19/02/2012 BBC Weekend News

A coach carrying British school children back from a ski trip

crashes in northern France. Four people are seriously injured, and a

teacher is killed. Pupils and friends pay their tributes.

He was just amazing. The most popular teacher in the world.

Everyone called him a legend, amazing. A man is arrested over the

murders of a Gloucestershire vicar and a Worcestershire pensioner.

Growing fears that the Syrian army is about to launch a major ground

attack on the city of Homs. British boxer Dereck Chisora is

released by police in Germany, after a brawl with heavyweight

rival David Haye. And, Liverpool thrash Brighton 6-1

in the FA Cup, helped by three own Good evening.

A British teacher has been killed, and four people seriously injured,

after a coach bringing children home from a school trip crashed in

Northern France. Peter Rippington, 59, taught at Alvechurch Middle

School in Worcestershire. His family said they are "devastated"

by his death. One of those seriously injured is a young girl

who's been airlifted by helicopter to a specialist children's hospital

in Paris. From the scene, our correspondent Hugh Schofield sent

this report. 3am, heading north, through the

French countryside, the coach began gearing to the right. It crashed on

its side, down a small embankment. Peter Rippington, 59, a teacher at

Alvechurch Middle School, was killed. His wife is recovering in

hospital. Scores of emergency workers helped through the night.

The injured were taken to hospital. One seriously injured girl was

airlifted to Paris. Those who survived were looked after by the

Red Cross in a day care centre before resuming their journey by

train. I am very grateful for what the French authorities have been

doing, here since the early hours. The embassy and consular staff have

been here early on. We have sadly one gentle man dead, a number of

injuries, all of them are being taken care of in hospital.

Alvechurch, families gathered at the school, desperate for news. A

second bus carrying others was not involved in the accident and a ride

back during the afternoon. For many parents, it was an anxious wait.

have been into the school to find out and they told me she is OK. A

broken arm and a cut head. Minor injuries. Parents and pupils paid

tribute to Peter Rippington who had led the school skiing party. He was

just amazing. The most popular teacher in the world. Everyone

called him a legend. You could tell him anything. They really lovable

guy. Meanwhile back in France, an investigation into the cause of the

crash is getting under way. Police are holding the 47-year-old driver

of the coach. He escaped with minor injuries.

Preliminary tests have shown no traces of alcohol or drugs in the

bloodstream of the driver. Police are working under the theory he

probably does off at the wheel -- dozed off. Police are questioning a

47-year-old man tonight, over two murders.

Stephen Farrow was arrested this morning in connection with the

death of the Gloucestershire vicar, the Reverend John Suddards. This

afternoon, detectives also arrested Mr Farrow over last month's murder

of a Worcestershire pensioner, Betty Yates. Sangita Myska has the

details. 24 hours after an appeal for

information by police, 47-year-old Stephen Farrow is under arrest. He

was found at this house in Folkestone following a tip-off by a

member of the public. He has been arrested in connection with the

murder of Reverend John Suddards who was found with multiple stab

wounds at his vicarage in Thornbury on Tuesday. He had arrived here

from Essex in July of where he had previously been filmed by the BBC.

This morning, for the first time since his death, parishioners were

allowed to attend a service at a church. Healing will take a long

time. And of course, they have still got to face a Funeral, and

eventually a trial. But, I wanted to come here this morning, to

assure them that they will not need to handle that alone. In a new

development, West Mercia Police have also arrested Stephen Farrow

in connection with a murder here in Worcestershire. The victim was

Betty Yates, 77, stabbed to death in January. At the time, her

children made this emotional appeal. To lose your mum is always dreadful.

But, to lose your mum like this, when you worry constantly about how

frightened she might have been or what she might have felt during

such a vicious attack is like a nightmare. The tonight, Stephen

Farrow remained under the arrest of two separate police forces who say

they are working together to examine similarities between both

killings. Police and protesters have clashed

in Athens. On the eve of crucial talks about a European Union

bailout needed to avoid a Greek default. Police fired tear gas

outside the Parliament building, as scuffles broke out with

demonstrators opposed to the government's austerity plans. Hopes

for a deal on a new package of financial support for Greece have

risen, after Athens agreed to new budget cuts.

