Madeleine McCann Police Shut Down Search Area

Madeleine: Key Events Timeline

Updated: 10:22am UK, Monday 02 June 2014

Here is a timeline of the key events since Madeleine McCann's disappearance.

2007

:: May 3 - Kate and Gerry McCann leave their three children asleep in their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz while they dine with friends at a nearby tapas restaurant.

Jane Tanner, one of the friends eating with the McCanns, later reports seeing a man carrying a child away earlier that night.

:: May 5 - Portuguese police reveal they believe Madeleine was abducted but is still alive and in Portugal, and say they have a sketch of a suspect.

:: May 14 - Detectives take Anglo-Portuguese man Robert Murat in for questioning and make him an "arguido", or official suspect.

:: May 25 - Detectives release a description of the man reported by Jane Tanner three weeks earlier after pressure from the McCanns, their legal team and the British Government.

:: May 30 - Mr and Mrs McCann meet the Pope in Rome in the first of a series of trips around Europe and beyond to highlight the search for their daughter.

:: August 6 - A Portuguese newspaper reports that British sniffer dogs have found traces of blood on a wall in the McCanns' holiday apartment.

:: August 11 - Exactly 100 days after Madeleine disappeared, investigating officers publicly acknowledge for the first time that she could be dead.

:: September 7 - During further questioning of Mr and Mrs McCann, detectives make them both "arguidos" in their daughter's disappearance.

:: September 9 - The McCanns fly back to England with their two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie.

:: October 2 - Goncalo Amaral, the detective in charge of the inquiry, is removed from the case after criticising the British police in a Portuguese newspaper interview.

:: October 25 - The McCanns release a new artist's impression drawn by an FBI-trained expert showing the man described by Jane Tanner.

2008

:: March 19 - Mr and Mrs McCann accept £550,000 libel damages and front-page apologies from Express Newspapers over allegations they were responsible for Madeleine's death.

:: April 7 - Three Portuguese detectives, led by Paulo Rebelo, fly to Britain to re-interview the seven friends on holiday with the McCanns when Madeleine vanished.

:: July 17 - Mr Murat receives £600,000 in libel damages from four newspaper groups over "seriously defamatory" articles connecting him with the child's disappearance.

:: July 21 - The Portuguese authorities shelve their investigation and lift the "arguido" status of the McCanns and Mr Murat.

:: August 4 - Thousands of pages of evidence from the Portuguese police files in the exhaustive investigation into Madeleine's disappearance are made public.

2009

:: January 13 - Mr McCann returns to Portugal for the first time since coming back to the UK without his daughter.

:: March 24 - The McCanns launch a localised new appeal for information focused on the area in the Algarve where Madeleine disappeared.

:: April 4 - Mr McCann goes back to Portugal to help film a reconstruction of the events on the night his daughter vanished.

:: April 22 - The McCanns fly to the US to record an interview with chat show host Oprah Winfrey to mark two years since Madeleine's disappearance.

:: June 14 - Dying paedophile Raymond Hewlett says he was in the Algarve when Madeleine disappeared and has an alibi - but has no plans to reveal it.

:: August 6 - Detectives say they are hunting a "Victoria Beckham lookalike" with an Australian or New Zealand accent, reportedly seen in Barcelona three days after the little girl went missing.

2010

:: Feb 18 -  Kate and Gerry McCann say they are "pleased and relieved" at a judge's decision to uphold a ban on a book by former detective Goncalo Amaral.

:: Mar 3 -  A newly-released file from Portugese police on possible sightings is called "gold dust" and could lead to a breakthrough, says a spokesman for the McCanns.

:: May 1 - Kate McCann reveals she had thoughts about being "wiped out" in a motorway crash to end the pain of losing Madeleine - but vows never to give up.

:: November 10 - Madeleine's parents launch an online petition to help force a UK and Portuguese joint review of all evidence in the case.

:: November 15 -  The McCanns sign a deal to write a book about their daughter's disappearance.

2011

:: May 13 - The Prime Minister David Cameron asks London's Metropolitan Police to help investigate the case.

:: November 23 - Kate and Gerry McCann appear at the Leveson Inquiry into media ethics.

They tell how media pressure affected their family life and accuse newspaper editors of hampering the search for their missing daughter.

Kate McCann says she felt "violated" when her diary was published without her permission.

:: December 5 - Scotland Yard detectives spend time in Barcelona as part of their re-examination of the case.

