Farage hails 'historic' Euro win

26 May 2014 Last updated at 08:36

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Live BBC News coverage of the European election results

Nigel Farage has said his "dream has become a reality" and UKIP is now the "third force" in British politics after it topped the European polls.

With only Scotland left to declare, UKIP has 27.5% of the vote and 23 MEPs.

Labour, on 25%, is narrowly beating the Tories into second place while the Lib Dems lost all but one of their seats and came behind the Greens.

David Cameron said the public was "disillusioned" with the EU and their message was "received and understood".

The full Scottish result will be known at noon on Monday, as the Western Isles does not count votes on a Sunday.

The BBC is predicting that the result in Scotland will be SNP on two seats, Labour on two seats and the Conservatives and UKIP with one seat each - meaning Mr Farage's anti-EU party is expected to win at least one seat in every part of Great Britain.

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Nigel Farage: "The people's army of UKIP have spoken tonight"

It will be the first time a national election has not been won by the Conservatives or Labour in 100 years - and the first time a party with no MPs at Westminster has achieved such a result.

Counting in Northern Ireland begins later on Monday.

• UKIP topped the poll in six of the 10 regions to declare, with its strongest performance coming in the East Midlands, where its vote was up 16.5% to 33%
• Labour topped the poll in Wales, the North-West of England, the North-East of England and London where it increased its share of the vote by 15% to 36.7%
• Ed Miliband's party has 18 MEPs so far, an increase of seven on 2009, which was a record low point for the party
• UKIP came third in London with 16.9% of the vote
• The Conservatives have so far secured 24% of the vote nationally and lost seven seats
• The Lib Dems have lost nine MEPs but avoided a humiliating wipe-out by winning a single seat in the South-East of England
• The Green Party has got three MEPs - one more than it achieved in 2009
• Coverage is on the BBC News Channel and BBC World. You can follow all the latest news, reaction and results on bbc.co.uk/vote2014

In his victory speech at the South East of England count, UKIP leader Mr Farage said: "The people's army of UKIP have spoken tonight and have delivered just about the most extraordinary result in British politics for 100 years."

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It is over 100 years since a national election has been won by a party other than the Conservatives and Labour"

End Quote

He said the three main parties in Britain had led the country into the Common Market but had "twisted and turned" over an in/out referendum on EU membership.

"The penny's really dropped that as members of this union we cannot run our own country and crucially, we cannot control our own borders," said the UKIP leader.

He later told the BBC that he was "over the moon" about his party's performance and he was more confident than ever that it would make a breakthrough at Westminster next year.

The result had "serious consequences" for the three main party leaders and he believed Nick Clegg's position as Lib Dem leader was now "untenable".

Mr Clegg faced calls to stand down ahead of Sunday night's results - something firmly rejected by senior party figures.

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Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander (R) rejects calls from federal executive member Martin Tod (L) for a new party leader

A member of the party's federal executive, Martin Tod, reiterated his call for Mr Clegg to quit because voters were "not prepared" to listen to him.

He said any new leader should "prove themselves in a democratic party election".

Mr Tod, a councillor in Winchester, branded his party's results in the European elections a "disaster" and the party's response "complacent".

But Treasury Chief Secretary Danny Alexander, who has been touted as a future leader himself, insisted Mr Clegg was "by far the best spokesman" for the Lib Dems and said "plunging the party into a period of introspection" was not the right response to the results.

Conservative party chairman Grant Shapps said the results were acting as "a command for Britain to get a better deal" in Europe - but he rejected calls by Tory grandee David Davis to bring forward the in/out EU referendum to 2016, saying negotiations on this could not be rushed.

The Tory leadership faced further calls for an electoral pact with UKIP to avoid a split in the right of British politics at next year's general election.

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Foreign Secretary William Hague: "We can fix the relationship between Britain and Europe"

Daniel Hannan, who was returned as a Tory MEP in the South East region, said: "It would be very sad if the two right-of-centre Eurosceptic parties at the general election were not able to find some way, at least in marginal seats, of reaching an accommodation so that anti-referendum candidates don't get in with a minority of votes."

Grant Shapps has repeatedly ruled out any formal pact or local deals with UKIP.

