This shocking picture reveals the mangled wreck of a tandem bike which belonged to the 'perfect couple' who were killed in a tragic crash with a banned driver. Drug addict Nicholas Lovell was speeding in his Citroen Picasso when he ploughed into Ross, 34, and Clare Simons, 30. The couple, who had been riding the bike on the way to visit friends in Hanham, Bristol, were pronounced dead at the scene. This shocking picture reveals the mangled wreck of a tandem bike which belonged to 'perfect couple' Ross, 34, and Clare Simons, 30, who were tragically killed by a banned driver . Mr and Mrs Simons were killed almost instantly when drug addict Nicholas Lovell's speeding Citroen Picasso ploughed into them . Lovell - who has 69 previous convictions - was later jailed for just ten-and-a-half years for causing their deaths. Now relatives of the Simons have released the dramatic picture of the aftermath of the crash as part of their campaign for tougher sentences for banned drivers. It shows how the car snapped the bike clean in half, with the front half getting lodged in the grille. Heroin addict Lovell, 38, had crashed into the couple as he tried to outrun police - with a 16 month old baby and 12-year-old in his vehicle. A court hearing in May 2013 heard that he then left them dying by the side of the road and while awaiting sentencing bragged to other inmates that he would get away 'with four years'. The couple's tandem bike, which they had been riding at the time of the crash, was snapped clean in half by the force of the crash . Jailing Lovell at Bristol Crown Court in May 2013, Mr Justice Haddon-Cave said: 'This is the worst example one could imagine of this sort of offence. 'You have a serious drug problem but your deep selfishness and disregard for others is breathtaking.' His partner Louise Cox, 35, was jailed for twelve months for trying to cover up the fact he was illegally driving her Citroen Picasso. Lovell - who has 69 previous convictions - was later jailed for just ten-and-a-half years for causing their deaths . Lovell pleaded guilty to two counts of death by dangerous driving and was given the maximum possible sentence under current guidelines. But Ross and Clare's family reckon he will be released after five years - meaning he will serve just two-and-a-half years for each life he took. On Thursday, Justice Secretary Chris Grayling visited the site with local Kingswood MP Chris Skidmore and the family to discuss further changes and lay flowers. One potential change includes making sure sentences for multiple deaths are served one after the other, instead of at the same time. Mr Grayling said: 'I don't like the idea of people like this coming out half way through the sentence. 'It is shocking to walk here in a normal suburban street and see what can happen. I can only imagine the trauma and turmoil the family must have been through.' Kelly Woodruff, 33, Ross's sister, said the family would continue to fight for tougher laws in the hope of preventing future deaths. She thanked Mr Skidmore, who has supported the Justice for Ross and Clare campaign from the start. Mr Skidmore said: 'We have fought the campaign to get laws changed, which could already prevent future deaths but we want to go further. 'We want to keep this at the top of the agenda for whoever is in government to increase maximum sentences further.' The crash happened in Hanham, Bristol, near the couple's home in January 2013. In the run up to the collision a police officer in a patrol car recognised Lovell behind the wheel and knew he was banned. The scene in Bristol where tandem cyclists Ross and Clare Simons died after they were hit by Lovell - who has 69 previous convictions . Lovell failed to stop when the officer switched on his blue light, disappearing from view. Witnesses had described Lovell driving as 'exceptionally erratic, fast and dangerous'- with the speedo hitting 60mph- before they heard a 'loud, horrendous bang.' The court heard that Lovell was seen getting out of the steaming wreckage, followed by Cox who was cradling her baby. But the force of the impact instantly killed Ross and Clare, from Staple Hill, Bristol and left their new tandem bike in three pieces. Lovell fled the scene and left lying Cox to tell police a mystery man in a red sweater had been driving, leading detectives on a wild goose chase before Lovell handed himself in the next day when traces of drugs were found in his body. Despite finally pleading guilty, Lovell has never apologised for causing the couple's death. He also admitted driving while disqualified. Fifteen years ago Lovell warned he would either kill or be killed through his reckless driving. Piles of tributes were left to the popular couple and now their family have been campaigning for tougher sentences for banned drivers . Kelly Woodruff, 33, Ross's sister, said the family would continue to fight for tougher laws in the hope of preventing future deaths . He already had 13 convictions for driving whilst disqualified since 1991 and a further four for dangerous driving since 1995 before he killed Ross and Clare. In one incident he tried to escape police by driving through a subway. On another he sped along a pavement forcing people to leap out of his way. His warning about killing came in 1998 after a 70mph head-on crash with another car in Bristol when he was high on drugs. Lovell only stopped then when his clapped-out Rover lost a wheel. In addition, Lovell has been repeatedly jailed for violent crimes to fuel his lifelong heroin habit. In 2003 he was jailed for five years for an armed robbery at a shop, while in 2006 - within weeks of being released - he committed an aggravated burglary and got another 12 months in prison. In 2009 he was given yet another ban for dangerous driving - but each time he has simply ignored the courts and carried on as before. In sharp contrast, Ross and Clare were described as ‘a perfect couple' by relatives who held candlelit vigils at the scene of their. Family described Ross and Clare as ‘a perfect couple' by relatives who held candlelit vigils and left tributes to the pair . Ross' sister Kelly Woodruff said at the time of court case: 'They were two amazing people and so, so loved. To have them taken away from us is heart-wrenching. 'They were the perfect couple. They loved each other unconditionally, they were made for each other.' Ross' father Edwin Simons had added: 'He is going to serve three years for each of our children's lives. 'With his considerable history it needs looking into because this has gone on for years and years.' Kelly Woodruff, Ross' sister said in 2013: 'The people who took their lives will never understand what they have taken away from us and have never shown remorse. 'We and those close to Ross and Clare have been given life sentences. 'We are all truly devastated by the loss. If these individuals had thought before getting behind the wheel, Ross and Clare’s deaths would have been avoided and they would still be with us today.'

Ross and Clare Simons were killed when their tandem bike was hit by a car . Banned driver Nicholas Lovell ploughed into them in a speeding Citroen . Lovell- who has 69 previous convictions- was jailed for  ten-and-a-half years . Simons' family released crash picture in campaign for tougher sentences .

ghed into the couple and the bike.
The couple were 30-year-old mother-of-two Laura Evans, a trainee nurse, and her 31-year-old husband Simon Jones, a care worker, who were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.
The photo shows Laura's mangled body bagged up and placed on the bike where she sat while Simon's body bag was taken away.
The driver had been disqualified from driving for a total of five years for having no insurance and driving with excess alcohol last year and he had also been warned in December to pay £300 fine and given six points for driving without a licence.
He had also been fined £125 in May 2003 for speeding, taken to court for speeding again in August and had been warned about speeding again in October.
At an inquest today, a police officer who arrived at the scene within seconds of the accident told the jury how a 10-second wait after the crash would have made all the difference.
PC Kevin Thompson said: "If the crash had not happened on a pedestrian crossing the driver would still be on the road."
An eyewitness, who lives in the house next door to the couple, told the inquest how she saw Mr Jones standing on the verge and 'talking to' Laura before they were hit by the speeding car.
"He said to me it was his fault because he should not have been stood there," said the neighbour, who wanted to remain anonymous.
"He said, 'What if I'd waited 10 seconds? They wouldn't have been there."
PC Thompson also revealed how it was not unusual to take 12 seconds to get to the scene of an incident, meaning officers were on the scene within 22 seconds of the crash, which he described as a "good response time".
He said: "As you enter the incident you don't have to stop at traffic lights and there is no hold-up because of a one-way system or a 30mph limit."
PC Thompson also told the inquest how the cyclist who died from her injuries had been hit at 60 mph.
The cyclist's friend, who also witnessed the crash and later went to Laura and Simon's home to give them comfort, has been identified as 33-year-old Karen.
She told the inquest she had gone over to the couple's home to offer support when


What more can Alexis Sanchez do to force his way back into the middle? Out on the left wing against Queens Park Rangers, where he has moved to make way for Mesut Ozil since his return from injury, he cut a frustrated figure for much of the game. But when he started making runs through the middle, testing Queens Park Rangers defenders and putting them on the back foot with his pace, the chances came. After 70 minutes, that was rewarded with a wonderful individual goal. Alexis Sanchez takes on young Queens Park Rangers defender Darnell Furlong at Loftus Road . Mesut Ozil, voted Arsenal's player of the month for February, holds off the challenge of Nedum Onuoha . The talk ahead of kick-off was that Sanchez simply does not perform as well when Ozil is on the pitch. In the first 45 minutes, they exchanged the ball a total of three times. That’s not to say that every player on the pitch must combine at all times, but Arsenal fans are within their rights to expect £72.5million worth of talent, playing next to each other in an attacking midfield trio, to develop some kind of wavelength. In the first half Sanchez, Arsenal’s best player this season by far, could not get into the game on the flank, making way for Ozil as No 10 since his comeback from injury. In October, there were stories in Chile, from newspaper La Tercera, that Sanchez and Ozil had fallen out. Sanchez felt the German was not giving him enough opportunities on the pitch, it was reported. From this performance, he would have a point. It took 22 minutes before they found one another, Sanchez passing into his team-mate. Sanchez cut in from the left hand side to score from a tight angle and end is run of eight games without a goal . Sanchez celebrates doubling Arsenal's lead mid way through the second half at Loftus Road . At one stage, the Chilean was screaming for the ball wide and free on the left, but Ozil went to play the switch and instead feinted. But perhaps it is not even about the pair of them being on the pitch together so much as Sanchez being wasted on the left. By the 62nd minute, he was clearly frustrated out wide when he made a run down the wing and Olivier Giroud failed to send the ball into his path. He let his team-mate know. In one red-hot period after he scored his first goal for the club against Besiktas he netted 12 in 14 games, from August to the start of November. Now it is just one in eight games, coinciding with Ozil’s return. When he ventured into the middle in the 47th minute, carried the ball into the box with a step-over before aiming one for the far right bottom corner, it was hard to see why he is not guaranteed a central spot all the time. He repeated the act in the 58th minute, growing in confidence with every shot on goal. These two acts alone far exceeded anything Ozil produced. Former Real Madrid playmaker Ozil complains to the referee after feeling he was fouled inside the area . World Cup-winning midfielder Ozil takes a corner during the first half of the Premier League match . Then as if to reaffirm his ability to score, he evaded the presence of young QPR full-back Daniel Furlong inside the box on the left, before firing a shot into Rob Green’s near post for Arsenal’s second. It is all well and good Sanchez displaying an enviable work-rate down the wing, one that surely impresses Arsene Wenger, but it’s more well and good if he is through the middle stretching defences to breaking point. Against QPR, this was not vintage Arsenal and they made hard work of a team fighting relegation, a team they should be sweeping aside. It cannot be denied that they are finding results, getting wins, but in the biggest match of their season, against Monaco, they were found lacking. As this game drew on, Sanchez displayed a lovely deftness of touch to control the ball with his knee then flick it over an opponent in one fluid motion. Where was he? In the middle of the attacking third. Where he belongs. Olivier Giroud stabs in Arsenal's first goal of the evening against Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road . Charlie Austin scored a superb consolation goal late in the game after being given too much room .

