Cory Monteith: Heroin And Alcohol Killed Star

Glee star Cory Monteith died from a heroin and alcohol overdose, according to a coroner.

The 31-year-old actor was found dead in his hotel room in the Canadian city of Vancouver on Saturday.

Barbara McLintock, from the British Columbia coroner's office, said: "There is no evidence to suggest Mr Monteith's death was anything other than a most sad and tragic accident.

Popular musical comedy Glee first aired in 2009

"The cause of death was a mixed drug toxicity, and it involved heroin primarily and also alcohol."

The findings come after a post-mortem examination and toxicological analysis.

Police said the Canadian actor had been out with other people earlier, but was believed to have been alone when he died.

Fans left flowers outside the Vancouver hotel where Monteith died

He was discovered by hotel staff after he failed to check out on Saturday.

The coroner's office said the investigation into his death was continuing, and no other details were available at this time.

Monteith had talked openly about struggling with addiction since he was a teenager, calling it a serious problem and telling Parade magazine in 2011 he was "lucky to be alive".

Monteith was dating Glee co-star Lea Michele

The star, who played Finn Hudson in the TV show and dated his co-star Lea Michele, admitted himself to rehab in April.

He also received treatment when he was 19.

Monteith and the other Glee actors became high-profile celebrities when the hit musical show made its TV debut in 2009.

The Fox network and the producers of Glee, including 20th Century Fox Television, said Monteith was an exceptional performer "and an even more exceptional person".

Gia Milani, who recently produced and directed a Canadian film featuring Monteith, said the actor "seemed healthy" when she last saw him four weeks ago in Los Angeles.

"He looked super fit and he was energetic and excited," Milani said.

She said Monteith showed no signs of a substance abuse problem while shooting the film a year ago.

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Weather: Heatwave Health Alert As Mercury Rises

Health warnings have been issued as Britain continues to swelter in the country's first heatwave for seven years.

After five consecutive days basking in 30C-plus temperatures, forecasters said Britain was in the midst of its first prolonged heatwave since 2006.

The Met Office responded by issuing a "level three heat health watch" for London and the South East and advised "alertness and readiness" for those in the North West and North East.

Level three warnings are only one notch below the most serious alerts and are put out when high temperatures place the very young, the very old and those with chronic diseases at risk.

Forecasters said Wednesday could break the record for the warmest day of the year, with temperatures expected to creep as high as 32C (89.7F) in parts of England.

Two men have died in Norfolk after seemingly ignoring swimming bans

Sky News weather presenter Isobel Lang said: "Wednesday could be the hottest of the current heatwave across the London area with a high of 32C, topping Heathrow's 31.4C on Monday and Kew Gardens' 31.2C yesterday."

Referring to the level three heat-health warning for London and the South East, she added: "The temperature threshold for the region is for daytime highs of 31 or 32C (90F) and night minima of 16 to 18C (64F) over two days and the intervening night."

The alert comes after a series of tragic accidents in which people have died trying to cool off.

Emergency services have reiterated a warning of the dangers of swimming in open water after the bodies of two men were recovered from the water at a beauty spot in Norfolk where swimming is banned. A teenage boy and man in his 40s were found in separate lakes at the Bawsey Pits.

There have been four water-related deaths in Wales over the last week. In the latest accident a man in his twenties was reported dead on Wednesday morning after being pulled from the River Ceiriog at Pont-y-Blew, near Wrexham, the previous evening.

In the Brecon Beacons, a 24-year-old man died while swimming at the Cantref Reservoir and a 52-year-old man did not return from his swim in Pontsticill Reservoir in Merthyr Tydfil.

Only days earlier the body of 14-year-old Hollie McClymont from Glasgow was found in the sea near Fontygary in the Vale of Glamorgan. She was last seen in difficulty in the waters near Barry Island.

Two TA soldiers died of suspected heat exhaustion during an SAS assessment in the Beacons on Saturday.

Doctors at the Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University (ABMU) health board, which covers Swansea, say they have been inundated with people suffering with sunstroke and sunburn.

