Sex Files: FBI agents guilty of sleeping with sources, watching porn at work and searching files for addresses of 'hot' celebrities

It is supposed to be the nation’s elite police force, working to the highest standards of all.

But hundreds of FBI agents each year are in fact having to be disciplined for serious breaches of misconduct, secret files have revealed.

In the past three years more than 1,000 FBI employees have been found guilty of inappropriate behaviour, including one agent who had a sexual relationship with a source.

Inappropriate: FBI agents bow their heads during a moment of silence in Tucson on January 10 - but FBI files show many should be hanging their heads in shame

Another agent used FBI databases to get personal details about celebrities he thought were ‘hot’.

And one male member of staff shared confidential information with his news reporter girlfriend, and then threatened to release a sex tape the two had made unless she kept it quiet.

The litany of misconduct was detailed in confidential summaries of disciplinary rulings obtained by CNN.

The disclosure threatens to undermine the FBI’s reputation for, as its own motto points out, ‘Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity’.

'Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity': Many agents are only managing one out of three from the bureau motto

The bureau could also face harsh criticism over its refusal to fire any of those caught out, even though the offences were of a grave nature.

Among the toughest punishments was for the agent who had the seven-month sexual relationship with a source. He was suspended for 40 days.

Another employee drunkenly ‘exploited his FBI employment’ at a strip club by falsely claiming he was conducting an official investigation. He was suspended for 30 days.

In another case a supervisor who viewed pornography in his office during work hours, while 'sexually satisfying himself' (so the file states) got a 35-day suspension.

And an employee in a ‘leadership position’ misused a government database to check on two friends who were exotic dancers and allowed them into an FBI office after hours was ordered to stay away from work for 23 days.

President of the FBI Agents’ Association Konrad Motyka said such behaviour was ‘never acceptable’.

He added: ‘Demonstrable incorrect conduct or criminal conduct is not acceptable and never should be’.

No-tolerance policy: Assistant Director Candice Will defended the bureau's policy of disciplining rather than firing

FBI Assistant Director Candice Will defended the decision not to fire any of the employees caught out behaving inappropriately.

She said that 500 cases of misconduct were referred to her in the bureau's Office of Professional Responsibility each year.

Of those around 70 per cent - or 350 - were disciplined, including 30 who were fired.

The FBI employs 34,300 people, including 13,700 agents.

Assistant Director Will said: ‘We do have a no-tolerance policy. We don't tolerate our employees engaging in misconduct.

‘We expect them to behave pursuant to the standards of conduct imposed on all FBI employees. It doesn't mean that we fire everybody.

'You know, our employees are human, as we all are. We all make mistakes. So, our discipline is intended to reflect that.

‘We understand that employees can make mistakes, will make mistakes. When appropriate, we will decide to remove an employee.

'[When we believe that an employee can be rehabilitated and should be given a second chance, we do that.’

Screen addicts: Children spend more time in front of a computer or television every day than they spend exercising every week

Addicted: A study has found that youngsters are spending more than four and a half hours every day looking at TV or computer screens

Children in Britain sit in front of a TV or computer screen for four-and-a-half hours a day, alarming research reveals.

Youngsters now spend an average of one hour and 50 minutes online and two hours 40 minutes in front of the television every day.

A report released by research firm ChildWise suggests that screens are increasingly turning into electronic babysitters and young people in the UK are spending more time plugged in than ever.

It found that children spend more time in front of a screen in one day than they spend exercising in the entire week.

The worrying research found that 97 per cent of 11 to 16-year-olds own a mobile phone – eight per cent more than the percentage of adults who own one.

And it showed that young girls have a voracious appetite for celebrity magazines such as OK! and Heat rather than more traditional teenage fare such as Jackie.

The study came as an academic warned that youngsters are using mobile phones to learn about each others’ bodies and access X-rated porn rather than learning about such matters ‘behind the bike sheds’.

Dr Emma Bond, an expert in childhood and youth studies, said adults ‘need to take our heads out of the sand’ about what is happening to young, impressionable children.

‘The research shows how children are using mobile phones in obtaining sexual material, developing their sexual identities and in their intimate relationships with each other,’ she added.

The Monitor Report 2010-11 found that children spent only two hours a week exercising in school, and taking part in physical activity out of school.

Two in three children aged between five and 16, and 77 per cent of children aged 11 to 16, have their own television or personal computer and, despite fears about online safety, almost half have internet access in their own room.

The study questioned almost 2,500 five to 16-year-olds about their computer, TV and reading habits. The findings show most go online daily and spend much of their time on social networks and video sharing sites such as YouTube.

But despite the popularity of the internet, the next generation is still likely to be one of telly addicts.

Around 63 per cent of children have a television set in their room but as the popularity of laptops increases and programmes are increasingly available online this is likely to drop.

'Your mother found this mobile under your mattress'

A spokesman for ChildWise said: ‘The number of children with a laptop or PC now matches those with a television but TV continues to play an important role. The way they are watching is continually changing. Children are seeking out programming that they want, when they want it.

‘Children’s online activity is moving towards personal access for all, so that, in the not too distant future the disadvantaged child will be the one without a laptop of their own.’

Despite Facebook supposedly being restricted to over-13s, more than two million children under that age now have a profile on the social networking site. It is named as their favourite website.

The research found a third of all seven to ten-year-olds visited Facebook in the last week, along with 71 per cent of 11 and 12-year-olds and 85 per cent of 13-16-year-olds.

Even with the wide choice from digital and satellite channels and dedicated youth stations such as ITV2 and E4, BBC1 remains the most popular TV channel.

EastEnders and The Simpsons are among their favourite programmes, along with the crude Channel 4 comedy about school life The Inbetweeners.

Margaret Morrissey of lobby group Parents Outloud, said children could not be blamed for spending time on the computer or in front of the TV.

On many housing estates gardens had been reduced to the size of a pocket handkerchief, she said. ‘We cannot complain as the generation in charge when they (children) use the things we have provided and don’t have space to do recreational things outdoors,’ she said.

'Gay people were probably abused as children', says Ground Zero mosque's new imam

The new imam at the Ground Zero mosque has has sparked fury after declaring that gay people were probably abused as children.

Abdallah Adhami is also quoted as saying that people who leave Islam for other religions should be jailed.

His controversial views were published in a lecture posted on his non-profit website, Sakeenah, and have already drawn criticism from human rights groups who have slammed him as 'ignorant'.

Controversial: Abdallah Adhami is quoted as saying gay people were probably abused as children

According to the New York Post Adhami, 44, said being gay was a 'painful trial' which comes as a result of past trauma.

