The devastated father of murder victim Anni Dewani says he is determined to attend the trial of her husband Shrien in South Africa even though he knows hearing about his daughter's death will be "torture". Vinod Hindocha and his wife Nilam say even though they dread hearing details of their daughter's last moments, nothing can be worse than not knowing if her husband is a cold-hearted man who plotted to kill her on her honeymoon, a coward who left her behind with two killers as she begged for her life or a misunderstood Prince Charming. The family broke their silence to speak of their four-year ordeal ahead of the long awaited trial which starts on October 6 and is expected to last two months. Dewani faces charges that he arranged for a gunman to kill Anni, 28, in Cape Town in November 2010,two weeks after their lavish £200,000 wedding in Mumbai, India. Vinod, 65, told the Daily Mirror that he knows it will be difficult because he struggled in court as the 34-year-old Bristol businessman battled extradition to South Africa. But he says the family have waited a long time for answers to their questions and Anni's soul will not rest in peace until she gets justice. "When they are describing what happened, it is as if she was a piece of something, not a person. It is so painful to listen to," he told the Mirror. "Once we could not bear to hear what was being said, we had to walk out. "How could he have just left her behind with her killers in the car? In her final moments, she begged them: 'please don't kill us'. She was asking them to save them both, not just her life, which was typical of her. "Yet he had left behind his new bride, his wife, the most precious person in the world to him, with two men. Why would you do that? Because you believe your own life is worth more? "If this was a real robbery, why did he not simply offer them more? She was trying to hide her £15,000 ring. He could have said 'look, take this'." Dewani is accused of arranging the hit in Cape Town because he did not dare tell his traditional Hindu family he was gay. He denies the allegations. Her father has vowed to be in court every day even though the details will haunt him to his grave. He said: "This trial will be torture. We have gone through so much. I just hope we get closure and answers we have been looking for, for so many years. "I have been touched by the love people have for Anni. She is truly my daughter but also a daughter of the world. "Many people lose their lives in tragic circumstances every day. But it seems that people have been really moved by her death and remember her, refusing to let her memory die. That has helped us a lot." The family say even though Anni left home at 18, they spoke to her on the phone every day and her bedroom in Sweden still remains exactly as it was in her when she was a teenager. Her mother Nilam – in remission from cancer after radiotherapy – goes in every day to speak to her daughter and is waiting to find out if she will be fit enough for the 13-hour, 6,000 mile journey to South Africa for the case. Devout Hindu Nilam, 62, remembers her daughter as beautiful, generous and talented daughter and said: "Whenever she came, she would light up our house. She was like a magnet for people coming to visit, including her six cousins. "She loved life and her friends and was always talking about them." The family have not been in touch with the Dewani family since Shrien was accused of plotting her death but Nilam said: "Shrien rang me the day before my birthday – two weeks after she died – and said to me: 'You know if I go to South Africa, I won't come back'. It seemed strange but at that time we were not aware of evidence we now know." Gunman Xolile Mngeni was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of Anni's murder in 2012. Another man, Mziwamadoda Qwabe and the taxi's driver Zola Tongo, admitted being involved but they got lighter sentences in return for testimony against Mngeni and Dewani. After a long extradition battle the trial cannot come soon enough for Anni's family. Sister Ami Denborg, 37, says she now wishes she had made Anni call off the wedding after hearing of Dewani's controlling behaviour.

Ami, 37, told the Mirror: "I am going to listen and see everything even if they show pictures of Anni's body like they did in the Pistorius case. I know it is going to be painful. "I still watch the wedding video and enjoy seeing Anni dancing. But I have edited out Shrien. It reflects how we feel inside, just darkness."

The rising price of meat has seen livestock rustling increase by almost a third in the past year, with farmers reporting more than 90,000 sheep, cattle and pigs stolen.

The figure is up from around 70,000 thefts reported between 2012 and 2013 – a rise experts attribute to the increasing price of meat, as well as improved security on farm vehicles making livestock the easiest pickings.

