Nine-year-old girl scarred for life after thug hurled glass beer bottle through car window

Schoolgirl Abbie Keers has been left scarred for life and almost lost an eye after a thug hurled a glass beer bottle at the car she was travelling in.

The nine-year-old had to endure emergency plastic surgery on Saturday after the beer bottle smashed through the window, showering her with broken glass and embedding shards in her face.
The terrified youngster suffered cuts to her forehead, hands, nose and around her right eye, which she almost lost sight in.
The incident happened on Friday as Abbie was in a Punto car with her mother, 29-year-old Clare Webb, grandmother and three-year-old sister Lexi. No one else was seriously injured.
‘Every time that she looks in the mirror she will be reminded of what happened that day,’ said Ms Webb, from Stanley, County Durham. ‘She has not looked at herself yet.

‘I’m really angry at what’s happened as it was a mindless act and the glass was so close to Abbie’s right eye that surgeons said she was lucky not to have lost her sight in that eye.
‘It was a huge shock when it happened and I really panicked as Abbie was screaming about her face.’
The family were on their way to a walk-in medical centre as Lexi was feeling unwell when the bottle was thrown.
Grandmother Sandra, who was driving the car, said: ‘It was like the biggest explosion and sounded similar to when an air bag goes off in a car. Abbie is quite a resilient little girl and she has done well to cope with what she has.’
Anyone with information should contact police on 101, quoting incident number DHM-14022014-0458

We've had wind, rain and snow...now here comes a massive asteroid

MEGA and 'potentially hazardous' meteorite is on its way, and you can watch this slightly scary event live on the internet.

Britain has been battered by storms and just when thought it couldn't get worse a huge asteroid is heading our way.
The big ball of fire, imaginatively named 2000 EM26, is the size of three football pitches and is travelling at over 27,000 miles per hour.
And with the wonders of the internet, you’ll be able to watch the whole event unfold live, via YouTube.
Luckily, there’s no need to pack Bruce Willis off in a spaceship to destroy this Asteroid quite yet.
The giant rock is over 2.6 million kilometres away; although this is still deemed a near miss by NASA.
The asteroid’s path is expected to take it over the Canary Islands and website Sloosh, the online observatory, will be beaming live footage of the event via its YouTube channel.
The Sloosh website says, “On February 17th, a Near-Earth Asteroid, “2000 EM26”, with an estimated diameter of three football fields, (270m), will come racing by Earth on its close-approach.
This is a subtle reminder of the dangers of asteroid impacts just one year after two historic events took place on February 15th, 2013”

So if you fancy watching some fireworks the show should start at around 1am on Tuesday morning.

UK weather: Woman motorist crushed to death after building collapses on car outside London Tube station

Three other people were hurt in the incident, with one man in his 20s suffering  leg injuries which required hospital treatment

A woman motorist has been killed after part of a building collapsed on a car outside Holborn London Underground station.
Large chunks of masonry fell on to the vehicle, a silver Skoda Octavia, in Kingsway opposite Holborn Tube station in central London, at 11.05pm yesterday, the Metropolitan Police said.
Firefighters freed the driver - a 49-year-old woman - and a 25-year-old man who was trapped in the back seat, but the woman died at the scene.
The man suffered leg injuries, and he and a 24-year-old woman, who managed to free herself from the rear of the car, were taken to hospital with non life-threatening injuries.
A fourth person, believed to be a male passer-by, was also injured and taken to hospital, London Ambulance Service (LAS) said.
A police spokesman said: "There were three occupants in the car and a woman was pronounced dead at the scene. A man was pulled from the car and was taken to hospital, where he is in a stable situation at the moment."

The fallen masonry was part of the building's concrete fascia, London Fire Brigade said.
It almost flattened the car's roof, and large pieces of rubble were left strewn across the road and pavement outside restaurants and shops.
A further 10 people were evacuated from nearby buildings as a precaution.
LAS said it sent ambulance crews, rapid responders and a doctor and paramedic from London's air ambulance to the scene, the first of whom arrived within two minutes.
High Holbrn remains closed while investigators examine the scene, a police spokesman said.

Hemel Hempstead sinkhole: Seventeen homes evacuated after 35 feet wide hole appears in road

Police said the hole appeared in Hemel Hempstead and was was 20 feet deep 

Seventeen homes have been evacuated today after a sinkhole 35 feet wide appeared in a road.
Police said the hole appeared in Hemel Hempstead and was was 20ft deep.
The sinkhole is the THIRD in a week in Britain.
A 15ft-deep hole appeared in the central reservation of the M2 on Tuesday and a second - 17ft-deep, 10ft-wide - opened up in a Kent garden the following day.

Katie Price Compares Katie Hopkins' Appearance To A 'Saggy Tea Bag' As She Defends Lily Allen's Weight

Katie Price has laid into Katie Hopkins after the rent-a-gob criticised Lily Allen for 'gaining two stone and looking pretty hideous' after the singer gave birth, despite the glamour model calling Kelly Brook a 'heffer' last year.
Writing in her column for Now magazine, mum-of-four Katie sticks up for Lily and 'mums across the country' following comments made by the former 'Apprentice' star.

She wrote: "In her usual tongue-in-cheek, but obvious veiled attack, [Hopkins] commented that Lily had 'removed herself from the spotlight because she wanted to be a mother and that largely involved gaining 2st and looking pretty hideous'."
She continued: "Mums like me, Lily, Chantelle Houghton and virtually every other woman across the country all get lumps and bumps in places after giving birth – it’s natural! And we shouldn’t be under pressure to get into shape for anyone."

