Students to vote on 250ft 'Iron Thatcher' and other tall tales

Our pick of the strange but true stories from around the world.

'Iron Thatcher' plan for university grounds

Students at the University of Kent will vote on whether to erect a giant iron statue of Baroness Thatcher on their grounds. A petition calling for the statue, which would be higher than a tower of 17 stacked double-decker busses, says it should be modelled on the Colossus of Rhodes and built across the road from the university's nightclub to "encourage good and sensible behaviour under the gaze of the 250ft Colossus".

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Three men stuck in lift after curry binge

Three young men have spent an uncomfortable 30 minutes trapped in a hotel lift, after sharing a meal of hot curries and beer in Darwin, Australia. The experience was made "much, much worse" by the effect of the food on one of the occupants, Englishman Scotty Lintern, who released a "wave of eye-watering flatulence", much to the displeasure of his friends. "We were struggling to breathe after Scotty's little effort – there was a smell in that lift that I thought would outlast religion," said his friend, Ben Rose.

Man returns library book 72 years late

New Jersey man Frank Ryan has returned an overdue book 72 years after it was meant to be returned to the Bound Brook Memorial Library. The book, Football through the Years, was discovered by his daughter while cleaning out the attic of the family home. Ryan told her he was afraid to return it so late because he believed he would be put in prison for theft. However, the librarians waived the late fees and placed the book in the archives.