I was thinking 'is everybody all right?' and 'I don't think I'm going to get out' and really horrible things . . . It was terrible, it really was - Paul Smith, survivor of the Bilsthorpe colliery tragedy

The dash to cut corners in terms of safety in the mining industry is tied up with the drive towards privatisation - Arthur Scargill

He's my friend. I'm glad he's getting out - Muamer, nine-year-old Sarajevo chum of Edhem Dedovic, who lost an eye to a mortar bomb

For me it is a show and I don't like it. Children are not animals in a zoo - Dr Patrick Peillod, chief UN medical officer in Bosnia

Many people will see it as a problem of rationing. If you lack enough resources to deal with all people seeking medical treatment, you are left to pick and choose - Alf Morris, Labour MP, on the death of a heart patient refused treatment because he smoked

A purely non-custodial sentence would have risked sending the wrong signals to parents tempted to leave very young children alone for long periods of time - Lord Justice Steyn, releasing Heidi Colwell, jailed for six months for leaving her daughter alone at home while she went out to work

Medals are yours to keep for ever. Records are there to be broken - Linford Christie, on winning the 100m at the World Athletics Championships, just 0.01 sec outside the world record

All my dreams have come true. All I wanted to do was to win. The world record is just a bonus - Sally Gunnell, on winning the 400m hurdles in record time

Before you ask, I won't have anything to do with bastard creations like Ombudsperson - William Reid, Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (or Ombudsman)