Boston Marathon Bombings: Suspects On Camera

The surviving Boston bomb suspect is 19-year-old Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, according to a news agency report.

The Associated Press made the claim just before noon, adding that the two suspects are from Chechnya and had lived in the US for a year.

An image showing one suspect leaving the scene (David Green/LetsRun.com)

It came after a photograph showing him leaving the scene emerged. The image shows the man - wearing a white cap and dark clothing - walking away from the carnage following Monday's explosions.

Earlier, the FBI and Boston police released new pictures of the two suspects who investigators had described as "armed and dangerous".

Images of the two suspects were released by the FBI

The Boston Globe, quoting law enforcement officials, claimed the pair are brothers.

The images released on Friday morning show one suspect wearing dark clothes, a dark cap and sunglasses. He is understood to have been shot dead.

There was panic and confusion in the aftermath of the deadly twin bombing

The second suspect - still on the loose - is seen wearing a white baseball cap, which is reversed allowing a clearer view of his face.

Police say he is armed and should not be approached by the public.

The Boston Globe claims that one of the suspects has been captured, while the other remains on the loose.

A photo of the second suspect was released by police in Boston

CCTV footage was released of the pair on Thursday, in which they are seen carrying bulky backpacks as they walk the route of Monday's race in the heart of the city.

The men were filmed heading in the direction of the finishing line, moments before both bombs went off seconds apart.

Three people were killed and more than 180 others injured in the explosions.

A major manhunt is under way for the remaining suspect

Earlier at a moving inter-faith memorial service, Barack Obama joined 1,700 people at Boston's Holy Cross Cathedral to honour the victims - the youngest of whom was eight-year-old Martin Richard, from Boston.

The president promised the killers would be brought to justice, saying: "We will find you.

"We will hold you accountable. But more than that, our fidelity to our way of life - to our free and open society - will only grow stronger."

The bombs were crudely made with explosives, nails and ball bearings packed into pressure cookers, investigators close to the case have said.

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Boston Marathon Bombing: Town In Lockdown

Residents of Watertown have been told to stay in their homes as one of the Boston marathon suspects remains on the loose.

The man - described as "armed and dangerous" - is on the run and being hunted by police.

All traffic in and out of the town, which is part of Greater Boston, has been halted.

Meanwhile the public transport network across the entire city has been suspended, and those waiting and bus and train stations have been told to return home.

Businesses in many parts of Watertown are closed until further notice, and employees should stay at home, police say.

Massachusetts undersecretary Kurt Schwarz said those in Watertown and surrounding suburbs should stay in their homes until further notice.

"We are asking you to stay indoors, to stay in your homes, for the time being," he said.

Announcing the suspension of public transport, he added: "People who are at subway stations or bus stops, we are asking them to go home."

Sky's foreign editor Tim Marshall said: "The police have also said the first man died from 'multiple injuries', not just shooting.

"Now, that is quite possible that he had some form of improvised explosive device (IED) on him."

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Boston Marathon Bombings: Suspect On The Run

One Boston marathon bombing suspect has been shot dead and another is on the loose believed to be "armed and dangerous", police have said.

The suspects are believed to have moved to the US a year ago from a Russian region near Chechnya, according to AP news agency, which also named the surviving suspected bomber who is being hunted as 19-year-old Dzhokhar A Tsarnaev.

In another unconfirmed report, US broadcaster NBC said the pair were brothers and legal permanent residents in the States.

The marathon bombing suspect who is on the run and being hunted by police

All public transport has been suspended in Boston - and all streets and businesses in Watertown locked down - as a major manhunt is launched for the suspect who got away.

It follows a shootout in Watertown between both suspects and dozens of armed officers after a policeman was shot dead at Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, nine miles from Boston city centre.

Boston Police commissioner Ed Davis said: "What we are looking for right now is a suspect consistent with the description of suspect number two - the white-capped individual who was involved in Monday's bombing of the Boston Marathon."

The wanted suspect running away on Monday (David Green/Letsrun.com)

He was described as light-skinned with brown wavy hair and dressed in a grey hooded top.

"You have seen the picture, You all have it. That's the individual we are looking for at this moment.

"We believe this to be a terrorist. We believe this to be a man who came here to kill people."

He added: "We believe these to be the same individuals who are responsible for the bombing on Monday at the Boston Marathon.

"This is a very serious situation that we are dealing with."

A Swat team on the roof of a property in Watertown (Pic: Samantha England)

The suspects, who are believed to be responsible for the death of the MIT campus policeman, carjacked a black Mercedes SUV taking one person hostage and drove off towards the residential suburb of Watertown with police in pursuit.

On their way, the hostage was dumped at a petrol station after about 30 minutes, before a dramatic shootout ensued in Watertown.

The New York Times quoted local resident Andrew Kitzenberg, who said he saw the pair, wearing backpacks, shooting at dozens of police officers from behind a black Mercedes SUV.

The 29-year-old said the officers and the men were 70 yards apart and engaged in "constant gunfire".

Watertown Residents heard the gun battle and an explosion

He said an explosive device was also thrown at the police and went off some 20 yards from where they were shooting.

One suspect ran at police and was shot at and apprehended. He later died in hospital despite attempts to resuscitate him.

According to NBC, police ran over the suspect because he was wearing an IED (improvised explosive device). However this has not been confirmed by police or other officials.

He arrived at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre with multiple injuries including gunshot wounds and pieces of shrapnel all over his body.

The other, who is said to be badly injured, managed to get away from the stand-off in which a police officer was also shot.

Police officers arriving at the scene in the neighbourhood

Some 12 victims from the Boston Marathon blasts remain at the same hospital, one in a critical condition. Around 24 others who suffered injuries have been discharged.

A spokesman said though the hospital was open as normal, it was restricting access to "ensure the safety of patients, families and visitors", and urged people to show patience when arriving at the site.