He said: 'An enormously overwhelming percentage of people struggle with homosexual feeling because of some form of violent emotional or sexual abuse at some point in their life. A small, tiny percentage of people are born with a natural inclination that they cannot explain. You find this in the animal kingdom at some level as well.'

Adhami was named Imam and senior adviser of the proposed mosque by Park51, the organisation behind it.

Fred Sainz, a spokesman for gay rights group the Human Rights Campaign, said the comments were ignorant and hateful, and questioned his 'greater judgement'.

Plans for the mosque on the site of the former Twin Towers caused controversy from the outset.

Sacred ground: More than nine years after the Twin Towers came crashing down, the area of Lower Manhattan now known as Ground Zero is still in the early stages of redevelopment

The Park51 mosque has become a lightning rod for anti-Muslim feeling, with poll after poll indicating it should not be built so close to where the Twin Towers fell.

Last year, developers applied for a $5million grant from a fund set up to rebuild the city after 9/11.

Serious questions have been raised about its backers including controversial Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf who refuses to rule out obtaining funding from countries in the Middle East which have backed terrorist regimes.

‘If Imam Feisal and his retinue want to know why they're not trusted, here's yet another reason,’ said. Irshad Manji, author of The Trouble With Islam and Director of the Moral Courage Project at New York University.

‘The New Yorkers I speak with have questions about Park51. Requesting money from public coffers without engaging the public shows a staggering lack of empathy - especially from a man who says he's all about dialogue.’

Day of infamy: The World Trade Center south tower bursts into flames after being struck by a hijacked aircraft as the north tower burns following an earlier impact on September 11, 2001

The application was made to the Lower Manhattan Redevelopment Corporation, which is overseeing the $20billion (£12.5billion) in federal aid which is earmarked for rebuilding New York and its communities.

The bid appears to have been legal as religious groups can make such requests ‘as long as the request is for a facility or portion of a facility that is dedicated to non-religious activities or uses’.

However the board that makes the final decision must also consider its commitment to ‘an open, inclusive, and transparent planning process’ which could scupper the deal.

What is clear is that the application is well above the $100,000 to $1million which is the recommended range for grant applications, something else the board will have to weigh up. The board's decision is expected this year.

Desolation: Rescuers begin the search for survivors in the aftermath of the terrorist strikes

Currently on the site of the proposed mosque is a disused branch of Burlington Coat Factory which will be demolished to make way for the new $70million (£44million) building.

Construction is due to begin on September 11 this year – the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attack.

Some 2,995 people including 67 Britons were killed when terrorists flew passenger jets into the Twin Towers on September 11 2001.

The funding application was uncovered by U.S. politics and culture blog The Daily Beast.

It polled its readers to ask if the move was ‘inappropriate’ and 75 per cent agreed.

Mobile phones become the new 'bike sheds' as teens turn to them to look at porn and swap revealing photographs

X-rated: Children are using their phones to swap pornographic images

Behind the bike sheds used to be the place where children were initiated into a slightly more grown-up world with a peck on the cheek or even a daring snog.

But an academic has warned that this harmless rite of passage has been replaced by youngsters using mobile phones to learn about each others’ bodies by sharing compromising photos of themselves or accessing X-rated porn.

They are also using them to bully each other through text messaging and social networking sites.

Dr Emma Bond, an expert in childhood and youth studies, said adults ‘need to take our heads out of the sand’ about what is happening to young, impressionable children.

‘The research shows how children are using mobile phones in obtaining sexual material, developing their sexual identities and in their intimate relationships with each other,’ she added.

‘The bike shed offers a useful metaphor as a generation or so ago teenagers used to go “behind the bike shed” to find a space where they could embark on exploring each others’ bodies or get hold of pornography.

‘Today it is very different and incredibly easy for young people to take intimate images of themselves and send them to someone else via a text message or via the internet all in a few seconds and all from their mobile phone.

Warning: Dr Emma Bond said adults need to stop burying their heads in the sand and realise what children are doing with their mobiles

‘There’s hardly time to reflect and think that this may not be such a good idea.’

Dr Bond, a senior lecturer at University Campus Suffolk in Ipswich, whose conclusions will be published in the next edition of international journal New Media and Society, said children still establish complex and emotional relationships with each other.

But the context in which they are played out is vastly different to just a few years ago as youngsters now lead ‘media-saturated’ lives due to advances in technology which is widely available.

She added: ‘One girl told me how a girl in her class had taken what she described as “revealing photographs” of herself and sent them to her boyfriend. But when they split up he sent them to everyone else in the class.

‘These experiences can clearly be very traumatic for young people but it is often not until it happens, or happens to someone close to them, that they actually realise the potential consequences of their actions.

‘We need to take our head out of the sand and talk to children and young people about what they are doing with their mobile phones and in virtual environments.’

The warning about the march of technology and its effects on minors mirrors the findings of a study released earlier this month which said technology-savvy children were losing traditional skills and social development.

The survey of two to five-year-olds found 70 per cent were comfortable playing online games and a quarter could navigate between websites on a computer with ease.

Youngsters are using mobile phones to learn about each others' bodies by sharing compromising photos of themselves or accessing X-rated porn

Some 23 per cent could make a call on a mobile phone and a fifth were competent with smartphones and iPads.

But only half knew their home address and just a third could write their first and last names.

One-in-five were unable to swim unaided and only 11 per cent could tie their shoe laces.

Real men must eat meat, say women as they turn their noses up at vegetarians

Preference: Women consider men who eat meat to be more manly

They may hope that their love of animals will make them a hit with the ladies.

But vegetarian men are seen as wimps and less macho than those who like tucking into a steak – even by women who do not eat meat themselves, research shows.

The finding will dismay the hundreds of thousands of single men who have given up meat for health, environmental or animal welfare reasons.

Researchers gave hundreds of young men and women descriptions of fictional students varying only according to diet, and asked them to rate aspects of their personalities.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the vegetarian characters were seen as being more virtuous.

Further questioning revealed that men who do not eat meat were also viewed as less masculine than the others – even by vegetarians.

Researcher Dr Steven Heine, of the University of British Columbia, told Appetite journal that meat and men have always gone hand in hand.

'Meat has been closely associated with power and privilege – a staple for gentry and a rare treat for the peasants,' he said.

'Through abstaining from meat, a widely established symbol of power, status and masculinity, it seems that the vegetarian man is perceived as more principled, but less manly, than his omnivorous counterpart.'

Co-author Matthew Ruby said single vegetarian men should not despair, as they may have other appealing traits.

