The unofficial face of McQueen: Duchess of Cambridge steps out in another design by Sarah Burton

By Maysa Rawi





London was recently voted the fashion capital of the world thanks to the Kate Middleton effect and her love of Alexander McQueen.



And it seems the Duchess of Cambridge is also single-handedly raising the British label's profile.



For an official visit to Birmingham today, Kate wore another Sarah Burton design.



Radiant: The Duchess of Cambridge wore a pencil skirt and blouse by Alexander McQueen



In the navy: Kate opted for a brand new £1,375 outfit and her Prada blue court shoes





Known for fondness of recycling outfits, she this time opted for brand new attire.



Although Kate once favoured British label Issa, it is clear McQueen is now at the top of her list.



The brunette wore a navy blue £580 pencil skirt with gold button detailing teamed with a matching £795 cream blouse from the current collection.



Official duty: The Royal couple visited an area in Birmingham hit by last week's riots





Both items are available to buy online and it is surely only a matter of hours before they sell out.



Kate did however slip into blue Prada court shoes seen before during her trip to the U.S and Canada.



The outfit unsurprisingly bore a striking similarity to the McQueen coat she wore for to present medals to soldiers who recently returned from serving in Afghanistan.



Because she's worth it: Kate's hair was immaculately blow-dried as usual





Made-up: Kate has been criticised for her heavy use of eye-liner





Kate wore a similar outfit to present medals to soldiers who recently returned from serving in Afghanistan in June



Despite McQueen's reputation for outlandish designs - the late Alexander was known as the 'enfant terrible' of fashion - Kate has managed to find a collection of demure and subdued pieces.



The sharp tailoring and muted tones are typical of Kate's signature style but she become slightly more adventurous with her wardrobe choices.



However, she continues to divide opinion.



British designer Vivienne Westwood recently criticised the Duchess for her beauty routine, telling The Sunday Times she 'has a problem with eye make-up.



'The sharp line around her eyes make her look hard. Either she should be smudgy or wear none.'



Kellly Osbourne slammed Kate for repeating outfits on Jay Leno, claiming 'If I had that job I would only wear (the coat) once.



'I'm not going to wear that dress once because I'm giving up the rest of my life.'



Actress Anne Hathaway however defended Kate, praising her for 'dressing like a lady'.



It seems whatever Kate does, a debate will swiftly ensue.



And with the recent release of a Kate doll, she will now be a permanent fixture in people's homes.



Either way, she is doing wonders for her country - and the industry.



She contributed to London being voted the fashion capital of the world, replacing New York, according to a study by Global Language Monitor



Bekka Payack, fashion correspondent for the Texas-based organisation, said: 'We are seeing what the impact of two genuine media stars... Kate [Middleton] and Alexander McQueen can have upon a global ranking.'







source:dailymail

Keep fighting, William and Kate tell victims rebuilding their lives in riot torn communities

By Rebecca English





The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge became the latest members of the Royal Family to lend their support to riot-torn communities.



Surprisingly Kate swapped her usual High Street favourites for a designer outfit by Alexander McQueen costing almost £2,000.



The blue and white military-style blouse which is on sale for £795 was tucked into a £580 pencil skirt with flirty kick pleats and finished with a pair of £500 Prada heels.



The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrive in Birmingham today to visit the areas affected by last week's riots



The centre the royal couple visited was close to where Haroon Jahan, 21, and brothers Shazad Ali, 30, and Abdul Musavir, 31, died in August 10. They were buried yesterday after an open-air funeral service attended by more than 20,000 mourners





She and the Prince received a warm reception as they promised to help those attempting to rebuild their lives.



One of those they met was shopkeeper Ajay Bhatia whose shop was ransacked – but who spoke of his pride that he had won British citizenship yesterday.



First, however, they met the parents of the three young men who died defending their community from looters in Birmingham.



Haroon Jahan, 21, and brothers Shazad Ali, 30, and Abdul Musavir, 31, were killed last Tuesday when they were struck by a car as they tried to protect local shops.



