01/03/2013 BBC News at Six

The Conservatives are pressed to third place as the Lib Dems win the

Eastleigh by-election. UKIP come second. David Cameron calls it a

protest vote. Nick Clegg says the Lib Dems overcame the odds.

This has been by election we have had to fight in difficult

circumstances. Our opponents have thrown everything at us. It is a

disappointing result for the Conservative Party, but it is clear

that in by-election, people want to register a protest.

Also on tonight's programme: We have got six kids in the house.

The call made by the parents accused of killing six of their

children in a house fire. Threatened with closure, the

athletics track where Jessica Ennis was trained for Olympic glory.

And a lesson for parents everywhere - think twice before giving your

children free rein on your iPad. And later in the hour, I will be

here with the sport, including another Manchester milestone for

Good evening. Welcome to the News At Six. David Cameron has insisted

that the Conservatives can win the next general election despite

coming third behind the Lib Dems and the UK Independence Party in

the Eastleigh by-election. The Prime Minister dismissed the result

as a mid-term protest, but the vice-chairman of the Conservatives

as this evening declared that UKIP connects with the electorate. Nick

Clegg described the win as a stunning victory. Labour came

fourth. Nick Robinson's report contains some flash photography.

Ever wondered what relief looks like? It looks like this. Relief

that after a campaign marred by a Lib Dem scandal, in by election

triggered by a Lib Dem scandal, their man had still one. I declare

that Michael Douglas Thornton is duly elected.

There was another political winner last night. The UK Independence

Party may have come second, but those smiles tear you they think

they have made the big time. So, what have the losers achieve?

This is a party coming to terms with coming third. It is a sees the

Conservatives had hoped they could win. The Tory candidate, tearful on

stage, left it and the election count unable or unwilling to say a

word. On the morning after the night

before, Nick Clegg was a picture of fist clenched defiance. His party's

vote may have dropped by more than 14%, but he believes that he has

shown that the Lib Dems can still win.

This has been by election we have had to fight in exceptionally

difficult circumstances. Our opponents have thrown everything at

us. We held our nerve. We stood our ground. We worked as a team. We

went out and campaigned on every doorstep. We overcame the odds. We

won a stunning victory. UKIP leader Nigel Farage considered

becoming the candidate for this election after Diane James. But

after she did so well, he must be wondering, what if? The remarkable

thing is it is happening in a short campaign. We really have connected

with voters in this constituency. That is because we're talking about

issues that the other parties would prefer to brush under the carpet.

The Tories are trying to console themselves with words of comfort

from a leader who insists this is simply a classic mid-term protest

vote. It is a disappointing result for the Conservative Party. But it

is clear that in mid-term by- elections, people want to register

a protest. I'm confident that at the general election we can win

those people back by demonstrating that we are delivering for

everybody who was to work hard and wants to get on. That is what we

will be focused on. The Tory vote dropped by less than the Lib Dems.

But a growing number of the party's MPs are prepared to use the result

to declare that if they don't change, they are doomed to more

defeats. People who have have traditionally voted Conservative

are not supporting the party at the moment. They feel that the

leadership is not in tune with their hopes and fears and their

everyday lives. We need to be aware that gay marriage did not play well

in terms of the activists and supporters. Some of them went on

strike and went directly to UKIP. The Prime Minister needs to think

about that. Despite the cheers, what Ed Miliband calls one-nation

Labour fail to extend its appeal to this part of the nation, getting

around a third of UKIP's vote. would have preferred to get more

votes than we did. This was always going to be a tough fight for

Labour. It is a seat we have never won. All it convinces me of is that

we need to redouble our efforts to reach out to every part of the

country. By elections are, of course, a bit different from those

in which we choose government. But Eastleigh will be remembered for

the poll where a quarter of voters chose to bat none of the three main

parties. Nick joins us now. Tell us more

about these comments by the vice- chairman of the Conservatives.

They are striking because it is a day in which most Conservative MPs,

even those who are known privately to be most critical of the Prime

Minister, are very concerned about the alleged false situation and

have actually stayed silent. Yet the vice chairman, who, I think,

would admit he is not a household name in his own house, he never the

less is an office holder and he has spoken for many Tory MPs. He says

the Conservative voice is muffled and not crisp in a series of tweets

tonight. It does not project conservative core policies or

principles. He goes on to say that UKIP connects with the electorate

not just on Europe but on crime and immigration. With UKIP and not a

policy is the public want to hear, we must do the same. That is hardly

the same as the Prime Minister saying this was just a protest vote.

