The Nichol family had never been on holiday to Turkey before, nor had we previously experienced an all inclusive package. So as my wife Suzie, nine-year-old daughter Sophie and I arrived at the Marti Myra resort on the Mediterranean coast, the place was facing a tough test. First impressions were good. The reception area was plush and polished, with acres of wood, glass and marble. John Nichol with his wife Suzie and nine-year-old daughter Sophie at the Marti Myra resort in Turkey . To Sophie's delight, plenty of kids were lounging around on giant sofas availing themselves of free wi-fi and watching giant TVs. As the adults sipped cocktails at the lobby bar, the hotel appeared bustling but by no means overcrowded - probably because Marti Myra is a huge, rambling resort with seemingly endless facilities. All 551 rooms were taken when we stayed, housing around 1,100 adults and 500 children. But there was never any sense we were competing for space. This may well be because the site is set in 100 acres, has seven pools, water slides, beaches, an amphitheatre, five bars and seven restaurants. Sophie quickly made friends with other British children and more or less disappeared for the fortnight. This is a resort completely geared towards family satisfaction and we were totally happy for the children to play in the pools, visit the various restaurants and go to the arcade unsupervised. That said, I suspect the amount of vegetables consumed at their private lunches was in inverse proportion to the volume of ice-cream eaten. If that was the case they were missing out, as the food was tremendous - endless buffets of fresh fish, salads, grilled meats - and 20 desserts. For a small supplement, guests can also choose from à la carte restaurants. Marti Myra is in the Kemer region, which is dominated by the towering presence of Mount Tahtali, the highest peak in southern Turkey. It demands a visit so we took the cable car to the 7,757ft summit. At €210 (around £150) for the three of us, it wasn't cheap but it was worth it to experience the glorious panorama. The pool complex at Marti Myra was a hit with the Nichols family . In true Nichol-clan style, this was our only excursion from the resort as we were more than happy to luxuriate on the beach or by the pool. The only other added extra we chose to invest in was one of the £100-a-day pavilions on the pristine beach. These private retreats came equipped with robes, sofas, sunbeds and a fridge. And if you couldn't be bothered to open the fridge door yourself, a waiter would bring over drinks and snacks. We could have taken part in all sorts of activities, from aqua-aerobics to archery, dancing and poolside It's A Knockout-style games. The beach party was a riot of noise, while the nightly entertainment included amazing Kenyan acrobats. The Kids' Club production of Grease had Suzie and I doing the full John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John routine... much to Sophie's utter horror. For a more peaceful break you can simply retreat to the calm of the rolling gardens. Marti Myra really did offer a fabulous holiday experience for the whole family. Sophie was happy - and if children are happy, contentment for all will surely follow. GETTING THERE . Thomson (thomson.co.uk, 0871 230 2555) offers seven-night holidays at the Marti Myra Resort on a half-board basis from £499pp, including return flights from Stansted and transfers.

Summary:
Marti Myra resort in Turkey is on the Mediterranean coast .
Boats seven pools, water slides, beaches,  five bars and seven restaurants .
Marti Myra is in the Kemer region, which is dominated by Mount Tahtali .
The resort completely geared towards family satisfaction .
John Nichol's latest book After The Flood: What The Dambusters Did Next is published in June by Collins.


As same sex relationships become more acceptable, the more visible they are and the more we can learn about them. Or should I say learn from them, since most of the research that is emerging about gay relationships suggests they can teach us straights more than a thing or two! It’s not easy being gay and being different to the norm. But turns out there’s a huge pay off for having to fight for the right to love who you want without judgement. Gay relationships appear to work better than straight relationships in lots of key ways. Gay relationships work better than straight relationships in lots of key ways, says Tracey Cox . Here’s what we can learn from same sex couples: . 1. They’re not hung up on male or female stereotypes of who should do what in a relationship. Couples in same sex relationships don’t just slot into what’s expected. They divide up the chores and roles in their relationship on who is best at them, rather than ‘that’s the man’s job’ or ‘woman’s job’. The result is they work better as a team - and there’s less resentment over silly, sexist things like secretly thinking ‘He should be earning more than me’ or ‘She should be the one emptying the dishwasher’. 2. They fight fair . US relationships guru John Gottman, one of the world’s foremost experts on relationships, says same sex couples are far kinder and nicer to each other during arguments than straights are. They don’t personally attack each other, they’re more positive, less domineering and belligerent. Same sex couples also laugh more during a row - which is the best way to remind you both that you actually like each other, even if you don’t like what one of you did or didn’t do! Gottman found gay men and women were also more affectionate, listened more and were less defensive in arguments. The sexpert says it’s not easy being gay and being different to the norm, but that there’s a huge pay off for having to fight for the right to love who you want without judgement . Why are they so much better at it than heterosexuals? One reason is that power is equal. There’s less bullying and less blaming of problems on gender because you don’t have set expectations of each other’s roles. In society, women are expected to be the pacifiers and men the ‘fixers’. But sometimes it’s women who are good at coming up with practical solutions and men who are good at soothing. Same sex couples tend to let whoever is best at something take over. 3. They’re more experimental sexually . Male/female sex falls into a set pattern from a very early age. Usually, the guy initiates, there’s foreplay (generally more for her than him) and intercourse is very much the main event. Lesbians, on the other hand, are much less penetration orientated and orgasm orientated: they just do whatever they feel like in that particular sex session. Gay men are far more experimental with different types of sex rather than sticking rigidly to the ‘vanilla’, basic type of sex straight people in long-term relationships tend to have. 4. They’re happy to show and tell . Lots of straight women are often too embarrassed to let their partner watch them masturbate. Gay men love showing off - and watching other guys turn themselves on. They also watch carefully to see what technique they use, so they can copy it later. Lesbians often have mutual masturbation sessions and consequently know a lot more about what techniques their partner likes than the average straight couple. 5. They don’t have to deal with the in-laws . Meeting each other’s parents and seeing them regularly as a couple is pretty much standard for most straight couples. But not all gays are at the same point in the coming-out process and not all families are tolerant and open to gay relationships. This means less forced visits with relatives you might not necessarily get on with - which means less rows about the in-laws. 6. They don’t get hung up on porn . Partners watching porn is often frowned upon and seen as threatening by women in straight relationships. Gay men understand that men simply like looking at sexy things and same sex couples generally are more tolerant of each other’s differences. You'll find more advice on love and relationships at traceycox.com .

Summary:
Research says hetro couples can benefit from observing gay relationships .
Sexpert Tracey Cox suggests there are six key lessons to learn .
Says big pay off for having to fight for the right to love who you want .


The Northumberland Church of England Academy is the second school in the country to adopt a 'cradle to university' policy by offering childcare for newborns . An academy school is now accepting pupils from birth after launching a 'cradle to university' scheme to help youngsters get ahead. The Northumberland Church of England Academy (NCEA) in Ashington, Northumberland, is only the second school in the country to offer childcare for newborn babies. It was a government initiative first adopted by St Bede Academy in Bolton, Greater Manchester, to help tackle issues in early years, including speech and language acquisition. The scheme, known as childminder agencies (CMA) and set up by the Department for Education in September last year, also helps self-employed childminders find work. Childminders will volunteer with the school and in return receiving training and business advice, while parents are offered affordable childminding in a home environment. Headteacher at NCEA, Andrew Day, said: 'We want to be able to do the best for every single child and believe that having children from cradle to university is the best way to do this. 'Up to 50 per cent of our children starting school have speech and language acquisition issues and we hope that this will help address such issues. 'Evidence suggests that educational outcome is set from the age of two for the vast majority of children. 'We are working in partnership with our parents, we want to change the outcomes for our children.' Mr Day, who oversees a school of more than 2,400 students, added: 'Often our parents come as single parents, with jobs and are busy. We need to take the pressure and burden off them. 'It's not about patronising people, it's about giving them an extra layer of support. The Northumberland Church of England Academy (pictured) has launched the government and Ofsted-approved scheme, known as childminder agencies or CMA to help children with their transition to nursery . 'They will be cared for by childminders in a home environment, but we will work with parents and childminders to ensure that each child can be the best that they can be.' CMA is self-funded by the school, which then charges childminders a fee when they register and also to the parents who use their services. The academy, which caters for pupils up to the age of 19, has a centre for children with profound and severe learning difficulties. It also recently opened three new early years centres offering 120 free nursery places for eligible two-year-olds. Clare Lishman, the academy's director of early years, said: 'This is an exciting expansion to our early years provision. 'Research shows that it is the quality of the provision, whether it is in a nursery setting or with a childminder, that delivers the best long term benefits for a child's development. 'Rapid development takes place between the ages zero and three and investing in early years provision is vital to equip children with the skills they need to start their education. Childminders will volunteer with the school and in return receiving training and business advice, while parents are offered affordable childminding in a home environment . 'Childminders who join the agency will receive lots of support from the academy and be part of the early years provision in the school.' The Ofsted-approved scheme was first piloted in the summer 2013 with 20 organisations nationwide, including primary schools, nurseries and councils. St Bede Academy was the only school to continue the trial at the end of last year. Headteacher, Jack Hatch, said at the time: 'Achieving our goal of being the first CMA to be registered in the UK means a lot to our childcare organisation. 'It should help to provide more of our families with excellent-quality affordable childcare and give even more flexibility than we can offer at the present time.'

Summary:
Northumberland Church of England Academy offers childcare to newborns .
It is only second school in country to do so after St Bede Academy, Bolton .
Government scheme helps tackle issues early including speech acquisition .
It helps childminders find work and training by volunteering at school .
Also offers parents affordable, flexible childcare in a home environment .