"I think it’s brilliant that Lily’s able to take a career break, introduce two lovely children to the world and then return to singing – something she enjoys and is exceptionally good at… and she looks pretty darn good if you ask me."
It's a change of tune for the former glamour model after she was widely criticised last year for making comments about Kelly Brook's weight, calling her 'a heffer'.
But this time it was Hopkins who was in Pricey's line of fire and in a parting shot, she said: "I could easily comment on Katie’s appearance as I pull out a saggy tea bag from my mug. But she’d love the attention."
We have a feeling Ms.Hopkins will have something to say about that...

Two cyclists have died after they were hit by a car involved in a suspected police pursuit in a flood-hit village.

Two Cyclists Die After 'Police Chase' Crash - A Thames Valley village suffering major flooding sees two people die after being hit by a car it is thought police were pursuing.

Officers were responding to a "fear-for-welfare" incident at around 9pm on Thursday in Purley on Thames, West Berkshire, when they spotted a black BMW convertible related to the call-out.
Thames Valley Police said the car was travelling on the A329 Purley Rise when it collided with the two cyclists, who both died at the scene.
A local resident, who did not want to be named, said he saw a big flash of light before spotting two bodies lying on the ground outside his house when he looked out.
"I've been told it was a police chase," he said.
"The car rolled over and ended up outside the house and someone was being cut out of it. I didn't do anything as the police were already here."
He added that the stretch of road was an "accident blackspot" with many crashes at the scene before.
A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said specialist officers were in the process of informing and supporting the cyclists' next of kin.
The driver of the BMW was injured and taken to the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading. A man was later arrested in connection with the incident.
The force has referred the incident to the Independent Police Complaints Commission, which is standard practice when a death occurs during a police-related matter.
The road was closed while officers examined the scene, before re-opening this morning.
Purley on Thames is among the areas worst affected by the flooding in the Thames Valley, although long-serving local councillor Bill Ayling said the road in question is on a hill and would not have been flood-affected.
"I'm absolutely shocked," he said.

"I know the road very well. It is well lit at night and it's up on a hill, so I know it would not be flooded up there."
Anyone who witnessed the collision or saw the BMW beforehand is asked to contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Katie Price Compares Katie Hopkins' Appearance To A 'Saggy Tea Bag' As She Defends Lily Allen's Weight

Katie Price has laid into Katie Hopkins after the rent-a-gob criticised Lily Allen for 'gaining two stone and looking pretty hideous' after the singer gave birth, despite the glamour model calling Kelly Brook a 'heffer' last year.
Writing in her column for Now magazine, mum-of-four Katie sticks up for Lily and 'mums across the country' following comments made by the former 'Apprentice' star.

She wrote: "In her usual tongue-in-cheek, but obvious veiled attack, [Hopkins] commented that Lily had 'removed herself from the spotlight because she wanted to be a mother and that largely involved gaining 2st and looking pretty hideous'."
She continued: "Mums like me, Lily, Chantelle Houghton and virtually every other woman across the country all get lumps and bumps in places after giving birth – it’s natural! And we shouldn’t be under pressure to get into shape for anyone."

"I think it’s brilliant that Lily’s able to take a career break, introduce two lovely children to the world and then return to singing – something she enjoys and is exceptionally good at… and she looks pretty darn good if you ask me."
It's a change of tune for the former glamour model after she was widely criticised last year for making comments about Kelly Brook's weight, calling her 'a heffer'.
But this time it was Hopkins who was in Pricey's line of fire and in a parting shot, she said: "I could easily comment on Katie’s appearance as I pull out a saggy tea bag from my mug. But she’d love the attention."
We have a feeling Ms.Hopkins will have something to say about that...

Woman looks through boyfriend's phone, finds video of him having sex with her dog

A woman looking through her boyfriend’s phone was shocked when she found a clip of him having sex with her Staffordshire bull terrier.

Wayne Bryson, from Louth, Lincolnshire, made no excuses when police arrested him after his girlfriend handed in the phone.
The 19-year-old pleaded guilty to a charge of performing an act of sexual penetration with a dog when he appeared at Skegness Magistrates’ Court last month.
Bryson was also caught with £10 worth of cannabis, which he said he had ‘bought wet and was drying out’, according to the Grimsby Telegraph.

The teenager will be sentenced on March 5, with the maximum he can receive being two years in jail.
He was given bail on the understanding he is not allowed to be alone with animals.
The 19-year-old said it was the first time he had ever had sex with a dog.

Police hunt 'laughing' thugs who stamped on woman's head - Police are hunting a group of youths who launched an unprovoked attack on a woman as she walked to her sister's flat in Birmingham

Images have been released by police in a bid to identify a pack of laughing teenage thugs who stamped on a woman’s head leaving a footprint mark on her face during a city centre robbery.
The 25-year-old shop worker was walking on parkland on Nechells Parkway on the evening of January 20 when the gang struck.
The woman, identified only as Sam, was dragged to the floor from behind and was stamped and kicked. As she lay on the ground the thieves stole her handbag and ran off towards St Vincents Catholic Church.
Detectives have released footage of two people they would like to speak to in connection with the robbery.