Kate wore a silk blouse and matching pencil skirt by Alexander McQueen designer Sarah Burton





At a community centre in Winson Green, a short distance from the scene of the tragedy, the royal couple spent 15 minutes speaking with the bereaved families, including Tariq Jahan, Haroon’s father, who has moved the country with his dignified reaction.



The meeting was private but a spokesman for the couple said: ‘The Duke and Duchess are full of admiration for the dignified way which the families have shown they are dealing with their losses.’



There was also time to meet community leaders and members of the emergency services.



William comforted a woman who broke down in tears as she told him of the moment looters attacked her and ransacked the business she was working in.



Lorraine Wells, 52, an assistant at Cashino in Birmingham, later told how the prince, 29, tried to reassure her.



Genuinely interested: Kate chatted with local dignitaries and emergency service workers at the centre



Sympathetic: The duchess also had a private meeting with relatives of the three men who died during last week's violence





‘Don’t let them beat you,’ he said. You have gone through a terrific ordeal. Keep fighting. We will get them. I am here to help and here to listen to what you have to say.’



Afterwards the couple met Mr Bhatia, 52, and his wife Monika. The couple have two children at university aged 19 and 21 and opened their Machan Express Shop and Café on Newhall Street only last year.



Their shop was attacked last week by a gang of more than 50, some as young as ten.



‘They smashed open the till and were helping themselves to handfuls of sweets and crisps and drinks,’ said Mr Bhatia. ‘Can you imagine what a child of ten who is capable of that will turn out to be when they are 18 or 19?’



Touching moment: Prince William places a reassuring hand on his beaming bride's shoulder



Kate's hair looked flawless as usual, she accessorised with earrings and her engagement ring





The couple greet members of the police force at Summerfield Community Centre





Mr Bhatia explained to the couple that he only found out he had obtained British citizenship yesterday and, while he was shocked at what had happened, still felt proud that he had chosen this country to live in.



‘The community here has rallied around me in a way I did not think was possible. That is what being British is about. I love this country. I don’t feel ashamed, I feel proud.’



William replied: ‘It hasn’t put you off? Good, good. That’s the main thing. This is a wonderful country and we have much to be proud of.’



He then cheekily asked Mr Bhatia who he supported in the cricket – India or England. Kate hit him on the shoulder and said: ‘William! That’s naughty, that’s naughty!’ ‘Sorry, I had to ask,’ the prince said.



The controversial ‘cricket test’ was coined by former Tory minister Norman Tebbit who suggested that immigrants should root for England, not their original nation.



Mr Bhatia diplomatically said he was proud of the way both sides played – but made clear that he hoped India would bounce back in the one day games.





source:dailymail

Duchess of Cambridge is stylish on duty as she and Prince William visit riot-torn area of Birmingham

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER



The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrive in Birmingham today to visit the areas affected by last week's riots



The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge today visited a community centre near the spot where three men were killed during last week's riots.



William and Kate chatted to local residents and business people at Summerfield Community Centre in Winson Green, Birmingham.



The royal couple also met local dignitaries and emergency services staff.



The centre is a short distance from the scene in Dudley Road where three men were struck by a car as they tried to protect shops and homes from looters.





The centre the royal couple visited was close to where Haroon Jahan, 21, and brothers Shazad Ali, 30, and Abdul Musavir, 31, died in August 10. They were buried yesterday after an open-air funeral service attended by more than 20,000 mourners





The Duke and Duchess were greeted outside the community centre by Paul Sabapathy, Lord Lieutenant of the West Midlands, Councillor Anita Ward, the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, and Chris Sims, Chief Constable of West Midlands Police.



They began their visit with a private meeting with the parents of the men who were killed.



The couple spent 15 minutes speaking with the bereaved families before moving into the centre's sports hall to meet members of the emergency services and local dignitaries.





Kate wore a silk blouse and matching pencil skirt by Alexander McQueen designer Sarah Burton





Kate wore a nautical themed outfit of a navy blue pencil £580 skirt with gold buttons on the front, teamed with a £795 cream blouse with matching buttons and navy blue military style detailing. It is from a current collection designed for Alexander McQueen by Sarah Burton.



The outfit, which accentuated her slender frame, was finished with a pair of high-heeled navy blue court shoes.



