The number of reported assaults in care homes has more than doubled in three years, shocking figures reveal today.

Police forces from across England and Wales received almost 2,500 reports of assaults in care homes in the 12 months to April – up from the 1,100 reported three years previously.

In total, officers recorded a staggering 5,400 reports of crimes in care homes last year – including reports of neglect, ill-treatment, blackmail and even a case of 'administered poison'.

Worryingly, the true toll of crime is likely to be even higher as less than half of police forces responded to the Freedom of Information request.

The figures are the latest to illustrate the scale of the crisis in the social care sector, which has been beset by funding problems, care home closures, staff shortages and allegations of ill-treatment. 

• Number of reported assaults in care homes has more than doubled in 3 years 
• Police forces from across England and Wales heard of almost 2,500 assaults 
• Officers recorded a staggering 5,400 reports of crimes in care homes last year 

A father died of an accidental overdose after taking 150 tablets a day of Imodium.

Aaron McCaffrey, 27, from Manchester became addicted to diarrhoea-relief tablets that he had stockpiled.

On January 13, he took a large quantity of painkillers and was found collapsed in a supermarket toilet.

He was taken to Tameside Hospital and was put into an induced coma, but died six days later. 

Today, a coroner called for a limit on the sale of the medication used by millions of people in Britain. Miss Harvey said she was told that medics had to wait for the drugs to leave her partner's system before he could be woken up from his coma.

But because the nature of the overdose was so unusual, doctors did not have any idea how long that would take.

'It was really scary, because in the beginning they didn't know how to treat him. They had to contact another hospital to ask how to,' she said in January. 

'For us it was scary because they said they hadn't seen anything like it and we didn't know what was going to happen to him.'

Miss Harvey said Mr McCaffrey was a 'fit young man' before his collapse. 

'This was a total shock to everyone when this happened, and of how it happened,' she said. 'He had four more cardiac arrests when he was in hospital and we were told that he had taken hundreds of pills on the day that he died. It was a shock to us as well that he had taken that much.'

The coroner has referred her findings to MHRA. A spokesman for the regulator said: 'Over-the-counter medicines are safe and effective when used in accordance with instructions on the label and in the patient information leaflet. There is a risk, however, with any medicine that people may deliberately or inadvertently misuse the product. Last year, doctors warned of an alarming new trend of people using anti-diarrhoea drugs such as Imodium to 'get high' - with fatal sometimes consequences.

Medics say the over-the-counter medication - which contains the active ingredient is loperamide - is being used recreationally and drug addicts are taking it to manage their addictions.

While loperamide works by reducing the movement in the intestinal wall - to prevent diarrhoea - some medical literature suggests at high doses it can cause euphoria.

But it is also extremely toxic to the heart - and the journal Annals of Emergency Medicine has documented the case of two people died of an overdose as a result of taking the drugs.

Dr William Eggleston, of the Upstate New York Poison Centre, and the study's lead author, said: 'Loperamide's accessibility, low cost, over-the-counter legal status and lack of social stigma all contribute to its potential for abuse.

A Lithuanian man today admitted killing a Buddhist widow in her £2million woodland home before burning her body in the garden.

Albertina Choules, 81, was found dead outside her isolated home in the rolling Buckinghamshire countryside in July last year after desperately calling the police to report an intruder.

The call handler could hear the chilling voice of a man in the background before the line went dead.

Tautvydas Narbutas, 24, today admitted hitting Mrs Choules over the head with a blunt instrument before dragging her outside and setting her body alight.

The prosecution accepted a guilty plea to manslaughter not murder because he has a 'psychotic disorder' that makes him less responsible for his actions. 

Narbutas also admitted affray for his 'abnormal' behaviour at the scene of the crime where he attacked two Thames Valley Police officers with a machete. Two charges of attempted grievous bodily harm were dropped. Psychiatrists for the Crown Prosecution Service and Narbutas' defence team agreed that his responsibility for the gruesome crime was 'severely diminished'.