Arsenal beat QPR 2-1 at Loftus Road on Wednesday night . Alexis Sanchez played on the wing, Mesut Ozil played No 10 . Sanchez's best work came when he was central . The Chilean forward scored the Gunners' second goal of the evening .

 of the match, even if he did create Arsenal's most obvious chance of the first half. With a low ball across the six-yard box, Sanchez provided a cross-shot that clipped Christoph Zimmermann and hit the goalkeeper, Federico Martinez.
The visitors' number one would eventually deny him – the ball had gone a fraction wide to the right – but Arsenal's No 10 looked increasingly downbeat. Ozil's display last weekend against Liverpool had given them the lift they needed, but Sanchez was not so positive an influence at Loftus Road. This was his last chance to prove he can be more than a winger – as he is at his very best – but he could not help Jurgen Klopp's side end their six-match wait for an away win in the Premier League, and did his chances of staying in the side no harm at all.
In fairness to Sanchez, this was a match in which he worked hard. He put in the sort of full-blooded tackles and harrying runs that have served him so well in recent months – his two goals in the 6-0 win over Watford are a case in point – and created space for some of his more creative colleagues. But the Chilean has always been at his best when there is service, and it is something that has been a long time coming.
This was Sanchez's first start in a Premier League away game since April 6 – when he scored the hat-trick that earned Arsenal the title – and there had been little sign of the same spark in his performances recently, even though he has gone on the periphery because of his injuries.
"He's been injured, so I don't really count him right now," Ozil said. "In the future, of course, we will need him again."
Arsenal's lack of incision from wide positions on Saturday was particularly noticeable without Ozil, but they have been in such trouble that Sanchez should not have been considered a major miss against this struggling QPR side. They should still have won it. Instead, they drew 0-0 – after their new striker, Danny Welbeck, was denied what should have been a second-half penalty when fouled by Angel Rangel and had an effort ruled offside when the flag went up.
Ozil has now been out of the team for six matches in all competitions, because he has been injured, but he


When Gus Poyet lost his temper and took out his anger on a cooler box — emptying dozens of drinks bottles and scattering ice on the touchline — it was in protest at so much more than Jack Rodwell’s booking for diving. The yellow was merely the tipping point which made the Uruguayan see red. Rather, there was frustration at the rapid unravelling of Sunderland’s season and his reputation. He chose to take it out on Steve Bruce, marching over to the Hull boss in apparent offering of a friendly handshake before sarcastically applauding in his face. Bruce, understandably, reacted and only the intervention of the assistant referee prevented a physical confrontation. Hull boss Steve Bruce and Sunderland manager Gus Poyet were on good terms before the crucial game . However things turned sour when Bruce and Poyet began a slanging match and had to be pulled apart . Bruce appeared to take exception to Poyet's sarcastic applause of a referring decision by Mike Dean . The two managers are restrained by match officials who try desperately to keep them away from each other . All eyes were on the technical area as the opposing bosses threatened to come together . Poyet had lost his head. Twenty-four hours earlier he had lost star winger Adam Johnson — his four-goal top scorer — after his arrest on suspicion of sexual activity with an underage girl. He responded by naming four central-midfielders in a 4-4-2 system. It was a bizarre decision which smacked of protest at what he perceives to be a lack of attacking options provided by the club’s hierarchy. That they escaped with a draw was more to do with good fortune, Rodwell’s late equaliser having appeared to go in via his arm. The linesman cuts across an incensed Bruce as Poyet turns his back on the Hull manager . As the pair locked horns Bruce makes sure he gets his point across by bellowing in Poyet's direction . But there was enough to worry followers of the Black Cats after another insipid display. As for Poyet’s indiscipline, it soon spread through the team. Lee Cattermole was booked for a blatant kick on David Meyler in the second half and will miss the next two matches. He was substituted moments later. Earlier there had been a reckless lunge by Liam Bridcutt, for which he was lucky not to be sent off and Wes Brown could have seen red for the foul which led to Dame N’Doye’s opener. Poyet was sent to the stands for his antics and could face further punishment after the game . Poyet had been vanquished to the stands just before half-time and the concern must now be that Sunderland, too, could be vanquished to the Championship. The head coach said before the game he was shocked by Sunderland’s involvement at the wrong end of the table. Perhaps he should take a closer look at the numbers. His team have now won just one in 11 league games and have scored just once in more than eight hours of football. The Uruguayan looks in deep thought as he finds his seat among the supporters after his dismissal . The 47-year-old watches on with interest as his side searched for the equaliser at the KC Stadium . Poyet talks of implementing his own style of play which will, in the long term, excite supporters. There is precious little evidence of that offensive brand at present and, Rodwell’s leveller apart, they barely mustered an effort on goal. The body language of Jermain Defoe told its own story. Dropping deep in an attempt to enjoy a rare feel of the ball as they trailed after the break, he was robbed of possession by one of his own players. Paul McShane (right) is in disbelief as Rodwell's header in the 77th minute rescues a point for the Black Cats . Sunderland boss Poyet reacts animatedly to Jack Rodwell's equalising goal from the stands of the KC Stadium . Defoe flapped his hands in dismay. It was yet another show of a side sadly lacking in organisation and discipline. But when you have a boss who starts with four central-midfield players and is himself sent off just when you need his guidance more than ever, what chance do you stand? That they got a point had little to do with their absent manager.

Gus Poyet was sent to the stands during Sunderland's game with Hull . Poyet angrily kicked over a drinks carrier . He and Bruce had exchanged harsh words on the touchline . The Uruguayan had sarcastically applauded a refereeing decision . CLICK HERE to read Matt Lawton's match report .

 a professional foul.
“The performance I wanted didn’t happen,” said Poyet, the Southampton head coach. “But there was nothing about the performance I didn’t like. It’s a mentality issue we need to change.”
There was a time when an angry coach would be a surprise at St Mary’s, but the sight of Poyet, red-faced, stamping his feet and roaring at his players to get back to their positions was as common as seeing the players themselves on the training ground at full-pelt.
With the pressure of the managerial hot seat bearing down on him, it seems Poyet has brought out the fire in himself and in his players. The Argentinian’s team were rampant, dominant and utterly ruthless as they swept past Sunderland in a manner which has been missing all season.
Sunderland, meanwhile, were dreadful, making a habit of shooting themselves in the foot at every opportunity, culminating in a goal from the penalty spot for Morgan Schneiderlin, the French midfielder who was sold to Southampton by Poyet for £1.5 million last summer.
“I feel the emotion on a bench is something very special because it’s something I love,” Poyet said. “I am living the game in a different way. It’s what a manager should be doing.”
There will be a degree of debate as to whether Poyet was right to take out his irritation on the cooler box, but with his team now out of the relegation zone, Poyet can look forward to this season with far more optimism than he did a week ago.
After taking charge 10 days ago, he had seen Southampton lose to Manchester City before seeing them beat West Bromwich Albion. After the Sunderland game they are unbeaten in six and with a week to prepare for Chelsea next Saturday, Poyet will be targeting the point required to take his team out of the drop zone.
“I’ve been so focused on the pitch I didn’t watch the first couple of games,” Poyet said. “We just tried to take every opportunity we had. With what I had available at that stage, there was something to work with.
“If I’d had the right players, I could have been playing differently. If I’d had a good enough team, I could have been winning by a long way.”
He had not really watched Chelsea’s 6-3 win over