Labour was looking at one stage as if it might be beaten into third place by the Tories - a potentially disastrous result for Ed Miliband as he seeks to show he can win next year's general election.

But the party was rescued by another strong showing in London - and it took heart from local election results in battleground seats, which party spokesmen suggested were a better guide to general election performance.

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Natalie Bennett: "What people are saying... is that [they're] not happy with politics as it is now"

Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman said UKIP had tapped into people's disaffection with politics.

She told BBC people have said they are voting UKIP, even if they are a Labour supporter, because, they said: "I think you need a shake-up."

BNP leader Nick Griffin lost his seat and saw his party's vote collapse by 6% in the North-West of England.

The BNP has seen a similar slump in support across the UK and seems certain to have no representation in the next European Parliament.

Across the channel, the far right anti-EU National Front has topped the poll in France, according to exit polls.

Anti-EU parties from the left and right are expected to gain significant numbers of MEPs across all 28 member states in the wake of the eurozone crisis and severe financial squeeze.

But pro-EU parties are still expected to hold the majority in parliament.

Turnout across the EU is up slightly at 43.1%, according to estimates. Turnout in the UK was 33.8%, down slightly on last time.

In the European elections five years ago, the Conservatives got 27.7% of the total vote, ahead of UKIP on 16.5%, Labour on 15.7%, the Lib Dems on 13.7%, the Green Party on 8.6% and the BNP on 6.2%.

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Number in council tax debt 'rocketed'

26 May 2014 Last updated at 09:07

The number of people seeking help for council tax arrears has "rocketed" to become the most common type of debt problem, a charity has said.

Between January and March 2014 Citizens Advice helped 27,000 people who had fallen into council tax arrears - a 17% increase on the same period in 2013.

It comes after council tax benefit changes were introduced in April 2013.

Local government minister Brandon Lewis said they formed a "vital part" of cutting the deficit.

As part of the government's welfare changes, council tax benefit was replaced by a council tax support scheme, run by local authorities instead of Whitehall.

The government also cut the budget for the scheme by 10%, or £414m. It said the benefit had been costing taxpayers £4bn a year.

Local authorities set up their own council tax support schemes using the reduced pot of money.

'Most in need'

However, Citizens Advice said the levels of support offered to people now varied "from one council to the next" and said council tax arrears were now "the number one debt problem" for people.

It said one in five people who had reported debt problems to the charity in 2014 had a council tax arrears issue and that the number of people struggling with council tax payments had "rocketed" since the changes were made.

The charity called for local councils to ensure council tax support schemes were focused on families and households who were "most in need".

"For some households council tax bills can be the tipping point that plunges them into debt," Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens Advice said.

"Consumer debts like credit cards and personal loans have traditionally been the most common debt problems that come through our doors, but since the end of council tax benefit we've seen council tax arrears problems go through the roof.

"As their budgets shrink local authorities are increasingly stretched, but they must ensure that the resources available for their local council tax support scheme are focused on those who are most in need."

'Stronger incentives'

However, local government minister Brandon Lewis said Downing Street had delivered an 11% real-terms cut to council tax bills.

He said the latest official annual figures showed arrears were falling and that collection rates across the country now stood at 97.4% - up by almost 4% on last year.

"Council tax benefit doubled under the last administration costing every household £180 a year so welfare reform is a vital part of reducing the inherited deficit.

"Locally-designed council tax support gives councils stronger incentives to cut fraud and support people to get back into work," he said.

Citizens Advice said 42% of people who asked it for help between January and March with council tax arrears were employed, compared with 28% who were unemployed and 30% not working due to ill health, caring responsibilities or retirement.

Earlier this year the debt charity StepChange said it had seen a 77% rise in the number of households needing advice on council tax arrears over the last year.

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New Scots bodies 'could cost £1.5bn'

26 May 2014 Last updated at 09:16

The cost of setting up all the bodies needed in an independent Scotland could be £1.5bn, the UK Treasury has claimed.

It based the figure on research into the costs of setting up an independent state in Quebec, which have been estimated at 1% of GDP.

The Treasury also said that the costs could be nearly twice as much, if based on London School of Economics research.

The Scottish government said the analysis was "deeply flawed" as much of the infrastructure already exists.

