UK News: Strollers thefts soar in £60m black market

Thefts of strollers have almost doubled in a year, with the black market worth around £60 million, according to Halifax Home Insurance.

Sales of buggies costing more than 500 have increased by 40 per cent, with parents unwittingly fuelling the black market through second-hand purchases.

Plan to close six prisons

Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke is planning to close six jails at a cost of 5000 cells as his ministry seeks to cut its budget by almost a quarter, it was claimed today.

The plans would be set out in a Green Paper aimed at reducing the number of offenders behind bars, it was reported today.

Policemen injured in blast

Two policemen were injured after an explosive was hurled at them in Belfast.

The device exploded on the ground at Shaw's Road last night and flying debris hit them.

The officers, who were investigating a robbery at a bookmakers, were taken to hospital.

One sustained serious arm injuries, but they were not thought to be life-threatening.

MP's 'Prescott moment'

LABOUR MP for Newcastle-under-Lyme Paul Farrelly today spoke of how he "wrestled" a man to the floor in "self defence" inside the Houses of Parliament. He described Thursday's altercation, that took place during a party at Parliament's Sports and Social Club, as "a John Prescott moment".

Call for litter messages on motorway boards

OVERHEAD motorway message boards should alert people to the penalties they face for dropping litter out of car windows, local authorities urged today.

Figures show councils in England spend 858 million a year clearing up rubbish from roads and streets.

The Keep Britain Tidy study also found that around a fifth of motorists and even more lorry drivers admit to dropping litter from their vehicles, but few people realise they can be issued with an 80 fine.

Northamptonshire: A photograph taken by the Luftwaffe during the Second World War has helped unearth what is thought to be the lost Tudor design of a historic garden. The picture shows the land surrounding Lyveden New Bield, including an arrangement of 10 concentric circles which could have formed a labyrinth.

Surrey: An investigation is under way today after several people were injured when a concrete mixer lorry fell from a bridge onto a train. The vehicle landed on coaches of the Guildford to London Waterloo service at Oxshott at 3:30pm yesterday.