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. Instead of using traffic lights to control the stop and go flow of the cross-roads, attractive women dressed in perfectly crisps and identical outfits dangerously stand along in the middle of the road on a small platform. Displaying riveting focus, they are only allowed to turn counter-clockwise, directing traffic with forceful and halting movements. They have been the subject of photographic study for many years but French photographer Eric Lafforgue, 49, captured these moments during six trips to the Marxist country.
Playing, splashing and generally messing around, these polar bears show they certainly have a soft spot for the water, and not just each other .
WITH STUNNING colours and serene scenes, these photographs capture the otherworldly beauty of the English coast .
SURROUNDED by divers, a hungry green sea turtle enjoys being the centre of attention .
Exploding out of the water, a great white shark performs a backflip during a hunt for seals .
PUCKERING up and enjoying some quality time, these are the most lovable monkeys on the planet .
This may look like a monster car engine that will leave petrol heads in a spin, but it is in fact a rather snazzy looking COFFEE MACHINE .
ROLLING around in the snow, these young brown bears take a break from their play fight to share a tender hug with one another .
BEHIND the doors of this building, with its stacks of mattresses and discarded remains of wheelchairs, lies another victim of austerity cuts .
LYING flat out on his back, this little meerkat makes the most of the English sunshine .
A cricket perches on an unusual seat after crawling up the snout of a crocodile .
This is the amazing moment two white-tailed kites take an in-flight meal - exchanging prey at 100 foot high in mid air .
If you had to scrape the snow off your car this morning or slip-slide your way into work over icy pavements spare a thought for these little critters .