Funeral for hero firefighter

Southampton: The funeral will take place today of a "hero" firefighter who died with a colleague while battling a blaze in a residential tower block. Alan Bannon, 38, died tackling the fire at Shirley Towers on April 6.

His colleague James Shears, 35, from Poole, Dorset, also died at the same incident.

A joint fire service and police investigation is continuing to find out what caused the fire.

Merseyside: Two llamas – named Willy and Jack – have been brought in as "bouncers" to protect the eggs and chicks of wading birds from predators such as foxes at the RSPB's Marshside reserve.