The Iranian government says it has halted sales of oil to Britain and

France in retaliation for a pending European Union ban on Iran's oil

exports. It says it will sell oil to new customers instead. The EU is

stepping up sanctions because of fears that Iran is developing a

nuclear bomb. The Foreign Secretary William Hague

says he's worried that Syria will "slide into civil war" and that the

international community is "constrained" in its attempts to

end almost a year of conflict there. Syrian tanks have been seen moving

into suburbs of the city of Homs, raising fears that a ground attack

against rebel fighters there is imminent. Our Middle East

correspondent Wyre Davies has been speaking to refugees who've made

the perilous journey across the Syrian border into Lebanon.

An ominous sight for people still trapped inside Homs. Pictures taken

in the last couple of days showed tanks advancing menacingly towards

areas under opposition control. Dozens of foot soldiers follow.

Evidence perhaps the Assad regime is preparing for a final push on

the city. Those who have got out of Syria in recent days talk of a

worsening humanitarian crisis. A regime determined to crush its

opponents. The Syrian government denies targeting civilians but this

man from Homs says he was deliberately shot by an army patrol.

TRANSLATION: The city's hospital is being used as a base by the Army,

people are dying because they cannot get medical help. Their only

option is to escape. In the next room, a man who lost his leg to

land Vine. Getting out of Homs isn't easy. But still, people take

extraordinary risks. Tiny amounts of food and medical aid smuggled

across a border fraught with danger. Braving terrible conditions and

freshly laid minefields on the Syrian side of this border, dozens

of refugees are nonetheless coming across every day it into the

relative safety of Lebanon. Sheltering in a run-down told

primary school, many refugees have stories of terrible suffering in

besieged Tyrian -- Syrian towns. This father cradles his son. But he

and his sick wife still mourn their three-year-old boy, murdered, he

says, by the Assad regime. TRANSLATION: At I was smuggling

food in, he says, when officers came looking for me. They took my

son as a hostage, saying they would kill him if I did not give myself

up. They killed him anyway. Making the most of things, children

find a space to play. Their parents haven't heard from relatives stuck

inside Syria for days. A man is critically ill in hospital,

after being shot by police in south London. Officers say they were

investigating a car break-in, when a man threatened them with a large

bladed weapon. The Independent Police Complaints Commission will

investigate the incident. The boxer Dereck Chisora has been

released without charge by police in Germany, following a brawl with

another British heavyweight, David Haye. Blows were exchanged at a

news conference after Chisora lost a fight against the reigning WBC

champion, Vitali Klitschko, o Ukraine. There is flash photography

in this report from Andy Swiss. Why don't you fight me now?

wasn't the fight we expected, but it's the one we will remember.

David Haye was working as a TV pundit, so when he challenged

Dereck Chisora, it seemed the usual pantomime knockabout. But as

Chisora came to confront him, what followed was chaos. For several

minutes, it was utter pandemonium. Reporters and cameras sent flying,

as David Haye and Chisora descended into an ugly bar room brawl.

Attempts to break them up proved fruitless. At one point, David Haye

brandished a camera tripod. Even boxing has rarely seen anything

like it. Eventually David Haye left, with Chisora threatening to shoot

him. (BEEP). In the melee, David Hayes' manager was left with a gash

to his head. Recriminations had just begun. At Munich Airport,

Chisora was arrested and questioned by police. He was released without

charge. The sport will want answers. At first hand, that's the worst

I've seen. And hopefully I will never see it again. It doesn't do

anybody any favours. It is stupid and terrible behaviour. Outside the

ring, Chisora had already disgraced himself, slapping Vitali Klitschko

at the weigh-in, and spitting water in his brother's face. Inside the

ring, he fought bravely against Klitschko, losing his world title

fight on points. But it's for this impromptu bout that he and David

Haye may now pay a heavy price The Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls is