William wore a navy blue suit with a pale blue shirt and a blue patterned tie.





Kate's hair looked flawless as usual, she accessorised with earrings and her engagement ring





Mandy Sankey, nurse manager at Birmingham Children's Hospital, said William and Kate seemed 'genuinely interested' in how hospitals in the city responded to the disorder.



She said: 'William said "We're sure you have already heard how grateful we are but we wanted to come here to say thank you in person".



'They seemed genuinely interested in how we dealt with it.'



Lesley Clare, a nurse at Birmingham's City Hospital, said: 'Kate was saying it must have been really hard to keep the services going.



'I asked her if it was still OK to say congratulations on the wedding and she laughed and said "Yes, it is still OK to say it, thank you".'





The couple greet members of the police force at Summerfield Community Centre





source: dailymail

Dripping with gold! Step inside for a tour of Donald Trump's magnificent $100m 757 jet

By Daily Mail Reporter





If you've got it, flaunt it - and Donald Trump certainly did that on Thursday by releasing a video tour of his amazing $100 million Boeing 757.



Presented by the beautiful Amanda Miller, who appeared on his hit reality show The Apprentice, the video gives us a three-minute glimpse into this presidential suite on wings.



Decked out in his trademark black and gold livery, the plane is a shrine to decadence.



Scroll down for video



Gold plated heaven: Amanda shows off the 'first class' area





If you've got it, flaunt it - and Donald Trump certainly did that on Thursday by releasing a video tour of his amazing $100 million Boeing 757.



Presented by the beautiful Amanda Miller, who appeared on his hit reality show The Apprentice, the video gives us a three-minute glimpse into the presidential suite on wings.



Decked out in his trademark black and gold livery, the plane is a shrine to decadence.



Welcoming: Mr Trump's master bedroom which, naturally, features a lavish home theatre system



King of the tarmac: Donald Trump's new 757 is twice as big as his old 727, but twice as quiet





It's double the size of the property tycoon's previous Boeing 727 and every detail has been attended to.



The plane is a riot of 24 carat gold, from the sink and faucets in the master bathroom right down to the seat belts.



The bathroom features a circular shower and pillows and cushions throughout are embossed with the Trump family crest.



What to watch: The 57in TV and electronics control system giving access to hundreds of channels and a thousand DVDs plus CDs



Plush: The Boeing 757 features high ceilings and wide, cushioned seats in the main cabin, in addition to swivelling chairs that face a boardroom table or flat-screen televisions





Mr Trump's master bedroom is dressed in cream with gold accents.



The television room features a 52in flatscreen TV and a control box that has a button that instantly gives Mr Trump access to over a thousand of his favourite movies.



The jet was bought for $100 million from Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen in February.



The master bathroom: Comes complete with circular shower and a sink that you don't see too many of





The new Trump 757 has room for up to 230 passengers, 80 more than its ageing 727 predecessor.



Trump's 727 has been on sale for $8 million since 2009.



But the property mogul seems unfazed by the lack of a buyer.



Never one to do things by half, he has said he may keep the old plane as a spare.











source:dailymail

More Lady Penelope than Kate Middleton: Hamleys unveils Kate and Wills wedding dolls… with a distinctly Thunderbirds feel

By SADIE WHITELOCKS



Prince William and Princess Catherine Wedding Dolls were unveiled in Hamley's, the famous toy shop, today



Today Hamleys has unveiled the Prince William and Princess Catherine Wedding Dolls.



But despite nearly four months in production the two replica toys fail to hit the lookalike mark, looking more like puppets from the Sixties hit TV show Thunderbirds with over-sized heads, fixed grins and googly eyes.





Princess Catherine comes clothed in a white gown - a miniature version of the Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen royal wedding dress - complete with a Dower and Hall Tiara and posy of flowers





Priced at £100 for the pair these figurines have been launched by British toy company Arklu targeting 14-year-olds.



With abnormally large heads, jutting jawlines and bronzed complexions the two characters would be hard to distinguish if it wasn't for the all too familiar wedding outfits.



From the make-up to the underwear each item has been painstakingly put together by an array of British designers to replicate the originals worn at Westminster Abbey for the April 29 Royal Wedding.







