Bank of England will continue to produce animal fat £5 notes despite thousands of complaints by vegans and religious groups.

BoE said today that there were environmental risks to using the alternative, derived from palm oil, and that the government had ruled it too expensive.

Polymer banknotes were launched last year, with the Mint claiming they were more durable and harder to fake. But more than 130,000 people signed an online petition calling on the BoE to stop using animal products in the notes after it emerged that they contained small amounts of tallow, which comes from cows and sheep. 

Some Hindu temples and vegetarian cafes refused to accept the new five pound note which features war time Prime Minister Winston Churchill

A BoE spokesman said: 'The Bank fully recognises the concerns raised by members of the public and has not taken this decision lightly.'

The only alternative for its polymer banknotes was to use more expensive chemicals derived from palm oil, and that its suppliers were unable to commit to that in an environmentally friendly way. 

Britain's planned new polymer 20-pound and its 10-pound notes, which will be launched in September, are also affected by Thursday's announcement.  The BoE said that as well as the environmental concerns about palm oil, cost was a consideration: the switch would add about 16.5 million pounds ($21.45 million) to the cost of making bank notes over the next 10 years. 'Her Majesty's Treasury advised the Bank that it does not believe switching to palm oil derivatives would achieve value for money for taxpayer,' it said.

Britain's polymer bank notes typically contain less than 0.05 percent of animal products, the BoE said.

Donald Trump has been spotted playing golf at his vacation destination Wednesday while the nuclear crisis escalates with North Korea after his 'fire and fury' threat.

North Korea's state run news agency KCNA dismissed his warning as a 'load of nonsense' and said that only 'absolute force' can work on someone as 'bereft of reason' as Trump' as the country steams ahead with its plan to strike the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam by mid-August.

Pentagon chief James Mattis issued his own warning among the increasingly aggressive rhetoric, telling Kin Jong that he risks destroying his regime and his people if he attacks.

The magnitude of the nuclear crisis was underlined as one White House aide, Sebastian Gorka, compared it to the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Meanwhile, the president appeared to be unfazed by the escalating threat, as it was revealed to be on the course when his golfing companion, a New Jersey businessman, posted an Instagram picture saying their match had gone 'down to the 18th hole'.

Trump - who had tweeted that his 17-day stay at Bedminster, New Jersey, was not a vacation - did not have his game officially disclosed by the White House.

It is likely to fuel concerns over the response to the North Koreans' increasingly aggressive posture which in the space of 24 hours saw Trump and his Secretary of State Tillerson apparently at odds, and his Pentagon chief James Mattis revealed to have been initially out of the loop. 

Mattis weighed in with his own stern warning to North Korea on Wednesday afternoon - shortly before the Instagram image emerged - invoking the 'end' of its regime following President Trump's own admonition that Pyongyang's threats would bring 'fire and fury.'

• Trump was revealed to be golfing on Wednesday as the tense stand-off with North Korea escalated
• One adviser - aide Sebastian Gorka - compared it to the Cuban missile crisis but Trump was photographed on the course by a New Jersey businessman who said their game had gone to the 18th hole
• Defense Secretary James Mattis issued a statement referencing the potential 'end' to the DPRK regime 
• He touted 'the most precise, rehearsed and robust defensive and offensive capabilities on Earth' and said: 
• North Korea said it is 'carefully examining' a plan to strike Guam and it will be put in place once leader Kim Jong Un makes a decision
• North Korea's state run news agency dismissed Trump's 'fire and fury' warning as a 'load of nonsense' and said that only 'absolute force' can work on someone as 'bereft of reason' as Trump' 
• Threat came after Trump said that additional threats of violence against the U.S. 'will be met with the fire and the fury like the world has never seen'
• US officials believe Kim Jong-Un has built a miniaturized warhead for missiles and are ramping up their rhetoric in turn' Defense Intelligence officials say he now has 60 nuclear weapons in his arsenal  

Jeremy Vine has come under fire for alleging that the jogger who pushed a pedestrian into the path of a bus must have been a banker.

The BBC presenter was yesterday accused of trivialising the horrific attack and acting in ‘poor taste’, after he set up an online poll that encouraged people to guess the profession of the jogger.

Yet he only gave three options for the unidentified man’s job, all of which were from the financial sector, prompting criticism that he was being ‘prejudicial’, fuelling stereotypes and should remain ‘neutral’. Tory MP Andrew Bridgen described Vine’s tweet, which has since been deleted, as a ‘huge lack of judgment’, adding that he should not have used the Putney Bridge attack to start a ‘class war’.

