British Volunteer Missing In Malaysian Jungle

A mother has appealed for more to be done to find a British man who disappeared while trekking on a paradise island off Malaysia.

Gareth David Huntley, 34, disappeared four days ago after attempting to find a waterfall in the jungles of Tioman Island, off the peninsula's east coast.

Mr Huntley had been volunteering at a Turtle sanctuary

He told friends at a charity project he had been working with he would return by 2pm that day, but he has not been seen since.

A group of volunteers and some local people have been into the jungle on the island to search for him but have had no luck.

Mr Huntley's mother has called on the Malaysian authorities to step up the search for her son, who was on an extended holiday in the southeast Asian country.

Janet Southwell said: "I am extremely concerned and anxious about my son.

"He has been missing for four days now, and as yet I have had no contact from any official agency advising me as to the progress of the search.

"At this stage I feel it is essential that the search be intensified as time is running out for Gareth, so I would really appreciate the support of the Malaysian Authorities and the UK Government with this."

Mr Huntley, from London, had been working as a volunteer at the Juara Turtle Project, a conservation charity on Tioman Island.

One of the other volunteers, Charles Fisher, said police were informed the day after he went missing, but had not done much.

He said: "The afternoon of the second day the police were informed - they sent a couple of members of the police force along to have a look but didn't go far or look very much - they were just sort of assessing the situation.

A file picture of a beach on Tioman Island

"Then the next day, the 29th, a group of volunteers went out and looked then came back again. Another group from the local community also went out as well and went deep into the jungle.

"The police were no longer physically looking at that point - I think they were arranging for a search party but nothing happened that day."

A spokeswoman for the Foreign Office said the local embassy was aware Mr Huntley was missing and was offering support.

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Cameron: Meriam Death Sentence Is 'Barbaric'

David Cameron says the death sentence handed down to Meriam Ibrahim is "barbaric" and has called on Sudanese authorities to intervene.

The Prime Minister joined international condemnation of the 27-year-old mother's plight, saying he is "absolutely appalled" by the case.

"The way she is being treated is barbaric and has no place in today's world," he told The Times.

"I urge the government of Sudan to overturn the sentence and immediately provide appropriate support and medical care for her and her children.

"The UK will continue to press the government of Sudan to act."

Ms Ibrahim was found guilty by a Sudanese court of apostasy in renouncing Islam and adultery for marrying a Christian, Daniel Wani.

Husband Daniel Wani with his newborn baby in prison

She was sentenced to 100 lashes and death by hanging earlier this month.

Her death sentence has been suspended for two years so she can nurse her daughter Maya, who was born in prison on Wednesday.

Ms Ibrahim was forced to give birth to the child while shackled to a prison floor after guards at Omdurman Women's Prison refused to release her.

Both the UK and US governments have summoned the Sudan's charge d'affaires to discuss the case.

The US State Department has described Ms Ibrahim's incarceration as "horrific" and continues to press Sudanese officials to intervene.

US embassy officials have been attending Ms Ibrahim's public hearings and are monitoring the appeals process in Khartoum.

Mr Cameron's comments follow condemnation from former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and British politicians including Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg.

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Thousands Pay Respect To Inspirational Stephen

By Rhiannon Mills, News Correspondent

Thousands of people have queued outside Lichfield Cathedral to pay their repects to cancer fundraiser Stephen Sutton ahead of his funeral.

A two day vigil began on Thursday and will continue until this afternoon with many more expected to sign the book of condolence.

His family will hold a private funeral later where they will say their final goodbyes, but at 11am his mother Jane has asked people to join in a "Thumbs Up For Stephen" event, and "do something to make others happy".

Millions of people across the world have been inspired by Stephen's courage facing terminal cancer.

A 'Thumbs Up For Stephen' event has been planned

And as his hearse arrived on Thursday evening, drawn by four white horses, there was spontaneous applause from the crowd. A bright yellow wreath bearing the icon of a smiley face lay beside the white coffin.

Leading the vigil the Dean of Lichfield, the Very Reverend Adrian Dorber, told the gathered mourners Stephen "in his all too brief life" had taught "how to make the unacceptable, beautiful".

"He chose to share his exuberance with us, not his pain. He was one of those very rare people who've helped us live our lives with generosity."