Makers say the wedding dolls 'pay homage to the stunning best-of-British outfits that so impressed the world'





Princess Catherine comes clothed in a white gown - a miniature version of the Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen royal wedding dress - complete with a Dower and Hall Tiara and posy of seasonal flowers.



While Prince William is dressed in his specially commissioned scarlet Irish Guards colonel's uniform and a replica Forage Cap, evocative of those created by Royal Warrant Holder, Patey Hats.





William is dressed in his Irish Guards' uniform, with his Forage Cap clutched informally beneath his right arm





However, toy makers Arklu - which is based in Chelsea, London - defends its new product range reassuring consumers that the two toys are the real deal.



It claims: 'The instantly recognisable and, some might say, delightfully kitsch wedding dolls pay homage to the stunning best-of-British outfits that so impressed the world when HRH Prince William of Wales married Catherine 'Kate' Middleton on April 29, 2011.'





Jersey Biford, 6, from Hertfordshire with the new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge dolls. But according to makers Arklu, the painstakingly recreated dolls are intended for 14-year-olds





Daisy, 5, and Millie Robinson, 9, from Suffolk brandish the dolls





A must for Christmas 2011? The dolls retail for £100





For every Princess Catherine Wedding Doll or Royal Wedding Dolls set sold, £1 will be donated to the RNLI.



The Royal Couple's first joint official public engagement was the launch of a lifeboat at the RNLI base at Trearddur Bay, in Anglesey, North Wales.



Arklu were also first to launch the Princess Catherine engagement doll this April.



With a limited run of 10,000 retailing at £34.95 per doll, coverage soon spread around the globe with it featuring on NBC ‘The Today Show’, People Magazine, CNN, Time, Life and Forbes.







Similarity: The new Prince William and Princess Catherine Wedding Dolls bear an uncanny resemblance to Thunderbird puppets with their large heads and googly eyes





source: dailymail

'My callous lover gave me herpes so no one else would want me'... and now he's in prison for it

By ANDY DOLAN





The man jailed for knowingly infecting his girlfriend with herpes did so to make sure that no one else would want her, his victim said yesterday.



Cara Scott accused former lover David Golding of leaving her with a 'life sentence' and described the knowledge that he had given her the disease as 'soul-destroying'.



The 24-year-old, from Daventry, Northamptonshire, said she hoped Golding's 14-month sentence would serve as a 'warning to others'.



'Life sentence': Cara Scott with her new boyfriend, Jonathan Clark. Her former lover David Golding has been jailed for knowingly infecting her with herpes





Golding, 28, was jailed by a judge who told the Highways Agency worker he had committed a 'betrayal in a relationship in which you professed love'.



The court heard that Miss Scott became infected with the incurable sexually transmitted infection within a few months of the couple meeting, but that when she confronted Golding, he denied he was responsible.



Yesterday the former hairdresser, now going by the surname Lee, described her suffering in the two years since she caught the disease.



She added: 'I get angry and depressed when the herpes flares up. It's a disgusting reminder of him.



'But seeing him brought to justice has helped me move on. Jail is what he deserves.'



Miss Lee told how when she confronted Golding, he denied giving her herpes and suggested she may have been infected years earlier, as the virus can lie dormant for long periods.



She said Golding 'never seemed worried about catching it' from her and assured her that he didn't need testing 'as he wasn't showing any of the signs'.



The couple went ahead with plans to move in together because Miss Lee felt 'grateful' that Golding still wanted to be with her.



But her suspicions about where she had contracted the virus remained. Golding revealed the truth last year and admitted transmitting the infection to her.



Miss Lee said: 'I felt sick and was crying so much I couldn't breathe.



'He said he knew if I had it no one else would want me. I screamed, "How could you do that?"



'I didn't even want to look at him. But I couldn't leave – I was convinced I would never find anybody else.'



She told Closer magazine that Golding, from Braunston, near Daventry, was apologetic and promised he would look after her.



But the couple stopped sleeping together, and when they eventually split up, Miss Lee went to the police.



She has since had a baby with her new partner, Jonathan Clark, 29.