Insurer NFU Mutual, which recorded the findings, said: "We see a close correlation between the price of commodities and the level of theft.

"In recent years we have seen thefts of metal rocket when scrap prices have been high, thefts of diesel from farm increases in line with oil price increases.

"Now the same thing appears to be happening with livestock.

"Because of the sharp rise, our 300 local offices are working closely with farmers and the police to tackle the problem.

"We're also calling for rural dwellers to keep an eye on sheep in fields near their homes and report and suspicious activity to local farmers or the police.

"Rustling is one of the world's oldest crimes. Since the first cavemen kept goats, rustling has been a feature of farming.

"However, the worrying trend today is that instead of small numbers of animals being taken in one attack, we are increasingly seeing very large numbers of sheep being stolen."

After a decade of livestock claims being reported at a very low level claims rocketed by a 107 per cent in 2011, increasing by 3.6 per cent in 2012 and 24 per cent in 2013.

British farmers reported 91,562 animals stolen during 2013, costing them an estimated #6.5 million.

Northern Ireland saw the highest rates of livestock theft, with over 33,894 sheep, pigs and cattle reported stolen.

The lowest number of thefts were recorded in the South East, with 790 animals taken, and East Anglia, where 1057 farm animals went missing.

NFU mutual discovered a 24.79 per cent increase in the crime over the 12 month period, with 73,370 thefts recorded in 2012.

The thefts have led to warnings from experts, urging people to consider where they buy their meat from.

The spokesperson for NFU mutual added: "NFU Mutual advises farmers and butchers buying stock to check livestock records and ear tags carefully to make sure they are not buying stolen animals.

"It also advises members of the public to be wary of buying meat from unusual sources because there may be health hazards as well as a risk they could be buying meat from rustled livestock.

"Preventing rustling is not as easy as putting a padlock on a building, or fitting a security system to a tractor, because you can't lock up livestock overnight or fit an immobiliser to them.

"However, there are a number of steps farmers can take to reduce the risk." 

A grandmother who contacted a BBC gardening show to identify a mysterious 5ft weed in her garden discovered she was growing cannabis.

Patricia Hewitson, 65, emailed photos of the large plant to her favourite program - ironically called 'The Potting Shed'.

But she was left stunned when experts replied to say the bothersome weed was actually cannabis - and the images had been forwarded on to POLICE.

Luckily Sarah Chesters and Pippa Quelch, presenters of the BBC Radio Devon show, explained officers had assured them she would not be in any trouble.

Mrs Hewitson, of Exmouth, Devon, has been advised by officers to cut up the plant and either compost it or take it to the police station or a recycling centre.

She said: "It was very small at first, about the size of a petunia, with only four leaves. But I watched it grow until it was as tall as me.

"As it got bigger and bigger I got nervous because it was starting to look a bit suspicious so I decided to contact The Potting Shed for help.

"They instantly confirmed that it was cannabis and they gave me all sorts of advice on how to dispose of it.

"Pippa and Sarah also sent on the pictures of the plant to Devon and Cornwall Police, although they didn't give them my details.

"The police got back in touch with Pippa and Sarah, letting them know that it did look like cannabis but that they wouldn't be pressing charges.

"I don't mind that they contacted the police, they had to do it. It put my mind to rest, knowing that I definitely wouldn't be prosecuted."

Mrs Hewitson and husband John, a retired marine biologist, wanted advice on the leafy bush that was taking over the garden and giving off a ''sickly sweet pong''.

The couple, who have two adult children and five grandchildren, first noticed the bushy plant sprouting in their flowerbeds in July.

Mrs Hewitson thinks it grew from a hemp seed which came from a 25 kilo bag of RSPB bird feed.

She said: ''I think a seed must have fallen out of my bird feeder and landed in the flowerbed.

"The plant has been in full view of passers-by but no-one has asked me to sell them any.