One medic, who lives in Watertown, heard the shootout from his home and alerted the hospital before rushing to work.

Residents in the area have been told to stay indoors and remain vigilant until further notice.

Bullet holes through the wall and chair of one home caught in the crossfire

Several homes suffered extensive damage from the bomb blast and were caught in the crossfire in the shootout.

Police have sealed off the area and are conducting door-to-door searches and enquiries.

Sky's US correspondent Dominic Waghorn in Watertown, said: "It has been a terrifying night for the people of Watertown, and it remains so until this man is found."

It comes just days after two bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston marathon, killing three people and injuring more than 180 others.

The shootout took place in the Watertown neighbourhood near Boston

The FBI have released pictures and video of two suspects in the deadly Boston marathon bombings.

A message on the Massachusetts Institute Of Technology (MIT) website earlier described the incident as "active and extremely dangerous" as police swept the campus in Cambridge.

Cambridge Police Department said in a statement that six gunshots were heard at 10.50pm local time.

The officer killed was responding to a report of a disturbance on Thursday night when he was shot multiple times.

The officer, who was not immediately identified, was taken to a hospital where he later died from his multiple gunshot wounds.

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Texas Explosion: Witnesses Describe Aftermath

A woman whose home was destroyed by the Texas fertiliser plant gas explosion has described the moment the blast happened.

Cheryl Marich said: "It knocked me down, it knocked me back. It was like the whole road just picked up."

One firefighter said: "I've never seen anything like this. It's part of the job, sometimes it makes you nervous, but you just have to overcome it for those less fortunate."

Residents from a nearby nursing home are triaged in a car park

Debby Marak said the blast was like being "in a tornado", adding that "stuff was flying everywhere."

Dr George Smith said: "There was just a major, major explosion. The windows came in on me, the roof came in on me, the ceiling came in.

"I worked my way up to go get some more help, of course we lost all communication because the power went out."

The remains of the fertiliser plant burn after an explosion

Jason Shelton told the Dallas Morning News: "It exploded just like the Oklahoma City bomb.

"I live about a thousand feet from it and it blew my screen door off and my back windows. There's houses levelled that were right next to it."

Julie Zhhirnik told how she helped clean the blood from local residents after a fertiliser plant explosion rocked a Texas town.

Firefighters check a destroyed apartment complex

"I just hurt so much, and just seeing everything that I saw … it's unexplainable. It's just horrifying for everyone.

"I cared for a lot, I do home help and I care and I helped and cleaned a lot of residents' blood and gave them blankets. I just tried to be there."

Erick Perez, 21, was playing basketball at a nearby school when the fire started. He and his friends thought nothing of it at first, but about half an hour later, the smoke changed colour.

The blast threw him, his nephew and others to the ground, and showered the area with hot embers, shrapnel and debris.

"The explosion was like nothing I've ever seen before," he said. "This town is hurt really bad."

Another witness, Bill Bohannan, told the Waco Tribune-Herald: "It knocked us into the car... Every house within about four blocks is blown apart."

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Texas Explosion: Town 'Totally Decimated'

Emergency workers are continuing with a house-to-house rescue operation after an explosion ripped through a fertiliser plant in Texas.

More than half of the town has been evacuated and people are still being pulled from damaged buildings following the blast in West, near Waco.

Local television originally said that 70 people had died but police have now said that the death toll is between five and 15.

The explosion - which the US geological survey said had a 2.1 magnitude - was so powerful that a nearby block of flats was destroyed and 130 residents of a local nursing home were injured.

Smoke rises as water is sprayed on the remains of the plant

Sergeant William Swanton, from Waco Police Department, said there were scenes of "extreme devastation".

"We're going house to house, business to business, and we're seeing quite a bit of devastation in the area of the plant.

"They're still pulling victims out, still bringing victims to triage.

"There may be firefighters that are unaccounted for and potentially a law enforcement officer as well."

Firefighters check a destroyed apartment complex near the plant

He added that locals "are going to be in a state of recovery for a very long time".

He also said that a helicopter which was helping with the rescue operation was damaged.

The blast damaged as many as 75 homes, as well as a local school.

A number of people are also suffering from "respiratory distress due to chemical inhalation".

This image shows the initial blast Pic: KWTX-TV

The explosion happened shortly before 8pm local time on Wednesday and could be heard as far away as 45 miles.

A man filmed the initial fire, and captured the moment of the explosion on camera.

His child is heard shouting: "Dad, I can't hear, let's get out of here. I can't hear anything."

The dad says simply: "Oh my god."

A photo from Twitter user @TitansHomer shows a destroyed apartment complex

Anhydrous ammonia is widely used as a fertiliser, but it is also a key component of many explosive devices.

West's mayor Tommy Muska, who is a local firefighter, said a number of his colleagues are unaccounted for.

He told CNN: "It's like a nuclear bomb went off."

Texas Governor Rick Perry said: "Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of West, and the first responders on the scene."

The injured are treated at a nearby sports field

Debby Marak told The Associated Press she noticed a lot of smoke coming from the area across town near the plant, which is near a nursing home.

She said she drove over to see what was happening, and when she got out of her car two boys ran towards her screaming that officials told them to leave because the plant was going to explode.

Moments later the blast happened.

"It was like being in a tornado," the 58-year-old said. "Stuff was flying everywhere. It blew out my windshield.

"It was like the whole earth shook."

Police officers have reportedly been transporting the injured to local hospitals in their patrol cars.

As many as a dozen helicopters have been sent to the West High School stadium where ambulances are waiting to transport victims to hospitals.

Glenn Robinson, chief executive of Hillcrest Baptist Medical Centre, in Waco, told CNN his hospital had received 66 injured people for treatment, including 38 who were seriously hurt.

He said the injuries included blast injuries, orthopedic injuries, large wounds and a lot of lacerations and cuts.

