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.
WITH a paw in the air and his tongue hanging from his mouth, it is clear to see that this little groundhog is struggling to wake up and leave behind the comfort of his burrow .
A little clownfish opens its mouth to reveal a blood sucking intruder living on its tongue .
THE THOUGHT OF BECOMING shipwrecked on a remote destination would fill most holidaymakers with dread .
A BROWN bear wades through waters in Alaska and waits for his lunch .
An intrepid explorer hopes to be reunited with his travel partner, after his cuddly toy companion was stolen .
As sunlight cascades through its vibrant stained glass windows, every inch of the Nasir-ol-Mulk Mosque bursts with colour .
With an abandoned tricycle sitting in an empty corridor, this derelict but once grand mansion could be the setting for The Shining .
SWIMMING slowly towards the shore, a small group of bottlenose dolphins arrive for breakfast at a beach in Western Australia .
Fishermen in Myanmar have perfected an unusual fishing technique by carefully balancing on one leg .
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HOPPING onto the scales, these adorable baby Humboldt penguins are ready for their first weigh-in .
A PENSIONER was left with a fractured jaw after being beaten and robbed outside his home in Birmingham last weekend .