2012

:: March 9 - Portuguese police in Oporto launch a review of the original investigation.

:: April 26 - Scotland Yard says Madeleine McCann may still be alive and release an artist's impression of what she may look like as a nine-year-old.

:: July 6 - British detectives examine a claim that the little girl's body is buried near the apartment from where she vanished. It comes after a self-styled investigator sends police radar scans he claims show a burial site.

2013

:: February 11 - Gerry McCann calls for politicians to implement the conclusions of the Leveson Inquiry in full, backed by legislation.

:: February 13 - Police say the results of DNA tests on a girl in New Zealand who was mistaken for Madeleine reveal that she is not the missing British girl.

:: February 21 - Retired solicitor Tony Bennett who published claims that Madeleine McCann's parents caused her death is given a suspended jail sentence.

:: May 2 - Madeleine McCann's parents tell Sky News a police review into their daughter's disappearance is making "excellent progress" as they mark the sixth anniversary since she went missing.

:: May 17 - Scotland Yard say they have identified a number of "people of interest" they want to speak to. It believes it has found enough evidence to reopen the case but the Portuguese authorities are still resistant. 

:: June 15 - The Home Office agrees to fund a full-scale investigation by the Metropolitan Police.

:: October 13 - UK detectives reviewing the case say key details in the timeline of her disappearance have "significantly changed".

:: October 14 - A fresh appeal is launched in a bid to find a suspect detectives say is of "vital importance", with two new separate e-fits - thought to be of the same man seen on the night Madeleine went missing - released by police.

:: October 17 - Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, who is leading the Scotland Yard team, Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, and Mr and Mrs McCann meet officers in Lisbon to be briefed on the Portuguese case.

:: October 23 - Britain's most senior police officer Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe defends the way the Portuguese dealt with the initial investigation into Madeleine's disappearance, saying it would have been "very difficult" to immediately know if they were dealing with a serious crime.

:: October 24 - Detectives in Portugal reopen the investigation into Madeleine McCann's disappearance after an internal review uncovers new lines of inquiry and witnesses who were never questioned during the original Portuguese investigation.

2014

:: January 3 - A family source says Kate and Gerry McCann have been denied permission to give evidence at a Portuguese libel trial over a book about the case by former local police chief Goncalo Amaral.

:: January 13 - British police investigate three burglars who were in the area when Madeleine disappeared, and whose phones were apparently "red hot" after she went missing. A letter is sent to Portuguese police asking for help to track them down.

:: January 29 - Scotland Yard officers, including the detective leading the case, fly to Portugal to meet police there and discuss the latest developments.

:: March 19 - Officers from Operation Grange launch a search for a man who sexually assaulted five British girls in the Algarve between 2004 and 2006.

:: April 23 - Detectives identify five new cases where a lone intruder abused young British girls in holiday apartments in the Algarve.

:: May 1 - Kate and Gerry McCann give an interview to Sky News where they are desperate to find out what happened to Madeleine, even if it is the "worst case scenario" as they back calls for a Child Rescue Alert service similar to the Amber Alert system in the US.

:: May 6 - Scotland Yard plans to dig for evidence in three locations in Praia da Luz are approved, with officers set to use ground penetrating radar.

:: May 8 - British Officers reportedly use a military helicopter to photograph potential excavation sites and hold a four-hour meeting with Portuguese colleagues to agree a timetable for new searches.

:: May 22 - Met Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley says the investigation will enter a "substantial phase of operational activity" in Portugal in the coming weeks. 

:: June 2 - Portuguese police seal off an area of scrubland to the west of Praia da Luz as they prepare to examine the potential excavation site.

23.39 | 0 komentar | Read More

Jennifer Lopez Pulls Out Of World Cup Opener

Jennifer Lopez has pulled out of performing the World Cup song at the tournament's opening ceremony in Brazil.

Fifa officials said the singer could not attend Thursday's show because of unspecified "production issues".

Cuban-American rapper Pitbull and Brazilian singer Claudia Leitte will sing the official tune We Are One before Brazil take on Croatia in Sao Paulo.

Many Brazilians feel let down by the song, complaining it sounds too generic for the country's Bossa Nova fans and features foreign musicians singing mostly in English and Spanish.

The England team training in Rio de Janeiro

Leitte sings only a few seconds at the end of the song in her native Portuguese.

The withdrawal is the latest setback for preparations for the tournament, which has also faced protests, strikes and delays to stadiums and key infrastructure projects.

