Stuart Hall 'Poured Champagne On Plaything'

By Mike McCarthy, North of England Correspondent

Former broadcaster and convicted paedophile Stuart Hall exploited young girls and preyed on their vulnerability, a court has heard.

He is alleged to have raped his victims at BBC studios in Manchester and on one occasion to have poured champagne on to a young girl's naked body, treating her "as his plaything".

He is said to have sought her silence using a combination of emotional blackmail and manipulation.

The ex-BBC sports commentator is appearing at Preston Crown Court accused of raping and indecently assaulting two girls - one of them when she was under the age of 13.

Hall, 84, who presented TV show It's A Knockout in the 1970s, is said to have plied the girls with drink before taking advantage of them.

Prosecuting barrister Peter Wright QC told the jury: "You will hear of how he preyed upon their vulnerability and the trust reposed in him by them and also by their parents.

"It happened because each of them was, at the time, emotionally and physically extremely vulnerable by reason of their situation and age.

"These were young, impressionable teenagers being groomed by a sexual predator into satisfying his sexual requirements."

The jury heard one girl was raped when she was 14 after being invited by Hall to the BBC studios.

Mr Wright said the broadcaster, then aged 47, gave the girl cigarettes and plied her with alcohol. 

He told jurors: "This was not a mutually consensual act of intercourse between two people on an equal footing.

"This was a grown man exerting his influence and control over an impressionable and vulnerable young girl, intoxicated by his status and also by drink."

The alleged victim is said to have kept the abuse quiet until last year when she told her husband.

The court was told she went to the police only after her husband tried to blackmail her for money with the threat of telling her family.

Hall denies 15 charges of rape and five of indecent assault but has pleaded guilty to one charge of indecent assault.

The defendant was close to both the girls and their families.

The offences are alleged to have taken place between 1976 and 1981 but were only reported to police last year.

The court has heard the veteran broadcaster is currently serving a 30-month prison sentence following a separate case last year in which he admitted indecently assaulting 13 female victims.

Mr Wright argued Hall's previous offences demonstrate a pattern of behaviour in which Hall was "opportunistic and acted in a sexually predatory manner and was prepared to take considerable risk".

One of the alleged victims, now in her fifties, said she had gone along with the sex because she was drunk and felt flattered.

But she told the court:  "I don't think I was thinking straight at all.  I don't think I was thinking of anything other than I wanted to go home to be sick."

Hall's barrister Crispin Aylett QC argued that whatever his shortcomings his client was not a rapist.

He told the court:  "To people of a certain age, Stuart Hall will be known as the presenter of It's A Knockout, a good-natured TV programme in which members of the public cheerfully made fools of themselves on camera.

"To a younger generation of sports fans, you will know him as a rather flamboyant and eccentric football commentator.

"But to everyone now, Stuart Hall is simply a convicted paedophile who at the end of each court day goes back to his prison cell."

The trial continues.

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Killer Who Froze Body Living With Film Director

A former mortician who killed a rich widow has moved in with the Hollywood director who filmed the story of his grisly crime after being released from prison early.

Prosecutors agreed Bernie Tiede should not have to serve his full life sentence because he was sexually assaulted as a child and was in an abusive relationship with his victim, 81-year-old Marjorie Nugent.

Special Judge Diane DeVasto agreed to let Tiede live with Richard Linklater, who co-wrote and directed the 2012 black comedy Bernie, starring Jack Black, Matthew McConaughey and Shirley MacLaine.

The judge said the killer could stay in an apartment above a garage at a property in Austin, Texas, belonging to Linklater, who also directed Dazed and Confused and School of Rock.

Tiede, 55, met Nugent in 1990 at the funeral of her husband R.L. "Rod" Nugent, who made his fortune in oil and banking.

Linklater (R) with Bernie stars MacLaine, Black and McConaughey

The pair grew close and took trips around the world together, with Ms Nugent eventually signing a will, leaving her estimated $10m fortune to her younger companion.

The body of Ms Nugent, who disappeared in 1996, was found in a freezer at her Carthage home, wrapped in a sheet and surrounded by packs of frozen corn and pecans.

She had been shot in the back four times with a .22-calibre rifle.

Tiede became known around town for his generosity after Ms Nugent's death.

Local people said he started scholarships, pledged money to a church building campaign and ran a fundraising drive for Boy Scouts.

He also gave away large gifts, including several cars.

