Britain today: Lib Dems fees U-turn planned before deal

NICK Clegg faced fresh pressure over tuition fees today as it emerged the Liberal Democrats drew up plans two months before the general election to abandon a pledge to scrap them as part of any coalition deal. A confidential document drawn up in March concluded that insisting on the move would be a "headache".

Children killed in blaze

A WOMAN was fighting for her life today after a house fire which claimed the lives of her children. Maddie Hudson, three, Anthony Hudson, five and William Beale, nine, died in the blaze in Clarence Avenue, Bridlington. Samantha Hudson is in a critical condition in hospital in Scarborough, North Yorkshire.

Holiday icon Pontin's calls in administrators

THERE were fears over the future of one of Britain's most iconic holiday brands today after Pontin's was put into administration. KPMG was yesterday appointed administrator to the holiday company, which employs 850 staff in the UK.

No redundancies have been made and all five sites - Brean Sands in Somerset; Camber Sands, Sussex; Pakefield, Suffolk; Prestatyn Sands in Wales; and Southport, Merseyside - will continue to cater for customers as normal.

Sir Elton finds the X Factor

X FACTOR contestants will tackle the songs of Sir Elton John tonight - just three weeks after he blasted TV talent shows. The remaining hopefuls have been practising some of the superstar's biggest hits as they prepare for the next live edition of the ITV1 show.

Cancer diagnoses shock

NEARLY a quarter of cancer diagnoses in England are made as patients arrive at hospital in an emergency, a study has found. Research by the National Cancer Intelligence Network found 23 per cent of cases were detected only as patients underwent emergency treatment. The figures were worse for acute leukaemia and brain cancer sufferers, with over half of cases found at a critical stage.

Oxfordshire: A man and a woman were arrested in connection with the "unexplained" death of a baby. Police said the infant was admitted with injuries to the Horton General Hospital in Banbury on November 5 and died last night.

Hertfordshire: Police have arrested a 22-year-old American over the theft of 299 rare bird skins from the Natural History Museum. The museum in Akeman Street in Tring, Herts, which belongs to the better-known London Museum, was broken into last June and the 299 brightly coloured stuffed birds went missing.