This image often accompanies the "strawberry meth" warning

Police have sent out a hoax drugs warning to schools over a fake drug called "strawberry meth".

The warning said that the drug was being given to children outside their school gates.

At least 80 schools in west Oxfordshire received an e-mail warning, leading to some holding special assemblies.

Thames Valley Police said the error was down to an officer new in his post who had received an e-mail internally and had acted in good faith.

The force sent out a retraction after discovering it had been the victim of a hoax, and said no such incidents had taken place.

The officer should have double checked Ch Insp Dennis Evernden

Ch Insp Dennis Evernden, of Thames Valley Police, said: "We would like to apologise for any unnecessary concern that we may have caused to schools or parents by sending this warning out about a drug that proved to be a hoax.

"One of our officers, who is new to his post, received the e-mail internally in good faith and forwarded it on to the schools in West Oxfordshire to warn them.

"But after checking its veracity, it was found to be a hoax and a retraction was issued the next day.

"The officer should have double checked before taking this action, which he did take with the best intentions, and we will be making sure this sort of thing does not happen again."

Last year, the charity DrugScope said it believed the hoax e-mail originated in the United States.

It said there was no evidence to suggest that crystal meth - an illegal drug - flavoured with strawberries was circulating in the UK.

A Thames Valley Police spokeswoman said the force would not be holding an internal inquiry over the incident but, instead, it would be reminding its staff of necessary procedures.

State media reported devastation as troops reached stricken villages near the epicentre in Wenchuan, a remote county cut off by landslides about 100 km (60 miles) northwest of the provincial capital, Chengdu.

Officials announced late on Tuesday that 500 Wenchuan residents were confirmed dead, the Xinhua news agency reported. But the toll there and elsewhere is likely to soar.

Thirty People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops arrived at Wenchuan’s Yingxiu township and rescued 300 residents, Xinhua said. But only 2,000 were found alive in the town of 12,000, according to a local official.

"They could hear people under the debris calling for help but no one could, because there were no professional rescue teams," state television quoted the official He Biao as saying.

“About 60,000 people were unaccounted for across Wenchuan. What we most need is medicine. There is no medicine, there are no doctors and after such a long time, no food."

Attempts to find survivors have become a race against time and bad weather. Premier Wen Jiabao, who has thrown himself into the task of running these efforts, told officials not to slacken.

"The disaster situation is worse than expected, and the rescue sites are quite complex," Wen said, according to Xinhua.

He ordered 3,000 medical staff to travel to Sichuan but official reports have presented a grim litany of rising death, suggesting that crumpled homes, schools and factories will yield many more bodies than survivors.

In Mianzhu, Sichuan, rescuers said the death toll had risen to 3,000. About 500 people were pulled out alive from crushed buildings. An earlier report said 10,000 people there had been buried under rubble.

A further 18,645 people were buried under debris in Mianyang, a city that also covers much farmland, Xinhua said.

In hard-hit Beichuan County in Mianyang, at least 1,000 students and teachers were buried under a seven-storey school building, and rows of apartment buildings in the town collapsed. Locals told Xinhua that up to 8,000 residents may have died.

"People escaped from the buildings but were only devoured by the landslides," one survivor, Lei Xiaoying, told Xinhua. "There was no way to escape."

Over 320 deaths from the quake have so far been confirmed in provinces apart from Sichuan.

Officials have said more powerful aftershocks could hit the region and mudslides may add to the toll.

A strong aftershock rocked Chengdu on Tuesday, one of 2,354 in the province over the past day that have unnerved residents and led many to sleep outside.

More than 50,000 troops joined disaster relief efforts or were advancing to the area. The Chinese air force said 6,500 troops were parachuted into hard-hit areas where rain and clouds had prevented military helicopters from landing.

"Please speed up the shipping of food. The kids have nothing to eat now," Wen said amid crying children.

In Dujiangyan, about midway between Chengdu and the epicentre, bodies lined streets and residents cradled possessions in front of homes reduced to piles of rubble.

Rescuers worked through the night, pulling bodies from ruined buildings after the earthquake, which rolled from Sichuan across China and was felt as far away as Bangkok and Hanoi.

About 900 teenagers were buried under a collapsed three-storey school building. Frantic relatives tried to push past a line of soldiers, desperate for news of their children.

"We’re still pulling out people alive, but many, many have died," said one medical worker.

A group of 31 British tourists visiting the Wolong panda reserve in the quake-hit area have returned safe and uninjured to the provincial capital, China’s Foreign Ministry said.