DC Tom Oppenkowski, from Birmingham CID, said: “Sam had just stepped off a bus and had to walk past a group of laughing teenagers.
“She thought nothing of it and continued on her journey but it appears that a man and woman from the group followed her and attacked her.
“Before and after the attack the teenagers were laughing almost as if this was a sport for them. Sam needed hospital treatment for her injuries and is obviously still traumatised by her ordeal.”
Sam added: “ I have been left traumatised by this and I have had to have some time off work.  I was on the way to my sister’s flat when this happened and I ran to her flat and first thing I did was call my fiancé who rushed over to be with me.
“I am on the mend but obviously it was a scary ordeal and sometimes if I am walking down the street on my own I get a little bit panicky.

 “ I am disgusted that anyone so young could do something like this and laugh about it as well. I would ask them to bring themselves forward to the police.”
The group were described as a mixture of men and women believed to be in their late teens. One man had a Rottweiler type dog with him.
Anyone with information should call West Midlands Police on 101 or anonymously by calling Crimestoppers the independent charity on 0800 555 111.

We're going to need a bigger cot! Chinese mother gives birth to giant baby

A CHINESE mother has given birth to a HUGE baby weighing in at a staggering 16lb. 

A giant baby has been confirmed as one of the heaviest new-borns in the world, after tipping the scales at a whopping 7.12kg (15lb 11oz).
The youngster, who doctors have nicknamed ‘Xiao Pang’, which means ‘Little Fat’ or ‘Little Chubby’, was delivered by caesarean section at Shanwei People’s Hospital in Shanwei City, Guangdong Province on Friday.
Xiao Pang dwarfs an average-sized baby when they are placed side by side – in the UK the average birth weight for a boy is 3.4kg (7lb 8oz).

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the biggest baby ever was a boy weighing 10.8kg (23lb 12oz) who was born to giantess Anna Bates in Canada in 1879, but he died 11 hours later.
The heaviest healthy new-born was born in Italy in 1955 and is recorded as weighing 10.2kg (22lb 8oz).
Other heavy births mentioned in the Guinness Book of World Records range from 16lb 11oz to 24lb 4oz, although the latter was reported by a news agency in 1978 but was never proven.

Mum's fury after council WIPES OUT front garden to install £40k disabled ramp for daughter

CLARE LALLY had spent two years pleading with her local council to install a vital disabled ramp outside her home for her wheelchair-bound daughter Katie.

After all, it was the council which had housed her in a home at the top of three flights of steps.

But what she didn’t reckon on was how the council would complete the job.

Officials eventually relented, but Clare, 33, was left shocked by their solution - a £40,000, 10-level chicane-like steel ramp which almost fills their front garden.

The eyesore 'slalem-style' ramp winds its way over 60 metres and is proving a long way round for Clare and Katie.

And to cap it all, local youths have hijacked it as a skateboard run.

Katie, seven, suffers from bulbar palsy - caused by complications after she and twin Holly were born prematurely - and is confined to a wheelchair.

Today, mum Clare said: “There must have been a better solution. The council could have gone about the whole project in a more sensible way.

"We had to move to the house to get easier access for Katie and we have fought all these months to get that.

"The council said this was the only option to fit something into the garden because of building regulations.

It is a lot easier but I don't believe that the council weren't able to do something else.

"We weren't fighting for a massive steel ramp - we just wanted to improve Katie's quality of life.

"What they have built is something which I would never have expected a local council to do. We have to open our blinds and look at it every day." 

West Dunbartonshire Council have not yet completed the final costings of the ramp at the home in Clydebank, near Glasgow, but it is estimated to be around £40,000.

The ramp is so big that Clare cannot see the bottom of it from her front window.

The family's problems have been further compounded by youths who are using it as a skateboard run.

But council officials have refused to install a gate, citing health and safety concerns.

Clare, who shares the home with partner Derek Steel, added: "We have waited so long for access and now we have got it.

Mum's fury after council WIPES OUT front garden to install £40k disabled ramp for daughter

CLARE LALLY had spent two years pleading with her local council to install a vital disabled ramp outside her home for her wheelchair-bound daughter Katie.

After all, it was the council which had housed her in a home at the top of three flights of steps.

But what she didn’t reckon on was how the council would complete the job.

Officials eventually relented, but Clare, 33, was left shocked by their solution - a £40,000, 10-level chicane-like steel ramp which almost fills their front garden.

The eyesore 'slalem-style' ramp winds its way over 60 metres and is proving a long way round for Clare and Katie.

And to cap it all, local youths have hijacked it as a skateboard run.

Katie, seven, suffers from bulbar palsy - caused by complications after she and twin Holly were born prematurely - and is confined to a wheelchair.

Today, mum Clare said: “There must have been a better solution. The council could have gone about the whole project in a more sensible way.

"We had to move to the house to get easier access for Katie and we have fought all these months to get that.

"The council said this was the only option to fit something into the garden because of building regulations.

"It is a lot easier but I don't believe that the council weren't able to do something else.

"We weren't fighting for a massive steel ramp - we just wanted to improve Katie's quality of life.

"What they have built is something which I would never have expected a local council to do. We have to open our blinds and look at it every day." 

West Dunbartonshire Council have not yet completed the final costings of the ramp at the home in Clydebank, near Glasgow, but it is estimated to be around £40,000.

The ramp is so big that Clare cannot see the bottom of it from her front window.

The family's problems have been further compounded by youths who are using it as a skateboard run.

But council officials have refused to install a gate, citing health and safety concerns.

Clare, who shares the home with partner Derek Steel, added: "We have waited so long for access and now we have got it.

So long Trigger! Roger Lloyd-Pack takes final journey in pink hearse

SIR David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst were among the stars who turned out to say farewell to Roger Lloyd-Pack today.

