A hotel worker whose  nose was bitten off on the night of his work Christmas party is having it rebuilt using skin from his face. Christopher Watson, 32, admits he was too drunk to remember on a night out with colleagues in Newcastle upon Tyne on December 23, but insists he was attacked. He is currently recovering from reconstructive surgery as doctors battle to repair his disfigured face using grafts from other parts of his head. But police have shelved the investigation into the alleged attack because he was too drunk to remember who attacked him, and where. Anger: Christopher Watson, 32, claims his nose was bitten off, left and right, during his work Christmas party but is furious after police shelved their investigation because he was too drunk to remember what happened . After checking CCTV at possible locations and hunting for witnesses, officers found nothing so were unable to record the incident as a crime and suggested he may have fallen over. Mr Watson fears the person who attacked him may now never be caught and denies he fell because he had no grazes on his hands, elbows or knees. Now he  faces years of surgery to repair his nose, which was so severely damaged people cannot stop staring. Aftermath: Mr Watson says that people keep staring at him because of his injuries . He said: 'It's been awful. People still stare at me wherever I go, in the shop, on the bus, I get people looking at me. 'I just can't get my head around the fact that this has happened to me and I don't know why.' He had been enjoying a Christmas do with his colleagues from Newcastle's Vermont Hotel when the mysterious incident occurred, during the early hours of December 22, 2013. He believes he was attacked near Grey's Monument, outside Fenwick department store, in Newcastle city centre. He said: 'All I can remember is a flash of blue, then the pain of someone biting my nose, I can just remember the excruciating pain. I was delirious, in shock and in pain'. He then went back to the hotel he works in and a friend called an ambulance. When Christopher got to hospital medics told him a piece of his nose, the size of a five pence piece was missing. The hotel maintenance worker has since undergone painful skin grafts, and in December surgeons took skin from another part of his face to rebuild his nose. Last month Christopher went under the knife again for more reconstructive surgery. And he will return to hospital this month to find out what the next stage of his treatment will be. Christopher still believes part of his nose was bitten off. But police say there was not enough evidence to suggest a crime had taken place. 'There is no way I could have got that injury without someone else doing it. The police say I could have tripped or fallen, but I have no other bruises on my knees or hands. And I was wearing my glasses and they didn't break. 'The police have now written it off because I can't remember what happened. I thought it happened outside Fenwick but I can't be sure. They say they checked the CCTV cameras in that area and found nothing. But it could have happened somewhere else.' Mystery: Mr Watson has had surgery twice already after the incident on December 23 - but his memory of the night is hazy, making it hard for police to discover what happened . Northumbria Police has confirmed the incident was investigated but no evidence of an attack could be found. A spokeswoman said: 'We can confirm we received a report from the ambulance service that a man had suffered an injury. Extensive enquiries were carried out but no details of what happened or where could be clarified by the man or the person with him. If any further information is available we would ask people to contact the police.'

Christopher Watson, 32,  left with nose injury after work Christmas party . But he was very drunk and cannot remember how and where it happened . Surgeons have grafted skin from his face to help reconstruct his nose . He's had at least two operations and faces several more to repair injuries . Police have shelved investigation because they can't find witnesses . Detectives have suggested nose may not have been bitten and he fell over . Mr Watson says he can't have fallen over because he has no other injuries .

Tyne in 2017. It was later found his nose was bitten off by the 31-year-old, who was also charged with assault causing actual bodily harm. Newcastle Crown Court heard a man's nose was "smashed to pieces" by a woman's teeth after she bit off part of it following a row in a city bar. The incident happened on a night out with colleagues to celebrate Newcastle University's winter ball at the city's Premier Inn on Grey Street on 14 December 2017. Mr Watson, a former security guard, said: "I didn't feel a thing, I remember seeing something in the corner of my eye but it was over in a matter of seconds." "It didn't really hurt, it was just shocking to see my nose in the palm of her hand." He said he thought he had broken his nose and "just went to the loo and checked my face" before being taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary. The court heard the woman who allegedly bit the man, 31-year-old Kelly Black, also injured the top of Mr Watson's ear, bit his thumb and scratched his face. A witness claimed they heard Mr Watson yell out: "It's like a zombie just bit me. She's just tried to rip my nose off." She then spat out part of it, the court heard. Mr Watson was taken to hospital where doctors were forced to rebuild the nose using skin from his cheek, with surgeons using "three stitches" to place it back. In a statement read to the court, Mr Watson said: "My right cheekbone, nose, and ear have been left permanently disfigured, and there is a visible scar which runs from the top of my nose to under my chin. "I have a permanent scar on the right hand side of my face which was stitched back together. "My right eyebrow is also scarred. I have also been left with a permanent scar on my ear which goes under the right side of my jaw line and into my neck, the scar goes from my ear to under my chin." He said he was "shocking" when they saw him in hospital and admitted the incident made him very self-conscious about his appearance. "It has had a very big impact on my mental health," he said. "It has made me feel very insecure about my appearance." At the time the woman appeared


Teaching assistant Emma Webb, 44, from Bracknell, Berkshire, had sex with two teenagers at her home and in her car in a 'disgraceful' abuse of power . A married teaching assistant who got two schoolboys to skip lessons to have sex with her has avoided prison because she had already served time for having affairs with five other pupils. Mother-of-two Emma Webb had sex with the boys at home while her husband was out, and performed a sex act on one of them in an empty maths classroom. The 44-year-old also lured the ‘inexperienced’ boys, then aged 15 and 16, into her car for sex in a ‘disgraceful’ abuse of her position, a court heard. The blonde began a fling with the 16-year-old after being assigned as his support worker following the death of his brother. In a text message, she told him: ‘If I was younger I’d be the girl for you.’ She then offered him a lift home and touched him while they were struck in traffic, before driving to a deserted car park and performing a sex act on him. Prosecutor Michael Roques told a judge at Reading Crown Court how Webb also began a fling with the 15-year-old after sending him ‘flirty’ texts. After luring him into the maths room and performing a sex act on him, she invited the schoolboy to her home for sex while her husband was at work. The court heard how, on another occasion, she drove the youngster to a secluded area of woodland, where they had sex in the back of her car. The judge, Recorder John Gallagher, heard how the boy had been reluctant to report the affair because he feared reprisals from Webb’s husband, who was a karate black belt. Webb wept as she was told she would not go to jail for the flings, which came to light following her suspension from the school. In 2012, she was jailed for 32 months after admitting to affairs with five other pupils at the same Berkshire school, which cannot be named for legal reasons. Her barrister Lucy Tapper told the court that Webb was now in a relationship with another man. Miss Tapper added: ‘She’s somebody who is determined to put these incidents behind her and is determined to move on with her life.’ Judge Gallagher told Webb that she was only avoiding prison because she had already been punished for offences that had taken place at the same time. He said: ‘You disgracefully abused your position of trust. ‘I accept that you had your own problems but the truth is that ultimately it was for your own gratification and you ignored the needs of these two boys.’ But Webb was spared jail at Reading Crown Court (pictured) because she has already served time in jail for after admitting 30 offences involving five other pupils, which took place at the school at the same time . He told Webb the 15-year-old’s grades had deteriorated because she encouraged him to skip lessons for sex, adding: ‘It undoubtedly affected his schooling and the reality is you abused his innocence, because he had no previous sexual experience.’ Judge Gallagher said the 16-year-old had also been badly affected by her behaviour. He added: ‘You were specifically his mentor. ‘A mentor is somebody who is meant to be getting a young person into the right way of behaving and the right way of treating others. What you did was precisely the opposite. ‘The fact is this is your last chance, there can be no more of this.’ Webb, of Bracknell, Berkshire, admitted 12 counts of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust and was handed a 15-month prison sentence, suspended for two years. She was also given a two-year supervision order.

Emma Webb had unprotected sex with boys in 'disgraceful' abuse of power . 44-year-old from Bracknell urged pupils to skip classes for secret liaisons . Mother-of-two also sent them photos, posing in underwear with sex toys . Webb jailed in 2012 for 30 offences involving five  boys during same period . Recorder John Gallagher said she had already been punished for offences .

 perform sex acts on her and her husband in a "disgraceful" abuse of power is facing a jail sentence. Emma Webb, 44, invited her victims to her home in Bracknell, Berks, and in a nearby layby and asked one of them to perform. The perverted teacher forced the youngster to perform sex acts on her husband and even watched as her husband had sex with one of the victims.
Teacher Emma Webb, 44, of Bracknell, pleaded guilty in the High Court to five counts of taking indecent images of children and six of sexual activity with a child at an address in Bracknell. She also admitted two counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. Webb is due to be sentenced on Thursday, December 6. In a victim statement read to the court, the woman referred to in the proceedings as A said: The pervert teacher forced the youngster to perform sex acts on her husband and even watched as her husband had sex with one of the victims.
Emma Webb, 44, of Bracknell, pleaded guilty in the High Court to five counts of taking indecent images of children and six of sexual activity with a child at an address in Bracknell. A woman who forced young boys to perform sex acts on her husband and watch her perform sex with her husband has been jailed. Emma Webb pleaded guilty to five counts of taking indecent images of children and six of sexual activity with a child. The teacher was given a month's suspended sentence and five years of supervision for this at a hearing on Thursday, December 6.
An aspiring actress who had sex with her school's deputy head was told today she would serve time in jail. Emma Webb, 44, from Bracknell, Berkshire, pleaded guilty to five counts of taking indecent images of children and six of sexual activity with a child. The mother-of-two, who admitted having sex with a schoolboy, also admitted two counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity at an address in Bracknell. She was granted bail and will be sentenced at the same court on Thursday, December 6.
A teenage schoolgirl told the court she believed the sex was consensual, however Webb made her feel like a "slut" and a "whore". Miss Webb, 39, invited the victims to her home and a nearby lay-by, asking one of the victims to perform a sex act on her husband. Emma Webb forced