China said that there had been no reports of foreign casualties by midday (5 a.m. British time).

The quake was the worst to hit China since the 1976 Tangshan tremor in northeastern China where up to 300,000 died.

Analysts said they did not expect serious economic effects from the disaster but supply shortages could fuel inflation, already at a near 12-year high.

The State Administration of Grain ordered local governments to ensure grain and cooking oil supplies and price stability.

Offers of aid have come from all over the world, three months before the Beijing Olympics.

Olympic officials assured foreigners China was safe. A minute’s silence will start each stop of the domestic torch relay and celebrations will be scaled down.

An inquiry is under way after football fans went on the rampage, marring the Uefa Cup Final, reports The Press Association.

One fan was stabbed and police made 42 arrests in hours of violence in Manchester city centre during and after Glasgow Rangers' defeat to Russian opponents Zenit St Petersburg.

And 15 police officers, as well as a police dog, were left nursing a catalogue of injuries as hundreds of riot police and supporters fought running battles.

One senior officer was hit so hard his electronic earpiece was left embedded in his head and had to be removed by doctors. Another policeman was bottled over the head and another lost his front teeth after being head-butted.

Ambulance crews also came under attack in the violence and two paramedics were reportedly also injured.

Five men arrested for wounding with intent on suspicion of stabbing a rival Russian fan have been released - and it appears the knifeman has escaped.

Sixteen men are currently under arrest for public order offences, four for assault and four for violent disorder and affray. There were further arrests for throwing missiles, possessing an offensive weapon and criminal damage.

Across the city centre streets were strewn with rubbish, cans of beer and broken glass after an estimated 100,000 Rangers fans descended on Manchester for the big game.

An army of council workers will begin moving the mountains of rubbish but the Rangers fans' own reputation - and that of the city's for hosting events - may take longer to clean up.

Assistant Chief Constable Justine Curran of Greater Manchester Police said: "A minority of thugs have overshadowed what should have been a great occasion." She added: "I've watched them commit damage, assault my officers and I'm really sickened and disappointed."

In the recent London elections the British National Party gained a seat on the London Assembly.

It is hard to fathom in this day and age where multi-culturalism is a fact in the UK that the BNP is still able to garner votes.

I understand that in some areas there is an overcrowding problem that impacts on housing and public services.

But it escapes me as to why that problem can only be solved by getting rid of all the non British as called for by the BNP.

Their argument seems to be that Britain should only be for The British. Let’s, and ONLY for the sake of discussing it, say ok, fine.

So now we have to define who is British! Are you British if you can trace your family back, say, ten generations? Five? Two? Where is the line drawn?

Am I British as in 1066 we were invaded by the Normans. Therefore I must have Norman blood in me and what about the Romans? Thinking about it I must have several different cultures’ blood in me. Following the BNP argument I must be a foreigner as indeed are they!!   

Or is it purely down to that outdated and deceitful idea that Britishness is based on colour? White equals British and Black doesn’t.

That distasteful phrase, which can still be heard: ‘There ‘aint no black in the Union Jack so why are they here?’ has no meaning anymore.

I am a white Anglo-Saxon protestant male. I as far as I know have no family roots abroad. Ergo I am British?

But you who might be reading this are not white, you have family roots in another country but you were born in The UK. Are you British?

To my mind you are and I celebrate the fact.

The form of racism propounded by the BNP and that’s what it is make no mistake, is as outdated and irrelevant as sexism and religious intolerance.

So let’s just all move on shall we?  

The leading mayoral candidates pointedly walked off the stage when fifth-placed Richard Barnbrook made his speech following the announcement of the City Hall results. But the leader of the BNP group on Barking and Dagenham council was not to be denied, as his party's share of the vote crept over the 5 per cent threshold which guaranteed him a seat in the assembly.

"Congratulations to Richard, and all BNP candidates, activists and supporters," the party's website declared yesterday. "The quiet revolution is getting louder."

Thursday's results, which saw the party claiming 10 more council seats nationwide, have sent a chilling message to the rest of the political establishment. Gerry Gable, of the campaign group Hope Not Hate, which ran a huge operation across the capital to dissuade Londoners from voting for the BNP, said a victory for the party meant "hatred, violence and stupidity".

Dave Prentis, general secretary of the Unison union, said: "We are particularly worried about the effect that the election of a BNP assembly member will have on race relations and community harmony in the city."

Well Mr Prentis, so are we!