Julia Hayburn, assistant headteacher at Stephen's former school, Chase Terrace Technology College, said: "Words like awesome, awe-inspiring and inspirational became synonymous with Stephen.

"But they only touched the surface of what he has become on a national and international scale."

There was spontaneous applause as the hearse carrying Stephen arrived

The teenager, from Burntwood in Staffordshire, had originally launched his fundraising appeal hoping to raise £10,000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust, but just hours before the vigil began the total had reached more than £4 million.

He died on May 14 after succumbing to multiple tumours.

The Teenage Cancer Trust's chief executive Siobhan Dunn said earlier today Stephen's memory would "never be forgotten" because it would live on through the work of the charity.

She added: "I think it's really important there's a public celebration of Stephen's life and I think that's exactly what he would have wanted.

"He was looking for us to put the fun into his funeral so hopefully we're going to do that."

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Rise In Emotional Abuse Cases Among Children

By Joe Tidy, Sky News Reporter

The number of emotional neglect and abuse cases referred to authorities has risen by nearly 50% over the past 12 months, according to a leading charity.

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) says its helpline dealt with more than 8,000 people suffering emotional neglect and abuse this year.

The charity says some 5,354 of these cases were so serious they were referred to police or children's services, compared to 3,629 cases in the previous year.

Peter Wanless, the CEO of the NSPCC, says the statistics show emotional cruelty is not being recognised in the same way as physical abuse.

"It's very easy for us to see physical abuse if a bone gets broken, but the emotional abuse of a child has just that sort of effect on their mind," he said.

NSPCC helplines receive 60,000 calls each year

NSPCC helplines receive 60,000 calls each year from people who fear children are being mistreated.

They deal with sexual abuse allegations, physical abuse and claims of emotional cruelty.

One solution to the growing issue of emotional cruelty is a change to the law.

Sky News has learned a so-called "Cinderella Law" could see parents who deny their children affection face prosecution.

Robert Buckland MP is hopeful the change will be introduced soon.

He said plans for the new law may be announced in the Queen's Speech.

"I'm very optimistic that in this year's Queen's Speech we will hear this measure being announced.

"It might come in the form of a separate bill; it might come in the form of an amendment to an existing bill going through parliament.

CEO Peter Wanless: Emotional abuse can be as damaging as physical abuse

"But I firmly believe and hope and expect to see this welcome reform being announced this week."

However, some are concerned that this law could unfairly prosecute parents.

Parenting author Frank Furedi says: "Throughout history, the best antidote to cruelty was the cultural and educational development of society.

"We need fewer laws and more opportunities for children, and indeed for their parents, to realise their potential."

One man who knows how this abuse can affect children is Morris Robinson, who was emotionally abused by his father.

He says his childhood was devoid of love, affection and support.

"It's hard to describe when you're left to your own devices, but then you get cruel treatment, verbal cruel treatment," he said.

"You wouldn't get any praise for anything and I don't remember him ever going to school to do anything.

"He would swear abuse at me and when you're a child it's always threatening.

"You would ask him to maybe fix your bike and he'd say: 'I've f*****g told you it won't fix'."

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Manchester United Owner Malcolm Glazer Dies

Malcolm Glazer, the head of the family that owns Manchester United football club, has died aged 85.

The news was announced by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the American football club he owned for nearly 30 years.

The club said he passed away on Wednesday morning and described him as a "pioneering thinker" and "dynamic business leader".

Mr Glazer, who lived in Palm Beach, Florida, bought Manchester United in 2005 - sparking a number of protests in the city.

After that, the football club won five Premier League titles (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2013), as well as the 2008 Champions League title.

But the club had a disastrous season this year, culminating in the departure of manager David Moyes.

His death was announced on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' website

Sky's Sports Correspondent Paul Kelso said Mr Glazer's passing is a "significant moment" for Old Trafford.

Mr Glazer was a "hugely, hugely divisive" and "very unpopular" figure in Manchester, he said.

He said there were some violent protests after his leveraged buy-out, in which he borrowed a huge sum of money to buy the club and paid off the interest with its profits.

The club had no debts before the takeover and now owes nearly £400m.

Kelso said he does not think Mr Glazer's death will have much of an impact on Manchester United because he had been ill for some years and the club is being run by his family.

Mr Glazer once owned 100% of Old Trafford, but then passed his holding to his sons and daughter.