The driver of a car that hit and killed a young woman in the early hours on Sunday morning was on the way to work, police believe. Brisbane woman Ashleigh Humphrys died in a hit-and-run incident after deciding to walk from Toowong to her Seventeen Mile Rocks home in Brisbane  after having an argument with a friend while they were out celebrating her 20th birthday. Now, after it was revealed that a man was assisting police with their investigations, officers have said they believe he was on his way to work and went to his shift as normal on Sunday, the Courier Mail reported. Scroll down for video . Ashleigh Humphrys was walking home after her 20th birthday celebrations when she was hit by a car and killed at 4am on Sunday in Brisbane . Police seized his car, believed to be a dark coloured sedan, which is also undergoing scientific investigation with the Forensic Crash Unit, according to Nine News. The young 20-year-old woman is believed to have either have been on her hands and knees or lying on the road when she was struck by a car and left to die. Police said people tried to put Ms Humphrys, who was understood to be intoxicated at the time, into a cab at a Caltex service station but she walked away. Police said Ms Humphrys’ injuries suggested she was low to the ground when she was hit in the right inbound lane on the Mt Coot-tha Rd extension of the Western Freeway between the two roundabouts. A security guard from a nearby service station called police after he witnessed Ms Humphrys walking in a disorientated state along the road . Only moments later the guard, who was still on the phone to police while driving around trying to find Ms Humphrys, discovered her dead on the road at the city end of the Western Freeway . A security guard from a nearby service station called police after he witnessed her walking in a disorientated state along the road,The Courier Mail reported. Only moments later the guard, who was still on the phone to police while driving around trying  to find Ms Humphrys, discovered her dead on the road. Just before Ms Humphrys was hit, CCTV footage shows two taxis stop near the woman and put their hazard lights on. It was then that a dark-coloured sedan drove past the taxis, mounted the footpath before swerving back onto the road and driving off. One taxi has been seized as part of the investigation after cabbie came forward last night and police said they were talking to a person who was 'within the vicinity' of the incident. Police  need to speak urgently with the other two drivers seen in the video footage at the time of the incident and will look for the other taxi driver through cab companies if they don't come forward. Just before Ms Humphrys was hit, CCTV footage shows two taxis stop near the woman and put their hazard lights on before a car drove past the taxis, mounted the footpath and then swerved back onto the road before driving off . Insp Rob Graham said Ms Humphrys' mother realised what happened to her daughter through the media reports she saw on Sunday . Ms Humphrys decided to walk from Toowong to her Seventeen Mile Rocks home . Senior Sergeant Simon Lamerton strongly urged the driver in question to come forward for everyone concerned in the horrific incident. 'A young person has lost their life, the driver of this car is involved and for the sake of the family and for their own conscience and mental health into the future, these sorts of things you don’t want to carry with you,' he said to the Brisbane paper. 'Not only for your own conscience but also for the family and the purposes for the coronial report.' 'It's very important we hear your side.' Inspector Rob Graham said. 'We want to put pressure on the driver and let him know that we've got CCTV footage and our preference would be for him or her to come forward and give us the information.' The city end of the Western Freeway in Brisbane where Ms Humphrys was found dead early Sunday mornin . Insp Graham said Ms Humphrys' mother realised what happened to her daughter through the media reports she saw on Sunday. 'Police had the unfortunate job of notifying the mum,' he said. 'I spoke to the police after that and they were devastated.' Tributes have started to flow in for Ms Humphrys  on Facebook. 'Baby girl, there have been so many things running through my head all day, but I mainly just want to say I am so thankful that I had the pleasure of having you as one of my close friends,' a friend posted. 'You were such a beautiful person, inside and out. Your laugh was contagious and your kindness was shared among so many.Gone, far too soon.'

Ashleigh Humphrys, 20, died in a hit-and-run early on Sunday morning . Police believe the driver of the car was heading to work . A man is assisting police with their investigations after the death . Ms Humphrys was walking home after celebrating her birthday with friends . A security guard rang police after she was walking disorientated . CCTV footage shows two taxis stop near her before she was struck and put hazard lights on . Then a car drove past the taxis, mounted the footpath before swerving back onto the road and driving off . A taxi is said to have been seized and police are talking to a person 'within the vicinity' at the time of the incident .

owoomba to Warwick.
Ashleigh Humphrys was trying to get to her work. Image via facebook
Police believe her killer was in the area early on Sunday morning, after she decided to walk to a friend’s place because she was too hungover to drive the short distance home.
It is thought she was hit by a passing car between 1.30am and 2am Sunday morning – her body was found just after 7.15am that morning.
Ashleigh’s friend, Rebecca De La Fuente said: “Ash was such a beautiful girl. She was gorgeous inside and out.”
The 21-year-old was walking down the main street of Toowoomba, but she turned and headed to a friend’s house a short distance away because she was too drunk to drive home safely.
“She would go out for nights and come home at 7am and still have to go to work at 8am. She wouldn’t go anywhere if she had a hangover,” De La Fuente said.
The last sighting of Ashleigh was at around 1.30am when she was walking down Toowoomba’s Margaret Street, but she was too drunk to drive, so she walked to a friend’s house a few hundred metres away.
“It’s so sad. She was so much fun — she was bubbly, and she always had fun and enjoyed her weekends,” De La Fuente said.
“I don’t know who could do that and not be able to live with it.”
When asked how the incident had affected her friend, De La Fuente said she had suffered from survivor’s guilt because Ashleigh hadn’t reached her destination.
“She said: ‘If it was me or someone who I was close to, I would do it,'” De La Fuente said.
“She wouldn’t want to do it to anyone — she would want to stop it, but in this situation there’s nothing we can do.”
Police believe the car will have damage to the front of the vehicle. Image via facebook
Detective Senior Sergeant Craig Waddell said the driver did not stop, and he believed the car had damage to the front of the vehicle.
“We do believe the driver will be unaware that they have caused this collision, however it is a reminder for all motorists to take extra care on our roads,” Senior Sgt Waddell


A slaughterhouse worker who stabbed his ex-girlfriend's male friend to death after wrongly believing the pair were dating has been jailed for 25 years after being convicted of murder. Jason Taylor, 21, shared an eight-month relationship with Jodie Emery, 26, but after the pair broke up he became jealous, often going to her house in Preston, Lancashire, to spy on her. Convinced she was seeing another man he sent the mother-of-two a text on September 22 last year which said: 'Last chance, otherwise things are going to turn sour, tell me who is there'. He then went to Miss Emery's home and kicked in the front door. With her two young daughters asleep upstairs he began fighting with friend Adam Wilson, 25, who she said had been invited over for drinks. Jason Taylor, 21 (left), is facing life in jail today after he was found guilty of murdering Adam Wilson, 25, after becoming convinced he was dating his ex-girlfriend Jodie Emery, 26 (right) During the struggle he used a knife he had bough on a previous holiday with Miss Emery to fatally stab Mr Wilson in the thigh. During his trial at Preston Crown Court, Taylor tried to claim that that there was no innocent reason for Mr Wilson being in the house, and denied intending to kill him, but a jury took just an hour and a half to decide he was lying. Today he was handed down a life sentence and told he cannot apply for parole until at least 2040. Judge Anthony Russell QC told Taylor: 'The victim was someone completely unknown to you and had done you absolutely no harm at all and yet was murdered by you for no other reason other than he happened to be the person at the home of Jody Emery. 'This was a particularly shocking murder because it was pure chance Adam Wilson was the person who you vented your rage on because you were unable to accept your relationship with Jody Emery was finished. 'People have to accept that sometimes things go wrong in their lives and relationship do sometimes end. You were not prepared to accept that. Taylor kicked down Miss Emery's front door on September 22 last year, and began fighting with Mr WIlson (pictured), fatally stabbing him in the thigh . 'You persistently badgered her to the extent that you became a nuisance. 'You were not prepared to let her move along with her life or yours because of your obsessive jealousy. She was perfectly entitled to see other people, it was none of your business if she did so. 'You murdered this man for no other reason other than he was in a place he was perfectly entitled to be. He had done no wrong.' The court earlier heard that Taylor, a slaughterhouse worker who spent his days deboning animal carcasses, had been in an eight-month relationship with Miss Emery. The pair had shared a caravan holiday together in Scarborough, but after they returned home Miss Emery secretly terminated a pregnancy. When Taylor found out he flew into a rage and the pair split. Unable to accept the break-up Taylor began texting and calling Miss Emery on a regular basis begging for them to get back together, and often went to her house to watch her, often coming up to look through the windows. Two days before the murder took place Taylor was at pub the Tardy Gate. When he spotted one of Miss Emery's former boyfriends he became angry, smashed a window and tried to punch the man. Louise Blackwell QC said on the day of the killing Taylor texted Miss Emery saying: 'I miss you. Maybe in time you'll want to try again'. She asked him not to contact her but later that evening he sent her another text saying: 'Can I come for cuddles?' Miss Emery responded, 'you being weird then', to which he said: 'I'm not my head is just f..ked' and he allegedly rang his mother asking for a knife he bought during his holiday with Miss Emery. The court heard he was spotted cycling towards her home during which he sent her another text asking her who she was with. She texted back, 'on my own I keep telling you' at which point Taylor said: 'last chance otherwise things are going to turn sour, tell me who is there, last chance'. Emery replied 'wtf' and tried to call him three times with no response. Miss Blackwell added: 'The defendant then arrived at the front door and used considerable force to kick his way through the bottom panel. 'Once inside the incident starts immediately in the hall between the defendant and Adam Wilson and spilled into the lounge. 'Miss Emery was trying her best, obviously unsuccessfully to break apart and stop the defendant being able to get at Adam Wilson but it did not stop. 'All three of them ended up on the sofa in the living room. Adam Wilson was on the bottom, Jodie had got herself between him and the defendant lay on top but she described the repeated blows being struck to Adam Wilson. During his trial at Preston Crown Court, Taylor (pictured right) had tried to claim there was no innocent reason for Mr Wilson to be with Miss Emery, and denied intending to kill him, but a jury ruled otherwise . The court heard that after Miss Emery split from Taylor following an eight-month relationship he became jealous, constantly texting and calling her, and often going to her house (pictured) to spy on her . 'She did not initially realise there was a knife involved but after a period of time during which blows were being reigned down, the defendant then stood up. 'At that stage she saw he was armed with that knife, a knife she had seen before which he has bought when they were on holiday in Scarborough.' Taylor fled the scene and dumped the knife as Miss Emery rang for ambulance. Mr Wilson was pronounced dead in hospital just an hour later from the 6cm long and 7.5cm deep fatal wound which was to the inner right thigh. Doctors also found cuts on his back, buttocks and legs, and abrasions on the rest of his body that were consistent with a struggle. On the night of the killing Taylor text Miss Emery saying ''ast chance, otherwise things are going to turn sour, tell me who is there' before kicking in her front door while her two young daughters were asleep upstairs . When Taylor was arrested he said: 'No you are not serious are you, you are joking, he is dead? He attacked me I have done nothing wrong'. Shortly afterward police recovered the black-handled and blood-stained knife. In a video interview Miss Emery said Wilson was 'just a friend' whom she had known for a couple of months. She said Taylor would turn up at her home and she she believed he would carry on turning up if she did not reply to his messages. She said: 'Jason had been constantly texting all the time. I made sure I was answering and replying to the phone calls. I didn't tell him that I was with anyone because I knew he would not like it.' In a statement Wilson's mother Diane said: 'Adam would have been frightened at time of his death. I'm so angry at the compete irrationality to understand how someone could do that to my son.'