Softer: Vegetarian men, such as Sir Paul McCartney, are considered more liberal

He added: 'Some people would prefer a more masculine partner, whereas others prefer a less masculine partner.'

Previous research has found that vegetarians are seen as pacifist, weight-conscious and liberal, while fast-food lovers are perceived as patriotic, pro-nuclear and conservative.

Three per cent of British adults do not eat any meat or fish and another five per cent describe themselves as 'partly vegetarian'.

Say good night to bedtime stories: How reading to children is being hit by busy lives

Parents lead such busy lives that they no longer have time to read bedtime stories to their children, a survey has found.

Sixty per cent said they had stories read to them when they were young, but nearly half now just turn off the lights and close the door.

A study published today reveals that while mums and dads are full of good intentions, they find it hard to fit stories into their busy schedules.

Of the 2,000 parents surveyed by telecoms firm TalkTalk only 52 per cent said they read bedtime stories to their children.

The remaining 48 per cent said their lives were too hectic to squeeze a story in.
Yet eight out of ten surveyed agreed that children’s development can be boosted by bedtime reading.

Those in Wales, East Anglia and Scotland are least likely to read to their children, while those in London, the West Midlands and the North West are most likely to.

The survey found that the nation’s favourite tale from childhood is Enid Blyton’s Famous Five, followed by The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.

The worrying statistics come after a government adviser last year warned that middle class children are struggling to learn how to talk because working parents are unable to find the time to help with speech development.

Fond memories: The nation's favourite tale from childhood is Enid Blyton's Famous Five

Communication breakdown: Too much TV and not enough talk 'leads to speech problems in children'

• Overload of distractions at home means children 'don't know how to listen'

Spending too much time in front of the TV or computer is hindering the development of children's speech, new research suggests.

One in six parents believes too much time screen time is a major contributor to increasing communication problems that affect more than a million children in the UK.

More than half (51 per cent) of those questioned think youngsters can suffer from speech problems if their parents do not talk to them enough.

Stunting: Children who spend too much time watching TV could develop communication problems

The findings are contained in a survey of 6,000 people, including 3,000 parents, conducted by the Communication Trust to mark the launch of the Hello campaign - the national year of communication.

It found that 16 per cent of adults, and 17 per cent of parents, believe too much time in front of screens is one of the most common causes of speech, language and communication needs.

One in three parents said they had been, or were concerned, about their child's communication skills.

The survey also revealed that many people know little about the talking milestones a child should reach.

Just one in four parents (25 per cent) knew that on average, babies say their first word at between 12 and 18 months, while almost a third (31 per cent) expected it to be at six to eight months.

And just a fifth (20 per cent) of parents knew that children talk in sentences of three to five words at around three years old.

Tuning out: Too many distractions at home means children find it difficult to listen

The Trust said that speech, language and communication needs affect more than a million UK children, and the main cause is genetic and biological reasons.

Jean Gross, England's Communication Champion, said: 'Ten per cent of children - that's two to three in every UK classroom - have some form of long-term communication difficulty that is biologically based.

'Their brains don't process language in quite the same way that other children's brains do.

'These results reinforce the need for the Hello campaign to radically improve understanding of speech, language and communication difficulties and the impact this has on children's lives.'

An Ofsted report published earlier this month found that young children are struggling to learn to read and write because they cannot speak or listen properly.

Delays in development of speech and language are one of the most common barriers faced by children attempting to learn literacy skills, it found.

A separate Ofsted study on how the best schools teach children to read, published in November, found young children are starting nursery school unable to speak and listen properly because of continuous noise and poor conversation at home.

Constantly switched on televisions, noisy brothers and sisters and raised voices are increasingly hampering children's language skills, it said.

The secret to a happy married life? Never forgive your partner when they misbehave

It is meant to be the cornerstone of any strong relationship.

But new research shows that forgiveness is more likely to tear a marriage apart than keep it together.

Those not so easily forgiven were less likely to repeat their behaviour, due to a loved one's criticism and the feelings of guilt and loneliness they experienced.

Doomed? Cheryl Cole initially forgave husband Ashley over his indiscretions, but they later split

The findings, published in the Journal of Family Psychology, showed partners who got away with being moody, abusive or sarcastic to their spouses were much more likely to do it again.

Those that were rebuked or shunned were more inclined to curb their bad habits.

The research, by psychologists at the University of Tennessee, calls into question the long-held belief that forgiving a partner's minor transgressions is one of the building blocks of a solid relationship.

Dr James McNulty, from the university's department of psychology, recruited 135 newly-wed couples and asked each partner to keep a daily diary for one week.

In it, they recorded every time their new husband or wife engaged in 'negative' behaviour. This ranged from arguing and snapping to nagging and being moody.

They also had to record whether they forgave the transgressions, or instead strongly criticised their partner for their behaviour.

Indiscretions: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton forgave her President husband

Finally, each participant had to document whether, having been forgiven, their spouse continued to behave in a similar fashion the next day.

The results showed that forgiveness nearly doubled the chance of a husband or wife doing the same again the next day.

Dr McNulty said: 'Spouses were almost twice as likely to report that their partners had behaved negatively on days after they had forgiven them than on days after they hadn't.

'These findings demonstrate that forgiveness may sometimes harm relationships.

'There is one plausible explanation - forgiveness allows relatively negative partners to continue their negative behaviours, ultimately harming the relationship.'

Beer goggles really DO make the opposite sex more desirable

Anyone who has woken up hungover after a heavy night's drinking doesn't need telling that 'beer goggles' really do make other people look more attractive.

Sobering evidence has come to light which confirms beauty is very much in the eye of the beer holder, rather than the beholder.

A survey in Australia has found that men and women's judgement about the opposite sex was quite different to how they felt when sober.

Night out: The new study says one in four people find others more attractive when under the influence of alcohol

The poll of more than 1,000 people aged 20-69 found a third of drinkers felt more attractive after sinking a few beers while one in four thought other people were better looking.

But just three percent of women thought men who had had a few drinks were attractive, while less than 10 per cent of men said females who had been drinking looked good.

These findings come on the back of a similar study by Bristol University, which involved male and female volunteers being randomly allocated either a drink of vodka and lime or a similar-tasting soft drink.

Half an hour later, they were asked to rate the attractiveness of 20 male and 20 female faces on a seven-point scale.

Those who had been drinking alcohol scored the faces around 10 per cent higher than those who had not.

Researchers found as little as a pint and a half of beer is enough to make everyone seem more desirable.

Men are worst affected, with their vision distorted or their 'goggles' lasting for as long as 24 hours after a heavy drinking session.