The Treasury claimed Scottish ministers wanted to create 180 public bodies, which led the LSE to a figure of £2.7bn.

Its research estimated the cost of setting up each new department at £15m.

The Treasury said that, while it had used a more conservative figure in its own analysis, the £2.7bn costing was "reasonable".

It called on the Scottish government to publish its own estimates for how much it would cost to set up the organisations needed to run a country.

Treasury Chief Secretary Danny Alexander said: "The Scottish government is trying to leave the UK but it won't tell anyone how much the set-up surcharge is for an independent Scotland."

Pensions and passports

The Scottish government said it had never suggested that 180 public bodies would be needed.

Ministers also argued that start-up costs would be lower because they were planning to run a slimmed-down system.

A spokesman for Scotland's Finance Secretary John Swinney said: "Scotland is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, more prosperous per head than the UK, France and Japan - but we need the powers of independence to ensure that wealth properly benefits everyone in our society.

"This is deeply flawed analysis, underlined by the ludicrous and palpably false claim that an independent Scotland would need 180 government departments - something we have never claimed.

"Much of the infrastructure needed for an independent country already exists, and Scottish taxpayers already pay their fair share for all devolved and reserved services - while Scotland also stands to inherit a fair share of joint assets, valued at around $1.3 trillion."

If Scotland votes for independence, a number of current UK-wide bodies would need to be created in Scotland, including Scottish tax, pensions, passports, benefits, transport and regulatory bodies.

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Eurosceptic 'earthquake' rocks EU

26 May 2014 Last updated at 09:32

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Marine le Pen: "The sovereign people have spoken loudly"

Eurosceptic and far-right parties have seized ground in elections to the European parliament, in what France's PM called a "political earthquake".

The French National Front and UK Independence Party both performed strongly, while the three big centrist blocs in parliament all lost seats.

The outcome means a greater say for those who want to cut back the EU's powers, or abolish it completely.

But EU supporters will be pleased that election turnout was slightly higher.

It was 43.1%, according to provisional European Parliament figures. That would be the first time turnout had not fallen since the previous election - but would only be an improvement of 0.1%.

Vote 2014

LIVE: Full coverage of results

Highlights

(based on exit polls/provisional results)

• France National Front storm to victory - 25%, 25 seats; Centre-right UMP 21%; President Hollande's Socialists a poor third with 14% - lowest ever EP score

• Britain Eurosceptic UKIP in first place, with 27%, Conservatives on 24% and Labour about 25%, Greens beating Lib Dems

• Italy Centre-left PM Matteo Renzi scores strong 40%, fending off ex-comic Beppe Grillo's anti-establishment Five Star with 22%, and ex-PM Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia with 16%

• Germany Angela Merkel wins another election - 35% for her Christian Union, 27% for the centre-left SPD. Eurosceptic AfD score strong 7%

• Greece Partial results show far-left Syriza on 26%, PM Antonis Samaras' New Democracy on 23%. Far-right Golden Dawn set to get three MEPs, with 9%

"The people have spoken loud and clear," a triumphant Marine Le Pen told cheering supporters at National Front (FN) party headquarters in Paris.

"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."

Provisional results suggested the FN could win 25 European Parliament seats - a stunning increase on its three in 2009.

The party also issued an extraordinary statement accusing the government of vote-rigging.

Hard-left gains

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The BBC's Jeremy Vine uses graphics to show how EU citizens voted

Across the board, the centre-right European People's Party was set to win 212 out of the 751 seats, with 28.23% across the bloc, according to estimated results issued by the European Parliament. That would make it the biggest group - but with more than 60 seats fewer than before.

That put it ahead of the Socialist group with 186 seats (24.77%), Liberals with 70 (9.32%) and Greens 55 (7.32%).

EPP leader Jean-Claude Juncker insisted the majority of people had voted to be a part of Europe.

"The extreme right, contrary to what some of the media has said, did not win this election," he said.

"We will have a clear pro-European majority in this house," added the man who is the frontrunner to be the next president of the European Commission.

The Eurosceptic Europe of Freedom and Democracy group, incorporating the UK Independence Party (UKIP), appeared to have about the same number of seats as last time.