(CNN)Sen. Rand Paul, who is expected to announce on April 7 that he will be running for the presidency, is garnering a great deal of attention as he travels around the country promoting his brand of libertarian conservatism. The Kentucky senator's widely publicized appearance this month at the South by Southwest festival at Austin, Texas, was one opportunity he used to appeal to a tech-savvy audience. His particular blend of ideas -- a combination of libertarianism and Republican conservatism -- stands out from the rest of the pack. Younger Republicans, the much-desired millennial vote, seem attracted by what they are hearing. What accounts for his appeal? In an era when so many Americans seem frustrated with shallow, personality-based politics, there seems to be genuine interest in a candidate who is fighting for a set of ideas. For many disaffected younger Republicans, Paul offers a version of the conservative agenda that seems foreign to the modern GOP. For almost half a century, "big government conservatism" has ruled the party. Although conservatism is theoretically about limited government, the historical reality has been much different. On national defense, the hawks of the GOP have been victorious. Even while railing against the dangers of a big federal government, Republicans have lined up to support higher defense spending and a massive military-industrial complex. Though the GOP has little tolerance for many social safety net programs, the party has accepted sizable government support to industry, such as the financial bailout known as TARP in 2008 and subsidies for certain economic interests. Paul has been a vocal critic of the neoconservative turn that the GOP has embraced in recent decades, during which the party moved beyond support for high national security spending and toward a bolder vision of aggressive nation-building and regime change. For some Republicans, including Paul, these policies were at the heart of the failures of George W. Bush's presidency and a sharp departure from the party's principles. Similarly, Paul has been one of the few Republican voices to argue that post 9/11 surveillance policies have dangerously curtailed civil liberties. At the local level, he has criticized the militarization of police forces and the treatment of African Americans by law enforcement officers. Paul has also backed away from some tenets of social conservatism that don't sit well with a growing number of Republican voters. He has been an outspoken advocate of giving states the right to legalize marijuana. He has been attuned to the ways in which younger generations of Republicans are not on board with the evangelical fervor of the 1970s conservative movement and want to move in a different direction. While many Republicans have talked about the need for their party to tackle issues involving race and inequality in ways that are different from Democrats, most have been unwilling to offer any substantive ideas. Indeed, the recent budget blueprint from congressional Republicans exposed how thin discussions of a Republican anti-poverty program are. Their budget centers around cuts to key social safety net programs such as Medicare and regressive supply side tax cuts. But Paul, who has appeared to be supportive of a stringent budget, has also been willing to put forward bolder ideas, including criminal justice reform, that deal directly with the conditions that have devastated African American communities. Can Paul really win? That is unclear. Republican strategist Matthew Dowd told The New York Times: "It's one thing to be interesting; it's another thing to be compelling. They've got to see him sitting in the Oval Office. And I do not think Rand has crossed that threshold yet." There are many skeptics who don't think that he has what it takes and that he has a controversial record. Paul's extremely critical remarks about key aspects of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 will certainly come back to bite him, as will some of his blistering attacks on the Federal Reserve. Paul is also trying to make the case for a libertarian conservatism that is not pure. Paul is still a Republican, so he will continue to fit his ideas within the broader agenda of the GOP. He is also a politician at heart and will make compromises that he believes are essential to survive. While Paul argues that he is trying to take some of the ideas that libertarians liked about his father and make them politically viable, some of his supporters smell a sellout. Arguably, we have seen this recently when he signed the controversial letter to Iran led by Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas (a neoconservative mentored by the hawkish Bill Kristol), switched his approach to the issue of same-sex marriage and gave support to an aggressive war against ISIS. "This is more than a flip-flop. This is a backflip," the editor of an anti-war website told the Daily Beast. "This was the last straw. I've put up with a lot from that guy! I've had to defend him like a Jesuit. I'm done. Let somebody else do it." But if Rand Paul can sell primary voters that his blend of ideas still offers something distinct from the rest of the Republican candidates, at a minimum he can help reshape the debate within the GOP by raising questions about some of the party's core positions.

Summary:
Julian Zelizer: Rand Paul, due to announce for presidency, has attracted a lot of attention .
He says the Kentucky senator can appeal to younger Republicans with a libertarian brand of conservatism .


Bernie Ecclestone has suggested next year's German Grand Prix could also fall by the wayside just days after this season's race was officially dropped from the Formula One calendar. As per their contract, Hockenheim is scheduled to host the event in 2016, but at this early stage F1 supremo Ecclestone is uncertain whether it will go ahead. Asked whether he could confirm it would take place, Ecclestone, speaking to a select media group in the paddock at the Malaysian Grand Prix, replied: 'No.' Bernie Ecclestone (left) says German Grand Prix may miss out on the Formula One calendar next year . Informed that Hockenheim has a contract for 2016 and 2018, Ecclestone added: 'It doesn't make a difference. A lot of people have a contract.' Ecclestone intimated if Germany was unable to afford the race this year, then it will struggle to pay the hosting fee next season. The Nurburgring was scheduled to host the race in July, but due to numerous financial difficulties behind the scenes was ultimately forced to withdraw. Ecclestone then turned to Hockenheim to step in and fill the void, but negotiations broke down and time ran out as circuit officials believed they did not have ample time to promote and sell tickets. Hockenheim and Nurburgring have hosted the German Grand Prix for the past seven years . 'The trouble in Germany was the Nurburgring spent an awful lot of money which they borrowed,' added Ecclestone. 'They didn't need to spend what they spent, and therefore didn't need to borrow the amount they borrowed. 'They forgot to pay it back, and that caused a few ripples. It sent a bad message.' Ecclestone didn't confirm if Hockenheim would host next year's race despite having a contract in place . Historic European races are now fast falling away with France, San Marino and now Germany losing their place on the calendar in recent times. Italy is another that will struggle to pay its way beyond the expiry of its current contract in 2016 unless national government steps in to assist, or Ecclestone reduces his fees. Asked whether he was prepared to see F1's European heartland wither away, Ecclestone said: 'There are lots of things we all would like, but we don't have them because we can't afford them.' Suggested to Ecclestone 'if Monza goes, it goes', he said: 'Whatever goes, goes.' The Formula One supremo said Hockenheim having a contract in place 'doesn't make a difference' Ecclestone did concede, however, 'it would be terrible' if Europe did lose all its races, particularly as the series would no longer become a world championship. Many people believe Ecclestone's hosting fees are too steep, which in turn prompts promoters to charge extortionate ticket prices, leading to reduced numbers through the turnstiles. Hockenheim, for instance, saw its audience plummet from more than 100,000 in 2012 to just 60,000 in 2014, despite Sebastian Vettel being a four-time world champion at that stage and Mercedes dominating last year. 'Probably right,' said Ecclestone, regarding comments about over-charging. 'But the teams get 62 per cent of whatever profit the company (CVC, who run the sport) makes, so if we make less money, the teams make less money.' The German Grand Prix has alternated between Hockenheim and Nurburgring since 2007 .

Summary:
The German Grand Prix was axed from this year's Formula One calendar .
Hockenheim officials failed to agree a deal to host July's scheduled race .
Bernie Ecclestone says German Grand Prix may miss out next year too .
Italy is also at risk when its current contract expires in 2016 .


The drain of talent from Super League to the NRL has spread to match officials with news that referee Tim Roby is to move down under. The 25-year-old Roby, one of six regular Super League referees, has quit the English game with immediate effect and will fly out to Sydney in the next fortnight after accepting an offer to become a match official with the NRL. 'It's always been my ambition to officiate in Australia and my partner and I are hugely excited that this opportunity has arisen,' said Roby. Tim Roby, one of six regular Super League referees, has quit the English game with immediate effect . 'I expressed an interest with the NRL some time ago and I am fortunate enough to have been offered a contract on the back of that. 'I would like to thank the RFL for the last five years. It's been a great privilege to be part of the senior match officials team and I am going to miss working with some terrific people. I wish everyone here in the British game the very best for 2015.' Roby, who has refereed over 75 Super League matches over the last five seasons and acted as a touch-judge in some of the sport's biggest games, including two Challenge Cup finals, the 2014 Super League Grand Final and the Rugby League World Cup, is following in the footsteps of Russell Smith and Ashley Klein, who made their name in Super League before moving to the NRL. Rugby Football League match officials coaching and technical director Jon Sharp said: 'This is a fantastic opportunity for Tim. I have no doubts that he will do extremely well in Australia and we wish him all the best in his new career. 'Tim is a product of our development programme and his move to Australia is an indication of the high regard in which our match officials are held around the world. 'There are some outstanding young officials emerging through that same development programme and Tim's departure gives them a chance to realise their ambitions of refereeing at the highest level.'

Summary:
Tim Roby is one of six regular Super League referees .
The 25-year-old official has quit the English game with immediate effect .
Roby will fly to Sydney in the next fortnight after accepting an offer .