Narbutas, of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, today appeared at Reading Crown Courtcourt via video link from HMP Woodhill.

He wore a red, prison-issued jumper and only spoke only to enter his pleas. Through a Lithuanian translator he said: 'Not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter.'

Prosecutor Alan Blake said today: 'We've carefully reviewed all the evidence and in particular the medical evidence.

'The mental abnormality is identified as arising from a psychotic disorder.

'With that consensus among the medical experts and the evidence of abnormal behaviour at the scene when the defendant was arrested we do not consider there is a realist prospect the jury would reject that medical evidence.

'Accordingly, we consider it proper to accept the plea that has been offered.'

The prosecution team met Mrs Choules' family on Monday before agreeing to accept the pleas he revealed.

Known fondly as 'Tina in the woods', she had spent decades transforming her Marlow gardens into a sculpture park complete with religious shrines. 

Fit and active, Mrs Choules grew all her own vegetables and even used a chainsaw to chop her own wood despite her advancing age. She had no electricity in her isolated home and is believed to have used gas lanterns. Villagers were free to visit her estate as part of a Buddhist trail she created with her husband Michael, a fellow Buddhist convert, who died in 2004 after battling cancer.

A statement from her family after her death said: 'Tina was incredibly special, as was her simple, self-sufficient way of life with no electricity, television or washing machine.

'She never liked to sit still and worked tirelessly to maintain her beautiful garden and produce all year round.

'Even in her old age she would chop trees, dig up flowerbeds and wrestle with her lovely dog, Georgie.

'She was completely selfless in giving away her fantastic fruit and vegetables to friends and family as well as sharing her wonderful Buddhist Stupas (that she built with her own hands) with those that chose to walk in the woodland.

Lying unconscious in the road as a Mercedes drives over him, this is the appalling , moment a driver ran over a pedestrian and drove off leaving him for dead.

The horrifying attack was filmed on a motorcyclist's GoPro camera and shows the black Mercedes reverse, and drive over the man just before 4.30pm on July 11.

The motorist drove off leaving his victim, aged 35, lying motionless on the road in the Moseley area of Birmingham as passersby ran to his aid screaming in fear and shouting: 'I've got you on f****** camera, you t***.' 

The man is now fighting for his life in hospital and is believed to be severely brain damaged.

A 43-year-old man handed himself in around six hours later and has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder before being bailed. She said: 'It happened so quickly. The man was standing in the street and talking to a driver through the window of his car.

'The man in the Mercedes behind was impatient and started shouting. He reversed and drove over him.

'It was shocking. I couldn't believe it was happening. The car just drove off while the man lay in the street.'

In the footage, the victim can be seen crumpled underneath the wheels of the car as Zoe immediately reacts to the brutal attack.

She is heard screaming: 'Oh s***, what the f*** are you doing? Oh God. Somebody get the police. What the f***? Are you joking? Someone just f***ing run him over, the d*******.'

She climbs off her bike and runs to the man's aid as he lies motionless in the street and the motorist in the Mercedes drives away.

She screams after him: 'I've got you on f****** camera, you t***.'

Another woman is seen kneeling on the wet street checking the man's pulse as seven passersby cluster around him.

Zoe said: 'Luckily there was a nurse two cars behind who got him into the recovery position. We waited with him until the ambulance arrived.

'An ambulance and police came within five minutes and then an air ambulance arrived just minutes later.

'It airlifted him to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. I've heard that he's got no family.

'He was on life support for a couple of days. He's severely brain damaged and has broken legs and ribs. A spokesperson for West Midlands Police said that a 43-year-old man handed himself into Stechford police station at 10pm that night where he was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

He has been released on bail.

Constable Stephen Tomlinson from the Complex Crime Investigation Team at Stechford police station, said: 'This happened at a busy traffic junction approaching rush-hour; we know there were lots of potential witnesses nearby, both motorists and pedestrians, and we need them to get in touch.

'The man has undergone surgery in hospital for a very serious head injury; he is in a critical condition.