American Red Cross crews from across Texas are being sent to the site.

The number of people arriving in the town offering assistance has become a logistical problem in itself, emergency workers say.

They are also anticipating further disruption later, with heavy thunderstorms and potential tornadoes forecast in the area.

The explosion comes on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the Waco siege - a deadly confrontation between federal authorities and heavily armed locals.

The Dallas Morning News said that the fertiliser company previously reported to the US Environmental Protection Agency and local public safety officials that there was no risk of fire or explosion at the plant.

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Life Sentences For UK Terror Bomb Plotters

Two men have been given life sentences for plotting to detonate a remote-controlled bomb at a Territorial Army base in Luton.

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Boston Bombs: First Pictures Of Devices

US authorities have released the first pictures of the explosive devices used in the twin blasts which hit the Boston Marathon on Monday.

The images show twisted pieces of a metal container, wires, a battery and a small circuit board which exploded close to the finish line at the race.

In another, a piece of charred wire can be seen attached to a small box and a twisted metal lid with bolts.

The FBI said on Tuesday that a pressure cooker may have been used to build the bombs, with nails, ball bearings and other metal packed around the explosive.

The device may also have been hidden inside rucksacks placed on the ground near the finish line.

Richard DesLauriers, FBI agent in charge said the investigation to find those responsible would be worldwide.

He vowed: "We will go to the ends of the Earth to identify the subject or subjects who are responsible for this despicable crime."

More than 1,000 officers are working on the investigation which agents have said in the largest the Boston bureau has ever worked on. 

Pressure cooker bombs have been used in attacks in Afghanistan, India, Nepal and Pakistan, according to a July 2010 FBI report.

But the techniques of making them is understood to be known to domestic US extremists.

Officials said that there was no indication that al Qaeda or other foreign extremist organisations were behind the attack, but they added the investigation was still at an early stage.

It is not yet known what was used to set off the devices.

The damage caused by one of the blasts in Boston

Special agent DesLauriers said experts would reconstruct the devices at the FBI laboratory in Quantico, Virginia.

The FBI also appealed for anyone who was in the area of the marathon or Boston airport in the last few days to send in any pictures they may have taken.

Investigators are already understood to be examining 6,000 movies-worth of CCTV footage from cameras in the area.

Websites and newspapers were already featuring images which they claimed showed people suspected of carrying out the attacks or the devices.

The FBI said it was looking at one sent to a local TV station which appeared to show a bag next to a mailbox in the area where one of the bombs went off.

Jason Pack, FBI spokesman in Boston, said: "We're taking a look at hundreds of photos and that's one of them." 

Three people were killed and more than 170 others injured after the two explosions around four hours into the famous marathon.

Two of those killed were Krystle Campbell, 29, and eight-year-old Martin Richard.

The third is understood to be a Chinese graduate student who has been named locally and in China, but not named officially.

Nine children were among the injured, which were aged between two and 71.

Doctors have revealed the extent of the injuries suffered by those caught in the blasts, including details of a nine-year-old girl who lost her leg and a 10-year-old boy who suffered deep shrapnel wounds.

George Velmahos, of Massachusetts General Hospital, said: "These bombs contained small metallic fragments more consistent with pellets and other small pieces of metal, but also spiked points that resembled nails without heads."

A total of 13 people have had to have limbs amputated and others are at risk of losing legs following the blasts. Seventeen remain in a critical condition.

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Guide To Lady Thatcher's Funeral Arrangements

Tight Security For Thatcher Funeral

Updated: 9:51am UK, Wednesday 17 April 2013

Guests are arriving for Baroness Thatcher's funeral as crowds line the streets, some to show their respects and others in protest.

Four thousands police officers are on duty in central London for the procession and ceremony amid heightened security after the Boston bombings on Monday.

Big Ben has now fallen silent as a mark of respect for one of Britain's most famous prime ministers, and the first woman to hold the role.

Her coffin will shortly be taken from the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft in Westminster, where it spent the night, to another church on The Strand.

Transferred to a gun carriage, a procession will then go to St Paul's Cathedral for a service at 11am, before a private cremation later this afternoon.

In the last 24 hours, hundreds of officers have been patrolling the streets of the capital with sniffer dogs trained to detect explosives.

Scotland Yard arrested three men, aged 26, 48 and 55, last night near the Bank of England, as they swept the capital for any troublemakers.

Lady Thatcher, who died on April 8 after suffering a stroke, is having a ceremonial funeral - but the Queen's presence effectively raises it to a state event.

The former politician's family, friends, one-time colleagues and Cabinet foes, as well as dignitaries and figures from around the world will be at the ceremony.

Amid anger at taxpayers picking up most of the funeral bill, David Cameron insisted it would be a "fitting tribute" and urged Lady Thatcher's critics to show respect during the event.

The Prime Minister said that by winning the big arguments, his predecessor had actually settled divisions and declared: "In a way, we are all Thatcherites now."

He added: "She was the first woman prime minister, she served for longer in the job that anyone for 150 years, she achieved some extraordinary things in her life."

The security operation for the funeral and procession will be a mix of plain clothes and high visibility policing, according to former Scotland Yard Specialist Commander Roy Ramm.

He told Sky News: "There will be a lot of activity checking bins and receptacles. There will be spotters on rooftops.

"Uniformed officers on the ground will also be briefed on what to look for: the person who wants to disrupt, shout obscenities, maybe throw something.

"But they'll also be looking for people who perhaps are exhibiting signs that they want to do something much more serious. That will be intelligence driven as well."

One protest group has been granted permission to turn their backs on the coffin as it passes, but officers will also be sensitive to the distress that protests could cause to mourners.

Mr Ramm added: "The police have a duty to facilitate legitimate protest, but where that protest starts to ferment disorder they also have a duty to keep the peace."

