05.11.2009
Under siege
Entertainment reporter, BBC News
In a quiet, leafy and affluent suburb of London lies a house that is surrounded all day long by screaming teenage girls.
Its residents, Olly, Danyl, Lloyd, John, Edward, Rachel, Jamie, Lucie, Stacey and Joe are currently the UK's most famous aspiring pop stars.
All 10 of them are enjoying their overnight success, signing autographs, accepting gifts and having their picture taken, when leaving their current residency - which is, of course, The X Factor house.
With its address easily located on the internet it has quickly become the favourite place for bored teenagers to go during half-term.
But what started out as a bit of harmless fun became a little out of hand recently when police were called to keep crowds under control.
It made front page headlines, with claims that "pressure was mounting" on X Factor bosses to move the contestants to a new, secret location after locals complained of "noise and disturbance" and "girls flashing" at their heart-throbs.
"I got punched in the back of the head yesterday," admits 16-year-old Kadra Hosh, from Pinner, who has taken time off work to wait outside the house.
"Police were called and they bought barriers in after people started to get hurt. It's really aggressive, but I love it. It makes you want to come down even more."
Having made friends with other fans she insists it is a "really good experience" even if you do not get to meet any of the X Factor hopefuls.
Alana Robinson, 13, from Barnet agrees that the crowd surge has not put her off.
"I want to make them notice me, once they notice you, they will remember you"
Kadra Hosh, 16
"We were here on Monday and there was about a hundred people here.
"When Rachel and Lucie came out, everyone just ran. We got pushed into the side of a car and we almost got hit. It was a bit scary," she says.
Sophie Simmonds, 13, says when any of the finalists turn up, fans go crazy.
"We stand out and when they appear everyone screams and runs. They had to bring more police out to hold people back. It does get a bit dangerous.
"When Lloyd was here someone got pushed over and people were climbing over the fences. I think the atmosphere is a bit mad really," she says.
Waiting on a pavement all day takes its toll, as fans have no access to toilets or food and drink.
But for Hosh, that does not matter.
"I don't eat when I'm here because I don't want to leave," she says.
"I want to make them notice me, once they notice you, they will remember you. At the end of the day they're just normal people trying to make it big."
'Traffic issue'
Blankets and sheets have been hung inside the house to prevent anyone looking in - including the paparazzi.
But fans try to communicate by scribbling messages and hanging banners from the gates, unfailingly declaring love for their current favourite.
An X Factor spokeswoman said the show was "working with local residents and police to diminish disruption".
According to newspaper reports, Chinese Ambassador Madam Fu Ying - who reportedly lives on the same road as the contestants' house - has made an official complaint to the British government.
But a spokeswoman for the Chinese Embassy said she was "neither aware of the X Factor story nor the complaint".
Thirteen-year-old Theya Marks from Cockfosters has even come armed with gifts.
"We give them all presents and bake them cookies. We've come so may times, we've come for about 13 hours all together, they love us," she says.
It is not just teenage girls standing outside, however, but their mothers too.
Eleanor Marko, claims she is the official "taxi driver" to get her brood down to the house.
"I don't mind, it makes a change and it's free," she says.
"We haven't seen anyone, which is a bit of a disappointment."
"There's a bit of a traffic issue, but the children are very well behaved. I think it's a nice atmosphere"
ResidentLisa Lyons
Despite reports that local residents are getting irritated with the noise and litter the fans are making, Lisa Lyons, who lives opposite the house and is mother of seven, says she is enjoying the whole experience.
"It's not a problem at all. I think there are a few neighbours who are upset about it, but it hasn't upset me at all," she says.
"There's a bit of a traffic issue, but the children are very well behaved. I think it's a nice atmosphere.
"My son actually runs a shop here everyday, he sells drinks, chocolates and crisps and he's doing very well. He's giving a percentage to charity.
"It's good for the children, I've got two and they're very excited. But I'm glad I don't live next to the X Factor house.""
Neighbour Afsaneh Parveasy
Indeed the crowd, although very noisy, seem happy to obey the two security guards who have been employed to keep everyone out of the road.
But drivers, who refused to stop, beep their horns in annoyance as they pass the fans.
Mother-of-two Afsaneh Parveasy, who lives nearby, agrees the fans have "impacted" the residents.
"This is a quiet area so it's quite interesting to get this commotion going on, it's all rather ridiculous," she says.
"That road is never busy and we've had to park miles away - it has impacted us, but it's good for the children, I've got two and they're very excited.
"But I'm glad I don't live next to the X Factor house."
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03.11.2009
Bank branch sell-off for Scotland
Dozens of bank branches in Scotland are to be sold off as part of a major shake-up of the UK government-owned banking sector.
Assets being sold in Scotland include 185 Lloyds TSB branches, four branches of Cheltenham and Gloucester and the Intelligence Finance internet business.
The Royal Bank of Scotland will sell off its NatWest branches in Scotland.
