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.
Primed and ready for action, this collection of striking images from the battlefield could be mistaken for authentic photos taking during World War II .
ROLLING around in the snow, these young brown bears take a break from their play fight to share a tender hug with one another .
FISTS fly as two gorillas take each other on in a dramatic battle .
A diver attempts to control rising numbers of lionfish by feeding the venomous species to Caribbean reef sharks .
The claws come out at meal time as a group of white tailed eagles brawl over road-kill .
An elegant snowy owl spreads her wings and glides effortlessly above the snow covered field .
A kingfisher’s bright blue and orange feathers glisten in the sunlight as the bird dives into a lake .
An Italian photographer travelled to northern India where he visited poverty stricken suburbs and captured ordinary people in a series of intimate and expressive portraits .
SPARKLING bright inside their box, it’s hard to believe these diamonds are made from the cremated remains of the deceased .
A hungry hippo is seconds away from catching a bird in its gigantic jaws .
Playing, splashing and generally messing around, these polar bears show they certainly have a soft spot for the water, and not just each other .
LINED up one by one on a deer’s back, these little birds give their wings a break as they catch a ride across London .