After Tiede was charged over the killing, pretrial publicity led to the case being moved to San Augustine, about 50 miles (81km) southeast of Carthage.

A jury there convicted him in 1999 and sentenced him to life behind bars.

Tiede was released on a $10,000 bond and strict conditions and will still face a theft charge for spending Ms Nugent's money after her death.

Psychiatrist Edward Gripon, who examined Tiede in January, testified that Tiede and Ms Nugent had a complex and abusive relationship.

He said those difficulties, combined with Tiede having been abused when he was younger, pushed him to kill Ms Nugent in a "brief dissociative episode".

He said: "He doesn't come across in examination at all as a person prone to violence. That set of circumstances ... is not going to recreate itself."

Nugent's granddaughter, Dallas lawyer Shanna Nugent, said her family "is pretty much in shock" over the development.

"I really wanted justice for Nanny," she said, using a pet name for her grandmother. "This doesn't really feel like justice."

District Attorney Danny Buck Davidson, who said he believes residents' opinion of Tiede has changed "180 degrees", called Tiede's release "bittersweet."

He said he had a duty, however, to act once it was clear other factors had led Tiede to kill.

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Boko Haram 'Kill Hundreds' In Nigeria Attack

Up to 300 people are reported to have been killed in the latest attack blamed on an Islamist group that abducted more than 200 schoolgirls and threatened to sell them at market.

Borno state senator Ahmed Khalifa Zanna told Sky News hundreds of people were reported to have been killed in the northeastern Nigerian town of Gamboru Ngala by armed men believed to be from Boko Haram.

He said the suspected militants opened fire on residents, before burning down numerous shops and businesses in the town near the Cameroon border.

Mr Zanna is also reported as saying the town was left unguarded after soldiers were moved to join the hunt for the 276 girls who went missing from a boarding school in the village of Chibok in Borno state, north Nigeria, on April 14.

A further 11 girls, aged 12 to 15, were taken from the northeastern village of Warabe on Tuesday.

Most of the girls were taken from the village of Chibok

Boko Haram's leader Abubakar Shekau claimed responsibility for the mass abduction in a video, in which he also threatened to sell the girls "on the market".

It was not immediately clear whether the video was recorded before or after reports emerged that some girls had been trafficked into neighbouring Chad and Cameroon.

Mr Zanna told Sky News he did not believe any of the girls have yet been sold, but had heard information that some have been passed to Cameroon for marriage.

Relatives and campaigners have staged regular protests and launched a social media appeal, under the banner "Bring Back Our Girls," which calls on the government to do more.

Abubakar Shekau threatened to sell the girls "on the market"

The British Government said it would send a small team of experts, possibly including military officers, to assist with the search.

The group will concentrate on planning, co-ordination and advice rather than taking in part in operations to free the girls on the ground. 

The US said on Tuesday it would deploy military personnel and FBI officials with expertise in hostage negotiations.

But Foreign Secretary William Hague told Sky News that, some three weeks after the abduction, search efforts could prove difficult.

"It is a desperate situation for the girls involved, it just shows the nature of this terrorist organisation Boko Haram," he said.

"It's difficult of course because this is primarily a matter for Nigeria and Britain can't just walk in there ... and do as we like.

Protesters have called on the Nigerian government to do more

"It's very frustrating when the world can't act to deal with these things promptly because the trail goes cold of course after several weeks."

Nigerian police have announced a 50m Nigerian naira (£182,000) reward for credible information leading to the location and rescue of the female students.

Meanwhile US President Barack Obama has pledged to do "everything we can" to help rescue the youngsters.

Boko Haram, whose name means 'Western education is sinful,' has fought a five-year insurgency against the Nigerian government and hopes to carve out an Islamic state in northern Nigeria.

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Miley Cyrus Rejects Drug Claims At London Gig

Miley Cyrus has rejected claims she took a drug overdose, as her UK tour got off to a provocative and controversial start.

The Wrecking Ball singer boasted about her fine physical health after a sinus infection and an allergic reaction to an antibiotic forced her to cancel shows in the US.

At an energetic press conference before the first show at The O2 in London, the 21-year-old said she was "the poster child for good health" and promised to "f*** this place up".

Cyrus set the tone for her show when she arrived on stage by descending down a long, pink slide resembling her tongue, which was protruding from a giant image of her face.

Cyrus enters the stage at The O2 arena

"Hello, mother f*****s! I'm not going down without a motherf*****g fight!" she yelled, wearing a silver one-piece with a stick-on pair of lips.