Jason Taylor, 21, shared eight-month relationship with Jodie Emery, 26 . Pair broke up in September last year after which Taylor became jealous . Texted and called Miss Emery and went to her house to spy on her . Broke into home on September 22 and had fight with Adam Wilson, 26 . During tussle Taylor stabbed Mr Wilson in the thigh and he bled to death . Taylor today jailed for 25 years and cannot apply for parole until 2040 .

 Nicola O'Hara's boyfriend - but the couple stopped seeing each other in August last year.
Following their break up, he stabbed Mr O'Hara in the stomach at his home in Pudsey, West Yorkshire.
He then fled after slitting a young child's throat as the child cowered in the kitchen as Mr O'Hara fought for his life.
During the trial, a jury found Taylor guilty of murder following a week-long trial at Leeds Crown Court.
He has been sentenced to serve a minimum term of 25 years and will remain in custody until he is eligible for parole, the probation service has confirmed.
Following the murder trial, Mr O'Hara's family released a statement and paid tribute to a "hugely kind young man" who was "taken from us too soon and too young".
Speaking after the trial ended, Detective Chief Inspector Lee Page said: "I hope that with the result and the jury's verdict today, Nicola's family now have some peace, which is something that will never be for them, and I offer them my deepest condolences.
"The sentence has been agreed because Taylor had committed this offence against someone he believed to be the boyfriend of someone he had previously been in a relationship with, and because he had the knife with him. It was a very premeditated crime."
Speaking as the sentence was read out, Nicola O'Hara's mother Angela said she thought Taylor was a "good actor" as she relayed her victim impact statement to him.
She told the killer: "You took our beautiful Nicola, a good daughter, granddaughter, sister, cousin and friend from us, in the blink of an eye.
"I hope one day, you learn to accept the terrible thing you have done. Until that day, you will live with what you have done.
"You are a master manipulator. You are cold-hearted, calculating, deceitful and without empathy, and I hope the jury sentence you accordingly."
Mr O'Hara's father Michael said 'There can be no justice for what has happened to our Nicola, the daughter we loved.
"We miss her every day, and every day we know that her attacker still walks the earth free to do his harm."
In court, Taylor's defence team had argued he should be let off as he was a "very vulnerable young man" who was


England's first wild beavers for 800 years were last night released back onto a river in Devon, after passing vital health tests. The animals were captured for a series of tests last month, after Natural England gave unprecedented permission for them to be allowed to live free near Ottery St Mary, east Devon. Four adults and a juvenile were certified as free of disease, and will rejoin four young kits which had remained on the River Otter. Scroll down for video . Born free: England's first wild beavers (pictured paddling away after being released) for 800 years were last night released back onto the River Otter in Devon, after passing vital health tests . Devon Wildlife Trust officials, who will monitor the animals in a five-year pilot project, last night said they were delighted the beavers were back on the river. Ministers had initially wanted the remarkable animals to be rounded up and put in a zoo or even culled after they were first spotted in late 2013. But government agency Natural England has decided they will instead be allowed to stay in the wild in the first project of its kind. Devon Wildlife Trust’s Peter Burgess said last night: ‘Today’s re-release means that these beavers are back where they belong, in the wild on the River Otter. ‘We’re delighted and relieved that they’ve coped very well with a short period in captivity and been given a clean bill of health. Close to freedom: The Devon Wildlife Trust said: ‘We’re delighted that [the otters] have coped very well with a short period in captivity and been given a clean bill of health (moment prior to release, pictured) Government agency Natural England ruled that as long as the beavers were disease-free, they could remain on the Rover Otter (newly freed otter shown in its natural habitat) Beavers build dams to flood areas and provide ponds. These in turn act as protection against predators - their 'lodges' are often in the middle of these deep ponds - and to provide easy access to food during winter. Dams typically range in size from a few feet to more than 300ft wide, although one was once recorded as spanning 2,800ft. Beavers work at night, carrying mud and stones with their paws and timber between their teeth. ‘They’ve tested free of serious infectious diseases and we’re now looking forward to starting the next phase of our work: studying the long term effects of these wild beavers on the local landscape, on local communities and local wildlife.’ Beavers, which are native to England, were plentiful in our countryside until they were wiped out by hunters in the Middle Ages. They vanished from our rivers and wetlands for centuries until, mysteriously, one was spotted near Ottery St Mary some 18 months ago. A few months later a second beaver was seen and then grainy pictures emerged in the spring of a juvenile. It later became clear that there were in fact nine beavers, of three different generations, living on the River Otter. Idyllic: Beavers, which are native to England, were plentiful in our countryside (River Otter pictured)  until they were wiped out by hunters in the Middle Ages . DNA tests also confirmed the family were Eurasian beavers - the species originally native to the UK - rather than North American beavers (here one of the English family is pictured while in captivity during tests) Tests, carried out by beaver experts from the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland over the last few days, revealed the animals were free of bovine TB and a parasitic tapeworm that can cause serious harm in humans . At home: Officials had originally said that the wild family (one member, pictured) posed a risk to other wildlife, and might spread parasites and disease, and should be caged or killed . The beavers' impact on the surrounding landscape (dam in River Otter, pictured), fish stocks and landowners including farmers, will also be monitored over the coming years . Peter Burgess of the Devon Wildlife Trust said the beavers could have a hugely beneficial impact on rivers, reducing numbers of trees on the banks, improving light levels, and reducing flood risk by controlling water flow with their dams. Some people think they may slow down flood waters, as well as boosting wildlife diversity. Farmers and anglers have that they can damage the landscape and fish migration routes. This proved they had been quietly prospering and – crucially – breeding, and had been there for at least five years. News of the discovery was incredibly popular locally - so people were furious when Defra, the Government’s environment department, decided they would round up the beavers. Officials said that they posed a risk to other wildlife, and might spread parasites and disease, and should be caged or killed. But a fierce campaign to allow the animals to remain free, backed by the Daily Mail, resulted in a dramatic turnaround. Natural England, the government agency in charge of wildlife, ruled that as long as the beavers were disease-free, they could remain on the Rover Otter. They vanished from our rivers and wetlands for centuries until, mysteriously, one was spotted near Ottery St Mary in eastern Devon last winter. A few months later a second beaver was seen and then grainy pictures emerged in the spring of a juvenile. A screen grab of video footage of the beavers is shown . Each of the beavers (pictured during short stint in captivity) has been tagged with colour-coded ear labels, which will help officials track the individuals as they are filmed by hidden cameras . Beavers normally live in family groups and can survive up to 24 years in the wild and 35 years in captivity. They are herbivorous rodents that build corridors in their dams to escape predators such as wolves and bears in the wild. The animals are nocturnal and can grow to more than 3ft, weigh up to 70lbs, and feed on a diet of reeds, leaves and bark. Beavers were hunted almost to extinction in Europe, both for fur and for castoreum - a secretion of its scent gland for medicinal properties. Tests, carried out by beaver experts from the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland over the last few days, revealed the animals were free of bovine TB and a parasitic tapeworm that can cause serious harm in humans. DNA tests also confirmed they were Eurasian beavers - the species originally native to the UK - rather than North American beavers. Having been cleared for the project, each of the beavers has been tagged with colour-coded ear labels, which will help officials track the individuals as they are filmed by hidden cameras. Their impact on the surrounding landscape, fish stocks and landowners including farmers, will also be monitored. At its conclusion in 2020, the project will present Natural England with its evidence and decide the future of the beavers. The four adults and a juvenile were certified as free of disease, and will rejoin four young kits which had remained on the River Otter (map shown) The reason for the beavers’ (pictured) presence in Devon remains a mystery. There are captive breeding programmes in the UK, including one in Dartmoor, but none of the animals are unaccounted for . Friends of the Earth campaigner Alasdair Cameron said: ‘The return of these beavers is fantastically exciting, and a great success for all those who fought for them to remain in the wild. ‘Let us hope it is just the start. We should bring beavers back to other parts of the UK where they used to live and look at boosting or returning other species too - from the pine marten to the lynx. ‘We need to radically change our relationship with nature. Bringing back our native species will help existing wildlife, repair our ecosystems and bring more life and joy to our landscape.’ The reason for the beavers’ original presence in Devon remains a mystery. There are several captive breeding programmes in the UK, including one on the other side of Dartmoor, but none of the animals is unaccounted for. Other explanations touted by locals include their escape from a private collection, or a deliberate release by wildlife enthusiasts.