'Maybe people drove on not realising the extent of the man's injuries or assumed it was an accident and that the driver would have stopped at the scene. 

Many of us will have an idea in our minds of what a typical cancer sufferer looks like.

But one personal trainer has set out to overturn those preconceptions after being diagnosed with stage four lung cancer - despite looking perfectly fit and healthy.

Vicky Veness, 30, from Cheltenham, shared a photograph of herself that was taken just hours before the devastating diagnosis, explaining that 'when you have cancer you won't necessarily look ill on the outside'.

The fitness fanatic - who describes herself as a non-smoker and healthy eater - said her symptoms had initially been 'brushed off' by doctors as being asthma, and revealed that it has taken 18 months for her to be diagnosed with lung cancer.  She said the moral of the story was to 'question everything' if you're feeling unwell, no matter 'how silly you think it might be'. 

Posting on Facebook, Vicky wrote: 'Just a warning that this post may be upsetting to read.

'This photo was taken a few hours before I was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. I'm 30 years old, a personal trainer, runner, non smoker and healthy eater. 'Unfortunately my symptoms were brushed off as asthma by many general practitioners.' 

She continued: 'The moral of the story is this, if you feel unwell for whatever reason, it doesn't matter how silly you might think it might be, see your doctor, question everything and keep going back until you get the answers you need.

'This has been the most emotionally and physically challenging week of my life, but now it's time to fight this!'   

Explaining her decision to share her post, Vicky told FEMAIL: 'I decided it was important to share my post in order to highlight that cancer really can affect anybody, in any walk of life. 'When most people think of lung cancer they immediately imagine somebody who smokes. I want to make people aware this is not always the case. 

'Hopefully me speaking out will encourage everyone to see their GP if they have a persistent cough.' 

She added: 'Because I do look healthy, lung cancer wasn't thought of as a possible reason behind my symptoms. 

'It worries me that "healthy looking" people and non-smokers may be overlooked when diagnosing this condition. It took 18 months to reach my diagnosis.

Silent Witness actress Liz Carr was stabbed in the head by an attacker armed with a pair of scissors in each hand. 

The man, who is in his 20s, attacked the 45-year-old wheelchair user while she was with her carer near London busy Euston station.

Ms Carr, who plays scientist Clarissa Mullery in the BBC crime drama series, was rushed to hospital and she is currently recovering from a slash wound.

A man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of GBH and was later detained under the Mental Health Act. 

Her friend said that the actress later joked that it was like 'being attacked by Edward Scissorhands'.  

They told The sun, 'It was a terrifying experience for Liz. She was being pushed in her wheelchair when this young man armed with two pairs of scissors suddenly headed towards her. 

'There was blood everywhere but she was very lucky that the wound grazed her head and she was not more seriously injured.

'Typically, Liz is putting a brave face on it - joking that it was like being attacked by Edward Scissorhands. Her carer suffered a broken finger and minor cuts was also taken to hospital after the attack. Ms Carr had never seen the man before and has no idea who he was. 

Ms Carr, who is also a stand-up comedian, has been in a wheelchair since she was seven after she was diagnosed with the rare condition, arthrogryposis multiplex congenita. In 2010, she entered into a civil partnership with her partner Jo, who is looking after her while she recovers. 

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: 'Police were called at 8.21pm on Thursday, August 10, to Euston Road, near to Euston station, to a reports of man attacking two women with scissors. 

'One of the victims was in a wheelchair. She was with her carer who was the second victim. 

'Officers and the London Ambulance Service attended the location. The two women were taken to hospital suffering minor cuts and subsequently discharged. 'A man - aged in his 20s - was arrested at the scene on suspicion of GBH. 

'He was taken into custody at a north London police station. He was subsequently detained under the Mental Health Act. Enquiries continue.

Police are not currently treating this as a hate crime, but will continue to speak to the victims. 

Charlie Gard's parents have announced they will use the £1.3 million donated by well-wishers to set up a 'Charlie Gard Foundation' to help other children with rare diseases. 

