A young father has died after being bitten on the elbow by a Staffordshire bull terrier as he walked to work.

Secondary School Tables 2009

A self-styled "sex cult master" who walked girlfriends around on a dog lead was jailed for three years yesterday for forcing his lover to sleep with other men.

Switzerland set to back radical plan to help addicts

He drank beers from the mini-bar, watched DVDs and did his best to convince his worried family that everything was all right. Then, having received the all-clear after spending 41 hours barricaded inside his hotel room, Paul Archer made plans to return again to India next week.

A pervert who made an obscene suggestion to a woman walking in a park was savaged by her Alsatian.

Walk of the Month: Walk one of Yorkshire's most dynamic waterways, says Mark Rowe

A helpline for victims has been inundated with callers. Jerome Taylor was given exclusive access to their harrowing stories

Forget Durham's image as a place for Oxbridge rejects to read Classics. The university is expanding into gritty towns such as Darlington – and planning vocational courses.

Emergency services launched an evacuation effort yesterday as the north of England was battered by another day of fierce rainstorms. Morpeth in Northumberland was hit by the worst floods the town has seen since the 1960s as riverbanks burst, forcing more than 300 people to leave their homes. Lifeboat teams joined the rescue. Three policemen attending the scene of a landslip near Alnwick had to be rescued themselves after a second slip left them stranded. More than 100 official flood warnings were still in place last night.

You recently ran a positive article about small schools ("A school where less is more", EDUCATION & CAREERS, 17 July). US evidence reported to the National Education Trust, and confirmed in Australia, shows that as schools get larger, the gap between rich and poor widens.

Australian researchers have found that the sugar-free version of Red Bull may increase the danger of blood clots, and creates "sticky" blood, raising the risk of heart attack or stroke. How this affects the sales of Red Bull – last year 3.5 billion cans were sold in 143 countries – is yet to be seen.

Spice up your life with our choice of chutneys

During a summer of protracted moves, the Fulham manager has signed eight players and counting. Glenn Moore reports on a team-building exercise