Experts believe that alcohol stimulates the striatum, an area of the brain that plays an important role in attraction.

But it's not just alcohol that is to blame.

In another study at Manchester University, researchers concluded that light levels in pubs and clubs, the beholder's eyesight and closeness in proximity to the object of their desire all played a part in the 'beer goggles' effect.

Want to Sleep Better? Make Your Bed

Bedroom Comfort Affects Sleep, Survey Suggests

Spending too many nights tossing and turning? You may want to vacuum your bedroom, wash your sheets, and throw out that lumpy mattress before you reach for a sleeping pill.

Results from a survey commissioned by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) suggest that people sleep much better when their bedrooms are comfortable and clean.

The group’s first ever "bedroom poll" surveyed sound sleepers and poor sleepers about how the bedroom environment affected their ability to get a good night’s sleep.

“We’ve looked a lot at how medical and behavioral issues affect sleep, but we really hadn’t looked at the sleep environment in such depth,” NSF Chief Operating Officer David Cloud tells WebMD. “Frankly, we were surprised to see that senses like touch, feel, and smell were so important.”

Making Bed May Lead to Better Sleep

The survey included responses from 1,500 randomly selected adults in the U.S. between the ages of 25 and 55.

Less than half (42%) identified themselves as being "great sleepers" who got a good night’s sleep every night or almost every night.

Among the other findings:

* Seven out of 10 people said they made their bed every day or almost every day. The bed-makers were 19% more likely to report getting a good night’s sleep on most days.
* Nine out of 10 rated having a comfortable mattress and comfortable pillows as important for getting a good night’s sleep, while slightly less rated comfortable sheets and bedding as important.
* Between two-thirds and three-fourths of respondents rated a cool room temperature; fresh air; and a dark, quiet, and clean room as important for a good night’s sleep.
* Six out of 10 said they changed their sheets weekly or more often and roughly 3 out of 4 people said they got a more comfortable night’s sleep when their sheets had a fresh scent.

“People reported sleeping longer hours and feeling better about going to bed when their bed was made, their sheets were fresh, and their bedroom was comfortable,” Cloud says.

Sleep Environment Often Ignored

The survey responses come as no surprise to sleep psychologist Shelby Harris, PsyD, who directs the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program at Montefiore Sleep-Wake Disorder Center in New York.

She tells WebMD that the sleep environment is an important, but largely ignored, component of a good night’s sleep.

While fluffed pillows and scented sheets are not likely to solve serious sleep problems, changing the bedroom environment to make it more comfortable can help occasional poor sleepers rest easier, Harris says.

She also recommends reserving the bed for just two things: sleep and sex.

“A lot of people watch TV in bed or pay their bills or even do their taxes, and then wonder why their minds continue to race when they want to go to sleep,” she says. “We encourage people to make their bedroom a sanctuary for sleep.”

Harris says people tend to wrongly think sleep is something they can turn on and off like a light switch.

“I encourage my patients to think of it more like a dimmer,” she says. “An hour or so before bed you should be psychologically turning down the mind and body to relax and prepare for sleep.”

She recommends:

* Turning down lights about an hour before bed to signal to the body that it’s time to relax.
* Unplug by staying away from the computer, iPad, and smart phone in the hour before you go to bed. In addition to being stimulating, the blue light emitted by these devices seems to trick the body into thinking its daytime.
* Eating meals at least three hours before bedtime and limiting liquids during the hours before sleep. Shortly before bedtime, though, a small snack that includes protein and carbohydrate can be beneficial, Harris says.

How a bad taste in music really CAN ruin a relationship

Ever wondered why a relationship may have ended on the wrong note?

The answer could be quite simple: it's because of your taste in music.

According to a new study music actually predicts sexual attraction. The most recent issue of Psychology of Music takes a close look at the connection between identity, music and what makes people 'click'.

Rock 'n' roll: If you like the blues you're more likely to be liberal but if you're into heavy metal you're rebellious with strong social awareness

This had led the LA Weekly blog to explore what it is about why we like, what we like, and perhaps more importantly, how this can make or break a relationship.

During adolescence, music becomes a symbol of your identity to help you belong.

Research duo North and Hargraves say that music functions as a 'badge' which people use to not only judge others but at the same time, to express their own ideas.

For example the child who wants to appear rebellious picks music that seems like it's made by people who rebel.

This symbol of identity also helps you strike a balance between belonging but also being original.

Classic: Guys are found to love girls who are into classical music but the same cannot be said for the reverse

You do this by liking a genre that your friends like, but to try and stand out while not becoming a total outcast, you find a performer within that genre which no-one else knows about.

Eventually however, you get into music that reflects your values.

Researchers believe that rock is associated with social awareness and rebelliousness while pop is connected to values about gender roles and conformity.

Scholars Rentfrow and Gosling discovered that people who like blues, jazz, classical, and folk are liberal and more open to experiences.

The blog also points to a study which found that a woman's devotion to country music diminishes her attractiveness to a potential male mate and a man's interest in country music make him less attractive to women.

But devotion to classical music and heavy metal rock has a different effect depending on if you're a man or a woman.

The study in the Communication Research journal says: 'A date's devotion to country music was found to diminish attraction in respondents of both genders.

'In contrast, devotion to classical music and to heavy metal rock proved to be gender specific.

'Fascination with heavy metal rock greatly enhanced the appeal of men, but it proved detrimental to that of women.

'Adoration of classical music produced the reverse consequences.

'It tended to facilitate the appeal of women, but to diminish that of men.

It also found that men were more strongly attracted to women with whom they shared musical tastes.

But for women, this had only a 'negligible effect' on their attraction to men.

Scientists identify how to spot a future criminal at the age of THREE

It's worrying news for any parent who's struggled with a headstrong young child.

But scientists claim that children who have low levels of self-control at three are more likely to have health and money problems and a criminal record by the age of 32, regardless of background and IQ.

Researchers from Britain, the U.S. and New Zealand analysed data from two large studies in which children completed a range of physical tests and interviews to assess genetic and environmental factors that can shape their lives.

Doomed? Children who have low levels of self-control at three are more likely to have health problems and a criminal record by the age of 32 (posed by models)

They found that children with low self-control were more likely to have health problems in later life including high blood pressure, being overweight, breathing problems and sexually transmitted infections.

They were also more likely to be dependent on substances such as tobacco, alcohol and drugs, more likely to be single parents, have difficulty managing money and have criminal records.

'Mastering self-control and managing impulses are some of the earliest demands that society places on children,' said lead researcher Dr Terrie Moffitt, of King's College London and Duke University in the U.S.