Of course, by elections are not the same as general elections. A poll

taken of those who voted to date suggests that as many as eight in

10 UKIP voters did so to send a message to the parties, the bigger

parties, they normally support. More than half of them said they

were deeply concerned, and above all concerned about immigration. So,

today's result may not changed national politics. In one sense, it

will change one thing, though - every other party leader will be

asking tonight what do we do about UKIP and what do we do about

immigration? A court has heard a distressing 999

call made by Nick and Mairead Philpott, who are accused of

killing six of their children at their home in Derby. Details of a

secret recording were released in which prosecutors say that Mick

Philpott said he did not need to do it. This report from Jeremy Cook.

It was a fire that killed six children while they were sleeping

in their own beds. Today, a jury was told that their parents, now

accused of delivery starting the blaze, were the ones who raised the

alarm. The court was played a tape The jury was also shown footage of

the Philpotts at their first conference shortly after the fire.

-- at a press conference. Two weeks after this, the couple were

arrested. On 31st May they were driven to their first appearance,

unaware that their conversation was being recorded by a police

surveillance team. In court today, the jury was told that during this

journey, Mick Philpott had told his Mairead says know. The prosecution

also alleges that Mick Philpott Those words, I did not mean to do

it, are disputed by the defence. A forensic speech expert says he has

listened to the tape of many thousands of times and he insists

the words on that part of the recording are obscured by

background noise. Both Mick Philpott and Mairead and their co-

accused, poor Moseley, denies six charges of manslaughter. -- Paul

Mosley. Prescription charges in England are

to go up by 20p. From April, the cost will be �7.85. Dental charges

will also increase. Stuart Hall has appeared in court.

The 83 or be charged with committing a series of sex offences

during the 19 70s, and a -- end 1980s. The case has been adjourned

until April. Beef products sold by Birds Eye,

Taco Bell and the catering supply company Brakes had been found to

contain traces of horse DNA. Emma Simpson is at the Food Standards

Agency in London. How serious are these latest findings?

I think the main thing to point out tonight is, out of the 1,800 tests

on beef products competed in the last seven days, 99% were negative

for horsemeat contamination above the level of 1%. But, here at the

FISA, they say that is still totally unacceptable. -- the Food

Standards Agency. Today we learn that two ready meals by birds Eye,

a spaghetti bolognese and a lasagne, that had already been withdraw from

shells, turns out to have been tested after all. Another big name

has been caught up in all of this. Taco Bell, the Mexican fast-food

chain, famous for its Mexican food. They only have three restaurants in

the UK. But tests revealed that some of its ground beef contained

horsemeat. One other quick case. Brakes, who supply to the catering

industry, was it was found in a -- horsemeat was found in a product

there. Eight South African policemen have

been arrested on suspicion of murder after the death of a

Mozambican taxi driver who was dragged down a street tied to the

back of a police van. The incident was recorded by a boy -- a

bystander. A man later died in police custody. President Jacob

Zuma has condemned the incident as horrific. You may find some of the

He was 27 and a taxi-driver. Arrested by South African police,

reportedly because his car was blocking traffic. What happened

next provoked outrage. He resisted, and was eventually handcuffed to

the back of a police van. And then, as to why is still under

investigation, the van drove off, dragging him along the ground. He

died soon after of head injuries and internal bleeding. Residents

gathered near his home in a troubled area near Johannesburg.

need law now, we need justice. If there is no justice, let them feel

that. And side, a small protest. He came from Mozambique, prompting

some to accuse the police of deliberately targeting foreigners.

Why do the police men kill us? 100% wrong. I think the Government must

do something about the police. South Africa's international

reputation has taken a hammering in recent months and this incident

won't help. President, Jacob Zuma, has waded in describing the police

brutality as horrific and unacceptable. The authorities are

struggling to break the culture of violence here. Today it was

announced eight police officers initially suspended have now been

arrested in connection with the incident. A senior Government

official de -- visited the man's relatives offering condolences and

some context. This is something that could have been avoided. It

shouldn't have happened and it cannot be justified. There is grief

today and outrage, but in a violent country, no great sense of surprise.

