Latest news from around Britain
Wages: Thousands of cleaners at a London medical school claimed victory today after the contractor bowed to demands for a London living wage of £8.30 an hour from April next year.
Members of Unison working at St Georges Hospital Medical School secured the higher wage after a lengthy campaign.
The union said it had also concluded a "comprehensive" recognition deal with Ocean Facilities Services Ltd - the private cleaning contractor at the school.
Fraud: Three men were arrested today after fake coins totalling more than £4 million were discovered in a freight container.
The men were being held at a north London police station.
The Metropolitan Police, which uncovered the haul, believes it is the biggest of its kind recorded in Britain
Detectives said it was a "significant blow" to the crime gang behind the scam, but they warned some of the money produced may already be in circulation.
Officers have yet to identify where the coins were pressed.
Wages: Half of recent pay settlements in the public-sector have led to staff receiving no wage rise, it was revealed today.
A study of 29 public sector pay reviews due in April by XpertHR showed that just over half involved a wage freeze, covering 1.6 million council workers and more than 200,000 doctors and dentists.
In contrast a study of more than 150 deals in private firms in the quarter to April showed a median award of 2.5 per cent - 0.2 per cent higher than the same time last year.
Politics: Education Secretary Michael Gove came under pressure to reveal the content of a "secret" account he used to email his special adviser.
He denied using the account in the name of "Mrs Blurt" for messages dealing with government business in order to circumvent civil servants in the Department for Education.
He insisted on Thursday he used the account because he could not get to grips with his department's computer system.
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