She was the 18th century celebrity who made men faint in awe of her beauty by her very presence. But her beauty - and her vanity - led to her demise as the lead-based make-up she insisted on plastering on daily resulted first in the loss of her looks, then deadly blood poisoning. Now the grand 7ft mirror in which Maria Gunning, the former Countess of Coventry, admired her stunning reflection has been auctioned off for more than £300,000. Labelled the first victim of vanity, Maria died aged 27 in 1760 after her love of make-up resulted in her untimely death. The 253-year-old mirror sold well above its estimate even though her condition meant she the society hostess used it for a matter of just months. A glorious George II giltwood overmantel design, it was bought for her by her husband The Sixth Earl of Coventry in 1759, who is said to have been so frustrated by his wife's love of make up that he would chase her around the dinner table with a handkerchief, trying wipe it from her face.
A panic stricken kitten that got her head stuck in a car tyre has been freed by quick thinking RSPCA staff .
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 osprey soars through the air at 30 miles per hour before swooping down to catch its prey from a lake .
A mother has spoken of her outrage after discovering her missing cat had been stolen - only to be told she cannot have its location due to the Data Protection Act .
Raising his arms above his head and lying flat on his back, a polar bear stretches as he sprawls out across the ice .
SQUEEZING their furry faces through a hole in a tree, a trio of curious baby squirrels leave their nest for the first time to explore their surroundings .
WELCOME to the pretty 122-inch-tall red dwelling that lays claim to the title of the UK's smallest house .
ROLLING across a 65-metre-high viaduct in the Alps, the red carriages of the Bernina Express add a splash of colour to the spectacular snow-covered Swiss surroundings .
A world's first restaurant has opened in Canada, where having your order fall on deaf ears is a good thing .
A professional dancer has embraced her individuality after refusing plastic surgery to remove a giant birthmark on her face .
GLAMPING is taken to a whole new level in the form of the luxurious Pop-Up Hotel .
Like a scene from a fairytale, THOUSANDS of fireflies create an enchanting glow as they dance in a forest .