Newspaper headlines: 'Tories braced for drubbing' in local elections By BBC News

Staff Published duration 29 April 2019

The lead story in the Guardian says whistleblowers have alleged that chaos, incompetence and bullying of Home Office employees is resulting in failed deportations and the unlawful detention of vulnerable people.

Sources have told the paper there is a "toxic" atmosphere in the government unit which manages asylum claims in the UK, with staff complaining of "totally insufficient" training and a "humungous" backlog of cases to process.

The Home Office has told the Guardian it does not comment on specific details of internal complaints.

With the headline, "Proof Obesity Kills", the Daily Mail reports that a major study has shown that being obese can raise the risk of an early death by 50%.

According to the Daily Mirror , the research also warns that 18.5 million Britons who are slightly overweight face a "surprisingly high threat" of suffering from a number of serious conditions.

The Mirror's leader column argues the study must serve as a wake-up call for individuals and the country - and calls on the government to "be on our side" in what it describes as the "unequal fight" with food manufacturers and retailers.

Comments by the foreign secretary are highlighted by the Daily Telegraph - which says Jeremy Hunt has become the first cabinet minister to publicly question Theresa May's decision to allow Chinese firm Huawei to help build Britain's 5G network.

He is quoted as saying it is "right" to have a degree of caution, because Huawei is legally obliged to co-operate with the Chinese intelligence services.

Writing in the Telegraph , the defence minister, Tobias Ellwood, says the debate over Huawei masks the need for a more urgent conversation about China's growing global influence.

image copyright Getty Images image caption Jeremy Hunt has urged caution over Huawei

The chief executive of the Chemical Industries Association has told the paper Natascha Engel's decision to quit over the weekend revealed an administration that was "all over the place".

Writing in the Times , Ms Engel says fracking has a "crucial role" in reducing carbon emissions - and warns that listening to climate activists such as the Swedish schoolgirl, Greta Thunberg, "will hustle politicians into making bad decisions".

image copyright Reuters image caption Hayley Carruthers crawled over the finish line of Sunday's London Marathon

Many of the front pages feature photographs of people taking part in yesterday's London Marathon.

The Mirror says 42,000 runners raised £1bn for charity, while the Sun says the Duke of Sussex made a surprise appearance to present medals - on the day his wife was due to give birth.

According to the Daily Express, "time stood still" for one runner dressed as the clock tower which houses Big Ben, as his costume was too tall to allow him to cross the finish line.

The Mail says Lukas Bates received a "big hand" from officials, who helped him to bend down and complete the race.

Finally, the Telegraph reports that the conservation officer for the Royal Parks in London has come up with a "radical" plan to protect bird populations.

Tony Duckett says pet cats are a chief cause of avian deaths - killing 27 million birds a year - and should be kept indoors at all times.