Mr Glazer's takeover sparked many protests by United fans

They own 90%, with the other 10% floated on the New York stock exchange.

Manchester United said in a statement: "The thoughts of everyone at Manchester United are with the Glazer family tonight ... Staff at Manchester United extend deep and sincere condolences to them all at this difficult time."

After his death was announced, fans' tributes - both positive and negative - started to pour in on forums and social media.

Mosley909, a poster on one Manchester United fan site, wrote: "Sad for those who love him and always sad when someone dies, but can't say I'll be shedding any tears."

Another poster, Andy McDonald, tweeted: "Don't understand these 'fans' disregarding Malcolm Glazer, our success was just as much his too. Forever a part of the MUFC family, R.I.P."

Mr Glazer leaves behind his wife Linda, six children and 14 grandchildren.

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Online Abuse: Police Deal With Thousands Of Kids

By Tom Cheshire, Technology Correspondent

More than 2,000 children have been investigated by police in the last three years over social media abuse and online bullying, Sky News has learned.

New figures show children as young as nine are among more than 1,300 who have then been charged with a criminal offence or given a caution, warning or fine.

The Sky News investigation also found almost 20,000 adults were the subject of police probes for these offences, the equivalent of around 20 cases a day.

And the number of cases is on the rise - up more than 5% since 2011.

The figures, obtained through Freedom of Information requests, lay bare for the first time how policing the internet has become a daily task for Britain's forces.

And as 18 of the UK's police forces failed to provide figures, the true number of investigations is likely to be much greater.

They include a series of high-profile prosecutions in recent years of people accused of posting abuse on Twitter.

Ellie, a teenage victim of online harassment who reported her case to police, told Sky News she thought the figures were "shocking".

She said she suffered death threats and comments about her family on social media.

"They stalked me and knew a lot about me," she said.

Many of the cases relate to messages posted on Twitter

"I drove at the time and where I used to live there's a little bridge. And within hours of driving over it, there was a comment saying you should have crashed your car over the bridge you drove over.

"With bullying that happens at school, people can get away from it at home. For me, this literally followed me everywhere I went."

Sky News asked police forces how many investigations they had launched in the last three years under Section 127 of the 2003 Communications Act, which covers abuse on Twitter or other social media sites, in text messages or through nuisance phone calls.

New guidance issued last year raised the threshold for prosecution, but experts say the rise in the number of cases despite the stricter definition is the result of easy internet access via smartphones.

According to responses from 34 police forces, 6,919 people were investigated in 2011/12 under Section 127, including 744 children.

In 2012/13, 6,974 cases were probed including 578 under-18s. After the first nine months of 2013/14, those figures had already hit 7,318 and 610 respectively.

Over the three years, 1,932 children were investigated and 1,203 were either charged with a criminal offence, fined, cautioned or warned verbally. Of the 19,279 adults investigated over that period, 11,292 were subject to police action.

Hertfordshire Police investigated and charged the most people in 2013 - 1,042, up from 291 in 2011. The Metropolitan Police had the highest three-year figure, 2,099.

Four 10-year-olds and one nine-year-old in Tayside were given warnings by police.

Luke Roberts, a social network expert at Beat Bullying, told Sky News: "There are more devices than ever. So whether it's smartphones, internet-connected TVs, more apps - they allow more young people to be harassed than ever before.

"In terms of social networking, we'd like to see more transparency, in terms of giving clear reporting mechanisms to children."

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Scotland World Cup Friendly Match-Fixing Probe

Officers are investigating match-fixing claims over tonight's World Cup friendly between Nigeria and Scotland, Sky sources say.

The game is due to be played at Fulham's Craven Cottage ground in London.

The National Crime Agency, which investigates serious and organised crime, is now probing what it thinks could be an attempt to fix the match.

Scotland v World Cup-bound Nigeria is part of a series of warm-up matches ahead of the tournament in Brazil next month.

There is no suggestion that the game at Craven Cottage will be scrapped.

Stephen Keshi, Nigeria's head coach, said his side were just focused on preparing for the World Cup.

The match is due to be played at Fulham's Craven Cottage ground

"We are not here for that - we are here to play and to, you know, see our team improve and get ready for the World Cup so I don't know, maybe some sort of joke is around the corner and it is not very pleasant, you know?"