It will also put on the market RBS Insurance, which operates the fourth biggest global card payment service.
Lloyds banking group said after the bank break up plan is completed it would be Scotland's biggest financial sector business employing 20,000 people.
Bank of Scotland, which has more than 300 branches, would remain part of the Lloyds banking group, which is 43.5%-owned by the government.
BANK BRANCH SELL-OFF- Lloyds TSB brand disappears and 185 Lloyds TSB branches in Scotland to be sold
- Four Scottish branches of Cheltenham and Gloucester for sale
- Intelligence Finance internet operation for sale
- Royal Bank of Scotland to sell off its branch network in England and Wales
- RBS's NatWest branches in Scotland for sale
- RBS Insurance for sale
Brian Taylor on political reaction
Views from Direct Line
Life and pension brand Scottish Widows would also remain part of Lloyds, as would Scottish Widows Investment Partnership and some specialist commercial financing operations.
The banking side of the slimmed-down Lloyds operation would be known as Bank of Scotland in Scotland, and Lloyds in England and Wales.
Lloyds said its registered office would remain at The Mound in Edinburgh
Chancellor Alistair Darling said that under the proposals, more private money was being put into Lloyds, reducing the government's potential liability to Lloyds by £260bn.
Both RBS and Lloyds have agreed to increase lending to businesses and property owners by a total of £39bn.
They have also agreed not to pay any bonuses to staff earning more than £39,000 for their performance in 2009, while board members will defer all their bonus payments for this year until 2012.
Shares in RBS fell 1.4% to 38 pence, well below the average price of 50.5p paid by the government for its stake in the bank.
Lloyds was up 5.9% at 90p, also below the 122.6p price the government took to bail out the bank.
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Doing the rounds
Pagers have for long been considered the doctor's sidekick but in the United States, as hospitals face pressure for greater efficiency, smartphones are taking over.
The emerging industry of smartphone health technologies has caught the attention of Apple and Research in Motion (RIM), maker of the BlackBerry phone, as they see an opportunity to push their devices further.
It is estimated that 64% of US doctors currently own smartphones, according to analyst firm Manhattan Research. The firm predicts the figure will rise to 81% by 2012 when mobile data access will be indispensable for medical professionals.
"Smartphones can help physicians consolidate the number of existing devices currently used in hospitals. As well as receiving and transmitting alerts and pages, they can also enhance the functionality by layering collaboration tools on top of pages or in reaction to alerts", says Brian Dolan, editor of MobiHealthNews.
Fast data
Many see the appeal of smartphones extends beyond replacing pagers. While most of the estimated 1,500 medical apps available are reference guides such as Epocrates - there are a growing number which provide access to patient data or lab results.
One such app, AirStrip OB, was show at the 2009 Apple Worldwide Developers' Conference. The app lets obstetricians access maternal and foetal data remotely on an iPhone or Blackberry. AirStrip Technologies says more than 100 hospitals are subscribed to its software suite across the US.
"When a doctor is temporarily away from the patient's bedside and a nurse needs them to look at this vital waveform data, or they want to proactively check on a patient, they can be on the system in under 10 seconds regardless of location," says Dr Cameron Powell, head of AirStrip.
Certain apps, such as mVisum, even allow ambulances to send EKG images and patient data directly to doctors' BlackBerrys ahead of their arrival at the hospital.
The Memorial Hermann Healthcare System in Texas is using iPhone medical apps throughout its 13 hospitals. Dr Robert Murphy, chief medical informatics officer, believes smartphone technology has improved quality of care throughout its locations.
"It is amazing how much this technology begins to change culture. When communications and information flow are limited, too often a culture of distrust develops. But with improved communications and information sharing, feelings of greater teamwork and collaboration soon follow."
Older patients
However, the rise of smartphone healthcare comes amid added concern about patient privacy. Although apps such as AirStrip OB and mVisum are approved by the FDA (The Food and Drugs Administration) and HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), some critics remain sceptical about data security.
"The problems are common to all mobile devices: encryption at rest on the device and in transit, and whether data on lost or stolen devices can be easily accessed," says Deborah Peel, founder of US watchdog organisation - Patient Privacy Rights.
On a practical level, smartphones can be very dirty in clinical settings as most cannot be easily disinfected. The smaller screen size also limits the type of data that can be viewed.
"Smartphones can replace pagers and some say laptops, but smartphones are not a panacea device for healthcare. Devices with larger screens are still needed for reviewing detailed diagnostic images and analyzing data. When it comes to quick reference and enhanced collaboration, however, other devices can't compete", says Mr Dolan from MobiHealthNews.
For now in the UK it seems the NHS is more concerned about seeing future smartphone use in community care rather than in hospitals.
"The devices could be very useful in the community for patients managing long term illnesses particularly those over the age of 75," said George McGinnis of NHS Connecting for Health. "But the technology needs to be highly adapted so it is more accessible for those who are not currently using smartphones."
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