The women's liberation movement didn't just change the role of women in society, it also helped transform what appeared on family dinner plates. Food historian Dr Polly Russell told today's This Morning that in the Fifties, only 20 per cent of women worked, leaving the majority of wives to spend their time cooking, cleaning and managing their households. But in later decades as women swelled the workforce, convenient pre-prepared sandwiches, microwaves and ready meals transformed Britain's kitchens - and its diet. Scroll down for video . Food in the Fifties as illustrated by this display on today's This Morning. Housewives had to feed the family with limited rations . Thanks to households being rationed to one egg per week, cakes like this one, right, had to be made with dried eggs, left, while they were topped with blancmange thanks to the lack of sugar available . The Robshaw family try making a Fifties cake with limited ingredients on BBC show 'Back in Time for Dinner', ably assisted by Mary Berry . She told presenters Phillip Schofield and Amanda Holden: 'We have this idea of the Fifties being a domestic ideal - Mad Men, glamorous -  this was not the case in Britain, we were still in rationing, very austere. 'It meant there was only one fresh egg a week per household so housewives had to feed the family with these limited rations. 'It's not surprising housewives became fed-up in the Fifties - they spent 75 hours a week doing housework.' 'They had to cope with powdered eggs and a limited amount of variety to cook with.' A new BBC series called Back In Time For Dinner challenged a modern family to try reliving what this was like. The Robshaws - father Brandon, mother Rochelle and children Miranda, 17, Rosalind, 15, and Fred 10 - learnt that rations certainly made birthdays less indulgent. Food historian Dr Polly Russell, pictured, took Phillip Schofield and Amanda Holden on a trip down memory lane for the taste buds on today's This Morning, showing what was typically eaten from the Fifties to Nineties . The Robshaw family took on a brave culinary challenge to eat as a family would have in every decade from the Fifties to the Nineties. Pictured, from left to right, Rosalind, 15, mum Rochelle, Fred, 10, dad Brandon and Miranda, 17, in the Fifties episode . Dr Russell invited Amanda and Phillip to try a birthday cake the family made on the show based on a Fifties recipe. She explained: 'A cake had to be made with dry eggs and icing with a blancmange topping because of the lack of sugar. ' After a taste test, Amanda admitted it was 'dry but not inedible'. Bread and dripping (often leftover fat from the Sunday roast) was a common reality at breakfast time while fresh vegetables were often taken from community allotments. In the Sixties, This Morning illustrated how a typical food spread would include cheese and pineapples on cocktails sticks and corned beef. Dr Russell revealed how this was the decade when kitchens were transformed by technology. She said: 'In the Sixties there was a real rise in disposable incomes and an increase technology in the kitchen. In the Sixties, food became more colourful and decorative, as shown by the cheese and pineapple sticks served on an orange and vibrant table cloth on today's This Morning . The Hairy Bikers' Dave Myers pictured with the Robshaw family as they sample the food of the Sixties . 'The most iconic piece is the fridge but only 50 per cent of households had one by the end of the decade, everyone else used larders. The fridge changed what you could cook.' The food historian added that food at this time became 'more about display and what it looks like as well as what it tastes like.' So along with the decorative pineapple and cheese on sticks served attached to an orange, came colourful dishes like vegetable terrines. By the Seventies, 40 per cent of women were working, leading to a rise in the number of convenience foods on offer. Dr Russell explained: 'Now women have less time for cooking so the food industry starts offering help in terms of processed, convenience foods so there are things like Pot Noodles available. 'There's also more branding and colourful packaging to try and persuade people to buy them.' By the Seventies, with more women going out to work, food is becoming more convenient with products like Angel Delight, back left, and ready-made cake mixtures, back right . Arctic rolls and Pot Noodles became popular in the Seventies as people spent less time cooking . Children of the Seventies loved Angel Delight, chocolate, strawberry and butterscotch flavours pictured . Iced fingers and ready-made Arctic Rolls were the desserts of choice during this decade but every child's favourite sweet treat was Angel Delight. The product was purchased as a powder so could be whipped up in seconds by time-strapped working mothers. Such convenience foods became even more popular in the Eighties as the number of women working increased again. 'There was a more disposable income and less time so the ready-meal industry steps up and we get the microwave,' Dr Russell explained. In the Eighties, the invention of the microwave led to a rise in ready-meals while pre-packed sandwiches, bottom right, appeared on shelves for the first time as workers wanted to grab lunch and go . The Robshaw family, pictured in their 1980s-style kitchen which was all about convenience, with gadgets aplenty helping them to make meals . She added that the pre-packed sandwich we take for granted today only came in to fruition in 1981 'marking our changing relationship with time and leisure' as people would rather grab lunch and go than do a home-made packed lunch. The first flavours for pre-packed sandwiches included cheese and pickle and tinned salmon and tomato. Following the rise of convenience foods came concerns for health in the Nineties. But Dr Russell admits this was a contradictory time, when the nation had a 'schizophrenic relationship with food'. While families tried to be healthier by opting for organic foods and aiming for their 'five-a-day' they were also bombarded with high sugar, processed foods like Pop Tarts and Mr Kipling snack cakes. In the Nineties, people became more health conscious opting for salad and organic foods but at the same time, high sugar, processed foods like Pop Tarts were introduced . 'Back in Time for Dinner' is on BBC2 Tuesdays at 8pm .

A family was challenged to eat through the decades on new BBC show . Food historian appeared on This Morning to reveal typical meals on offer . In Fifties, most women were at home but were limited by rationing . As more women went out to work, foods became more convenient .

% of women were having lunch out of the home.
She said: "A woman's lunch in the Fifties was most often brown bread, butter and margarine, with perhaps a few biscuits. If they had a meat and two veg they'd have some of the meat and some of the veg."
Polly said the change from this simple lunch to what we find on the menu today in restaurant chains is "not really that great". She said: "Most of the dishes are actually pretty familiar, and I would argue that the food at a modern restaurant today is pretty standard, it's just that we get it in big portions that are very well presented."
She also said that the biggest change women and the way we cook has seen is the advent of microwave cooking - a "massive change" since its invention in the 1960s.
"We're eating more frozen food as well, and processed food, and it's much easier to cook," she said. "The microwave and the processed foods - it's made cooking very easy."
But she also highlighted the benefits of preparing your own food. She said: "I think home cooking is much better than buying it in tins or buying it from a microwave."
Polly told of how she had heard of the benefits of home-cooked food first-hand from a woman who was married to a doctor.
"Her husband had come up with this great idea that they would try to not eat anything that was made in a factory by man for three months. They were just going to have real food," said Polly.
"So she made sure they had real food, but that they ate a wide range of real food - which meant things like vegetables and whole grains, fruits, pulses.
"And she said the main thing she realised was, she got tired of the food very quickly.
"This is the biggest problem about eating factory food, you don't realise just how dull that food is and how tired it makes you."
She told her co-host and TV chef Chris Bavin that they should "stop talking" about their food and get on with it.
The cookery writer and the comedian took part in a cooking competition on ITV1 last night. The two teams were tasked with creating an Italian meal.
Polly and Chris cooked a "strozzapreti al cacio e pepe" (a


When on the BBC it was suggested to Sunderland manager Gus Poyet that the DVD of their thrashing at home by Aston Villa wouldn't make very edifying viewing, the phlegmatic gaffer replied 'you cannot pick what you like to watch'. Well, if Gus tuned in to watch his centre half Wes Brown on All Star Family Fortunes on Sunday evening, he might well have decided to pick up the DVD of that Villa game again, and stick it straight back in the recorder. Playing against soap and Strictly star Jill Halfpenny and her family, things were actually looking pretty good for the Browns at the start. As in, before they'd actually started playing. Wes Brown (left) appeared alongside his family in All Star Family Fortunes, where his team lost heavily . The Browns appeared to have got host Vernon Kay onside early, but soon lost their advantage . The Halfpennys hail from the North East, while Wes was playing a flat back four of sister, brother, wife and mother-in-law from Manchester. This had the man in the middle, Bolton's own Vernon Kay, immediately looking to favour the team from the North West. But even with the man in black in their pocket, the Browns were still about to have an absolute mare. And just like on Saturday, it began badly, and just got worse. Wes was first up at the buzzer with Jill. And on beating her to the ball, suggested that the thing you'd hang onto when it was windy was 'a railing'. And our survey said... well, I'll leave you to do the noise. So the Halfpennys nipped in, and nicked the lead. Yet a couple of the Browns' other answers - namely 'a child' and 'the elderly' -  weren't far off, surely, from an actual correct answer 'somebody else'? Brown is brushed off the ball by Gabriel Agbonlahor in one of two poor performances this week . Gus Poyet didn't enjoy watching his side's defeat to Aston Villa, but Brown's TV appearance was even worse . Soap star Jill Halfpenny and her family made it a torrid weekend all round for the Sunderland midfielder . Frankly, the fact the Browns weren't surrounding the official on that one showed remarkable restraint on their part. Then, before you could blink, the Halfpennys had doubled their lead. And this time, it was very much through a Wes own goal. Who, as we had seen earlier in the show - when discovering about him from his family on a home video they'd made - has his own mini cinema and a grand piano in the front hall. So it's not all bad, eh? The challenge this time was to name a small bird. 'Pigeon', said Wes. Vernon did his best for him. 'Compared to an ostrich' was how he defended the defender's answer, but suffice to say... that noise again. Yet amazingly, there was arguably worse to come. The next question  had the Browns pondering a variety of potential trouser malfunctions you might have while wearing a pair at work. Brown shares a joke with the host, but he failed to produce the goods on the pitch or the telly this week . I'm writing this sentence here now to give you a bit of time to think about a few possible answers for yourselves. I'll even point out, to give you a little more time, that Vernon did acknowledge that wearing trousers at work was not exactly in Wes' area of expertise. Wes said 'they'd changed colour'. Anyone else out there? Anyone? Frankly, this was turning into a rout. So even Wes was probably grateful when Vernon took time out to ask everyone to join him for a song from Wes' favourite musical - which happens to be the Sound of Music. That's right, Brown's fellow footballers. Just in case you think you might want to remind him of the fact next time you're with him in a dressing room or on the field of play. The Sunderland defender did however manage to raise plenty of money for charity . Perhaps something along the lines of the fact that he clearly couldn't Von Trapp a house brick? No, too much knowledge, that. Wes did finally get off the mark with a correct answer about lying on a dating website, but when you looked up at the scoreboard come the end of the game, it was still something like 581 the Halfpennys, but most certainly the Browns close to nil. In the end then though, the plucky, affable footballer and his family still managed to raise money for their chosen charity. And did at least give it a bit of a go in the process. But all I can say if that if Gus had been in charge of this team's performance, chances are he'd have cleared his desk at the training ground and said goodbye to the players before you'd even had the chance to read this. No big deal though, Wes. Put that one behind you. You can fix it in the next game. You're away at Only Connect.