Cyrus, who went sightseeing before the concert, then launched into the tour's opening song, SMS (Bangerz), accompanied by a pantomime horse, a dwarf and a troupe of dancers.

Many in the predominantly young crowd mouthed along to her songs but some parents were left unimpressed with Cyrus' antics.

She slapped herself in an intimate area, simulated foreplay on a bed with a dancer and showered fans in the first few rows with gargled water.

Some parents were unimpressed with what they saw at the concert

Cyrus also reportedly discussed drugs during the show.

A father who went with his 15-year-old son said: "It would be different if it was a good show. But it's not even a good show."

"She's lost the plot," another said.

The set included a peculiar interlude featuring a black and white film of an almost-naked Cyrus pulling faces set to British band Alt-J's Fitzpleasure.

She then returned to a satellite stage and took a selfie.

Cyrus promised to "f*** this place up" before her performance

Cyrus then tried her hand at a number of covers, putting her own stamp on songs from the Arctic Monkeys, Bob Dylan and her godmother, Dolly Parton.

The finale featured Cyrus soaring over the stage attached to "the biggest wiener in London" - a reference to an inflatable hot dog.

The encore included Cyrus' biggest hits, UK chart-toppers We Can't Stop and Wrecking Ball, followed by Party in the USA.

For her closing number, she altered the lyrics to reflect her location and wore a Union flag one-piece.

Cyrus' next gig is in Leeds on Saturday, followed by performances in Glasgow, Manchester and Birmingham.

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Madeleine McCann: 'UK Police Searches Refused'

Madeleine: Key Events Timeline

Updated: 12:46pm UK, Tuesday 06 May 2014

Here is a timeline of the key events since Madeleine McCann's disappearance.

2007

:: May 3 - Kate and Gerry McCann leave their three children asleep in their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz while they dine with friends at a nearby tapas restaurant.

Jane Tanner, one of the friends eating with the McCanns, later reports seeing a man carrying a child away earlier that night.

:: May 5 - Portuguese police reveal they believe Madeleine was abducted but is still alive and in Portugal, and say they have a sketch of a suspect.

:: May 14 - Detectives take Anglo-Portuguese man Robert Murat in for questioning and make him an "arguido", or official suspect.

:: May 25 - Detectives release a description of the man reported by Jane Tanner three weeks earlier after pressure from the McCanns, their legal team and the British Government.

:: May 30 - Mr and Mrs McCann meet the Pope in Rome in the first of a series of trips around Europe and beyond to highlight the search for their daughter.

:: August 6 - A Portuguese newspaper reports that British sniffer dogs have found traces of blood on a wall in the McCanns' holiday apartment.

:: August 11 - Exactly 100 days after Madeleine disappeared, investigating officers publicly acknowledge for the first time that she could be dead.

:: September 7 - During further questioning of Mr and Mrs McCann, detectives make them both "arguidos" in their daughter's disappearance.

:: September 9 - The McCanns fly back to England with their two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie.

:: October 2 - Goncalo Amaral, the detective in charge of the inquiry, is removed from the case after criticising the British police in a Portuguese newspaper interview.

:: October 25 - The McCanns release a new artist's impression drawn by an FBI-trained expert showing the man described by Jane Tanner.

2008

:: March 19 - Mr and Mrs McCann accept £550,000 libel damages and front-page apologies from Express Newspapers over allegations they were responsible for Madeleine's death.

:: April 7 - Three Portuguese detectives, led by Paulo Rebelo, fly to Britain to re-interview the seven friends on holiday with the McCanns when Madeleine vanished.

:: July 17 - Mr Murat receives £600,000 in libel damages from four newspaper groups over "seriously defamatory" articles connecting him with the child's disappearance.

:: July 21 - The Portuguese authorities shelve their investigation and lift the "arguido" status of the McCanns and Mr Murat.

:: August 4 - Thousands of pages of evidence from the Portuguese police files in the exhaustive investigation into Madeleine's disappearance are made public.

2009

:: January 13 - Mr McCann returns to Portugal for the first time since coming back to the UK without his daughter.

:: March 24 - The McCanns launch a localised new appeal for information focused on the area in the Algarve where Madeleine disappeared.

:: April 4 - Mr McCann goes back to Portugal to help film a reconstruction of the events on the night his daughter vanished.

:: April 22 - The McCanns fly to the US to record an interview with chat show host Oprah Winfrey to mark two years since Madeleine's disappearance.