Captured for a tests last month, after government agency gave permission for them to be allowed to live free near Ottery St Mary, Devon . Four adults and a juvenile were certified as free of disease, and will rejoin four young kits which had remained on the River Otter . Ministers had wanted animals to be rounded up and put in a zoo . But Natural England in charge of wildlife, has decided they will instead be allowed to stay in the wild in the first project of its kind .

 released.
The four animals are part of the Devon beaver reintroduction project, which is overseen by the Wildlife Trust, a charity that has set up 38 artificial beaver dams to create the perfect conditions for the water rodents.
A spokesman for Devon Wildlife Trust said yesterday's release in the River Otter was the culmination of seven years of planning. "It's the culmination of seven years' hard work – this has been in the pipeline since the 90s," said Helen Macnair. "It's a hugely significant achievement for England and one which shows how much things have changed."
She said the public had responded enthusiastically to the news that the beavers were to be released. "We've had a really positive reaction from the local people who are just fascinated by them. People are absolutely delighted," she said.
Devon has been chosen as the location for the 21st century reintroduction of beavers because it has not been occupied by them for many years. Beavers do huge amounts of work for flood prevention, but, as far back as the 1200s, they were hunted to extinction.
The project is supported by the National Trust, which has set up the River Otter at Exminster to encourage beavers to recolonise, so that they can expand their habitat into the surrounding countryside.
But the scheme has had critics and a petition against beavers was recently handed to prime minister David Cameron. It is said beavers pose a threat to native wildlife, in particular the otter, which is already endangered in Britain.
Macnair said their impact on the local ecosystem would be monitored carefully. "The main thing is that the beaver population we've got here is small, but we're not expecting that to happen overnight," she said. "We've got them under strict observation for the next couple of years. If they do prove to be a pest in any way, we'll withdraw them from this project and take them out."
Despite this reassurance, some experts still say the beavers pose a threat to native wildlife. The Wildfowl and Wetland Trust said in a statement: "Wildlife is delicate and cannot withstand the predation and competition posed by beavers."
Beavers are one of the largest rodents in the world, standing 60-80cm tall and weighing up to 35kg, and they can take several years to reach maturity, reaching sexual maturity


A single house peeks out of a swirl of mist, soft morning sunlight bathes a hillside in pink and orange light, heavy fog turns the landscape ghostly green. In these ethereal images Polish photographer Marcin Sobas captures the unreal world of early morning in two of Europe's most beautiful regions. He travelled to rural villages in Tuscany in Italy and the Beskid Mountains in Poland, venturing out before dawn while the villagers slept in tiny wooden cottages and brick villas among swirling mist. This mountain glade in the Beskid Mountains in Poland is bathed in ethereal greenish light in Sobas's picture . Every single picture tells a different story where the light and conditions are the main characters such as these rolling Tuscan hills shrounded in mist . The first rays of sunlight turns the clouds pink and the land orange in Marcin Sobas's image of this village in the Beskid Mountains in Poland . The top of a hillside emerges like an island from a sea of mist from this picture taken in Poland's Beskid Mountains . He said: 'It’s a compilation of pictures which were taken in Poland and Italy during several sunrises. The main themes are the houses, huts and villages because I am fascinated by such views and landscapes. 'When I was taking these pictures I stood higher than these houses and was enjoying the sunlight. People who live in these houses slept tight in the darkness of mists.' Sobas ,who lives in Silesia in Poland, works in IT but his real passion is landscape photography and capturing the charms of nature. Cypresses and poplars rise out of the mist while in the foreground a Tuscan villa sleeps . A Tuscan hillside is surrounded by clouds and mist while the distant shapes of mountains begin to emerge . Houses, huts and villages, such as these in the Beskid Mountains, fascinate Sobas . All but one house are hidden by thick mist in this valley in the Beskid Mountains . He started taking pictures as a child when his father, from whom he inherited his love of nature, gave him a compact camera as a present. His favourite themes are light and weather and the way in which they interplay to make familiar landscapes seem strange and unreal. He said: 'Ever since I can remember I have always been sensitive for the charms of nature. I believe this is originating from my father who was also the one who gifted me a compact camera. A wooden hut peaks out of a grey landscape in this photograph from the Beskid Mountains . His favourite themes are light and weather and the way in which they interplay to make familiar landscapes seem strange and unreal . 'This was the very moment that have initiated my adventure with photography. The next key milestone was the purchase of a professional DSLR camera, from that moment on I started to take photography for serious – and in a much more conscious way. It has become my greatest passion. 'I specialise in landscape photography. My favorite themes are rolling farmlands, foggy mornings in the mountains and by the lakes. When he was taking these pictures he stood higher than these Polish houses and was enjoying the sunlight. People who live in these houses slept tight in the darkness of mists . The red windows of this tiny Polish cottage stand out against the sea of grey and white . 'I do my best to have every single picture to tell a different story where the light and conditions are the main characters.# . 'These two factors make the world look extreme and unreal at various times of a day and year. In the future I plan to check myself also in other areas like birds and wildlife photography which I find fascinating. 'I hope that at some point of time I will manage to fulfill my greatest dream which is visiting all earth’s continents.' This orange Tuscan villa perches on a mountain surrounded by cypresses and poplars, a splash of colour among the grey . The Beskid Mountains, Beskidy in Polish, are a discontinuous series of forested mountain ranges lying in the eastern Czech Republic, northwestern Slovakia and southern Poland. They are popular for their historic wooden churches and skiing resorts. A small but growing population of bears, wolves and lynx roam the mountains. Tuscany, in the central and western areas of Italy, blends gently rolling hills leading on to sharply peaked mountains . Tuscany, in the central and western areas of Italy, blends gently rolling hills leading on to sharply peaked mountains that pose a formidable barrier between Tuscany and regions to the south. Please . put the address of my website ( www.marcinsobas.com ) and my fanpage www.facebook.com/MarcinSobasPhotography on this post. a . Autumn leaves and red roofs and green grass begins to emerge from the grey shroud covering this Polish village . This Tuscan house seems suspended in heaven as the mist surrounds it completely . To see more of Sobas's breathtaking work, visit www.marcinsobas.com or check out www.facebook.com/MarcinSobasPhotography.

Polish photographer Marcin Sobas captures landscapes in the Beskid Mountains in Poland and Tuscany in Italy . He rose before dawn to capture mountain villages shrouded in mist . Passionate about landscape photography, he uses the effects of light and weather to create unreal landscapes .

 morning, a world of ghosts and echoes. The mist is thick enough to obscure entire buildings, to enshroud them entirely, to suggest that everything, even the stones themselves, are made of mist and dreams. The world in these photographs is full of dreams. Even the sunlight has a dream-like quality about it as it floats across the landscape and lights up a few features of the ground and the sky. There is a dream-like quality to the light in these images, it falls in soft shafts as if filtering through gauze or velvet. In the mist, everything is muted, all details lost, leaving only impressions of colour and texture, the shapes of the trees and the house, the pale stone steps. A single bird flies across the top of the picture. Perhaps this is one of the ghosts of this landscape.
Marcin Sobas uses film to make these dream-like images and his choice of film enhances the dreamlike feel, making the pictures look grainy and a bit out of focus as if shot through a veil of soft mist. In some of these images Sobas has enhanced the effect by using a darkroom technique called double exposure. This involves layering two negatives, the first exposing the photograph as it was shot, the second exposing another version of the image before the film is rewound and rolled back into the camera. The result is a ghostly vision of the photographer’s original idea of the scene. The house, now partly revealed, dissolves and fades back into a pale misty vision of itself, its outline blurred, ghostly.
One of the most striking pieces is a photograph that seems to capture a ghostly figure in a long white dress, walking across a frozen lake. This is not only an unusual sight but a dream-like sight. It could be a dream, this woman lost in a cold landscape with no one to see her. The mist obscures all but this figure’s pale outline and the soft blue sky above her. The mist falls gently around the woman, almost like a veil, but unlike the mist elsewhere in the pictures it does not hide her, it does not erase her, it does not obscure. The woman looks out at the viewer, almost challenging them, daring them to come closer to the real her. In all the images the sense of place and time is difficult to grasp. It is as if we are peering through a window into the artist’s dream, his private world. The mist, the veil of film and the soft colours make it


