Britain battered by gales

Strong winds have caused severe disruption in Britain and Ireland.

The gales brought down power lines, leaving at least one-hundred-thousand homes in Ireland without electricity on Christmas Day.

Power cuts also hit twenty-five thousand homes in Britain.

The police said the bad weather was responsible for a series of road accidents in which at least four people died.

Rescue workers are searching for the crew of a French fishing boat which disappeared off the west coast of Britain.

The coastguard said hopes of finding the five men alive were fading.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service