Nick Gordon, the beleaguered boyfriend of Bobbi Kristina Brown, has gone into rehab following a dramatic intervention conducted by eminent psychologist, Dr Phil McGraw Daily Mail Online has learned exclusively. The highly-charged intervention will air on Dr. Phil's show next Wednesday, March 11. Amid scenes of high emotion, Gordon repeatedly broke down and ranted incoherently and threatened to kill himself if anything happened to Bobbi Kristina. Left to his own devices, Dr Phil asserted, Gordon would be dead ‘within the week.’ Dr Phil flew to Atlanta yesterday, on Bobbi Kristina’s birthday, after friends and family of Gordon begged him to intervene as the 25-year-old’s mental state spiraled out of control. Nick Gordon believed he was meeting Dr Phil to conduct an interview after feeling that he has been publicly ‘vilified.’ Instead he found his mother, Michelle, and Dr Phil united in their mission to save his life . Gordon believed he was meeting Dr Phil to conduct an interview after feeling that he has been publicly ‘vilified.’ Instead he found his mother, Michelle, and Dr Phil united in their mission to save his life. Earlier Michelle, who speaks with her son daily, told Dr Phil: ‘Nicholas is at breaking point. He cannot take too much more of not being able to see Krissi. He blames himself.' 'As we sit here right now, my son’s life hangs in the balance. When Whitney was found, he administered CPR to her and called me as he was standing in front of her saying, ‘Mom, why couldn’t I do it? I couldn’t get air into her lungs.’ During a highly emotional process Gordon repeatedly walked out, refused to co-operate, acceded to Dr Phil’s request then reneged just as quickly. In recent days Gordon’s presence on social media has been increasingly erratic. In what was the only insight into his spiraling mind. On Tuesday, the eve of Krissi’s 22nd birthday he tweeted ‘I’m so hurt I wanna do myself in, I know I have to strong [sic]’ Earlier he tweeted: ‘You all blame me but I tried my best and it wasn’t good enough sorry.’ Earlier still he tweeted the simple plea: ‘I love you soooooooo much plz wake up.’ Gordon has been out-of control since the  desperate as Bobbi Kristina's 22nd birthday approached as he tweeted 'I'm so hurt I wanna do myself in, I know I have to strong [sic].' Nick and Bobbi Kristina looked so happy together at the premier of Whitney Houston's last film Sparke. Bobbi Kristina is now in a medically induced coma and Gordon has been banned from seeing her by the Brown family . In an insight into his spiraling mental state, on Tuesday he tweeted 'You all blame me but I tried my best and it wasn't good enough sorry. ' Earlier he tweeted the simple plea to Bobbi Kristina, 'I love you soooooooo much plz wake up.' Through it all, he has not been allowed to visit with her, as tensions between Gordon and the Brown family have escalated . It is five weeks since Bobbi Kristina was found facedown and unresponsive in a bathtub at the Roswell, Georgia, home she and Gordon, 25, shared. A helping hand: Dr. Phil was concerned about Nick Gordon. He is determined to save his life . The only daughter of Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown has been in a medically induced coma ever since the horrific discovery just weeks from the third anniversary of her mother's death in eerily similar circumstances. The singer was found dead in a bathtub in her hotel near Los Angeles on 11 February 2012 just hours before she was due to attend a pre Grammy awards party. But unlike Houston's death that was ruled accidental, police are treating Bobbi Kristina's near drowning and injuries allegedly sustained by the 21-year-old as a criminal investigation. Two weeks after being admitted to Atlanta's Emory Hospital Bobbi Kristina was taken off her ventilator and had her breathing tube removed for fear of infection. Instead she was given a tracheotomy. But any hopes that this was a sign of her condition improving were dealt a devastating blow the following week when medics attempted to bring her out of her coma only for her to suffer a series of dangerous seizures. While Bobbi Kristina fights for her life a troubling picture of her relationship with Gordon, of drug use and domestic turbulence in the weeks leading up to the incident, has emerged. It was Gordon who found Bobbi Kristina and who was administering CPR when first responders arrived on the scene. But other than this, few details have emerged. There have been reports that Bobbi Kristina was under the influence of drugs and drinking heavily on the morning that she was found face down and unresponsive in the tub. In additio to this she had been using cocaine, heroin and Xanax in the months before the January 31 incident according to multiple sources who spoke to People. Just two weeks ago Gordon was forced to admit that police suspected drugs at the Bobbi Kristina and his Georgia home – a home owned by Houston until her death – as he gave up a legal battle to block law enforcement from obtaining CCTV footage from security cameras located at the Roswell residence. Lawyers for Gordon had tried to argue that the warrant issued on February 12 was an infringement of their client's privacy but they subsequently dropped the case. Meanwhile the nature of Gordon and Bobbi Kristina's union has come under intense scrutiny. Both have referred to each other as 'husband' and 'wife' in recent months but there is no evidence to support the assertion that Gordon – who was unofficially adopted into the family by Houston when he was 14 – has married the girl who he once knew as a 'sister.' In his most recent tweets Gordon who had previously called Bobbi Kristina his 'wife' refers to her as his 'fiancée.' What is clear is that, in the weeks leading up to the incident that has left Bobbi Kristina fighting for her life, her life had become increasingly chaotic. Just four days before she was found in the bathtub she was involved in a car wreck when she lost control of her silver Jeep Liberty and drove headlong into a gray Ford Taurus. The driver of the Ford and a passenger in her Jeep were injured and taken to hospital according to a report from police at Roswell, Georgia. Gordon too had been involved in crashes and speeding offenses in the past months. Police were also called to her home on January 23 after reports of a fight there. A security guard at the gated community where Bobbi Kristina lives told a dispatcher that one of her neighbors reported people 'hitting each other and swinging' outside the three-bedroom townhouse. Officers attended the scene but found no signs of an altercation. Speaking to Daily Mail Online a former boyfriend of Bobbi Kristina who remains a close friend, Zach Jafarzedeh gave an insight into the torrid pair. He said: 'Nick has a short temper and Bobbi can be difficult. 'It was a tug of war, because they are both very stubborn people. Bobbie is very sweet, giving and caring, but she wants all of you, everything. 'And Nick like space, that's where a lot of the tension between them came from.' He revealed that Gordon was 'getting a little wild.' He said: 'He was getting into car accidents. He's been in about three or four accidents over the last couple of years. He's got a need for speed. He's getting these nice cars now the trust fund money is coming in [from Bobbi, sole inheritor of Whitney's estate] and crashing them life and right. 'He had a couple of Chevrolet Camaros. He liked fast cars, BMWs, that kind of thing. He cares, but he wasn't slowing down.' Against this backdrop, hostilities between Gordon and Bobbi Kristina's father, Bobby Brown, and other family members have publicly exploded with Gordon an increasingly isolated and ostracized figure. Gordon has accused Brown of only being after his daughter's money and he himself has been accused of that very same thing in return. Bobby Kristina's aunt Marion 'Pat' Houston is the executor Whitney's estate estimated at between $12 and $20million trust She took out a restraining order against Gordon in March citing aggressive remarks and tweets he had made and claiming that he was only interested in Bobbi Kristina because of her money. According to Pat the tweets, including one that read 'Loam I got bigger guns than you. Watch them react to this,' were specifically aimed at threatening her. Pat, who was one of Whitney's managers, has made no secret of her disapproval of Bobbi Kristina and Gordon's 'sibling' relationship having turned into something romantic. In increasingly erratic tweets Gordon has raged against singer Bobby Brown accusing him of being an absent father who has barely seen his daughter in the past four or five years. He has claimed that the responsibility for looking after both Whitney, who struggled with drug abuse, and Bobbi Kristina fell on his shoulders and that, now just 25, it was too great a duty to bear.

Summary:
Dr. Phil McGraw flew to Atlanta yesterday to stage an intervention with Bobbi Kristina's troubled boyfriend Nick Gordon .
Bobbi Kristina has been in a medically induced coma since January 31 .
Gordon has not been allowed to visit with Bobbi Kristina, as tensions between Gordon and the Brown family have escalated .
Gordon's recent tweets had become increasingly desperate and erratic .
Friends and family persuaded Dr. Phil to get Gordon the help he needs .


An extraordinary collection of photographs and mementos chronicling the affair of a German businessman and his secretary in the late 1960s and 1970s has gone on show in New York. The memorabilia was discovered in a briefcase three decades after the affair took place, abandoned in a German apartment and later sold at auction. In a dangerous move for an adulterer, businessman Günter K kept a meticulous account of his relationship with a 24-year-old woman known as Margret S who was also married. An extraordinary collection of photographs and mementos chronicling the affair of a German businessman called Günter and his secretary Margret (pictured) in the late 1960s and 1970s has gone on show in New York . The contents of the case, which are on display at the exhibition Margret: Chronicle of an Affair – May 1969 to December 1970, included hundreds of pictures of Margret in various places and poses: sitting at a typewriter at the office, travelling or in hotel rooms, undressing, changing, or getting dressed. Günter kept ticket stubs, contraceptive packets and even locks of his lover's hair. The typed notes and diary entries from the Cologne businessman, who seemed to have an eye for detail way ahead of his time, reveal that he was 39 when the affair began in May 1969. The pair started their affair while on business trips and eventually escalated to them playing husband and wife in Günter’s store building, where Margret prepares light meals and they watch television together. she also gets dressed up in the clothes her love buys for her. The memorabilia was discovered in a briefcase three decades after the affair took place, abandoned in a German apartment and later sold at auction . In a dangerous move for an adulterer businessman Günter K kept a meticulous account of his relationship with a 24-year-old woman known as Margret S. who was also married . Susanne Zander is director of  the Gallery Susanne Zander / Delmes & Zander in Cologne and Berlin, Germany, which own the Margret collection. She said: 'It seems clear that he was obsessed with the process of documenting and collecting. Presumably because he wanted to control both Margret and the situation. 'Somehow he was very 'German', writing down everything in a very correct and precise way – even if what he recorded was deeply personal and often emotional fraught. 'You get a sense of him trying not to lose control of the situation through his obsessive cataloging and archiving. The exhibition Margret: Chronicle of an Affair – May 1969 to December 1970, includes hundreds of pictures of Margret in various poses . Günter kept ticket stubs, contraceptive packets and even locks of his lover's hair . Blogger Messynessychic observed how the pictures reveal the transformation of Margret from, 'a shy, simple, mousy-haired girl to a modern, sophisticated woman with a fiery red high-maintenance beehive do.' The relationship appears to come to an end just before Christmas in 1970 when reports and photographs of Margret begin to break off. According to Günter’s notes, she tells him that 'after Christmas the f***ing will be over and you will not dance at two weddings anymore.' The letters and journals entries provide a porthole into the behaviour of men and women in the 1960s and 70s. The typed notes and diary entries from the Cologne businessman, who seemed to have an eye for detail way ahead of his time, reveal that he was 39 when the affair began in May 1969 . Over the course of the affair Margret seems to transform from a shy girl to a feisty, independent woman complete with a fiery red beehive . Ms Zander said: 'The images tell us about the fashions, styles, and culture of the times but also about the unfolding sexual revolution of the era (1969/1970): even bourgeois Gunter seems to be participating in this social revolution. 'The archive also tells us a lot about the dynamics between men and women at the time: he is older, her boss, wealthy; she is his secretary, younger, pretty, full of cliches. 'Their affair took place at the beginning of the era of women's lib etc. but its clear that the dynamics between Gunter and Margret were far from equal.' The relationship appears to come to an end just before Christmas in 1970 when reports and photographs of Margret begin to break off . According to Günter’s notes, she tells him that 'after Christmas the f***ing will be over and you will not dance at two weddings anymore. The extensive collection of several hundred images is considered to be one of the most detailed collections of memories ever to have been discovered. Ms Zander said : 'The mixture of writings, artifacts, and photographs is, I imagine, extremely rare. 'It is unlikely that another such collection exists. 'Even in our current times of social media – its seems unlikely that anyone has documented a private affair to such an obsessive degree. Which makes this collection of photographs, writings and artifacts from the late 1960s /early 1970s all the more unusual. 'The quality of the photographs is amazing, even if it’s clear that were made by an amateur, albeit evidently gifted, photographer. Both Margret and Gunter are believed to be dead. Ms Zander added: 'Margret is also beautiful and a compelling character. 'Their story is amazing and it is also a document of the time: you get a real sense of the time and place based solely on why Gunter decide to record.' ‘Margret’ is presented in parallel to the exhibition ‘System and Vision’ organized by Delmes & Zander at David Zwirner, New York. February 28 – April 18 . Günter kept ticket stubs, contraceptive packets and even locks of his lover's hair . ‘Marget’ is presented in parallel to the exhibition ‘System and Vision’ organized by Delmes & Zander at David Zwirner, New York .