Protesters say that because the funeral is a public event, paid for by taxpayers, it is a legitimate platform.

Lawyer Simon Natas, who represents arrested protesters, says the guidance from police has not been clear.

"It's deeply confusing for people who want to protest to be told they may be arrested for being insulting. Political opinion and legitimate peaceful protest cannot be criminalised just because it may upset people. It is protected free speech."

Most of the crowds gathered outside St Paul's, some of whom had been in place since Tuesday, seemed supportive of the late Tory leader.

However, a small group of protesters demonstrated against what they called the "glorifying" of the funeral and cuts to the welfare state.

David Winslow, 22, a student from Durham, held a placard saying "Rest of us in Poverty" and wore a T-shirt with the slogans "power to the people" and "society does exist".

"We plan to turn our backs," he said. "We want to maintain a dignified protest, it's counter-productive to cat call and sing Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead.

"The message is that spending £10m on such a divisive figure in times of austerity, especially when austerity is being imposed on the poor, is wrong, especially when harm is being caused to the disabled and the NHS."

He added: "The Government wants to glorify this. It is a massive propaganda campaign to idolise Margaret Thatcher."

At a Facebook-organised protest in Ludgate Hill, retired social worker Patricia Welsh, 69, expressed her anger at the taxpayer having to foot the funeral bill.

"I am absolutely furious that Prime Minister David Cameron has decided to spend £10m on a funeral when normal people are having to face cutbacks, libraries are closing and the NHS is being cut - for the funeral of a Conservative woman.

"Like anyone else she deserves a decent funeral, but not at the expense of the taxpayer."

The pensioner said 2013 reminds her of living in the 1980s. "If you're on benefits you're made to feel like a scrounger and evil," she claimed.

In stark contrast, Margaret Kittle, 79, flew in from Canada to pay her respects.

She said: "My family came to Churchill's and I wanted to come to Maggie's because they are the two greats of history. We will never see the likes of Mrs Thatcher again."

John Loughrey, from Wandsworth, added: "She saved Britain. She gave my father the opportunity to buy his council house. We had all sorts of problems and Mrs Thatcher put it all back together again. We needed the Iron Lady."

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Baroness Thatcher's Funeral At St Paul's

Baroness Thatcher's has been given a ceremonial funeral at St Paul's Cathedral as Britain remembered a famous but divisive prime minister.

The Queen, her presence effectively raising it to a state event, joined dignitaries from around the world and all Lady Thatcher's successors as prime minister.

It is the first time the monarch has attended the funeral service of a former prime minister since Sir Winston Churchill's state ceremony in 1965.

The UK's first female prime minister was given full military honours, her coffin brought to St Paul's on a gun carriage drawn by six black horses.

Inside the famous church, more than 2,300 guests paid tribute, led by the former politician's children Mark and Carol and her two grandchildren.

Lady Thatcher's children Mark and Carol inside St Paul's

Sitting a few rows behind them among today's parliamentarians was Chancellor George Osborne, who had tears running down his face during the ceremony.

The service was conducted with more pomp and ceremony than any funeral seen in London since the death of the Queen Mother in 2002.

Lady Thatcher had planned it to the last detail and at her express wish, her granddaughter Amanda read the first lesson.

David Cameron read from the Gospel and the Bishop of London gave an address which deliberately steered clear of talking about her political legacy.

The gun carriage travelling along Fleet Street

He said: "The storm of conflicting opinions centres on the Mrs Thatcher who became a symbolic figure - even an "ism".

"Today the remains of the real Margaret Hilda Thatcher are here at her funeral service. Lying here, she is one of us, subject to the common destiny of all human beings.

"There is an important place for debating policies and legacy; for assessing the impact of political decisions on the everyday lives of individuals and communities.

"Parliament held a frank debate last week - but here and today is neither the time nor the place."

Chancellor George Osborne weeping during the service

The ceremony followed a sombre procession through central London, which was on lockdown with 4,000 police officers on duty in case of any unrest.

Many among those lining the streets appeared to be Thatcher supporters, although others booed and performed a silent protest as the coffin passed.

Big Ben fell silent at 9.45am and will not chime again until 1pm, in a mark of respect from the institution that made Lady Thatcher's name.

Her coffin then left the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft in Westminster, where it had rested overnight according to her wishes, at 10am.

The hearse passing by the gates of Downing Street

People applauded as the hearse made its way past Parliament and Downing Street, which was the politician's home for more than a decade.

A hand-written card from her two children placed in a single large white flower arrangement resting on the coffin read: "Beloved mother, always in our hearts".

Transferred to a gun carriage outside St Clement Danes church, it was then escorted by hundreds of troops to St Paul's for the service.

The 1.5ton carriage travelled at 70 steps per minute - its wheels changed from steel to rubber so that it ran more quietly along the road.

More than 700 members of the armed forces are taking part in the event in recognition of Lady Thatcher's achievements in the Falklands War.

Crowds gathered along the route through London

Security across the capital was tight but there appeared to be far smaller crowds than expected, with some areas where barriers were erected almost empty.

Ahead of the service and amid anger at taxpayers picking up most of the funeral bill, David Cameron insisted it would be a "fitting tribute".

The Prime Minister said that by winning the big arguments, his predecessor had actually settled divisions and declared: "In a way, we are all Thatcherites now."

He added: "She was the first woman prime minister, she served for longer in the job that anyone for 150 years, she achieved some extraordinary things in her life."

Supporter John Loughrey, from Wandsworth, said: "She saved Britain. She gave my father the opportunity to buy his council house.

"We had all sorts of problems and Mrs Thatcher put it all back together again. We needed the Iron Lady."

Margaret Kittle, 79, had travelled all the way from Canada to pay her respects.

She said: "My family came to Churchill's and I wanted to come to Maggie's because they are the two greats of history. We will never see the likes of Mrs Thatcher again."