Our top story tonight: The Conservatives are pushed to third

place behind UKIP as the Liberal Democrats hold Eastleigh. Coming

up: The flag stayed down, 2-0! In a world where sporting stars are

getting younger and younger, Ryan Giggs proves age is no barrier.

The athletics track where Jessica Ennis was trained for Olympic glory

may be about to close. The Don Valley stadium in Sheffield was

only opened in 1991 but the city council says it costs too much to

run and maintain. The Olympic gold medallist, who picked up a CBE

yesterday, said closing the stadium would send out the wrong message.

Danny Savage is at the stadium now. Jessica Ennis has probably ran

thousands of laps around this stadium. But closure looks likely

and it is added to a list of public facilities threatened with closure

because of budget cuts. It was one of the highlights of

last summer's Olympics. Jessica Ennis winning gold in the

heptathlon. Commentators were quick to mention the party at the track

where she trained. And the Don Valley Stadium, who are watching

this on a big screen must be going mad by now. He was right. They were

celebrating. But several months on, and has 25,000 seated arena is now

facing closure and demolition. Sheffield City Council says it

cannot afford to run it any more. Now the Athlete honoured by her

City and her country has spoken out. Amazing memories from the stadium,

that is where my career started. To see the city losing the stadium

would be a huge shame. There are lots of kids so enjoyed athletics

in the city and not to have that iconic City -- Stadium would be sad.

Be it is a sentiment shared by her coach who was training in the city

today. We lose a large, iconic stadium which has inspired

generations of kids. There is a great feeling from the stadium, but

it has hosted things as well as Grand Prix is like the English

Schools Championships. That will never happen again in the city.

Built in 1991, this facility has left Sheffield with a legacy of

debt. But what about the Olympic legacy? The idea more and more of

us should be making use of such facilities. The reality is,

subsidising each visitor by more than �5 is unsustainable.

Sheffield we are voting on �50 million to the Budget. The

Government has talked about legacy, but what they have actually done

his cup the local authorities to provide the facilities, and there

is no legacy funding, nothing in the budget to pay for legacy

funding. Jessica Ennis was training here just a few days ago. Now she

and the other users of the Don Valley Stadium, will have to look

elsewhere. This isn't just about Jessica Ennis

is losing the track where she trains, other people trained here

as well. She happens to be the most high-profile person. There is a

rugby league pitch as well. The meetings to decide the fate of this

place is ongoing and a decision is expected in the next hour. We have

will have the latest on the BBC News Channel. Lloyds Banking Group

has posted better-than-expected figures for 2012. The group, which

is 39% owned by the British Government, did lose �570 million,

but that's still a much better return than last year. Shares have

more than doubled over the last year and there's now speculation

about when the Government could sell its shares and claw back

billions of taxpayers' money. Here's our chief economics

correspondent, Hugh Pym. And it is a story about a leading

British bank, Lloyds, when the boss should get a bonus, and weak the

taxpayers get back the �20 billion pumped into the bank to bail it out.

We asked customers how confident they felt about their bank repaying

the taxpayer? The idea our money would come back to us after bailing

out the banks, to actually see something tangible is beyond the

realms of all possibilities. Whether we get our money back, I do

hope so. I don't see why the taxpayer should lose out. I would

like to see the money back because I am a taxpayer, it is our money.