Lopez has sold more than 70 million albums worldwide in a recording career that began in 1999 with the critically acclaimed debut album On The 6.

She is set to release her ninth studio album, A.K.A, later this month.

It was reported last week that the singer has split from her dancer boyfriend Casper Smart. The couple had been together for over two years.

23.39 | 0 komentar | Read More

Heavy Rain Threatens Damage And Disruption

The Met Office has warned of a risk of damage and disruption from "potentially intense thundery downpours" in the next few hours.

It is the second severe weather warning for heavy rain issued in less than a week.

Surface water flooding, hail and gusting winds add to the risk, said the Met Office. Around 20mm (0.8ins) of rain is predicted to fall in an hour in some areas.

The weathers cover the east of England Pic: Met Office

Sky News Weather Presenter Jo Wheeler said: "Today's showers have the potential to give some torrential downpours, much like last week's stormy weather which saw a significant 18.2mm (0.7ins) of rainfall in just one hour in Suffolk.

"Thunder and lightning has already been registered through parts of the Midlands, and it'll be the Midlands, east of England, Yorkshire and southeastern England at greatest risk of further storms through the rest of the day. 

"Such showers will bring brief periods of unpleasant weather in the form of heavy rainfall, gusty winds and hail, with the likelihood of seeing some very localised flash floods.

"Such is the nature of showers however, that some parts of the country, even the eastern counties, may miss the showers entirely.  And the risk overall, diminishes this evening as the showers begin to die out or move away."

A yellow "be aware" weather warning has been issued by the Met Office for Yorkshire and Humber, the East and West Midlands, the East of England and London and south east England. The warnings are in force until 8pm tonight.

The fresh storm prediction comes after the Met Office issued a severe weather warning last week for Saturday with forecasts of heavy, thundery rain battering parts of England, Wales and southern Scotland.

Britons have been basking in sunshine between the recent storms

But fears that some places could see flooding and an entire month's rainfall in just one hour turned out to be misplaced, with Britain spared the worst as the summer storms swept the country.

The heaviest downpour was registered in Santon Downham, Suffolk, which saw 0.7in (18.2mm) fall in one hour, followed by 0.6in (16.4mm) falling in Bickley, Worcestershire.

It fell well short of the 1.2in (30mm) - almost half of the UK monthly average for the whole of June of 2.9in (73.4mm) - which had been forecast as a possibility.

Last month the Shard in London - western Europe's tallest building - was struck by lightning during a thunderstorm.

A recently published study by the Met Office and Newcastle University warned that climate change could result in heavier summer rainfall in Britain, which in turn could increase the risk of flash flooding.

23.39 | 0 komentar | Read More

Karachi Airport 'Revenge' Attack Leaves 28 Dead

Taliban See Airport Attack As Job Well Done

Updated: 2:02pm UK, Monday 09 June 2014

By Sam Kiley, Foreign Affairs Editor

A protracted gun battle. Buildings ablaze. More than two dozen dead. An international airport shut down. In the morbid calculus of the Taliban - a job well done.

The scenes recalled the humiliating attack on a Navy base, also in Karachi, three years ago in which 11 died.

On both occasions the Pakistani Taliban, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, claimed responsibility and that the blood letting was revenge.

This time the Taliban used Twitter to boast of worse to come.

"We have yet to take revenge for the deaths of hundreds of innocent tribal women and children in Pakistani air strikes. It's just the beginning, we have taken revenge for one, we have to take revenge for hundreds," the militant group said.

'The one' referred to is Hakimullah Mehsud, who was killed in a US drone strike last November.

His predecessor, Baitullah Mehsud, died the same way.

Barack Obama said recently that in counter terror operations "we must not create more enemies than we take off the battlefield".

The campaign of extra-judicial killing by remote control in the ungoverned regions of Pakistan has left an estimated 500 dead, many of them civilians.

Mostly drawn from Pashto communities, survivors will inevitably see an obligation to attack the US or her allies in a blood feud.

This is the interpretation that the Taliban want commentators to reach.

It is also largely a statement of the obvious.

But the Taliban threats of yet more bloody retribution cannot be seen as entirely US-driven.

The movement came close to the gates of the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, a few years ago when it launched a ground offensive.

The failure of talks with the government, which collapsed earlier this year, meant that a spectacular "listen to us" attack was almost inevitable.

But Pakistan's military has also been planning an all out offensive against the Taliban for several months.