But student David Winslow, 22, was among the protesters planning to turn their backs as the coffin past.

"The message is that spending £10m on such a divisive figure in times of austerity, especially when austerity is being imposed on the poor, is wrong, especially when harm is being caused to the disabled and the NHS," he said.

There was also tension between supporters and protesters near the Royal Courts of Justice, where pensioner Phil Williams held a banner saying "Rest in Shame".

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Boston Marathon Explosions 'Like A Sonic Boom'

Runners and spectators at the Boston Marathon have spoken of their horror and the chaos that took hold after two bombs exploded at the end of the race.

The twin blasts rocked buildings, shattered windows and gravely injured countless bystanders and runners when they hit in the centre of the city.

Melissa Stanley, who had just seen her daughter cross the finish line, said: "It sounded like a sonic boom. I haven't stopped shaking yet."

Bill Iffrig had been running when one of the bombs exploded, sending him crashing to the ground. "The shockwave must have hit me. My legs felt like noodles," he said.

Police helping a runner injured in the blast

Rhode Island policeman Roupen Bastajian had just finished the race when the first blast went off.

"I started running toward the blast. And there were people all over the floor," he said. "We started grabbing tourniquets and started tying legs.

"A lot of people amputated ... at least 25 to 30 people have at least one leg missing, or an ankle missing, or two legs missing."

Pictures of the scene showed pools of blood on the pavement.

Virginia resident Tim Davey was watching the marathon with his wife, Lisa, and tried unsuccessfully to cover the eyes of their young children as casualties began mounting around them.

"They just started bringing people in in with no limbs," Mr Davey said, as victims were brought to the medical tent that had originally been erected to take care of dehydrated or injured runners.

"They just kept filling up with more and more casualties," Lisa Davey said. "Most everybody was conscious. They were very dazed."

"There are people who are really, really bloody," said Laura McLean, a runner from Toronto, who had been receiving treatment for dehydration when she was pulled out to make room for the wounded.

Mark Hagopian, owner of the nearby Charlesmark Hotel, said: "We saw people with their legs blown off. A person next to me had his legs blown off at the knee - he was still alive."

The scene of one of the explosions

Another witness Dan Lamparello added: "It was very loud. You could feel the ground shake."

The twin explosions went off hours after the winners and many runners had already crossed the finish line but thousands were still taking part, as spectators lined the streets.

"There are a lot of people down," said runner Frank Deruyter of North Carolina.

A Boston police officer was seen being wheeled from the course with a bleeding leg injury.

Runner Mike Mitchell, of Canada, said he had finished the race and turned back to look at the finish line when he saw a "massive explosion" then smoke rise at least 50ft into the air.

Massachusetts resident Brighid Wall, 35, said the windows of the restaurants and shops lining the streets had been blown out, and that she saw victims bleeding heavily.

She said her husband threw their children to the ground when the second bomb went off and lay on top of them. Another man also covered them and warned them not to get up.

Mrs Wall said: "My ears are zinging. Their ears are zinging. It was so forceful. It knocked us to the ground."

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Boston Marathon Explosions: Britons On Attacks

No British nationals appear to have been injured in the deadly Boston terror attacks, but the Foreign Office says it is continuing to monitor the situation.

Some 347 of the 25,000 runners taking part in the race were British and several have spoken of the aftermath of the twin blasts, which killed three people.

The Foreign Office tweeted: "We're in close contact with local authorities in Boston. Not aware of any British nationals injured but will continue to monitor situation."

One marathon runner from Cardiff told how she heard explosions moments after crossing the finishing line.

Arriving back at Heathrow Airport still wearing her running gear, Sarah Morris, 46, told Sky's Rachel Younger: "People were running towards us. There was a lot of blood and screaming."

Shattered windows in buildings lining the route of the marathon

Mrs Morris had just met up with her husband, Brian, when the explosions happened. He said: "There was a lot of panic. A man said a little boy had his leg blown off."

Abi Griffiths, from London, crossed the finishing line around 10 minutes before the explosions.

The 34-year-old told Sky News she heard the blast while collecting her bag.

She said: "The ground shook and immediately people sort of looked around - it was just too loud to be something that wasn't serious.

"People kind of didn't know what to do. Then all of a sudden it went into a state of chaos. Police were everywhere, we were being evacuated out of the area and it was really eerie.

"It was very, very scary and what should be a major celebration of the achievement of running 26.2 miles suddenly became a frightening scene."

She said police had swung into action quickly.

An injured man with shredded clothes

"This is just such an awful scene to have happened," Ms Griffiths continued. "It felt like it may have come from the inside of a shop.

"Suddenly you looked around and there was this cloud of smoke and then people went into gear. There were police everywhere."

Jez Hughes, a firefighter from Morley, west Yorkshire, was walking to the subway with his wife when they heard two explosions.

He had been standing only 100 yards from the finish line with other competitors after completing his 10th marathon but walked around the corner to meet his wife.

He said: "While we were going to the subway we heard two explosions. I said straight away that sounds like a bomb and then we heard a second one.

"My wife is very shook up but we are out here until Thursday evening and no terrorists are going to spoil our day. Don't let them get the better of you."

Darren Foy, 40, from Southampton, his wife Sandra and their two children, missed the explosions by just half an hour after he finished the marathon in three and a half hours.

The chartered surveyor, who is chairman of the Lordshill Road Runners in Southampton and was competing in his fourth marathon, said: "There are reports here that the explosions came from a hotel at the finish line and I walked past there a few days ago to pick up my race number.

"It's such a soft target. There are hundreds of thousands spectators on the streets and 27,000 runners, so we got off lightly."

Mark Jenkin, a 34-year-old sports writer from Barnstaple in Devon, said the explosion had put the race into perspective.

