We spend more than £200 each on average updating our festive wardrobe each year, but how much is it really worth spending on a frock you may wear only once or twice? I decided to find out by putting a few seriously posh frocks to a blind test against cheaper rivalswrites JANE ASHER.read
Among the wooded hills above a tiny hamlet in New South Wales, where farmers tended their cattle, and horses grazed on lush pastures, the most unspeakable sexual horrors were taking place — yet no one in the neighbourhood knew a thing about the depravities.read
With only 10 shopping days left until Christmas, you may be beginning to panic over what to buy your hard-to-buy-for loved ones.read
The pair supplied fake A-level exam certificates for people who didn’t have the qualifications they needed to get into university.read
The Prime Minister broke his silence on the controversial policy of seating men and women separately during lectures from Muslim and other ultra-orthodox scholars.read
From turkey to sprouts and stilton to stuffing the best and worst of Christmas food has been cooked, tasted and reviewed to make the shopping trip easier.read
Aydan Ulugun was left with nasty wounds on her leg after her normally well-behaved cat Sam pounced for no apparent reason at her home in Walthamstow, east London.read
Tracey Connelly was jailed in 2009 after the brutal death of her tortured son Peter, but was released in November following a Parole Board review.read
Elisabetta Grillo (right) told Isleworth Crown Court that although she was shocked by photographs of Charles Saatchi pinching Nigella's nose and throttling her (left) which emerged earlier this year.read
The assault by Lincoln City thugs on a group of Luton Town supporters on Lincoln High Street was described as some of the worst football violence seen in recent years. Passing sentence Judge Sean Morris described the 12 men as a 'pack of hyenas' and said it was a miracle that no one was seriously hurt.read
Mason Timmins, seven, had been vaccinated against the disease but fell ill last weekend with a rare form and passed away within hours.read
Villa-owning Britons, such as Philip Edwardes-Ker and Nina Bailey pictured, may not be able to rent properties to travelers under controversial new laws.read
Dr Angamathu Arunkalaivanan put the woman through ‘three years of hell’ after he carried out a ‘sexually motivated’ examination during an appointment at a private hospital.read
Sergeant Alexander Blackman was given a life sentence for the killing earlier this month. The soldier, known throughout his trial as Marine A, must serve a minimum of ten years.read
Manchester Crown Court heard while officers were hunting for Dale Cregan, who was wanted for the murders of father and son David and Mark Short, they were eavesdropping on his mother Anita Cregan.read
The Unite union, Labour's biggest donor, is courting foreigners from the two countries as part of a membership drive.read
It has been a year since Kaitlin Roig-DeBellis saved the lives of 15 children, as she barricaded her pupils in a tiny bathroom at Connecticut's Sandy Hook School.read
They are probably not top of most people’s must-have list, but gifts on sale this year include £10 empty boxes and rhinoceros dung for a fiver.read
The shadow police minister, who is married to Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman, attracted strong criticism online after posting photos of himself online.read
Theoretical physicists from Humboldt University, Berlin, have developed a system for predicting how rapidly a virus might spread and where.read
Physicists at the University of Southern Denmark say a collapse may already have started somewhere in our cosmos and is eating away at the rest of the universe.read
Harman, left, Hewitt, right, and Dromey, centre with Harman, first encountered the Paedophile Information Exchange when they were cutting their political teeth as young officials in the National Council for Civil Liberties.read
EXCLUSIVE: Viewers have repeatedly slammed the Corporation's 'excessive' coverage of Nelson's Mandela after the Thursday night programme left Britain and was broadcast from Johannesburg.read
A total of 1,834 viewers and listeners have complained as the airwaves continue to be flooded with tributes disrupting radio and TV schedules.read
In comments that will raise fears of an early rise in interest rates, its chief economist Spencer Dale said the housing market was like a microwave that could easily overheat.read
The plan to require migrants to demonstrate a ‘reasonable standard of English’ was outlined by Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith this week.read
Emma Wilson beat 11-month-old Callum to death, shaking him so violently her neighbour's ceiling shook. He suffered brain damage, nine fractured ribs and a broken arm and leg.read
Jill Goodrum, 46, from Plymouth, dismissed her difficulties lifting her arms as a minor strain. But last month she was told she has less than eight years to live.read