The actor, who passed away on January 15 after losing his battle with pancreatic cancer, was laid to rest at St Paul's Church in London's Covent Garden.
And it appears that the much-loved star remained a joker to the end, as he made his final journey to his funeral in a gleaming pink hearse.
Lloyd-Pack, most famous for his role as dim-witted Trigger on Only Fools and Horses, arrived in a wicker coffin in the back of the Barbie-pink car, which seemed to put a big smile on the faces of mourners and bystanders around the church.
Friends and family carried the eco-friendly coffin, which was laden down with beautiful flowers, up the steps into the church.

Some of TV's most well-known faces arrived for the service, including Del Boy himself, Sir David Jason.
The actor, who starred alongside Lloyd-Pack on Only Fools and Horses since 1981, showed up to the funeral with Sue Holderness and John Challis, who played Boycie and Marlene in the sitcom.
Nicholas Lyndhurst, who played Rodney – or Dave, as Trigger would have called him – on the show, was seen arriving after his friends wearing a cap with his suit.
Gwyneth Strong, who played Cassandra, and Paul Barber, aka Denzil, also attended the service.

Alison Steadman and Nigel Havers also paid their respects at the funeral.
Lloyd-Pack was born in Islington, North London in 1944, and was a lifelong fan of Tottenham Hotspur. The actor was even honoured at the North London club's clash against Manchester City at White Hart Lane last month.
As well as Only Fools and Horses, he starred in The Vicar of Dibley, and gained international fame starring as Barty Crouch Snr in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
He passed away last month at the age of 69 in his London home surrounded by family.

EXTREME WEATHER: More chaos to come as experts warn of ANOTHER storm

TENS of thousands of homes are still without power as Britain prepares for yet ANOTHER devastating storm.

A month’s worth of rain is expected in just two days as experts warn of more hellish downpours this weekend.
A weather system over the Atlatnic will send yet another violent storm - the eighth this winter - crashing into Britain from tonight.
Winds, which reached 108mph last night, stopped trains in their tracks, blew roofs off stations and closed major transport links on a day dubbed "Wild Wednesday".
The savage storms killed a 70-year-old after he was electrocuted trying to cut down a tree.
Some 80,000 households remain without electricity, the Energy Networks Association (ENA) said.
Tim Field, from ENA, said: "We continue working throughout today to get as many of those people back on supply as quickly and as safely as possible.

"We have seen some pretty horrendous conditions. Wales has suffered very strong winds of over 100mph, gusts in excess of 80mph and 90mph quite frequently on land, and that has caused a lot of damage across the network across Wales so that is where we are seeing the majority of those people off supply at the moment."
The weather continues to cause travel chaos, with warnings that passengers should expect more major disruption on the rail network.
Virgin Train's sertvices remain suspended after they urged passengers to avoid travel.
After a brief respite today Britain faces more chaos as another storm brings heavy rain, strong winds and further risk of flooding tomorrow and into the weekend.
The West Country is expected to have 70mm (2.75in) of rain by tomorrow, the Met Office said - more than the region would normally get in the whole of February.

Snow is expected in northern England and parts of Scotland today, and tomorrow more rain and winds of up to 80mph will arrive from the South West.
With no end to the havoc in sight, Prime Minister David Cameron will today lead talks on Britain's recovery.
The Ministry of Defence last night said more than 2,000 military personnel were on "high-readiness" to respond to requests in flood-affected areas.
Yesterday residents in parts of the UK were warned not to venture out after the Met Office issued a "red" weather warning for exceptionally strong winds in western Wales and north-west England.
Severe flood warnings remain in place in Berkshire, Surrey and Somerset, where severe flooding has caused hundreds of homes to be evacuated.
The River Thames is predicted to rise to its highest level in more than 60 years in some places.
Residents in Windsor, Maidenhead and communities in Surrey - where nearly 1,000 people have been evacuated - have been warned to expect severe disruption and risk of flooding.

Assistant chief of the defence staff Major General Patrick Sanders, who is co-ordinating the armed forces response, described the weather as an "almost unparalleled natural crisis".
Last night, north-west England from Liverpool to Carlisle bore the brunt of the wind.
Manchester City's Premier League clash with Sunderland was called off because conditions at their Etihad Stadium were "unsafe" and, on Merseyside, Everton's match with Crystal Palace also fell victim to the weather.
Residents of a block of flats in Old Trafford, Manchester, were trapped when their only staircase collapsed onto parked cars below.
Rail travel the length of the country was paralysed. Virgin Trains, which operates the West Coast main line serving London Euston, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow, halted all services.
Swamped, it urged all passengers to "abandon travel" and said those already on trains would be dropped off at the nearest station.

UK weather: Killer storm with 108mph winds batters UK with TWO MORE expected in coming days

A killer storm batters Britain as two more sweep in to inflict further damage and misery

Britain is in the grip of weather mayhem as 100mph winds and torrential rain bring death and destruction – and more storms are on the way.
One man was electrocuted in Wiltshire by fallen power cables. The storm damage could cost us £15billion. One expert said: “This is an unparalleled natural crisis.”
Many areas were battered by hurricane force gusts that sparked travel chaos up and down the land with large chunks of the rail network grinding to a halt due to fallen overhead lines, debris on track and speed restrictions.
Virgin trains sent out a dramatic ­statement warning all customers to “abandon travel” and urged those already on trips to get off at the next station.
As weather experts issued a red alert for Wales and the North West, spelling a danger to life, a man in his 70s was electrocuted while trying to clear a fallen tree that had hit power cables.
And forecasters warned two more fearsome storms are heading our way from the Atlantic and will strike over the next few days, giving little respite from the devastation.Hundreds of thousands of people were left without power when electricity cables were damaged and many areas already flooded suffered more deluges.