The investigation was launched after the match was "red-flagged" over the weekend.

Sky's Scotland correspondent James Matthews said Nigeria is the 'home' side and selected the Fulham ground as the venue.

He said: "The National Crime Agency (NCA) is investigating what it believes may be an attempt to fix the match.

"No Scotland players are involved or under any suspicion but the NCA has been liaising with the football authorities in Scotland and Nigeria."

Matthews added: "The Scottish Football Association has said it is liaising with the relevant authorities and is preparing for the game as normal.

"It is my understanding the gambling commission has also issued an alert - a warning - to bookmakers around the world to keep an eye on betting patterns ahead not only of the Nigeria/Scotland game but other friendlies on Wednesday evening."

A spokesman said the agency "will from time to time provide operational detail necessary for public reassurance purposes".

He added: "It does not routinely confirm or deny the existence of specific operations or provide ongoing commentary on operational activity."

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NHS To Send Obese People To Slimming Clubs

Obese and overweight people should be sent to slimming clubs on the NHS, according to official new guidance.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) advice says sending people on "lifestyle weight management programmes" will save the health service money.

Sent out to doctors and local authorities, the 61-page document says 12-week programmes costing £100 or less can be cost-effective.

It said approved schemes must be proven to be effective at 12 to 18 months, which it said Slimming World, Rosemary Conley and Weight Watchers had shown they were.

While acknowledging there is "no magic bullet" to the "complex" problem, the guidance says the 64% of the population classed as obese or overweight can enjoy significant health benefits by losing as little as 3% of their weight.

Carol Weir, guidance developer for Nice and head of nutrition and dietetics at Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust, said Nice recognised the difficulties people faced losing weight and the "significant" effort required to prevent a regain of the weight once lost.

"Obviously, if you need to lose weight, the more weight you lose the better, and the health benefits derive from that, but even a 3% loss, kept up long term, is beneficial and that is why we are recommending sensible changes that can be sustained life long," she said.

"It is not something where you can just wake up one morning and say 'I am going to lose 10llbs' - it takes resolve, it takes encouragement, and one of the things about involvement in these programmes is the mutual support from others who try to do the same thing seems to be hugely helpful from a motivational point of view."

Professor Mike Kelly, director of the centre for public health at Nice, said obesity was costing the British economy and the NHS £5.1bn a year and that only smoking was a bigger health issue for the country.

"Many of the gains we've made by having a population who smoke in much lower numbers than 40-50 years ago - many of those benefits, particularly with respect to heart disease, are being lost by the additional risks that come as a consequence of overweight and obesity."

Obesity increases the risk of serious conditions including diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. Statistics show more than a quarter of adults in England are now classified as obese, while 42% of men and 32% of women are overweight.

Under the guidance issued by Nice, GPs have been told to raise the issue of weight loss in a "respectful and non-judgemental" way and identify people who are eligible for referral for lifestyle weight management services by measuring their Body Mass Index (BMI).

Public Health England and other agencies should be a national source of information on effective lifestyle weight management programmes suitable for commissioning, it said.

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Nick Clegg Defiant After Elections Disaster

By Anushka Asthana, Political Correspondent

Nick Clegg has given an emotional interview in which he insisted it had not crossed his mind to resign after devastating local and European election results.

The Liberal Democrat leader said the results in which his party lost over 300 councillors and all but one of its 11 MEPs was "gutting, heartbreaking" and a "huge setback".

But he argued he was not going to wash his hands and walk away just because the "going gets really tough".

He said: "At the point when our big decisions, our big judgments are being vindicated, we are not going to buckle.

"We are not going to lose our nerve. And we are not going to walk away."

It came after the Lib Dem MP John Pugh admitted to Sky News he would prefer to see Business Secretary Vince Cable lead the party because he was more popular with voters.

And more than 300 Lib Dems, including councillors and candidates, called on Mr Clegg to step down for the sake of his party.

Nigel Farage's UKIP performed well in the elections

They said he deserved praise for taking the Lib Dems into Government but argued that voters simply would not give him a fair hearing.

Mr Clegg, who looked exhausted during the interview, said: "It didn't work but it was right that we stood up for the values we believe in.

"I'm immensely proud to lead the most united, resilient and toughest party in British politics.