Londoners relax in the high temperatures on the Southbank

Other cases have included toes being amputated due to gardening accidents as well as a rise in those hurt in falls.

Emergency departments have become so busy that people not seeking urgent medical attention are being urged to instead contact their GP or pharmacist to avoid long waits.

ABMU emergency medicine consultant Andy MacNab said: "We are very busy, and we would urge people to take great care during this hot weather. They need to stay cool, avoid sun burn and keep well hydrated.

"If they are using a lawnmower or strimmer, then they need to have sturdy footwear and not cut grass in flip-flops.

"If they are taking part in sports, then they should ensure they are using all the necessary safety gear for their activity, like helmets, for example."

Firefighters in London have dealt with with twice as many grass fires this summer compared with last year, with 1,010 so far.

Motorists have been advised to prepare for summer "getaway" traffic as schools start to break up at the end of this week - including basic checks on coolant levels, tyre pressures and cooling fans.

Traffic is expected to peak on the weekend of July 26-28, with the busiest routes expected to be in the South West as people head for beaches.

Some relief from the heat is in sight, with cooler northeasterly winds set to bring cloudier skies across eastern Scotland and eastern and southeast England from Thursday.

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India: 21 Children Die After Eating School Meal

Some 21 children, aged between eight and 11, have died after eating free meals at a primary school in eastern India.

At least another 35 children remain in hospital in Patna, the Bihar state capital. Ten of the youngsters are in a critical condition. 

They fell ill after eating a lunch of rice and lentils in Masrakh village in the Saran district on Tuesday.

They were rushed to hospital in the capital, some 50 miles (80km) south of the village.

A family with their son who fell ill after consuming a free school meal

Some of the other sick children were taken to hospital in nearby Chaapra.

Sky Producer Neville Lazarus, in New Delhi, said: "Masrakh is in one of the poorest of the poor states in the country and in a remote place, so there weren't proper medical facilities."

The meal was cooked in the school kitchen, and police have seized all the ingredients used.

Lazarus said the cook and her two children had also died.

A woman cries after hearing that her grandson was one of the victims

Bihar's Education Minister P K Shahi said a preliminary investigation suggested the food had traces of phosphorous, which is used to preserve rice and wheat.

"It is sad but true that 20 children died after eating their midday meal, which appears to be poisonous," the minister said.

Authorities have suspended a food inspector and registered a case of criminal negligence against the head teacher.

The father of an ill child, Raja Yadav, told reporters that his son was vomiting after returning from school.

Free lunches are used as a way of increasing school attendance

"As soon as my boy returned from school, we rushed to the hospital with him. His condition was not good," he said.

Bihar state Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who has also ordered an inquiry, announced that families of the dead children will be offered financial compensation of 200,000 rupees (£2,200).

Twenty of the children who died were buried near the school on Wednesday morning as angry residents armed with poles and sticks took to the streets in the city of Chhapra to protest against the state government over the children's deaths.

"Hundreds of angry people staged a protest in Saran since late Tuesday night, demanding stern action against government officials responsible for this shocking incident," district government official S K Mall said.

Angry parents take to the streets in protest at the tragedy

Lazarus described the situation as "tense", with locals saying there was a delay in getting medical help to the children, contributing to the high death toll.

Free meals are offered to impoverished students in state-run schools as part of government welfare measures in many of India's 29 states

The lunches are hugely popular with poor families and educators see the meals as a way of increasing school attendance and stemming malnourishment.

But children often suffer from food poisoning due to poor hygiene in school kitchens and the sometimes poor quality food.

More than 130 students were taken to hospital in the western city of Pune last year after eating lunch at school, the Times of India reported.

A probe revealed that the food served to them was contaminated with E. coli bacteria, strains of which can cause food poisoning.

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Formula 1's Ecclestone Faces Bribery Charges

Motor racing boss Bernie Ecclestone has been indicted by German prosecutors, accused of paying a bribe to a banker in connection with the sale of a stake in Formula One.