The cash was raised in barely more than two months, earlier this year, on a GoFundMe online appeal to raise money for his treatment.

Charlie's legacy will be to help other children after the cash donated by tens of thousands of people could not help him before he died last month.

His parents Chris Gard and Connie Yates said today: 'We feel that the foundation will be a lovely legacy for Charlie, and we hope that you will all continue to support us in honouring the life of our little warrior as he helps other poorly children and their families'. The couple had appealed for cash to cover Charlie's medical bills on a GoFundMe page more than six months ago. 

More than 84,000 people have donated money.

'Our beautiful Charlie has been blessed with hundreds of thousands of supporters from around the world. We are so incredibly grateful for all your continued love and support, and would like to take this opportunity to advise you of what we shall be doing with the money raised for Charlie's cause,' said the couple in a statement posted on a GoFundMe page. 'In the following weeks we will be setting up The Charlie Gard Foundation: a foundation that will help other children with mitochondrial diseases, and rare childhood illnesses.

'Too many children are losing their fight against rare medical conditions, which emphasises the need for more research, and we hope we can help deliver this through Charlie's foundation.

'We also intend on becoming a hub of information for parents that may find themselves in a situation like ours. There needs to be more clarity for parents about parental rights when it comes to making life-saving decisions about their children.

'Access to medical treatment, and expert clinicians, should never be denied if funds are available. We will be looking at ways in which we can help make things clearer for families and hospitals alike'. Charlie's plight saw thousands of supporters - known as Charlie's Army - lending their voices and money to see the child given treatment, with £1.35 million raised on an online fund-raising site. 

Grant Armstrong, for the family, told the High Court: 'Charlie has waited patiently and peacefully for his right to receive treatment to be realised. Sadly, due to the considerable delay…the window of opportunity has been lost for Charlie.'

'His legacy will be to support other young children and families faced with similar circumstances.'

A luxury car salesman who plotted a 'steal back' scam of nine cars worth more than £200,000 wept in court after he was jailed for five years.

Michael Daniels, the head of sales at the BMW Berry showroom in Chiswick, west London, kept a spare set of car keys after selling the vehicles to unwitting customers.

The 40-year-old then used the company database to find the addresses of his soon-to-be victims, and would then hand the spare keys over to accomplices Alex Tingle and Vincent Murphy.

Tingle and Murphy then traveled to the homes of new car owners and stole back the cars over a six-week period from December 2015 to February 2016.

The number plates on the stolen vehicles were changed and given to a man known as 'Ali' in a north west London car park, never to be seen again.

The court heard how one victim, Robert Mitchell, missed the birth of his daughter as he was was unable to make it to hospital after their car was stolen on Christmas eve, while another victim Nouman Hashmi said the theft left him and his wife unable to sleep. 

Police unraveled the criminal plot after identifying Tingle from CCTV footage of a BMW being stolen from a warehouse.  

Prosecutor Ben Holt told Isleworth Crown Court that Tingle, 28, confessed to the scam after being caught by police, which lead to the arrest of the mastermind of Daniels. 'He was providing a kit to Alex Tingle, which involved the keys and details of the victims, including the customers home address.

'Tingle and Murphy drove to the address with the keys and then drove away.

'Nine vehicles were stolen in total, to a value of £210,000.'

Judge Simon Davis said Daniels' plot was a 'horrendous breach of trust', adding: 'This was a conspiracy to steal high value motor cars from the BMW dealership in Chiswick.'

Tingle admitted to admitted conspiracy to steal motor vehicles and was jailed for two years. He also received two months concurrent for possession of Class A drugs. 

MPs are set to review the ‘bonkers’ Big Ben plan after claiming they didn’t know the famous bell would be silenced for four years.

Three Parliamentary committees are said to have agreed on the work before it was given final approval by the House of Commons Commission, chaired by Speaker John Bercow.

But last night MPs insisted they had no idea they were signing off on a plan that would silence the Great Bell’s bongs for four years because of health and safety concerns.

