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 aerial view of flooding in Gloucestershire .
IN a galaxy not so far away lies a magical display of lights that could be the latest image from NASA .
Hot on the heels of a little rabbit, this cheetah is on a mission to catch his prey .
With one hand rested on his belly and the other propping his head up, this lazy lizard takes an afternoon break .
LIFTING their heads high and bumping beaks, these aggressive pelicans clash over fish .
This starling and prairie dog will not back down an inch as they have a fearsome stand-off over who gets to eat a nut .
HIDDEN in the middle of the Mojave Desert, a secret oasis awaits intrepid travellers .
This hungry white tiger has just one thing on her mind - to taste fresh meat .
BEHIND the doors of this building, with its stacks of mattresses and discarded remains of wheelchairs, lies another victim of austerity cuts .
VENTURING into the ocean with self-made spears and nets, the fishermen of Zanzibar put their lives on the line when they catch food for their families .
MEET the underwater British seal who is so friendly he loves to grapple divers like a friendly puppy dog .