Ecclestone has been under investigation since German banker Gerhard Gribkowsky was convicted of taking an illegal payment from him worth $44m (£29m) in the 2006 deal.

It is alleged that Ecclestone bribed Gribkowsky, who was in charge of managing German bank BayernLB's sale of a 48% stake in a Formula One holding company to CVC Capital Partners.

Ecclestone was allegedly keen to see the private equity investor brought in as a new shareholder.

During Gribkowsky's trial, Ecclestone told the Munich state court he felt pressured into paying the cash because he was worried the banker would make unfounded allegations about his tax affairs to Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs.

A spokesman for a Munich court said an indictment charging Ecclestone with bribery and breach of trust had been issued.

The 82-year-old confirmed that an indictment against him had been filed.

"The lawyers have accepted an indictment. It means they have to reply to the indictment which they are strenuously doing," he told the Associated Press.

Ecclestone has yet to read the indictment, but said: "They are alleging I bribed someone." He added that he had done "nothing illegal".

In addition to taking the money from Ecclestone, prosecutors maintained during the trial that Gribkowsky used BayernLB's funds to pay the F1 chief a commission of $41.1m and agreed to pay a further $25m to Bambino Trust, Ecclestone's family trust.

Ecclestone told the court that he had deserved a commission for the sale, saying: "I did a very, very good job."

Gribkowsky, who largely admitted to the charges, was sentenced to eight-and-a-half years in prison after being found guilty last year of corruption, tax evasion and breach of trust.

Ecclestone remains central to the motor racing business he built into a global money-spinner and has always said he has no plans to retire.

There is no obvious successor in place, although CVC's ambition of floating Formula One's parent company on the Singapore Stock Exchange will partly depend on the case being resolved.

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Murder Victim 'Tried To Help Paedophile'

CCTV images have been released as police hunt an "extremely dangerous man" over the murder of a pensioner.

Graham Buck may have died trying to help his neighbour, believed to be convicted paedophile Francis Cory-Wright, who was apparently being attacked at his home.

Police urgently want to speak to Ian John McLoughlin, also known as Ian John Baker, in connection with the killing in Little Gaddesden, near Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire on Saturday afternoon.

Police are trying to trace McLoughlin

They have released images, thought to be of 55-year-old Mr McLoughlin, to highlight the clothes he was wearing on the day of the murder.

The suspect is described as being a white male, around 6ft tall with greying hair.

He was believed to be wearing sunglasses, blue jeans and a dark, blue, light blue and white checked short sleeved shirt with a button down collar. He is of average build.

Mr Buck, 66, was found dead at the scene by police while Cory-Wright was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Francis Cory-Wright was thought to have been attacked in his home

DCI Martin Branning from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit said: "We would like to reiterate that we continue to search for an extremely dangerous man and our focus is on finding Ian McLoughlin as soon as possible.

"The nature of this murder investigation is one of significant violence and until he is caught the public are asked not to approach him as he is a very dangerous man."

Officers have been conducting additional patrols in the "quiet residential" area to provide reassurance to residents.

In November 2011, Cory-Wright was jailed for 30 months for indecently assaulting a young boy in the 1970s.

:: Anyone with information should contact police on 101, quoting Operation Acaria, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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Asiana Sues Over 'Racist' Names In TV Report

Asiana Airlines is planning to sue a TV station that used bogus and racially offensive names for the four pilots of the plane that crash landed in San Francisco, killing three passengers.

The airline claims Friday's report on KTVU-TV damaged its reputation.

A presenter, Tori Campbell, read the fake names live on air and then quickly apologised after a commercial break.

The report was accompanied by a graphic alongside a photo of the burned-out plane.

Video of the report has spread widely across the internet since it was first broadcast.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has also apologised, saying a summer intern erroneously confirmed the names of the flight crew on the doomed July 6 flight.

The stricken jet on the runway at San Francisco International Airport

Asiana has decided to sue KTVU-TV to "strongly respond to its racially discriminatory report" that disparaged Asians, spokeswoman Lee Hyomin said.