"We've been told we have to cut it up and either compost it, take it to the police station or take it up to the local recycling centre.

"My husband went through Wikipedia and apparently you need a fertilised female plant to produce something smokeable.

"When I lived in South Africa one of my patients was a Rastafarian and he use to grow the stuff. But I never expected to find them growing in dear old Devon."

Police have assured the retired health worker and her 70-year-old husband will not be prosecuted - so long as the marijuana is disposed of.

They have since chopped down and bagged up the cannabis ready for disposal.

Ms Chesters, a learning and education manager for the Royal Horticultural Society, was quoted by the BBC's website as saying: "It's quite common for bird seed to contain a huge variety of plant seed and cannabis has been known to come up from it."

Sgt Ryan Canning of Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed officers were taking no further action.

He said: "If you come into possession of an illegal drug such as cannabis, you must either destroy it or take it to a police officer.

"The lady has committed an offence although there are mitigating circumstances so we would not look to take it further although we would take it away."

These two stunning pictures show parts of the West Country at its best, as misty mornings at the weekend announced the arrival of autumn.

Clear skies are expected again tonight, bringing mist again tomorrow morning, but expect damper conditions and some rain as the week progresses. 

Police are hunting a 'mindless' thief who went for a 20-yard joyride in an ambulance, and then ran off with the keys.

Paramedics were called to treat a patient at a pub in Calne, Wiltshire, late on Saturday night, but while inside someone got in to the ambulance.

They drove it 20 yards down the road outside the Talbot pub in Calne, and then ran off with the keys.

"This was a mindless act which could have resulted in an extremely serious incident for the patient being treated," said PC Mel Neal, of Wiltshire police.

"The ambulance wasn't in use for the rest of the night which could have put other people's lives at risk too. We still haven't located the keys to the vehicle but someone will know who was involved in this incident and I would urge them to come forward."

The incident happened at 2am in the early hours of Sunday morning. Anyone with information is asked to contact PC Neal at Chippenham Police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be left anonymously.

Frome F1 driver Jenson Button is confident that he will be racing at McLaren next season, as the announcements of next year's drivers approaches. 

Despite retiring from Sunday's Singapore Grand Prix and failing to be classified at the end of a race for the first time in two years, the 34-year-old showed no qualms when asked about his fate for 2015.

Speaking to Press Association Sport, Button said: "I'm not worried in any way about that. I'm pretty happy I'll be here next year, and I feel I'm doing a good job right now.

"I just have to sort Saturdays (in qualifying) a bit more. I've been a bit unlucky and not got the best out of it every weekend, which annoys me more than anything else, but I'll get there."

Racing director Eric Boullier has revealed talks between himself and McLaren Group chairman and CEO Ron Dennis are moving on apace.

Earlier this month Dennis promised a definitive decision would be announced by the end of the season in Abu Dhabi in eight weeks' time.

"We make progress every day, although there is absolutely no plan to announce anybody yet," said Boullier.

"It's down to Ron and I, but Ron has the last call as the owner and chairman of the company, although when it comes to protocol it is the board that has the last call.

"But Ron and I generally agree. On this subject (of the drivers) we are quite transparent and open together.

"We have our view, and have some preferences in the timing, but we are okay on what we expect, what we want, where we want to go, and it's working okay."

With Honda coming on board as power-unit supplier next year, with the Japanese manufacturing giant replacing Mercedes, Button is already looking ahead as to the difficulties likely to be faced.

"I know Honda will be giving everything to be competitive from the word go," said Button.

"But Formula One is so competitive now, and Mercedes have done a great job.

"It's always going to be tricky to challenge someone like that who already have the experience of the engine.

"There will definitely be a learning curve."

Tom Henderson, the Cornwall-based founder of aid charity ShelterBox, has appeared at the Old Bailey on fraud charges.

Mr Henderson, 63 and from Helston, faces three counts of fraud by abuse of position, and a further count of the attempted theft of property.

