Sri Lanka Bomber studied in England

One of the attackers behind the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka once studied in the UK, officials say, as further details on the bombers emerge.

He visited south-east England in 2006-7 to study but did not complete a full university degree, a senior Whitehall official said. The attacker later did a course in Australia, Sri Lanka's deputy defence minister said.

The death toll has risen to 359, with more than 500 people wounded. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has said the Islamic State (IS) group may be linked to the blasts.

IS has said it carried out the attacks, which targeted churches and high-end hotels, although it did not provide direct evidence of its involvement.

8 Brits, most of whom were English, were killed in the blast. Lorraine Campbell, 55, from Manchester, known as Loz, was killed in the bombing of the Cinnamon Grand hotel in Colombo. 

Other english victims were Anita Nicholson, her son Alex, 14, and daughter Annabel, 11, who died when one of seven suicide bombers struck as they ate breakfast at the Shangri-La hotel in Colombo.

Londoner Matthew Linsey’s daughter Amelie, 15, and son Daniel, 19, were killed in the same blast on the final day of their holiday.

GP Sally Bradley and her husband Bill Harrop, a retired firefighter, from Manchester, died in the Cinnamon Grand hotel bombing.

With scores injured, the death toll is expected to rise.