hounds now follow a scent instead of an animal, but
:04:35. > :04:39.it's a compromise that hasn't calmed the debate. A lot of hands
:04:40. > :04:44.have some pretty spiteful activities by the opponents of
:04:44. > :04:49.hunting, who pursue them were there and go there, making their live
:04:49. > :04:56.pretty difficult. The law itself isn't entirely clear as to what is
:04:56. > :05:01.acceptable and what does not. were violent demonstrations against
:05:01. > :05:05.the hunting ban back in 2005, but it still went ahead. It outlawed
:05:05. > :05:09.the use of dogs to hunt animals in England and Wales, something
:05:09. > :05:13.Scotland had already introduced. The coalition agreement promised a
:05:13. > :05:18.free vote on the issue as soon as parliamentary time was available.
:05:18. > :05:22.But the issue has proved divisive. An Independent poll out today
:05:22. > :05:32.suggests most people want the hunting ban to stay. In today's
:05:32. > :05:34.
:05:34. > :05:38.Daily Telegraph, the Environment This is the Heythrop Hunt in the
:05:38. > :05:44.heart of the Prime Minister's constituency. It was out in force
:05:45. > :05:48.today, just one week after this evidence was produced in court. The
:05:49. > :05:56.Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to animals recorded to hand
:05:56. > :06:00.breaching the ban. There's a kill. It pleaded guilty and was fined.
:06:00. > :06:03.The charity spent over �300,000 on this prosecution. A leading
:06:03. > :06:10.campaign group is also spending huge amounts to clamp down on
:06:10. > :06:13.illegal activity. We've invested �1 million in recruiting ex-police
:06:13. > :06:16.officers as undercover investigators, because we've got to
:06:16. > :06:20.deter them from breaking the law, which is quite widespread in this
:06:20. > :06:24.country, and also get them in the dock if they do break the law.
:06:24. > :06:29.hunt members have to get used to it is even if there is an appropriate
:06:29. > :06:32.time for a free vote, and even if there are enough MPs to overturn
:06:32. > :06:35.the hunting ban, the government will still have to introduce a
:06:35. > :06:39.repeal bill, so their hopes of returning to the old days of
:06:39. > :06:43.hunting on a long way off. The busiest day of the hunting calendar
:06:44. > :06:52.is over, but the debate over this centuries-old tradition refuses to
:06:52. > :06:56.go away. The former South African President Nelson Mandela has been
:06:56. > :06:59.discharged from hospital after a three-week stay. He was being
:06:59. > :07:04.treated for a lung infection and gallstones. Officials say Mr
:07:04. > :07:08.Mandela, who is 94, will continue to receive treatment at home in
:07:08. > :07:11.Johannesburg. The commander of Syria's military police as
:07:11. > :07:16.defective and joined the uprising against President Assad's
:07:16. > :07:19.government. Major-General Al-Shalal said to be Syrian army had deviated
:07:19. > :07:29.from its original mission of protecting the nation and had
:07:29. > :07:30.
:07:30. > :07:33.turned into gangs of killers. With more weapons and gains on the
:07:34. > :07:37.battlefield, Syria's rebels have been increasing the pressure on the
:07:37. > :07:42.government. They are now carving out zones of what they call
:07:42. > :07:50.liberated territory. And now one of the senior regime official has
:07:50. > :07:56.defected to the armed opposition. The head of Syria's military police
:07:56. > :08:00.is one of the most senior officers to join the revolution. Lieutenant
:08:00. > :08:04.General Al-Shalal said he defected because the army had abandoned its
:08:04. > :08:08.original mission. Instead of protecting people, he said, the
:08:08. > :08:15.army had become a murderous, destructive gang responsible for
:08:15. > :08:21.destroying cities and for massacres. Inside Syria the killing has
:08:21. > :08:25.continued. These images, filmed by activists, were taken in a village.
:08:25. > :08:28.It isn't possible to independently verified these pictures. The
:08:28. > :08:32.opposition says these civilians, including a number of children,
:08:32. > :08:36.were killed by government bombing. It was the killing of civilians
:08:36. > :08:40.which General Al-Shalal says proctitis defection. But what does
:08:41. > :08:44.his move really tell us about the state of the regime? The general
:08:44. > :08:49.did hold an important military position, but it is important to
:08:49. > :08:53.remember that the inner core around President Assad remains loyal. For
:08:53. > :08:58.his closest associates, who include family members, the decision was
:08:58. > :09:04.made long ago to stand together and fight. For them, defection to the
:09:04. > :09:09.opposition has never been an option. There is a continuing effort to
:09:09. > :09:13.find peace. The UN special envoy, Lakhdar Brahimi, has been meeting
:09:13. > :09:18.diplomats in Damascus. He is trying but there are no signs his efforts
:09:18. > :09:22.will bring an end to the killing. The Prince of Wales has paid
:09:22. > :09:26.tribute to British forces in Afghanistan, saying they are old
:09:26. > :09:30.and everlasting debt of gratitude. In a radio message, Prince Charles,
:09:30. > :09:34.whose son, Harry, is serving in Afghanistan, also had words of
:09:34. > :09:38.support for relatives back home. With two son is currently serving
:09:38. > :09:43.in the armed forces, I really do have at least some understanding of
:09:43. > :09:48.what your loved ones on the home front of going through. They are
:09:48. > :09:58.clearly missing you deeply, particularly at this time of year.
