Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Week
The Week
National
Chas Newkey-Burden

Joggers told to wear helmets amid bird terror

And other stories from the stranger side of life

Runners have been told to wear helmets in a Scottish village after an aggressive buzzard left a runner with six holes in his head. Ewan Cameron, 46, said it was the third time the belligerent bird, with a wingspan of up to 60in, had attacked him, sinking its sharp talons into the back of his head. Paul Reynolds, from the New Arc Wildlife Centre in Aberdeenshire, told the BBC that runners should avoid Friockheim in Angus if possible, or “wear some sort of cap or a helmet”.

Party balloons close down Gatwick airport

Party balloons have been blamed for the suspension of flights at Gatwick airport after they were mistaken for a drone, reported The Telegraph. Operations were suspended for 50 minutes on Sunday afternoon after a drone was reported. Although a dozen inbound aircraft were diverted to other airports, investigators were unable to find any such drone and it was eventually concluded that silver party balloons, spotted floating towards the airfield an hour before the incident, were to blame for the confusion.

Abandoned prosthetic leg goes to auction

A fibreglass mermaid, creepy dolls and a prosthetic leg are among the items found on Texan beaches set to be auctioned to benefit a local wildlife rehabilitation group. Haitian money, an old bible, a Chinese beer, steamship coal from the 1800s and a message in a bottle from Jamaica, will also go under the hammer to help raise money for the sea turtles. The items were all found on local beaches during the past year, noted UPI.

For more odd news stories, sign up to the weekly Tall Tales newsletter

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.