"We made a big commitment to the British people in 2010 to step up to the plate, to form a government, to reform and repair the damaged British economy and to deliver policy after policy after policy that the Liberal Democrats have been campaigning on for generations.

"That is what we must continue to do. We must finish the job."

He said it was right to ask searching questions in the "wake of such a bad set of election results".

But the right response was to repeatedly argue that the Lib Dems were the only party that would both tackle the economic situation but do it in a fair way.

Responding to the accusation he has a bunker mentality, he replied: "No, not at all", adding: "I'm never going to put myself ahead of the Liberal Democrats."

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EU Must Reform For Jobs And Growth - Cameron

By Robert Nisbet, Europe Correspondent

David Cameron has called fellow European leaders and urged them to "seize the opportunity" for reform on jobs and growth following the European Elections.

In a series of phone calls the Prime Minister urged them to "heed the views expressed at the ballot box" over recent days.

His intervention came ahead of today's Informal European Council dinner in Brussels, where leaders are expected to discuss the results of the European poll.

Many European leaders, including Mr Cameron and Denmark's Helle Thorning-Schmidt, saw their support fall away to anti-immigration parties such as UKIP.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel also lost votes to the anti-Europe group Alternative For Germany.

Mr Cameron told leaders, including Ms Merkel and Sweden's Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, that the results of the poll underlined the need for reform, in particular on job creation and economic growth.

Germany's Angela Merkel lost votes to an anti-Europe party

"The PM has been making the point in these conversations that leaders should seize the opportunity of Tuesday's dinner to heed the views expressed at the ballot box," said Downing Street.

"The turnout and results in the EP elections have underlined the need for reform to ensure that the EU is doing more to deliver what voters care about: jobs, growth and a better future."

A senior diplomat said the informal dinner will look at the EU Council's priorities over the next five years, and discuss the likely impact of the confusing mosaic of political interests elected to the chamber.

The diplomat said no names for a potential president of the Commission would be discussed, and that the process of picking a successor to Jose Manuel Barroso could take weeks, not days.

The leaders might use the dinner to slim down the Council's "to do" list, in order to concentrate on encouraging growth and employment, so restoring faith in the institutions of the European Union.

Mr Hollande has called for a "re-focus" of Europe

Parties which campaign against the European Union, or its current structure and priorities, doubled their representation in the parliament with a humiliation for the French President Francois Hollande.

Mr Hollande's Socialist Party secured nearly half the support of the right-wing Front National.

He has signalled his intention to press ahead with reforms in France, while also pushing for the EU to prioritise growth and jobs.

"I am a European, it is my duty to reform France and re-focus Europe," he said in a message broadcast on French television.

The EU Council is also expected to discuss developments in Ukraine, where presidential elections were held at the weekend.

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Far-Right National Front 'Win' In France

By Robert Nisbet, Europe Correspondent

Voters have dramatically altered the make-up of the European Parliament by doubling the number of MEPs from the populist, eurosceptic right and the anti-austerity left.

Marine Le Pen's far right National Front scored its first victory in European Parliament elections in France.

Without waiting for the final result, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls went on television to call result "an earthquake" for France and Europe.

The National Front (FN) won around 25% of the vote in France, according to exit polls, easily beating the centre-right UMP on 20%.

According to Exit polls, far-right and hard-left parties have gained ground in many countries, including in Greece where the extreme right Golden Dawn are thought to have won nearly 10% of the vote.

By the half way stage, the centre-right parties were expected to be the biggest group, with 212 out of 751 seats.

The Socialists were expected to gain 185 seats, the Liberals third with 71, the Greens fourth with 55 and the far-left next with 45.

Eurosceptic parties were expected to win about 143 seats.

Marine Le Pen celebrates winning France's Euro election

The winners in Greece, the anti-austerity movement Syriza, is thought to have topped the polls with more than 27% of the vote.

In Germany, the EU's biggest member state with the largest number of seats, the pro-European centre ground held firm, according to the polls.

Ms Le Pen, whose party beat President Francois Hollande's ruling Socialists into third place, told supporters: "The people have spoken loud and clear ... they no longer want to be led by those outside our borders, by EU commissioners and technocrats who are unelected.

"They want to be protected from globalisation and take back the reins of their destiny."

In Denmark the right wing Danish People's Party topped the polls, although its leaders have ruled out an alliance with the National Front.