calling for tax cuts in next month's Budget, to boost economic

growth. He says the government should cut

VAT, or income tax, for a year, to encourage people to spend. The

government says it must stick to its economic plans and cut the

deficit. Here's our political Recently, the economy has been

shrinking, not growing. Living standards have been falling. Labour

says the way to get more money into the economy and people's pockets is

to have significant, short-term tax cuts. We need growth. We would get

the economy moving, it's the only way to get the deficit down. A

temporary VAT cut is the fairest way. There are other options for

families but he needs to act. he set out alternatives to cutting

VAT, which are designed to put pressure on the Chancellor, echoing

calls for tax cuts from coalition MPs.

These include a reduction in the basic rate of income tax for 12

months. This should appeal to some Conservatives.

Taking people out of tax entirely if they earn less than �10,000 a

year, a longer term aim of the government, and popular with Lib

Dems. Ed Balls says the �12 billion cost

of his tax cuts should be paid for by more borrowing. As the

Chancellor writes next month's Budget in Downing Street, he will

be aware there are no easy answers. Unless he does more to stimulate a

sluggish economy, he could end up with a higher benefits bill. If he

takes the advice of Ed Balls, the man who wants to replace him at

Number 11, he could find that isn't a cost-free option. Where we can,

we have to keep taxes low. In the end, we have to deal with debt. And

Ed Balls is the man who racked those debts up in the first place

and now wants us to borrow. Chancellor says his ambition is to

reduce taxation. But, struggling to bring down borrowing, he believes

big tax cuts now would be too costly.

Now with news of some surprises in the FA Cup, and all of the day's

sport, here's Matt Gooderick. Premier League high-flyers

Tottenham face an FA Cup replay with Stevenage, after being held to

a goalless draw by the League One side. Elsewhere, there were wins

for Stoke, and Liverpool, who hit Brighton for six at Anfield as

And dress it up how you want, this was a crushing 4 Brighton.

Their day at Anfield began turning sour when Martin Skrttel scored

early on. There was to be one sweet moment, this free kick was one to

remember. Suddenly, the sea gulls macro will want to forget the rest

of what happened. The Reds kept extending their lead. Andy Carroll

showed what he can do. Then, Liam Bridcutt. And an unfortunate own

goal. Liverpool simply kept coming, they

won a penalty. Kenny Dalglish called for Suarez. He got his goal

in the end. Liverpool are now joint favourite for the Cup. They rated

level with Tottenham. Louis Saha thought he had grabbed a goal, but

it hit the only offside player on the pitch on its way it in.

Every plate and place in the quarter-final draw will do them.

So vote had 10 men for most of their time with Crawley. It didn't

show. This penalty giving them the lead before Peter Crouch nodded

them into the last eight. Last year's finalists will have similar

lofty ambitions this time. Celtic have moved 17 points clear of

Rangers at the top of the Scottish Premier League. Neil Lennon's side

beat Hibernian 5-0 at Easter Road. It was Celtic's ninth straight

League win. Gary Hooper scored twice either side of half-time. The

result edges the Glasgow side ever closer to a first SPL title for

four years. In the day's other game, Aberdeen

and St Johnstone drew 0-0. Sir Chris Hoy won his second gold

medal of cycling's Track World Cup, with victory in the men's sprint at

London's Olympic Velodrome. Hoy beat Germany's Maximilian Levi,

winning the first two races in the best of three final. So, all going

well, with the Olympics now just over five months away.

I was really pleased with the when I rode because I have been making

mistakes in the sprint with a lick, and I made only one or two today

which is very good for me. It is a learning process. I see this as a

really important process towards the Olympics.

Team GB also picked up a silver in the men's team pursuit, and a

bronze in the women's omnium, on the final day of competition. So

another successful week for Britain's cyclists, who finished

top of the overall medals table. The main news tonight: A British