He said: 'When Cara told me about the STI I wasn't put off – I loved her and wanted to be with her.



We have to be careful, but it's something we deal with.'



Golding admitted grievous bodily harm and was sentenced at Northampton Crown Court last week.



The case – believed to be the first time a defendant has been convicted and jailed for passing on herpes – has been condemned by sexual health charities, which said the 'trivial' condition was being wrongly stigmatised.



Around 10 per cent of the population have genital herpes.



The condition causes painful red blisters and itching in the genital area and flu-like symptoms including fever, headache and tiredness.



It is caused by the same two types of the herpes simplex virus which are responsible for cold sores on the face and nose.



A sufficient quantity of the virus is needed on the skin to transmit it, and enough is usually only present during a flare-up.



But Miss Lee said she believes she was infected when her partner had no visible symptoms.



Nigel Scott, spokesman for the Herpes Viruses Association, compared the case to prosecuting children for 'giving their friends chicken pox'.



He called for a review of the Crown Prosecution Service's guidelines on 'intentional or reckless sexual transmission of infection' policy, which were consulted before the decision to prosecute was taken.



The guidelines state that grievous bodily harm can be caused when transmission of a sexual infection will have 'serious, perhaps life-threatening, consequences for the infected person's health'.



But Mr Scott argued that herpes is not serious or life-threatening.





source:dailymail

Flash-flooding across southern Britain as the coast is deluged by a fortnight's rain in 30 MINUTES

By ROB COOPER





A mid-summer monsoon caused flash flooding across the South today as a fortnight's worth of rain fell in just 30 minutes leaving homes, shops and roads underwater.



The force of the rainwater caused huge cracks to open up along main roads and lifted manhole covers clean off, leading to fountains of water gushing out.



At a beach in Bournemouth - which is normally crowded with holidaymakers at this time of the year - water was flooding off the road, along the beach and into the sea.



I don't like to be beside the seaside: A torrent of water swept onto the beach causing lifeguards to run for cover. If you have any pictures of the downpour, please send them to mailonlinepictures@dailymail.co.uk





The town's pleasure gardens were turned into a lake after being flooded, with barely a blade of grass visible.



Meteorologists said 30mm of rain - just over an inch - fell in a few hours which is just over half of a month's rainfall.



Some areas had a months worth of rain in a morning - with over 60mm falling in Bournemouth between 6am and midday. 56mm of rain falls in Bournemouth in an average August.



An army of 100 firefighters worked to pump floodwater away after being inundated with more than 70 reports of flooding in a 30-minute spell.



A ceiling at the Bournemouth International Centre concert venue collapsed under the sheer weight of rain.



A three mile section of the A338 - the main road into the seaside town - was also closed after being swamped by 3ft of water, bringing travel chaos to thousands of motorists.



Flash flood: Bournemouth pleasure gardens were almost completely underwater after a fortnight's worth of rain fell in just half an hour



An August morning? With a darkened sky this car was forced to put its headlights on as it edged through Bournemouth this afternoon



Flashback: Sunseekers pack a beach in Broadstairs, Kent, two weeks ago as temperatures hit 29c





Kris Wingfield-Bennett, a 26-year-old technical consultant, said: 'It was absolutely surreal. The shops were all flooding and owners were putting down their shutters in a bid to keep the water out.



'There were loads of people grabbing any sort of shelter they could find, some were paddling in the water streaming down the streets.



'The central gardens were completely under water and huge cracks opened up in the main road in the town centre.



'I heard a loud crack but it was only when the water level started to drop I saw the crack was about 20ft long. It was chaos.'



Water floods out of a drain as the sewage system fails to cope with the sudden downpour in Bournemouth





Hospital appointments were cancelled at the Nuffield Health Bournemouth Hospital after rainwater flooded in through the ceiling.



'Flash flooding in the Bournemouth area has meant we have had to temporarily close the Nuffield Health Bournemouth Hospital to incoming patients,' a spokesman said.



'Staff are currently contacting all patients due to visit the Hospital today for both in and out-patient treatment, to inform them not to visit and to explain that all consultations and treatments have been suspended until further notice.'