Spain's two main political parties, the ruling conservative Popular Party in power since 2011 and the Socialist Party, lost major ground to smaller parties, mainly on the left. The Catalan independence party also performed well.

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's centre-left Democratic Party (PD) came in ahead of the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) in his country's exit polls.

In Belgium, the controversial Flemish separatists secured four of  21 EU parliamentary seats available in the country, more than any other party. 

Turnout in Eastern Europe was predicted to be low, with estimates of around 20% expected. 

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European Elections: UKIP Top British Polls

By Joey Jones, Deputy Political Editor

UKIP have topped the European polls in the UK, with the Labour Party vying with the Conservatives for second place and the Lib Dems all but wiped out.

Sources from the other main parties have conceded Nigel Farage's party will win, with the leader hailing an "earthquake" in British politics.

Coming a year ahead of the General Election, it will be the first time a party other than the Conservatives or Labour has topped a nationwide poll for the first time in 108 years.

The Lib Dems look on course to lose all but one of their 11 MEPs, with the party coming in fifth place - after the Greens - in every region so far.

Farage's party broke a record that had stood since 1906

With only Northern Ireland's results yet to come in of the 12 UK regions, UKIP has 29.1% of the vote, Labour 25.4%, the Conservatives 24.6%, the Greens 7.9% and the Lib Dems 6.9%. There was a turnout of 36%.

UKIP are among a host of Eurosceptic parties across the continent looking set to make major gains as voters express their anger at the financial crisis that crippled many countries in the 28-member bloc.

Mr Farage, whose party also won a seat in Scotland for the first time, told Sky News: "It looks like we're going to top the poll and think that it is the earthquake that I've been looking for.

"We hit the Labour Party in the north of England in a way that nobody thought possible. I think for too long the argument has been UKIP picks up the Conservative vote and people have ignored the fact that, actually, with Labour voters, Lib Dem voters and non-voters, Conservatives are a minority of our vote."

BNP leader Nick Griffin, meanwhile, failed in his bid to be re-elected as an MEP in the North West.

Nick Griffin lost his seat on the European Parliament

He told Sky News: "We're out tonight but we'll be back. We set the agenda, we're the ones who broke the taboo about immigration - we've allowed UKIP to do what they've done but when people see they don't deliver their votes will crumble."

A senior Lib Dem source said it was "not looking good", adding that it was "touch and go in one or two regions".

And Lib Dem party president Tim Farron told Sky News: "If you decide to be the only party that's going to tackle the kind of anti-European theme that's been in British politics for perhaps 25 years now ... then you are potentially going to take a hit."

The Conservative's Defence Secretary, Philip Hammond, insisted the vote was skewed by a significant number of "lender voters" who would abandon UKIP and return to the Conservative fold for the 2015 general election.

Mr Hammond told Sky News: "UKIP is a protest party. Most of the people who are voting for UKIP - not all of them, but most of them - are disillusioned voters of other parties who have moved to UKIP to send us a message, and we've got a year to show them that we've got that message.

"We've got to reiterate our continuing story about how our economic plan is delivering for Britain, recognising that not everybody is feeling the benefit of that yet.

"We've got to make sure they do and we've also got to express the specific concerns that people are articulating about immigration and about Europe."

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Hollywood Director's Son 'Was Drive-By Gunman'

A Hollywood director believes his son carried out Friday night's drive-by gun massacre in a beach-front Californian college town.

British-born Peter Rodger, who was assistant director on The Hunger Games, has been told his son is dead after killing six people, according to his attorney Alan Shifman. Seven others were injured in the attack.

Police said three of the victims - all male - were "stabbed repeatedly" at Elliot Rodger's apartment before he went on the shooting rampage.

Peter Rodger was assistant director of The Hunger Games

Two young women were later killed outside sorority house after people inside reported hearing "aggressive knocking" on the door.

A social media image of the suspect in the shooting

The sixth victim, Christopher Martinez, was shot at a nearby delicatessen. At a news conference, police said they believed he had taken his own life.

Rodger's family said the 22-year-old had been receiving psychiatric care. He had been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, the lawyer added.

The wreckage of the car used in the shooting

A day before the attack, he posted a disturbing video on YouTube promising to slaughter "spoilt, stuck-up, blonde" women who he said had rebuffed him.