Elaine Feeley and her husband Keef, from Clacton, had always enjoyed an active sex life, but everything changed when she went through the menopause.read
Pauline Harrison, 53, was responding to a 999 call reporting a break-in at a derelict school in Merseyside when she fell over a 3ft-high wooden fence.read
The bespectacled schoolboy initially pleaded guilty to five counts of sexual assault on five other women, committed over a fortnight near the University of Manchester earlier this year.read
On Thursday, in a plain courtroom Jang Song Thaek, left, was sentenced to death as a traitor to his country by his nephew Kim Jong-un, right.read
A study has found that people who don’t get enough sleep are up to 66 per cent more likely to be plagued with pain.read
Although they are more expensive, Diana Carney argues it is better to pay more for your outfits than to wear a ‘toxic second skin’ of synthetic garments.read
Blundering officials at the Ministry of Justice included Section Three of the Treason Felony Act 1848 on its list of 309 offences repealed in the year to May.read
Chardonnay is back. After years in the doldrums, it’s in favour again with critics and consumers alike.read
A silver car can be seen drawing up to the gates of the RSPCA Birmingham Animal Centre before the driver opens a door and forces the puppy out.read
A daily helping of the traditional Christmas fare could boost the number of Britons eating five portions of fruit and vegetables, according to a new survey.read
Alasdair Scott, Berkshire-based psychologist has created a guide that reveals what each type looks and acts like, as well as how to stay on their good side.read
The research will be seen as a damning indictment of British policy, which offers little relief to women who choose to look after their children full-time.read
For Britain’s retailers are expecting the busiest day of the year, with biblical tides of humanity descending on the nation’s shopping centres.read
High street shops are under particular pressure to tempt people through the doors because of the big switch to buying online.read
Reece Clarke (pictured), 21, from Thorpe Bay, Essex, suffered devastating brain injuries as the passenger in a police patrol car crash in July 2011.read
Scroungers in Nottingham boast they are pocketing up to £700 a week and are even spending some nights sleeping in hotels.read
Officials in the south east Asian country said the relics were taken from the site in the capital of Phnom Penh. A guard was woken by a barking dog to discover the lock to the shrine damaged and the urn gone.read
Michael McInnes, 23, failed to return from home leave from Castle Huntly prison near Dundee almost a fortnight ago.read
Step forward the teenagers from Thornhill Community Academy in Dewsbury, who took centre stage in Channel 4’s Educating Yorkshire earlier this year.read
Paul Grimshaw, from Lytham St Anne's, Lancashire, was caught on CCTV trying to raid Nigel Blackburn's home in Hemington, Leicestershire, by posing as a deliveryman.read
A woman in her thirties, known by her pen name, M.E Thomas, said 'I may have a disorder, but I am not crazy.'read
But according to researchers, laughter might not be the best medicine – and could even lead to serious health complications.read
Critics have said Nottinghamshire Police's version of Twas The Night Before Christmas trivialises the horror of sex attacks.read
Graham and Amanda Nield, from Yorkshire, won £6.6m last August. But they have shunned expensive jewellery, clothing and cars to continue with a frugal lifestyle.read
Snugly wrapped in a stripey towel, the little orphan with heart-melting black eyes wriggles impatiently as he waits for his next feed at the RSPCA rescue centre in East Winch, West Norfolk.read
Derek Brundrett, 14, was discovered in a wooded area of the playing fields at Pembroke School in Pembrokeshire, west Wales, yesterday.read
The closure of the Discovery New School in Crawley, West Sussex is a significant setback for Education Secretary Michael Gove's flagship schools reforms.read
Interior Minister Manuel Valls has criticized the 'impasse' in communication between British border authorities and those their Frenchread
In October construction output leapt to almost £10billion, the highest since December 2011, with new housing work was up 5.8 per cent on September.read
Some 32 per cent felt they would be poorer if Labour had won the 2010 election and 31 per cent thought they would be 'much the same'.read
The full amount emerged only because the country’s National Health and Family Planning Commission has begun a probe into where the money has gone.read
Lord Edward Somerset, the second son of the Duke of Beaufort, admitted four counts of assaulting his wife Caroline over 21 years of their 30-year marriage.read