Wes Brown took part in All Star Family Fortunes on Sunday night . Brown's team lost heavily to soap star Jill Halfpenny and her family . Sunderland defender put in a terrible performance throughout .

're watching'. But I know exactly what he means. A manager can have plenty of DVD's of him getting battered, but it is rare that he ever wants to watch one of those.
It is a manager's job to ensure, as much as is possible, that you are watching a different game on Saturday to the one you were watching on Sunday.
So when a manager looks at a DVD of a 5-1 defeat, what he is really looking to see is:
* How did it happen? (What went wrong, what caused it?
* Is it just bad luck, or is it a weakness in the playing style or team that is causing the problem?
* If it is a weakness, how does he fix it, or can he make it less of a factor?
* If it is just bad luck, how can he get the players to get over it quickly, so that there is no hangover from Sunday's defeat into Saturday's game?
For instance, if a manager looks at an underwhelming 1-0 defeat, and feels he has been undone by the opposition having the better of the game, he will want to know how to prevent them having the better of the game in future.
So he will look at things like :
* Do we have to change anything tactically to make sure we don't have the same problem?
* Do our defensive players know what they're doing?
* Do they need to work on anything in the run-up to the game?
* Do we need to have a longer session than usual on whatever it is we didn't do well in, before Saturday's game?
* Do we need to start preparing for this game 48 hours earlier than usual, to prevent this from happening again?
* Do we need to make the game more practice, and less pressure?
* Do we need to change anything to make it less of a problem – even if we can't change the opponent?
But if a manager looks at a 5-0 defeat, and feels he has been undone by his team not playing well, he will look for answers elsewhere.
That's because he needs to know he has fixed what he can fix, and can live with whatever he can't. So, in addition to the above, he'll look at things like :
* Did any of the players try too hard to make up for


George Osborne declared Britain had reached a ‘massive moment’ after new figures revealed there have never been more people in work. The Chancellor said 73.3 per cent of working-age people were employed – the highest rate since records began in 1971. The Government said the UK had enjoyed the fastest growth in employment of any major economy in the world over the past year. Scroll down for video . Chancellor George Osborne, who has said that 73.3 per cent of working age people are now in employment . The jobless total is 1.86million, the lowest since the summer of 2008 and almost half a million down on a year ago. The unemployment rate is 5.7 per cent, compared to a European Union average of 9.8 per cent. Mr Osborne said 1,000 more people had found employment every day since the Coalition came to power in 2010, with a record 30.94million people now working. The proportion of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance has also fallen to its lowest level for 40 years, according to the Office for National Statistics. Addressing MPs yesterday, Mr Osborne boasted: ‘The evidence is plain to see. Britain is working again.’ Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith, who hailed the 'remarkable' employment figures . The Chancellor said it had been a ‘truly national recovery’, with more cities in the North and the Midlands feeling the benefits of the UK’s economic growth. He added: ‘Where is employment growing fastest? The North West. Where is a job being created every ten minutes? The Midlands. And which county has created more jobs than the whole of France? The great county of Yorkshire. ‘We are getting the whole of Britain back to work.’ Forecasts published by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility yesterday showed the number of people in employment would rise by another million by 2019. It also predicted the UK’s unemployment rate will fall from the current 5.3 per cent to 5.2 per cent next year, returning to 5.3 per cent until 2019. Meanwhile, the ONS revealed that annual growth in private sector employment was five times the size of the fall in the public sector. This challenges claims by Labour that the private sector would not be able to compensate for the number of people made redundant by the State as a result of spending cuts. Public sector employment fell by 140,000 last year to 5.4million, the lowest level since records began in 1999 and a fall of almost a million since its peak in late 2009. But employment in the private sector hit a record high of 25.5million, after rising by 757,000 in just one year. Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith said: ‘This is a remarkable set of figures, which underlines this Government’s success in backing businesses to create jobs, and supporting British people to seize those opportunities. ‘As a country we should be proud that there are now record numbers of people in work, record numbers of job vacancies available, and the lowest unemployment rate since 2008. ‘For every single day that this Government has been in power we have seen an average of 1,000 more people in work.’ Prime Minister David Cameron said: ‘The highest employment rate in our history is not a dry fact. ‘It means more people with the security of a pay packet and a brighter future.’ Nick Clegg may have praised the Liberal Democrats’ contribution to the Budget – but last night his party was preparing its own rival offering, writes Tamara Cohen. In a highly unusual move, Treasury chief Danny Alexander will today address the House of Commons to outline Lib Dem economic plans. He will even have his own yellow Budget Box, which will later be handed over to a party donor who paid £1,500 for it at an auction during the spring conference last weekend. Lib Dem leader and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, takes in yesterday's budget in the House of Commons . Treasury chief Danny Alexander will today address the House of Commons to outline Lib Dem economic plans . After skipping last year’s Autumn Statement, Mr Clegg made sure he was on the front bench to hear the good news in the Budget yesterday, but was spotted fiddling with his phone and pulling a series of faces. He has insisted it was a ‘Coalition Budget’. But the Chief Secretary to the Treasury will say today that while his party supports the plans for this year, after 2016 it would diverge from them dramatically. In a speech some Labour and Tory MPs are likely to see as a misuse of Government time, Mr Alexander will propose more borrowing for infrastructure. He is expected to accuse the Tories of making ‘cuts for cuts’ sake’ – and Labour of planning a spending spree if they win office. The Lib Dems want to increase the personal tax allowance to £12,500, add more council tax bands for expensive homes, and raise capital gains tax for the wealthiest. A senior Lib Dem said: ‘Our spending plans post 2015-16 differ from the Tories in a number of key areas. We agree on the need to balance the current budget by 2017-18, but they are talking about running a surplus by carrying on cutting after that.’

Chancellor George Osborne says 73.3% of work age people are employed . Declared it was a 'massive moment' and highest rate since records began . The jobless total is now 1.86million, the lowest since the summer of 2008 . Proportion of people on Jobseeker's Allowance at lowest level for 40 years .

 in 1971.
Mr Osborne hailed 2016 as a ‘triumphant year’ for jobs growth – with 275,000 new jobs created.
The figure is higher than the Bank of England’s latest estimate of 275,000 in 2016 and 259,000 for 2017 and 2018 combined.
The Chancellor said the ‘massive moment’ for the jobs market, where unemployment has sunk to its lowest level since 1975, shows the impact of the Government’s ‘plan for jobs’.
He said: ‘This is a massive moment in our economy, this is a moment when I believe we are on the cusp of a jobs boom.
‘We are living through the biggest economic revolution since the Industrial Revolution and it is already transforming Britain.
‘The days of people being put out of work when a factory or a business has to close are coming to an end.
‘These figures show the scale of the change we have made, the scale of the progress we have made since the depths of the recession.’
Employment in 2016 was at its highest level since 1971, with a record 32.6 million people in work. The 73.3 per cent employment rate – the highest rate since comparable figures became available in 1971 – is an increase of 2.2 percentage points since the last quarter of 2007.
Mr Osborne added: ‘These figures are a testament to our plan for jobs, the plan which got Britain working and will be getting Britain working right throughout this Parliament.’
The Chancellor is determined to boost economic growth to 3 per cent and is on course to deliver 2.5 per cent growth in 2016.
In 2010, before the first of the six budgets Mr Osborne delivered in the last five years, employment growth slowed to just 0.15 percentage points and the economy entered recession.
But in just six years, growth in employment is 6.5 percentage points higher and the number of unemployed people has fallen by half.
He said: ‘The unemployment rate is the lowest in four decades and 600,000 more people are in work than at the end of 2010. That means 600,000 less people claiming out-of-work benefits, which means the taxpayer saving money.
‘The evidence today shows the success of the plan. We have made great progress getting Britain working and this is


