“I don’t mind whether those feet in those boots are British, American or Afghan,” he said. “But we need more to have the persistent effect to give the people confidence in us. That’s the top line and bottom line.”Sir Richard also criticised the slow pace of bringing in new equipment. “We are building our resources up in terms of equipment,” he said. “It’s probably not moved as fast as I would have liked it to have moved. But we are increasing the numbers.“I would like to get more energy behind it if we possibly can.”Sir Richard, who is meeting troops on the frontline in Afghanistan, told BBC radio that British and American forces shared a pool of helicopters but he made clear that Britain was not putting enough in to meet its needs.

“There’s a pool and we share the assets. But we have got to put as much into the pool as we need to take out of it,” he said.The general said that travelling in an American helicopter was “part of the wider issue”, adding: “We are trying to broaden and widen our effect here, which is about people, it is about equipment and yes, of course, it’s about helicopters as well.”

Asked if David Cameron was correct to call the lack of helicopters “scandalous”, he said: “I don’t want to get into whether the Conservatives are right or not… but air mobility is a key enabler and I know the commanders need a lot of that.”General Dannatt said the “mark of success” was allowing Afghans to return to a normal life by providing security. But British deaths and injuries could not be avoided.

“It is a sad fact and part of the reality of this campaign that over the years every successive brigade that deployed has taken casualties,” he said. “When you push, inevitably there is a prospect of taking casualties.”Ministers were furious at reports that Sir Richard met Tory MPs last week and briefed them privately that 2,000 more troops were needed.It was claimed that Gordon Brown rejected a request made in March for the extra soldiers. No 10 denied, however, that any troops were refused on cost grounds and the head of the Armed Forces, Sir Jock Stirrup, has insisted that the current Afghanistan operation has all the troops and equipment needed.

“The UK Government is supporting Tony Blair’s candidature for president of the Council (of EU governments),” she told a press conference.Asked if the prospect of being Europe’s president had been discussed with Mr Blair, she said: “It is the Government’s position. I am sure they would not do that without asking him”.Speculation has been mounting for years that Mr Blair would be the obvious choice to represent the EU under the new arrangements. The post – with an undefined remit but with a mission to be the global face of the EU – would run for two and a half years and be renewable once.

That would give Mr Blair a possible five-year term to help shape the EU, chairing summits of EU leaders and setting the agenda in all key policy areas.Mr Blair has kept away from the debate about his future, aware that bidding too soon could scupper any chances of getting the necessary consensus amongst EU leaders.There would also be attacks from eurosceptics if there were official discussions about a job based on the assumption the controversial Lisbon treaty will come into force.

In any case, no formal announcement of a candidacy would be made until after the Irish referendum on the treaty in the autumn – and only if the voters say “yes”.Mrs Kinnock said Mr Blair would be a good choice because he was perceived by many as having the right qualities.She said: “He is someone with strength of character, status, people know who he is, and he could step into this new role with a lot of respect and he would be generally welcomed.”

Councils are already struggling with increased benefit payments and budget cuts in the recession. Westminster is planning to axe 270 staff posts to save £10 million with jobs going in planning, social care and accountancy.The council lost £17 million after investing in the collapsed Icelandic banking system.Paul Dimoldenberg, leader of the opposition Labour group at Westminster, said: “The council is already in a financial crisis and having to find an extra £400,000 will inevitably lead to a loss in services or cut in posts.

“There has been disquiet among residents because of the loss of pavement space. The problem is these things often get pushed through by Cabinet members without any proper discussion about what is best for the council or residents.”The bike stands are intended to be around 300 metres from each other. Camden and Westminster also want to refuse planning permission because they say the docking stations will be too close to homes, block entrances and damage tree roots.

A spokesman for TfL said: “We are surprised to hear these claims as there are a number of other boroughs who are keen to get involved. By working together we have sought to find the locations that will have the minimum impact on the space available to all road users.”Mr Johnson has pledged to spend £113 million this year on cycling facilities including 12 bike super-highways linking outer London to the centre.

This morning Jamie stumbled into a camp set up by two walkers in dense bush in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. He had not been seen since 3 July when he left his hostel in the town of Katoomba, New South Wales, for a 10-mile hike. He was wearing light clothing despite the biting winter winds and had just a day backpack. His father Richard Cass, who had flown to Australia to help with the search, was boarding a plane home when the call came saying he had been found.

Mr Cass said: “I gave a great shout, My boy’s been found’. He did think he was going to die. He was that scared. My heart goes out to the people of Australia for making him come back from the dead. When I’ve seen the mistake after mistake he’s made.”Mr Cass had already held a “closure ceremony” for his son, lighting a candle and burying a red rose “for England” in his memory. Two hours later Jamie was found.

“I thought he’s probably fallen off a cliff,” said Mr Cass, “I made a little shrine to him — I’ve defaced the national park with his name and his date of birth. He’s going to come back in about five years and see his gravestone’. His plans were to go to south-east Asia next but he can forget that now. He has put his mother through enough.”

The search had been hampered by thick fog and freezing temperatures. Four hundred people, including volunteers, were involved in the search which was described as “like searching for a needle in a haystack”. The Blue Mountains cover an area of about one million square miles. Jamie said he had given up hope that he would be rescued as search helicopters failed to spot him waving wildly at them. Mr Cass said: “He was kind of losing faith in the idea there was a God every time that helicopter flew over and he waved and shouted and nothing happened.”

Jamie’s mother, Jean Neale, 49, speaking at the family home, said: “I never gave up hoping. I always knew he would be coming home. I spoke to him in hospital and he said he didn’t think he’d ever see me again and he just wanted to hear my voice. He said that the only thing keeping him going out there was seeing me. He said he couldn’t bear not to see me again.”