Vine, who is on holiday from his Radio 2 lunchtime show, also faced criticism from his followers on social media who said the poll was ‘bad taste at best’, ‘very insulting’ and was not a suitable subject to approach with ‘frivolity’.

Police have launched an appeal to trace the attacker, who was caught on CCTV pushing a woman off the pavement of Putney Bridge into the path of a bus.

The 33-year-old woman had been on her way to work at the time of the attack, which took place on Putney Bridge in May, and only narrowly avoided being hit by the bus because the driver swerved out of the way.

Vine deleted the tweet after it had been online for four hours yesterday afternoon, but not before it had attracted over 100 comments and more than 1,000 votes. Bridgen told the Daily Mail: ‘I bet the attacker doesn’t earn as much as Jeremy Vine. The licence-fee payer would expect better from someone costing them around £15,000 a week.

‘That vicious and irresponsible attack, if it hadn’t been for the bus driver’s very quick actions, it is highly likely that woman would have either been severely injured or killed. If that bus had hit her head, that would have killed her. ‘It is not a matter to embark on a sort of class war, especially when you are earning £750,000-a-year.’

One of Vine’s __ followers on Twitter wrote: ‘A very insulting tweet to those in such professions, not all of whom will be consumed with their own self-righteousness, unlike yourself.’

Another commented: ‘If there is any attempt at irony in this bizarre tweet, it fails badly. It wouldn’t surprise (or disappoint) me if it got you sacked.’

A third wrote: ‘Or let’s guess his nationality, or religion?!?! Just as pointless, prejudicial & inflammatory.’

Last night, police said that the appeal had prompted a ‘huge response’ from the public since releasing the video on Tuesday.

Sgt Mat Knowles, of the Met Police, said his team was now following a number of ‘viable leads’ in their search for the jogger.

Prisoners should be able to use iPads to Skype their families from behind bars, a Government report recommends today.

They should also be considered for temporary release at Christmas to build relationships with their children, it says.

Tory peer Lord Farmer said job descriptions for guards should include 'developing personal relationships with their prisoners', with inmates given the chance to do face painting or play table football with their children during extended visits. The multi-millionaire hedge fund boss, who was ennobled by David Cameron after he donated millions to the party, said boosting links between offenders and their families reduces the likelihood of them reoffending when they are released. But last night critics branded it soft justice. The Ministry of Justice, which commissioned the review, last night said it had already started drawing up a plan on how to implement its recommendations. Justice Secretary David Lidington said: 'Families can play a significant role in supporting an offender and I am grateful to Lord Farmer for his dedication and research on this important issue. 'We are committed to transforming prisons into places of safety and reform and we recognise the need to provide those in our care with stable environments, and opportunities to change their behaviour.'

Lord Farmer said empty prison cells should be converted into rooms where inmates whose families are unable to visit are able to have Skype calls home. Alternatively prisoners could be given access to tablet computers, such as iPads, for the video calls, he suggested. The report called for more prisoners to be given the chance of temporary release so they are able to maintain family ties and prepare for life outside near the end of their sentences. Lord Farmer wrote: 'It would enable them to attend parent-teacher evenings and other meetings at their children's school…

'It also allows families to adjust to having the person around more and is particularly beneficial for children who may feel less comfortable around their parent after a long period of separation.'

He urged prison governors to consider how temporary release could be used for special occasions such as family birthdays or Christmas when children miss their parents most.

Prisons guards should be given annual refresher courses to help them understand 'family issues' that affect inmates, with a requirement for them to build bonds with them, the report said.

'Officer job descriptions must include developing personal relationships with their prisoners. 

Driving test examiners could be given body cameras following attacks by failed candidates.

Around 240 incidents of physical or verbal abuse were reported last year – up from approximately 180 in 2015, the Driver and Vehicle Standards agency (DVSA) said.

Attacks on all staff – including vehicle testers and roadside enforcement officers – rose by around 50 per cent to more than 300 over the same period. The DVSA has launched a crackdown as a result, including trialling body cameras for front-line staff. They will initially be given to roadside workers but could be rolled out to include driving test examiners if they prove effective, the agency said. Cameras are already used by many police forces to record their officers' interactions with the public.

The DVSA also pledged to make abusive learner drivers take their next test elsewhere and to refer all incidents of threats and physical assault to the police.

DVSA chief executive Gareth Llewellyn said: 'We do not tolerate anyone abusing, threatening or assaulting them. Whatever has happened, don't take it out on our staff. If you do, we'll press for the strongest possible penalties.'

 'Our message is clear - whatever has happened, don't take it out on our staff. If you do, we'll press for the strongest possible penalties.  RAC road safety spokesman Pete Williams said: 'Examiners at the DVSA play a vital role in ensuring the safety of drivers and vehicles on our roads on a daily basis.

