Housands of cushions handmade as gifts for Olympics athletes may go to waste after London 2012 KNITWITS stitched up volunteers by refusing to allow them to hand them out.The London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) initially told volunteers from the Woolsack project that they could hand out the 5,000 cushions they had created as souvenirs for the elite stars. But now, in fear of angering commercial sponsors, they have reneged on the deal. Dedicated families and elderly and disabled members of the scheme, which was designed to give athletes a British wool based welcome gift to the games, have grafted since early last year to create the individually crafted presents. A third of the games' athletes, including members of Team GB, confirmed their interest in receiving the decorative welcome gifts with athletics stars Jessica Ennis and Marilyn Okoro posing with samples at events last year.
WIDE EYED with a huge smile across her face, this little elephant is a picture of happiness .
A DETERMINED great blue heron holds on tightly to its prey as the furry gopher attempts to wriggle free .
CLIMBING, falling and tugging on his weary mum, this little orangutan is up to all kinds of trouble .
WITH THEIR adorable big round eyes and fluffy white fur, these baby seals are cute enough to melt any heart .
LUMINOUS green rocks could easily be a beach from Superman's homeland of Krypton .
A man who conned tax officials out of £34 million and funded a lavish lifestyle of luxury hotels and restaurants has been jailed for one of the longest sentences in British criminal fraud history .
BRAIDED, sculpted and beaded, these are the eye-catching hairstyles worn by the tribal women of Angola .
FROM THE world famous Girl with a Pearl Earring painting to a jaguar in the grass, these incredible drawings are created from coloured ballpoint pens .
SITTING on a burning sofa unable to move, one man turns his terrifying dreams into reality .
WE’RE all familiar with the heart-wrenching pictures of dogs abandoned in animal shelters, but one photographer has found an innovative way of showcasing the pooch’s personality .
HUDDLING under a leaf, a pair of adorable Javan scops owls take shelter from the rain .