'Our study shows, for the first time, that willpower as a child really does influence your chances of a healthy and wealthy adulthood.'

The researchers firstly looked at data from around 1,000 children born in New Zealand between April 1972 and March 1973.

The participants' self-control was assessed by teachers, parents, observers and the children themselves and included things like having low frustration tolerance, lacking persistence in reaching goals, being over-active and acting before thinking.

Dr Moffitt's team then found that when the participants reached their early 30s, this impulsivity and relative inability to think about the long-term gave them more problems with finances, including savings, owning a home and credit card debt.

The children with lower self-control scores also scored highest for things like sexually transmitted diseases, weight problems, having high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

To corroborate the findings, the researchers ran the same analysis on data from 500 pairs of fraternal twins in Britain.

They found that the sibling with lower self-control scores at age five was more likely to start smoking, do badly at school and engage in anti-social behaviour at age 12.

Dr Avshalom Capsi, who worked with Dr Moffitt on the study, said: 'This shows that self-control is important by itself, apart from all other factors that siblings share, such as their parents and home life.'

The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal.

Number of under-30s with liver disease soars 50% in a decade as doctors warn figures are tip of the iceberg

The number of young drinkers admitted to hospital with liver problems has risen by more than 50 per cent over the last 10 years, NHS figures show.

In 2009/2010 351 under-30s were treated for the alcohol-related disease - up from 230 in 2000/01.

Doctors have warned the condition, once only found in older adults, is now being diagnosed in teenagers.

Doctors warn young women are particularly at risk from heavy drinking as their bodies can not break down alcohol as readily as men

Dr Jonathan Mitchell, a consultant hepatologist from Plymouth, warned that the latest statistics were a 'gross underestimate.'

He told BBC Newsbeat: 'I've seen people come in who are bright yellow or jaundiced and bleeding from their stomachs.

'Many will turn round and say they had no idea they were drinking to that extent because your liver just doesn't give you warning.'

Professor Roger Williams told the Daily Mail that young women are at particular risk from heavy drinking as their bodies can only safely consume half the amount of alcohol that men can.

He said: 'Every day in my clinic, I see the terrible effects of drink on the young. Only recently we had a case of a 22-year-old who died of alcohol-related hepatitis.'

Heavy drinking can inflame the liver, causing jaundice, and leading to comas and even death.

Long-term, excessive drinking can also cause cirrhosis, in which the normal liver tissue is destroyed and replaced by scar tissue.

Dirt cheap alcohol has been blamed for the rise of drinking-related deaths in Britain, with alcohol 75 per cent cheaper now in real terms than in 1980.

Experts have warned the Government's new minimum alcohol price will have 'no impact' as lager can still be sold for 38p per can, while wine can go for £2 a bottle.

Professor Ian Gilmore, chairman of the UK Health Alliance, said: ‘To bring in a measure that we know in practice will have no effect at all on the health of this nation I think is disappointing.

‘It’s a step in the right direction, but I have to say it’s an extremely small step. It’ll have no impact whatsoever on the vast majority of cheap drinks sold, for example, in supermarkets.’

Professor Roger Williams said: 'The fact that a can of Coca-Cola is often significantly more expensive than a can of lager says something of the warped values of today’s society.'

Why women who are ogled at work do not perform as well in the office

Bosses might want to keep an eye on the flirtatious glances of their employees, as a new study reveals women who are leered at at work perform less well in the office.

Scientists discovered that being the subject of a man's admiring gaze is distracting and and unsettling for women because it either puts them off or makes them feel flattered.

But the research found that despite this negative effect, women still interact more with men who look at them this way.

A study found that women taking a maths test experienced a drop in performance if the male researcher asking the questions occasionally stared at their chest

The study found that women taking a maths test experienced a drop in performance if the male researcher asking the questions occasionally stared at their chest.

Psychologists believe the lower scores could be due to women becoming anxious about sexist stereotypes.

Meanwhile their increased interaction with lecherous men may be due to 'trying to boost their sense of belonging' in a male environment.

For the study, research assistants were taught to take a quick up-and-down look at a person's body and then train their gaze at the other person's chest for a consistent period of a few seconds during conversations.

The research assistants were then paired off with a selection of male and female volunteers.

The volunteers were told the study was about teamwork. After this briefing, each volunteer was assigned to an opposite-sex partner - actually a trained research assistant posing as another volunteer.

The research assistants then gave the real volunteers a five-question interview, ostensibly as part of the teamwork exercise.

In some cases, the assistant started the interview by gazing from the volunteer's head to waist and back again, and then stared at the volunteer's chest for a few seconds between some questions.

The volunteers then had 10 minutes to complete 12 math problems.

The results revealed men's scores were not affected by whether or not they got an objectifying glance from a woman.

But women whose male partners objectified them scored lower than those whose partners behaved more professionally.

The non-objectified women got an average of six out of 12 questions correct, while women who were ogled scored an average of just under five.

Dr Sarah Gervais, the psychologist who led the study at the University of Nebraska, USA, said the lower maths scores were likely caused by a phenomenon called 'stereotype threat'.

Studies have shown that when you remind people of a stereotype about their group, such as 'girls are bad at math', their performance drops because of anxiety over the stereotype.

The women who got the objectifying look were aware of it on some level, as they reported that their partner was more preoccupied with their looks than the women who weren't ogled.

Despite this drop in performance, women were more motivated to interact with men who ogled them.

Dr Gervais said: 'It creates this vicious cycle for women in which they're under-performing in maths or at work, but they're continuing to want to interact with the person who's making them underperform in the first place.'

Dr Gervais said this seemingly self-defeating desire could be because they want a chance to show men they're not a sex object.

Gervais said they also may have felt flattered or may be trying to fit in.

Alternatively, they might have seen the flirtatious look as a sign the man was attracted and so returned that attraction.

She said: 'People that are being stereotyped become very, very concerned about their social connections and whether they belong.'

Further interaction may reduce that anxiety, she said.

Dr Gervais speculated as to whether licentious glances could now become as taboo as bottom-slaps under sexual harassment law.

She said: 'When it comes to something subtle like this, it's very difficult to combat.

'It's almost expected that men are going to do this to women and that really it's not that harmful.'

But if research shows such ogling consistently interferes with work performance, it's time to take the issue more seriously, Dr Gervais said.

She added: 'Even though it is just a look, it has meaningful consequences for women.'

The study is published in the February issue of the journal Psychology of Women Quarterly.

The ultimate flash mob: Mums stage simultaneous breast-feeding protest after woman is kicked out of shopping centre

Dozens of mothers organised a ‘nurse-in’ protest, simultaneously breast-feeding at a shopping mall in Montreal this week in reaction to one of their number being earlier ejected from another Mall.