She said the airline will likely file its lawsuit in a US court.

She added that Asiana has not yet determined whether to launch a similar suit against the NTSB.

Neither the station nor the NTSB have confirmed where the names originated.

The four pilots, who underwent questioning by a US and South Korean joint investigation team while in the US, returned to South Korea on Saturday.

Officials there plan to conduct separate interviews with them. 

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Soldiers Died 'On First Day Of SAS Assessment'

Two TA soldiers who died while attempting to get into the special forces were on the first day of a week-long assessment when they collapsed with suspected heat exhaustion, according to Sky sources.

Police are investigating the deaths of the two servicemen on the hottest day of the year while a third serviceman is in a serious condition in hospital.

The three were part of a group training in the Brecon Beacons, some of Wales' most rugged terrain, on Saturday when temperatures topped 29.5C (85.1F).

It is understood that the men were on the first day of a week-long assessment as part of the Territorial Army section of the SAS.

The selection process was running alongside regular SAS trials and has now been abandoned due to the deaths.

For the regular version of the special forces elite, the trials would involve a 40-mile speed march with about 55lb on their backs, including a replica rifle, normally completed over a 20-hour period.

It is likely that the process would be slightly reduced for the TA version or split up, but nevertheless gruelling.

Sky News Defence Correspondent Alistair Bunkall said the "very rigorous selection process" would have meant "long yomping walks carrying an awful lot of weight".

Police are investigating the deaths

With military sources indicating soaring temperatures may have been to blame for their deaths, Bunkall added that the investigation into their deaths was like to focus on the climate and whether enough preparations were put in place.

Colonel Richard Kemp, former commander of British troops in Afghanistan, pointed out the difference between the selection processes for the regular Army and the special forces, where the onus is on individual achievement and self-motivation.

He told Sky News: "The Army relies a lot on the buddy-buddy system, in other words of either a commander or fellow soldier looking out for their mates to see if they are exhibiting any symptoms of heat illness.

"Of course if they are doing SAS selection ... then a lot of that is done as individuals."

Chris Hunter, a former special forces bomb disposal officer who was training for a marathon on the Brecon Beacons over the weekend, told Sky News that every member of the armed forces is taught how to survive in extreme heat as soon as they join up - using techniques such as carrying lots of water, rehydrating with salts and adding and removing layers of clothing as necessary.

But he added: "Of course when they are trying to meet very tight timelines, carrying lots of equipment, literally speed marching up the mountains, running down them and navigating at the same time it can be quite difficult to do so."

Mr Hunter said a medical assessment by a doctor is always carried out before "any extreme training" and "the individual soldiers would certainly have been physically fit".

The Ministry of Defence and police are both investigating what happened. The soldiers' families have been informed.

The MoD has refused to confirm that the three were members of the TA aspiring to join the reservists' branch of the SAS.

And a spokesman said there are no plans to change "routine exercises" in light of the incident.

The Brecon Beacons is one of several locations British military use as part of their training. The deaths occurred near the Storey Arms activity centre.

The area's rugged and sprawling terrain helps prepare soldiers physically and mentally for warfare as well as put their logistic skills to the test, making it an ideal area for elite forces personnel like the SAS.

However the Beacons' jagged topography can prove dangerous even to the most hardened and physically fit.

Earlier this year, an army captain was found dead on a snow-covered Corn Du mountain.

It was thought that Rob Carnegie had been taking part in a gruelling 17-40 mile march in freezing conditions in the Brecon Beacons as part of a selection process for the special forces regiment, when he collapsed and died.

However, this time investigators are examining whether hot temperatures played a major factor.

The soldiers who died were thought to be trying out for the SAS

A source said: "It is a case of the people succumbing to being affected by the training that they were doing."

The Army's website said the Brecon Beacons were used because they are so demanding and prepare soldiers for the "extraordinary things" they have to do on deployment.

The website says: "Training for high-intensity, light-role war fighting is the way soldiers and officers are prepared for any operational situation they may face - conventional war, counter insurgency, security sector reform, peacekeeping or supporting civil authorities.

