A family of foster carers are facing bankruptcy and homelessness after they signed up to a Government scheme to renovate their house to be used for disabled children's short breaks. Two years ago the Waite family received a grant from Leicestershire County Council to transform their home into a respite centre for severely disabled foster children. But after a dispute arose with the builder over the £75,000 extension to their three bedroom house in Leicestershire, Mark Waite, 44, and his wife Clair, 39, now face losing everything they have worked for. The couple, who represent the third generation in a 100-year family tradition of fostering disabled children, have had to sell all their furniture and clothes on ebay to pay solicitor's fees and say they now face total ruin. They say the council has "left them out in the cold" over the legal wrangle, leaving them responsible for tens of thousands of pounds of debt which will almost certainly result in them ending up on the streets with their two children.
A photographer from the United Arab Emirates travelled to Pakistan where he captured the lives of local people in a series of expressive portraits .
A trio of ants are locked in a tug of war over a fly as they pull the bug by its legs .
A pair of adorable polar bear cubs play-fight with each other in the Alaskan snow .
WIDE EYED with a huge smile across her face, this little elephant is a picture of happiness .
AN ANGRY giraffe gave a bush-riding cyclist a scare when he stomped his £2K bike into the dirt .
TOMORROW (Saturday) marks the 28th anniversary of the nuclear disaster that left the city of Chernobyl devastated .
Hot on the heels of a little rabbit, this cheetah is on a mission to catch his prey .
This cheeky macaque gets up close and personal as he examines the dental hygiene of his fellow primate .
PERCHED on a branch, these two frogs hold hands as they look into the camera .
SITTING quietly at the edge of the lake, these two baby bears watch and learn as the adults hunt for fish .
HUNDREDS of hot air balloons decorate the sky above Turkey as the rising sun illuminates the spectacular scenery below .
STARING eagerly into the camera, this little toad is full of curiosity .