He appeared in court with his son John Henderson, who also faces charges, and another co-accused, Darren Gervis, 41, of Beaminster in Dorset.

Tom Henderson is accused of one count of fraud by abuse of position in which he is alleged to have conspired with his son.

He is also charged with a similar count in which he is alleged to have conspired with his son and Gervis.

He faces a further charge of fraud by abuse of position in which he is alleged to have misused a credit card.

He is also charged with the attempted theft of property – 1,000 Vango tents belonging to ShelterBox.

John Henderson, 34, from Hayle, as well as being charged with the alleged joint offences with his father and Gervis, is charged with the theft of property, possession of a shotgun without a firearms certificate and possession of a firearm.

The case was adjourned until a further hearing at the same court on December 19.

All three were bailed until that date.

ShelterBox was founded in 2000 and has responded to more than 230 disasters and humanitarian crises in almost 90 different countries, according to its website.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of making explosives at his house in Trowbridge, after a tip-off from neighbours sparked a major police operation.

The 57-year-old man was later released on police bail but the house in Frome Road, near to the Clarendon Academy, was cordoned off as police officers and the army's Explosives Ordnance Department investigated.

It is understood they found a 'quantity of inert substances' which were recovered before the police cordon was later removed.

The police operation began during Friday evening and the all-clear was given later in the weekend. The man was later released on police bail, pending further inquiries.

A man charged with the murder of Swindon barman Tom Rogers has appeared in court.

Jason Voong, 27, from Swindon, appeared at Crown Court in Bristol charged with Mr Rogers' murder.

The 60-year-old barman was killed back in June. Voong was also charged with the attempted murder of Leanne James and appeared before the court earlier today.

He was remanded in custody to appear at a later date, yet to be fixed.

An image from Marilyn Monroe's first-ever photoshoot has sold at auction in Wiltshire for £4,250.

The picture, the negative and the copyright to the image, went under the hammer at Aldridge's in Devizes on Saturday.

The picture was taken when Monroe was still a brunette called Norma Jeane Baker, and worked in a munitions factory with dreams of becoming a model.

She was just 20 when she went to Blue Book modelling agency in Los Angeles, and they sent young photographer Joseph Jasgur to take her picture at the beach.

Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge said he was 'quite happy' with the sale price, and that the picture was very unusual because ownership including the copyright and negative.

The RSPCA has admitted it has to 'rebuild bridges' with the West's farming community after 'the damage done' by former chief executive Gavin Grant – but maintained that farmers involved in the badger cull would not be given its food welfare status.

The head of the Society's Freedom Food scheme, which farmers sign up to to prove they have high animal welfare standards, admitted they needed to work hard with farmers to regain their trust after a 'disastrous' two years.

The Freedom Food scheme is being rebranded and relaunched as 'RSPCA Assured' in the coming weeks, and part of the re-launch will involve restoring faith among the farming community that the RSPCA are on their side.

That was the admission by Freedom Food chief Jeremy Cooper, who admitted relations between the Society and farmers generally had taken a nosedive.

Under Gavin Grant's leadership, the RSPCA took on hunt prosecutions, vehemently opposed the badger cull, and Mr Grant even threatened to 'name and shame' farmers who were involved in the two cull zones in west Somerset and west Gloucestershire.

In an interview in the Farmers Guardian, Mr Cooper said the RSPCA was working to restore its relationship with farmers after the fractious past two years.

"It has not helped relationships full stop," Mr Cooper said. "I am conscious that historically some of the commentary which has come out of RSPCA was really not helpful.

"Everyone is entitled to their opinion but you have to be careful what you say and how you say it."

Mr Grant stood down as chief executive earlier this year on medical grounds. He has since been elected as a town councillor in his home town of Malmesbury, Wiltshire.

"We have some ground to repair and we are going to do that by having dialogue," said Mr Cooper. "Farmers will not come forward unless they can trust us and feel they are going to be listened to."