The eerie remains of a Japanese warship that lay undiscovered on the ocean floor for more than 70 years have been captured on film. Musashi was attacked by the US Navy in 1944 and went down with more than 1,000 members of crew on board. Despite numerous witness accounts its exact location remained a mystery for decades. But the ship was discovered earlier this month after Microsoft's billionaire co-founder Paul Allen spent eight years searching for it with his personal submarine. Scroll down for video . The remains of a Japanese warship that sunk more than 70 years ago have been captured on film for the first time . Allen has now released footage showing the huge warship, which was the heaviest and most powerfully armed battleship ever constructed, on the floor of the Sibuyan Sea - nearly two miles under the surface. He is hoping the discovery  'brings closure' to those who lost relatives aboard the ship, according to his website. His yacht, the M/Y Octopus, has a remote operated probe Octo ROV that initially located the Musashi at the beginning of March. The Octopus is also outfitted with an exploration submarine. Allen and his research team used the historical records of four different countries in order to pinpoint the location of the ship. Musashi was attacked by the US Navy in 1944 and went down with more than 1,000 members of crew on board. Despite witness accounts it was never found or disturbed . The amazing footage shows coral and barnacles growing on the huge warship, which was the heaviest and most powerfully armed battleship ever constructed . The inside of the ship can only be glimpsed at throughout the video. Above, the camera looks through a hole . After discovering it Allen posted a photo of a valve from the wreckage, which he described as the 'first confirmation' that it was of Japanese origin. He wrote in a tweet: 'RIP (rest in peace) crew of Musashi, approximately 1,023 (lives) lost.' He promised that  he would soon post video of the ship's catapult and valve areas. The Sibuyan Sea - at the heart of the Philippines' central Visayas islands - now covers busy shipping lanes and lies on the path of most tropical storms that cross the country from the Pacific Ocean. But in 1944, it was the scene for a battle considered the largest naval encounter of the Second World War - a battle which would be the Musashi's last. Paul Allen, one of Microsoft's co-founders, was able to find the ship using his private yacht and sub the M/Y Octopus. Above, one of the ship's 15 tonne anchors . The Musashi was the Japanese Navy's biggest battleship during the Second World War . The battleship, which weighed 73,000 tonnes fully loaded, and was armed with nine 45 Caliber Type 94 main guns, was sunk by American warplanes on October 24, 1944. It was the height of the Battle of Leyte Gulf - in which US and Australian forces defeated the Japanese. About half the crew died when it went down. Sister ship the Yamato was damaged in the fighting, according to the US Navy, and American warships finally sank it a year later as it attempted to reach Okinawa. Mr Allen took to Twitter to reveal he had found the wreck of the Musashi, sunk in 1944 . American warplanes sank the Musashi on October 24, 1944, at the height of the Battle of Leyte Gulf . An enormous 'float plane' lies on the sand of the ocean floor covered in coral and other animals . Submerged: Allen and his team believe this to be an inverted type 89, 12.7 centimeter gun turret . The battle was considered the largest naval encounter of World War II. Pictured: The Musashi being attack . The Musashi was sunk on the second day of fighting between the two sides. The graphic shows its movements in the days before it was attacked . For Seattle-born Allen, 62, who founded Microsoft with Bill Gates in 1975, the discovery of the Musashi is a thrilling moment. 'Since my youth, I have been fascinated with World War II history, inspired by my father’s service in the U.S. Army,'  Allen said. 'The Musashi is truly an engineering marvel and, as an engineer at heart, I have a deep appreciation for the technology and effort that went into its construction. 'I am honoured to play a part in finding this key vessel in naval history and honouring the memory of the incredible bravery of the men who served aboard her.' Allen, the 51st richest person in the world with a net worth of $17.5billion, according to Forbes Magazine, is known for his love of history - and also his generosity with the Octopus to help other exploration missions. Luxury: The remote operated probe of the Octupus (pictured) located the Musashi on Monday . Submarine: Director James Cameron has also used Allen's submarine, to dive to the depths of the ocean . Parties: Allen's yacht is not just for exploring, however, it is also luxurious enough to entertain his friends - pictured here leaving the boat for the Olympic opening ceremony . In 2012, Allen loaned the same ship that located the Musashi to the British government to locate HMS Hood bell from the bottom of the Denmark Strait. The search was eventually called off due to bad weather. The Octopus has also collaborated on Google Earth’s 'Explore the Ocean' feature, and has helped the Discovery Science Channel capture footage for a documentary to study the effects of nuclear detonation on the marine environment. Director James Cameron has also used it, for a seven-hour solo journey to the earth's deepest point back in 2012. But Allen is not confined to undersea exploration, either. Glamour: The Octopus also hosted parties in Cannes. Allen pictured here with George Lucas in 2005 . The American is also working on a project called Stratolaunch, which aims to put 'cost-effective' cargo and manned missions into space. He launched SpaceShipOne, the first privately built craft into suborbital space in 2004. Spokespersons for the Philippines' navy and coast guard told AFP they were not informed of the discovery. For four days in October 1944, the seas around the island of Leyte bore witness to what some believe is the biggest battle in naval history. The Battle of Leyte Gulf, formerly known as the Second Battle of the Philippine Sea, began on October 23, pitting the combined force of the U.S. and Australian forces against the Imperial Japanese Navy. Three days earlier, the Americans had launched an attack on Leyte; the Japanese responded with Sho-Go - an operation designed to lure U.S. forces away from the San Bernardino Strait. But the Japanese navy was attacked by U.S. submarines as it moved into position on October 23 - the first of four major encounters over the battle. The Musashi survived this first encounter, but the next day, as it passed through the Sibuyan Sea, came under bombardment from the U.S. warplanes. It was first hit at 10.30am, and then again in a second wave. However, the ship did not finally disappear under the waves until 7.30pm that evening. It had been struck by at least 17 bombs and 19 torpedoes during the battle. By October 26 - the end of the battle - the Japanese lost 26 battleships, but only sank six of the U.S.'s ships. The Japanese had also suffered huge numbers of casualties: more than 10,000 men are believed to have died. The Allied Forces, on the other hand, lost around 1,500. The Battle of Leyte Gulf was the largest loss the Japanese Navy had ever encountered . Sources: Encyclopedia Britannica and MilitaryHistory.com .

Musashi, the Japanese Navy's biggest battleship, was sunk in 1944 . It lay undiscovered on the floor of the Sibuyan Sea for the last 70 years . Billionaire Paul Allen spent eight years searching for the ship . The Microsoft co-founder discovered it at the beginning of March .

000 of its 2,300 crew. At the time of its destruction it was carrying a full complement of six 18-inch guns and an additional four 14-inch guns.
There has been no attempt at retrieval as it is believed that the guns contain unexploded ordnance. But now in the summer of 2016 the ship lies at the bottom of the sea 200 kilometres west of the Hawaiian island of Kauai.
A research team from the United States Naval War College in Rhode Island captured the images using a remote submersible vehicle operated from a mothership.
The photos were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The 11,340 ton Musashi was a massive vessel at 290 feet long and 36 feet wide. The ship was equipped with all of the most sophisticated weaponry, including six 18-inch guns and four 14-inch guns.
At the time of its destruction, the US Navy used a fleet of submarines to track Musashi and its sister ship Musashino.
The submarine fleet sank Musashino but then the task of destroying Musashi was left to the surface fleet which used hundreds of dive bombers and 4,000 naval guns to sink the stricken vessel.
However, because the ship was under repair when it was sunk, the Japanese managed to get 20 of its guns off to shore before the attack. They were recovered and the rest were left on board.
Musashi and Musashino were the largest surface warships in the Imperial Japanese Navy, displacing over 11,000 tons each.
They were equipped with six 18-inch guns, 12 8-inch guns, five torpedo tubes, and a complement of more than 1,300 crew.
The massive Musashi was designed to give the Japanese the ability to defend against the US Navy and to serve as a mobile base for attacking Allied fleets. It had a top speed of 27 knots which meant it could travel as far as 1,500 miles at a time.
The US Navy was so determined to sink the ships they ordered aircraft to strafe their decks while the enemy guns were still operational.
The US Navy also attempted to sabotage the ships by placing limpet mines on the bottom of the ships.
The crippled Musashino was scuttled by its crew. But the Musashi was left lying on the bottom of the sea and the submersible, piloted by William H


K9 Tragedy: Montville police say its K9 officer, Beny, died from injuries consistent with heat stroke, while in the back of a police vehicle in the parking lot of the police department on September 28 . An Ohio cop has been convicted of animal cruelty for letting his police dog roast to death in his patrol car last year. Sergeant Brett Harrison will not face any jail time. His only punishment: a $500 fine and court costs. The Montville Township officer outraged the community when he left his two-year-old German Shepard Beny in his squad car for four hours with the windows rolled up last September. The dog was found dead in his kennel in the car when Harrison returned. On Wednesday, Judge Dale M. Chase ruled that Harrison was guilty of one of two misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty. Following Beny's death, Harrison publicly apologized and said he had left the car running with his air conditioning on. He said he didn't mean to leave the dog in a hot car. The temperature when the officer arrived on station was 69 degrees and it was 79 degrees when the dog was found. An investigation concluded Harrison violated policy and procedures. The police department suspended him for two weeks without pay and docked him 40 hours of vacation. Montville Police welcomed K9 Officer Beny to the department in September 2013. Beny was trained in narcotics and patrol.  When Harrison returned to the cruiser after leaving him for four hours, he discovered the dog lying lifeless in the rear passenger compartment’s kennel . Sgt. Harrison cared deeply about Beny. He worked with him 40+ hours a week and Beny lived with Sgt. Harrison and his family when the two were off duty. He is said to be overwhelmed with grief . Harrison issued a statement expressing his 'deepest apology' to Montville Township and to his 'partner, friend and loving family member Beny.' 'This is a loss that words cannot describe, and it is very difficult for everyone involved,' said Chief Terry Grice. 'There is no doubt that this loss will have a lasting impact on Sgt. Harrison and our entire department.' A statement from the department also said that Sgt. Harrison cared deeply about Beny. He worked with the dog more than 40 hour a week and Beny lived with Sgt. Harrison and his family when the two were off duty. Sgt. Harrison was overwhelmed with grief and is taking this loss very hard, the chief added. Sgt. Harrison was found to have violated policy and procedures. He received a two-week unpaid suspension and a loss of 40 hours of vacation . Sgt. Brett Harrison didn’t leave the windows open and the cruiser was turned off; the temperature at the time Harrison arrived at the station was 69 degrees and it was 79 degrees when the dog was discovered . Police say Sgt. Harrison has been an exemplary officer who has never received discipline since being hired onto the department in 2007 . Sgt. Harrison had been an exemplary officer who has never received discipline since being hired onto the department on Sept. 11, 2007. He came to the department after serving 10 years in the United States Air National Guard, where he was deployed to Qatar during Operation Enduring Freedom. Over the years, he has received awards and praise from law enforcement leaders for his dedication in getting weapons, drugs, and impaired drivers off the roads. The prosecutor for the SPCA of Medina County is reviewing the case to determine whether criminal charges should be filed against the officer. I want to start by expressing my deepest apology to Montville Township, the Trustees, the citizens, the police department, my fellow officers and to my partner, Beny. I'm sorry to bringing this upon everyone. I apologize to the trustees and police department for putting you all in this horrible position. I know that it is an unenviable position to have to deal with a situation as sad as this. I'm also sorry for the sadness and grief that you were put into. Most of all, I want to say I'm sorry to my partner, friend and loving family member Beny. I wish everyday that I could go back and change that day or that I could put myself in your place. You will always be in my heart and I will miss you every second of every day. I want you all to know that I will never forget any of this. Once again, I am sorry. Sincerely, . Brett Harrison .

