Election pips cat bin woman

The general election was the most searched-for news topic of the year, it was revealed today.

It beat the second most popular story that users of AOL UK searched for - the "cat bin woman" who ended up in court after putting a pet in a wheelie bin.

The news Prince William and Kate Middleton are to marry came in third and is already predicted as the top news story of 2011.

In world news, the saga of the Chilean miners trapped underground before being dramatically rescued topped the list.

X Factor judge Cheryl Cole and estranged husband Ashley were top of the list of celebrity couples web users searched for.