'It's therefore disappointing to see such a marked increase in the level of verbal and physical abuse they are encountering from the very people they are trying to help.

'The majority of UK drivers and road users will wholeheartedly support a zero-tolerance approach to such behaviour.'

The DVSA said there have also been cases of vehicle examiners and roadside enforcement staff being bullied.

A driver and operator from a Shropshire scaffolding firm made a false claim against a DVSA employee who discovered offences relating to the recording of drivers' hours.

Wales traffic commissioner Nick Jones rejected the firm's accusation and concluded that the 'appalling behaviour' of the driver had been condoned by his 'irresponsible' employer, resulting in a 'significantly disproportionate' complaint made against an experienced traffic examiner, the DVSA reported.

Mr Jones said: 'My fellow traffic commissioners and I welcome the agency's campaign to tackle the unacceptable abuse which staff may face whilst carrying out their professional duties.' 

Police are closing in on the jogger who pushed a woman in front of a bus on Putney Bridge as responses flood into a public appeal.

Officers are following a number of lines of inquiry in their hunt, after releasing shocking CCTV footage of the man barging into the 33-year-old pedestrian.

The woman was lucky to escape serious injury after a bus driver swerved to avoid her on the bridge in south west london 

Today, the Metropolitan Police said that officers had received a 'good response' after calling for information on the incident. Police are closing in on the jogger who pushed a woman in front of a bus on Putney Bridge as responses flood into a public appeal.

Officers are following a number of lines of inquiry in their hunt, after releasing shocking CCTV footage of the man barging into the 33-year-old pedestrian.

The woman was lucky to escape serious injury after a bus driver swerved to avoid her on the bridge in south west london 

Today, the Metropolitan Police said that officers had received a 'good response' after calling for information on the incident. Officers also claimed the jogger ran the other way across the bridge around 15 minutes later and the victim attempted to speak to him, but 'he did not acknowledge her'.

The jogger is described as a white man, aged early to mid 30s, with brown eyes and short brown hair. He was wearing a light grey t-shirt and dark blue shorts.

Speaking earlier this week, sergeant Mat Knowles said: 'After he pushed her he ran across the bridge and 15 minutes later came back. 'By this time the members of the public who had helped the woman were gone and she tried to talk to him as he ran past her but he just ignored her.

'We believe he is from the Fulham area and she is from Putney.' 

'We are keen to speak to the jogger in the CCTV about what happened that morning. We would urge him or anyone who recognises him to get in touch with us as soon as possible.' 

A senior source from the bus company Go Ahead London said it was only down to the slow speed of the vehicle that the accident did not result in serious injury. 'It is just shocking, the entire top half of this woman was in the road very close to the bus's front tyres and this man just ran off. 

A 15-year-old aspiring architect was murdered on his way home with a samurai sword by a gang of balaclava-clad youths. 

Jermaine Goupall suffered multiple stab wounds at around 11pm last night after he spent a day with friends at the cinema.

Devastated family said the teenager was 'adored by his friends and relatives' and was popular in the community.

Witnesses claim the gang of thugs attacked Jermaine and a friend, repeatedly stabbing the teenager while the other boy hid beneath a car.  

It came just hours after another teenager, 19, was stabbed to death in Peckham with police launching murder investigations into both incidents. At the family home Jermaine's father Stanley, an electrical engineer, 50, said: 'Jermaine was a lovely person and adored by the community and his friends and family.

'Nobody had nothing bad to say about him, he had a good heart and was such a lovely boy. 'Jermaine would put everyone before himself and would help anyone.

'He was into badminton and was a great at swimming, he enjoyed sports and loved his cat Happy.

'He was very good at maths and wanted to be a gas engineer and had talked about being an architect, he was very talented.

'He was very kind hearted and liked to share. He was a sociable boy who was loved by everyone and could talk to everyone regardless of whether it was children or adults.

I'm doing this because I want the perpetrators to know what a lovely boy my son was.'

Tilisha Goupall, 25, Jermaine's sister said: 'Last night the police rang the door bell and before I had messaged him on Snapchat and he did not respond, usually he will respond and say where he is and usually we pick him up. 'The police came shortly after 11pm, he had been out with friends all day and had gone to the cinema and then went out for dinner at a restaurant, he was catching up with his friends and was on his way home when it happened.

'He had nothing to do with them and was in the wrong place at the wrong time, he was an innocent boy.'

Jermaine's friend Malachi, 14, added: 'He was a good person, into football and he was a good friend and cared for other people and was loved by many.