Lee Cyrus (pictured), also known as Ivan Leach, was handed a life sentence in 2005 for robbing a 90-year-old widow at her home in Preston, Lancashire, for just £12.read
Beth McDermott was cycling just a mile from her home in Cambridge when she collided with two cars on Wednesday evening.read
Out of 20 countries, people in the UK were ranked third least concerned with material things, whereas China was top, followed by India and Turkey.read
The move, announced Thursday by Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom, is likely designed to keep young users from abandoning Instagram for mobile messaging services like Snapchat.read
Karen Holland, 45, from Hemel Hempstead, was awarded more than £15,000 by the courts in what is believed to be the first payout of its kind in Britain.read
Lucy Goulding, from Worthing, died of a benign brain tumour after being sent home by her GP, Dr Jaspal Mahil, four times.read
Police hunting Matteo Messina Denaro, who runs Sicily's Cosa Nostra operation arrested his sister Patrizia, his nephew and two cousins.read
Secretly, Jack Cornwell, a mature-looking delivery boy from east London, aged 13, fashioned himself as a fresh-faced 17-year-old and stood up to serve.read
William Stephens, who also used heroin and crack cocaine, shook to death 16-week-old Paris Vince-Stephens at her home in Bristol.read
The £29.99 ring uses acupressure theory by applying pressure to specific points on your little finger and promises to give your partner a good night's sleep.read
Researchers in Berlin and London studied how meerkats make decisions. When groups share the same goals, decisions are poor because no-one questions them.read
Michelle Noble, 47, recalls how a local police man raped her in her own bedroom in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, when she was just 14. Before the attack, Michelle was a confident, A-grade student whose bold ambitions looked set to outgrow her humble origins.read
In a strongly-worded attack on interference in UK law, the Prime Minister called for the European Court of Human Rights to have its wings clipped.read
The confused 55-year-old's fate was revealed by doctors at Birmingham's Heartlands Hospital. Her daughter later found a pack of quinine sulphate (pictured) on her kitchen counter.read
Scientists from Buck Institute of Age Research, California, tweaked two genetic pathways in the worm Caenorhabditis elegans to amplify its lifespan.read
Nearly a third of us will experience anger, while more than a quarter confess they get 'pavement rage' due to the overwhelming flow of people traffic.read
Thamsanqa Jantjie, 34, stood just a few feet from from President Obama and others who spoke at Tuesday's ceremony that was broadcast around the world.read
Helle Thorning-Schmidt said she won't be posting the controversial photo (pictured) taken during Mandela's memorial service in South Africa as it's 'not particularly good'.read
Zambian Leya Mtonga made a ‘conscious decision’ to conceive after she was arrested by Home Office immigration officials, a court heard.read
Doctors and nurses from a Swansea Hospital were held up by the accident where hospital cook Jayne Parker (pictured) was killed. They left their cars so they could walk to work and care for patients - and were fined.read
Mother-to-be Rebecca Knowles-Dixon, 28, lost control of her car and drove into pensioner Graham Walden, 74, on a county road near Ashburton, Devon.read
Cheating Kelly Cliff, from the West Midlands, asked friend Dalton Bowen, 47, to arrange for her estranged husband to be 'wiped off the face of the earth' after their 22-year relationship turned sour.read
The men, if that is the right word, who committed these notorious murders - Mark Bridger, Stuart Hazell and Vincent Tabak - were all obsessed with pornography. It would be easy to assume they are just isolated examples. In fact, they're not. They are just the most high-profile; the ones we are all familiar with, writes PAUL BRACCHI.read
PC Ian Dibell (pictured) was killed while trying to stop gunman Peter Reeve, who had fired at a couple near his home in Clacton, Essex, in July last year.read
Health bosses said they had always known this winter ‘would be difficult’ but critics said that it could be a sign of worse to come.read
The footage taken from CCTV from the newly refurbished Birmingham New Street shows passengers, falling down the silver stairs in a surprising amount of different ways.read
Researchers at New York University found people who smoke e-cigarettes tend to puff on them more often and to inhale more deeply.read
Labour claimed the figures means there will be 'real worry' about the cost of celebrating this year, and accused the government of failing to boost wages as the economy recovers.read
The 22-year-old, from Reading, Berkshire, was detained in connection with the disappearance of 17-year-old Jayden Parkinson, from Oxford.read
The USS Cowpens was sailing in international waters in the South China Sea last week when it was ordered to stop by a Chinese naval vessel.read
