Papers feast on Hamilton allegations

For many of the tabloids the latest publicity surrounding Neil and Christine Hamilton is a gift of a story.

The Mail on Sunday devotes five pages to allegations that the couple sexually assaulted a woman.

It features an interview with her ex-husband, plus what the paper claims is a full transcript of the tapes made by the police during their interviews with the Hamiltons.

The Sunday Times charts the couple's decline and asks: "Is this their darkest day yet?"

In its comment, the paper says this "unstoppable couple" never fail to amaze.

No matter how many setbacks they suffer, it says, they come back for more.

CJD 'miracle'

The extraordinary recovery of a young British woman suffering from variant CJD makes for emotive reading in the Mail on Sunday.

Having been diagnosed with the human form of mad cow disease and been given a year to live, 20-year-old Rachel Forbes lost the ability to walk, talk, feed herself or even recognise her parents.

Her father refused to believe she was dying and turned for help to Professor Stanley Prusiner in California.

He and his team treated the young woman - who is now said to have regained most of her lost abilities.

While the professor says it's too early to talk about a "cure", her father Stephen tells the paper: "It is as if Rachel has been plucked from a living hell - when the only future for her was a terrible, dreadful death."

'Police revolt'

There is speculation the Home Secretary, David Blunkett, is facing a revolt by police chiefs.

The Sunday Times reports that the 43 chief constables of England and Wales are demanding an extra 20,000 officers to meet Mr Blunkett's targets on reducing crime.

The paper says they are in effect calling Mr Blunkett's bluff by saying they can deliver his demands for a "modern and effective" police force - but only with the necessary extra funding.

Tax hike?

Public service spending is also of concern to The Observer.

In its front page lead it estimates that Tony Blair will have to raise taxes by the equivalent of up to four pence in the pound if he is to deliver his promise to improve services.

The paper warns that come this autumn, ministers will have to start arguing for higher taxation, rather than trying to "fool" voters with obscure "stealth" taxes.

Aromatic stamps

The Sunday Telegraph says the Royal Mail is to issue Britain's first "scratch and sniff" postage stamp as part of a commemoration of a century of Nobel prizes.

Smelling of Eucalyptus, the 40p stamp will represent the medicine category.

The UK is not the first to introduce the idea though - the paper reveals that Norfolk Island off Australia has already produced stamps smelling of perfume.

While for those with a sweet tooth, the Swiss have created a chocolate-scented stamp.