Summary:
German businessman and his secretary had an affair from 1969 to 1970 .
Pictures and memorabilia found in an abandoned briefcase decades later .
Snaps feature the flame-haired object of his affection in a variety of places .
Collection now on display in New York art gallery .


An unconscious patient secretly raped in A&E by a male nurse who filmed the attack admitted today she tried to kill herself after police revealed her ordeal. The victim, now 38, was one of two women attacked while under general anaesthetic by Andrew Hutchinson, 29, as they lay in hospital beds at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. She had no idea she had been raped until police arrived at her home and showed her images of the attack in February 2012. Sex offenders: Nurses Andrew Hutchinson and Oliver Balicao were able to rape patients at the A&E at John Radcliffe Hospital - where unconscious patients are now being treated in open areas . Crime scene: Hutchinson raped two women and Balicao raped another in the A&E department they worked in at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford (pictured) She told the Daily Mirror: 'I said, "That’s not me" but I had my mum round and she said, "That is you." 'I cut my wrists a few weeks afterwards. I knew what I was doing but I think it must have been a cry for help. 'It could have been going on for years and there could be a hell of a lot more victims out there'. The woman, who has children, was sent to hospital after banging her head, only to be attacked by the nurse while unconscious. She had today described the fear of having to wait two weeks to discover if she had any sexually transmitted disease, which came back clear. She said she has panic attacks, suffers severe mood swings and has developed a problem with alcohol. Her partner and the father of the children said: 'I want to kill him (Hutchinson). I'm angry and I don't trust anyone these days.' It emerged today that the A&E has now been forced to treat unconscious patients in open areas after two nurses were able to rape patients there in the past decade. In 2010 nurse Oliver Balicao, 42, a married father-of-two, was jailed for nine years after he raped a 17-year-old patient in the A&E and attacked  another in her  bed while working at the same hospital. A senior hospital manager has said that Hutchinson’s crimes has led to a policy change where unconscious patients are now treated in one area with open visibility. But management today refused to explain how two staff in ten years were able to rape women in the hospital - feet away from staff and other patients. Caught on camera: This CCTV image shows Hutchinson, top, in the leisure centre where he was found to be spying on women, and his life of sexual crime was then revealed to police . A court heard yesterday how Hutchinson was 'addicted' to spying on women and children, and filmed his most serious attacks. The nurse even stole a medical camera from the hospital so he could film up a woman’s skirt as she stood by her sick friend’s bedside. Away from the hospital, Hutchinson volunteered as a paramedic at the trendy Wilderness festival in Oxfordshire where he groped two young women who had passed out in the medical tent. He also used the medical camera – which is routinely used by doctors to examine the internal organs of patients – to film girls as young as ten getting changed at his local leisure centre. The nurse was eventually caught by police after two girls at the White Horse Leisure Centre in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, saw him lurking near the women’s changing rooms and raised the alarm. Hutchinson was arrested in November 2013 by police officers outside the leisure centre. Detectives found footage of his attacks on his mobile phone, computer, a memory stick and a camera. They also found 1,786 indecent images of children on his computer and phone. Hutchinson appeared at Oxford Crown Court yesterday where he pleaded guilty to all 28 charges put to him. He admitted two counts of rape, four counts of sexual assault, one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity, 12 counts of voyeurism, five counts of making indecent images of children, one count of outraging public decency, two counts of theft and one count of possession of a Class B drug. The court heard that police had identified ten victims – females aged from ten to 35. Police have been unable to trace one of the victims who was attacked at the hospital and they have been unable to establish the identities of a further 18 victims who were filmed by Hutchinson at the leisure centre. Caught: The nurse was found to be filming victims at the White Horse Leisure Centre in Abingdon . His rape victims were an 18-year-old woman attacked in October 2011 and a 35-year-old woman abused in February 2012. Both were under general anaesthetic at the time in the A&E department. Hutchinson, who had a girlfriend, became a nurse on the A&E wing of John Radcliffe Hospital in 2006. At some point he was promoted to the rank of senior nurse which meant he was trusted to treat patients on his own - he will be sentenced next month. Theft: The nurse stole this Nasopharyngoscope - used for inernal examinations - and used it to film up a woman's skirt as she visited a friend in hospital . Mark Power, Director of Workforce at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust said: 'The ultimate responsibility for these appalling offences must rest with Andrew Hutchinson. Our staff have been devastated by his actions and his betrayal of their trust. It is not possible to eliminate the risk of a rogue practitioner entirely. 'This does not absolve anybody from learning lessons from these terrible events and we have taken steps to eliminate the possibility of this happening again. Our emergency department is now busier than ever and patients who are unconscious are treated in one area of the department with open visibility. At the time of the offences, this group of patients were more spread out within the department.' It emerged today that it is not the first rape scandal on its A&E ward. Nurse Oliver Balicao raped a teenager in a side room after she had been rushed to hospital after an overdose in 2004. Her mother and the girl’s boyfriend did not believe her because she was hallucinating but years later she came forward and he was convicted in 2010. Balicao had even used a condom to hide DNA evidence in the premeditated attack. He was also found guilty of a sexual assault on a 22-year-old PHD student who was attacked in her hospital bed. Balicao was previously jailed in 2007 for 16 months for having sex with a 16-year-old patient in a disabled toilet at the hospital after she had overdosed on paracetamol. The girl had accused him of raping her when luring her in saying she needed to do a urine test - but a jury cleared him of rape and accepted a guilty plea of sexual activity with a child while in a position of trust.

Summary:
Andrew Hutchinson raped two women under general anaesthetic in Oxford .
Victim, who was unconscious, attempted suicide after seeing pictures .
In 2010 nurse Oliver Balicao was jailed for raping a woman in same A&E .
John Radcliffe Hospital now treating patients in areas with 'open visibility'


Paul Davies was jailed for 20 months after he admitted causing grievous bodily harm to the infant . A former soldier who battered a seven-month-old baby so badly that its eyes rolled to the back of its head has been jailed. Paul Davies, 28, left the infant with life-changing injuries and then falsely claimed to the child's mother that it had suffered a seizure. The woman said she had trusted Davies to look after the seven-month-old and when she returned he claimed the baby had 'gone rigid' after having some milk and vomiting. Prosecuting, Tara Wolfe said: 'He said he started to become panicky. He said he tried to call 999 but his phone wasn't working.' The baby was 'pale and stiff' when paramedics arrived and rushed it to hospital where scans found bruising around the neck, a brain bleed and bleeding to both retinas. Experts told the court the brain injuries were most probably due to shaking, and that the full effects of the trauma may not be known for years. The victim's mother, who is also not being identified, told the court she had 'trusted' Davis with the baby. Davis, of Clevedon, Somerset, initially denied injuring the tot and implied it could have been forcefully treated by its mother or paramedics. But he pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm to the infant and was jailed for a 20 months at Bristol Crown Court. Judge Michael Roach told him: 'We will never know precisely how the baby came by its injuries. 'Whether through temper or loss of control, you caused devastating injuries to that small child.' Defending, Fiona Elder said: 'It was a one-off incident and a momentary loss of control.' She said Davis had been using his former partner's phone and the day before the incident she had cancelled her contract and left him unable to call 999. The court heard Davis was medically discharged from the Army and was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. At Bristol Crown Court, pictured, Judge Michael Roach said Davies had caused 'devastating' injuries to the child .

Summary:
Ex solider Paul Davies admitted causing grievous bodily harm to the infant .
28-year-old was jailed for 20 months by judge at Bristol Crown Court .
Davies initially said the seven-month-old baby had suffered a seizure .
Experts said the infants brain injury was probably due to shaking .
Court heard the full extent of injuries will not be known for years .
Judge said Davies had caused 'devastating' injuries to the small child .


