Man who fell asleep in bin survives waste compactor

Our pick of the strange stories from around the world.

Rubbish collectors get more than they bargained for

A man who fell asleep in a bin has survived being put through a rubbish truck's compactor cycle. Mendes Perez, of Oregon, was accidentally picked up by rubbish collectors along with a load of cardboard. The driver was alerted to Perez's presence when he started throwing bits of cardboard out of the truck and began yelling. He was removed from the compactor and treated at a local hospital for a broken leg.

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'Armed robbery' turns out to be a film

Police have called for film-makers to be more proactive about telling authorities their shooting schedule after a staged bank robbery sparked a massive armed response in Cottonwood Heights, Utah. Tellers in the Brighton Bank called police when they heard the sounds of gunfire and people shouting: "Get on the ground. This is a robbery." Police, including armed officers with "long guns", set up a cordon around the bank only to find the commotion was coming from a building next door to the bank, where a robbery scene was being filmed.

Burglars caught 'asleep at the wheel'

A pair of burglars have been captured by police after falling asleep in their getaway vehicle outside the premises they had just allegedly robbed. Californian police were alerted to the men's presence by a "strong smell of marijuana" coming from the vehicle. The pair were arrested on suspicion of participating in a criminal street gang, possessing stolen property and having a loaded firearm in the vehicle.