But the number of non-attached right-wing MEPs is set to rise, boosting the Eurosceptic camp.

UKIP leader Nigel Farage, commenting on his party's success in Britain, said: "The inevitability of European integration ends tonight."

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Nigel Farage: "The people's army of UKIP have spoken tonight"

The anti-bailout hard-left group in parliament was set to make big gains, largely thanks to Syriza in Greece and United Left in Spain, gaining about 12 seats.

Laurence Peter, BBC News, Brussels

The latest provisional results confirm a big setback for the centre-right EPP bloc, which is on course to lose about 60 seats, despite still coming top overall.

One of the big stories of the night is the surge in the number of "Others" and "Non-Inscrits" - that is, Eurosceptic MEPs who are independent of any of the existing party groups. There will be about 100 of them. So it will be fascinating to watch how some of the other Eurosceptic groups try to woo them.

It is clear the UK Conservatives have a real fight on their hands to win allies for their reform agenda in Europe. The results so far show that their ECR group has lost seats - perhaps 10 or more. That is probably because of Conservative losses and UKIP gains in Britain.

The election has delivered a big blow to the political establishment in Europe - the establishment that pursued austerity and bank bailouts, at great cost to millions of ordinary voters.

Martin Schulz, the former Socialist president of the European Parliament - said of the FN victory: "It's a bad day for the European Union, when a party with a racist, xenophobic and anti-Semitic programme gets 25% of the vote."

The election is the biggest exercise in multi-national democracy in the world. The vote will affect the lives of the EU's 500 million citizens.

The parliament's powers have expanded since the last election in 2009, and it is hoping to have a decisive say in who gets the EU's top job, president of the European Commission.

You can follow full coverage with all the latest updates at bbc.co.uk/vote2014.

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Pope visits Jerusalem holy sites

26 May 2014 Last updated at 09:49

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Pope Francis visited the Western Wall and national Holocaust memorial

Pope Francis has visited the most important holy sites for Muslims and Jews in Jerusalem's Old City on the final day of his Middle East tour.

At the al-Aqsa mosque compound, the Pope urged people of all religions to "work together for justice and peace".

He then prayed at the Western Wall, which lies just beneath it, bowing his head as he touched the stones.

The pontiff has been feted by Israel and the Palestinians, and has invited their presidents to the Vatican.

Both Israel's Shimon Peres and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas have given a positive response.

After visiting the Jerusalem site - one of the most contentious spots in the Israel-Palestinian conflict - the Pope travelled to Yad Vashem, Israel's national Holocaust memorial.

There he met survivors and spoke of the "boundless tragedy of the Holocaust", describing it as an "unfathomable abyss".

'Brothers and sisters'

Pope Francis began Monday by visiting the al-Aqsa mosque compound.

Considered the third holiest site in Islam, it is situated on a disputed holy site known to Muslims as the Haram al-Sharif (Noble Sanctuary) and Jews as the Temple Mount.

Continue reading the main story

He took off his shoes to enter the Dome of the Rock, from where Islamic tradition says the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven.

Speaking to the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Mohammed Ahmed Hussein, the Pope deviated from his prepared remarks to call on Christians, Jews and Muslims to work together for peace and to condemn intolerance.

"May we respect and love one another as brothers and sisters," he said. "May we learn to understand the suffering of others. May no one abuse the name of God through violence."

Afterwards, he headed to the Western Wall, one of the holiest sites in Judaism. It is part of the retaining wall of the Temple Mount dating back to a time when a Jewish temple stood there.

The Pope spent a few minutes praying at the wall, as he did on Sunday at the controversial Israeli security barrier that separates the biblical town of Bethlehem in the West Bank from Jerusalem.

He also left a written prayer in a crack in the Western Wall's ancient stones, before embracing two close friends from his native Argentina - an imam and a rabbi - who have been travelling with him as part of the Vatican delegation.

The Pope then went to Mount Herzl cemetery, where he became the first pontiff to lay a wreath at the tomb of the founder of modern Zionism, Theodor Herzl, who died in 1904 before his dream of a Jewish homeland was realised.

The BBC's Yolande Knell in Jerusalem says the visit is now part of the protocol for official visitors, but is nevertheless an act of symbolic importance.