Gorillas are considered to be highly intelligent mammals. So much so in fact that one named Koko was able to learn a subset of sign language. But one cheeky gorilla showed off a form of its own sign language while being filmed at a wildlife park – by appearing to give the middle finger. The blackback gorilla can be seen annoying its fellow ape by sticking up his middle finger . Captured at Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida, US, the large silverback gorilla can be seen interacting with an older blackback. Picking up a toy, the blackback throws it at the silverback who protects itself by lifting a hand to its face. Continuing to annoy the silverback, the blackback reaches over and picks up the toy as if intending to throw it again. But before he gets the chance, the silverback casually gives it the middle finger. The video maker and the surrounding people can be heard laughing in shock at the cheeky gesture being made by the large mammal. Responding in playful fury, the blackback once again throws the toy against the silverback before picking it up a few more time and repeating the process. Writing online about the experience, the filmmaker said: ‘A very spunky blackback gorilla continues to pester the older silverback to play with him. To the surprise of the group of people behind the camera the silverback gorilla appears to give its fellow ape the middle finger . ‘His tactic was to throw a ‘KONG’ at his fellow gorilla’s head, as if that was going to coerce the old gorilla into play mode! Then this happened!’ Silverback gorillas are generally more than 12-years-old, and feature a distinctive patch of silver hair on their backs. They also have large canine teeth, and like other great apes have the ability to laugh, grieve, make and use tools and develop loving bonds with their families. The blackback responds to the gesture by throwing the toy against the silverback a few times more .

Summary:
A blackback gorilla annoys a silverback by throwing a toy at it .
Silverback responds by appearing to  give the ape the middle finger .
Responding in playful fury the blackback throws the toy once more .
The hilarious incident took place at Tampa's Busch Gardens wildlife park .


Sharing a platform: Nick Clegg and Sir Richard Branson yesterday . Nick Clegg ignited a huge controversy last night by claiming that all drug users should be treated as ‘victims’. The Liberal Democrat leader said they should not be given criminal records for possessing illegal substances – even if they they are caught with ‘harder’ drugs such as heroin or crack cocaine. Meanwhile, Sir Richard Branson made the astonishing claim that smoking powerful skunk cannabis does not cause ‘any harm’ – despite evidence that a quarter of new cases of psychosis are linked to it. Announcing his party’s new drugs policy yesterday, Mr Clegg said: ‘We shouldn’t be treating the criminal “Mr Bigs” the same as the users. The latter are the victims of the former.’ But his comments were dismissed by the head of the Chatham House think tank Robin Niblett, who said: ‘Are all users victims or is there a large proportion of people who enjoy drugs and take them recreationally? It is a question of demand, rather than people who need to be treated for an addiction.’ Other experts have also questioned whether it is right to label all drug users as victims. Stuart Waiton, senior lecturer in sociology at Abertay University, said: ‘The problem we have today is that society finds it difficult to hold people to account for their actions. ‘The idea of moral responsibility is very weak because we assume that everyone’s a victim. People don’t need medical support – unless their bodies are falling to bits – they need to take responsibility for their own actions.’ The Lib Dems’ new policy would end prosecutions for people caught with small amounts of drugs for ‘personal use’. It would cover all drugs. Mr Clegg said the policy would be included in the Lib Dem manifesto. It is widely seen as a pitch to win back young voters disillusioned by the party’s betrayal over university tuition fees. The Liberal Democrat leader said drug users should not be given criminal records for possessing illegal substances – even if they they are caught with ‘harder’ drugs such as heroin or crack cocaine . Mr Clegg (bottom left) is facing opposition to his plan from David Cameron (pictured at Prime Minister's Questions this afternoon), who claims decriminalising drugs would increase their use . With neither Labour nor the Tories backing decriminalisation, it is unlikely to become government policy even if the Lib Dems remain in power after the election. Yesterday's announcement follows a controversial ‘research’ project ordered by Lib Dem Home Office ministers, which used taxpayers’ money to study drugs policy around the world. Jeremy Browne and Norman Baker jetted off to examine how other countries tackle drugs. They travelled to ten countries, including the US, Portugal and Sweden, at a cost of almost £40,000. The Lib Dems seized on parts of the report suggesting decriminalisation in countries like Portugal cut the health damage caused by drugs. But critics said they ignored evidence that the number of children using drugs had risen. Mr Clegg received a public endorsement yesterday from Sir Richard, who suggested that smoking skunk is safe. The Virgin tycoon shared a platform with the Lib Dem leader to promote the party’s pledge. He said: ‘Of people taking hash [cannabis], something like 99 per cent do not have a problem ... Take people taking skunk. ‘It’s slightly worse than alcohol. But there are a lot of people doing it for recreational purposes and they enjoy doing it and it’s not doing them any harm.’ A study last month by Kings College London found that 24 per cent of new cases of psychosis are linked to the use of skunk. The report concluded that smoking skunk trebles the risk of someone having a psychotic episode. Last night, Mr Clegg also insisted that the so-called ‘war on drugs’ was ‘not working’, although he was later forced to concede that official figures show drug use has been falling in Britain for years. Downing Street rejected Mr Clegg’s analysis and said it was not supported by David Cameron. Sir Richard Branson (pictured at an event in Knightsbridge with Martin Sheen, left, and Princess Beatrice and Holly Branson, right) made the claim that smoking powerful skunk cannabis does not cause ‘any harm’ Andy Cook, chief executive of charity Twenty Twenty, which works with disadvantaged young people, said: ‘Cannabis is ruining the life opportunities of those we work with, so the idea that society would be better off if this stuff was decriminalised is crazy. ‘Making it more easily available and more culturally acceptable will mean that more of our young people would take it. The result will be that more of our young people would fail to make the most of their potential.’ ■CANNABIS could be available on the NHS under Liberal Democrat plans. Under the proposals, doctors would be able to prescribe the drug for medicinal reasons.

Summary:
Nick Clegg said users should not be given criminal records for possession .
He said decriminalisation would apply to 'harder' drugs such as heroin .
Deputy PM's announcement publicly endorsed by Virgin tycoon Branson .
Experts condemned move, saying it will push thousands into addiction .
Neither Labour nor the Tories are backing Clegg's decriminalisation plan .


(CNN)All 11 service members aboard an Army Black Hawk helicopter that crashed in waters off the Florida Panhandle two days ago are believed dead, and the operation has transitioned from rescue to recovery, an Air Force official said Thursday. The military is now focused on recovering the helicopter, which searchers found at the bottom of the Santa Rosa Sound near Eglin Air Force Base, and the bodies of all seven Marines and four Louisiana Army National Guard members who were aboard, Air Force Col. Monte Cannon said. Also ahead: Trying to determine why the aircraft went down in thick fog during a training mission Tuesday, Cannon said. "The decision to suspend is always difficult," said Layne Carter, search and rescue mission coordinator of the U.S. Coast Guard. "With heavy hearts, we have decided to suspend active search and rescue operations. Our thoughts and prayers are with the friends and family of the members involved in this tragedy." The bodies of at least two National Guard members were recovered Thursday, and the remains of the other two were believed to be in the underwater wreckage 25 feet below the surface, the Guard said. The troops were with 1-244th Assault Helicopter Battalion from Hammond, Louisiana, according to a statement from the Louisiana National Guard. The military had previously said that some remains had washed ashore Wednesday. Military officials declined to say Thursday how many bodies still were missing, and they did not release the names of the service members involved in the crash. Two Black Hawk helicopters were training near Eglin in heavy fog when one of them went down in the sound -- a narrow body of water between mainland northern Florida and a barrier island -- about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, the military has said. A couple of military boats already were in the water for safety purposes as part of the exercise, but "nobody saw anything because of the dense fog," said Mark Giuliano, chief of the Eglin Air Force Base's fire department. "People said they heard a loud bang, and that was it," Giuliano said Thursday. The second Black Hawk -- which, like the first, was assigned to the 1-244th Assault Helicopter Battalion based in Hammond, Louisiana -- safely returned to the base, some 40 miles east of Pensacola. "Whatever the trouble was with the one aircraft, it did not involve the second helicopter that was participating in the exercise," Eglin spokesman Andy Bourland said earlier this week. Giuliano said his fire department, which has a unit on Santa Rosa Island near the crash site, was called to help at about 10 p.m. Tuesday, roughly 90 minutes after the crash. The military boats that were part of the mission already had been searching for survivors and wreckage, he said. Investigators from the Army and the Marines will try to determine what caused the wreck, Cannon said Thursday. Military officials have said it's too early to know whether the fog contributed to the crash. The 11 service members, all men, were involved in a seven-day training exercise of amphibious operations, said Capt. Barry Morris, a spokesman for the U.S. Marines Corps Special Operations Command. It involved small boats, and inserting and extracting Marines from the water via helicopter. Morris would not say which phase of the training the Marines were in Tuesday night. The seven Marines were with a Marine Special Operations regiment out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The initial search was hampered by dense fog, to the point that searchers on boats "could not see," Giuliano said. On Wednesday morning, after searchers got a sonar hit, a diver found the bulk of the wreck at the bottom of the sound, Giuliano said. Divers then went into the water "to start retrieving the aircrew," Giuliano said, without specifying how many bodies were recovered. The helicopter had broken into several pieces in a "high-impact crash," he said. The Coast Guard has hired a salvage company from Mobile, Alabama, to take the wreckage from the water, but that company might not arrive until Thursday evening, and weather conditions may delay the recovery until Friday, Giuliano said. Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, expressed his condolences on Wednesday. He said the crash was "a reminder to us that those who serve put themselves at risk, both in training and in combat." "We will work with the services to ensure that ... their family members will be well cared for." A Marine died Wednesday when a T-59 Hawk, an aircraft operated by a civilian contractor, crashed at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona. The aircraft hit a government vehicle, killing the Marine.  The pilot and passenger of the plane were examined and released by emergency services. CNN's John Newsome, Brian Carberry, Victor Blackwell, Jamie Crawford and Brad Lendon contributed to this report.

