Heavy rain and 185 mph winds lashed the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico's north-east coast on Wednesday as Hurricane Irma roared through Caribbean islands on its way to a possible hit on South Florida.

A still-growing hurricane lashed a large area of the Caribbean today, wrecking homes and sending tourists rushing for shelter.

A NUMBER of quantity surveyor firms have been unwittingly drawn into an elaborate holiday rental scam in which customers pay up front to stay in a luxury apartment which they cannot subsequently access.

ILLEGAL immigrants who survived adrift in the Caribbean sea for nearly two weeks relived their horror voyage yesterday, detailing how more than 40 people died during the trip and how women who were unable to give breast milk were thrown overboard by desperate men.