Authorities have not yet identified the gunman, who was found dead after spraying bullets from a black BMW at passers-by in Isla Vista - a student enclave next to the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Onlookers watched officers comb the scene for evidence

The killer had a gun battle with police before crashing into a parked car. The attack began at around 9.30pm and was reportedly over in minutes.

He was found slumped in his vehicle with a gunshot wound to his head, though it is not yet clear if it was self-inflicted.

The gunman fired apparently at random at his victims

A semi-automatic handgun was recovered from the scene.

Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said the shootings occurred at several sites in the town, resulting in nine crime scenes.

University of California, Santa Barbara students near one crime scene

He called the attack "the work of a madman" and said authorities were looking at written and video evidence that suggests "this atrocity was a premeditated mass murder".

In the footage posted on the eve of the shooting, Elliot Rodger made a chilling tirade against women and the rest of humanity, threatening a "day of retribution".

The oceanfront community has been shocked by the killings

During a rant lasting nearly seven minutes, he said it was "not fair" that he was still a virgin and had never kissed a girl.

"For the last eight years of my life, ever since I hit puberty, I've been forced to endure an existence of loneliness, rejection and unfulfilled desires all because girls have never been attracted to me," he said.

University of California, Santa Barbara said it's "shocked and saddened"

"You throw yourselves at all these obnoxious men," he continues, "instead of me - the supreme gentleman - I will punish all of you for it." He chuckles sinisterly.

The family contacted police several weeks ago, said their lawyer, to report their concerns about other YouTube videos posted by the son which focused on suicide and killings.

But police interviewed Elliot Rodger and found him to be a "perfectly polite, kind and wonderful human", according to the family attorney.

The suspect also apparently kept a blog in which he said: "I wish girls were attracted to me - I don't know why they aren't."

He wrote that he was born in the UK and moved to the United States when he was five. His father was educated in Maidstone, Kent.

Elliot Rodger was reportedly pictured two years ago on the red carpet with his father at a premiere for The Hunger Games, a dystopian futuristic drama in which teenagers fight each other to the death.

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California Shooting: Witnesses Relate Horror

Witnesses have described how a gunman sprayed bullets from a black BMW in a drive-by rampage in California that left seven people dead.

Stunned survivors said the attacker fired indiscriminately at groups of young people socialising on Friday night in the bustling student enclave of Isla Vista.

Tyler Haden, a journalist with the Santa Barbara Independent newspaper, told Sky News people were "visibly distraught" after the attack.

UC Santa Barbara students near one of the crime scenes

"We saw a lot of different emergency responders milling about," he said. "There was a lot of confusion because there were so many different crime scenes."

Robert Johnson said a black BMW had slowed down near IV Deli Mart, a popular gathering spot, where people were eating outside. Someone in the car opened fire, he said.

Onlookers console each other after the tragedy

"I heard somewhere between 12 to 20 shots into a group of people who were eating in front of it," he told NBC Los Angeles.

Twenty-year-old student Ian Papa said he saw the gunman driving wildly through the street, at one point knocking down two cyclists.

"He hit two bikes," Mr Papa told the New York Times. "One he barely grazed. The other was ploughed down. The biker went through the windshield."

The gunman was Elliot Rodger, son of a Hollywood director

Another witness, Daniel Slovinsky, told the Los Angeles Times: "I heard some pops, but I just assumed they were fireworks. 

"Contrary to what you might expect, there wasn't a whole lot of chaos immediately. I didn't hear any screaming. A few people were running."

Xavier Mozejewski told KEYT-TV that it was like an "old Western shoot-out".

Police say they were alerted around 9.30pm on Friday

Jimmy Chang, a reporter for the UCSB newspaper, said a female student had told him the gunman opened fire on her as she was walking down the street.

"He actually drove across the street to meet her," Chang told NBC Los Angeles.

"The guy stuck his head out and says, 'Hey, what are you doing?' She ignored him. The guy pulled out a gun and shot at her. The bullet missed her head. She said she thought it was a BB gun, and she just kept walking faster."

Sienna Schwartz told CNN that she started to flee when the shots began flying.

A bicycle lies next the wreckage of the car

"He shot and I felt like air passing my face," she said.

The killer had two gun battles with police before crashing into a parked car. He was found slumped in the BMW with a gunshot wound to the head, though it is unclear if it was self-inflicted.

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