:: June 14 - Dying paedophile Raymond Hewlett says he was in the Algarve when Madeleine disappeared and has an alibi - but has no plans to reveal it.

:: August 6 - Detectives say they are hunting a "Victoria Beckham lookalike" with an Australian or New Zealand accent, reportedly seen in Barcelona three days after the little girl went missing.

2010

:: Feb 18 -  Kate and Gerry McCann say they are "pleased and relieved" at a judge's decision to uphold a ban on a book by former detective Goncalo Amaral.

:: Mar 3 -  A newly-released file from Portugese police on possible sightings is called "gold dust" and could lead to a breakthrough, says a spokesman for the McCanns.

:: May 1 - Kate McCann reveals she had thoughts about being "wiped out" in a motorway crash to end the pain of losing Madeleine - but vows never to give up.

:: November 10 - Madeleine's parents launch an online petition to help force a UK and Portuguese joint review of all evidence in the case.

:: November 15 -  The McCanns sign a deal to write a book about their daughter's disappearance.

2011

:: May 13 - The Prime Minister David Cameron asks London's Metropolitan Police to help investigate the case.

:: November 23 - Kate and Gerry McCann appear at the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics.

They tell how media pressure affected their family life and accuse newspaper editors of hampering the search for their missing daughter.

Kate McCann says she felt "violated" when her diary was published without her permission.

:: December 5 - Scotland Yard detectives spend time in Barcelona as part of their re-examination of the case.

2012

:: March 9 - Portuguese police in Oporto launch a review of the original investigation.

:: April 26 - Scotland Yard says Madeleine McCann may still be alive and release an artist's impression of what she may look like as a nine-year-old.

:: July 6 - British detectives examine a claim that the little girl's body is buried near the apartment from where she vanished. It comes after a self-styled investigator sends police radar scans he claims show a burial site.

2013

:: February 11 - Gerry McCann calls for politicians to implement the conclusions of the Leveson Inquiry in full, backed by legislation.

:: February 13 - Police say the results of DNA tests on a girl in New Zealand who was mistaken for Madeleine reveal that she is not the missing British girl.

:: February 21 - Retired solicitor Tony Bennett who published claims that Madeleine McCann's parents caused her death is given a suspended jail sentence.

:: May 2 - Madeleine McCann's parents tell Sky News a police review into their daughter's disappearance is making "excellent progress" as they mark the sixth anniversary since she went missing.

:: May 17 - Scotland Yard say they have identified a number of "people of interest" they want to speak to. It believes it has found enough evidence to reopen the case but the Portuguese authorities are still resistant. 

:: June 15 - The Home Office agrees to fund a full-scale investigation by the Metropolitan Police.

:: October 13 - UK detectives reviewing the case say key details in the timeline of her disappearance have "significantly changed".

:: October 14 - A fresh appeal is launched in a bid to find a suspect detectives say is of "vital importance", with two new separate e-fits - thought to be of the same man seen on the night Madeleine went missing - released by police.

:: October 17 - Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, who is leading the Scotland Yard team, Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, and Mr and Mrs McCann meet officers in Lisbon to be briefed on the Portuguese case.

:: October 23 - Britain's most senior police officer Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe defends the way the Portuguese dealt with the initial investigation into Madeleine's disappearance, saying it would have been "very difficult" to immediately know if they were dealing with a serious crime.

:: October 24 - Detectives in Portugal reopen the investigation into Madeleine McCann's disappearance after an internal review uncovers new lines of inquiry and witnesses who were never questioned during the original Portuguese investigation.

2014

:: January 3 - A family source says Kate and Gerry McCann have been denied permission to give evidence at a Portuguese libel trial over a book about the case by former local police chief Goncalo Amaral.

:: January 13 - British police investigate three burglars who were in the area when Madeleine disappeared, and whose phones were apparently "red hot" after she went missing. A letter is sent to Portuguese police asking for help to track them down.

:: January 29 - Scotland Yard officers, including the detective leading the case, fly to Portugal to meet police there and discuss the latest developments.

:: March 19 - Officers from Operation Grange launch a search for a man who sexually assaulted five British girls in the Algarve between 2004 and 2006.

:: April 23 - Detectives identify five new cases where a lone intruder abused young British girls in holiday apartments in the Algarve.

:: May 1 - Kate and Gerry McCann give an interview to Sky News where they are desperate to find out what happened to Madeleine, even if it is the "worst case scenario" as they back calls for a Child Rescue Alert service similar to the Amber Alert system in the US.