The Canadian mothers are up in arms after a woman was asked to leave a shopping centre where she was breast-feeding her child. With the help of social networking sites like Facebook and microblogging sites like Twitter, mass protest was organised.

About a hundred mothers attracted a curious crowd as they sought retribution for a clothes store that had thrown out 36-year-old Shannon Smith, a mother of three, for breast-feeding earlier this month.

Protest: Mothers participate in a demonstration in front of a clothing store in a shopping mall in Montreal, Canada. A mother had been thrown out of a shop earlier in the month for breast feeding her child

While on a shopping trip on January 5, Mrs Smith’s youngest child began to cry and she moved to a semi-secluded children’s corner and nursed the baby under a blanket.

However Mrs Smith was ordered to stop by an employee of the store, called Orchestra, leaving her surprised and upset.

She was so angry, the following day she created a blog, called breastfortheweary.com.

Around 60 mothers attended the 'nurse-in' in the shopping mall to express their right to breast feed in public

Breast for the Weary: Mrs Smith set up this blog to vent her ire, and it received a massive reaction

'I'm p*ssed,' she wrote. 'My older kids were sitting in their stroller watching the movie when my youngest got hungry.

‘So I fed her. She's five months old, and she eats breast milk. From my actual breast. Shocking, I know!'

One solitary post attracted almost 7,000 hits and a day later a Facebook group had been created for the nurse-in on January 19.

Media across Canada and in the U.S. soon caught wind of the story, and it sparked a national debate over whether Mrs Smith or the employee had been correct.

Some in favour of the employee said that breast-feeding is tantamount to eating lunch and even urinating – even going as far as to say that it should only happen in public bathrooms, or specially created rooms in malls.

However, mothers and parents retaliated, and argued that their young ones deserve to eat whenever, and that breast-feeding is convenient and healthy.

Rebecca Coughlin, 30, who came to the nurse-in with her six-month-old twin daughters, told AOL: 'I don't think there's any reason women should be relegated to a room.

‘It's something that we should be encouraging women to do. The last thing we should do is create a stigma around it.'

Another one of the nurse-in mob, 40-year-old Frances Moxant, said: 'I think that, basically, you should be able to do it any time and anywhere.

'Even my parish priest tells us to go ahead and do it in church. Jesus was breast-fed - he wasn't bottle-fed. So it's definitely all right.'

Mrs Smith was enthused by the large turnout and said she had been shocked by the frenzied reaction to her blog.

'A lot of people are pro-breast-feeding, and they don't talk about it because they just think it's normal,' she said.

Orchestra has since apologised to Smith, blaming the mistake on a poorly trained new employee.

Is this the unluckiest bride ever? Couple forced to cancel wedding ten times after catalogue of disasters

It is the biggest day of a girl's life, and often takes over a year to arrange. But Nicky Pretty was forced to cancel her wedding plans ten times before finally walking down the aisle.

Mrs Pretty, 41, from Bournemouth, was first due to marry fiancé Trevor, 43, three years ago, but a series of disasters prevented the couple from actually tying the knot.

Failed attempts included a double-booked venue and cancelling a home wedding after neighbours complained it would be too noisy.

Unlucky: Nicky and Trevor Pretty, who finally married in Edinburgh, were forced to cancel their wedding plans ten times

The pair called off their first wedding in Cyprus in 2008 because Nicky's brother and sister did not want to take their babies abroad.

THE TEN FAILED ATTEMPTS

Attempt 1 - February 2008
Due to marry in Cyprus but cancelled when Nicky's brother and sister both backed out because of their new-born babies.

Attempt 2 - April 2008
Booked Christchurch Captain's Club as they though it would be cheaper, but cancelled when it cost £140 a head.

Attempt 3 - August 2009
Flew to Hong Kong, but called the wedding off when they found out that it would take five days to process the marriage - and it was after they were due to come home.

Attempt 4 - June 2010
The couple decided to hire a hall for the wedding and reception, but were priced out by another couple.

Attempt 5 - July 2010
Planned a home reception, but cancelled after neighbours complained about the noise the party would create.

Attempt 6 - August 2010
Booked a ceremony in Fiji, but called it off at the last minute as no friends or family would be there.

Attempt 7 - September 2010
Booked a hotel, but called the wedding off as another couple had hired on the same day.

Attempt 8 - October 2010
Booked a nautical-themed wedding on a boat, but discovered low tides meant they couldn't use the boat.

Attempt 9 - November 2010
Tried to switch slots after discovering caterers were booked up, only to discover registrar was fully booked.

Attempt 10 - December 2010
Booked a registry office, but cancelled when they realised they couldn't get all their family and friends there.

The couple were also forced to scrap plans to marry on a boat because the tide was out, and had to abandon plans to marry on a picturesque island off Fiji.

Mr and Mrs Pretty finally married last month at Lothian Chambers in Edinburgh but only after snow threatened an 11th postponement.

Mrs Pretty, a market research project manager at Bournemouth University, said she was relieved to finally be married.

'I was beginning to think the wedding would never happen so I am relieved to be Mrs Pretty at last.

'Everything that could go wrong did go wrong but we got there in the end. I was so upset we made a pact not to talk about getting married any more as I kept bursting into tears.

'Unbeknown to Trevor I kept a stash of wedding magazines under our bed still dreaming of our big day.

'When we finally said our vows it was perfect. For some people things fall apart on the day but for me it came together and got better and better.'

One of Mrs Pretty's wedding cancellations was because their reception venue the Avonmouth Hotel, Mudeford, Dorset, had been doubled booked.

She added: 'We had hired a double decker to take the wedding party to the reception and Gary Rhodes has designed the menus.

'Then I got the bombshell call telling me owing to a ruling two brides could not be on site at the same time and as there was a wedding at the hotel itself I would not be able to wear my dress.'

The happy couple eventually got married in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle in sub-zero temperatures, surrounded by three feet of snow during a holiday with friends.

But their plans were almost thrown out after their flight from Bournemouth Airport was cancelled.

Relieved: The new Mr and Mrs Pretty share their first kiss as a married couple

They took a train to Southampton Airport, stayed overnight and were just about to board their flight to Scotland when that was also cancelled.

Despite serious weather warnings due to heavy snow, the foursome decided to drive the 365 mile journey instead, to ensure that the bride got to the venue on time.

Mrs Pretty, who wore a tailor-made white coat and trousers from Bangkok, had no time to get a bouquet.

The wedding cake was a giant cupcake iced with the words: 'Trevor and Nicky have finally done it'.