"This ensures that the training is as close to current operations and pre-deployment training as possible, whilst maintaining the ability to train for high intensity war fighting."

News of the deaths has been met with shock in the nearby town of Brecon, which is home to The Infantry Battle School.

Brecon mayor and Powys county councillor Matthew Dorrance said: "It's incredibly sad for the friends and family of the people who have lost their lives and our thoughts are with the person who is injured.

"In one way we've been blessed with the weather but for people working in this heat, they're tough conditions."

Members of all four of South Wales' mountain rescue teams said they had been called out to assist when the two servicemen died.

Thirty members of Central Beacons, Brecon, Western Beacons and Abergavenny-based Longtown Mountain Rescue Teams joined the operation near Pen y Fan, which is the highest mountain in south Wales.

Mark Moran, from Central Beacons MRT, paid tribute to its members who took part in the rescue operation.

"They are all volunteers, who are highly trained and dedicated" he said.

"We were working alongside military personnel who remained extremely calm and professional during this tragic incident. Our thoughts are now with the families of those involved."

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British Woman Dies Swimming English Channel

A British woman has died while attempting to swim the English Channel, French authorities have said.

Having set off in the early hours of Sunday, married accountant Susan Taylor was just a mile off the coast of France, near Sangatte, when she collapsed.

The 34-year-old was pulled from the water and treated by support staff on the ship accompanying her attempt, who alerted French emergency services and requested a defibrillator.

She was airlifted by a French naval helicopter to a hospital in Boulogne-sur-Mer, where she was pronounced dead at 7.15pm on Sunday.

Tributes were left on Ms Taylor's Create A Ripple Channel Swim page

She had been attempting to raise money for Rainbows Hospice and Diabetes UK through her Facebook page Create A Ripple Channel Swim.

A message apparently posted by her sister on the page said: "Whilst attempting to swim the English Channel yesterday my sister, Susan collapsed suddenly in the water. She was immediately recovered from the water and treated on the support boat.

"She was then airlifted by helicopter to a hospital in Boulogne. Susan tragically passed away.

"Thank you for your messages of support. If you would like to leave a sign of respect please feel free to donate to her fund raising page."

She set off from Samphire Hoe at around 1am on Sunday and weather conditions were reported to be relatively good when she encountered difficulties, with water temperatures of 15C.

Posts on her Facebook page show supporters began to fear for Ms Taylor at around 9pm.

Sarah Taylor wrote: "Any news Susan Taylor? Can't seem to get any track since 6.30? Xxxxxxxx."

The tracker map showing Ms Taylor's progress stopped near the French coast

A short time later, Clare Biddle posted: "Hope all is ok?? Tracker has stopped!! Susan you are a star xxx."

At around 11pm, a user called Maverick Marc Richardson wrote: "What's going on no news and tracker doesn't look good."

The messages reflected mounting concerns among her supporters, with Lauren Boat writing at 10am today: "Really hope your OK Susan, thinking of you xx."

More than 100 comments followed within an hour of the message from Ms Taylor's sister.

Ms Taylor just before starting her swim (pic: Create A Ripple Channel Swim)

One post, from Rebecca Adie-Drackley, said: "RIP Susan. Swimming was your life all through school from Barwell Infants we all grew up together. I am so sad I cannot think of any words at this time. God bless you, it was an honour to grow up with you xxx."

Ms Taylor's crossing was being overseen by the Channel Swimming Association, one of the two official British organisations who authorise the attempts.

Dr Julie Bradshaw, secretary of the association, told Sky News: "Susan was a bubbly person, full of life and always doing things for other people."

Kevin Murphy, who is secretary of the other official body, the Channel Swimming and Piloting Federation (CS&PF), oversaw Ms Taylor's six-hour assessment swim - which everyone attempting to swim the Channel must undertake.

He told Sky News: "She was a very nice woman, a very good swimmer and we're all very upset.