:: May 6 - Scotland Yard plans to dig for evidence in three locations in Praia da Luz are approved, with officers set to use ground penetrating radar.

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Australia Shark Cull: More Than 170 Caught

By Jonathan Samuels, Australia Correspondent

More than 170 sharks have been caught off the coast of Western Australia as part of a controversial policy to reduce attacks on humans.

Between January 25 and April 30, 50 of the biggest sharks caught by baited lines were killed. However, none was a great white, which are thought to be responsible for the spate of human fatalities which prompted the cull.

Seven people have been killed in the last three years. The largest shark was caught in February at the popular Floreat Beach and measured four-and-a-half metres.

Western Australia's Fisheries Minister Ken Baston has called the shark mitigation policy a success, saying: "While, of course, we will never know if any of the sharks caught would have harmed a person, this government will always place greatest value on human life."

Protests earlier this year against Western Australia's shark cull

The programme is part of the WA government's $22m (£12m) shark policy, which includes aerial and jet-ski patrols, rapid-response initiatives, research, and the Surf Life Saving WA Twitter feed, a service which alerts people when tagged sharks are near popular beaches.

But the Labor opposition fisheries spokesman, Dave Kelly, told the ABC the policy was far from successful.

"The policy is very unpopular, it has hardly caught any of the sharks it was destined to catch and the Government hasn't produced any scientific evidence to say the policy is working," he said.

Figures also showed there were fewer beach closures in 2013-2014 due to shark sightings,  when it fell to 93 from 131 closures in 2012-13, the minister said.

The state government hopes to extend the programme for another three years, but activists have vowed to keep up the pressure on the scheme.

Various high-profile celebrities including Ricky Gervais have given their support to the anti-cull message.

Environmentalists believe there are better ways of reducing attacks, that the policy is cruel and that it may even cause more harm to humans, with the bait encouraging sharks to swim closer to shore.

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Single Punch Killer's Sentence 'Not Lenient'

The four-year sentence given to a man who killed an Asperger's sufferer in an unprovoked attack was not "unduly lenient", appeal court judges have ruled.

Andrew Young, 40, died after being punched once in the head by Lewis Gill in Dorset on November 6 last year.

Gill, now 21, was jailed in February at Salisbury Crown Court but the sentence was referred to the court of appeal by Attorney General Dominic Grieve, who argued it did not reflect the gravity of his actions.

However, three judges ruled there should not be any change to the sentence.

Lord Justice Treacy said: "We have concluded the sentence imposed is not one which can be described as unduly lenient.

Lewis Gill was jailed for four years

"Indeed, it seems to us the sentence imposed was one within the reasonable range available to the trial judge, properly weighing the relevant factors and the guidance of this court."

The graphic design student, who previously trained as a boxer, was also sentenced to a further three months for handling stolen goods and another three months for committing an offence while serving a suspended sentence.

Those sentences were not considered at the hearing.

CCTV footage showed Mr Young challenging a cyclist who was riding his bike on pavement.

After a discussion between the two, Gill, who knew the cyclist, approached both men.

When the cyclist rode off, Gill turned to follow him before lunging towards Mr Young and punching him in the head.

Mr Young then fell backwards, hitting his head on the ground.

He suffered a fractured skull and later died in Southampton Hospital.

The attack took place outside a Tesco Metro store in Charminster Road, Bournemouth.

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Skull Cracker: Police Catch Michael Wheatley

The hunt for escaped prisoner Michael Wheatley has ended after police captured the convicted armed robber.

The 55-year-old, who earned his nickname for pistol-whipping victims, was being sought following his failure to return to HMP Standford Hill - an open prison on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent - after being temporarily released.

But a statement issued by Kent Police said the force had, in partnership with officers from the Metropolitan Police, arrested two men in east London on suspicion of conspiracy to commit armed robbery.

The statement said the pair, aged 55 and 53, were arrested in the Tower Hamlets area and are now in police custody.

It added the 55-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of being unlawfully at large.

The scene of the building society armed robbery

Detective Chief Inspector Ann Lisseman said: "We're no longer looking for Michael Wheatley. We'd like to thank our colleagues at the Metropolitan Police and Surrey Police, as well as the public, for their assistance with our enquiries."

The arrests come after an armed robbery on Chelsea Building Society in Sunbury-on-Thames on Wednesday morning.