A bus station is flooded in the centre of Bournemouth. A whole months worth of rain had fallen by early afternoon



A road is partially flooded in the seaside town after half an hour of heavy rain



Washout: Firefighters were called out 70 times in an hour as tourist attractions were drenched in rainfall



Going nowhere: Water laps up to the doors of a police car as it lies stranded in the rainwater





A spokesman for Dorset Fire and Rescue Service said: 'There were calls to commercial properties in the town centre, people stranded in their vehicles and buildings with water gushing in.



'Problems were reported at the Russell-Coates Museum, House of Fraser, Primark, Beales and many other shops in the town centre.



'Many people were stranded in water on the roads where police vehicles couldn't reach them, so we sent wading teams in to help.



'One car in Wimborne was seen to float away with an elderly couple inside and members of the public helped push it back onto land.'



Where's are the flowers? Bournemouth Pleasure Gardens today



No weather for shorts: A postman bravely cycles through the heavy rain



Wet wet wet: Water sweeps down from Boscombe Chine Gardens to the sea after 30mm of rain fell





Dr Richard Wild, from independent weather forecasters Weathernet said that the South had been hit by a huge downpour - but it will be sunny again by the weekend.



'We've had 30mm of rain this morning. The average rainfall for August in 56mm, so it is around half that in just one morning,' he said.



'Anything over 4mm of rain in an hour is considered 'heavy' so this was well beyond that level.



'The rain was forecast, caused by a warm front over the English Channel which is heading north-eastwards, but the amount was underestimated.



'The forecast for Friday and Saturday is sunny and dry but that might be of little consolation to people hit by flooding today.'





source:dailymail

Did the same shark which killed British honeymooner in Seychelles in front of his new wife also kill French tourist just two weeks ago?

-Teacher, 30, suffered appalling injuries to his leg and arm in second fatal attack in two weeks

-Frenchman, 36, was just 60ft from the shore when he was bitten

-No signs on beach warning of earlier shark attack

-Family of bride fly out to Seychelles to console her

-Couple were due to move into cottage they had spent two years renovating after return from honeymoon

-Seychelles Maritime Safety Administration bans swimming on beaches around Praslin island

-Beach voted in the top 10 in the world for 2011



By Lydia Warren and Tim Ecott





Tragedy: Ian Redmond and Gemma Houghton on their wedding day on the 7th August, before they flew to the Seychelles for their honeymoon





A British honeymooner was killed by a shark in the Seychelles yesterday as his bride watched in horror from the beach.



Ian Redmond, 30, who had been snorkelling 20 yards off shore, suffered appalling injuries to his leg and arm in the second fatal attack in the area in two weeks.



The tragedy unfolded in Anse Lazio on the island of Praslin, regarded as one of the world’s most beautiful beaches and a favourite honeymoon destination for thousands of Britons every year.





Mr Redmond and Gemma Houghton, 27, both from Lancashire, married eleven days ago.



She was sunbathing when his desperate cries for help echoed across the shore.



Within moments a holidaymaker in a dinghy had dragged him on board and brought him ashore, where onlookers battled in vain to save him.



'We heard screaming and people started running down the beach towards the water,' one American tourist said.



'Someone had seen a fin sticking out of the water, and then we saw a dinghy pulling a man from the water.



The wedding: The couple from Lancashire married just ten days ago, before Ian Redmond was tragically killed by the shark yesterday - which hasn't been found yet.



Honeymoon destination: The British honeymooner was snorkelling 20 yards off shore at Anse Lazio beach (pictured), off the island of Praslin in the Seychelles





'I saw the swimmer, who was missing a huge chunk of flesh from his left leg, so much so that I could see the bone of his thigh. He was sickeningly pale, but still had his flippers on both feet.



'At this point a woman ran over and started screaming. She said: "That’s my husband! We were just married".



'Someone grabbed her and tried to keep her away. People all over the beach were just hugging whoever was close to them or trying to keep any children from witnessing what was going on.'



Mr Redmond, who is thought to have died moments after the attack, was taken away by ambulance 20 minutes after being brought to shore. It is believed a doctor holidaying on the island tried to administer first aid.



