FROM MRS Patmore to Lady Sybil, these barking mad illustrations show the WOOF-er side of some of our most loved Downton characters. The art works entitled 'Houndton Tabby', were designed by illustrator and artist Kim Parkhurst, 39, after she combined her love of drawing and Downton Abbey. 'I've been painting portraits of animals in historical costume for some time,” explains New Yorker Kim. “I've taken some familiar and beloved characters whose demeanour, personality, and appearance seemed to translate to certain breeds of dog or cat. 'I got to thinking about Mr Bates' character and storyline, and Brendan Coyle's facial structure, and how he could look hard but also had the warmest, kindest eyes.
An aerial view of flooding in Gloucestershire .
SWIMMING next to 40 tonne whales, dare-devil divers take the plunge with these gentle giants of the sea .
FLYING through the air, these delighted pooches pull their best poses mid-flight .
AIRPORT staff have been put on alert after diet pills that come in grenade shaped containers sparked security alerts .
WIDE EYED with a huge smile across her face, this little elephant is a picture of happiness .
A diver looks like a minnow as she swims alongside a gigantic whale shark, the largest species of fish on the planet .
A NINJA red squirrel cuts a dashing figure as the little fella jumps up to ten-feet between treetops in the Yorkshire Dales .
WITH their robotic movements and pristine uniforms, these are the sexy traffic girls of North Korea that are becoming iconic figures in the secretive state .
Southern England, the south-west and west Wales have been warned to expect more wild weather, with heavy rain and high tides possibly leading to coastal flooding and travel disruption over the weekend .
An Australian explorer has travelled the globe with a toy pig, known as Travel Piggy, in search of a missing cuddly companion .
IN a galaxy far, far away, this collection of stunning interstellar formations will leave you STARSTRUCK .