Afterwards, the Pope made an unscheduled stop at a memorial for Israeli civilians killed in attacks by Palestinian militants. The move was at the request of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his office said.

'Never again'

Later, the Pope travelled to Yad Vashem, where he kissed the hands of several Holocaust survivors in a sign of honour. At a solemn ceremony at the Hall of Remembrance, he said: "Never again, Lord, never again!"

"Here we are, Lord, shamed by what man - created in your own image and likeness, was capable of doing."

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Quentin Sommerville spoke to some frustrated by the heightened security

Our correspondent says the visit to the memorial holds special significance because of questions over the Vatican's position during the Holocaust.

The Pope will then meet Israel's two chief rabbis before attending private audiences with Israeli President Shimon Peres and Mr Netanyahu.

At the end of the day, he will celebrate Mass at the site known as the Cenacle, where Jesus is reputed to have taken part in the Last Supper with his Apostles on the eve of his crucifixion.

The Cenacle is located in a historic building on Mount Zion that is also sacred to both Jews and Muslims. The reputed burial place of King David is on the ground floor of the Cenacle, while a mosque is situated on the roof.

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Britons accused of Syria atrocities

26 May 2014 Last updated at 10:38

Britons make up most of the foreign members in Syria's most violent terror group, a senior rebel leader says.

In a letter to The Times, Brig-Gen Abdulellah al-Basheer of the Free Syrian Army asks for help in curbing the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

He claims the group attacks opposition forces, not the Assad regime

UK fighters are involved in activities including beheadings, crucifixions and ill-treatment of women, he adds.

In his letter, General al-Basheer writes that ignoring the problem could lead to British extremists returning home to "continue on their pernicious path of destruction".

Last week father-of-two Mashudur Choudhury became the first person in the UK to be convicted of terrorist offences in connection with the conflict in Syria.

Using the example of Choudhury, General al-Basheer writes: "He is one of many. They are not freedom fighters. They are terrorists."

He says the majority of non-Syrian members of the "predominantly foreign" Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, a Sunni Islamist group, are from Britain. But he claims it includes fighters from Germany and France.

'Increasingly brutal threat'

He says there are also members from a range of countries across the Middle East, Africa and the Gulf and they pose an "increasingly brutal threat".

He writes: "We the Syrian people now experience beheadings, crucifixions, beatings, murders, outdated methods of treating women, an obsolete approach to governing society."

"Many who participate in these activities are British.

"The UK and US governments must support us to defeat terrorism in Syria and prevent it from being exported to Europe and the US."

General al-Basheer also claims that the group (which he refers to as ISIL, though it is also known as ISIS) kidnaps Free Syrian Army fighters and targets civilian homes in the city of Raqqa, instead of a nearby regime-controlled air base.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the Syrian conflict and millions displaced.

An estimated 500 Europeans are now fighting in Syria, according to the EU's anti-terror chief.

A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: "The police and security services are actively working to detect and disrupt any terrorist threat from Syria and individuals who travel there.

"People who are thinking about travelling to Syria to engage in terrorist activity should be in no doubt that we will take the strongest possible action to protect our national security, including prosecuting those who break the law."

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Egypt votes amid tight security

26 May 2014 Last updated at 10:39

Millions of voters are casting ballots across Egypt to choose a new president, for the second time in two years.

A huge security operation has been mounted by police and the military, amid fear of attacks by militants seeking to disrupt the polls.

Former army chief Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, who deposed Islamist President Mohammed Morsi last year, is standing against left-wing candidate Hamdeen Sabahi.

Mr Sisi is forecast to win by a comfortable margin.

The elections are being held across two days, with the official result to be announced on 5 June.

Shaimaa Khalil, BBC News, Cairo

There is a very festive atmosphere in central Cairo - more of a party than a poll. Posters of Abdul Fattah al-Sisi and Egyptian flags are the accessories of the day.

"Sisi is Abdel Nasser!" said one elderly woman, referring to the popular late president, who was also a military man. "He'll bring back our Egypt," she added. "Tell them. Let the whole world know."

Perception is everything in this election. This is not about who will win - the former defence minister is the clear front-runner. This is about how big the turn out will be and how big his mandate is. Even his only rival, Hamdeen Sabahi will tell you his chances of winning are next to none.