"Farmers do not go out to do a bad job. A lot do a damn good job. Most of these guys have been in business, not just 20-30 years, but generations," he said.

Senior NFU figures have begun meeting with the NFU to work on the relaunch of the Freedom Food scheme, but the Society's opposition to the badger cull – and the reiteration that any farmer involved in the cull will not be eligible for assured status – could continue to make things difficult.

"If a farmer was involved in shooting badgers that would be a non-compliance issue in terms of welfare standards," he said. "The RSPCA is very clear. Badgers need to be managed but I believe there are more humane ways of doing it. The current process of shooting does not work."

The NFU president, Meurig Raymond said an 'awful lot of damage' had been done to the relationship between farmers and the RSPCA, and it was 'totally out of order' that the revamped welfare assurance scheme still rejected the badger cull farmers. "It is Government policy, so when farmers are being threatened with withdrawal from Freedom Food because of the badger cull, that is totally out of order," he said.

"What I am picking up is the RSPCA believe they have to go back to basics to generate confidence in the farming community which they have lost in recent years," he added.

A man from Devizes has been jailed for making and distributing indecent images of children.

Thomas McKenzie Bassett was sentenced to 12 months in prison after being found guilty of a total of 12 offences at Salisbury Crown Court.

The 57-year-old from Devizes was found guilty of nine offences of making indecent photographs of children, two counts of possession of extreme pornographic images and one count of possession of an indecent photograph of a child between November 2011 and November 2012.

"Wiltshire Police treat every case involving the sexual exploitation of children extremely seriously," said DC Keith Harford, from Melksham CID.

"Bassett was convicted of making and distributing indecent images of children and we always felt that a jail sentence was the only option given the serious nature of the crime.

"Anyone wishing to report a crime should contact Wiltshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be left anonymously," he added.

The new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point is set to be given the go ahead by the European Commission after an agreement was announced between Brussels and the Government.

Sources said approval for the £16 billion plant in Somerset is expected in the next couple of weeks, clearing the way for the next phase of work on the project.

The Commission has been examining funding for the power station under state aid rules since December.

Antoine Colombani, EC spokesman for competition and for vice-president Joaquin Almunia, said: "Our discussions with the UK authorities have led to an agreement. On this basis, vice-president Almunia will propose to the college of commissioners to take a positive decision in this case. In principle a decision should be taken within this mandate."

A spokesman for energy giant EDF, which is building the power station, said: "Confirmation that vice-president Almunia recommends that the college of commissioners approve the agreement on Hinkley Point C is another positive step forward for this vital project.

"The process to gain approval continues in line with the expected timetable.

"This agreement between the UK Government and EDF for the first new nuclear power station in Britain since 1995 is fair and balanced for consumers and investors alike. The state aid investigation has been rigorous, robust and thorough and we expect that the college of commissioners will recognise this.

"Hinkley Point C is an important project which will deliver Europe-wide objectives, offering the prospect of reliable, secure and low-carbon electricity for many decades to come as well as boosting jobs and skills."

Greenpeace EU legal adviser Andrea Carta said: "If competition commissioner Almunia has backed state aid for Hinkley, it risks a backroom deal prevailing over the rule of law.

"Only a year ago the Commission said that Hinkley was 'in principle incompatible under EU state aid rules'. Now, under pressure from the UK Government and French nuclear operator EDF, the Commission is preparing to perform a U-turn.

"European Commissioners should oppose the plan and resist rushing through a controversial and far-reaching decision in the dying weeks of this Commission."

The Rector Bath Abbey, The Reverend Prebendary Edward Mason writes:

On Sunday afternoon, worship at Bath Abbey for close to 200 people was stopped. The loud music from the buskers started just after our 3.30pm Choral Evensong service began and was clearly audible during the Bible reading. It was impossible to continue.

