London cuts

A series of protests are due to take place across the country today against plans to cut benefits for social housing tenants who are considered to be living in a house which is too big for their needs.

Under the Government plans, social housing tenants deemed to have a spare bedroom stand to have their housing benefit cut from next month.

Protests against the so-called 'Bedroom Tax' are expected to take in 53 towns and cities including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Belfast and Glasgow.

What is 'Bedroom Tax'?

Londoners could soon be reporting crimes in Post Offices.

They join coffee shops and supermarkets as possible alternatives to the traditional police station.

They're all among the ideas being considered by the Met, as it deals with 500-million pounds of budget cuts.

More now from Ronke Phillips.

Deputy Mayor Stephen Greenhalgh says often people only go to police stations to hand in lost property, so Post Offices could provide a solution in providing police services, while cutting costs.

65 front counters face closure after police say fewer people are coming to stations in person. These are the least used facilities in London say the Met.

Post Offices are to trial a scheme to provide police services, as 65 police front desks face closure. The Met plan to sell 200 buildings, including New Scotland Yard, to save £500 million a year.

Deputy Mayor Stephen Greenhalgh said that the force is in early discussions to set up the pilot which will be introduced in 6 month's time. He said Post Office staff are ideal because they are security cleared, used to taking cash and some post offices also have secure rooms.

Parents of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan are to take part in protests up and down the country against plans to reduce the size of the army.

A protest is due to be held at the cenotaph in central London.

Demonstrations are also expected to be held at war memorials in cities including Glasgow, Leeds and Manchester on July 24th. The demonstrations have been organised by Dee Edwards, who set up the group Protest Against Ministry of Defence cuts.

On Thursday it was announced that the army will be cut from 102,000 to 82,000 personnel.

Dee said: "What the MoD are doing is completely wrong."What happens to all of these thousands of people when they are made redundant - how many more ex-soldiers are going to end up on the streets?

We will be holding the protests at 11am, the same time as Armistice Day is marked, to remember all the soldiers' lives who have been lost and to think about all the ones that could die in action in the future."

A final decision will be made later on the future of children's heart services at the Royal Brompton Hospital in Chelsea. The hospital says plans to shut the unit would threaten its whole future.

The officers are protesting against proposed changes to their pay and conditions.

Some 20,000 officers from all 43 forces across England and Wales are thought to be taking part in the first police march in the capital for more than four years.