Yes, We can Change

 A 43-year-old man has been arrested over the murder of a seven-year-old girl in Sunderland more than 21 years ago. Nikki Allan was stabbed 37 times and attacked with a brick in October 1992 before her body was dumped in a derelict warehouse close to her home. According to Sky sources the man arrested is not George Heron, who was found responsible for her death in a civil case brought by the girl's mother Sharon Prest in 1994. Mr Heron, who lived a few doors away from Nikki's family home, wa...

Nationwide says card payment problem 'been resolved' The Nationwide, Britain's biggest building society, has apologised to customers who have been experiencing difficulties with card payments. A spokeswoman said the the problem had now been fixed. The issue disrupted payments in shops, but cash machines and internet transactions were not affected.  "For a limited period this afternoon, some of our customers experienced problems making card payments," said a spokeswoman. "This matter has now been resolved and the card payment process is working normally," she added. Nationwide apologised for the inconvenience, but was not able to say what caused it.   Stuart Meale Nationwide customer; Neither is it known how many customers experienced difficulties. One customer, Stuart Meale, said he was stuck at an airport in Iceland, with no means to pay. "Only have ...

Affordable Childcare 'Would Save £1.5bn' Providing universal affordable childcare could save the taxpayer up to £1.5bn a year by allowing more mothers to go back to work, according to an influential think-tank. The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) claims three-quarters of women with a youngest child aged three or four want to work, but are unable to do so because of the amount of free childcare currently available. The report by the left-leaning think-tank highlighted the experience in the Canadian province of Quebec, following the introduction of cut-price universal childcare back in 1997. ...

Police investigate patient deaths in Worcestershire A police investigation has been launched into the deaths of a number of patients who were under the care of a consultant surgeon. Sudip Sarker worked as a consultant colorectal surgeon at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. West Mercia Police said it began the investigation after receiving a letter in December. It said the deaths of three patients, whose joint inquest was adjourned last year, formed part of the inquiry. Mr Sarker worked at the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch from August 2011 but was suspended in October 2012.  'Complex matter' Supt Kevin Purcell, of West Mercia Police, said: "We were made aware that there were a number of concerns in relation to the deaths of patients in 2012 who had been under Mr Sarker's care. "We are in the early stages of obtaining the relevant information from hospitals and other health organisati...