The Bible reading talked quite clearly of the responsibility of leaders to care for those in their charge. I must take this seriously. Hundreds, even thousands in Bath, have their peace, prayer and remembrance blighted by buskers on a daily basis.

This wasn't a one-off or an isolated incident. Over the last two to three years, we have really tried. We have met with the buskers often, mostly at their meeting every day. We know many by name and have tried to build relationships based on trust. Together with the buskers, we have tried to establish a 'traffic-light' system with 'reds' indicating worship and 'greens' when noise is less of a problem, the majority are happy to keep to this.

Although it's a minority of buskers who deliberately flout this, it's a very loud and unreasonable minority who ruin it for everyone. Over the last couple of years, amplifiers are used more and more, the volume has increased and we are now at crisis point.

But this is not just about those few buskers and it's not just about the abbey. This is a whole Bath city centre problem. Ten years ago when I came there was no problem with buskers, they were all acoustic and it was fine.

But now they almost all have very powerful battery amps, and they are generally very loud.

We have suffered long enough, at times it's impossible for us to continue to work. We have had weddings and funerals disrupted and choir practices and services ruined on numerous occasions, not just yesterday afternoon for the 150-200 people in the Abbey who were there for the peace and solace of Choral Evensong.

The intrusive and escalating noise of the buskers is a city-wide issue – not just the Abbey's. It's a deep concern for the whole of Bath. Bath and North East Somerset council has taken a 'permissive approach' and this has meant that the whole of Bath city-centre is plagued from April to October by street music, without limit to the number of pitches, no limit to the noise, no control whatsoever.

I took the decision a few months ago to stop asking the buskers to play quietly or stop before a funeral or other service starts. What would happen would be that either I, or one of the members of staff or a volunteer would have to go out, and walk through the large crowd gathered, across the space and up to the busker and ask them.

Sometimes, the busker would be fine and understanding. Other times they might effectively say 'get stuffed', occasionally the busker has used his microphone to start a tirade against the person from the abbey for even asking, turning the crowd against them.

This isn't Bath Abbey against the buskers, in fact, I love buskers and busking, in the right context and the right volume. This is a problem for the whole city.

The council officers have always been courteous but they are under-staffed and say that the law can do nothing to protect us. A new anti-social behaviour law, enacted in March and coming in to force in October, may give the council powers to ban amplification in certain areas. These areas will have to be agreed by the local council following public consultation.

How do I feel? I feel like weeping. Truly. Weeping for a city ruined by the clamour of music. Weeping for choirs that are victims. Weeping for my staff subjected to music every day. Weeping that we human beings just cannot resolve conflict. (Let's not look at Syrians and condemn them when we can't even sort out music amicably!) Weeping for an Abbey that has had a superb ministry of peace, healing and quiet for hundreds of years and which is being subject to the violence of noise.

Bath Abbey is one of the most visited churches in the county and around half a million people use the Abbey per year for all types of reasons. Tens of thousands come to celebrate new birth, marriage, but also to seek solace and comfort in times of crisis, trouble or loss. In joy and sorrow, all are welcome.

Over the last two or three years, the use of amplifiers by buskers has massively increased. This means street musicians can play backing tracks loudly and the sound gets projected a long way, and so can be heard very clearly inside the Abbey.

Being a church, there are key moments in our week particularly on Sundays when it's important that there is quiet for prayers to be said and for services to take place, attended by hundreds of local residents and visitors.

This is a unique church in a unique setting and we are being hounded for eight hours a day, continuously by the same buskers, playing the same music, at the same volume day in and day out. We have had funerals, memorial services, weddings, graduations, and much more ambushed by buskers. It is simply terrible and threatening the work and the ministry of the Abbey.

Next week the funeral of teenager Sammuel Amin will be held in the Abbey. We just hope that it isn't ruined for his family, friends and the hundreds coming to pay their respects. Why is this something we need to even be worrying about?

Please pray for us as we try to resolve this issue.