Top Kill fails - BP now taking new approach

In its latest set back British Petroleum officials confirmed a short time ago that the effort to plug its ruptured off shore well in the Gulf of Mexico with mud to stop the leak known as a "top kill" failed.

The Chief Operating Officer, Doug Suttles, admitted defeat during a news conference late this afternoon.

"This scares everybody, the fact that we can't make this well stop flowing, the fact that we haven't succeeded so far," Suttles said.

Shuttles also said during the news conference that BP's next plan to stop the leak will be to cap the well using a lower marine riser package.

Officials say this plan could take up to four days and will see robot submarines used to cut off the damaged riser from which the oil is leaking, and then try to cap it with a containment valve.

"Many of the things we're trying have been done on the surface before, but have never been tried at 5,000 feet."

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