'WTC deaths fall to 3,900'

The number of dead in the World Trade Center disaster has fallen below 4,000, New York officials have said.

In the days following the terrorist attack of 11 September, it was feared over 6,000 people had been killed, including several hundred Britons.

The authorities now say less than 3,900 may have died, with the numbers falling by 200 over the last weekend alone. Privately they admit the final number could be as little as 3,000.

Although a figure of around 5,000 is widely quoted, including during military briefings, officials have been removing names that had been recorded several times. The number of British deaths is now thought to be below 100.