It had been held back to give talks a chance.

The generals will see the attack on Karachi's international airport as a signal for their campaign to begin.

This may give the Taliban the 'victory' of more 'martyrs' – but both sides know neither can truly win.

23.39 | 0 komentar | Read More

Scottish Independence 'A Leap Into The Unknown'

Backing Scottish independence would be a vote for "a leap into the unknown to a very uncertain destination", MP Alistair Darling has warned.

The leader of the Better Together campaign, which has rebranded itself as the No Thanks campaign, urged campaigners fighting to keep Scotland in the UK to match the emotion of the nationalist case for independence.

"Together in the days ahead we must, and we will, meet and match them in emotion as surely we have mastered them on the evidence," said Mr Darling at a pro-Union rally in Glasgow.

The Labour MP and former Chancellor of the Exchequer also stressed with 100 days to go until the referendum on September 18 "the terms of trade have changed" with Holyrood in line for "substantially enhanced powers".

He pointed out all three parties - the Conservatives, Labour and the Lib Dems - have signed up to giving more powers to the Scottish Parliament in the event of a 'No' vote.

The MP for Edinburgh South West said he wanted to use the next three months to "plan for Scotland's positive, possibility-rich future" which was "a vision that the overwhelming majority of us want".

Asked by Sky's Political Editor, Adam Boulton, if the rebranding of the No campaign stemmed from a lack of confidence in whether keeping the status quo would be better for Scotland, Mr Darling replied: "No. We believe that Scotland is better and stronger together as part of the UK.

"What we are saying is no thanks to the risks and costs that come from separation. In Scotland we can have the best of both worlds with a Scottish parliament with more powers, but at the same time have the opportunities and the security that comes with being a part of the UK," he told Sky News.

Asked whether it was a mistake - as his former boss Gordon Brown has said it was - to use Lego figures to try and tell the Scottish people that if they voted 'No' they could have more fish suppers, Mr Darling said: "There are lots of different ways of campaigning, some work better than others... I never actually saw it myself.

"The bigger picture is: what is in Scotland's best interests? Are we better staying part of the UK with the strength that comes with that, or should we take a leap into the unknown to a very uncertain destination?

"I think the majority of people in Scotland - and all the evidence suggests this - are not persuaded of the nationalist case, they are running out of arguments and running out of time in which to make them."

Leader of the Scottish National Party and First Minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond, insisted the Yes campaign was within "touching distance" of winning the referendum.

MSP Fiona Hyslop says Scotland has 'every opportunity' to be independent

He told Sky News: "This is the first time that people in Scotland have had a democratic opportunity to vote themselves into independence.

"It is an opportunity not just of a lifetime, it is an opportunity of the centuries, and I believe in my heart that people will grasp that opportunity."

The SNP's Fiona Hyslop, the Scottish secretary for culture and external affairs, added: "We have got every opportunity to be a normal, independent country.

"In terms of our resources we have both wealth and talent, more income per head than Japan, France and the rest of the UK."

23.39 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Trojan Horse' Pupils: School Is Too Extreme

Girls attending a school placed in special measures by Ofsted because of concerns over infiltration by Islamic extremists have told Sky News that Park View deserved to face action.

The girls, who did not want to be identified, told Sky's Social Affairs and Education Editor Afua Hirsch: "Our school deserves this ... for the things that it has done."

Their comments come after Ofsted acted to put five Birmingham schools in special measures, a move described by David Hughes, vice-chairman of the Park View Educational Trust as "truly shocking".

The girls said: "Our school is too extreme but not in a terrorist way. They are strict with us and they use religion as an excuse.

"Basically they don't let boys and girls mix and stuff.

"If they see you talking to a boy they will call your parents or come to your house, which they did to a lot of people."

The girls said that the truth was often embellished and added to when parents were approached.

The school says that boys and girls are not stopped from sitting together but the girls said "that's not true".

"Before, we couldn't sit next to boys and if we did we would get moved. Now we don't even dare sit next to boys because of the consequences."

They said that pupils were afraid to speak out about what had been happening at the school.

The girls said that they weren't taught about other religions, although the view from two male pupils was somewhat different.

Kasim Shah and Sadak Ali said they believed everyone has open choice and that they were taught about other religions.

They said the school had a "small proportion" of non-Muslim pupils who mixed well.

"Everyone is treated equally. No one is forced to pray. No one is forced to do anything. Its an open school," said Sadak.