The couple exchanged personally-written vows in front of just a registrar and their two friends, accompanied by music from Mrs Pretty's iPhone.

New couples who Facebook each other end up in bed quicker because they've already formed 'a digital intimacy'

• 72% of women admit to researching new lover's ex-partners on social network sites
  

As if teenagers and young adults needed another excuse to spend more time using their electronic gadgets.

Four out of five women and three out of five men believe texting, Facebook and other social networking tools cause new couples to jump into bed faster, a survey claims.

Thirty-eight per cent of women say they have actually slept with a date sooner because of so-called 'digital intimacy'.

Modern courtship: 80 per cent of women and 58 per cent of men said using social media leads to sex faster

Use of social media via smart phones and laptops are the new toys that lead to the bedroom, the researchers claim.

Clinical psychologist Dr Belisa Vranich said: 'The texting and all the social networking that's happening create anticipation.

'If your goal is to have sex, texting is actually helpful for that because it makes the correspondence between people sort of more titillating.

'It also gives the false impression that you've actually been together for a longer amount of time, so it's actually OK to have sex quicker.

'You may have gone out once or twice, but since there's been so much exchange, either in texting or Facebook, it feels longer.

'It actually feels like its been longer than just two dates.'

Texting is the number one way lovers stay in touch, the survey also found, with men sending mobile messages 39 per cent more often than phoning and women 150 per cent more.

Even before consummating a relationship, 70 per cent of women and 63 per cent of men use Google and other online tools to screen potential dates.

Sixty-five per cent of those polled said they had been asked out by text and 49 per cent through a Facebook message, according to the 1,200 women and men who took part in the survey by Shape and Men's Fitness magazines

Once the relationship clicks, 72 per cent of women report scouring a current partner's ex-girlfriends' Facebook pages.

Even in the heat of passion, some people just can't get enough of their digital devices, the survey found. When a call or text comes in during sex, 5 per cent of respondents said they glance to see who is calling and 1 per cent say they stop to answer the phone.

And when the spark is extinguished, digital dumping is the new way to break up, with 43 per cent of women and 27 per cent of men reporting getting a text along the lines of 'It's not you, it's me.'

For the heartbroken, the internet keeps hope alive, with 81 per cent of all respondents saying they won't de-friend an ex on Facebook and 75 per cent admitting to constantly checking a former sweetheart's page.

Abortion 'does not increase risk of mental health problems... but having a baby does'

Having an abortion does not increase the risk of mental health problems, but having a baby does, one of the largest studies to compare the aftermath of both decisions suggests.

The research by Danish scientists further debunks the notion that terminating a pregnancy can trigger mental illness - but does show postnatal depression to be much more of a factor.

The Danish study included 365,550 teenagers and women who had an abortion or first-time delivery between 1995 and 2007.

Seven per 1,000 women got mental health help within a year of giving birth compared with four per 1,000 women pre-delivery. But for those who had an abortion, the rate seeking help before and after the termination was the same

None had a history of psychiatric problems that required hospitalisation. Through various national registries, researchers were able to track mental health counselling at hospitals or outpatient facilities before and after an abortion or delivery.

The Danish study included 365,550 teenagers and women who had an abortion or first-time delivery between 1995 and 2007. None had a history of psychiatric problems that required hospitalisation. Through various national registries, researchers were able to track mental health counselling at a hospital or outpatient facility before and after an abortion or delivery.

During the study period, 84,620 had an abortion while 280,930 gave birth.

Researchers compared the rate of mental health treatment among women before and after a first abortion. Within the first year after an abortion, 15 per 1,000 women needed psychiatric counselling - similar to the rate seeking help nine months before an abortion.

Changes in hormone levels, sleep deprivation and other demands associated with having a baby could trigger mental problems, experts say

Researchers say women who seek abortions come from a demographic group more likely to have emotional problems to begin with. Statistics show that a large percentage struggle economically and they have above-average rates of unintended pregnancies.

While first-time mothers had a lower rate of mental problems overall, the proportion of those seeking help after giving birth was dramatically higher. About seven per 1,000 women got mental health help within a year of giving birth compared with four per 1,000 women pre-delivery.

The most common problems among women in both the abortion and the delivery groups were debilitating anxiety, severe stress and depression.

'A woman should know that her risk of having a psychiatric episode is not increased after an abortion,' said Trine Munk-Olsen of Aarhus University, who led the study.

The study did not examine why a pregnancy was terminated. Researchers also only studied mental problems serious enough to warrant admission to a hospital or outpatient clinic and did not look into the role of mild depression and other lesser symptoms.

In a previous study, published in 2006, Munk-Olsen found new mothers faced increased risks for a host of mental problems, not just postnatal depression.

Changes in hormone levels, sleep deprivation and other demands associated with having a baby could trigger mental problems, experts say. By contrast, women who have an abortion don’t experience similar changes.

'Anyone who’s ever had a baby knows it’s stressful. That stress doesn’t go away in a week or two after delivery,' said Dr. Robert Blum, who heads the department of population, family and reproductive health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

The latest findings echo an extensive review by the American Psychological Association in 2008 that found no evidence that ending an unwanted pregnancy threatens women’s mental health.

A separate review by Blum and his colleagues found that the most rigorous research on the topic did not find a relationship between abortion and long-term mental health problems. Previous studies that suggested such a connection were often poorly designed, had dropout rates or did not control for factors that could affect the conclusion.

The 'auto-cutie' effect: Men are so distracted by attractive newsreaders they can't remember the headlines

It won't come as much of a surprise to women, but men are distracted by attractive newsreaders.

In fact, the more attractive a female newsreader is, the less likely male viewers are to remember what she had been saying, according to a new study.

The research follows heavy criticism in recent years that many television newsreaders are simply overpaid 'auto-cuties' lacking in journalistic experience.

BBC newsreader Emma Crosby: The more attractive a female anchor is, the less likely male viewers are to remember what she had been saying, a study claims

The strategy of hiring attractive women to read the headlines boosts ratings figures, it is claimed.

But the flip side of this is many male viewers won't remember the news they have just been informed about.

Writing in the journal Communication Research, Indiana University students Maria Elizabeth Grabe and Lelia Samson staged two versions of their own news broadcast.

Both versions featured the same 24-year-old female newsreader. In the first, she wore a tight-fitting dark blue jacket, a skirt that 'accentuated her waist-to-hip ratio', bright red lipstick and a necklace.

In the second, the dressed in a shapeless and loose-fitting dark blue jacket and skirt, wore no lipstick or a necklace.

