British police, intelligence services and local councils made more than half a million requests to access the private telephone records and emails of citizens last year, according to an annual report of government surveillance released by the Interception of Communications Commissioner.

By Richard Garner THE MAJORITY of secondary-aged pupils no longer go to their nearest school, causing chaos on the roads every morning as they arrive by car, according to research published yesterday.

After 26 years of record increases in A-level passes, I believe Government ministers realise at last that the game is nearly up.

"Gordon is not interested in strutting his stuff on the show courts; he is quite happy to do it on the outer courts which makes him quite unique for a politician" Health Secretary Alan Johnson on Gordon Brown "I need my men to be stable, smart and sorted" Actress Jaime Murray imposes her standards "Bond is an industry.

By Maurice FITZMAURICE REALITY TV's latest venture is a show called Banged Up which, you guessed it, is about life in jail. Former Home Secretary David Blunkett is among the panel which will subject a few young lads "on the cusp of a life of crime" to the realities of the criminal justice system.