Lloyd's overall losses last year were reduced and there is a renewed

speculation about a sale of the Government's 40% holding in the

bank. We need to get the bank back in health, and the only way we can

do that is when it is back in private hands. But the taxpayer

cannot lose millions of pounds, which is what will happen if we

rush into a facile. What about the boss, Antonio Horta-Osorio? He said

he was not in a position to get the bank sold off. He has been awarded

a 1.5 million bonus, but deferred until 2018. It will have to get

back to 74p, roughly what was paid for the taxpayer steak, or the

Government sells a third of its shares if the boss is to get the

bonus. What is the earliest the Government can hope to start

selling off its shares in Lloyds? Investors will have to be satisfied

finances are in good order, and there is a need taxpayers' get a

good return. Some analysts think there is a lot more work to be done

at Lloyd's. For the Government to be able to sell its shares at

anything it regards as fair value, you need to have Lloyd's close to a

position when it can generate normal returns. That does not

happen before 2016, even with a following wind. Like other banks,

Lloyds is having to make payouts it to customers who were mis-sold

protection insurance. Before any major share sale can be considered,

there are major hurdles to clear. The pound has fallen to its lowest

level against the dollar for more than two and a half years. The fall

comes after a surprise contraction in British manufacturing and

further speculation about what measures the Bank of England may

take to boost the economy. Economists say the figures are a

setback to hopes that the economy can return to growth in the first

quarter of this year. He's fit, almost 40 and could be

about to play his 1000th professional game. Ryan Giggs has

had his Manchester United contract extended by a year, proving that

age is no barrier in top flight sport. His manager Sir Alex

Ferguson described Giggs as a marvellous player and an

exceptional human being. Dan Roan He is football's man for All

seasons. For more than two decades, Ryan Giggs has been scoring goals

and breaking records. After extending his long stint at

Manchester United for another year, he has ensured he will still be

playing when he turns 40. In the modern game, it is unique of course,

but I think it is more than that. I don't think it can be achieved

again. An incredible career, absolutely fantastic. These are

special times in a special career. If Ryan Giggs plays tomorrow

afternoon against Norwich City, it will be Appearance a number 1000.

The marathon man has played in each of the last 22 seasons and scored

168 goals for United along the way. He has won 12 Premier League titles,

four FA Cups and two Champions League triumphs. This was the

moments in 1991, when Ryan Giggs made his senior debut for a club he

has never left. He has been compared to the young George Best.

One of his team-mates that day, says his talent was clear from the

beginning. Nobody wanted to mark him because he was so fast. That is

what stood him in great stead for so many years. Most players lose

their pace, but he has not lost his pace and agility. It is

unbelievable what he has achieved. Ryan Giggs has never been sent off

for his club, but has known controversy. Laura headlines about

his private life two years ago. But his playing career remains

unblemished and there seems no end in sight.

Now it's a lesson for parents everywhere - think twice before

giving your children free reign on your iPad. For the parents of a

five-year-old gaming fan, it meant a bill of more than �1,500. Duncan

Kennedy has the story. There are some children's games

that are free, but five year-old Danny found out there are others as

well. I have already got the password. This iPad fan is keen on

zombies and found himself an online game, not realising he was running

up a bill for thousands. I just clicked on it because it said it

was free. I gave it to my dad, and he put the pass word in. And the

next day, it did not remind me. Danny had access to the game at the

pestering his parents for the password. When his mum, Sharon, saw

the �1,700 bill, she could not believe it. Horrified. I was

flabbergasted it could amount to �1,700. I am still not 100% sure

how he got to that when it said it was free. Apple has refunded the

amount, but some experts say game developers need to make it clearer

when they cost money. Apple need to be careful to ask for passwords

every time a purchase is made within a game. Parents need to be

aware that real money is being spent in these games, and passwords

need to be kept secret. Danny can still play on his iPad, but now

with strict controls. Just so his parents don't have to take a tablet

of a medicinal kind, the next time the bill comes in!

Europe's most famous volcano, Mount Etna, has been erupting with

spectacular affect. The volcano, which is in Eastern Sicily, has

been sending plumes of ash thousands of metres into the air.

But despite the enormous clouds of ash, flights in and out of Sicily

have not been disrupted. Let's take a look at the weather

The weather is not very spectacular at the moment. We needed the

daffodils to brighten up St David's Day and cloudy skies across most

parts of Wales, and that will carry on into the weekend. But it will be

dry. Tonight, we have had clear skies across Scotland. They were

works outwards overnight. Where we get the clear skies is where we

will get the frost. You can see the extent through northern England,

through parts of Wales, south-west England and parts of Northern

Ireland. Elsewhere, cloud will keep the temperature is that little bit

higher and keeping a way the Sunshine tomorrow. Most likely

spots to see some Sunshine is southern parts of Scotland,

northern England. As we go through to 3pm in the afternoon, they might

be brightness in Devon and Cornwall. But it will be feeling chilly. In

East Anglia and south-east England, the cloud is less likely to break

up. Some Sunny spells from time to time, less likely across Northern

Ireland. North West Scotland is one of the few places that could see

outbreaks of patchy rain. Saturday evening, we keep the dry theme

going. Clear skies edging further south. Frost across southern parts

of England and Wales. On Sunday, it gets harder to find anything in the

way and much of Sunshine. Temperatures around seven or eight

degrees. There is a glimmer of hope as we go into the early part of

next week, winds coming in from the South East should bring milder air