The stunning images offer a celebration of the awe-inspiring stories that were caught on camera by Barcroft Media - a press agency focused on finding the most incredible news stories from across the globe - throughout 2014.

The end-of-year round-up includes major news stories, such as the gunman who went on a shooting rampage in Canada's parliament and the eruption of Mount Sinabung volcano in Indonesia, which killed at least 15 people and forced thousands to evacuate their homes.

But it also shows the stories that didn't make the headlines such as the gymnast born with no legs who is now training to be a dancer, and the tragic story of tale of Kaleem, the eight-year-old boy with abnormally large hands.

This year also saw the story of Kyle Jones, a 31-year-old self-confessed 'cougar hunter' who only dates senior citizens, and an expose of the Ku Klux Klan, which offered snapshots of family life in the Klan. 

Looking at the lighter side of life in 2014, the series also includes a photobombing baboon, pugs dressed in Game of Thrones costumes, the world's largest turban, a pregnant weightlifter and some of the year's most stunning wildlife photography.

(dailymail.co.uk)