The world’s wealthiest artist has made such a mark on this delightful chunk of seaside that it’s already being described as Hirst-On-Sea.read
Some 767 primaries failed to reach basic targets for 11-year-olds in the three-Rs this summer – almost 50 per cent more than last year.read
Within hours, hundreds of fans slammed the star's record for it's X-rated lyrics and 'pornographic' videos in which she twerks and dresses scantily.read
The new recall relates to products that are sold to very young babies, including Boots Pharmaceuticals Gripe Mixture and Paracetamols.read
If you're struggling to find a Christmas present for a Beatles fan, look no further. The band is set to release a new 59-track album next week - and it's all thanks to EU copyright laws.read
With its mustard yellow tassel detailing and textured orange top, the European President's unique piece of head-ware is more lamp shade than fashion statement.read
Karl Pierson has been identified as the senior who walked into Arapahoe High School in Colorado with a shotgun Friday and targeted his debate team coach.read
Fox News host Megyn Kelly caused controversy last night as she confidently declared that not only is Santa Claus white but Jesus Christ is too.read
Research from Birmingham and Oxford Universities revealed laughing has also been linked to asthma attacks, incontinence and hernias.read
Iraqi national, Haidar Ali Hussein, argues that the Ministry of Defence's authorised use of the controversial technique - known as 'Direct Challenge' and which involves 'shouting or screaming in a detainee’s face' - breaches the Geneva Convention.read
While studying the genome sequence of a comb jelly, researchers from Maryland found it was related to all other animal groups.read
In keeping with the traditions of his Xhosa tribe, Mandela's funeral ought to be a great family gathering when the entire Mandela clan, numbering more than 70, come together.read
John Walker, 41, and Neilum Ragia-Walker, 37, have individually appeared over 2,500 times on the nation's best-loved dramas, soaps and comedies.read
Legal action was ruled out in 35,000 cases last year, with only 9,836 prosecuted by the Department for Work and Pensions and the Crown Prosecution Service.read
Engineer Jeff Keacher from Colorado used a web browser called MacWeb 2.0 and Raspberry Pi to run text version of Wikipedia pages on his 1986 Mac Plus.read
This creepy Prince George lookalike, designed for a distribution firm in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, is on sale for £129.95.read
Aaron Collins, from Hartlepool, was serving in Afghanistan for the third time when he found himself trapped underneath the collapsed rubble with Taliban soldiers shooting at him from just 10 meters away.read
An ancient Roman statue that inspired Mark Twain and Lord Byron to comment on its beauty is to go on display in Washington DC.read
Terry Lee Loewen, 58, was arrested on Friday morning at Mid-Continent regional airport in Wichita. Grissom said the man planned to drive a car that he believed was full of explosives into a terminal at the airport.read
The rare sight of glistening Christmassy snow greeted stunned residents in the Holy Land this morning who took to social media to express their shock at the freak weather in the usually sweltering capital.read
Today the subject is Christmas kitchen tips, or more accurately ‘how to get through the day without wanting to stick your own head in the oven’.read
The concept bike, imagined by a Bangkok-based design agency, includes a filter to capture pollutants and a frame that converts sunlight to energy.read
Nicaragua struck the deal with a billionaire Chinese businessman, Wang Jing, to build a 130-mile canal through its land in June with the promise of up to 40,000 jobs.read
The London Distillery Company, based in Battersea, has been granted the capital’s first licence to produce single malt whiskey since the early 1900s and yesterday saw its first British spirit flow from the still.read
The season's first snow settled in parts of Lebanon this week, giving refugee children who have fled the war in Syria the opportunity for a snowball fight outside their tents.read
The threat of a global pandemic remains one of the most serious threats to the future of the human race, but now scientists have developed a breakthrough system for predicting how rapidly an outbreak might spread and where.read
Created by German photographer, Michael Najjar, each miniature sphere in the image represents an existing object orbiting in space.read
The bizarre incident happened in Belo Horizonte, Brazil's third largest city. A pick-up was believed parked on the street near a construction site where the sidewalk was being increased.read
Viewers called for the 'disastrous' British Comedy Awards to be scrapped after the annual event was marred by drunken scenes and bad language.read