They expressed anger at the length of time allocated to refurbish the Elizabeth Tower, which will silence the bells to protect workers from hearing damage, with Tory MP Nicholas Soames saying: ‘Tell those poor little darlings to put headphones on.’

Brexit Secretary David Davis also waded into the row, saying that stopping the chimes was ‘mad’ and urging the Parliamentary estate’s authorities to ‘just get on with it’.

In the face of the growing revolt, Liberal Democrat MP Tom Brake, the spokesman for the Commons Commission, said he would ask for the plans to be reviewed. 

‘Following representations that have been made, I will ask the commission whether it will look again at whether more extended bell-ringing is an option that is both mechanically and financially viable.

‘Clearly there is a means of doing it (having the bells ring more often) because there is a commitment to ensuring the bells ring on New Year’s Eve. Mr Brake insisted that while the refurbishment plans had been brought before the commission, the specifics – such as Big Ben being silenced for four years – had not been discussed or signed off.

The plans to silence Big Ben, which has rung out reassuringly for more than 150 years, even during times of war, sparked an outcry when they were revealed on Monday. The £29 million, four-year facelift will repair cracked masonry in the Elizabeth Tower that houses Big Ben, while the clock mechanism will also be serviced. 

The bells will sound only on occasions such as New Year’s Eve and Remembrance Day.

The Parliamentary authorities said it would be ‘unacceptable’ to expose workers on scaffolding surrounding the tower to the noise of the chimes – and also ‘unacceptable’ for them to wear ear defenders. 

EU health and safety rules dictate that ear defenders can be used only as a last resort in the workplace.

But Mr Davis dismissed the health and safety concerns, telling LBC Radio: ‘I think it’s mad.

‘There’s a sort of rude phrase which I will shorten to “just get on with it”. When I was in business, it was my standard line – “just get on, just do it, don’t faff”.’

Mr Soames, the grandson of war-time prime minister Winston Churchill, added: ‘It is a tremendously defeatist decision in an age where the technology exists to recreate the sound of Big Ben completely authentically and on time.

Footage of the moment 12 people were killed by a falling tree during a religious festival on the Portuguese island of Madeira has emerged this afternoon.

At least 50 people were injured, including a baby in a pram, when the 200-year-old oak came down over dozens of revellers waiting to buy candles outside a church.

The incident took place at the Festa da Senhora do Monte, a festival celebrating the island's patron saint in Monte, a village near Madeira's capital Funchal.  

• At least twelve people dead and dozens injured at festival on Madeira
• Portuguese media reports more than 50 people injured, including a baby 
• A large tree fell down on a crowd outside a church after a mass.   Video filmed by a witness shows the crowd enjoying themselves before a large creaking noise can be heard, followed by moments of panic as the tree comes down, sending up a shower of dust and debris.
  Seconds later people - one man with a baby in his arms - could be seen sprinting for safety amid uncertainty at what had happened.
  Others who had loved ones near the spot where the tree came down could be seen running towards the scene of the tragedy.  The tree that came down is understood to be in an area where candles were being sold, meaning it was packed with people.  
  

  A witness who was selling candles near to the spot where the tree fell, told Portuguese TV station SIC: 'It felt like gunshots at first.

  'We just saw people trying to run away, jumping on top of others, and then the tree fell and I saw six people already lying motionless on the ground. It was something that will mark me for the rest of my life.

  'I only had time to run with all the panic. Some people were hit by others. It was terrible.  The local, who was not named, added: 'The procession was leaving the church and a lot of people were at the spot where the tree fell buying candles to follow the procession.
  

  'I would say hundreds of people were there.'

  Several people are said to have been taken to the island's Nelio Mendonca Hospital with 'fractures and head injuries.' 

  The traditional procession which forms part of the festival, held annually in celebration of the patron saint of Madeira -  Nossa Senhora do Monte - has been cancelled. 

  There is no information at this stage on the nationalities of the dead and injured, but the festival is known to attract an international crowd.