"I got to know her while overseeing her assessment swim. It is an extreme sport but has a safety record that is second to none among extreme sports. Both the official organisations work within the strictest of conditions in terms of safety.

"Susan has passed away doing something she loved and raising money for two fantastic causes. I would hope people recognise that and feel moved to donate money to those causes in her memory."

He said the zig-zag pattern on the tracker charting her progress was normal and reflected the tidal flows that affect swimmers' routes during the attempts.

Ms Taylor is the eighth person to die while trying to swim the channel since the first recorded attempt in 1875.

Geoff Ellis, chief executive at Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People, said: "Susan was a wonderful woman who would do anything for anybody.

"She has been a much loved ambassador at Rainbows for over two years, helping out at events and tirelessly fundraising for us.

"She was more than an ambassador; she was part of the Rainbows family."

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Paris Train Crash: Faulty Track Likely Cause

A loose steel component on a set of points may have triggered the derailment of a packed train outside Paris that left at least six people dead and dozens injured.

Pierre Izard, a general manager of the SNCF national rail company, said a joint bar, a kind of steel clip that links two rails on a switch, broke away, became detached and came out of its housing.

The detached joint "lodged itself at the centre of the switch, prevented the normal progression of the train's wheels and seems to have caused the train's derailment," he said, adding that checks had been ordered on some 5,000 similar devices on the network.

Carriages came off the tracks and smashed into Bretigny-sur-Orge station

The head of the SNCF, Guillaume Pepy, said the "detachment of this joint bar" was the focus of investigations.

He said the third and fourth carriages initially came off the track, then knocked the others off. He called the accident a "catastrophe", adding that "some cars simply derailed, others are leaning, others fell over".

Earlier, transport minister Frederic Cuvillier had said that human error was unlikely to have caused the tragedy, and that authorities were looking into a possible mechanical error in the switching system as well as other possibilities.

Rescuers pull survivors from the wreckage. Pic: @aishakurdish

The crash was France's deadliest in years, but Mr Cuvillier said it could have been worse and praised the driver who sent out an alert quickly, preventing a pile up.

Responding to criticism that France had not invested enough in maintaining infrastructure, he added: "For the moment we have no information that allows us to confirm that the dilapidation of the network was the cause of this derailment."

The seven-carriage service with 385 passengers on board was about 20 minutes into a three-hour journey to Limoges when it crashed 12 miles south of the capital at about 5.15pm local time on Friday.

Part of the metal roof over the platform was crushed as carriages came off the tracks and smashed into Bretigny-sur-Orge station.

Up to 200 passengers are said to have been injured in the smash

Interior minister Manuel Valls said at least six people had been killed. He added that nine people were gravely injured, and warned the number of dead could rise. In all, nearly 200 people were hurt.

A large, heavyweight crane is expected to be brought in later to try to lift one of the carriages which toppled over.

Sky's Ian Woods, who was at the scene, said: "They don't know for certain, but there may well still be people underneath that carriage they haven't been able to get to.

The French interior minister has called the crash a "catastrophe"

"It's unclear whether anyone at the station was hurt by the impact of the train and flying debris, or whether all of those injured were on the train."

Footage from the scene showed crushed metal on the platform and debris from the crash clogging up the stairs.

Emergency services went on red alert with 300 firefighters, 20 paramedic teams and eight helicopters deployed to the area.

All Paris regional hospitals were put on standby to deal with casualties.

Firefighters rescue passengers trapped in a carraige

Within hours French President Francois Hollande was at the scene and said: "I want to express our solidarity to all the families.

"It will take a long time to identify the victims. Investigations are under way and as soon as possible we will name them and inform their families - I understand their anxiety and pain."

Briton Graham Hope, a passenger in the third carriage, told Sky News: "The carriage I was in was bouncing for several seconds before we came to a halt.

"Everyone was very calm. A couple of people were quite concerned, but we worked together to get out of the carriage.

People at the station look on from across another platform

"When I got out we could see the rest of the train was further up the line ... I would be very surprised if people got out of the front carriage unscathed."

