A woman has spoken of her heartbreak after she was rejected by an adoption agency because of her pregnancy phobia. Kayleigh-Emma Shiel, 30, has always dreamed of becoming a mother, but suffers from tokophobia – a fear of childbirth. Her condition means that she is unable to conceive a child of her own as she is too terrified of pregnancy and the associated pain. Believing that adoption was her only chance of becoming a mother, Kayleigh and her fabricator husband Gary, 47, applied to adopt a child in January this year. But the couple, from Elland, West Yorkshire, were rejected partly due to Kayleigh’s unusual phobia.
From giant mountains to vast deserts, an American photographer spent a year capturing the diverse and beautiful landscape of the United States .
BALANCING on top of a tree, this bear cub puts her climbing skills to the test .
PUSHING the diver out of his way, this little sea turtle shows he’s not in the mood for photographs .
Is your cat bored? Do his usual playthings simply not do it for him anymore? Not to worry - there's an app for that .
Beautiful turquoise waves rise and fall in a series of stunning images taken along the coastline of south-eastern Australia .
Kevin Silva, 52 from Indiana in the USA, has spent an estimated £65K ($100K) on Batman trinkets over the years, and even keeps his 2,500-item haul in his very own basement 'Bat Cave' .
A hypnotherapist filmed himself sexually abusing a 19-year-old patient while she was in a trance-like state .
Staring death in the face, a little field mouse bravely confronts a hungry cat .
The lighthouses of Brittany, from Brest to Le Conquet, stand tall on France’s north-western coast against stunning scenery .
A diver attempts to control rising numbers of lionfish by feeding the venomous species to Caribbean reef sharks .
CAUSING a splash, this determined kingfisher goes hunting for dinner .
THIS LITTLE squirrel tries to keep himself snug as snow starts to fall around him .