Wheatley was first jailed in the 1980s for nine years for a post office raid but escaped in 1988 when he was given permission to go to hospital and did not return.

He then carried out nine armed robberies and was jailed again in 1989.

Three years later, authorities released him to go to the optician and he went on the run again, carrying out eight robberies for which he was jailed for seven years.

He was released on parole in 2001 and within weeks was staging a series of raids on banks.

Prosecutors said he returned to a life of crime after a relationship with a woman he met while in custody ran into trouble, and she spent his money and ran up debts.

During his trial at the Old Bailey it emerged that, when asked his occupation by a custody officer, he had replied: "Armed robber."

Wheatley was ordered to serve 13 life sentences in 2002, with a minimum term of eight years.

There had been a confirmed sighting of him in Twickenham on Monday.

Several homes were searched but he was not found.

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Police Dog Savages Shirtless Man On Video

An investigation has been launched after a police dog attacked a shirtless man lying on the ground in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset.

The dog launched itself at the man and dragged him along the street after gripping his neck between its teeth in the early hours of Monday morning.

The 28-year-old had been arrested on suspicion of assaulting two police officers and causing criminal damage.

A police handle restrains the dog in Weston-super-Mare

Onlookers captured the incident on phones and one woman can be heard saying: "Oh my God, it's biting his head."

Louisa Rolfe, the assistant chief constable of Avon and Somerset Police, said: "I have watched the YouTube clip featuring one of our police dogs and I think it's awful.

"It's only a few seconds long and doesn't show what led up to the arrest, nor the aftermath. A full investigation is taking place to understand exactly what happened.

"The officer was transferred to other duties whilst the investigation takes place and we are referring the matter to the Independent Police Complaints Commission today. 

Witnesses film the dog throwing itself at the 28-year-old

"It's our policy to be as open and transparent as possible. It would be wrong to comment on a live IPCC investigation but I can assure the public of the rigorous standards expected of our dogs and their handlers.

"The events surrounding this particular incident will be closely scrutinised to see what we can learn from it.

"We are appealing for anyone who saw this incident to call our professional standards department via the 24-hour police enquiry centre on 101."

The video was uploaded to social media by student Kerri Claydon.

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Russian Forces 'Withdraw From Ukraine Border'

President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia has withdrawn its forces from its border with east Ukraine.

Mr Putin also called on separatists in east Ukraine to postpone a referendum on independence for the mostly Russian-speaking region.

His call comes five days before the vote on secession is due to take place.

Several towns and cities in east Ukraine have come under the control of separatists, who are seeking independence from Kiev.

There have been reports that up to 40,000 Russian troops, complete with heavy armour and fighter planes, have been massing on the Ukrainian border.

Russia issued a series of warnings to Ukraine that any action against people living within its borders would be regarded as a 'crime'.

Ukrainian forces outside the rebel held stronghold of Slavyansk

Ukrainian forces, meanwhile, have been battling to wrestle back control of the occupied towns.

The Russian leader said: "We call on the representatives of southeastern Ukraine, the supporters of the federalisation of the country, to postpone the referendum planned for May 11.

"We're always being told that our forces on the Ukrainian border are a concern. We have withdrawn them.

"Today they are not on the Ukrainian border, they are in places where they conduct their regular tasks on training grounds."

He made his comments after talks with the head of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), who said a "road map" would soon be put forward to defuse the Ukraine crisis.

The Pentagon and Nato both said they had no indication Russian military forces had withdrawn from the Ukraine border as yet. 

A flag burns outside Mariupol city hall, which is back under rebel control

Wednesday's announcement by Mr Putin was the first sign the Kremlin leader would not endorse the rebels' referendum planned for Sunday.

It was hailed as a breakthrough in what has been regarded as the worst crisis between East and West since the Cold War. 

One of the separatist leaders said they would consider the Russian leader's call.

Denis Pushilin, in Donetsk, a city of one million people which rebels have proclaimed the capital of an independent 'People's Republic', said: "We have the utmost respect for President Putin.

"If he considers that necessary, we will of course discuss it."

Foreign Secretary William Hague, who is holding talks in Kiev with the country's leaders, told Sky News the rebels' referendum was an attempt to "disrupt" national elections that are being held in Ukraine on May 25.

Nato's top military commander said earlier it may deploy troops permanently in parts of Eastern Europe due to the increased tensions between Russia and Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces withdrew from Mariupol city hall after a night of heavy fighting saw them recapture the rebel-held building.

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