After finishing 138th in a time of 2 hours 24 minutes, he told his paper, the North Devon Journal: "It's a beautiful spring afternoon in Boston.

"The people of the city put on a great race and it's such a tragedy this has happened.

"I was feeling tired and a bit disappointed with my time in the race but all that seems irrelevant now. I just feel grateful to be ok."

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Boston Marathon Explosions: Three Dead

An eight-year-old boy has been named by US media as one of three people killed when two bombs ripped through crowds during the Boston Marathon.

The Boston Globe newspaper identified the youngster as Martin Richard, who lives in the city.

He was reportedly waiting to give his father, who was running in the race, a hug at the finish line when the blasts happened.

The boy's mother and sister are also said to have been injured.

The US is on alert for further attacks as the FBI leads a terror investigation into the bombings, which left more than 140 people injured - many seriously - in the heart of Boston.

Spectators' cheers turned to screams as the bombs went off within seconds of each other and about 100m (330ft) apart on the same street, blowing out windows and sending smoke and debris into the air.

Windows in nearby buildings shattered into the streets

Emergency workers tore down fencing and carried away seriously injured men and women amid scenes of panic and confusion.

Of the 144 reported injured, 17 are in a critical condition.

Massachusetts General Hospital said "several amputations" were performed on survivors. Others had limbs torn off by blast forces.

More than 25,000 people were registered as taking part in the race, 374 of whom were British. There were also 108 Irish athletes.

The British Foreign Office has said it is not aware of any British nationals who have been injured but that it will continue to monitor the situation.

One witness is comforted near a triage tent in the aftermath

There have been no immediate claims of responsibility for the attack, the most serious in the US since the 9/11 World Trade Centre atrocity. Al Qaeda-linked groups and militant white extremists have attacked targets in America in the past.

The Pakistani Taliban, who have previously threatened attacks in the US, have denied any involvement.

Barack Obama vowed to find and punish those responsible, as a senior White House official said the attacks were being treated as an act of terrorism.

Mr Obama said officials "still do not know who did this or why".

But he vowed: "We will find out who did this. We'll find out why they did this. Any responsible individuals, any responsible groups, will feel the full weight of justice."

Bill Bratton, a former head of Boston police who is now based in London, said: "Unfortunately in my country there are no shortage of potential suspects, if you will."

US media reported ball bearings were packed into the bombs

The marathon is held every year on Patriots' Day, a Massachusetts state holiday which commemorates the first battles of the American Revolution in 1775.

The explosions happened on Boylston Street, four hours into the race and about two hours after the men's winner had crossed the line, as amateur runners were reaching the finish.

More than 17,000 competitors had completed the race by the time the blasts struck.

TV helicopter footage showed blood on the ground and the desperate efforts of rescuers in the popular shopping and tourist area known as the Back Bay.

A woman near the second bomb, Brighid Wall, 35, said people had frozen, unsure of what to do.

Her husband threw their children to the ground, lay on top of them and another man lay on top of them and said: "Don't get up, don't get up."

The blasts struck close to the finish line in central Boston

She said she saw six to eight people bleeding profusely, including one man who was kneeling, dazed and bleeding from his head. Another person was on the ground covered in blood and not moving.

"My ears are zinging", she said. "Their ears are zinging. It was so forceful. It knocked us to the ground."

Bill Iffrig, a runner who was filmed falling to the ground as the first blast went off, said "the shockwave must have hit me. My legs felt like noodles". He was able to walk away and speak to reporters at the scene.

Runner Tim Davey, from Virginia, was with his wife Lisa and their children in a medical tent set up for exhausted runners. "They just started bringing people in with no limbs," he said.

Roupen Bastajian, 35, a state police officer from Rhode Island, had just finished the race when he heard the blasts.

"There were people all over the floor," he said. "We started grabbing tourniquets and started tying legs.

"A lot of people amputated ... At least 25 to 30 people have at least one leg missing, or an ankle missing, or two legs missing."

One British runner, Anthony Meenaghan, said he was "safe and well" but added: "Can't believe what I saw and heard".

A police officer involved in the search in the suburb of Revere

Another, Abi Griffiths, 34, from London, told Sky News the scene was in a "state of chaos".

She said: "Police were everywhere, we were being evacuated out of the area and it was really eerie."

A senior US intelligence official said another two unexploded bombs were found and disarmed near the end of the 26.2mile (42km) route.

There were reports of a third blast at the JFK library a few miles away but that was later confirmed as a fire that was believed to be unrelated to the blasts.

No one has been arrested, although officers searched an apartment in the Boston suburb of Revere as part of the investigation.

A no-fly zone was also put in place over the city as security was tightened and flights bound for Boston's Logan International Airport were briefly held up at other airports.

Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis said the authorities had received "no specific intelligence that anything was going to happen".

A bomb squad officer inspects a bag along the route

At Massachusetts General Hospital, Alisdair Conn, chief of emergency services, said: "This is something I've never seen in my 25 years here ... this amount of carnage in the civilian population. This is what we expect from war."

Police and doctors quoted by US media said ball bearings had been packed into the injuries, causing horrific injuries.

British police are now reviewing security plans for this Sunday's London Marathon - the next major international marathon.

The London race's chief executive, Nick Bitel, said it was "a very sad day for athletics and for our friends in marathon running".

Prime Minister David Cameron wrote on Twitter: "The scenes from Boston are shocking and horrific - my thoughts are with all those who have been affected."

Boston officials said it would "not be business as usual" in the city, with random checks of backpacks and bags on public transport. Security has also been stepped up in Washington and New York.

:: The British Foreign Office said friends and relatives concerned about British nationals in Boston can call the Boston Mayor's Office emergency hotline on 00 1 617 635 4500.

:: In the US, concerned relatives can call 617 635 4500, and anybody with information about the blasts should call 1 800 494 tips.