A police officer told the Hillsborough inquest if a big gate had not been opened to relieve the crush at the turnstiles, ‘we would have been dealing with bodies outside the ground’. John Morgan, a South Yorkshire Police sergeant on duty  on the day of the football disaster, also said he would have opened the gates himself if more senior officers had not given the order. Some 96 Liverpool fans died after a crush on the Leppings Lane terrace of Sheffield’s Hillsborough ground as the FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest kicked off on April 15, 1989. Scroll down for video . Evidence: John Morgan (pictured today in a court sketch), a police sergeant on duty on the day of the football disaster, also said he would have opened the gates himself if more senior officers had not given the order . Around 2,000 fans entered the ground when match commander Chief Superintendent David Duckenfield ordered Gate C at the Leppings Lane end to be opened at 2.52pm. But many fans headed straight for the tunnel under the seated upper stand and leading directly to the already-packed central pens of the terrace behind the goal. The tunnel was not closed off by police beforehand and the numbers of fans in each pen was not restricted - with police and club officials having a policy of allowing supporters to ‘find their own level’ by distributing themselves along the terraces. In the run-up to kick-off Mr Morgan was in charge of a serial of officers inside the ground at the Leppings Lane end when a massive crowd built up at the turnstiles with those at the front being crushed and ‘screaming for help’. He said: ‘I just could not understand what I was seeing because it was unprecedented. What I would say, I froze, in fact I was gobsmacked. It was an alarming situation. ‘One guy I remember getting hold of my anorak and saying, “Do something, people are getting crushed, open the gates”.’ Shocking incident: Some 96 Liverpool fans died after a crush on the Leppings Lane terrace of Sheffield’s Hillsborough ground as the FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest kicked off on April 15, 1989 . Mr Morgan went outside and with other officers managed to pull some fans out of the crush amidst an ‘aura of menace’ and ‘alarm’ due to the numbers and the crushing. ‘I thought people were going to die. There was imminent danger,’ he added. Mr Morgan said he had ‘formed an intention’ to open the gates to relieve the pressure but would have first had to get permission from more senior officers first. Later he made a statement, saying if Gate C had not been opened, ‘we would have been dealing with bodies outside the ground’. He said he ‘assumed’ there would be a controlled opening of the gates to allow fans to filter into the ground, but was left surprised when Gate C was ‘flung open wide’ at 2.52pm. A police officer stands outside Hillsborough as jurors on the inquest into the fans' deaths visit the stadium . The former officer told the jury: ‘At that stage, that took me by complete surprise and I’m forced through the gates and I turn around in mid-stream and try to force my way back outside. 'I thought I was going to be trampled under the press behind me.’ Christina Lambert QC, counsel for the inquest, asked Mr Morgan if he had himself instructed stewards to open the gates - a suggestion dismissed by the witness. Ms Lambert continued: ‘Why are you confident you did not give the instruction?’ Mr Morgan replied: ‘Because I can’t remember it. It’s not within my memory, that I knocked on that door and spoke to anybody. I just did not do it. I don’t think I had the rank to be able to issue that order.’ Liverpool football fans pay their respects to the dead at Anfield Stadium two days after the disaster in 1989 . He said there was ‘every possibility’ Gate C was opened at 2.52pm on the orders of Mr Duckenfield. After the gate was opened Mr Morgan went to help other fans outside then he heard a call on his police radio calling for help with a pitch invasion. But he was left ‘shocked’ when he got to the scene with fellow officers, ‘standing in disbelief’, in front of the Leppings Lane pens with fans crushed against the perimeter fence. Mr Morgan then went to the back of the stand through the tunnel to get fans off the terrace to relieve pressure at the front. Ex-chief superintendent Mr Duckenfield will give evidence to the inquests, in Warrington, tomorrow. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.

South Yorkshire Police sergeant John Morgan gives evidence at inquest . He 'would have opened gates if more senior officers had not given order' 96 Liverpool fans died after shocking crush at Hillsborough in April 1989 . 2,000 entered ground when match commander  ordered gate to be opened . But many headed straight for tunnel  towards already-packed lower terrace .

, said: ‘It was a situation where we needed assistance from either the police or from the stewards.’
The inquest on the disaster which killed 96 people has been adjourned again – to 2020. Lord Justice Taylor said further evidence would be needed into the role of the police to enable the inquest to resume.
Taylor is also examining the failure of the police to enforce the ban on ticket touts and the absence of a second gate to allow more fans in. The latest adjournment came 33 years to the day after the disaster. It means that, in all, almost four years will have passed between the collapse of the terraces and the opening of the inquest into the disaster.
Taylor is under pressure to hold the inquests within three years of the disaster. The longest time taken by a coroner to deliver an inquest was 22 years, in the case of the Lockerbie bombing.
In his statement, Taylor said it was clear that all ticketless people had been admitted to the ground as soon as they presented themselves. But he said a number of witnesses had indicated that large numbers of ticketless people had not yet presented themselves to the gate and were simply standing near the turnstiles, waiting to be let in.
But it was not until the 6pm turnstile gate opened to relieve the pressure on the entrance of some 1000 people that a large number of them were actually admitted.
Taylor said that at the 4.30pm gate, and possibly on the 6pm gate, the crush was so great that it would be ‘virtually impossible’ to clear everyone in the time that remained before kick-off. ‘It would have been a major task to clear out more than the number that did get in in time for the 6pm gate opening,’ he said. ‘People would have been outside.’
The first sign that something was wrong, Taylor said, had come when police officers at the 4pm gate had realised that they were ‘fighting a losing battle’. He added: ‘As early as 3.45pm they had begun to give tickets to people not wearing them.’ Police officers who had been working the turnstile gates had tried to get assistance, he said. But ‘they were told no. They were told that the gate was about to be opened and that the crowd would simply be shunted from one gate to another and released’.
Sergeant Morgan said: ‘We


The mother of two Detroit children whose bodies were found in a deep freezer in their home was charged with child abuse Wednesday and could face more serious charges once investigators determine how the boy and girl died. Mitchelle Blair, 35, was arrested Tuesday after court officers serving an eviction notice at her home opened the freezer and found the bodies of her daughter Stoni Ann Blair and her son Stephen Gage Berry. The county medical examiner was hoping to conduct autopsies on the children's bodies Wednesday but had to wait until they had fully thawed. The police, meanwhile, weren't saying much about their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the children's deaths and the conditions in the home near downtown Detroit, where Blair's other two children had also been living. 'While we all understand the desire to know what happened in that home is strong, I will ask you to be mindful of the two children who were also in that home and are still living,' Detroit Police Chief James Craig told reporters Wednesday. 'They've been through a lot, a tremendous trauma.' Scroll down for video . Mother: 35-year-old Mitchelle Blair, who two children were found dead in a deep freezer in their home, was charged with child abuse Wednesday . Daughter: Blair's daughter, Stoni Ann Blair, is seen with her father Alexander Dorsey. Stoni would have been 15 now, if alive . Court officers serving an eviction notice at Blair's home opened the freezer and found the bodies of her daughter Stoni Ann Blair and her son Stephen Gage Berry . Prosecutors believe that when they died, Stoni was 13 years old and Stephen was 9. Stoni would have been 15 now, if alive, and Stephen would have been 11. Police are seen Tuesday . A woman walks past notes left on the door at at the family's home on Wednesday . The two surviving children, a 17-year-old girl and 8-year-old boy, were placed in protective custody on Tuesday. Blair is charged with five counts of first-degree child abuse, one of which could land her in prison for life, said Maria Miller, a spokeswoman for the Wayne County prosecutor's office. She may face further charges after the autopsies are completed. Prosecutors believe that when they died, Stoni was 13 years old and Stephen was 9. Stoni would have been 15 now, if alive, and Stephen would have been 11. Neighbors said they hadn't seen the dead children in about a year. None of the four children was enrolled in Detroit schools, and friends said their mother was home-schooling them. Under state law, Michigan parents have the right to homeschool their children. Educating them, assigning homework and testing are the parent's responsibility. Registering the home school to the state Education office is voluntary, unless the student is special needs and special education services have been requested from the local school district. The state was not notified that Blair's children were being homeschooled this year, said Education Department spokesman Bill Disessa. Neighbors say Blair has lived in the complex at least 10 years. She was unemployed and having money troubles, and she had gotten behind on her rent. Neighbors said they knew about the impending eviction. Court records show a judgment filed last month against her for $2,206 owed to the complex. Despite her money and other problems, friends call her a good mother. Blair is known throughout the complex of low-income townhomes as 'Angel' - a play on her middle name, Angela, that she got because she is so well-liked, said neighbors Carrie McDonald and Shay Wilson. 'The mother is a beautiful person. She was just going through some things,' McDonald said. 'She has a good heart.' But neighbors rarely saw the four children outdoors. Some say they hadn't seen Stoni and Stephen for about a year. 'She really don't let them outside,' said Wilson. 'They are always in the house.' In announcing the charges against Blair, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said 'the alleged facts in this case present examples of why we must all be diligent and involved citizens.' Blair allegedly confessed to the murder of her two children, according to a police source . It has been claimed that Blair allegedly confessed to strangling her son in May 2012, according to WXYZ, who are quoting a police source. She is also said to have admitted torturing her daughter to death just nine months later,  the news channel reported. Police were called in by the bailiffs after they discovered the girl's body in the chest freezer next to the front door. Her sibling's corpse was found later. Detroit Police Chief James Craig said the mother was taken into custody after an apartment resident informed officers she was staying with someone at a different home inside the complex, according to the Detroit News. Craig said the mother was handcuffed when she was taken into custody. Blair describes herself as 'Loyal to my babies' on her Facebook page. Blair posted a photo with a message in January . On January 30, the posted a photo with a message. It read: 'There is no greater blessing than being called MOM.' Before she was taken into custody, the mother reportedly said her son was raped and that the sexual assault had been carried out by his siblings. Police have not confirmed that is the case and it is unclear if she was talking about the boy who was found in the freezer. She filed a paternity suit in 1999 which resulted in a man being ordered to pay child support. Blair filed another suit in 2007 against another man which had the same result. Her brother Marlon Blair told the Detroit News earlier this week: 'It's too early to even say what this could be, or to make any judgments. 'She didn't have any emotional problems from what I'm aware of. I don't know what to say about this.' Assistant Chief Steve Dolunt told the Detroit News earlier this week it appeared the bodies had been in the freezer for 'over a year' and that the mother had been living in the apartment 'with other children while the bodies were in the freezer'. 'This is a terrible situation,' he said. No weapons were discovered after the apartment was searched and police do not yet have a motive. Neighbor Shanetria Lanier, 21, told the Detroit News Blair home-schooled her children and 'that's why no schools were wondering where they were'. There is no record of the children attending classes, according to a Detroit Public Schools official. People did notice that two of her children seemed to disappear about a year ago. Lanier told the newspaper: 'When people asked her where her other two kids are, she said they were at their aunt's house. 'Or sometimes she'd tell people they stayed inside because they didn't like to be around people.' Craig said the Detroit News that police were still 'trying to determine what happened'. The cause of death won't be known until after autopsies are conducted. Tori Childs, who also lives in the complex, told the Detroit News she often saw the children and sometimes gave them clothes or food. She said they were 'the nicest kids' who were 'so respectable'. 'This is just wrong,' she said in tears. Childs said she saw two bodies on the floor after police arrived at the home. 'It was a little girl and a little boy,' she said. 'The little girl had on a pink jacket.' Toni Williams, 28, left, and Natasha Bell, 30, leave balloons at the house on Wednesday . A neighbor, Tori Childs (center), was led away from the scene as law enforcement investigated on Tuesday . The two surviving children, a 17-year-old girl and 8-year-old boy, were placed in protective custody on Tuesday . Lanier told the Detroit News said her sister received a phone call around 6am on Tuesday from a woman who lives inside the apartment. The woman asked to stay at Lanier's sister's home with her two children that day, according to Lanier, and was there when the bodies were found. Police initially reported that they had a discovered a single body in the freezer.