"I'm a 'beat boxer'," he added. "I get involved in music even though it is not encouraged in my religion but I want to do it.

"The school don't force you to do things you don't want to do. It's your choice."

Sadak said the school would probably change, adding: "At the moment I enjoy school life."

23.39 | 0 komentar | Read More

Eurofighter Jet Crashes At Spain Military Base

A Spanish air force Eurofighter jet has crashed at a military base near Seville, killing the pilot.

The air force captain was the only person on board when the plane smashed into the runway as it returned to the base around 2pm (1pm UK time).

"A Eurofighter has crashed on landing on the runway of the Moron base," confirmed a defence ministry spokeswoman.

Europa Press reported that the plane was taking part in a routine training exercise.

The cause of the accident is still unclear.

The Moron de la Frontera military airbase near Seville

The Moron de la Frontera Air Base is used by the Spanish and US air forces.

The Eurofighter is built by British defence group BAE Systems, European aerospace group Airbus and Italian defence contractor Finmeccanica.

This consortium faces fierce competition from fighter-jet makers such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Dassault Aviation.

Airbus said last month the consortium will stop making the Eurofighter in 2018 if it does not win new export contracts for the jet.

Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Malaysia are all in talks about buying the jet, the company added.

Spain agreed to buy 87 Eurofighters just over a decade ago, and has an option to buy 16 more between 2003 and 2018.

More follows...

23.39 | 0 komentar | Read More

Gove: Schools Should 'Promote British Values'

Education Secretary Michael Gove says the Government will consult on new rules to require schools to "actively promote British values".

Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr Gove told MPs the findings of inspections by Ofsted into 21 Birmingham schools needed a "robust but considered response".

He acknowledged there had been "a failure in the past" to address concerns about extremism, adding that the school inspection regime should be strengthened.

"There are questions for Birmingham Council, Ofsted and the Department of Education," he said.

"We all must acknowledge that there has been a failure in the past ... But no government has done more to attack extremism than this government."

He added: "We will put the promotion of British values at the heart of what every school has to deliver for children."

Mr Gove's comments come after Ofsted chief Sir Michael Wilshaw said schools in Birmingham were being run under a "culture of fear and intimidation".

Park View Academy has gone from 'outstanding' to 'inadequate'

He said successful head teachers had been forced out of their posts or "marginalised", leaving a "vacuum" leading to "a collapse in morals and a rapid decline".

The "steep and sudden decline" meant schools which were recently judged outstanding by inspectors were now found inadequate, he said.

In addition governors were exerting "far more influence on the day to day running of these schools than is either appropriate or acceptable".

Ofsted inspected 21 schools across Birmingham after allegations of an attempted takeover of the city's schools by Islamist extremists. Five have now been placed in special measures as a result.

Sir Michael said: "Some of our findings are deeply worrying and in some ways quite shocking, while a number of these schools are doing well and providing their children with a good, well-rounded education, there are others that give cause for grave concern.

"In the most serious cases, a culture of fear and intimidation has taken grip since the schools were last inspected. We found evidence that some head teachers, including those with a proud record of raising standards, have been marginalised or forced out of their jobs.

"This has left a vacuum in which schools previously rated good or outstanding have suffered enormous staff turbulence, a collapse in morale and a rapid decline in their overall effectiveness."

Golden Hillock has also been placed in special measures

He said that a number of head teachers had "reported that there's been an organised campaign to target certain schools in Birmingham in order to impose a narrow faith-based ideology and alter the schools character and ethos."

Inspectors found schools were not taking seriously enough their duty to protect children from extremism and radicalisation. One school had even invited a speaker known for their extremist views to give a talk.

Teachers reported  they were being treated unfairly because of their sex or religion and that boys and girls were not treated equally.

Sir Michael also placed significant levels of blame at the door of Birmingham City Council saying it had reacted too slowly.

He said: "Our evidence points to a serious failure on the part of Birmingham City Council, a failure to support schools in their efforts to keep pupils safe from the risk of extremism."

He has made a number of recommendations including better training for governors, better vetting of governors and a register of interests.

Schools will also be issued with guidance on what a broad and balanced curriculum should be.

David Hughes says inspections were carried out in a 'climate of suspicion'

Sir Michael's recommendations could raise big questions for Mr Gove's Free and Academy schools project, which gives schools more freedom over what they teach.