In both segments, she read local news and was filmed in a 'medium-long shot' revealing the top half of her body including her upper thighs.

Oh la la! It's doubtful many Frenchmen remember the headlines after watching Melissa Theuriau

Four hundred volunteers were then randomly asked to watch one of the versions and then filled out questionnaires revealing what they thought about the presenter.

Included were four multiple-choice questions about her appearance and ten about the news she had been reading.

Women remembered more about what the 'sexy' newsreader had been saying, than her less made-up counterpart.

Men, on the other hand, recalled 'significantly more information watching the unsexualised anchor deliver news than her sexualised version'.

The researchers concluded that we find it easier to process information visually, and that men's brains are overwhelmed when presented with sexual imagery, although they didn't study how women would react when confronted with an attractive male newsreader.

Last year, newsreader Katie Derham fiercely defended the role of newsreaders following criticism that they were 'auto-cuties'.

She said: 'With rolling news coverage nowadays you have to be on air constantly -and it is the overpaid airheads in the nice suits who have to hold everything together.

'We do have to think on our feet and we do have to have journalistic training, and professionalism, and common sense - because otherwise the product would be c*** and we would be taken off-air.'

Problem pupils will have to enrol at 'boot camps' run by former soldiers

Disruptive children will be sent to ‘boot camps’ run by former soldiers under Government plans.

Expelled pupils are to receive a ‘military-style education’ at the special units separate from mainstream schools.

Quiet word: Disruptive children could be given lessons in behaviour by the likes of RSM Jenny Leckenby at school boot camps

Former army officers who fought in Afghanistan will keep the youngsters under close supervision while teaching them teamwork and basic skills.

TEACHERS TAKE
3m SICK DAYS

Teachers are calling in sick at the rate of 15,000 every school day.

Almost three million working days a year were lost with some 308,800 teachers taking at least one day off in 2009, according to latest official figures.

The rising levels of sick leave mean more pupils are taught by supply teachers who may not be specialists in the subjects they are teaching. They are also expensive, up to £210 a day.

Michael Gove blamed the problem on stress caused by the amount of bureaucracy introduced by Labour.

A spokesman for the Education Department said yesterday’s Bill would cut the burden of red tape.

There will be a strong emphasis on physical exercise including assault courses and training similar to the Duke of Edinburgh awards scheme.

Children will be taught maths skills by learning how to use a map in a forest. They will also be expected to volunteer in their community.

Michael Gove yesterday paved the way for the measures as he unveiled his Education Bill, which focuses on boosting standards and improving behaviour in schools.

If passed, the Bill will grant the Education Secretary powers to order a local council to close failing schools.

And it will strip academy sponsors of their involvement in a school if that school under-performs.

The Bill also seeks to hand teachers more power to tackle bad behaviour in the classroom while freeing them of the reams of unnecessary red tape and bureaucracy introduced under Labour.

SEARCHES FOR
'LEGAL HIGHS'

Teachers are to be given powers to search pupils for pornography and ‘legal highs’ such as mephedrone.

Staff will be able to search children for anything contained on a school’s list of banned items.

This could include mobile phones and video cameras, hardcore pornography, and legal drugs. At present teachers can only search for weapons and illegal drugs.

The Education Secretary hopes the plan will help teachers clamp down on bad behaviour. He also hopes it will put an end to bullying in which cruel images and videos are circulated by mobile phones and on the internet.

There are currently 16,000 youngsters under the age of 16 who are outside the school system, often because they have been excluded and no school will take them in.

At present they are taught in one of more than 400 Pupil Referral Units which local authorities are obliged to provide.

Yesterday Mr Gove said most local authority-run referral units ‘are not up to snuff’ and expressed his desire for them to be closed and reopened as academies.

He said he envisaged that they would be run by and modelled on charities such as Skill Force, which trains and hires veterans to teach disadvantaged and disruptive young children.

Peter Cross, OBE, head of Skill Force, said he had ‘been in talks’ with ministers about the possibility to running alternative referral units based on the current Skill Force courses.

Skill Force already ‘teaches’ 4,000 pupils a year on its once-a-week, two-year course.

These pupils, often on the brink of expulsion, are selected by schools to attend the courses.

NO MORE SNOOPING
INTO LUNCH BOXES

School snoops will no longer pry into pupils’ lunch boxes under measures in the Education Bill.

The schools watchdog, Ofsted, will be stripped of its power to inspect ‘peripheral’ issues such as school food and pupils’ well-being.

The power had forced schools to keep detailed records of children’s purchases from the school canteen, monitor their eating habits and check the contents of their packed lunches.

Ofsted inspections will now be limited to four criteria instead of the current 27. These are pupil achievement; teaching; leadership and management; and behaviour and safety.

Mr Cross said the charity has incredible success rates which he attributes to providing the pupils, many of whom are from single families, with a strong male role model.

He added: ‘Many of the veterans have served in Afghanistan. They are used to solving problems. And they have all been given military-style training. They adapt this for the youngsters and they treat them like adults.’

Mr Cross said the charity had also placed injured war veterans alongside their teachers with dramatic effects.

‘It teaches them about responsibility, compassion and courage.’

The Bill also makes it easier for head teachers to expel violent pupils.

At the moment they can exclude a pupil for carrying a knife or acting violently. But their decision can be overruled and the head is forced to reinstate the pupil. The Bill states that a heads’ decision can be reviewed but it cannot be overturned.

It will also give the Government more power to intervene in schools that are failing and where pupil behaviour is out of control.

GOVE: EXTREMISM IS
A REAL PROBLEM

Extremism is a problem in schools, Mr Gove claimed yesterday.

The Education Secretary said he will establish a unit within the Department of Education to monitor radicalism.

Called the Due Diligence Unit, it will first vet every adult involved in the establishment of his ‘free schools’ – those set up by local parents, teachers or charities.

It will then investigate the background of teachers, staff, governors and charities involved in other schools.

The move follows the revelation that children as young as six are being taught brutal Sharia law punishments, including how to hack off a criminal’s hand or foot, at ‘weekend schools’ for Muslim pupils.

Mr Gove will have the right to order a local authority to close a school that is in special measures, requires significant improvement or has failed to comply with a warning notice.

The Government will also be able to direct councils to give a warning notice to an under-performing school, He said that local authorities had not been tough enough on failing schools in the past.

‘More than two-thirds of local authorities had never issued a warning notice; only 100 warning notices had been issued during the history of this provision,’ he added.

‘Now we can insist that local authorities issue warning notices, and not just for schools in special measures but also for schools in the Ofsted category above that – notice to improve – and also for schools where there are real reasons for us to have concern.’