UK News: M25 project gaffe cost taxpayer extra £1bn

THE Highways Agency mishandled the project to tackle congestion on Britain's busiest motorway at a potential extra cost to taxpayers of around £1 billion, a report from MPs said today.

The agency's estimate for a 30-year, 3.4 billion private finance contract for widening the M25 was "poor".

Girl's parents tell of grief

THE grieving parents of a heavily pregnant teenager have spoken of their struggle to come to terms with her murder.

Nikitta Grender, 19, was found dead by firefighters called to a blaze at her flat in Newport, South Wales, on Saturday morning. Detectives have appealed for information.

Cameron faces fresh US calls for Lockerbie probe

DAVID Cameron was today under renewed pressure from US senators for an independent inquiry into the decision to free Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi.

The calls came after a review yesterday concluded that the former Labour administration did "all it could" to help Libya secure the release of the only man convicted of the bombing.

Democratic senator for New Jersey Robert Menendez said: "We renew our call again for an independent inquiry."

Medic appraisal slammed

THERE are weaknesses in the current plans for regulating doctors to ensure they are fit to practise, MPs said today. Identifying potentially dangerous doctors is seen in some quarters as "almost an insignificant part" of the appraisal process, according to a report from the Commons Health Committee.

Doctors can go for their entire career without facing any assessment of their competency.

TV presenter fuels protest

TV presenter Quentin Willson was set to lead a Whitehall protest against spiralling petrol and diesel prices today.

He was to head a delegation from the FairFuelUK campaign to lobby the Treasury and hand in a letter to Chancellor George Osborne.

Northampton: Four men were being held by police today after a gang of crash-helmeted robbers wielding sledgehammers was put to flight by a pensioner who attacked them with a handbag. The red-coated pensioner was caught on CCTV lashing out at four raiders.

Bournemouth: A man who barricaded himself inside a seaside property, sparking a ten-hour armed police siege, was arrested today. The 34-year-old was detained by officers on suspicion of making threats to kill following the stand-off that saw dozens of residents evacuated from their homes.