Speaking in the House of Commons after the publication of the reports the Home Secretary Theresa May said: "We need to do everything we can to protect children from extremism."

The vice chairman of the Park View Education Trust, which runs three of the schools put in special measures - Park View Academy, Golden Hillock and Nansen primary - has hit back saying the schools do not "promote extremism".

David Hughes said: "Ofsted inspectors came to our schools looking for extremism, looking for segregation, looking for proof that our children have religion forced upon them as part of an Islamic plot."

He said they would be mounting a legal challenge against Ofsted's findings.

The other two schools placed in special measures were Saltley and Oldknow.

David Cameron has ordered Education Secretary Michael Gove to carry out  "dawn raids" on the schools, which have been accused of covering up evidence of infiltration.

It comes after a row erupted between Mr Gove and Mrs May after the Education Secretary said the Home Office had failed to properly deal with extremism.

23.39 | 0 komentar | Read More

Rik Mayall: Comedian And Actor Dies Aged 56

Comedian and actor Rik Mayall has died aged 56, his management has said.

He was best-known for the TV shows The Young Ones and Bottom, both of which he starred in alongside long-time collaborator Adrian Edmondson.

Mayall was also in several other programmes including The New Statesman - as conniving MP Alan B'Stard, The Comic Strip Presents, and Blackadder, where he played Squadron Leader Lord Flashheart.

And he appeared on the big screen in films including Drop Dead Fred.

One of his most recent roles was in the TV show Man Down, in which he plays the father of a teacher whose girlfriend has left him.

In 1998, Mayall was seriously ill after a quad bike accident left him in a coma for several days.

But he made a recovery and was working until recently.

Mayall said doctors had kept him alive on a life-support machine for five days and were about to turn it off when he began to show signs of life.

Mayall with long-time collaborator Adrian Edmondson

Speaking last year he said: "The main difference between now and before my accident is I'm just very glad to be alive.

"Other people get moody in their forties and fifties - men get the male menopause. I missed the whole thing. I was just really happy."

Mayall found fame playing would-be anarchist Rick in The Young Ones which ran from 1982 to 1984 in two six-part series.

The show featured anarchic, offbeat humour and it helped to bring alternative comedy to television in the 1980s.

Among those paying tribute to Mayall was David Walliams, who said: "I am heartbroken that my comedy idol growing up, Rik Mayall, has died. He made me want to be a comedian."

Impressionist Rory Bremner said: "Oh no. Awful news about Rik Mayall - a fireball of creative comic energy and inspiration. Such brilliant raw talent."

Mayall, who died at home in Barnes, south-west London, was married with three children. 

His death is not believed to be suspicious, police said.

23.39 | 0 komentar | Read More

Rik Mayall: A Pioneer Of Alternative Comedy

A pioneer of alternative comedy, Rik Mayall was one of Britain's most loved and recognisable sitcom actors.

His comedy partnership with Adrian Edmondson helped propel him to fame in the 1980s, when his performances as pompous student and Cliff Richard devotee Rick in The Young Ones made him a regular fixture on television screens up and down the country.

Together they went on to produce Bottom in the 1990s, with Mayall playing Richard 'Richie' Richard. The sitcom was later adapted for a series of successful UK tours.

Mayall became a household name during The Young Ones. Pic: BBC Two

The pair started on stage as a duo, The Dangerous Brothers, after meeting at Manchester University. They would go on to become two of the best known faces of the Eighties.

Mayall's TV breakthrough came on A Kick Up The Eighties, which featured feckless investigative journalist Kevin Turvey.

His CV also includes appearances in Blackadder, Filthy Rich & Catflap and The New Statesman - playing conniving Conservative MP Alan B'Stard in the latter.

The actor played the lead in the cult film Drop Dead Fred

But it wasn't just the small screen where he made an impact. 

Love for the 1991 film Drop Dead Fred, in which Mayall played the lead role of a mischievous imaginary friend, is such that it trended on Twitter following news of his passing.

He was voted into the top 50 Comedians' Comedians in 2005 - and later ranked number 91 in a poll of Top Stand-Up Comedians.

Mayall as MP Alan B'Stard in The New Statesman

Mayall married Scottish make-up artist Barbara Robbin in 1985, and together they had three children.

In 1998 the family feared he would die after a quad bike crash. He recovered after five days in a coma.

His television career continued up until last year when he appeared in Jonathan Creek and the sitcom Man Down.

23.39 | 0 komentar | Read More