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LSE: BBC N Korea Report Put Students At Risk

Visiting Secretive North Korea

Updated: 2:46pm UK, Friday 12 April 2013

Despite the current tensions on the Korean Peninsula, tourists have been able to travel to North Korea.

A Sky News employee has just returned from a four-day trip. Journalists are strictly banned from the county without visas, which are rarely issued, so we are not revealing her name, but here is her story:

I flew from Beijing to Pyongyang. On the flight with me were lots of North Koreans with plenty of excess baggage: TVs, vegetables and meat.

Nothing felt abnormal. There was no feeling of tension.

Only when I arrived at the Demilitarised Zone were we prevented access to some of the buildings because of the current situation.

Throughout the four-day trip, which was organised by a Chinese travel company, we were assigned two North Korean minders.

One of them was more senior than the other. She watched us and watched her colleague too.

They did not want the war but were also determined to fight if the country decided to start a war. They emphasised to us that they believed in the country from their hearts.

We were not allowed to move freely. We could only do tourist things according to the guidance of the tour "guards".

We were not allowed to take photographs in the car or anywhere without the minder's permission. We were told not to photograph anything that looked bad or makes North Korea look bad.

"Don't bring bad impressions out of Pyongyang," they said.

People were very friendly. There was little traffic, so people would stare at our bus wherever we drove.

People there are very aware of the potential war.

Every time we arrived at the places of interest, the tour guides would always ask us in Korean (the minders would translate into Chinese) about the latest situation and our opinions about the situation, particularly our opinions about the US, as they all believe the tensions are the fault of America.

When we asked the minders what would happen if the war breaks out tomorrow, they said: "If the war breaks tomorrow, until midnight tonight, we are still building the socialist constructions."

We also asked them whether they know where Kim Jong-Un lives and works, as we explained to them that in Beijing, all the top leaders work and live in a place called Zhongnanhai. They all said they had no idea.

The two minders liked to sing. One of the songs they sang was apparently written by a South Korean musician to express his admiration toward Kim Jong-Il.

On one of the days we went to Myohyang San, a North Korean mountain. The six of us on the tour were locked in the restaurant because the North Koreans were so afraid that we would wander around.

There is a museum near the mountain, where gifts from foreign countries are displayed. A lot of them came from Japan.

We asked them how could they receive so many gifts from Japan given that North Korea considers the Japanese as enemies. They told us that the Japanese really admire the leaders, so they gave us many gifts.

We stayed in the Yanggakdo International Hotel, where we could watch international TV channels including the BBC, NHK, (Japanese TV), Phoenix (Hong Kong TV) and CCTV (Chinese TV).

The minders live on a specific floor where they only have three North Korean channels to watch. They never ate with us and when we asked what they had eaten, they always refused to tell us.

We were not allowed to use the local currency, and they never showed us their money. We could use Chinese RMB, US dollars or euros.

There were not many opportunities to see any ordinary North Korean people apart from the shopkeepers, tour guides or waitresses in the hotel.

There is a casino on the underground floor of the Yanggakdo International Hotel, where most of the staff members come from Liaoning Province over the northern border in China, and North Koreans are not allowed to enter.

The casino is managed by people from Macau. The staff there told us it was empty because the tensions mean far fewer people are travelling to North Korea.

Staff at the casino are all Chinese. When we asked to go to the casino, one of the minders said to us: "You must be non-communists, because communist members don't go to casinos."

Wherever we go to visit, they always asked us if we think their places or things are pretty. They only wanted to show us the good side of the country.

As soon as we travelled outside the capital city, it felt very like the real North Korea: rural, no tall buildings, only farmland.

We never felt the tension of war on our trip. On the streets, on our tour, in the hotel and even at a school we visited, the students were studying as normal.

The people we spoke to asked us if it was true that living in Beijing is hard. They think living in North Korea is the happiest thing in the world.

It feels as though those North Koreans who have travelled outside the country have never mentioned what the outside world really looks like.

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North Korea Rebuffs Talks As A 'Crafty Trick'

North Korea has rejected the South's call to negotiate to resolve the nuclear crisis, calling it a "crafty trick".

The development came as US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Japan for the last leg of his four-day Asia tour aimed at reining in Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions.

South Korea last week urged the North to discuss stalled operations at a joint factory complex and other issues.

But an unidentified spokesman at the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea said on Sunday that Pyongyang had no intention of talking with Seoul unless it abandoned its confrontational posture.

John Kerry with Japan's foreign minister Fumio Kishida

It came as Mr Kerry held meetings with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and also with Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, who said North Korea could not be allowed to possess nuclear weapons.

Both countries reaffirmed their commitment deal with the threat posed by North Korea if its leader Kim Jong-Un was prepared to stick to previous agreements on its nuclear programme.

In the past few weeks, North Korea has declared itself to be in a "state of war" with the South, announced that a mothballed nuclear site is to be reopened and threatened to carry out nuclear attacks against the US.

Japan, separated by less than 1,000km (625 miles) of water and a frequent target of Pyongyang's anger, is in easy range, and has deployed Patriot missiles around Tokyo in anticipation of a missile launch by the North.

An anti-North Korea rally in Seoul on Sunday

Speculation has been building since the North was reported to have loaded two mid-range Musudan missiles on mobile launchers and hidden them in underground facilities on its eastern coast.

The move last week prompted the US to bring forward its drone deployment to Japan and send an unmanned spy plane to its airbase in Misawa, in northern Japan.

The Musudan have never been tested but are believed to have a range of around 3,000km (1,860 miles), which could theoretically be pushed to 4,000km (2,485 miles).

That would cover any target in South Korea and Japan, and possibly even reach US military bases located on the Pacific island of Guam - which Pyongyang has threatened to strike.