Summary:
Guardsmen aboard were based in Louisiana .
Four National Guard aircrew members and seven Marines were aboard the helicopter .
Crash happened Tuesday in foggy conditions, which hampered initial search .


Two mothers who went on a night out have been left with matching scars after suffering horrific injuries when their heads were 'banged together' outside a city centre pub. Joanne Baker, 31, and Gayle Smart, 37, were both left with deep scars above their eyes when they became embroiled in a disturbance outside a Newcastle pub. They believe someone smashed their heads together as they stood outside the Rose and Crown on Newgate Street. Friends Gayle Smart (pictured left) and Joanne Baker (right) were both left with horrific injuries and deep scars above their eyes when they became embroiled in a disturbance outside a Newcastle pub . But police say they are satisfied no crime has been committed. The women had gone out for drinks in the city centre on Friday night with Ms Baker's boyfriend John Burton, 26, when they ended up at the Rose and Crown. 'We had been in the pub then we went outside then the next thing I remember is our heads were banged together,' said Ms Baker. Ms Smart, a waitress, added: 'As far as I can remember I was just outside having a cigarette and our heads were just smashed together.' Gayle Smart (left) and Joanne Baker (right) believe someone smashed their heads together outside the pub . The incident took place outside the Rose and Crown pub in Newcastle (pictured) Neither realised how seriously injured they were until they looked at one another's faces. Ms Baker said: 'I just saw Gayle's face and I was more concerned about her. But she was looking at me and asking me if I was OK.' Mr Burton ran to a nearby Greggs shop to get tissues to stem the women's bleeding and police and paramedics arrived at the scene. Ms Smart, who lives in Bensham, Gateshead, was taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary by ambulance, while Ms Baker got a taxi back to her home in North Shields. Mother-of-two Ms Baker (pictured) said she had to tell her daughter her injury was fancy dress because the little girl was so shocked at her appearance . When she arrived home she discovered the true extent of her injuries and went to North Tyneside General Hospital. 'When I got home I was really shocked,' Ms Baker said. 'The cut was so deep I had to have internal stitches and eight external stitches.' The mother-of-two said: 'When my kids saw it they nearly passed out. I had to tell my daughter it was fancy dress because she was so shocked.' Mother-of-two Ms Smart said she now has to put up with awkward questions and curious looks from customers at the pub where she works. The pair say they believe someone deliberately banged their heads together but police say they can find no evidence of a crime being committed. Ms Baker said: 'I'm going to be scarred for life. I just can't believe all this has happened just from going to a bar. It just doesn't make sense. Ms Smart added: 'There was blood smeared across my forehead. When I saw it I was in shock. And now it's going to scar.' A Northumbria Police spokeswoman said: 'Police were informed of a disturbance in Newcastle city centre at around 8.35pm on Friday. 'Two women suffered facial injuries. Officers attended and inquiries were carried out and it was established no offences were committed. Suitable advice was given to both parties.' Both women say they have been put off nights out in Newcastle city centre and  won't be returning.

Summary:
Joanne Baker, 31, and Gayle Smart, 37, went on a night out in Newcastle .
They believe someone banged their heads together outside a city pub .
Ms Baker's boyfriend ran to a nearby Greggs for tissues to stem bleeding .
The incident left them with horrific injuries which required stitches .
But Northumbria Police say they are satisfied no crime was committed .
WARNING: Graphic content .


A seven-month-old girl was allegedly killed by her grandmother who sliced her throat with a circular saw when she wouldn't stop crying. Officers found the child, identified by family members as Rose Herrera, after being called on Monday morning to a family home on the city's West Side. Police said the 52-year-old relative used a power saw to cut the baby's throat to stop the infant from crying. Cause of death was confirmed on Tuesday by the Cook County Medical Examiner as blunt force injuries to the head and probable suffocation from a sock placed in the child's mouth. Scroll down for video . Police were called to this home in the 2800 block of South Avers Avenue in the Little Village section of Chicago, where they discovered the lifeless body of the infant with her throat cut . The death was declared a homicide, the medical examiner's office said on Tuesday. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said the woman is in police custody at a hospital with self-inflicted wounds. Police said both the baby and the woman were found by another relative. Illinois Department of Children and Family Services officials said the agency had no prior contact with the family. Authorities said no other children were present in the home at the time of the incident. Ben Llamas works with the child's father and drove him to the scene. Mr Llamas told the Chicago Tribune the father was upset but did not talk about what happened. His friend had moved in to that house about a year ago with a woman, Llamas said. The couple had a young child. ‘At first, he was reluctant, but when the baby came, he fell in love,’ Llamas said. ‘He shows us pictures of that baby every day.’ Neighbors said several people live in the home where the baby was found. ‘They were really good people,’ Francisco Arreola told the Chicago Tribune in Spanish. ‘I would always see them and they were very happy. I never heard them fight or anything.’ Police were called at around 9.40am to a multi-family home in the 2800 block of South Avers Avenue in the Little Village section of Chicago, where they discovered the lifeless body of the infant with 'visible trauma'. The child was pronounced dead at the scene. Sources have identified the little girl as Rosie Herrera and told ABC 7 Chicago the 52-year-old woman who allegedly cut her throat may have been her grandmother. Investigators said before the suspect took a circular saw to the child's body, she tried to quiet her down by stuffing something down her throat. Following the  killing, the 52-year-old reportedly attempted to take her own life. She was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital in a stable condition. Tragedy: Police say the child's killer tried to stuff something down the child's throat to make her stop crying before using the saw .

Summary:
The baby, identified by neighbors as Rosie Herrera, was found by police with her throat cut inside Chicago home .
Her 52-year-old grandmother was taken to a hospital with self-inflicted injuries after she tried to take her own life .
Police said the woman tried to stuff something down the child's throat to make her stop crying before using the saw .


Eating too much salt may be bad for your heart – but it can protect against skin infections, research has found. A high-salt diet causes sodium levels to build up in the skin, boosting the immune system to fight off the germs that cause bacterial skin infections, say scientists. In an experiment, German researchers discovered that mice which were fed a high-salt diet healed infections in their feet more quickly. Too much salt may be bad for your heart but it can protect against skin infections, new research found . This is because the salt had raised the activity of immune cells called macrophages, making their immune systems more responsive. The findings, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, may also highlight how salt was once effectively used to ward off infections before antibiotics were invented. Professor Jonathan Jantsch, of the University of Regensburg, said: 'Up to now, salt has been regarded as a detrimental dietary factor; it is clearly known to be detrimental for cardiovascular diseases, and recent studies have implicated a role in worsening autoimmune diseases. 'Our current study challenges this one-sided view and suggests that increasing salt accumulation at the site of infections might be an ancient strategy to ward off infections, long before antibiotics were invented.' High levels of sodium stored in the skin, especially in the elderly, can lead to high blood pressure and increase the risk for heart disease and stroke, worsen autoimmune disease and even increase the risk of stomach cancer. Professor Jens Titze from Vanderbilt University added: 'Despite the overwhelming evidence linking dietary salt to disease in humans, the potential evolutionary advantage of storing so much salt in the body has not been clear.' A high-salt diet causes sodium levels to build up in the skin, boosting the immune system to fight off the germs that cause bacterial skin infections, say scientists . The researchers found that infected areas in patients with bacterial skin infections also showed remarkably high salt accumulation. But in experiments high salt diet mice had increased immunity against microbial infections by boosting the activity of immune cells called macrophages. This meant that mice who had infections in their feet caused by a parasite called Leishmania major were able to heal more quickly. Future studies will examine how salt accumulates in the skin and triggers immune responses, and why salt accumulates in the skin of ageing adults. Professor Jantsch went on: 'A further understanding of the regulatory cascades might not only help to design drugs that specifically enhance local salt deposition and help to combat infectious diseases, but also may lead to novel strategies to mobilise sodium stores in the ageing population and prevent cardiovascular disease. 'We also think that local application of high-salt-containing wound dressings and the development of other salt-boosting antimicrobial therapies might bear therapeutic potential.' But he warned everyone should not rush off and start a high salt diet. He added: 'Due to the overwhelming clinical studies demonstrating that high dietary salt is detrimental to hypertension and cardiovascular diseases, we feel that at present our data does not justify recommendations on high dietary salt in the general population. 'Nevertheless, in situations where endogenous accumulation of salt to sites of infection is insufficient, supplementation of salt might be a therapeutic option. 'But this needs to be addressed in further studies.'

Summary:
Research has found eating salt can protect against skin infections .
Raised sodium levels boost immune system and fight off germs .
Mice with a high-salt diet healed infections in their feet more quickly .
Findings by German researchers published in journal of Cell Metabolism .