The West, North West and Wales bore the brunt of the foul weather, as troops were placed on stand by to help with the clear up. Gusts of 108mph hit ­Aberdaron on the North Wales coast.
Police said the man who died was electrocuted in Calne, Wilts, after high winds brought down the tree. ­Paramedics tried to save him but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Ports and airports were also battered by the storms. Crossings between Dover and Calais were cancelled or faced delays. Irish Sea trips between Heysham, Lancs, and the Isle of Man were axed and in Liverpool all Mersey ferry services were stopped. There were also delays on the Isle of Wight ferries.
Flights to and from John Lennon airport in Liverpool were severely disrupted and some jets at Manchester airport were grounded. Birmingham and Cardiff airports also had delays.
WeatherWeb forecaster Simon Keeling warned last night: “It’s not over yet.
“We have to get over Saturday first of all. We can describe today’s storm as exceptional. It’s probably the strongest we have had this winter in terms of the broad area it has covered.”
And the Met Office added: “The system coming in from the south will push in and develop on Friday. Into Monday we are likely to see further wet and windy weather.” Paul ­Leinster, chief executive of the Environment Agency, said: “With further rain expected in the coming days, after the wettest January on record in England, the situation is likely to get worse before it gets better.”
On the trains, all Virgin services north out of London Euston were suspended until further notice. In Cheshire, Crewe station was evacuated and all journeys stopped after the roof was blown off the station. It later reopened.

HERE IT COMES: Huge Atlantic storm heading STRAIGHT for Britain will hit in just 12 hours

THIS TERRIFYING image shows how a catastrophic storm hurtling across the Atlantic will smash into Britain in just HOURS.

The UK faces the WORST hurricane-force winds and torrential rain this winter and possibly for DECADES.
And forecasters warned there will be NO let up in the extreme stormy weather until at least the end of the month.
The entire west coast is braced for colossal 75 foot-plus waves to crash inland this weekend triggering unchecked flooding and widespread destruction.

A deep low Atlantic pressure system miles of the UK coast will whip up 150mph winds and violent sea surges as it barrels into the country.
At its centre the intense storm will see pressure drop to just 944mb - seven millibars LOWER than the Great Storm of 1987.
Experts said the worst of the weather is due to set in tonight before a relentless onslaught of wind and rain over the weekend.

They warned communities to prepare for trees to be torn from the ground, roofs ripped from buildings and the flooding crisis to dramatically deteriorate.
Meteorological projections show winds of 12 on the Beaufort scale - Hurricane force - hitting the west coast on tonight and into tomorrow.
Forecasters have warned exceptional low pressure driving the storm threatens to whip up gales which could exceed 100mph - way off the Beaufort scale.

It is also pulling a massive “sea swell” towards the UK which when hurled against the coast will send waves of more than 75-feet crashing inshore.
Another image shows the frenzied “Catherine wheel” of low pressure sweeping towards the UK, closely followed by another at the beginning of next week.
Experts said storms which battered the country over Christmas and saw wind speeds top 142mph in Scotland pale into insignificance next to the approaching monster.

The Met Office has issued a raft of level-2 amber severe weather warnings for wind and rain over the next few days.
Worst hit is expected to be a swathe of the south including Devon, Cornwall and London and the South-east.
The Met Office’s chief meteorologist Andy Page warned heavy winds and more torrential rain will set in tonight with no respite until Sunday at the earliest.
He said: “An Atlantic frontal system will bring a band of rain quickly eastwards during Friday night and early Saturday, with the heaviest rain again likely to be across parts of southern England, followed in turn by heavy showers."

He added: "Winds will also be a feature during Friday night and Saturday with severe gales possible around coasts in the south and southwest of England.
He warned a low pressure system will sweep past the Irish coast on Saturday before crashing into the UK through the day.
“The deep area of low pressure will move east into Ireland during Saturday,” he said.
“Severe gales [are] likely to develop on the southern flank, with parts of southwest England and coastal districts bordering the Bristol Channel and English Channel bearing the brunt of the strongest winds, particularly through Saturday afternoon and evening.
“These winds will also whip up large waves over the eastern Atlantic which will affect southwest facing coasts during Saturday."

Shame Baywatch aren't still casting! Luisa Zissman rocks bikini like a British Pammi

SHE may not have come first in Celebrity Big Brother, but Luisa Zissman may as well have.

For the outspoken, say-it-how-it-is reality star is so in demand she's practically human crack.
Taking a break from her whirlwind year, the mum-of-one hit Tenerife to soak up the rays.
Sunning herself in a brightly-coloured boob tube and matching bikini bottoms combo, the cupcake entrepreneur showed off her svelte physique in the skimpy swimwear.
Despite still having curves, the brunette beauty came under fire last year following her recent weight loss, with Zissman revealing she'd rather be slim than a role model.
Controversy sparked after she tweeted: "Such lovely tweets from you about my bikini bod I'm a real woman and would like to clarify I have worked out & been hungry 2 look like that!"

Smelly stuff hit the fan when she lost a stone in weight, and the keyboard warriors came out to play.
But the resculpted TV personality bit back: "id rather be thin than be a role model never aspired to be that... I wana do what I want to do business and my life nothing to do with anyone else!!!"
But love her or loathe her, the offers keeps flooding in for LuLu.
Her latest venture involves an upcoming baking manual, which will be ambiguously titled Wicked Cupcakes – in honour of her business, as well as her two prized assets that she paid for herself.
And the 26-year-old has found a trusty companion in daughter Dixie to help her devise recipes, telling fans they have been whipping up various formulas at home in preparation.