US soldiers on a training exercise in Yeoncheon, northeast of Seoul

In Seoul, Mr Kerry warned North Korea it would do everything within its means to defend its allies - and that it would be making a "huge mistake" if it launched one of its medium-range missiles during the current standoff.

Japan is a firm ally of the US, More than 35,000 US military personnel are based across the islands.

Both nations share the view that the solution to the North Korean problem lies with Beijing.

Sky's Alex Rossi, who is in Tokyo, said: "The message that the Secretary of State will bring here to Tokyo is that the security alliance between Japan and Washington is very much in tact, and the United States will do everything it can to protect its ally.

"There is a feeling here of course that if North Korea does decide to do something stupid, Japan may very well be in the firing line.

Female Korean soldiers on patrol in their high heels

"Tomorrow is the birthday - the 101st anniversary of the birth of the founding father of North Korea, Kim Il Sung - and it is possible that a medium-range missile may be tested or used."

On Saturday, the top US diplomat met China's leaders to persuade them to push North Korea, whose sole main ally is Beijing, to scale back its belligerence and return to the negotiating table over its suspected nuclear aims.

Both nations agreed to seek a peaceful resolution to the crisis and to work together to ensure a nuclear-free Korean peninsula.

Tensions have soared on the Korean peninsula since December, when North Korea test-launched a long-range rocket. In February, it conducted its third nuclear test, which drew fresh UN sanctions.

Mr Kerry said there had been enough confrontational language on North Korea and he did not want to get into a cycle of threats and counter-threats with the reclusive nation.

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Thatcher Funeral 'Not Over The Top' Says Maude

The Government has defended the lavish plans for Baroness Thatcher's funeral, as a new poll showed more than half the British public oppose using taxpayers' money to pay for it.

Tory Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude, tasked with organising parts of Wednesday's ceremonial service, said it would be a "fitting send-off" and insisted the involvement of the armed forces was "not over the top in any way".

He told Sky's Murnaghan: "Of course with any funeral of any former prime minister the state inevitably plays a big role.

"Normally of course there would be a funeral followed by a memorial service. She was very adamant that she didn't want that, she wanted a single service. So this needs to be a fitting event for a very great lady."

Lady Thatcher said she did not want a state funeral, but she has been given the next highest honour: a ceremonial funeral with full military honours tailored to her.

Lady Thatcher at a Royal Hospital Chelsea event in 2008

With all the the pageantry of a state funeral, it is set to be the largest in Britain since the Queen Mother's, bringing to the fore the issue of who will pay.

While her estate will make a contribution, Downing Street has refused to give details about how much the service will cost the taxpayer, saying this will be revealed after the funeral.

But a ComRes survey for the Independent on Sunday and the Sunday Mirror has found that only 25% of people think it should be funded by the public purse - compared to 60% who are against the idea.

The survey also showed that one in three people think she was Britain's greatest peacetime prime minister - although 41% of people disagreed.

Labour's former deputy prime minister John Prescott angrily denounced the cost in his column for the Sunday Mirror.

"Thatcher split this country, North and South, the haves and have nots, 'one of us' or 'the enemy within'. This country paid enough thanks to that woman. So why the hell should we continue to pay now she's dead?," he wrote.

"Privatise her funeral. It would be a fitting tribute," he added.

David Cameron and William Hague both defended using taxpayers' money last week, insisting it would be wrong not to mark Lady Thatcher's huge contribution to the nation.

David Cameron will do a Bible reading at the funeral

The Foreign Secretary said: "The rebate she negotiated for this country from the EU has brought us so far £75 billion - which is twice the size of our annual defence budget.

"I think that puts money in perspective ... so I think we can afford to contribute to a funeral."

The poll comes as the Government released the Order of Service for the funeral at St Paul's Cathedral on Wednesday.

Lady Thatcher's coffin will be carried through the streets of London on a gun carriage, allowing the public to pay their respects as the funeral cortege passes by. 

It is the same honour bestowed on Diana, the Queen Mother and Winston Churchill.

Then there will be a single bell will toll as the funeral cortege draws up to St Paul's, and 14 Chelsea pensioners will line the steps as the coffin is taken into the cathedral.

The presence of the pensioners - the oldest aged 90 - is aimed at reflecting the strong connection Lady Thatcher built up with the Royal Hospital Chelsea over the last 10 years.

In front of the coffin, Michael and Amanda Thatcher, grandchildren of the former prime minister, will carry cushions bearing the insignia of the Order of the Garter and the Order of Merit and lay them on the Dome Altar.

The service, attended by the Queen, will be "framed" by British music, with traditional pieces by great British composers played at the beginning and at the end.

Lady Thatcher's love of poetry will be reflected in her choice of TS Eliot's Little Gidding, which will be printed on the opening page of the Order of Service and William Wordsworth's Ode: Intimations of Immortality on the final page.

Prime Minister David Cameron and Amanda Thatcher will deliver the readings from the King James Bible - of which she was particularly fond.

It was confirmed that the hymns will be He Who Would Valiant Be, Love Divine, All Loves Excelling, Psalm 84 set to the music of Johannes Brahms, and the patriotic verse I Vow To Thee My Country.

The funeral address will be delivered by the Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Richard Chartres.

The military procession leading to the service will feature more than 700 serving Armed Forces personnel from units particularly associated with the Falklands War, including some from the Welsh Guards, the regiment that suffered some of the heaviest losses.

Plans are also developing for Lady Thatcher's legacy to be enshrined in the creation of a major new institution to promote her political philosophy and shape future Tory politics.

Supporters of the former leader are working on a Margaret Thatcher library for London as a lasting memorial.

Backers also aim to raise £15m in private funds to establish the combined library, museum and training centre.

It is planned that visitors will be able to view key artefacts from her time in office, such as her trademark blue Aquascutum suits and handbags.

:: ComRes interviewed 2,012 Great Britain adults online on April 10 and 11.

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