The spirits are high but so are the stakes. Whoever ends up in the presidential palace will have to deliver on the two crucial things that have crippled Egypt so far - security and the economy.

The massive security operation is not just to keep voters safe - it is also a message to Egyptians and the world and the security forces are back on the streets and in control.

Shortly after polls opened, Mr Sisi cast his vote at a polling station in Heliopolis, Cairo, amid a throng of reporters and spectators.

"The Egyptians are coming out to write their history and chart their future," said the 59-year-old, dressed in a dark suit and tie.

Mr Sisi appeals to Egyptians who crave stability after years of political upheaval and anything else than an easy win for him would be a source of astonishment, says the BBC's Kevin Connolly in Cairo.

The scale of turnout will be seen as an indication of the strength of endorsement of the winning candidate.

Continue reading the main story

In Cairo, voters were queuing to cast their ballots almost an hour before polling stations opened, as military helicopters hovered overhead.

"We want security first, then everything else will follow," Manal Mohammed, a voter in the district of Imbabah, told the Associated Press.

More than 250,000 members of the security forces are on duty at polling stations across the country, according to the interior ministry.

The tight security drums home a familiar message from the military-backed interim authorities - that the dangers of Islamist militants are ever present, our correspondent says.

Egypt's interim authorities have clamped down hard on Mr Morsi's Islamist movement, the Muslim Brotherhood, declaring it a terrorist organisation.

More than 1,400 people have been killed and at least 16,000 arrested, including the Brotherhood's senior leaders.

President Morsi, who was deposed last July following mass protests, is standing trial on a raft of charges. He strongly denies any wrongdoing.

Islamists and some secular activists are boycotting the polls in protest at the clampdown and repression of dissent.

In his election campaign, Mr Sisi set out plans to develop agriculture, housing, education, impoverished areas and employment.

He is backed by several big businessmen as well as a broad range of political parties from the Islamist right to the moderate left.

Hamdeen Sabahi, who came third in presidential elections in 2012, offers an alternative to young voters who favour a civilian candidate over a former military one.

He promises to combat corruption and incompetence while promoting civil rights.

Both candidates say they will not re-legalise the Muslim Brotherhood.

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Most of EU votes in election finale

25 May 2014 Last updated at 02:44

Voters in most EU countries go to the polls on Sunday in the fourth and final day of European elections.

Since Thursday the UK, the Netherlands, the Republic of Ireland, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Malta and Slovakia have held elections for members of the European Parliament.

On Sunday polls are being held in the remaining 21 member states.

No official results have so far been disclosed. They will all be announced on Sunday evening.

The 751 seats are allocated in proportion to each country's population.

The vote will affect the lives of the EU's 500 million citizens, and the chamber has much more power than it used to.

It is a co-legislator, with government ministers from the EU's 28 member-states, in most policy areas.

One of the first tasks of the incoming parliament will be to elect a new president of the European Commission, the EU's executive body.

You can follow full coverage with all the latest updates at bbc.co.uk/vote2014.

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US police confirm drive-by killer

25 May 2014 Last updated at 07:10

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Elliot Rodger had recently been interviewed by police, after he threatened violent actions in a YouTube post, as Alistair Leithead reports

US police have confirmed that a man who killed six people in a rampage in California was 22-year-old Elliot Rodger.

The student was the son of Hollywood filmmaker Peter Rodger, who was assistant director on The Hunger Games.

At a news conference, police said Elliot Rodger had stabbed three male room-mates to death at his apartment.

He later went on a rampage through Isla Vista in a black BMW, shooting at people at random.

After exchanging gunfire with police, Rodger was found dead inside his crashed vehicle with a gunshot wound to the head, police said.

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Sheriff Bill Brown: "All of these weapons were legally purchased...and were all registered to the suspect"

Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said Rodger apparently killed himself during a shoot-out with police officers.

At a press conference, he called it a "chaotic, rapidly unfolding convoluted incident" that involved multiple crime scenes.

Investigators are analysing a YouTube video in which a young man who identifies himself as Elliot Rodger sits in a car and says he is going to take his revenge against humanity.

In a so-called manifesto published online, Rodger said he was born in London and spent the first five years of his life in Sussex.