The man’s 37-year old wife, arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and allowing or causing the death of a child, has been released with no further action.She worked as a 999 call operator for London Ambulance Service.A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “A 40-year old man from Erith has today been charged with the murder of a three-month-old boy who died in King’s College Hospital on Saturday October 25, 2008.

“The man has also been charged with grievous bodily harm towards both the deceased and his twin sister on Friday October 24, 2008.”A post-mortem examination gave cause of death as a head injury. The man is due to appear at Bexley Magistrates’ Court later today.”

Analysts believe that with BA’s so-called premium-paying passenger numbers down by 16% this year, the airline could axe business-class seats altogether from its loss-making short-haul services.Walsh said that will not happen on its Heathrow flights but conceded it might happen on other services. Asked specifically about cutting short-haul business class on Gatwick flights, Walsh said: “It is a possibility.”He refused to comment on how much money the airline will have to raise from City investors after chairman Martin Broughton said it is looking to raise cash via a convertible bond issue.

Broughton ruled out a rights issue because of “a number of key issues that need to be resolved over the next 12 months”.Walsh said the airline would be able to get away a convertible bond – debt which can convert into shares at a later date – irrespective of fears over summer strikes, whether BA advances on its attempts to merge with Spanish airline Iberia, or its pension fund deficit.The black hole in BA’s pension funds is now reckoned to total £3 billion.

“The deficits are huge and in the current climate the company will not be able to afford to increase its contributions,” said Broughton.”To make up the shortfall the company and the trustees must agree a revised funding plan.”Walsh was pilloried during the shareholder meeting for his “failed strategy” and for “talking down the airline”.He arrived to be greeted with workers’ placards stating: “Willie, time to head to the departure gate.”

Sweet of voice and so sweet of nature it hardly mattered that his every other word was “cool”, the dreadlocked 24-year-old glowed with his own musicality and rather than ask for audience participation, he politely insisted upon it. “Think of yourselves as pirates with rabies,” he helpfully suggested for Gone In The Morning.

In less inclusive hands, not playing an encore for a delighted crowd would have been a misstep but since he’d already explained “my problem with the encore system” at some length, everyone pottered off home charmed and seduced.

Flintoff had a cortisone injection to speed the recovery of the knee, the same one on which he had surgery after damaging it while playing for Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League in April.The injury is the latest in a long line of physical ailments which have plagued the all-rounder, either side of his heroic performance in the 2005 Ashes series.If Flintoff does not recover, fast bowler Steve Harmison is highly likely to play, while England will also consider including Ian Bell to strengthen a batting line-up which struggled to match the Australians in Cardiff.

Flower added: “Only Andrew Flintoff knows how his knee feels, so, along with him, the specialists will decide whether they think he can get through a Test match without injuring himself any further.“We have a number of fast bowlers who are fit and firing and ready to go. Steve Harmison is one of those.“He had a really good match playing for England Lions against Australia earlier this month and he also took five wickets for Durham against Yorkshire last week. He and Durham team-mate Graham Onions are both in form.

“We have to think about the balance of the side, the type of bowlers we want to play and we will make those decisions tomorrow.“If Freddie is unfit, we will have to consider six batsmen. It is an option but we are not sure yet whether it is one we will take up.”Flower also urged England’s top six batsmen to make better decisions when they are settled at the crease. Five of the top order reached 30 or more in the first innings in Cardiff, yet none of them managed a century and the top score was only Kevin Pietersen’s 69. Pietersen, in turn, was criticised for throwing his wicket away with an outrageous sweep shot and Flower said: “I speak to all our batsmen about shot selection. The decisions you make as a batsman are what determines the outcome of your innings.

“The technique and preparation is all well and good but making good decisions under pressure is all important.”Flower also hit back at the accusation by Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting that England wasted time under Andrew Strauss — by sending on the 12th man — as the clock ticked down at Sophia Gardens.He added: “Ponting is a great cricketer and a great man but on this occasion, I think he’s made a bit of a meal of it.

“I don’t like the sort of attention paid to this. I’m a bit surprised about the hullabaloo. There was no time wasting by us. Never did we consciously try to waste time.“There was genuine confusion about when the game would end.”

“I cried when I signed the memorial wall, but apart from that the atmosphere has been happy. London has become the focal point for all of his fans in Europe because of the concerts so it was important to be a part of this.”Last night would have been the first of 50 planned dates for his This is It comeback tour.Some of those at the O2 dressed in Jackson costumes spanning his 40-year career from red leather Thriller outfits to sequined military jackets and single white rhinestone gloves.

Michael Lewis, 25, a retail manager from Edmonton, dressed in full Jackson stage costume, spent more than £1,000 for concert tickets for seven dates.He said: “I’m a member of a fan club and we’ve been holding vigils outside HMV in Piccadilly Circus, but the 02 is now the real focus. I think there will fans meeting here for the whole of the 50 nights he was meant to perform.

“I didn’t see a single tear here. We’ve been dancing and singing. Remembering his music, but also all the good that he did.”A minute’s silence at 6.30pm marked the time when the doors to the concert would have opened. Fans also signed a memorial wall while impromptu performances were given on a stage as footage of Jackson was broadcast on television screens.

Leo King, 28, a business journalist from Kingston, took promoter AEG Live’s offer to trade in his £75 ticket for a souvenir version with a Jackson hologram rather than a refund.Mr King said: “I decided that if I didn’t go for the hologram ticket then I might regret it later. Like all fans I was very sad, but once you come to terms with it, you realise the legacy of great music and videos that he has left us.”