Mitchelle Blair, 35, was arrested Tuesday . The arrest took place after court officers serving an eviction notice at her home opened the freezer and found the bodies of her daughter . The county medical examiner was hoping to conduct autopsies on the children's bodies Wednesday but had to wait until they had fully thawed . Prosecutors believe that when they died, her daughter Stoni was 13 years old and her son Stephen was 9 . Stoni would have been 15 now, if alive, and Stephen would have been 11 . Blair has allegedly confessed to the murder of two of her children . She describes herself as 'Loyal to my babies' on her Facebook page . The two surviving children, a 17-year-old girl and 8-year-old boy, were placed in protective custody on Tuesday .

 police say a family member reported an apparent poisoning.
Authorities have said they were called to Blair's home Jan. 16 and found the bodies of her children, 10-year-old Iofemi Hightower and 11-year-old Jerell Mitchell.
The children, who were living at Blair's home with her, were found inside a deep freezer in the basement.
Blair was freed on $100,000 bond, but prosecutors said Wednesday she faces three to seven years in prison if found guilty of child abuse resulting in death.
Assistant Wayne County Prosecutor Steve Martin said Blair could face a much tougher sentence of up to 15 years in prison if found guilty of murder or manslaughter.
A preliminary examination hearing is scheduled for next Tuesday. A trial could follow within weeks.
The case has stunned the city, particularly because it happened right in the shadow of Detroit's Renaissance Center, home to a 70-story building and other high-rises.
But the neighborhood isn't as safe as it may look to the naked eye, a police source said.
"It's a beautiful area, but unfortunately there are some bad people that reside in this area," said the police source, who spoke on condition that his name not be used.
Authorities had not determined the cause of death for the children, and Detroit police were awaiting the results of toxicology tests, Martin said.
"Those tests will be done and may take four to six weeks, and I will not prejudge what those tests will say," he said. "I will say that they will be done, but I will not speculate."
Martin said his office will wait until the results of the tests are known before pursuing the more serious charges.
Meanwhile, detectives went to several places Blair is believed to have been recently in case they can find more evidence.
One place police were examining is a home in the suburbs north of Detroit that Blair owned, although she wasn't believed to be living there anymore, officials said.
Neighbors were stunned to find out the child they knew as "MJ" was related to the adults who were charged.
"I thought maybe they were a relative," said one neighbor, Teretha Robinson. "This is like a fairy tale."
Blair's cousin, 44-year-old Barbara McClellan, and friend, 48-year-old Joseph Gentz, were charged Tuesday


An Australian businessman could now face the death penalty in the Philippines after being accused of killing a child and orchestrating an international paedophile ring. Last month Peter Gerard Scully from Melbourne was arrested after the body of a teenage girl was found buried under a house he rented in in Malaybalay, Bukidnon. The 52-year-old had allegedly established a 'pay for view' scheme where clients from across the globe paid to live-stream videos of children being tortured and sexually abused as per their requests. It has created such outrage in the Philippines that calls are growing daily to have him executed. Peter Gerald Scully (right) was arrested for human trafficking and child porn-related offences arising from his alleged sexual abuse of Filipino girls which was filmed and then posted online for paying clients . The death penalty was suspended in the Philippines in 2006, but an influential conservative politician told The Sydney Morning Herald that the Australian's alleged crimes were so depraved he should be put to death. 'The Philippine government should directly and seriously address the problem of paedophilia, child exploitation and sexual abuse by supporting the move to reimpose the death penalty,' Sherwin Gatchalian, an MP with the Nationalist People's Coalition, said. Filipinos across the country took to social media to call for his execution. It's alleged that Scully, from the Melbourne suburb of Burwood, took part in perverted acts against children as young as one, which he filmed. He was also running a lucrative business live-streaming videos in a 'pay for view' scheme. Police said Scully would undertake acts in response to requests from his clientele, who were mostly based in Europe. Scully managed to avoid being arrested until February 20 this year before a former partner told police that Scully had killed one of his child victims in 2013. It was after this shocking revelation that the remains of a 10-year-old girl were found at a home formerly rented by Scully. An extremely graphic and distressing account by two young girls, who survived the trauma of Scully's alleged torturous abuse, paints a horrifying picture of what at least a dozen children are alleged to have endured in his home. Agent Janet Francisco (right) , who was responsible for cracking the case and the rescue of several victims from Scully's house, is pictured with one of the rescued girls (left) Cousins, going by the name of Daisy,11, and and Queenie, 10, told rappler news site about the fateful day in September 2014 when they were approached by Scully's live-in partner, Carme Ann 'Angel' Alvarez. Alvarez, who was only 17 at the time and an alleged former victim of Scully's, offered the girls food at Centrio Mall in Cagayan de Oro City and then invited them back to their house. Daisy said when they got to the house, Alvarez bathed the girls while Scully, who she referred to as the 'American', videoed them. The next morning the girls were asked to start digging a hole in the ground but had no idea why they had been asked to do the unusual task. It was then after lunch that things became even more disturbing when allegedly Scully undressed the girls and told them to kiss each other. 'I started crying, I don't know what we were doing,' a tearful Daisy said. Scully then allegedly rubbed mineral oil on the girls' bodies and sexually assaulted them, while Alvarez took photos. They were then told to keep digging and Daisy was made to sleep in the same room where they had been digging the holes. The next day Daisy said they were forced to perform sexual acts on the man. 'I was crying and screaming so much that Alvarez covered my head with a pillow. I choked so much but Scully continued his abuses on me,' Daisy said. 'Alvarez slapped me and said that I if don't stop crying, Peter will continue doing this.' The girls were then told to keep digging after the horrendous ordeal. The remains of a 10-year-old girl were found at a home formerly rented by Scully after he was arrested . That evening, Daisy said they were forced the alcohol and she managed three drinks before passing out and woke up  the next morning to discover she had slept in one of the dug-out graves because she had kept crying and calling for her 'mama'. It was on the fourth day that became unbearable for the little girls. 'They were filming, taking photographs while we dug our graves, and they again brought us to their room, this time, I was tied with a nylon cord, my hands, my feet – I could not move,' Daisy said. 'I wanted to kill myself, I wanted to die that night, because I could not bear it any longer.' However, it was the very next day that the girls fled for their lives when Scully and Alvarez left the house. Queenie’s mother took the girls to the local police station to file a complaint against Scully and Alvarez. When the police turned up to the house - they apprehended Alvarez but Scully escaped. Agents assigned to the case described the video footage as 'the worst video we have encountered in our years of campaign against child pornography' which led to seven young victims being rescued, the inquirer.net reported. Alvaraz, now 18, revealed her bizarre lifestyle to a prison warden at the Cagayan de Oro City Jail where she was detained. She met Scully when she working as a prostitute at just 14 years old and allegedly endured a similar ordeal to Daisy and Queenie before paid by Scully to entice the children into their home.

Peter Gerald Scully was arrested in Philippines on child sex abuse charges . The Melbourne man, 52, is accused of killing a 10-year-old girl . He also allegedly orchestrated an international paedophile ring . Filipinos are so outraged with the case they want him to be executed . Politicians and social media users are calling for the death penalty . The death penalty was suspended in the Philippines in 2006 . Scully managed to avoid being arrested until February 20 .

 his house.
According to local media reports, the victim, identified as 15-year-old Jane Doe, had died after she was injected with drugs and tortured by Scully, who reportedly lured other children to his home where they would be molested and assaulted.
The teenager, believed to be a member of a local drug gang, allegedly told friends that she and others were held captive by Scully and other members of his family for three months at his home near Manila.
Scully, who was arrested on the island of Luzon in northern Philippines and has since been denied bail, is one of four people accused in the murder of the girl and could now face the death penalty for the crime.
He is also accused of molesting and raping other members of the drug gang, while his son is accused of raping a 14-year-old girl from the same group. Three other suspects, including the alleged leader of the paedophile ring, are also said to be detained at a military base in nearby Quezon province.
Scully’s girlfriend, a Filipina woman, is also accused of the murder.
The girl is believed to have entered Scully’s house with two friends in early June last year, according to her alleged captor, who said she later escaped and managed to get in touch with the police.
The victim’s friends reportedly identified her from police photographs.
The family has said the allegations are a “plot” to discredit Scully, who they claim is the victim of a witch hunt by jealous locals. The girl’s family have also reportedly said that her daughter had been “brainwashed” into making false allegations against Scully.
The woman’s father, who was also accused of involvement in the child rape plot, was reportedly killed in a shootout with police in May last year, while the mother of the alleged victim was arrested in Manila in January.
Local reports said Scully had previously been arrested in the Philippines for the rape of a minor in 2007, but the case was dropped.
Philippine Senator Joseph Estrada, a former mayor of Manila, was reportedly among those who have offered Scully legal assistance, according to local media. The senator is currently under investigation for alleged corruption and was arrested in May 2001 for allegedly accepting bribes in connection with his alleged involvement in illegal gambling. He was released on bail before the start of his trial earlier this year.
Scul