"This was a time of discovery, excitement, and fun. I had just entered this new world, and I knew nothing of the pain it would bring me later on," he wrote.

Sheriff Brown said that after leaving his apartment, Rodger had gone to a sorority house, which houses female students, and hammered loudly on the door.

They did not open the door but Rodger had then shot three women in the street, killing two of them, Sheriff Brown said.

Rodger then drove his car through the beachside community - which is near the University of California-Santa Barbara campus - targeting people at random, and the sixth victim was shot dead in a delicatessen.

Seven other people were wounded.

Sheriff Brown said it was "very apparent" that the gunman was "severely mentally disturbed", adding: "It's obviously the work of a madman."

He said authorities had recovered three semi-automatic handguns after Friday's shooting.

All the weapons were bought legally and were registered to Rodger, he said.

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Ricardo Martinez: "[Christopher's] death has left our family lost and broken"

Earlier, Peter Rodger's lawyer, Alan Shifman, said that the "family believes the child was the perpetrator".

He said Mr Rodger's son had Asperger syndrome, had trouble making friends and had been receiving professional help.

Mr Shifman added that the family had contacted police about "recent posts on YouTube" by Elliot "regarding suicide and the killing of people".

The family is "devastated" and co-operating with police, he said.

"We offer our deepest, compassionate sympathy to the families involved in this terrible tragedy," Mr Shifman told reporters outside the family home in Los Angeles,

Ricardo Martinez, whose 20-year-old son Christopher was one of the victims, spoke of his grief.

"When will this insanity stop? Too many have died. We should say to ourselves 'Not one more'," he said.

The University of California-Santa Barbara said it was "shocked and saddened'' by the shootings and confirmed that several of its students had been taken to hospital.

Asperger syndrome

Asperger syndrome is a form of autism - a condition which affects how people make sense of the world, and interact with other people.

People with Asperger syndrome tend to have particular difficulty in communicating and interacting socially.

They can also have problems understanding or interpreting other people's thoughts, feelings and actions.

For instance, they have trouble picking up subtle meanings contained in facial expressions and body language.

They tend to like routines, and can sometimes develop obsessive interests.

However, they are often of above average intelligence, and do not have the learning difficulties associated with autism.

It is thought a combination of genetic and environmental factors cause Asperger syndrome, which together impact on brain development.

There is no cure for the condition, but therapy can provide significant help.

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Belgium boosts security after attack

25 May 2014 Last updated at 07:26

Security has been stepped up at Jewish sites across Belgium after a gunman shot dead three people at the Jewish Museum in the capital Brussels.

A man who was detained by police shortly after the attack has been released without charge. A manhunt has been launched for a different suspect.

A fourth victim remains in a critical condition.

Two of the dead were Israeli tourists, a couple in their 50s, Israel's foreign ministry said on Sunday.

The Belgian prosecutor's office said the victims were struck by bullets in the face or throat.

Brussels Mayor Yvan Mayeur said he thought the shooting was probably a "terrorist act".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement strongly condemning the killings which he said were "the result of endless incitement against the Jews and their state".

Belgium has a Jewish population of some 42,000, about half of whom live in the capital.

Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders, who was one of the first people to arrive at the scene, spoke of his shock at seeing two of the victims lying at the entrance to the museum.

"You cannot help think that when we see a Jewish museum, you think of an anti-Semitic act. But the investigation will have to show the causes," he said.

Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo said Belgians stood "united... faced with this hateful attack".

He said "everything has been mobilised that can be mobilised" to find the killer.

Interior Minister Joelle Milquet said the attacker parked a car outside before entering the museum.

She said the gunman "apparently fired rather quickly, went outside and left".

The attack happened at around 15:50 local time (13:50 GMT) on Saturday in the busy Sablon area of Brussels, which was hosting a three-day jazz festival.

Ine Van Wymersch, a spokeswoman for the prosecutor's office, earlier said one person was detained after he drove away from the museum around the time of the attack.

Belgian police say the man has now been released and is being treated as a witness.

A second suspect left the area on foot. Ms Van Wymersch said security camera footage was being studied to try to identify the person.

Police have cordoned off several streets around the museum.

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