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.
An osprey soars through the air at 30 miles per hour before swooping down to catch its prey from a lake .
WITHOUT a care in the world, this little chimpanzee shows off her gymnastic skills as she swings around her enclosure .
WITH SNOW COVERING the ground around them, these two polar bears play fight .
HIDDEN in the middle of the Mojave Desert, a secret oasis awaits intrepid travellers .
SAT ON top of a Brazilian turtle’s head, this little ladybird looks content as he studies his environment from a new height .
Hot on the heels of a little rabbit, this cheetah is on a mission to catch his prey .
A diving guide leaves a shark completely docile and balanced in the palm of his hand .
RESTING his weary head on his flipper, this little seal pup takes a much needed nap after an afternoon of strenuous yoga .
These photographs of extreme weather capture storms furiously rolling across the sky above America .
A photographer has captured spellbinding images of stars swirling above the English countryside .