The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus will phase out the show's iconic elephants from its performances by 2018, telling The Associated Press exclusively that growing public concern about how the animals are treated led to the decision. Executives from Feld Entertainment, Ringling's parent company, said the decision to end the circus's century-old tradition of showcasing elephants was difficult and debated at length as elephants have often been featured on Ringling's posters over the decades. 'There's been somewhat of a mood shift among our consumers,' said Alana Feld, the company's executive vice president. 'A lot of people aren't comfortable with us touring with our elephants.' Scroll down for video . The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus has announced they are phasing out their elephant acts, and will eliminate them in 2018 . The decision was largely based on the fact that many cities have anti-circus and anti-elephant ordinances in addition to public outcry . 13 animals will continue to tour with the circus before retiring to the company's 200-acre Center for Elephant Conservation in Florida . Feld owns 43 elephants, and 29 of the giant animals live at the company's 200-acre Center for Elephant Conservation in central Florida. 13 animals will continue to tour with the circus before retiring to the center by 2018 while one elephant is on a breeding loan to the Fort Worth Zoo. Another reason for the decision, company President Kenneth Feld said, was that certain cities and counties have passed 'anti-circus' and 'anti-elephant' ordinances. The company's three shows visit 115 cities throughout the year, and Feld said it's expensive to fight legislation in each jurisdiction. It's also difficult to plan tours amid constantly changing regulations, he said. 'All of the resources used to fight these things can be put towards the elephants,' Feld said during an interview at the Center for Elephant Conservation. 'We're not reacting to our critics; we're creating the greatest resource for the preservation of the Asian elephant.' The circus will continue to use other animals - this year it added a Mongolian troupe of camel stunt riders to its Circus Xtreme show and it will likely showcase more motorsports, daredevils and feats of humans' physical capabilities. Ringling's popular Canada-based competitor, Cirque du Soleil, features human acts and doesn't use wild animals. 'There are endless possibilities,' said Juliette Feld, another executive vice president of the company and a producer of Feld's Marvel Universe Live, Disney on Ice and Monster Jam shows, among others. Feld owns the largest herd of Asian elephants in North America. It costs about $65,000 yearly to care for each elephant, and Kenneth Feld said the company would have to build new structures to house the retiring elephants at the center, located in between Orlando and Tampa on a rural, ranchlike property. Kenneth Feld said initially the center will be open only to researchers, scientists and others studying the Asian elephant. Eventually, he 'hopes it expands to something the public will be able to see.' 'I want everybody's grandkids to be able to see Asian elephants,' he said. The center's youngest elephant is Mike, who will be 2 in August, and the oldest is Mysore, who is 69. One elephant, 6-year-old Barack, was conceived by artificial insemination. Since the center opened in 1995, 26 elephants have been born there. A male elephant scratches on the bars of his pen at the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation in Florida . Kenneth Feld, CEO of Feld Entertainment, feeds Alana and Icky at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation in Florida . There will be a new structure built to house the retiring elephants, and the company hopes to open the conservation to the public eventually . Ringling's elephants have been at the center of lawsuits and ongoing complaints from animal rights activists. In 2014, Feld Entertainment won $25.2 million in settlements from a number of animal-rights groups, including the Humane Society of the United States, ending a 14-year legal battle over unproven allegations that Ringling circus employees mistreated elephants. The initial lawsuit was filed in 2000 by a former Ringling barn helper who was later found to have been paid at least $190,000 by the animal-rights groups that helped bring the lawsuit. The judge called him 'essentially a paid plaintiff' who lacked credibility and standing to sue. The judge rejected the abuse claims following a 2009 trial. Kenneth Feld testified during that trial about elephants' importance to the show. 'The symbol of the Greatest Show on Earth is the elephant, and that's what we've been known for throughout the world for more than a hundred years.' When asked by a lawyer whether the show would be the same without the elephants, Feld replied, 'No, it wouldn't.' This week, Feld said, 'Things have changed.' 'How does a business be successful? By adapting,' he said. Feld noted that when his father bought the circus in 1967, there was still a human sideshow featuring acts such as the bearded lady and other human oddities. His father did away with that, he said. 'We're always changing and we're always learning,' he said. In 2008, Feld acquired a variety of motor sports properties, including monster truck shows, motocross and the International Hot Rod Association, which promotes drag races and other events. In 2010, it created a theatrical motorcycle stunt show called Nuclear Cowboyz. Roughly 30 million people attend one of Feld's 5,000 live entertainment shows every year.

The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus has announced they are phasing out their elephant acts, and will eliminate them in 2018 . The decision was largely based on the fact that many cities have anti-circus and anti-elephant ordinances in addition to public outcry . The company's three shows visit 115 cities each year, and vice president Alana Feld said it's expensive to fight legislation in each jurisdiction . 13 animals will continue to tour with the circus before retiring to the company's 200-acre Center for Elephant Conservation in  Florida . There will be a new structure built to house the retiring elephants, and the company hopes to open the conservation to the public eventually . The circus will still continue to use other animals, including Mongolian camels, which they just added to their live shows this year .

ives said they are retiring their last 12 performing elephants, about 10 years earlier than planned.
The decision came on the 137th anniversary of the circus' first performance in Hartford, Connecticut. The company has used about 50 elephants over its 146-year history.
.
"I think it's a very sad day," said 12-year-old Logan Karp, who watched a Ringling show in Providence, Rhode Island, with his father, Mark. "But maybe this will help push the industry forward. It's good to see somebody's making progress like that."
More than 90 percent of Americans support ending the use of elephants in traveling shows, according to a recent poll by the nonprofit People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
"It's not the show we want to put on for today's circus-goer," Feld Entertainment said in a statement Monday. "For us, it came down to what the future of entertainment will be. It's clear the public wants more 'wow' and less 'aww,' and we believe the ringmaster is the star of the circus — not the star of the show — and he's getting younger and younger."
Feld Entertainment, which also owns Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey's parent company Feld Entertainment, said the decision does not affect 30 performing horses, 9 performing camels and 2 performing llamas in the circus.
"This was not a decision we made lightly, and we continue to look for ways to improve upon the treatment of our animal performers," said Feld Entertainment spokesman Kenneth Feld. "The care and well-being of our animal performers has always been, and remains, the core and most significant focus of all our operations."
More than 200 elephants are still used in traveling shows around the world, according to PETA. And the group's latest report said a study that found a "substantial" rate of serious health problems for Asian and African elephants.
The news comes as some circus owners are attempting to end their elephants' yearslong captivity by selling them to circuses where they can perform — with some success. Earlier this month, one of the only remaining elephants with a traveling circus, Dolly the elephant, was sold to a circus in Mexico.
Meanwhile, in a 2 1/2-hour performance, Ringling Bros. presents a "circus of the


The parents of teenagers who flee Britain to join ISIS should take more responsibility for their children's actions, a senior police officer has said. Sir Peter Fahy, one of the country's leading counter terrorism officers, said families are more to blame for young jihadis who runaway to Syria than the police, schools or local authorities. Rather than report their concerns to police for fear of being criticised, some parents are guilty of embracing 'victimhood' when their children leave, he claimed. Scroll down for video . Sir Peter Fahy (above) said the parents of jihadi runaways should take more responsibility for their actions . Sir Peter's comments come after the families of three jihadi schoolgirls claimed police had not done enough to prevent their daughters from leaving the country. Kadiza Sultana, 16, Amira Abase and Shamima Begum, both 15, fled their north London homes in February. They are thought to have joined former classmate Sharmeena Begum in the ISIS stronghold of Raqqa. Their families have since lambasted police for not warning them that Sharmeena had earlier travelled to Syria. But Sir Peter has slammed their 'ill-advised' condemnation which he says could lead to a 'backlash'. A senior police officer claimed the families of runaway jihadis were embracing 'victimhood'. Fahmida Aziz (left), Sahima Begum (centre), and Abase Hussen (right), criticised police in front of a Home Affairs Select Committee when three London schoolgirls fled for Syria . Kadiza Sultana, 16, Amira Abase and Shamima Begum, both 15, fled their north London homes in February and were seen on CCTV in Turkey shortly afterwards . 'What is ill-advised is to just blame the police, blame the authorities, blame the school, when the absolute prime responsibility for the welfare of children lies with parents,' he told The Times. 'I'm not saying that is easy. But it creates the conditions for a backlash which again is not positive.' His comments come after the the schoolgirls' families castigated police for not warning them of concerns before the girls fled the country in February. Sharmeena Begum fled the country months earlier . Sitting before a Home Affairs Select Committee, they claimed they should have been told directly that their daughter's friend and classmate, Sharmeena Begum, had gone to Syria to pursue terrorists. In a joint statement, they said: 'With respect to the disappearance of our children we have been disappointed by the handling of this matter by the school, Met police and the local authority, all of whom we feel failed to act appropriately and pass on vital information to us or indeed between each other. 'As parents, we expect the safeguarding of our children to be the top priority of schools and the local authority whilst our children are in their care. 'Had we been made aware of circumstances sooner, we ourselves could have taken measures to stop the girls from leaving the UK.' While Metropolitan Police delivered letters to the three girls, its Commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, admitted their parents should have been contacted directly. Sharmeena, 15, left the home she shared with her father in north London shortly after his second marriage. Her mother had not long died. Mohammad Uddin claimed his daughter was targeted by shadowy extremists on her mobile phone. Earlier this week the father of a private schoolgirl from Glasgow who fled Scotland to become a jihadi bride denied his daughter had recruited Sharmeena's classmates. Aqsa Mahmood was accused of encouraging Shamima Begum to join her in Syria after communicating with the teenager over Twitter. But her father, Muzaffar Mahmood, said she had no part in the London schoolgirls' departure to the country, claiming Aqsa had been in touch with him to dismiss the accusations. Mohammad Uddin with pictures of his teenage daughter, Sharmeena Begum. He said he believes she was targeted by extremists over social media, a concern rife among other Muslim mothers . He claimed the media was focusing solely on his daughter and blaming her for other teenagers travelling to ISIS governed regions. 'She texted when this was going on,' he said. 'She was never in contact with them and I believe her. 'A lot of press - everything happening is Aqsa Mahmood,' he said. 'We feel really bad when we hear in the press that she recruited them. 'We regret what she is doing and we condemn what's going on over there but she hasn't been in touch with them [the runaway girls] at all. It's very painful.' Shamima contacted Aqsa on Twitter, requesting that she follow her so the pair could speak privately via direct messaging. Such methods of communication are common among ISIS recruiters,with many parents fearing their children are at risk of being groomed over social media. Organisers of an event in Cardiff today claimed some families were 'in denial' when it came the dangers of websites used by militants to communicate with teenagers in Britain. The father of jihadi bride Aqsa Mahmood (pictured left and right) denies she was involved in recruiting three London schoolgirls believed to have travelled to Syria to join Islamic State . Muzaffar Mahmood said his daughter had contacted the family to insist she didn't know the names of the missing London schoolgirls, and he said he believed her . Shakila Malik, who has two teenage sons, said she was disappointed by the reactions of some mothers who think they are unaffected by extremist. 'Personally I don't think some (mothers) are ware,' the community youth worker said. 'They just think it's a joke and children are not being groomed. They are in denial.' The conference was put together by the charity Inspire, launched last year in response to the growing threat of extremism. Speakers encouraged around 50 Muslim mothers to instill confidence in their children and talk to them about radicalisation. Worried parents should contact the child's teachers, imam and even the police, Sara Khan, who started the charity, said. In the most drastic cases parents could confiscate their child's passport to stop them from leaving the country, she said. 'It is also important parents understand why IS is appealing and to give their children the theological counter narratives,' added Mrs Khan.