Yet the metaphorical icing on the cake of her foreign travels, is that our exclusive snaps provided the perfect alibi for Lu when in need of booze this morning.
Having hit the shops without proof of identification, the former Apprentice hopeful was caught off-guard when the cashier tried to refuse her service.
She later tweeted: "Just had to use the piece about me in the @Daily_Star today as ID to buy alcohol. Bit cringe but I need it for my book pictures today... "
We're sure she would have found another way to prove her age if need be, even if it meant flashing her falsies à la BFF Jasmine Waltz in CBB… Forget TV gold, she's showbiz royalty in the making.

She messed with the wrong lady! Katie Hopkins ‘owned’ by Luisa Zissman in tweet war

THERE’S no end to the toxin that spews from Katie Hopkins’ mouth.

But it seems the rent-a-gob messed with the wrong lady last night, and was forced into silence after Luisa Zissman gave the brazen motormouth a taste of her own medicine. The spat kicked off after ‘social commentator’ Hopkins attempted another stab of failed humour. Jumping on the LuLu bandwagon following her success on Celebrity Big Brother, Katie tweeted: “Luisa. Recruited by Mumsnet to promote their latest campaign for crotchless pants. Inspired.”
And hardly a shrinking a violet herself, Luisa wasn’t exactly going to shy away from controversy.
Instead, the CBB housemate – who placed fourth in the series – hit back: “Inspired by this pic of u s****in in a field mumsnet want u2front ‘exploring nature the real way’ campaign.
”

Alongside the quip, the cupcake entrepreneur added a snapshot of the self-titled Horseface doing the dirty with Mark Cross while straddled across him appreciating the great outdoors. Back in 2007, Katie hopped aboard her colleague Mark’s lap while he was still married, wrecking his relationship and later saying ‘I do’ to him herself down the aisle.

Defending herself following a flurry of comments about involving innocent kids, LuLu added: “All I’m saying is they look sad it’s a fair comment they aren’t exactly smiling are they??!!

“I said they look miserable miserable means not smiling and not looking happy as per the pic don’t see what’s wrong with that.” But if Katie can judge children solely on their name, she’s got to take as good as she gives.
Basking in the glory of her own malice, the queen of the vile quipped this morning: “Keep it coming my little hate monkeys. If you dance for me I might throw you a nut. Dance babies, dance.”
Let’s hope they thwack the nut back at your head.

Megawave smashes into Britain - and the STORM OF THE CENTURY is still to come

BRITAIN was smashed with a 75ft MEGAWAVE last night, as the storm onslaught continues to cause destruction along the coast.

Spotted off the coast of Penzance, Cornwall, the gargantuan wave is believed to be the largest EVER seen in British waters, and is the height of FOUR double-decker buses.
The current record for the largest wave is 67ft, which was recorded 60 miles off Donegal in 2011 - meaning Megawave eclipses it by a stonking SEVEN feet.
Waves of 40ft were also recorded near the shore at Land's End as storms lashed the South-West, while residents were evacuated from their seafront homes.
A large part of the West Pier in Brighton was also destroyed by 70mph winds after supports on the structure washed away, splitting it in two.
And there is even WORSE to come - weather experts have warned that the STORM OF THE CENTURY is set to cause havoc in Britain on Friday night.
A fresh weather front is sweeping in from the Atlantic, bringing with it 3 inches of rain in the next 72 hours.
Severe warnings have been issued for torrential downpours across the south of Britain EVERY DAY until Saturday.
Residents have been warned to stay awat from coastal paths and roads as the flooding and high winds get even worse.

Jonathan Powell, from Vantage Weather Services, said gusts could hit 100mph over the weekend.
He said: "This is a very destructive and powerful storm heading towards the UK, capable of felling trees and damaging buildings."

Met Office forecaster Kirk Waite added: "The real thing with the second system is the strength of the winds.
"Once the initial band of rain comes in you are going to see severe gales that could bring potential issues with a risk of trees falling."
Severe flood warning issed by the Environment Agency indicate a "danger to life", with the South and South-West at the most risk of flooding
The warnings come as it is revealed that environment secretary Owen Paterson will not chair a meeting of the Government's Cobra emergency committee today.
The minister, whose response to the flooding crisis has been criticised, is to have surgery for a detached retina in his eye.
It is understood that communities secretary Eric Pickles will stand in for him.

Australia’s prime minister threatens to deport asylum seekers who spit, swear or “irritate people”

Tony Abbott, Australia’s prime minister, has been accused of creating a “climate of terror” for asylum seekers after introducing a code of behaviour which threatens to deport those who swear, spit, irritate people or spread rumours.

Mr Abbott’s government revealed in December that asylum seekers who arrive by boat and are in Australia on temporary visas would have to sign a new code of conduct that bans harassment, bullying and disruptive behaviour.

Now a draft set of rules, leaked to refugee advocates, spells out the precise requirements for asylum seekers, saying they must not “irritate” people, “disturb someone”, spit or swear in public, or “spread rumours… or exclude someone from a group or place on purpose”.

“Antisocial means an action that is against the order of society,” the document says.

“This may include damaging property, spitting or swearing in public or other actions that other people might find offensive. Disruptive means to cause disorder or to disturb someone or something.”