(CNN)Ferguson's police chief is gone. So is the city manager. And the top court clerk was fired for sending racist emails. But are these high-level changes enough to satisfy all residents? Absolutely not, they say. Protesters amassed in front of the Ferguson Police Department on Wednesday night, demanding the entire force be disbanded and calling for Mayor James Knowles to step down. "Racist cops have got to go," some chanted. "The people, united, will never be defeated," others said. Amid the protests, two officers were shot -- one in the face, the other in the shoulder. They were hospitalized in serious condition, and it's not clear who the shooter was. So what will it take to calm Ferguson? DeRay McKesson told CNN that protesters want the entire police department dissolved. McKesson was part of a group that appeared to be the largest crowd since November when a grand jury decided not to indict Officer Darren Wilson for shooting Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager. The killing was the spark that started a national wildfire of dialogue about police brutality. Many have decried rampant racism within the Ferguson Police Department. And a scathing 102-page Justice Department report backed up some of their claims -- citing widespread and systemic discrimination against blacks, including targeting them disproportionately for tickets. On Wednesday, Police Chief Thomas Jackson announced he's stepping down, effective March 19. He'll still get one year's worth of pay and insurance. CNN legal analyst Mark O'Mara said the entire department needs to be gutted. "The Department of Justice report revealing unquestionable racist bias that permeated the entire department cannot be ignored, and the problems it reveals cannot be fixed from the inside," O'Mara wrote. "If there are a few good cops in the Ferguson Police Department, they need to leave, and they need to go elsewhere to continue their proud law enforcement career without being overshadowed by their involvement in a poisoned organization." But city officials believe the police department can be reformed without being eliminated, the mayor told reporters. "We continue to go through that report and talk about where the breakdown was," Knowles said. "The city of Ferguson looks to become an example of how a community can move forward in the face of adversity," he added. "We are committed to keeping our police department and having one that exhibits the highest degree of professionalism and fairness." Even if protesters get their wishes -- the resignation of Knowles and the disbanding of the police department -- they still won't get what they originally wanted: charges against Wilson. A local grand jury decided not to indict Wilson in November for the shooting death of Brown, who died August 9. The Justice Department launched its own investigation to see if there were any federal civil rights violations. "There is no evidence upon which prosecutors can rely to disprove Wilson's stated subjective belief that he feared for his safety" when he shot Brown, the Justice Department report said. Wilson resigned from the police department in November, citing security concerns. But he remains a controversial figure in Ferguson. When resident Sue Schmidt defended Wilson at Tuesday's City Council meeting, she heard vocal objections from the crowd. "I'd like to say a lot of people in this room owe Darren Wilson an apology," Schmidt said, prompting laughter by some in the audience. "The same Justice report that you're basing all your opinions on cleared him 100%." It's not clear who else may resign or get fired after the critical Justice Department report, which said Ferguson operated a vertically integrated system -- from street cop to court clerk to judge to city administration and City Council -- to raise revenue through increased ticketing and fining. Read the Department of Justice report . The investigators also found evidence of racist jokes being sent around by Ferguson police and court officials. One November 2008 email said President Barack Obama wouldn't likely be President for long because "what black man holds a steady job for four years." Another email joked that African-American women should use abortion to control crime. "Our investigation has not revealed any indication that any officer or court clerk engaged in these communications was ever disciplined," the Justice Department's report said. After the report came out, the city's top court clerk was fired for sending racist emails, and two others were being investigated, the mayor said. But the mayor hasn't resigned -- to the ire of many protesters Wednesday night. "You got rid of Jackson, but we want Knowles" gone, protester Kayla Reed said. Knowles said other reforms are already underway in an attempt to "move this city, its residents and our entire community forward." But the community is clearly at odds about how to move forward.

Summary:
Two officers are shot in Ferguson overnight .
Police Chief Thomas Jackson's resignation is effective March 19 .
Protesters want the entire department gutted and for the mayor to resign .


Martin 'Mad Dog' Allen returns with his latest  column for Sportsmail. The Barnet manager admires Jose Mourinho's courage in playing Kurt Zouma against Tottenham but takes aim at the sluggish strikers currently masquerading as Manchester United stars. MOURINHO'S GOT BALLS! Chelsea manager Mourinho threw Kurt Zouma in against Tottenham to shield the back four, to stifle and stop the opposition in the League Cup final. They were rewarded with a clean sheet. How many managers would have the confidence to play a centre-back in central midfield in a cup final at Wembley? In front of 90,000 fans and millions watching across the country - across the world. It must be said, Mourinho’s game management is second-to-none. It was no surprise that their goal in that game came from a set play and their second on the counter attack. Jose Mourinho's game management is second-to-none, particularly when it matters most . He soaks up the pressure, waits for the game to open up and frustrate the opposition. He knows within his ranks he has game winners who will score. The work ethic he has drawn from those technically brilliant players is astounding. His ranting and raving about the injustices from referees puts pressure on the officials into giving Chelsea better decisions. He is the master at it and keeps all the attention and focus off his player. But above all, he’s got balls. The Chelsea manager threw youngster Kurt Zouma in to protect the back four against Tottenham . SLIPPING AT THE TOP . The pressure, the anxiety, the expectancy, not rotating enough? What is it about the top teams slipping up at this point in the season? Getting close to the finishing line, you start looking over your shoulder. We all know running a race it’s better to chase a person in front than to be looking behind you. I don’t know the answers, I wish I did. In the Championship we’ve seen Bournemouth fall from the top, Wycombe Wanderers have done in League Two, my club Barnet have fallen behind in the Conference. Even Mourinho’s Chelsea had a blip, although they are managing it well. We see it right across all sports. We see it in golf in the Masters every Sunday night at Amen’s Corner. We see it when cricketers get into the 90s and are chasing a century. We see it in darts when the players start missing doubles. Over the next two months, the teams who come out on top will be the ones with the goal-scorers, who maintain their self belief throughout it all. Eddie Howe has seen his Bournemouth side slip away from the top of the Championship recently . UNITED’S SLUGGISH STRIKE FORCE . How slow is Radamel Falcao? And Robin Van Persie has lost half a yard of pace from his days at Arsenal. You can’t fault Falcao for his work ethic and atittude. He most definitely has that. But he lacks a yard or two of explosive speed. Manchester United have crept up on to the shoulders of the Champions League places, but there is far from enough pace and athletic ability in the group to make it into the top four. Radamel Falcao has failed to hit the ground running and appeared slow in a Manchester United shirt . Robin van Persie seems to have lost half-a-yard of pace under Louis van Gaal at Old Trafford . ONE PERSON I KEEP HEARING ABOUT... DARRELL CLARKE, BRISTOL ROVERS BOSS . Darrell Clarke has grafted through the lower levels where he had success. As a player he was at Mansfield Town, Hartlepool United and Salisbury City. He’s a young manager, only 37-years-old, who has done a magnificent job galvanising Rovers after relegation from League Two. It showed how much it meant to him when he was reduced to tears after they were relegated out of the Football League for the first time in the club’s history last season. They have kept thousands of very passionate supporters this season and he has guided them to the top of the Conference table. He is a manager to look out for in the future. Bristol Rovers manager Darrell Clarke has grafted through the lower levels and enjoyed success . ONE THING I'D CHANGE ABOUT... GOLDEN EYE . I think there should be a referee in the stand, who has the opportunity to stop play and call back decisions in exceptional circumstances. An extra set of eyes on the pitch. It is something may be to look at for the future. On big decisions in penalty boxes and major incidents there should be a referee in the stand with access to video replays to review key decisions within games. Penalties, sending offs, balls over the line, the odd elbow here and there. If the are in contact with the referee they can give him a heads up. Things happen so quickly it’s often so difficult for the officials to make the right decision. Of course the game would just carry on as normal, but if there was something missed or that the referee or the linesmen got wrong then the man in the middle can get help from Golden Eye in the stands. Something sooner or later has got to be done to help these referees who are now getting criticised left, right and centre every week by managers across the board. Roger East (sending off Sunderland's Wes Brown) would've benefited from an extra official at Old Trafford . THE BIG ISSUE... MANCHESTER CITY'S SQUAD . I must say I do like Mr Pellegrini. He is cool, he is calm and he managed to put out a lot of fires that were raging in that Manchester City dressing room after taking over from Roberto Mancini. It does make me smile when so many so-called experts totally annihilate his tactics, most of whom have never even managed at any level. Criticising him for playing two up front and getting out-numbered and out-played in midfield. Last year, he won the Premier League. So is he really, seriously tactically inept? He would have his reasons for what is going on there, but clearly it is not working. Manuel Pellegrini has struggled in the defence of his Premier League crown with Manchester City . Captain Vincent Kompany hasn't been able to continue his sterling form at the back for City . However, it it not always just about the tactics of the manager. There is clearly something missing in the DNA of the City squad. They look lacklustre and without real fire in their belly. And when you’re dropping your captain, your talisman, it is yet another big, brave decision from the man I always regard with the utmost respect. It looks to me like he needs to move a few on, to move City forward up to the next level.

Summary:
Kurt Zouma's switch to in front of the back four was a masterstroke .
Chelsea won the Capital One Cup thanks to Jose Mourinho's tinkers .
Manchester United are struggling up front with players who are too slow .
Neighbours Manchester City are missing something in their DNA .


A passenger has recorded video of the terrifying moment flames shot out of a Lufthansa plane’s engine after striking a flock of birds off the coast of Lebanon. The bird strike occurred moments after the Airbus A321 took off from Beirut’s international airport en route to Frankfurt. The plane was carrying 144 passengers when it lost power in one of its two engines and was forced to turn around and make an emergency landing in Beirut. A passenger happened to be filming the plane's take-off when it struck a flock of birds near Beirut . The plane was carrying 144 passengers when it lost power in one of its two engines and turned around . Footage recorded by the passenger shows bright flashes of light outside the window as birds were sucked into the left engine over the Mediterranean Sea on Tuesday morning. In slow motion, the footage shows flames shooting out of the engine as it failed, illuminating the left wing as the plane ascended shortly before 5am local time. Passengers applauded and cheered when the plane landed safely about 10 minutes later. The person who recorded the footage wrote online: ‘Thirty-six seconds after take-off we were already above the sea, we heard the sound of two brutal explosions from the engine underneath. Passengers applauded and cheered when the Airbus A321 made an emergency landing in Beirut . Flight DLH1307 was forced to turn around and land at Beirut's international airport after hitting a flock of birds . ‘The aircraft started shaking and vibrating. It also smelled burning from the inside.’ A Lufthansa spokesman told MailOnline Travel: ‘The aircraft landed safe and all passengers left the aircraft over the normal stairs. ‘All passengers have been offered hotel accommodation and were rebooked on other airlines and on our scheduled daily services.’ The bird strike involving flight DLH1307 prompted a warning from Lebanese aviation authorities, who told pilots to exercise ‘extreme caution’, the Daily Star reported. Daniel al-Haiby, director general of Lebanon’s Civil Aviation Authority, told the newspaper that bird strikes are common at this time of year due to bird migration near Beirut’s international airport.