German shepherd, Beny, died after his handler Sgt. Brett Harrison left him in a hot car . Despite expressing remorse and his exemplary police work over seven years, the cop was hit with criminal charges . Convicted of misdemeanor animal cruelty .

 and a firefighter are being credited for saving the life of the canine during the 14-day ordeal. Credit: Courtesy / Police Department
Montville, OH — It took a 10-month wait, but a canine’s efforts to stay alive have been rewarded. K9 officer Beny, who fell ill after a 14-day heat streak, has been declared dead by the town’s mayor, but not before first being praised by his officers.
Montville K9 Officer Beny, who spent 14 days in the back of a Montville Police Department K9 vehicle on September 28 due to extreme weather conditions, survived his ordeal, thanks to the combined efforts of the Montville Police Department and the Fire Department, and his partners from other police departments.
On Friday, Montville Mayor Joe Walerzyl, Police Chief Scott Arnold and firefighter Brad Lehner presented Beny with a memorial certificate. Walerzyl was moved to present the certificate to Beny after hearing about the canine’s death in the news. Beny did not have to work that night, but he came in to the department’s headquarters to wait for his partner, officer Scott Olsher, to get off duty.
“Officer Beny had been in and around the police department building for a period of time on the date of 9/28 and was feeling the heat effects when Officer Olsher arrived,” Arnold recalled. “It was during that wait that Officer Beny suffered his fatal condition and passed away.”
Olsher said he went to work at the Montville police department as a rookie 20 years ago, along with Beny.
“Beny is like our partner. He’s part of the K9 team and we treat them like brothers. We treat him like our partner,” Olsher said.
According to Olsher, Beny was 10 years old. He said that he’s been with the Montville police department since he was a puppy, even being used to assist with the narcotics searches. He said that the dog has become more famous in recent years as he’s been featured in a national police magazine and on television during the 2004 Superbowl.
“Beny has a history of this in the past,” Olsher said. “We’ve known to always check on our K9 partner whenever it gets this hot out. He’s trained for 15 years now. Every year


The sister of one of the missing women linked to accused murderer Robert Durst has begged the multi-millionaire to come clean to help end nearly 18 years of agony for her family. Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail Online, yoga teacher Allison Modafferi urged Durst to be honest with police if he knows anything about what happened to her sister, honors student Kristen Modafferi. 'If he — or anyone — knows anything, please come forward so we can have some answers,' pleaded Allison, who is expecting a daughter in June. 'It's been nearly 18 years so as a family we would welcome anything that could put our minds at rest,' she added. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO . Without a trace: Yoga teacher Allison Modafferi (left) urges Robert Durst to be honest with police if he knows anything about what happened to her sister, honors student Kristen (right) Family affair: From left, mom Debbie, Kristen, sisters Lauren, Meghan (in front) and Alliston and dad Bob at a family wedding in early 1997. Before they retired Bob was an engineer and Debbie an elementary school teacher, have both now retired . Durst, who is worth an estimated $100 million, was arrested in New Orleans last weekend. Police believe he was preparing to flee the country as he was found in a hotel room with a latex mask, false ID, a loaded Smith & Wesson .38 caliber revolver with one spent shell casing and $42,000 in cash. The family of Kristen (right) want him to help end their agony . 'We hope that one of these days we will get some answers as to what happened to Kristen.' Kristen disappeared from San Francisco in 1997. Oakland Police now say there is no hard evidence to suggest that Durst was involved, even though he was living in the city at the time. But In a statement, issued through family friend Joan Scanlon-Petruski, parents Bob and Debbie Modafferi pointed out that the FBI, which had investigated Durst before, could come up with new evidence now.Cops in the northern California town of Eureka are probing whether he could have been involved in the disappearance of another teen, 16-year-old Karen Mitchell who vanished just five months after Kristen. Durst, 71, was sensationally acquitted of the 2001 murder of neighbor Morris Black and has long been suspected of killing his first wife, Kathie, and then murdering long-time friend Susan Berman because she knew too much. He was shockingly caught on tape saying 'I killed them all,' at the end of the HBO documentary The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst. Durst, who is worth an estimated $100 million, was arrested in New Orleans last weekend, shortly before the finale of the series aired. Police believe he was preparing to flee the country as he was found in a hotel room with a latex mask, false ID, a loaded Smith & Wesson .38 caliber revolver with one spent shell casing and $42,000 in cash. A small amount of marijuana was also discovered. He is now on suicide watch as he awaits trial in Louisiana on gun and drug possession charges and extradition to California to face a murder trial in the Berman case. Home sweet home: Last December the family sold the five-bedroom, four-bath family home in an upscale development south of Charlotte where Kristen and her three sisters had grown up . Summer in the city: Kristen during her freshman year at North Carolina State University. She moved to San Francisco on her 18th birthday, June 1, 1997. She planned to spend the summer in the City by the Bay before returning to her sophomore year at North Carolina State University where she was studying design . But as new interest has been aroused in Durst, he finds himself linked to cases in at least four states, including the disappearances of Modafferi and Mitchell. Kristen Modafferi moved to San Francisco on her 18th birthday, June 1, 1997. She planned to spend the summer in the City by the Bay before returning to her sophomore year at North Carolina State University where she was studying design. The previous year she was one of the inaugural recipients on the now-highly regarded Park Scholarships which put a premium on travel and service. Within days she started work at Spinelli's coffee shop in the Crocker Galleria in San Francisco's financial district to help pay for a photography course she was due to start at UC Berkeley the day after she vanished. On the day of her disappearance she asked a co-worker for directions to Baker Beach. After she went missing police dogs tracked her scent to the water's edge at nearby Land's End Beach. The last sighting of Kristen was walking through the upscale mall with a blonde woman, who has never been identified. Speculation has risen in recent days that it was in fact Durst, a noted cross-dresser. 'That blonde woman has never come forward and no-one has ever found her,' said Allison Modafferi. Scholar: Kristen at her high school graduation. She was one of the inaugural recipients on the now-highly regarded Park Scholarships which put a premium on travel and service. This is not the first time that Durst has been linked to Modafferi or to Mitchell, who was 16 when she was last seen in Eureka, California, five months after Kristen's disappearance. Durst owned a house in San Francisco at the time Kristen vanished and he was known to be living in Trinidad, California, some 25 miles north of Eureka when Karen went missing after getting into a car. A police sketch of a man driving that car bears an uncanny likeness to the troubled New York property heir. Author Matt Birkbeck first connected Durst to the two missing teens in the 2003 paperback edition of his book A Deadly Secret: The Strange Disappearance of Kathie Durst. The FBI checked Durst out at the time but could not prove that he was connected to either woman. Allison Modafferi is also skeptical even now that Durst, who was found not guilty of the 2001 murder of Black, his neighbor in Galveston, Texas, despite admitting that he chopped his body up and threw it in the sea, will be charged in connection with her sister's disappearance. 'There is just not a lot of evidence,' she told Daily Mail Online. 'The FBI looked at him a few years ago and came up with nothing. 'We have had so many leads over the years that have led nowhere.' The family has never given up hope that Kristen, who would now be 35, is still alive, despite the fact there has been no trace of her for nearly half of her life. They dismiss the possibility that she might have staged her own disappearance. 'We were a very close family — we still are a very close family,' said Allison. 'And there are no signs that she wanted to disappear. She hadn't packed her bags or withdrawn money or anything like that.' But still the family clings to the hope that she is still alive. In obituaries placed in the Charlotte Observer after the deaths of her grandfather Tony Modafferi in 2002 and his widow Lillian in 2006, the family wrote that they left 'four granddaughters, Allison, Kristen, Lauren and Meghan.' Joan Scanlon-Petruski of The Kristen Foundation, a non-profit set up to help find missing adults, told Daily Mail Online that the family is hoping that the Durst link may finally bring some closure to their 18-year ordeal . 'Of course we live with that hope,' said Allison, 38. 'But it has been a very long time.' And as for the chance that she has been held captive for a dozen and a half years, she added: 'There is a part of each of us that hopes for something like that, but it is hard to imagine what the past 18 years would have been like for her if that were the case.' Kristen's parents, Bob, an engineer and Debbie, an elementary school teacher, have both now retired. Last December they finally sold the five-bedroom, four-bath home in an upscale development south of Charlotte, that Kristen and her three sisters had grown up in, and moved to Florida. In a statement, issued through family friend Joan Scanlon-Petruski, Bob and Debbie Modafferi pointed out that the FBI had investigated Durst before. 'It is possible though that the ongoing interrogation of Durst by law enforcement that's taking place right now could uncover new information that could be of value and lead to the truth about what happened to Kristen,' they added. Scanlon-Petruski, who runs The Kristen Foundation, a non-profit set up to help find missing adults, told Daily Mail Online that the family is just hoping that the Durst link may finally bring some closure to their 18-year ordeal. 'Robert Durst is crazy and he has shown he is not willing to admit anything,' she said. 'I certainly want it to be him,' Scanlon-Petruski added. 'Then we would be able to find out at least something, but we have been disappointed so many times in the past.' But police in Oakland, California say there is nothing new to link Durst to Modafferi. 'The Oakland Police Department conducted an investigation with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation regarding the 1997 disappearance of Kristen Modafferi. The investigation was open and active for several years. At this time we do not have any evidence that indicates Robert Durst was involved in her disappearance.' The department said in a statement.