Since his election last September, Mr Abbott has adopted a hard-line refugee policy aimed at stemming the flow of boat people who cross from transit camps in Indonesia. He has deployed the navy to tow back boats to Indonesian waters, though this led to a rift with Jakarta after navy vessels intruded into Indonesian territory.
Boat arrivals appear to have come to a virtual stop, but the government has faced growing criticism of its approach, which includes deporting all arrivals to offshore detention centres on remote Pacific islands.
The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, which released a leaked draft of the new behaviour code on its Facebook page, said the rules aimed “to create an environment for asylum seekers where Australia is a horrible place to live”.
“No other industrialised nation criminalises everyday behaviour,” Kon Karapanagiotidis, a spokesman, told The Telegraph. “The idea that spitting in public or getting a parking fine is enough to get you sent to an off shore detention centre is extraordinary. It is an abuse of power and creates a climate of terror for asylum seekers.”
The office of the immigration minister, Scott Morrison, referred to the minister’s comments in December. At the time, he said the code “sets out clear standards of behaviour and expectations relating to values that are important to Australian society”.

'APOCALYPTIC': Storm Brigid rages towards UK bringing 150MPH KILLER winds, rain and SNOW

A VIOLENT and destructive storm is hurtling across the Atlantic and will smash into Britain tomorrow. 

The entire country faces at least three days of torrential downpours, savage 150mph gales and weeks of relentless flood misery.
Storm Brigid is expected to hit UK shores in the early hours of tomorrow before the full force of the onslaught rips into the country on Saturday.
Experts say it threatens to cause destruction on a par with the ferocious October St Jude’s Day Storm and subsequent Storm Emily which hit in December.
It came as figures show some areas of England have already had their wettest January since records began. The Met Office said much of the south and Midlands already had twice the average rainfall for January by midnight on Tuesday - with three days still left in the month.
Several inches of rain are likely to fall in a matter of hours through the next few days, sealing the record for England’s wettest winter in history.
So far eight inches of rain have fallen since the beginning of December, with just eight more needed to beat the 1914/15 record of 16.
Officials have warned Britain will be crippled by frenzied winds capable of up ripping trees and tearing roof slates from buildings.
Rivers already close to overflowing are likely to burst their banks sparking a torrent of flood warnings and alerts across the nation.
Forecasters have warned a run of storms are lined up in the Atlantic threatening torrential rain and gales for at least a week.
Swathes of the country have been left under inches of water after heavy and relentless rain which has held out for weeks.
Government forecasters have issued a raft of severe weather warnings for rain today and tomorrow across the south with more than an inch expected.
There are also warnings for severe gale-force winds and potentially destructive waves along the west coast at the weekend.
A further Met Office warning has been issued for snow across Scotland tomorrow with brutal gales expected to trigger blizzards.
Chief forecaster Frank Saunders warned severe weather over the next few days is likely to lead to travel disruption and loss of power supplies.

He said: “Another very deep area of low pressure will spread heavy rain and strong to gale force winds eastwards across the UK tomorrow, before the associated frontal systemsclear the southeast of England during the early hours of Saturday.
“A band of heavy rain, reaching the west coast of Scotland early on Friday morning, will spread eastwards across the rest of Scotland during the day, with the rain turning increasingly to snow as it moves eastwards.
“The snow and heavy rain will also be accompanied by gale force winds, which may lead to localised disruption due to coastal flooding.
“The public should be aware of the likelihood of a spell of disruptive wintry weather, with impacts to travel and perhaps also to power supplies.”

Hope for Michael Schumacher as doctors begin the process of bringing him out of coma

MICHAEL Schumacher could begin to emerge from a coma as doctors have begun to reduce his sedation.

The Formula One legend has been in a coma for more than a month after he suffered a severe head injury in a skiing accident on December 29 in the French Alpine resort of Meribel.

Doctors placed Schumacher into a medically induced coma after undergoing emergency brain surgery to remove blood clots from his brain.

The seven-time world champion has remained sedated to reduce the swelling.

His manager, Sabine Kehm, has now announced that doctors at Grenoble University Hospital, will finally start to reduce his sedation to allow him to begin the "waking up process".

Ms Kehm warned that the process would take a "long time".

Her statement also included an appeal from the Schumacher family to give them some privacy while also expressing "sincere appreciation for the world wide sympathy".

Fans and former colleagues from around the world have shown huge support for the racing hero.

A statement on Ferrari's website released yesterday said that the team was "waiting" for his return.

It read: "You thrilled us so often, bringing us great joy, but the greatest one is yet to come: namely seeing you here in Maranello again, to meet your second family, the Ferrari one. 

"We are waiting for you."

Police fly in to Portugal arrest three suspects in Madeleine McCann hunt

POLICE probing the disappearance of Madeleine McCann were closing in on three suspects last night.

Hopes of a breakthrough in the form of arrests were raised after a Scotland Yard team arrived in Portugal.

Police were preparing to swoop on burglars pinpointed as being very close to the holiday apartment where the girl was staying with her family in Praia da Luz in May 2007.

After a cold-case review, detectives in London focused on the suspects following a painstaking trawl through mobile phone records.

It is understood there was significant phone traffic between them around the time the three-year-old vanished.

One theory is that the burglars raided the apartment and were panicked into snatching the little girl when she woke up and started to cry. There were reports of several break-ins at the Algarve holiday complex in the weeks running up to Madeleine’s disappearance.

Her parents, Kate and Gerry, were said to be “on tenterhooks”.

The anxious couple, both 45, were being kept “fully informed”.

A source close to them said: “Clearly, police cannot say if arrests are imminent, but the fact that they are out there is significant.