Sir Peter Fahy said the 'prime responsibility' for runaways lies with parents . He claimed the families of youngsters who have fled embrace 'victimhood' Police, schools and local authorities are not be to blame, he added . Comes after relatives of three London schoolgirls lambasted Scotland Yard . Claimed they should have been told the girls' classmate had gone to Syria . Now all four youngsters are thought to be in the ISIS stronghold of Raqqa . Elsewhere Muslim mothers said families were 'in denial' about extremism .

 than online radicalisation.
Sir Peter, the chief constable of Greater Manchester, also said Muslim leaders need to do more to stop young people travelling to Iraq or Syria to join the so-called Islamic State (ISIS). He said he is "disappointed" by their failure to do so.
The officer, who recently called for a debate into how Islamic extremism in the UK can be addressed, claimed that online radicalisation by ISIS is "very weak" and the real cause for concern is young people "physically moving" to areas like Iraq and Syria.
In an interview with the BBC's Andrew Marr, Sir Peter also said the government will make sure it can collect intelligence about British-IS fighters returning from the war-torn country. "People who leave this country and go and fight for IS are a real threat to this country," he said.
Asked whether parents should take more responsibility for their children if they are radicalised online, he said: "Parents need to take a lot of responsibility for what their children do. Parents have a massive role to play."
He continued: "I don't think anyone in this country has accepted that, the families of those children that are radicalised, to the extent that their parents have been, in many ways, complicit, and responsible for that radicalisation."
The chief constable, who led the police investigation into the murder of Salford doctor Mohammed Anwar in 2005, said Islamic leaders are not doing enough to challenge those being radicalised online.
He said: "I feel, at this particular moment, that Islamic leaders don't really help. They do nothing when young people are radicalised. The internet is very weak in terms of where this radicalisation comes from."
He called for Islamic leaders to talk to their followers and encourage them to stay in their home country "to make a positive contribution".
The comments follow those made by Lord Carlile of Berriew, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, who said that British fighters in Iraq and Syria pose a greater threat to the UK than those living in Britain.
The Lib Dem peer claimed in a written statement to MPs last week that more than 500 British citizens are believed to have travelled to Syria and Iraq and that up to "a couple of hundred" of these are believed to have taken part in violent jihad.
He said it was "likely that hundreds of others are sympathetic, however,


Ronny Deila has branded Dundee United’s Aidan Connolly a diver - then called on the SFA to prove they don’t just punish Celtic players for simulation. Connolly tumbled to win United’s goal from the penalty spot - scored by Nadir Ciftci - towards the end of the first half after ref Craig Thomson deemed he had been tripped by Anthony Stokes. In August, Celtic winger Derk Boerrigter was handed a two-match ban for diving to win a penalty in a 2-0 win at St Johnstone. And Deila insisted he was baffled as to why it’s only his team that is targeted – albeit he was seemingly unaware St Johnstone’s Brian Graham was also suspended for diving to win a penalty against Inverness in December. Celtic manager Ronny Deila wants retrospective action after claiming Aidan Connolly dived to win a penalty . The referee points to the spot after Connolly was brought down in the Celtic box during Scottish Cup clash . Celtic keeper Craig Gordon fails to stop Nadir Ciftci from giving Dundee United the lead at Tannadice . ‘The United penalty was a dive and hopefully it will be the same rules for everybody,’ fumed Deila. ‘We are the only team this season in the league to have a suspension for diving, Derk Boerrigter. ‘I said at the time it was no problem because that is the line that will be taken by everyone. But I don’t think anybody has had it since then. The Scottish players have been unbelievably good. They’ve not dived but if they do (like Connolly) it should be the same rules. ‘Is it the fault of the ref or the player they got a penalty? It’s both. But I accept people make mistakes. We have a rule where people look at things afterwards but I don’t see anybody else getting suspensions.’ Celtic defender Virgil van Dyke (right) was sent off after only nine minutes of the Scottish Cup quarter-final . In what appeared to be a case of mistaken identity, the referee also sent off Dundee United's Paul Paton . Dundee United had a second player sent off after Paul Dixon (3rd left) receives his marching orders . Deila will study footage of the melee that saw Virgil van Dijk ordered off alongside Paul Paton before deciding whether to appeal in a bid to clear him for Sunday’s League Cup final against United at Hampden. But Stefan Johansen will miss the Scottish Cup quarter-final replay at Parkhead on March 18 after being booked yesterday. ‘I have looked at some pictures but it’s hard to see what happened,’ said Deila. ‘Virgil just said there was a tackle and suddenly somebody was holding his legs. There was some kicking of each other to get off each other. It was nothing. 'Hopefully everybody can play in the next game. Will we appeal? We will see. I actually didn’t know until now that Stefan is out of the replay. It’s good we have a big squad.’ Leigh Griffiths missed his chance to equalise for Celtic from the penalty spot . Griffiths made up for his penalty miss by drawing Celtic level with a header . Celtic captain Scott Brown celebrates with Griffiths as the game finishes in a 1-1 draw . Deila didn’t fear any further disciplinary problems in the final but took a swipe at the abysmal Tannadice pitch. ‘There is going to be a high temperature, yes, but I’m not worried. It is fantastic. That’s why we love football. We are fighting for big things, trophies, and we have to keep our discipline. But the pitch made it a fight today. It was nothing about playing football. If you are going to develop players in this league, you have to have pitches you can play on.’ Meanwhile, the SFA compliance officer could be forced to look at footage from Dutch TV in which Celtic’s John Guidetti is alleged to have performed a song during an interview including the words ‘the huns are deid’. A recent petition lobbying the Scottish Parliament was launched by a group of Rangers fans who claimed ‘huns’ is a derogatory term used against Protestants.

William Hill Scottish Cup quarter-final ended in a 1-1 draw at Tannadice . Referee sent off Celtic defender Virgil van Dyke and Dundee United's Paul Paton (in a case of mistaken identity) and Paul Dixon . Ronny Deila has accused Aidan Connolly from diving to win a penalty . Nadir Ciftci opened the scoring for the hosts from the penalty spot . Leigh Griffiths missed a penalty before equalising for the Hoops .

 right side of the box after a clash with Kieran Tierney when he fell to the ground.
Deila’s claim was backed up by a video review and he called for Connolly to be booked and sent off.
But Deila was not the only manager to point the finger and Dundee boss Mixu Paatelainen said after the game: “There was too much simulation going on with my player and Celtic’s.
“He is the captain of the national team. He has to do better. We have the same rules for the rest of the players.
“That is not good for the game.
“Celtic’s player is booked three or four times for two, or maybe three fouls. That is good for the game, though?”
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“Celtic and Rangers are big clubs. The players go on international duty and make millions from football and they play badly. It’s not a good thing for the Scottish game.
“It’s not good for the young guys coming through.
“I’ve spoken to the players after the game and explained to them that they have to try and play football the right way.”
CONNALLY PLEADS GUILTY
Connolly also had no complaints and admitted the dive was a penalty.
He said: “The defender (Tierney) went through me and it’s a fair enough penalty in the end.
“I will take a booking for that. It’s only five minutes into the second half and if you can grab one early on it’s a good thing.
“That’s a free kick right next to us. It was disappointing to see it wasn’t given a free kick.
“I saw the goal before the penalty was given, but they are usually given quickly. I’m not going to argue about that one, though.
“We will take a point after losing 1-0 to Celtic and be satisfied after that.
“They were very good and in control of the game for the first 70 minutes.
“We were hanging on for a while until we got the goal and then it was back up to them. I thought the first half we were under