Kristen Modafferi, 18, from Charlotte, North Carolina, disappeared in San Francisco without a trace in 1997 . Her sister Allison urges Robert Durst to be honest with police if he knows anything about what happened . The last sighting of Kristen was walking through the upscale mall with a blonde 'woman' Speculation has risen in recent days that it was Durst, a known cross-dresser . Oakland Police have ruled out a link but the FBI has investigated the connection between Durst and Kristen's disappearance . Parents Bob and Debbie Modafferi believe 'the ongoing interrogation of Durst...could uncover new information'

eri, 62, told how her sister Jill Durst went missing a year after Robert Durst's wife Kathleen died. 'I'm really hopeful that Robert Durst finally comes clean,' Allison said. 'The families are hoping he will finally provide the closure that they've been seeking for the past 17 years or so and it's long overdue. He has to know what happened to Kathleen. She's been missing for 17 years.'
Kathleen was the stepdaughter of New York billionaire Howard Marshall, who had her killed 13 years ago after his death to enable her husband to inherit his vast fortune. It was alleged that Durst was a potential beneficiary because he had previously married his wealthy late stepmother (Kathleen's mother) and was living in their New York estate, called the Whitney Mansion, while their children were at college.
Allison said the discovery of Kathleen's body - after police found her dismembered and mutilated body in a trash bag and Durst's wife dead in their LA mansion - came as a major relief. She said Robert had been 'on my list for a long time' and she had her 'eye on him' long before he became a person of interest. She's believed to be the daughter of Robert Durst's dead brother Tom who committed suicide over a decade before his sister disappeared.
When Kathleen disappeared her husband, real estate heir Howard Koeppel, 53, was declared legally dead.
A year after Kathleen disappeared, Durst's estranged wife Kathie capitalized on his money by using a body-double to pretend to be Kathleen in the film The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst in 2015. The 71-year-old was charged with murder last year and is awaiting extradition to California to face trial for the death of his "friend", 55-year-old Susan Berman - a one-time writer and producer who became his confidante and close friend.
His defence team claimed that the murder of Berman was in self-defence because he was afraid she would tell police that they had argued over the $100,000 she was taking in for him as part of a 'deal' with his wife. The defence claimed that the killing was accidental after a vodka binge that caused him to suffer from 'blackouts'.
He did this by hiding money, moving


Veteran keeper Shay Given is hoping the Republic of Ireland can blow Euro 2016 qualifying Group D wide open by getting the better of surprise leaders Poland on Sunday. Ireland entertain the unbeaten Poles at the Aviva Stadium desperate to bounce back from November's 1-0 defeat in Scotland, their first reverse of the campaign to date. With world champions Germany still favourites to finish top of the pile despite a less than auspicious start, the race for the second automatic qualification spot is well and truly on. Veteran keeper Shay Given hopes the Republic of Ireland can surprise leaders Poland on Sunday . Republic of Ireland goalkeepers David Forde and Shay Given during the training session at Gannon Park . Given said: 'It is huge. It's a big week building up to it now as well. It's one of the biggest games we will play in the whole qualifying campaign. 'Of course, Poland are a great team, but we are at home and we have got to use that advantage and try to get the win. 'It's not must-win yet, but it's must-not-lose, I suppose. We have all been here before in this situation the the qualifying campaign. We know how important it is. Republic of Ireland's Darren Randolf, David Forde, Cyrus Christie and Richard Keogh during  training . 'It is a huge game, of course, and ideally you want to win your home games and take some points on the road as well.' After victories over Georgia and Gibraltar, the Republic returned from Germany with a creditable 1-1 draw, only to succumb to Shaun Maloney's strike at Celtic Park in their final qualifier of 2014. Their next two games in the group see them entertain the Poles and the Scots in Dublin and only a healthy return will see them maintain pace with the pace-setters. Republic of Ireland's Stephen Quinn and Kevin Doyle during the training session at Gannon Park . Republic of Ireland manager Martin O'Neill during the training session at Gannon Park . Martin O'Neill's men are locked together with the Germans and the Scots on seven points, three behind Poland. Striker Daryl Murphy is refusing to look any further ahead than Sunday's showdown at the Aviva. He said: 'I think there's still a lot to play for. This game now coming, we need to get a result. Especially at home, we want to put in a good performance and come out with something after the game. 'I wouldn't look too far beyond that, just look to the game on Sunday and see what we can do.' Republic of Ireland's Roy Keane gives instructions during the training session at Gannon Park . O'Neill and his players met up at their Portmarnock base on Sunday evening and got to work at nearby Gannon Park in Malahide on Monday morning. Skipper Robbie Keane was due to arrive later from the Los Angeles Galaxy, as were Bournemouth midfielder Harry Arter, in the squad for the first time, and Stoke striker Jon Walters, who played 12 minutes as a substitute in Saturday's 2-1 home defeat by Crystal Palace wearing a protective mask over his fractured cheekbone. Everton duo James McCarthy and Darron Gibson and Burnley defender Stephen Ward were among those who sat out training but O'Neill was not unduly concerned. Republic of Ireland's Stephen Quinn and James McClean on the ball during  training at Gannon Park . He said: 'It's not surprising really for James as Everton have played four games in the last 10 or 11 days, Seamus Coleman too. Darron Gibson has a bit of a groin problem - he played yesterday. 'Stephen has just had a little bit of difficulty. He's had an injury which he is coming back from and he's getting looked at this evening, with the club's permission, and we might have to do something about that. He's hoping maybe two or three days on that he's okay. 'Jon is coming in and he's pretty upbeat. He's got a mask and played for the last few minutes in the Stoke game and did well to put himself forward for the game, and there is this week. I think he is feeling fine and will be in later today.' Republic of Ireland assistant manager Roy Keane shares a joke as the players train in Malahide, Ireland . O'Neill will not be rushed in selecting his team for a huge game, and 38-year-old Given is determined to use this week to edge himself ahead of regular number one David Forde to claim his 128th senior international cap. He said: 'The goalkeepers in general, David and [Keiren] Westwood and [Darren] Randolph as well, we are all a tight team together and whoever he picks, we will support them. 'You do wish them well but at the same time, your personal pride and professionalism, you want to play in the game and because it's such a huge game as well, I would love to play on Sunday. 'But I don't pick the team, I have just got to work hard in training. I have been playing well at Aston Villa when given the chance, and hopefully I might get the nod on Sunday. But if not, I'll support whoever he picks.'

Republic of Ireland face unbeaten Poland at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday . They will be hoping to bounce back from November's defeat to Scotland . Germany are still favourites to top Group D despite their slow start . But the race for the second automatic qualification spot is well and truly on .

a 3-1 reverse by Germany in Friday's reverse fixture. But given the task of stopping them has fallen to Given, who admits his side will face a stern test from "one of Europe's top" teams. "There are a lot of positives in the camp," said Given, who became Ireland's all-time cap record-holder when he faced Poland's opponents on Friday. "You saw that during the game against Germany and they showed that in the World Cup qualifiers, getting results away in tough places. "They are one of Europe's top teams at the moment and have had a lot of success over the last four or five years. They are flying in this campaign so it will be a good challenge for us." Given - who at 37 is closing in on the Ireland record for most caps (144) - added that the Poles will "probably go into the game looking to win" but reckons Ireland "need at least a point" against the Group D favourites. "We're looking for our first points in the campaign - we have to be," he said. "They had a great result away to Germany but we have to look at home matches. "We haven't played as well as we can, and at times against Germany we were a bit wasteful in the final third - you can't afford to do that against good teams." The Republic have not lost a competitive game under Martin O'Neill but Given said their recent record against the Poles - they have failed to score in any of their last three clashes - will count for nothing in Dublin. "We'll need to be on it, but they've been playing well and have a lot of experienced players in their team," said Given. "You can't rest on last week's performance against Germany. "It will be hard. We have to make sure we are solid at the back and go forward with confidence. "There are a lot of good things that have happened under Martin and the squad is in a good place but we need to get the results. "We want to win against Poland but we need to be realistic as well and be able to look back over 90 minutes and say we had our chances. It will be a tough test for us." Meanwhile, Given's brother David said Ireland must get the better of the Poles, or their chances of