“It doesn’t surprise us, it was only a matter of time. We knew officers would travel over as soon as they got the official nod.

Tories plan to keep kids in school nine hours a day, 45 weeks a year - CHILDREN will be made to stay in school for nine hours a day — 45 weeks of the year — under radical plans being studied by senior Tories.

The scheme, drawn up by David Cameron’s former Number Ten policy chief Paul Kirby, would see holidays slashed to just seven weeks and stretch the average school day from around 9am to 6pm. 

RADICAL plans for nine-hour school days would boost education standards, slash crippling childcare costs and allow millions of mums to return to full-time work, evidence suggests.
They would also aid the national economy by expanding the workforce and prepare pupils for the tough jobs market by getting them used to working full days.

Additionally they would slash youth crime, which peaks from 3pm to 6pm, by taking troublemakers off the streets.
Tory ministers are examining the proposals, which would cover all primary and secondary pupils from five to 18 — and would be strictly enforced by law.
The Sun has been told the idea is “a serious contender” for the Conservatives’ 2015 General Election manifesto.
Under the scheme — drawn up by David Cameron’s former No10 policy chief Paul Kirby — the average school day would run from around 9am until 6pm, 45 weeks of the year. Christmas, Easter and summer holidays would be reduced to little more than two weeks.
Mr Kirby said it would go a long way to solving a host of big issues for voters — “transforming the lives of most households in the UK within two years”.
He told The Sun last night: “This is a once in a generation reset that wouldn’t detract from the current school freedom agenda. It also involves dramatically expanding what schools actually do — into sport and other activities.
“All the lessons from abroad where this has happened previously, such as the United States, show that elongating the school day takes much of the stress away from teachers and pupils.
“It would also go a long way to solving the crisis around childcare affordability, a major issue for many parents.”
A massive stumbling block would be persuading left-wing teaching unions to sign up to so many more working hours.
They would demand billions more in pay for the UK’s 440,000 state school teachers. But backers of the plan argue it would save a fortune in the long term.
Ministers would pay out far less in child tax credits, plus childcare vouchers and land hundreds of millions more income tax from extra working mums.
Under Coalition reforms, schools can already set the length of their days and terms. A handful of pioneers have ten-hour days, but most refuse to keep kids after 3.30pm, claiming funding problems.
A source close to Education Secretary Michael Gove said: “We welcome all ideas on how to make schools stay open for longer, including this one.”
But a National Association of Head Teachers spokesman said: “Most schools provide extended services for children and the nature of those services are best determined by those children’s needs.”
TEACHING experts last night said the plan was a good chance to help kids.
The Campaign for Real Education — formed by parents and teachers — said: “Children do benefit from being in school.”
Chairman Chris McGovern added: “Some from deprived backgrounds do suffer over long summer holidays.”
Others remained unconvinced. Education union ATL said: “Children need breaks to refresh them. A lot of them are shattered at the end of the day.”
ROOFER James Doyle, 42, who lives with wife Karen, 37, and his kids Jacob, 13, and Olivia, 11, in Plymouth, Devon, said: “It would be quite a good idea as I have to finish work early to collect my kids.
“We have to pay up to £280 a week in the summer for my kids to go to a summer club so me and my wife can work. And my son Jacob thinks the holidays are miles too long. It will help prepare kids for working once they finish school.”
Nurse Joanne Hope, 44, who lives with kids Martin, 15, and Rachel, 13, in Plymouth, added: “Longer school days would prepare children for adult life. Schools should be more in keeping with parents’ work.”
ARCHIE Ferris, 15, who attends Backwell School in North Somerset, said: “It’s not a good idea as it would be hard to concentrate.
“We already have to sit around for eight hours. I play a lot of football after school and if we have to stay longer I’d really struggle to train as much.
“I know I’d mess around a lot more if I had to stay in school even longer — a lot of people would be the same, probably out of boredom. It’s not fun being in school as it is.”
Millie Pye, 17, an A-level student at Backwell School, added: “People just wouldn’t have the concentration span.
“I also think it’s silly to reduce holidays. We need them to relax and catch up with work.”
HEADTEACHER Kieran Earley, runs Devonport High School for Boys in Plymouth and said: “The idea that the school day starts at 9am and ends at 3.30pm is not a fair representation as schools already offer a great deal in terms of breakfast and after-school clubs.
“Teachers work incredibly hard already.”
Jackie Francis, 50, who teaches special needs kids at St Ivo School in St Ives, Cambs, said: “The day doesn’t finish when students leave. Often we stay till at least five o’clock and have to do marking when we get home.
“This would pile extra pressure on us. We’ve a right to family time too.”

A TODDLER was crushed to death by a runaway trailer in front of his horrified mum.

Distraught mum witnesses son, 3, crushed by runaway car trailer

Three-year-old Freddie Hussey was pinned to a garden wall after the trailer came loose from a Land Rover.
Distraught mum Donna, 31, screamed for help as she battled to free her son.
A lorry driver desperately tried to resuscitate little Freddie after helping to pull him out, but he died shortly after arriving at hospital.
Freddie and Donna were walking on the pavement after dropping his brother Archie at school in Bedminster, Bristol.

The family yesterday paid tribute to the youngster. A statement read: “He’s our little boy, this shouldn’t have happened. We called him Freddie Boo, we will never forget him.”
Neighbour Emma Newman, 38, who dialled 999, said: “The mother was screaming. Everyone is very shaken.”
Avon and Somerset Police last night said the driver, a man in his 30s, was helping them with their inquiries.