The gay police horse case has been dropped. Which is good news for Sam Brown, the student who asked a police officer: “Excuse me, do you realise your horse is gay?” BBC News Online (Jan 12) says that Brown was taken to court for refusing to pay an £80 fine for making “homophobic remarks”. A police spokesman says that Brown’s question was “deemed offensive to people passing by”. The horse offered neigh comment.
Also deemed offensive is the tendency of footballers to spit during matches, and The Daily Telegraph (Jan 10) reports that Keep Britain Tidy wants them to stop. The charity says that young people are copying their heroes and covering the streets in spittle. But there are sound physiological reasons for all that soccer-star spitting, says Chelsea football club’s top medical man. Exercise causes an increase in saliva which can either be swallowed or spat out. “From a performance point of view” many sports stars prefer the latter, he states.
Spitting with fury are four hundred newlyweds who tied the knot at Langtons House registrar office in the London Borough of Havering. The Daily Mirror (Jan 14) reports that the venue had an out-of-date licence, leaving the High Court to determine whether their unions are, in fact, legal.
The Daily Mail (Jan 11) turns its gaze on children who stare out of the window during lessons instead of looking at their teacher. Scientists say that rather than daydreaming, the children are practising “gaze aversion” and are focusing their attention on the subject at hand. Encouraging gaze aversion could be a simple way of improving performance, they suggest.
One final tale to catch the eye. Fireman Charlie Jamieson rescued a frightened feline from the roof of a house in Penzance, Cornwall, by barking like a dog down the chimney, The Times says. The noise persuaded the moggie to move into an accessible position. Talk about making the right impression.