An ally of the Russian opposition leader who was gunned down in Moscow has branded a theory that he was killed by a devout Muslim because he defended Charlie Hebdo's cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed as 'absurd'. It emerged earlier today that police in Russia investigating the death of Boris Nemtsov were looking at theories that he was killed over his support for the French magazine, which published the controversial images. Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov had said that Zaur Dadayev, one of the five suspects detained over the killing of Nemtsov was a 'deep believer' and was not happy by Mr Nemstov's supporting the magazine. Scroll down for video . Zaur Dadayev, who has been charged with involvement in the murder of Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov inside a defendant's cage inside a Moscow court building . It has been claimed that Dadayev, pictured, is a devout Muslim, who was angry about the cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed in the French magazine Charlie Hebdo . The claims were made by Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, pictured. Dadayev is a former member of the police in Chechnya . However, Ilya Yashin, who co-founded the opposition movement Solidarnost has now dimissed the theory, saying it was 'politically motivated'. He said: 'The official version of the inquiry is more than absurd. In my opinion it is the result of a political order from the Kremlin. He also added how Mr Nemtsov had 'never negatively spoken about Islam' and had merely criticised the Islamist extremists who gunned down 12 people at the offices of Charlie Hebdo in Paris in January. Mr Yashin's comments come after Chechen leader Mr Kadyrov wrote on his Instagram account: 'All who know Zaur (Dadayev) confirm that he is a deep believer and also that he, like all Muslim, was shocked by the activities of Charlie and comments in support of printing the cartoons.' He also confirmed that Dadayev had also been a member of the police in Chechnya and had been decorated for bravery. Mr Kadyrov is considered by many as one of Russian president Vladimir Putin's most loyal henchmen in the Caucasus region. He was installed by Putin as leader of Chechnya and has spoke of his support for Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine. Mr Nemtsov, 55, was shot four times in the back while walking along a bridge in full view of the Kremlin with his model girlfriend Anna Duritskaya, 23. Three suspects detained over the killing of Mr Nemtsov sit covering their faces in a defendant's cage at a court in Moscow yesterday . All of the men were escorted from a bus to Basmanny district court, in Moscow, with their hands bound and masked men standing either side . An armed guard escorts one of the five suspects in the killing of Mr Nemstov into a court in Moscow yesterday . He had been a critic of current Russian president Vladimir Putin and considered a liberal. Yesterday, it was alleged Dadayev made a statement confirming his guilt as he and four other men appeared in court over the assassination. All of the men were escorted from a bus to Basmanny district court, in Moscow, with their hands bound in front of them and masked men standing either side. Once inside they continued to be flanked by armed guards and were forced to speak from a defendant's cage. The court heard that Dadayev, 33, served for around ten years in the 'Sever' battalion, which is part of the interior ministry of Chechnya. His sister confirmed that he had won medals for bravery and courage. Judge Mushnikova added: 'Dadayev’s involvement in committing this crime is confirmed by, apart from his own confession, the totality of evidence gathered as part of this criminal case.' Anzor Gubashev, who worked for a private security company in Moscow, was named as another suspect. He denied any involvement. Alexander Bortnikov, the head of Russia's federal security service, said Dadayev and Gubashev were 'suspected of carrying out the crime'. It was not clear if either of the men were believed to have fired the shots that killed Mr Nemtsov. Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, who was killed while walking with his girlfriend in Red Square in full view of the Kremlin . At the time of his death Mr Nemtsov had been working on a report about Russian military involvement in the eastern Ukraine conflict . At the time of his death Mr Nemtsov had been working on a report about Russian military involvement in the eastern Ukraine conflict. He was also in the midst of organising a march against the war and had written a number of reports in recent years linking Putin and other politicians to alleged corruption. The shooting occurred a few hours after he had made a radio appearance denouncing Putin for 'mad, aggressive' policies in Ukraine. Surveillance footage apparently showed a man climbing into a white getaway car and being driven away. Russian officials have denied any involvement, with President Putin dubbing the murder a 'provocation'.

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov says Zaur Dadayev is a devout Muslim . Dadayev accused in killing of Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov . Mr Kadyrov says Dadayev was not happy with the Charlie Hebdo cartoons . Mr Nemtsov previously defended the cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed . But an ally of Mr Nemtsov has branded the new theory for motive 'absurd' Ilya Yashin says Nemtsov has never negatively spoke out about Islam . He was killed last week after being shot in the back while walking near the Kremlin .

 that he was shot by a French citizen of “Albanian descent” at the height of the Charlie Hebdo terrorist siege.
The opposition leader's death triggered a huge outpouring of grief and anger across Russia and its former Soviet sphere as people voiced their outrage at another murder aimed at silencing dissent.
Boris Nemtsov, 55, and Sergei Mitrokhin, 51, were gunned down on the bridge near the Kremlin on Friday night, a day before Vladimir Putin was set to give a historic lecture to the Duma on the importance of Russia in world affairs.
The assassin, who is alleged to have shouted “Don’t talk nonsense”, fled into the gardens of the nearby Russian Academy of Sciences, which has hosted the world’s largest conference on global warming. He was detained just a few minutes later by FSB officers, who said they had been waiting around the corner in a car.
The gunman was identified as 23-year-old Zaur Dadayev, a Chechen national who is allegedly connected with a Muslim extremist group linked to Islamic State.
However, the “Albanian” theory was suggested by some commentators as an explanation for the murderer’s motives because Mr Nemtsov had recently said that the Muslim world was “torn between two world views”.
But Mr Nemtsov’s close friend, the journalist and activist Oleg Kozlovsky, told The Telegraph that the theory was “absurd”.
“Why would he kill Nemtsov, his closest friend, to avenge the cartoons of Charlie Hebdo,” he said. “It's not the cartoons, it's about all of our common work together. And then to kill Nemtsov, this is the second time that Nemtsov has been killed, but not by Chechens.”
The politician’s friend said Mr Nemtsov would talk about Charlie Hebdo’s Mohammed cartoons “from time to time”, especially when he became angry about other issues. “Sometimes, I would argue with him,” said Mr Kozlovsky. “He argued [about cartoons] with many other people, including me, because he was very critical of Charlie Hebdo’s cartoons. It's always a sensitive topic for Nemtsov.”
He said he and Mr Nemtsov had a long conversation about the cartoon at the end of November,


Claire Allnutt died in hospital after a dirty drip was left in her arm for four days. Her family are now taking action against the NHS trust involved, which, they claim, only gave staff 20 minutes training in a new system of patient monitoring . Medics who treated a young woman who died after a dirty drip was left in her arm for four days had just 20 minutes training in a monitoring system, it has been claimed. Claire Allnutt was recovering from having the flesh-eating bug necrotising fasciitis at Luton and Dunstable Hospital last year when the contaminated catheter was used to administer antibiotics. Her devastated parents, Ann and Richard, are now taking action against the NHS trust involved and are claiming staff may have had just 20 minutes training on a new system of monitoring patients. Ms Alnutt's family have also reported five medics from the hospital to the, the General Medical Council watchdog, claiming a catalogue of errors led to their daughter's death. Claire, 28, has been suffering from the flesh-eating infection but was making a full recovery after two months in hospital. But she died from septicaemia when a drip administering antibiotics was left in her arm for four days, triggering blood poisoning. It later emerged that the hospital was using a new electronic alert system called National Early Warning Score. It showed that Claire's condition was deteriorating but staff appear not to have acted on the alert. Her family lodged Freedom of Information request and found staff may have only had 20 minutes training on the system. They have instructed lawyers specialising in medical negligence cases to take action against the hospital. Carole Watts of firm Ashton KCJ said: 'On the face of it this seems to be a very short period of training, especially as the electronic warning system deals with life and death situations. 'It's of great concern to Claire's parents that the staff using the electronic system may not have been adequately trained to use it. 'They are devastated by the loss of their daughter and it's important for them to know that lessons have been learnt from their tragic loss.' An inquest last year heard how a junior doctor spotted fungal spores in the tube on a Friday but it wasn't removed until the following Tuesday. Observation notes showed Claire's condition worsened over the weekend but medics decided to just monitor her and no action was taken until the Tuesday. By that time, life-threatening sepsis had set in and she suffered several heart attacks before dying in the early hours of the following morning. Claire, from Luton, Bedforshire, who was obese and had learning difficulties, had initially refused to consent to the tube being withdrawn because of a phobia of needles. Ms Allnutt's family have also reported five members of staff at the hospital to the General Medical Council . Her family have questioned why no action was taken to remove the drip, known as a PICC line. Ms Watts added: 'The family have many questions about the circumstances of Claire's death and why no action was taken to remove the PICC line. 'It's hoped that the GMC complaint will ensure the actions of the doctors around the time of Claire's death are fully investigated and that the family are given the answers that they need. 'Claire's parents are determined to fight for justice for Claire and a civil claim is being pursued against the hospital.' A hospital spokesman said: 'The Luton and Dunstable University Hospital has given an unreserved apology to Claire Allnutt's family following her tragic death last January. 'All staff groups involved in Claire's case have reflected and learned from the events that occurred prior to Claire's death, and this has resulted in a number of changes to practice, which are being constantly monitored and evaluated.' Hospital bosses say they have apologised unreservedly to Ms Allnutt's family and have made changes .

Patient was recovering well from flesh-eating bug in Luton hospital . But she was given a contaminated antibiotics drip by staff on a Friday . Despite being noticed, the drip was not changed until  following Tuesday . Her family have now reported five medics to the General Medical Council . They say staff had only 20 minutes training on a new monitoring system .

 care last year.
"When the doctors removed the drip," she says, "they noticed it wasn't a sterile system and it was a really dirty drip system." Claire, 58, died shortly afterwards, leaving four children and ten grandchildren to grieve for her and a husband of 36 years, Mick.
He told us: "We are determined to seek redress and that's what we're doing, through solicitors. I am determined that something good comes from this. It has to happen otherwise all the money and work and time goes to waste. And so does all the pain and hurt and anguish for my kids and grandkids and friends."
The coroner returned a verdict of natural causes and no action was taken. Claire says: "The coroner's verdict is absolute rubbish. This has to change.
"The hospital have now changed their policy but I'm not going to rest until all hospitals change. I am not going to stop until someone is held responsible for what happened to my poor lovely Claire.
"What makes matters even worse is the hospital we took her to are doing a lot to raise awareness of hospital-acquired infections, which she caught and they did nothing about it.
"I will never stop fighting and I will stop at nothing to make a difference until I get the result I want. This has to change and I'm going to do whatever it takes to make it change."
After Claire's death, her family discovered a letter from the hospital trust to the UK's chief medical officer Sir Liam Donaldson asking his guidance in implementing new patient safety protocols. It was sent only 20 minutes before the removal of the drip.
Mick explained: "The letter talks about how we're going to change and I have absolutely no idea why that's been sent if they are not going to implement it."
An investigation by the hospital trust has concluded that the death was "unforeseeable".
Doctors, patients and campaigners are calling for changes in the NHS. Many fear that poor record keeping and an increasing use of foreign doctors, while they help fill short-term vacancies, have contributed to avoidable deaths.
Claire's family says the staff that looked after her in her last days deserve recognition for their attempts to care for her. Mick says: "The family want to say a big thank you to the staff that looked after Claire. The staff were so kind and lovely -