:09:58. > :10:01.
:10:01. > :10:04.They are constantly thinking and Good evening. The traditional
:10:04. > :10:08.Boxing Day King George VI chase at Kempton Park has been won by Long
:10:08. > :10:11.Run for the second time, ridden by the amateur jockey, Sam Waley-Cohen.
:10:11. > :10:18.There was a thrilling end to the race with a photo finish needed to
:10:18. > :10:22.separate the 15-8 favourite from Captain Chris. Even though he has
:10:22. > :10:26.retired, Kauto Star still comes in first. A special place in the
:10:26. > :10:31.parade ring for the five times King George Champion, a horse worth
:10:31. > :10:35.standing in the drizzle for. Kauto Star's public appeal may be
:10:35. > :10:40.irreplaceable, but his absence created an opportunity at Kempton,
:10:40. > :10:45.especially for Long Run, the favourite. A horse with his own
:10:45. > :10:51.strong history. He suddenly had unexpected company. Captain Chris,
:10:51. > :10:54.the 16-1 outsider, seemed to have the edge as they cleared the last.
:10:54. > :10:58.Three miles through the mud and the jockeys were still asking their
:10:58. > :11:03.horses for more. Richard Johnson, in blue, was found to have over
:11:03. > :11:09.used his whip on captain Chris and will serve a BAM. It was Sam Waley-
:11:09. > :11:14.Cohen who got to the line first. A supreme test of stamina decided in
:11:14. > :11:18.the final strides. That is why they come racing on Boxing Day. Match of
:11:18. > :11:21.the Day is on BBC One at 10.25pm tonight so please pop out of the
:11:21. > :11:24.room now if you don't want to know the Barclays Premier League results.
:11:24. > :11:26.There was a highly entertaining seven goal encounter at Old
:11:26. > :11:30.Trafford with Sir Alex Ferguson praising Manchester United's
:11:30. > :11:34.courage after coming from behind again to beat Newcastle 4-3. Robin
:11:34. > :11:37.van Persie and Javier Hernandez were amongst the goal scorers. At
:11:37. > :11:42.the halfway point in the season, United are seven points clear at
:11:42. > :11:47.the top. A delighted Gareth Bale scored his first Premier League
:11:47. > :11:50.hat-trick to help Tottenham to a 4- 0 victory over Aston Villa. The win
:11:50. > :11:56.moves Spurs into fourth place while Villa have now conceded 12 goals in
:11:56. > :11:59.In the day's other games, second- placed Manchester City missed the
:11:59. > :12:02.chance to reduce United's lead. They lost to Sunderland 1-0. There
:12:02. > :12:07.were wins for Everton, Chelsea and Stoke. QPR are bottom of the table
:12:07. > :12:09.after defeat to West Bromwich And in the Scottish Premier League,
:12:09. > :12:12.Neil Lennon's Celtic are seven points ahead of second placed
:12:12. > :12:15.Inverness Caledonian Thistle after Giorgios Samaras and Gary Hooper
:12:15. > :12:25.scored in each half of their game against bottom of the table Dundee
:12:25. > :12:26.
:12:26. > :12:31.to secure a 2-0 victory. That is all. The creator of Thunderbirds,
:12:31. > :12:37.Gerry Anderson, has died at the age of 83. The children's television
:12:37. > :12:43.classic and sci-fi hit film on a trading estate in Slough, was first
:12:43. > :12:47.brought to our screens in 1965. Gerry Anderson also created
:12:47. > :12:57.stingray and captain Scarlet. He had been suffering from Alzheimer's
:12:57. > :12:58.
:12:58. > :13:05.disease. Thunderbirds are go! Thunderbirds, the most famous and
:13:05. > :13:10.successful of Gerry Anderson's Popat extravaganza us. He and his
:13:10. > :13:15.second wife, Sylvia, began programme Rick -- programme-making
:13:15. > :13:19.in the late 1950s. But when it -- when he combined science fiction
:13:19. > :13:22.with ground-breaking PUP agreed that he made his most enduring
:13:23. > :13:27.creations. All long before computers were used in making TV or
:13:27. > :13:34.movies. Instead, his revolutionary technique used intricate be
:13:34. > :13:36.constructed puppets. But Thunderbirds pilot so excited media
:13:36. > :13:42.mogul Lew Grade that he commissioned an unheard-of 32 one-
:13:42. > :13:49.hour programmes. He said, Gerry, this is not a television series. Of
:13:49. > :13:56.course, my little world collapsed. I thought, this is the end. Then he
:13:56. > :14:01.walked all the way up to me and said, this is a feature film!
:14:02. > :14:07.underwater submarine adventure Sting Ray was the first ever
:14:08. > :14:12.Britain -- children's television series to be filmed in colour. The
:14:12. > :14:21.indestructible Captain Scarlett featured more realistic poppets and
:14:21. > :14:29.darker situations. While Joe 90 was the last of his series to be made
:14:29. > :14:34.purely with the Supermarionation puppet technique. But throughout
:14:34. > :14:40.his life at one character remained closest to his heart. My favourite
:14:40. > :14:43.character was Parker. We are closing in on him. He will be
:14:43. > :14:47.remembered as a man who series entertained adults and children
:14:47. > :14:55.alike, using puppets which may have been mechanical but which still