Summary:
Bird strike occurred moments after Airbus A321 took off from Beirut .
Footage shows bright flashes as flames shoot from plane's left engine .
Pilot made an emergency landing in Beirut after engine failed .
Most of the 144 passengers applauded and cheered as plane landed safely .
Passengers were offered hotel rooms and rebooked on other flights .


The Madeira Islands Open has been reduced to 54 holes after strong winds meant no play was possible at Santo da Serra on Thursday. Gusts reached 47mph and stayed steadily above 35mph during the day, causing balls to move on the greens at the mountain-top venue. Round one is scheduled to start on Friday, with tee times for the first two rounds remaining unchanged and the cut coming after 36 holes. The Madeira Islands Open will only be played over 54 holes after the first round was delayed . European Tour meteorologist Guy Nestor (left) measures wind speeds of around 47mph . The tournament in Madeira, Spain has bee affected by weather problems in the past . Tournament director Jose Maria Zamora said: 'Despite the efforts we've made - we didn't cut the greens for the last two days because we knew about this forecast - winds have been too strong and gusty. Every time we sent our referees to check, the balls were moving on the green. 'The players have been waiting in the players' lounge now for up to eight hours, so the best option is to send them back and start fresh tomorrow.' The wind is forecast to die down overnight, although rain and possible thunderstorms could affect play on Friday. The tournament has suffered numerous weather problems down the years and was reduced to 36 holes last year due to lengthy fog delays. Max Orrin of England hits a tee shot during the pro-am event on Wednesday before the storm arrived . Peter Lawrie of Ireland takes a swing during the pro-am event at the Santo da Serra Golf Club .

Summary:
Gale force winds have delayed the start of the Madeira Islands Open .
The tournament has been cut back  for a second year running .
The first round has bee rescheduled for Friday with tee times unchanged .


The first two-footed challenge went in from Jose Mourinho when he claimed Paris Saint-Germain’s kickers were a refined version of Shrewsbury Town. It was a razor-sharp comment, designed to rile the French champions and put down a marker for Dutch referee Bjorn Kuipers ahead of the second leg. Sometimes this stuff bites you on the backside. Mourinho will be picking the bones out of this for days because they were beaten at their own petty game by the perseverance of this PSG team. Zlatan Ibrahimovic was dismissed for this tackle on Oscar, leaving PSG without their talisman . Chelsea players react as referee Kuipers pulls the red card from his pocket . The crestfallen Swede was shown a straight red to light the touchpaper on a tetchy European tie . There was a minor victory for Chelsea, with the foul count showing that Mourinho’s team had committed 24 to the visitors’ 17 at the end of 120 chaotic minutes here at Stamford Bridge. The reality is that they were beaten at their own game. For PSG to do it with 10 men in extra-time, after the ludicrous dismissal of Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the 32nd minute, is an even mightier achievement. The PSG striker pointed at his battle scars as he left the pitch, well aware that the reaction of Chelsea’s players to the collision with Oscar had helped Kuipers with the decision. ‘I spoke to him and he told me he didn’t mean it,’ admitted Mourinho. The pair are close from his time at Inter. After surrounding Kuipers, Chelsea’s players called for the physio and team doctor to sprint on to tend to the stricken Oscar. Predictably, within minutes, he was back on his feet. It is to Ibrahimovic’s credit that he left the field with dignity and composure, walking towards the tunnel and ignoring the clamour from the stands for a reaction. ‘When the red card happened, the worst thing was the Chelsea players — I felt there were 11 babies around me,’ admitted an understandably aggrieved Ibrahimovic. David Luiz engaged in some gamesmanship, attempting to get Costa in trouble . Jose Mourinho chats with former charge David Luiz after Ibrahimovic's sending off as Laurent Blanc looks on . It was a brutal but fair assessment of the moment that could easily have turned this tie in Chelsea’s favour. There were feuds everywhere: David Luiz versus Diego Costa, Chelsea’s substitute keeper Petr Cech versus PSG midfielder Marco Verratti, Verratti against the world. At every turn, someone, somewhere on the field at Stamford Bridge was rowing with somebody. Costa could start a fight in an empty phone box, never mind an 18-yard box, gnawing away at everyone and everything during an ill-disciplined performance up top for Chelsea. This guy is really stewing at the minute. He has gone a season without scoring in the Champions League and will have to wait until September to get going again in this competition. Luiz got inside his head, jabbering away at him in their native Brazilian-Portuguese tongue in an attempt to destabilise the forward. Costa, as we know, has only mastered one language. The Chelsea striker should have been sent off here — several times, as it happens — for his innumerable transgressions. He really is an angry man. David Luiz feels the force of retribution from Diego Costa after the pair regularly crashed at Stamford Bridge . An outraged Costa reacts histrionically after Kuipers waved away his penalty appeal . In the same motion he could have been booked and sent off when he caught Maxwell from behind close to the touchline of the East Stand and then appeared to accept the challenge from Luiz to graze his forehead. He escaped with a yellow card. There was another escape, this time when he shoved over the excellent Marquinhos in a fit of pique. Quite how he survived is a story in itself. He lives life on the edge, claiming he had been elbowed by Luiz in a hit-and-run job. It was an off-the-ball incident, retribution by the former Chelsea defender after he had collided with the pugnacious forward earlier in the first half. He was throwing punches a few moments later, hitting the ground repeatedly after he was denied a clear penalty when Edinson Cavani took him out as he made his way into the area. These are the fine lines of European football, with every challenge, skirmish and wrangle potentially punishable with an on-the-spot sanction from these notoriously pernickity officials. John Terry battles for the ball with Edinson Cavani as the duo battle for possession at Stamford Bridge . Costa falls to the turf after a challenge from Thiago Silva during a bad-tempered affair in west London . Mourinho convinced us that Blanc had put the French champions on a diet of raw meat ahead of this second leg. This will eat away at him for months to come. ‘I need to go away and think about how this happened,’ admitted Mourinho. Perhaps next time, he should keep both feet on the floor.

Summary:
Chelsea were beaten at their own petty game by the perseverance of this PSG side .
For PSG to prevail with 10 men, after the ridiculous dismissal of Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the 32nd minute, was an amazing achievement .
There were feuds everywhere: David Luiz versus Diego Costa; Chelsea’s substitute keeper Petr Cech versus PSG midfielder Marco Verratti .


A 20 stone woman who worked as a cleaner in a gym has transformed her body after seeking the help of her colleagues - and is now set to start a fitness career of her own. Jade Delaney, 21 from Dublin, Ireland, shed an impressive eight stone after finding another reason to go to the gym other than work. After constantly being surrounded by healthy people, Jade started quizzing the trainers at the gym who agreed to help her with her weight loss. Scroll down for video . Jade Delaney was inspired to drop 8st when she worked as a cleaner in a gym and began quizzing the personal trainers who worked there. Pictured: Jade before weight loss . Before her weight loss Jade was known to locals as the 'chickenball' but she has since adopted a new nickname with people dubbing her the 'shredded chicken'. Pictured after losing eight stone . At her heaviest Jade was dubbed 'chickenball' by people in her local area for her 20st frame - but since losing the weight she has adopted a new nickname - 'shredded chicken'. Jade said that it was working so closely with fitness experts that inspired her to drop to the pounds. 'Being around trainers all the time at work I started asking little questions about food. Then one day one of the trainers gave me a food plan with some basic diet changes,' she said. Jade now heads to the gym at 6:30 am every morning before her cleaning shift . 'Sticking to the plan, I noticed results within a couple of months. After I had my diet sorted the next step for me was getting involved in exercise classes.' Her old lifestyle of snacking throughout the day and lie-ins everyday made Jade pile on the pounds. Sick of being surrounded by fit people Jade began her weight loss in December 2013 and less than a year later had slimmed down to 11st. But Jade has now cut down on high carbohydrate foods such as bread and potatoes and done away with junk food helping her shed the weight. Jade is enrolling in a college in September to study fitness hopes to become a personal trainer herself . As well as swapping her eating regime , she's up at 6:30am every morning in the gym before she starts her cleaning job there later in the day. Jade said she made a conscious effort to surround herself with people who would inspire her to get fit. 'I had to separate myself from certain people who would demotivate me and stick with friends and family who supported me 100% and were positive about fitness. 'Now, I never want to go back to that lifestyle. I want to help people and inspire them to do what I've done.' Rather than rely on scales throughout her weight loss Jade studied her physical appearance and mental state to judge her progress. Pictured: Jade before her weight loss (left) and Jade now (right) Jade, who is enrolling in college in September to study fitness and leisure management, never weighed herself throughout her journey. Instead, she used her physical appearance and mental state to judge how well she was doing. She has also started up her very own fitness blog where every day she posts videos and workouts to help other start their own weight loss journey. Jade said: 'People are too obsessed with checking the scales, if you're training right and eating well you shouldn't have to worry about the scales. 'This time last year I was a completely different person. I feel like I've found my calling. 'I never knew I would have lost all this weight and now I'm on the road to becoming a personal trainer.' Jade added that she wanted to prove to others that anyone can exercise and that the gym should not be avoided. 'I want to tell people there's no need to be afraid of the gym, classes are the best thing to do. It's going that is the first step and the decision to change your life is what is important.'

Summary:
Jade Delaney decided to get fit after speaking to personal trainers who worked at the gym where she had a job as a cleaner .
She lost 8st in less than a year after ditching her bad habits .
She didn't use scales and instead judged her progress by her appearance .