A witness in a nearby train, 19-year-old Bazgua El Mehdi told Le Parisien newspaper: "I heard a loud noise. A cloud of sand covered everything. Then the dust dissipated.

"I thought it was a freight train, but then we saw the first casualties ... many passengers on the (train) were crying."

The passenger train crashed into the platform and some cars tipped over

A police source said: "The train arrived at the station at high speed. It split in two for an unknown reason. Part of the train continued to roll while the other was left on its side on the platform."

But a passenger speaking on France's BFM television said the train was going at a normal speed and was not meant to stop at Bretigny-sur-Orge.

The station is expected to remain closed for several days during the investigation and clear-up operation.

French President Francois Hollande speaks to some of the injured

The crash comes as France prepares to celebrate its most important national holiday, Bastille Day, on Sunday.

Many people have been heading out of Paris and other big cities to see their families or to go on holiday.

Earlier, passengers observed a minute's silence at Austerlitz railway station in Paris as a mark of respect.

The train derailed at Bretigny-sur-Orge, just south of Paris

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Dartmoor Deaths: Family Was Known To Agencies

Police investigating the deaths of a woman and her two sons in an apparent murder and suicide have confirmed the family were known to care agencies.

In line with procedure they said the inquiry would now be the subject of a Serious Case Review.

Katherine Hooper, 24, and her five-year-old son Josh Patterson, died after falling 100ft from rocks at Haytor, a Dartmoor landmark popular with walkers and climbers.

The body of her youngest son Samuel Patterson, aged two, was later found at the family's home in Dukes Close in Paignton.

Katherine Hooper and Samuel

It has emerged that Ms Hooper suffered from depression and apparently had a difficult relationship with the boys' father, Neil Patterson, from whom she was estranged.

In a statement, Mr Patterson, 52, said: "On Friday evening I heard the devastating news that the three most important and cherished people in my life had been taken from me.

"I would gratefully appreciate for me and my family to be left alone to come to terms with this devastating loss and to grieve in peace."

Josh was found dead with his mother

Devon and Cornwall Police said it had launched a murder investigation.

Detective Superintendent Paul Burgan said: "We are keeping an open mind about all three deaths, but at this stage we are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.

"We are keen to speak to anyone who may have any information or might have been in the Haytor area earlier today, Friday."

An air ambulance, a police helicopter and members of the Dartmoor Rescue Group were called to the scene at 11.50am.

Samuel's body was found at the family's home

Neighbour Tracey Cole told the Western Morning News: "The whole community is feeling utterly shocked and devastated. This is a close-knit community.

"I really don't understand what happened. Kat was totally and utterly devoted to her children."

But next-door neighbour Johnathan Grant told The Daily Telegraph Ms Hooper and Mr Patterson had had a fractious relationship and there had been an "almighty bust-up".

Mr Grant, 28, was reported as saying: "One night in May they got into a huge argument where there was an almighty bust-up.

A neighbour said Ms Hooper was a good mother

"Since then she has suffered badly with depression.

"Samuel was meant to be starting his first day at the local nursery yesterday.

"The boys were lovely and played with my girls. Kat had lived there for three years. It is sick, utterly sick, what has happened."

Mr Grant added that following the breakdown of her relationship, Ms Hooper became anxious and was unable to carry on her job at a local hotel.

The family's home in Dukes Close, Paignton

Last May police launched a major search and rescue operation after Ms Hooper suddenly disappeared with her two children.

After fears for their safety grew, officers called on the Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team to help find them.

Twenty-four hours later, Ms Hooper was found reportedly covered in mud and suffering from dehydration.

She was then taken to hospital while her two sons were taken into care.

Ms Hooper, Josh and Samuel only moved back into their home in Dukes Close a fortnight ago.

Post-mortems are due to take place and next of kin have been informed, police said.

In the meantime, detectives say they would like to hear from anyone who saw Ms Hooper or her two children in the days running up to their deaths.

They are asked to contact Devon and Cornwall Police via the 101 telephone number quoting log number 316 of 120713.

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