The witness continued: 'The damage was too great. We kept his wife away from the body because it was too horrific for her to see.'



Jeanne Vargiolu, 56, owner of Le Chevalier restaurant on the beach, said she went to the beach after hearing ambulance sirens to find a French doctor treating Mr Redmond and 'a lot of police officers' surrounding him.



She said police told her he had lost one arm and had the flesh stripped off one leg and had holes in his chest and stomach from shark bites.



Her family have lived on the beach for 36 years and she said the two shark attacks this month were the first she had seen.



'It must be the same shark that attacked 16 days ago', she said.



No signs had been placed on the beach warning of the earlier shark attack earlier this month.



Chantal Andre, who works at the restaurant, also saw yesterday’s attack.



'I went to the hospital with the man’s wife and it was just awful,' she said. 'She wasn’t crying at all, she just couldn’t believe he was dead. I suppose she was in total shock.'



The bride's parents, David and Coleta, are on their way to the Seychelles to comfort her.



Maritime safety advisory issues: Advising people not to swim or enter the water in Anse Lazio, Anse Georgette, St. Pierre island and Curieuse island





Mr Redmond’s father, Stephen, from Nelson, Lancashire, today told the Evening Standard the family were stunned and struggling to cope with the news.



He said: 'Gemma’s mother and father are with her. She is still in shock as we all are. It's devastating. The last time we saw them they were so happy.'



Other relatives told how they were looking forward to welcoming Mr Redmond, an IT worker, and his new bride home on Sunday.



His uncle Ken Houghton said: 'Ian was a really nice guy and well-liked by everybody. He always did the right thing and they made a super couple, very much in love.

'I can honestly say their wedding was the best wedding I've ever been to. It was perfect.



'We had a family gathering at the weekend and their wedding was the only topic of conversation. We're looking at each other now and we don’t know what to say. We’ve been stunned into silence. They had their whole lives in front of them.'



Idyllic: The newly-weds were staying at the luxurious La Reserve hotel on Praslin island during their honeymoon



Mr Redmond’s aunt Alison said the newlyweds, who had been together for eight years, had spent two years renovating a cottage they were due to move into after their honeymoon.



Yesterday the authorities had closed many of the beaches and snorkelling spots close to Praslin, one of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean that make up the Seychelles.



And questions were asked about what action was taken following the first fatal attack on a diver just two weeks ago.



Alain St Ange, director for tourism, said: ‘We are taking this very seriously. If there is a rogue shark out there we will try to catch it.



'We have requested shark experts from South Africa to come over to the Seychelles to help us identify the type of shark it could be – but this kind of thing has never ever happened in the Seychelles before.'



It is thought a tooth recovered from the shark may help identify the species.



Minister for home affairs and environment Joel Morgan held an emergency meeting in the capital Victoria last night to discuss what could be done to protect visitors and locals from a shark that some believe may not be native to Seychelles waters.



The most common species around the islands is the whale shark, which feeds only on plankton and microscopic plants.



A 36-year-old French tourist also died after he was bitten by a shark while snorkelling at the same beach on August 1.



Nicolas Francois Virolle was just 60ft from the beach when he was attacked.



Other tourists jumped into the sea to try and rescue him, but he died from massive loss of blood as he was hauled on to the beach.



Mr Virolle was staying at the Britania on Praslin and was due to leave the Seychelles the next day.



Michel Gardette, a development official in Praslin, added: ‘I have been diving for the last 40 years and I have never encountered any problems. Sharks are actually very rare because they are hunted for their meat and fins.



Around 19,000 British tourists travel to the exotic Indian Ocean islands each year, many of whom are honeymooners.



The popular resort received a massive boost earlier this year after the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge spent ten days there in a £4,000 a night villa on a private island after their wedding, having flown there in a private jet and helicopter.



A spokesman for the UK Foreign Office said: ‘We are aware of the incident and are providing full consular assistance to the family.’



The British High Commissioner Matthew Forbes flew from the main island of Mahe to Praslin last night to offer help to the victim’s young widow.



The couple had been staying at La Reserve hotel on the island.





source:dailymail